Chapters Introduction- Coming Through The Night
Author's Note
So, I actually came up with this idea for an RP, and as it played out it turned out so fabulously that I just had to make it into a fic. I've enjoyed putting the starters to this idea on the page. I can't wait to see it come to fruition.
After this little introduction, the chapters will focus on the mane 6 and their families, and how they're affected. And We'll get to the overthrowing Equestria, heroes on a journey type stuff once that's done.
Hope you all enjoy this intro!
Introduction- Coming Through The Night
Night blanketed Equestria in a dark and comforting embrace. All over, Ponies were dreaming sweet dreams, indulging their whimsy, living impossible fantasies, and Enjoying a restful sleep. The Princess of the Night was busy hopping from dream to dream, and Celestia was fast asleep. Therefore, no pony saw what was coming.
Nearly invisible, a mist came up through the earth, creeping through Equestria. The only trace of it, a faint wavering like one might see on a hot day, was nearly impossible to spot in the cover of darkness. And as the Citizens of Equestria slept, the mist began to creep into their homes. Tasteless, soundless, and odorless, the mist touched them all. One by one, though they still slept peacefully, the mist infected their minds. In parents it planted one single thought. In children, it carefully eased their minds to a simpler time. For grown children who were out of the house, the abilities of the complex mix of phermones, magic, neurological agents, and transformation took effect, and transported them to their childhood homes with no light or sound. The transformation occurred in the rooms, as furniture and items were changed.
The mist stretched all over Equestria, leaving no stone untouched. Very few ponies were spared the worst of it’s effects. The princesses were untouched, and many of their guards were spared, but there was a purpose behind that. An air of normalcy must be present at first. Those in Canterlot Castle were spared. Little did their residents know, they were spared from an epidemic that was afflicting Equestria.
But there was a method to the madness of all of this. It wasn’t as though this happened as a case of The Cutie Pox would. No, the force behind this was cruel and malevolent, and always methodical.
Deep in the earth, In his Skull-Shaped lair, Grogar, master of all monsters was sitting, waiting. The mist had been a little pet project he’d been working on for many moons. A way to overthrow Equestria, and turn it into a land where surrender to him was the only option. A ram who believed in the power of preparedness, he’d spent a long while observing Equestrian citizens. And he’d come to a conclusion about their greatest weakness that most might not have thought of: Children. In his time observing them, He saw that children were cherished and protected. He’d heard the phrase a million times- Children are the future. Well, it was correct- even true.
But only if Children had a future.
Parents spent time caring for foals the most, so obsessed with every little detail of their lives that they barely noticed what was going on around them. It was a perfect fit, really. How do you stop your coup d’état from failing? You get rid of those who might try and stop it. So, naturally, that meant taking down Equestria’s heroes. Take away the element bearers, reduce their families to either foals or caretakers. Princesses going to be a problem? Not when you have their entire country hostage with something only you can reverse. The foals without parents would likely be attended to by grown mares or stallions who had no family. No one would stop him.
They say changelings were the only ones who fed off of love. Grogar scoffed at the notion. He existed before the changelings did. He created them, in fact. He had learned how to take love from others to feed himself for his imprisonment. And he’d given it to Changelings. But now, he was smarter. If he wanted to get love and energy, he needed look no further than mothers with their children. He’d been able to use his magic to measure the strengths of relationships ponies had with one another, and those had been the strongest by far. Taking their love, and their energy would fuel his return. The Mist had taken him ten years to develop to the point of being ready to go. The combination of magic, pheromones, and neurological agents took a long time to develop, and to get just right. Making it in and of itself had been exhausting. It’s why he wasn’t just taking love, but also energy. He needed to strengthen himself in order for this takeover to be successful. The mist left no trace that could be found by magic means or by medical testing. The mist was impossible to pinpoint geographically, as rising from the earth meant it could come from any crack. And the magic involved in it made sure that no pony in Equestria could remember anything other than what the idea the mist had implanted in the parents had dictated.
The one idea, so simple and elegant, that he’d implanted to all of the parents’ minds was one singular sentence: The children aren’t old enough to leave the house.
Really, it was art.
What age the children of those parents regressed to would be dependent upon the parent’s own mind- at first. The starting age, however young or old, would slowly decrease, until the child could no longer communicate or likely even walk, and the parent’s energy and love was ripe for the taking. When it was snatched away, the parent would collapse, fall asleep, and likely never wake up again, while the children remained regressed and unable to communicate, or move. And those few lucky enough to escape the effects of the mist would be so overrun with children to worry about, that planning a resistance would be impossible. With frazzled minds, too little sleep, and children every which way, Celestia and Luna would have no choice but to surrender control of Equestria. And with Equestria under his control, he could soon extend his power outward. When Equestria was in his grasp, what was stopping him from taking Mount Aris? Or The Dragon Lands? Or Griffonstone? Soon, every creature would be at his command. Ultimate power would be his alone.
As he looked into his crystal ball, he smiled to himself. It was the last good night’s sleep Equestria would likely have in a long, long time.
Author's Note
I honestly did not think I was going to finish this chapter tonight, but lo and behold, I was wrong.
I really adored writing this. Y'all know I adore my baby Shiny, but now we got Baby Twily and little Spikey-Wikey to join in the fun! This was a fun little thing to do. I enjoyed it.
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
1. Twilight's Family
An internal alarm, one as familiar as the beat of her heart, woke Twilight Velvet the following morning. She looked at her alarm clock blearily. Six thirty in the morning. She sighed. It was another sleepless night, thanks to her writing career. She’d spent much of the night tossing and turning in bed, as worries about her story translated into fear-fueled nightmares. Mercifully, they’d ended shortly after Princess Luna had arrived to help discuss her frustration and get her a better outlet for them. Now, she stretched, yawning, and saw her husband still asleep. Thank goodness it was a Saturday. Poor Night Light never slept well on weekdays. She didn’t plan to wake him, either. Unless, of course, their children did that for him.
I’d better go wake and change the babies. Velvet thought to herself with a smile.
She moved down the hall to Shining Armor’s nursery, unaware that yesterday, it had simply been a bedroom that a young Stallion had left behind. Now, Baby Blue walls hosted painted clouds, and a ceiling full of stars. The wall closest to the door held a white changing table stocked full of diapers, powder, wipes, and pacifiers. Next to the changing table came the crib, bearing a mobile of small animals. Over the crib, a poem she’d painstakingly wrote in several fonts hung. Nestled in the corner, a blue high chair stood tall, waiting for him to sit in it and eat a meal. On the next wall there was a white toy chest painted with teddy bears, open and overflowing with toys of all kinds from his childhood. Above it was a picture of a tree. Next to it, a bookshelf filled with every story he had loved as a child sat waiting to be opened. A white rocking chair was in the next corner, with a blanket that was his “Bink Bink” from childhood draped over the back of it. The wall next to it held a white, yet colorful exersaucer, a wardrobe and dresser, both white in keeping with the theme, and the wardrobe was open to show many dress up costumes- including a plastic version of a royal guard’s armor. The dresser- though it hadn’t been looked in yet today- was full of onesies and hoofie pajamas.The wall to his right, adjacent to the door, held a rocking sheep that looked quite comfy, with a picture of a bluebird hanging not far above it. And at the center of the room was a blue rug, on top of which set a playpen with a plush toy in every corner.
In the crib, Shining Armor slept unaware of how much his life had altered in one night. There was no sign of tenseness in him that indicated that he felt uncomfortable or in unfamiliar territory. He simply slept soundly. Though a rightful parent himself, Shining Armor was simply too close to Twilight Sparkle of the Element bearers in Grogar’s eyes. He was a variable that had to be taken care of. Grogar had made a particular choice with how the mist would affect those close to The Element bearers. It would arrange the memories of those ponies to suit his needs. Thusly, Cadence’s memory had been altered to believe that Flurry was the result of a drunken encounter, and that she Ruled the Crystal Empire alone, While Shining Armor was back in his parent’s home alongside his sister, unaware that he was grown, let alone a father. Not only that, but the mist had enhanced the strength of Velvet, and the other parents too, in order to care for their children as well as possible. As Velvet approached the crib, she carefully lowered the side, and leaned down to kiss her son awake.
“Shiny-Winey, time to wake up, sweetie.” She cooed, rubbing his back to gently wake him.
Shining Armor’s eyes fluttered open, and for no more than a quarter of a second, the sense that something was off nagged at him. But then, it ceased once he caught sight of his mother.
“Mama.” Came the sleepy, childish reply.
Velvet smiled. “Good morning, baby boy.” She cooed, and gave him a kiss. He reached up to her, and she picked him up. It was then that she noticed his diaper was gone. “Did you take your diapee off, sweetie pie? Is it almost time to start potty training?” She crooned, carrying him to the changing table. Shining gave a noncommittal groan, and Velvet laid him down to get him in a new diaper. She began humming as Shining battled his way to wakefulness- a difficult battle to win indeed. He suckled his hoof in the meantime, and Velvet had to purse her lips to keep from speaking on it. She and Night Light had had this conversation a million times. If it went on until the age of four, then they’d crack down on it so that his teeth wouldn’t grow in crooked. Velvet had wanted to crack down on it, but her husband- lackadaisical in this area, had assured her he’d grow out of it. She had to make an effort not to undermine him now as she finished changing him, picking him up as he suckled his hoof and kicked his legs slightly.
“Bwutus?” He asked around his hoof.
“Of course, sweetie.” She cooed, and floated over his favored doll. He snuggled Brutus Force happily. “Wanna help me wake Twily this morning?”
He nodded. “I hewp, Mama!”
“Good! I’ll need my big boy helper today!” She smiled. “But you have to be very quiet like when you and Brutus play hide and seek, okay? We don’t want to scare your sissy.”
He nodded, determined to help. “I do it!”
“Good!” She grinned and kissed his cheek. Then, she carried him toward Twilight’s nursery. The furniture was arranged in the same way as Shining’s nursery, but hers was entirely done in pink paint, and the walls were purple. Twilight was in her crib, cuddled up with Spike rather than Smarty Pants. Velvet had to fight not squeal at the sight. Ever since Spikey-Wikey had come along, he and Twily had been inseparable. She went over to the crib and rubbed her daughter’s back, as Shining spoke rather than her this time.
“Twiwy! Pway time!” He chirped, a little too loudly.
Twilight’s eyes snapped open. An odd thing happened as she woke. Her fear amplified her instincts, and that feeling that something wasn’t right stayed with her longer than it did Shining. Unfortunately, her instincts, now attuned to those of a foal, made her begin to cry. Velvet immediately picked her up, cradling her and cuddling her close, as Shining began to sniffle in response to her tears and his own guilt as Velvet hushed them.
“There, There, sweethearts. Everything is okay now. Mommy’s here. Mommy’s right here.” She assured them.
Twilight quickly calmed from her mother’s comforting, but that sense of wrong didn’t quite leave her alone. Not, at least, until her mother kissed her. The sense of wrong evaporated as she giggled.
“That’s better!” Velvet cooed, and set Shining down. “Will you keep an eye on Spikey-Wikey for Mommy, Shiny? Mommy needs to give Twily her changie.” She said.
“I hewp!” Shining smiled, and toddled to his little brother of a dragon. Spike had remained curiously calm through Twilight’s wailing, Sucking the tip of his tail to soothe himself as Shining Came up to him, offering him a rattle to keep him entertained. Spike reached a claw out and banged it on the side of the crib as the jiggling of the beads made Shining giggle and clap for his little brother.
Meanwhile, Velvet moved to change Twilight, as she kicked her legs and wiggled around. “What a squirmy worm you are!” She cooed, making silly faces to distract her daughter. It worked, thankfully, and Twilight didn’t fuss through her change. When she was changed, she looked to Shining.
“Shiny?” She cooed. He looked away from Spike banging his rattle and to his mother.
“Mama?”
“Can you put Spikey-Wikey in his high chair for num num time?” She smiled. “Mama needs to give your sissy her Milkies first.”
“I do! I do!” He said eagerly, and helped put Spike in a small high chair as Velvet moved to sit in the rocker so she could nurse her daughter.
Twilight latched on immediately, and Velvet looked to Shining, who seemed to be occupied with an adventure involving Brutus running away. She couldn’t help but grin as her son waddled after his toy, and made sure Spike was comfortable in his chair, before focusing on her daughter. Twilight was quiet and still, the way she only was when she was eating or sleeping. Something about her always kept her moving just a little bit, and she worried that it might mean problems for her daughter in the future. But for now, she was content with the stillness that held them.
“Honey?”
Night Light’s voice caught her attention immediately, and she looked to him. Shining squealed at the sight of him.
“Daddy!” He grinned and waddled over quickly to give him a hug. Night Light wrapped his hooves around his son.
“I’m sorry, Dear. Did we wake you?” Velvet asked softly.
“No, not at all. I was awake before you got up this morning trying to figure out how to handle one of my accounts for Monday.” He said, Picking his son up as he babbled on about the adventure he and Brutus were on.
“Not going well, huh?”
“Nope.” Velvet gave him a sympathetic smile.
“Would you mind feeding Spike? I’ve got my hooves full with Twily right now.”
“Not at all.” He smiled, and then tuned into Shining.
“Bwutus wun fast!” Shining said.
“Really? How fast did he go, champ?” Night Light asked as he got a jar of foal food for Spike. He enjoyed applesauce. Night Light used his magic to set down the jar, tied a bib around the baby dragon, and started feeding him as he spoke with Shining.
“Fast, Daddy! Fast!” Shining said, bouncing with excitement.
“You must have been faster than a go kart to catch him, huh?”
“Yeah! I fast, Daddy!”
Night Light chuckled. “I know you are, buddy.” He said, feeding Spike another bite.
Velvet meanwhile kept her eyes on Twilight now that she was sure her other babies were in good hooves. When her daughter was done nursing, she put a burp cloth on her shoulder, and moved Twilight’s head over it, patting her back to burp her. When Twilight burped, she cooed, and was moved back down as she cuddled into her mother.
Velvet moved to brush the mane from her eyes. “There’s my pretty princess! I couldn’t see your beautiful face under all that hair, baby girl!” She cooed. Twilight giggled at the intonation and started playing with a lock of Velvet’s mane. She was just about to put a strand in her mouth when Velvet popped a pacifier in. “No, No, Twily. Mommy’s mane isn’t for eating! Paci’s are there to chew on and suck on, not manes.” She crooned.
Twilight didn’t seem to care once her mother floated Smarty Pants to her. Then, she got fascinated with making her doll move.
Meanwhile, Shining squirmed in his father’s hold to be put down. Night Light obliged him as he wiped Spike’s face off with his bib. Shining waddled to his mother, pouting.
“Mama, I want!”
“What do you want, Shiny? Use your big boy words.” She said.
“Cuddwe?”
“Of course, sweetie.” She said, and repositioned Twilight so that he could come up too, earning a groan from the princess. Velvet soothed that with a kiss as Shining clambered up into her lap and snuggled into her.
Velvet closed her eyes, smiling. This was what living was all about. This was what joy meant. Holding and cuddling her babies.
She almost nodded off into sleep when Night Light’s voice shook her out of it.
“Babe?”
Velvet’s eyes snapped open, and she smiled. “Mmmm. I guess I almost fell asleep, huh?” She smiled.
“I guess so.” Night Light smiled down at her, and the babies in her arms. “I’ll help you if you want to go back to bed. I can watch them for a while.” He offered.
“No thanks.” She smiled. “I’ll take this while I can get it.”
“Remember when your mom’s best friend’s kids were little?” He asked.
“And now they’re having kids. They grow up so fast…”
“Oh they’ll go full teenager on you, there’s no stopping it.” He smiled.
She looked down at Shining and Twilight in her arms. “I wish I could just freeze them. Keep them like this forever. Just so they wouldn’t lose that innocence, you know?”
Night Light nodded. “Yeah. It’d be nice if they were potty trained, though.”
“I think Shiny might almost be ready to make the leap.” She said.
“Oh?”
“He took his diaper off this morning. But the books say that won’t be for another month or two.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. At least he’s on track.”
“Yeah.” She nodded.
When Spike was done eating, Night Light wiped his face and went to sit with his wife and other children.
“It’s gonna go by very quickly. I’m glad you’re stopping to smell the roses once in a while.”
“It’s easier, a little. At least Shiny can help out sometimes. I don’t feel like I’m drowning all the time anymore.”
“Good. You know if you ever need me you can just send a scroll.”
“I know, but you have to work. We can’t raise these kids on my last book royalty check.”
“I know. I wish I was home more.”
“Me too.”
A silent moment was shared between them, and they became so caught up in looking at each other that Velvet didn’t notice Shining moving so that he could nurse from her. It startled her, but she didn’t jerk, just turned to look at him.
When was the last time he did that?
The answer of a few months came to her quickly, but as she watched him nurse, it was forgotten.
She didn’t notice her mind forgetting that Shining had stopped nursing months ago as it rapidly adjusted to the idea that he was still doing it like he should. She didn’t notice that Twilight wasn’t able to coo as well now as she once had. She didn’t notice that Spike had stopped wriggling in her husband’s lap when he’d been active all morning.
And she didn’t notice herself getting more tired either- Almost like her life force was being drained away.
Interlude- Dawn Of The Day
Author's Note
A break in our family story lines for a look at the morning of Celestia and Luna on this world-shifting day. For those of you who aren't into the baby thing, I wanted to give you all a break and to check in with our lovely princesses. I hope to do some interludes with different characters through this story so you kind of get a break from the babying. Well, those of you that don't necessarily enjoy it anyways. For those that do, fret not! More cuteness is coming!
But, this is my last chapter for the evening before I knock out for the night. I hope you guys like it!
Interlude- Dawn Of The Day
Princess Celestia awoke to raise the sun as she did every morning. It was an unextraordinary morning for the Princess of the Sun as she did her royal duty and raised the sun over the horizon. She could hear the halls faintly bustling with castle workers as it did at this point in the morning when they Prepared for Luna’s arrival in the dining hall and her departure from her room. When the sun was up, she showered quickly and began her trek down the hallway.
The guards stood at their posts, bowing or saluting when necessary as she acknowledged them. She made it a point to spread a little cheer every morning, when she knew many of them either hadn’t slept yet or had gotten up early to be there. Maids crossed the halls, bringing laundry baskets for bed sheets, and she could already hear the bustling of chefs in the kitchen. Though she did make her sister and herself breakfast every morning, the rest of the staff was still fed by them.
Celestia entered the dining hall, and made her way to the kitchens, where a small space (well, small for the size of her kitchen, but likely the size of a regular one everywhere else) was always available to her to use to make breakfast for her sister and herself. She made pancakes, with banana smiley faces and eyes for them, and made sure Luna had hers before she did. The Princess of the night did not do mornings well, or for a long while. Usually, Celestia got there before her sister did, bearing breakfast as always.
Today was no different.
However, what was different was when her sister began to speak with her right off the bat.
“Sister, I noticed something odd in the dream realm last night.”
Celestia had to get over the shock of hearing her sister’s voice this early in the morning before she shook herself to the present moment. “What did you notice, Sister?”
“There was a… A cascading moment of sorts. I was walking from Twilight Velvet’s dream last night and all of a sudden there was an odd flickering. It was momentary, perhaps, but It seemed to go through several of the dream orbs I was near. A split second of black, and then it was right back to normal. It was almost as though something interfered with ponies’ dream production.”
Celestia was surprised by that. “Are you certain of that, sister?”
“I… I’m not sure. I was tired at the time. Perhaps it was just my imagination. Or perhaps I blinked too fast…”
“If you aren’t sure, then sleep on it, and think about it when your mind is readier. You work too hard, Sister. You need to rest.”
Luna gave her a small smile- an extraordinary thing so early in the morning.
“You are right, sister. I shall sleep on it today and if something persists, I’ll let you know.” Luna smiled.
“You don’t have to let me know, Luna. You govern the dream realm. Not me. It’s your call there.” Celestia smiled.
Luna nodded. “I appreciate that, Sister. Thank you.” She said, finally eating a bite of her pancakes. Though she wanted to go straight to bed, the fact that her sister had helped her work through something was a luxury she often didn’t have. It was the least she could do to say thank you, and besides, she was hungry. Celestia smiled brightly at the sight of Luna actually eating the pancakes she’d made for her, and felt it a sign that today would be a good day.
She would later find herself to be mistaken.
When breakfast was done, Celestia adjourned to the Throne room, and Luna began to go to her bedroom. All the while, she tried to understand what that flickering could mean. She thought she could recall reading something in a book several moons ago about neurology having to do with dreams. If something interrupted the body’s function, then maybe… Maybe…
Shoot. She lost it. The points of thought were there in her brain, but she couldn’t piece them together now. She was too tired. Frustration climbed inside of her, making her clench her teeth together and she fought to keep a growl at bay. She was still fairly conscientious about worrying the staff with any bursts of anger. Though the Nightmare Moon debacle was far behind her, scars like that weren’t erased with time. She always tried to be mindful of her behavior around the staff, though today that was being tried as though she were in legal trouble. Ridiculous is what it was, really. It likely would have been ten times worse had she been hungry. Perhaps some divine intervention had compelled her to eat her sister’s pancakes today so she wouldn’t completely lose her mind.
Maids hustled away from the wing that held her quarters, after making sure the lavender flowers in her room were changed, the sheets were scented with a calming scent of the Princess’ choosing, and having just changed the linens for her as she liked, so that she could sleep on crisp, cool sheets after a hard night’s work.
As Princess Luna went to her chamber, she put her crown aside, setting it on it’s perch on her nightstand as per usual, used her magic to draw the drapes closed, and slipped into bed, savoring the momentary chill from the sheets that was in lovely contrast to the warm summer nights that had plagued Equestria as of late. The black out curtains blocked out the light of the morning sun, as she felt the darkness she felt so at home in and comforted by envelop her in a cozy warmth that aided her comfort, and her exhaustion.
As her eyes fluttered shut, the last clear thought that crossed her mind was that this would look better in the evening. Much, much better in the evening after a good day’s rest. She was unaware that she would not get nearly as much rest as she might have hoped to.
Author's Note
It's a beautiful sunshiny day over here in Arizona, and only a chilly 108 degrees outside! XD Okay, so it's really damn hot outside, but lucky for you guys that kept me inside to write another chapter for you!
The "One More Day" Series is all dedicated to Baby Dashie, but writing her this time was surprisingly hard. I don't know why she gave me such a challenge today, but she did. Ah, well. At least the chapter turned out well!
I hope you all enjoy it!
2. Rainbow's Family
In Cloudsdale, the home of Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof was startled awake by a crashing sound. Windy Whistles was up and moving immediately.
Dashie! Her mind thought, as she flew to Rainbow Dash’s nursery. She flung open the door to find her daughter flying just off the ground, and a few pictures off of the walls. No broken glass for her to cut herself on, thank goodness. Windy smiled at her daughter, picking her up.
“Was my baby bolt trying to fly?” She cooed.
The nickname had seemed to emanate from the nursery itself. A rainbow color rug was the only thing that wasn’t Wonderbolt themed. The furniture, the decorations, the mobile, and the bouncer in the corner all reflected her little Dashie’s desire to be the best. Windy had known that her daughter would be a Wonderbolt someday, ever since she pointed at a poster and babbled at it excitedly, fluttering her little wings. Now, Windy cuddled her daughter close. Rainbow started to talk.
“I fwy!”
“You did fly, baby girl! But try not to fly out of your cribby, sweetie. It’s there to keep you safe until Mommy and Daddy come and get you.”
“I fwy!” She cheered again and Windy chuckled. Her wisdom was completely lost on her daughter. Good thing she was adorable.
Bow Hothoof poked his head in the door. “I hear some little trotter is awake!” He smiled.
“Dada!” Rainbow cheered, and flew to him. Mercifully, the distance was short and there was no way she could crash in that distance. Rainbow giggled as he caught her.
“And just how is my little ma’am today, huh?” He asked, throwing her in the air to hear her laugh.
“We tried to sneak out of our cribby this morning, Daddy.” Windy smiled, putting the photos on the wall back up.
“Did we now?” Bow asked, smiling at his little girl. Rainbow, of course, simply giggled innocently. “Well, you know what happens to little troublemakers who don’t stay in their cribs, right?” He asked, smiling. “They get a visit by the tickle monster!” He said, and began to tickle her with his wings. To his delight, she erupted into peals of laughter.
“Bow, don’t get her riled up so soon! I have to get her changed!” Windy scolded half heartedly.
“Awww, come on, honey! You know you can’t stop the best giggler ever once she gets going!” Bow said, grinning.
Windy smiled. “Fair point. But if you rile her up, you get the honor of diaper duty for the first change in the morning.”
“Oh, alright. How hard will It be?” He asked. He’d always made sure his wife had that first change of the day, but now he didn’t dare back down. Rainbow squirmed on the changing table as Bow got out her changing supplies. Unsurprisingly, with his eyes off of her, it didn’t take more than two seconds for her to start flying again. Even when he got her back down, she wouldn’t stay there.
“What was that you said about how hard it could be?” Windy teased gently, giggling.
“Alright, I give in. I need your help, honey. She won’t stay still.” He admitted.
Windy went over and kissed his cheek. “You’ve always got my help. I’m always on your team.”
He smiled, as his wife went to work distracting their daughter with her favorite blanket and a doll, as Bow changed her. When success had been reached, the pair of them shared a hoof bump.
“Is she usually that squirmy in the morning? Never thought I’d see the day she was more of a hooffull after just waking up than after playtime.” He said, picking up his daughter.
“She isn’t- unless you get her riled up first.” Windy smiled and kissed him.
“Well, now I know.” He smiled.
“To be fair, she’s gotten more squirmy since she started flying. It’s not just you, I promise.”
“Well, that’s a relief.” He smiled, and they kissed.
Rainbow, in response to that, stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry. Her parents laughed simultaneously.
“Oh Dashie, are you jealous that Mommy and Daddy are giving each other kisses and not you?” Windy cooed.
Bow blew a raspberry on her stomach and she squealed and squirmed.
“I think our little filly was jealous, dear.” Windy remarked.
“Oh definitely. And who wouldn’t be, with me getting to kiss the most amazing mare on the planet?”
Windy chuckled. “Oh, you. You know, I think we’re pretty lucky to have the best little filly ever.” She cooed to her daughter, kissing her forehead.
“I agree with that.” Bow smiled.
Rainbow’s stomach growled, and Windy looked at her daughter. “I think it’s time for brekkie for you, baby girl!” She cooed, and took her from her husband’s arms to put her in the blue and yellow Wonderbolt high chair as bow strapped her into it so she couldn’t fly out. True to form, Rainbow tried to fly out, but was unsuccessful. Bow entertained her in her chair as Windy got out jars of foal food for her. Glazed carrots- her daughter’s favorite. Bow unscrewed the jar as Windy tied a bib around her neck and got a spoonful of the mush for Rainbow to eat.
“The Wonderbolt is coming in for a landing!” She cooed, feeding her a spoonful. Rainbow ate the first spoonful happily, but for the next one, she turned away, rambunctious as ever. Luckily, Bow and Windy were well-versed in getting their filly to eat. Bow tickled her gently, and when her mouth opened, Windy slid the spoon in. Occasionally this technique had backfired and they’d ended up with food spat in their faces, but always when the foods weren’t to Rainbow’s liking. Now, they managed to get her to eat all of her breakfast. Then, Windy nudged Bow.
“Honey, get the camera! Dashie’s got mashed carrot all over her face!” She cooed. Bow scrambled to retrieve the camera as Windy cooed to her daughter. “Who’s the best eater ever? It’s you, Dashie! It’s you!” She crooned, to Rainbow’s giggling.
Bow came back with the camera and snapped pictures of his daughter and ones with his wife in it, and a few of all three of them. Then, Windy wiped her daughter’s face off and got her out of her high chair.
“Come on, Dashie! Time for your bottle!” She cooed, carrying her to a rocking chair. Bow was already on it, warming the bottle perfectly, and then handing it to his wife. Windy cradled her daughter and started to feed her. Rainbow Dash quickly drank down the warm milk, becoming melted butter in her mother’s arms.
When the bottle was done, Windy burped her daughter easily, and nuzzled her soft, velvety cheek. Rainbow giggled.
“Well, she’s slept, eaten, had a drink, and been changed. I think we’re all clear for playtime.” Bow grinned.
“Sounds right to me.” Windy smiled, setting her daughter down on the floor. Curiously enough, her daughter attempted to fly, but couldn’t get more than two centimeters off the ground. Bow and Windy simultaneously let out an “Awww” as Windy leaned down to her daughter.
“That’s okay, sweetie. Someday, you’ll be flying like the big ponies do.” She crooned.
She was completely unaware that Rainbow had flew not ten minutes earlier that very morning.
Interlude- Morning In The Mayor's Office
Author's Note
Another interlude, yay! I'm planning on doing interludes between family chapters to break up the babying bits for those who aren't so inclined to that. Plus, it's neat to see the different perspectives of those who aren't affected by The Mist.
Here's a chapter for Ponyville's mayor. What will she discover this fine morning? Find out here...
Interlude- Morning In The Mayor's Office
Mayor Mare woke up late that morning.
She cursed herself for being too tired to dye her mane last night and deciding to push it off to this morning. A few strands of pink were peeking out that she tried to cover with some root touch ups. When she didn’t do a good enough job, she simply gave up on trying to cover up those small imperfections and went to get dressed. Putting on her signature collar and glasses, she gathered up all the important documents she had to bring to work with her today, and headed out the door.
On Ponyville mornings at this hour, the streets were usually bustling with ponies. It was part of why she usually left home earlier- because the hoof traffic was clearer. But today, only a few ponies were outside. That was odd. Saturday mornings were a time when families usually came out to enjoy the early morning sun, maybe have breakfast together, and play. Certainly, the grown ponies with shops in the market or businesses to open would be out and about. But as she passed, she found more of the same. The Carousel Boutique wasn’t open. Barnyard Bargains front sign still read closed. Sugarcube Corner was still locked up tight.
It was peculiar. Very peculiar.
But, as Mayor of Ponyville, Mayor Mare didn’t have time to think about that. She had meetings to go to, documents to file, and decrees to make. She hustled toward her office, and opened the door with moments to spare before she might have been late. The sound of quills writing and voices speaking always greeted her when she was coming into her office. The sound of quills was present, but the voices were notably fewer.
The voice she noticed most that was missing was that of her young assistant.
Ink Quill was a young intern, relatively new to the political scene, but always eager to help out. Among the more important tasks she did, like answering letters from associates or the princesses, she also performed a few mundane ones- such as getting Mayor Mare her morning coffee. Every morning she was given a dark roast coffee, with three sugarcubes and a splash of cream. Every. Single. Morning. It was how she got through conversations with officials, correcting documents, and meetings with her staff that made her want to tear her mane out.
So not having that coffee was definitely an issue.
Mayor Mare set her documents on the desk, and trotted into the main hall. “Has anypony seen Ink Quill?” She asked.
“No, Miss Mayor. In fact, all of our interns but two aren’t in today.” Piped up one of the secretaries.
“All of them?” She asked, befuddled.
“All of them, Ma’am.”
She pursed her lips. That wasn’t right. All of them but two? That was nigh impossible. And none of them had wrote in sick. That wasn’t like them. Each of those interns hadn’t missed more than two days of work since starting a year ago, and Ink Quill herself hadn’t missed one day. This wasn’t right. Not at all.
“Can you get me a coffee?” She said to the secretary, who nodded and immediately went out to get it. Mayor Mare needed to be able to think clearly, and she wasn’t going to be able to do that without her coffee.
Her secretary soon returned with her coffee, perfectly doctored with the right amount of sugar and cream, and Mayor Mare took a sip. As soon as the liquid came down her throat, she could think a little more clearly.
Six interns worked in this building. Four were gone. All of them had near-perfect attendance, and had been fine yesterday. If a family emergency had happened, the sudden absences could be explained, but none of them were related, and furthermore, they would have written in to be sure to maintain their jobs. She thought about the two interns who were there. Both young stallions, with no attachments with family or relationships. “Married to the job” was what they often termed those two. But the other interns… Two were fresh into adulthood, and the others were barely out of school. What could have happened to them?
Her mind involuntarily flashed back to the shops being closed this morning, and the quietness in the streets. She couldn’t get her mind off of the idea that something was off. Very off. When her coffee was done, she went to her secretary.
“Any meetings scheduled for this morning?”
“No, Miss Mayor. There were two, one with representatives from Canterlot and one with Manehattan representatives, but we’ve received word to cancel them from their secretaries.
“On what grounds?” She asked.
“They said something happened with their families.”
She had to take a moment to process those words, and opened her mouth, then closed it again. Finally, she looked to her secretary. “Cancel my appointments today.”
Her secretary looked to her in shock. “A-All of them, Ma’am?”
“Yes. I fear something is terribly wrong.”
“Understood, Miss Mayor.”
“I’ll be around town, and I’ll come back to the office later. Be here in case of an emergency, alright?”
“Yes, Miss Mayor.”
With that, Mayor Mare went cantering around Ponyville. Everywhere she looked, doors were closed or locked. Ponyville had become a ghost town overnight, and yet it hadn’t, because ponies still came about, but in very small amounts. There was no Rainbow Dash flying through the clouds, no Pinkie Pie running through town on some hyper errand. And there seemed to be no families, either. Those she knew that were out there didn’t have families of their own yet, or their only relations were distant or far off.
The sun still shone on Ponyville, the birds still singing happily, the skies still clear and a shade of azure blue, and the flowers in bloom still giving things a splash of color. The day was otherwise picturesque, But the more she looked, the more she knew.
Something is wrong with my town… But what?
Author's Note
This one was a tough one, not gonna lie. I struggled with writing Rarity here, and figuring out just who Cookie was, since there isn't an episode where she or her husband are prominently featured. I took my chances and did my best.
This chapter, however, is very important to me. So far in the story, we've seen breastfeeding with Velvet and Formula feeding with Windy, but those aren't the only way to feed your kids, and I wanted to bring some attention to alternative methods of feeding babies, because not every mom can breastfeed or do formula. Some moms don't make enough milk to breastfeed, some babies can't handle formula, so I wanted to try and bring some attention to this so that all the moms who can't do those things don't feel so alone.
Enjoy the chapter, guys!
3. Rarity's Family
Cookie Crumbles groaned as the sound of wailing woke her that Saturday morning. Hondo Flanks slept next to her- and how in Equestria was he still sleeping with that crying going on anyhow?- unaware of anything being amiss. She rolled out of bed, mane uncharacteristically frizzy from a lack of washing as she went to Rarity’s nursery.
Her little darling was wailing in her white crib. The Purple walls with gemstone stickers matched her mane, and the furniture had to be color coordinated. If everything wasn’t just so, her precious gem went straight to pieces. But this wasn’t one of those times. No, not at all. Cookie was a smart woman. She could tell the difference between her children’s cries. A cry from things not being the way she wanted them to was more high pitched and nasally. The tantrum-like cries were in the mid-range of her daughter’s voice. But the true distress cries were lower, and deeper. This was a cry of genuine distress.
Cookie went up to her, picking her up. “What’s the matter, Rarie-Roo?” She cooed.
The answer became apparent immediately as she felt a lump in her daughter’s diaper that made Rarity cry harder.
“Oh, it’s alright, Rarity. I’ve got you.” Cookie soothed, as she carried her daughter to the changing table and immediately began to change her and wipe her clean. As she did so, Rarity’s cries began to lessen until they were a combination of sniffles and odd breathing. Cookie got her into a new diaper, and picked her up. “There you are, My precious gem. Ready to sparkle and shine like always.”
Rarity calmed at that. “Mama, Gems?” She asked, looking up at her mother.
“We’ll get you dressed after breakfast, Rarity. But I wouldn’t want you to stain any of your outfits.” Cookie said wisely.
Rarity grumbled, but nodded.
“But before breakfast, let’s get your little sister too, hmm?”
Rarity looked up at her, nodding.
As cookie went down the hall she was surprised to find her husband carrying their younger daughter from her nursery.
“Honey, I thought you were still sleeping.”
“Oh, dont'cha know it, Cookie? I could feel you gettin’ up and I figured our little gem was up, so it meant I had to get our bouncin’ baby Belle!”
“Well, I guess that means we’ll have breakfast sooner than we thought!” Cookie said, and Rarity beamed.
They carried their girls to the living room where a playpen waited, putting them inside, as they went to make breakfast. Sweetie belle busied herself with a little toy xylophone that seemed to enchant her with it’s musical notes and rainbow colored keys, seeming to take joy from simply banging on the keys. Rarity, meanwhile, held a doll in her hooves that currently wore a ballerina outfit. A small box of clothing for the doll interested her, and she removed the outfit to dress her in a wedding gown, before clapping happily.
“Mama! Dolly pwetty!” She called.
“Mama will be there in a minute, sweetie!” Cookie called as she and Hondo cooked. There was one, and only one meal that neither Cookie nor Hondo could burn, and that was scrambled eggs. Fortunately, Rarity was at the age in development where she could eat them. Thank goodness. Sweetie Belle would have to stick with milk for now.
Soon the eggs were plated for all of them, and Cookie didn’t hesitate to pluck her darlings out of the playpen, earning whines of protest from them both. She hushed them, and sat Rarity in a high chair so that Hondo could feed Rarity.
Cookie sat down with Sweetie Belle, a small cup in her magic. She always felt incredibly guilty during feeding times. Her breasts hadn’t been able to lactate immediately after giving birth, and breastfeeding was incredibly painful for her after her daughters had been born. She had, of course, resorted to the bottle, but neither of them could stomach the formula and beyond that refused to nurse from it. So, she’d resorted to cup feeding.
A small cup of milk was waiting on the table by her. It was bovine milk, from cows, but her magic had been able to put in the nutrients in breastmilk that would have been necessary for them to grow up strong and healthy. Holding Sweetie Belle, She swaddled her tightly in order to keep tiny hooves from knocking the cup over, and gently tipped the cup to her daughter’s bottom lip, letting her lick the milk from it. It was important that she be careful not to get milk in her daughter’s mouth directly. Rather, she just needed to hold it in place and let her daughter drink. She’d gotten a special small cup that told her the fluid intake on it. After fifteen milliliters, she would burp her.
Rarity, meanwhile, ate her eggs without complaint, and drank milk from a purple and sparkly sippy cup. Hondo made sure to hold it for her, as he knew Cookie was most definitely picky about that, and when she was done, Picked her up.
Cookie finished feeding Sweetie Belle, and went to Rarity. “What do you think, Rarity? Should we get you and your sister dressed?”
“Yeah!” She cheered, beginning to squirm. Hondo had to keep a tight hold on her.
“Why don’t you go pick out something for your little sister, hmm?”
Rarity nodded as Hondo carried her to Sweetie’s nursery, and Cookie couldn’t help but smile. Somehow Rarity had managed to overcome much of the new baby transition. There wasn’t a regressive phase with her, although there were plenty of tantrums from the lack of attention. But getting her involved and making her feel more like a big sister had helped, especially when they began the daily ritual of having Rarity choose what Sweetie would wear for the day. It seemed to negate a lot of tantrums, and Cookie, for one, was grateful for it.
Rarity picked out a light pink onesie with purple trim to match her sister’s Mane, and Cookie dressed her in it, much to Rarity’s protest. But Cookie still wasn’t completely sure her daughter understood that Sweetie was real baby, and fragile, unlike her dolls. So, when Sweetie was dressed, Hondo took her, and Cookie took Rarity to her nursery, and favorite place- the closet.
Rarity pointed to a princess costume. Sparkly, with puffed sleeves, and soft fabric, it had been a favorite of hers for quite a while. Cookie smiled, and pulled it down for her. She had helped Rarity into it enough that she now understood how to put it on.
Rarity got one leg through, but couldn’t seem to figure out how to get the other one through. Cookie jumped in to help her, and it seemed that any memory of Rarity being able to begin to dress herself had been erased, and what little development Sweetie Belle had seemed to be gone alongside it.
When her daughter was dressed, Cookie stood next to her husband, and cooing other daughter, smiling softly. Hopefully, Rarity would become a good big sister to their newborn.
Interlude- Breaking Dawn At Braeburn's
Author's Note
So I'm pretty sure all of you were wondering how The Apple Family would be affected by Grogar's trick, and I hope this helps give you some answers.
Enjoy!
Interlude- Breaking Dawn At Braeburn's
Braeburn awoke early that Saturday morning. It was another beautiful day in Appleoosa, even though the sun hadn’t risen over the horizon yet. Braeburn adored his town. Every day, he’d get up and work the fields without complaint, finding more and more reasons to enjoy himself as the fields and crop grew. Their relationship with the buffalo was stronger than ever, especially with Little Strongheart remaining a close friend.
Every day in Appleloosa seemed to him to be a day in paradise.
He got up, and did some of his chores. He bucked some apples, hauled some carts, and did some watering. This wasn’t nearly half his daily chores, but he had something more to do today many miles away.
Grogar had paid particular attention to the lives of the Element Bearers, and knew that the Matriarch and Patriarch of the Apple Family branch in Ponyville were deceased, and those who lived there now were elderly. So, he’d had to get a bit creative with how they would be cared for. Braeburn was the relative closest to their branch of the family that would not be affected by the mist, but Grogar had implanted a specific memory in his mind to aid them.
The evening before, Braeburn had gotten word from Granny Smith that his help was needed in Caring for the foals at her home. Though she and Grand Pear were there, they were still elderly, and three foals were a lot to handle for any pony. He’d said he’d be glad to help, and was due to hop on the train to Ponyville that morning. Hopefully he’d be there by the time the foals woke up.
As he packed his saddlebags, a saddened look crossed his features. It was a shame what had happened to Granny Smith’s son, Bright Mac, and daughter-in-law Buttercup. No foals deserved to go without their parents. Certainly, they would always have their grandparents, but he knew it wouldn’t be the same for them. Not knowing the ponies who’d given them life, who had loved one another so deeply that they were born. It just wasn’t fair. He knew he couldn’t change that, but to lend a hoof to them, to be able to say he helped their family, well, that was as close as he could get to putting a salve to their wounds.
He didn’t like to leave Appleoosa. This little slice of paradise was every bit his home. He hated thinking of leaving the settler ponies he’d come here with less hooves to help them, but it hurt even more to think of those three foals not being cared for. He’d watched some of the parents in town with their foals, and had seen how much they cared for them. He’d helped out and foalsat for them a number of times. So Granny Smith reaching out for his help wasn’t unfounded. He just wondered if his four hooves would be enough to help them.
He finished packing his saddlebags and got them over his back, tightening them before he headed for the train station. Normally he saw Sheriff Silverstar on the way there, but not this morning. Of course, he had two colts of his own to look after so it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he wasn’t up this early. Braeburn made it to the train station, gave his bits to the conductor and took his seat.
From his window, he could see the Apple orchards he’d helped plant. There was a pang in his heart knowing that he might not see them for a while, but at the same time, there was an odd excitement in the idea. He wanted to remember that image, not just for if he became homesick, but to see just how big the trees might have gotten in his absence. It was exciting to think of how much they would grow and flourish, even if he wouldn’t be directly involved in making it so this time.
As the train departed from the depot, he watched the town he loved become a blur, and said a mental goodbye to the folks he cared about there, and the trees he loved to tend to, along with the town itself. But hopefully, this experience of leaving home and experiencing some new things would be one that would help him to come back stronger for it.
The luxury of being able to sleep in was not one Braeburn was accustomed to. But the train did have cars for that, and with three foals that would need his help, he had a very good feeling that he’d need all the sleep he could get. So, he’d gone to the sleeping car and tried to lie down and rest, but all the while, his mind kept conjuring up things to do.
It took a monumental effort to make that never-ending mental ticker tape shut off. Making that list of things to do stop writing itself was hard. Normally by the end of the day when he slept, he’d gotten everything done and could get the rest he so deserved. But having been awake, only doing half his daily chores, and still having a day full of responsibilities ahead made it extremely difficult. Mercifully, he was able to turn off that list in his brain by picturing the image he now held dear of the apple trees back home. He shut his eyes, and pictured the trees, the smell of the earth with it’s rich soil, the scent of freshly picked apples, and the comforts of home.
Before he knew it, he was asleep.
He slept for perhaps four hours, before waking and finding Ponyville just over the horizon. It gave him time to shake the sleep from himself and wake up properly, before moving to get his saddlebags. Not long after he’d slung them over his back, the train whistle sounded, and it screeched to a halt. The doors opened to the depot, and he took in a breath.
It was time to help his cousins.
Author's Note
This was a really emotional chapter to do- probably the most emotional yet in this story. But I really enjoyed it.
It took a while to get done considering there were six characters involved, but it got done in the end.
Hope you all enjoy!
4. The Apple Family
Granny Smith opened her eyes, vision blurred from sleep. She rubbed them a few times as her bedroom at Sweet Apple Acres came into view. The sun was up, completely over the horizon, but only an inch from it by her vision. It meant it was still very early. She didn’t need a clock to know that.
It took a few minutes for her to get out of bed. The wisdom that came with age was largely the only benefit to growing old, as her joints tended to ache and she didn’t tend to move quickly because of it. Not to mention her hip hurting her all the time. But, as a farm mare, she did what had to be done, always. She made her way down the hall and to the outhouse in the field nearby, and used the facilities.
Making her way out after, she saw Grand Pear there and smiled.
“Mornin’ Prickly Old Pear.”
Grand Pear smiled. They’d never quite gotten over those nicknames, despite reconciling. “Morning you Old Crab Apple.”
“The seedlings still asleep?” She asked.
“Still out. Probably won’t stay that way too long.” Grand Pear conceded.
“We best git to the train station, then. Braeburn is comin’ in from Appleoosa to help out with them.”
“Would you like me to go?” He asked.
“If it wouldn’t trouble ya none. I’d rather be here in case the sprouts wake up early. Ya can prob’ly move quicker than I can too.”
“I’ll be on my way shortly.” He nodded.
“Thank ya, kindly.”
“You’re welcome.”
Granny Smith returned to the house to keep an ear out for her grandchildren, as Grand Pear used the outhouse, and then started making his way to the train depot.
He managed to get there just as the train pulled in. A few ponies exited it, but he knew none of them were Braeburn. He’d seen the stallion in a few photos in the Apple Family albums. When Braeburn did exit, he smiled.
“Well howdy there!” Braeburn said. “You must be Grand Pear! Glad to meet ya!” He smiled, shaking his hoof.
“Good to meet you.” He said softly.
“I take it Granny Smith is with the little ones?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I can’t wait to see them!” He said enthusiastically.
Grand Pear chuckled. “I’m sure they’re looking forward to seeing somepony besides us old fogies.”
“You ain’t old, sir. You’re just full of wisdom.” Braeburn smiled.
“Thank you.” Grand Pear smiled back to him. “Shall we go to the farm?"
“With pleasure!” Braeburn nodded.
With that, they headed off.
Somehow, providence had favored Granny Smith, and her grandchildren didn’t stir until after Grand Pear and Braeburn had come back. Granny Smith looked at Braeburn with a smile.
“Howdy do, Braeburn.” She smiled, giving him a hug.
“Hey there, Granny Smith! Always a pleasure seein’ you.”
“Aw, yer bein’ too kind to an old mare, youngin’. It’s always good to see ya too.”
“Speaking of youngins, are the foals asleep?”
“Somehow. The little appleseeds must have tuckered one another out playin’ last night. Ain’t heard a peep from ‘em, and usually they’re as early as the birds catchin’ worms!”
As if the words had called forth some kind of indignity inside of them, One cry was heard, then two, then three.
“Speak of the devil.” Said Grand Pear. “Shall we divide and conquer?”
“Sounds good to me.” Braeburn nodded.
“And me.” Granny agreed.
They nodded, and went off.
Granny Smith went to Applejack’s nursery to find the foal in distress. She eased her way over to Applejack and stroked her hair. “Hey there, little Appleseed.” She crooned.
Applejack looked up at her, sniffling. It took a bit of maneuvering, but Granny Smith managed to pick her up, patting her back. “There ya go, youngin’. Much better.”
She checked her granddaughter’s diaper and found it wet. It brought forth a twinge of pain for her. Not arthritic as it was usually, either. This was emotionally painful. Her little Bright Mac should have been the one coming to comfort his daughter from what dreams may plague her, and take odd joy in the diaper changes while he could. If it hadn’t been for that accident…
Granny Smith shook her head, and focused herself in the present. It wouldn’t do any good to get upset now. Applejack was already upset, and she didn’t need to make it worse. It was time to get a grip on her emotions and carry on for her granddaughter’s sake. “Don’t you worry none, Applejack. Granny’s here.” She promised, taking her granddaughter to the changing table. The dark woods of the furniture went nicely with the wall color. Granny Smith changed Applejack, very proud to say that the furniture for all her grand babies was made from Sweet Apple Acres trees. She wanted those trees to come inside for them. The trees their father bucked. The trees their mother walked under. It was her way of keeping a little piece of them there for her grandchildren.
She finished changing Applejack and gave her a kiss. “There ya go, little one. Much better.”
Braeburn walked into Big Macintosh’s nursery, and found the boy lying on the floor weeping. He went over to him, speaking gently.
“Hey there, little one. What happened to you, huh?” He asked.
Big Mac sniffled. “Faww.” He pointed to his crib.
“I see. You fell out of your crib?” He asked softly.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Does anything hurt?”
“Owie.” Big Mac pointed to his head, and Braeburn gave it a kiss and him a nuzzle to make him giggle.
“Much better!” Braeburn chirped. “Now that’s the right way to wake in the mornin’!”
Big Mac sat up now, setting a hoof in his mouth as Braeburn looked at him. “What do you say we get you changed, huh?”
Big Mac nodded, and waddled over to the changing table where Braeburn changed him.
Grand Pear passed his nursery on the way to his youngest grandchild’s room. Opening it, he found Apple Bloom squirming and wailing in her crib. He lowered the side of the crib and picked her up, rubbing her back.
“Good morning, little seed.” He crooned, taking her to the changing table. His granddaughter’s wailing was heartbreaking for more reasons than one. He could recall hearing the near-exact sound coming from his daughter so many years ago. As he moved to change his granddaughter, memories of his daughter’s foalhood flickered before his eyes. Apple Bloom was the spitting image of Bright Mac, but she behaved just like her mother. It was a bittersweet taste in Grand Pear’s mouth.
He started to change her, and found himself telling a story about his daughter to his granddaughter. She was too little to understand, of course, but there was something about it that was calming to him, and apparently to her too- Though that may have been the change working it’s magic. He told the story of how his daughter ate her first pear and it somehow squirted juice all over the room. Grand Pear chuckled at that, and before he knew it, the change was done.
The three caregivers all shared one cohesive thought: It was time for breakfast.
They filed down the hall with their individual charges, setting them in high chairs in the kitchen and occasionally remembering to speak as Granny Smith made up the bottles, Braeburn got out the foal food, and Grand Pear started cooking breakfast for the adults.
Braeburn and Granny Smith went to work feeding their charges just as soon as everything was ready, and Grand Pear whipped up flapjacks in a flash. Around the time the flapjacks were being plated and topped off, the foals were finished eating and being fed, and they were lovingly placed in a playpen to play.
Granny Smith, Grand Pear, and Braeburn sat down at the kitchen table, eating their breakfast.
Braeburn broke the silence. “Everything goin’ alright with the others?”
“Oh, you know Applejack. She’s always stubborn. Even when there ain’t nothin’ botherin’ her she’ll find somethin’ ta pick at.” Granny Smith said. “Even after her change she was fussin’.”
“Sounds like an Apple.” Chuckled Grand Pear. “Apple Bloom was fine after her change. I… I told her a story about my daughter. She seemed to like that.” He said.
Granny Smith put a hoof on his, patting it lightly in her understanding. “It’s hard, knowing they ain’t gonna know the ponies who brought them into this world. But we’ll tell them their stories, and they’ll be remembered through ‘em.”
Grand Pear nodded.
Braeburn removed his hat in solidarity. “I’m sorry for your losses. I can’t even imagine what y’all have been through. But I’m glad to be here and help.”
“And we’re glad to have ya.” Granny Smith said with a slight smile.
Braeburn felt a small smile come to him too. “What else is family for?"
They didn’t notice Big Mac beginning to babble, Apple Bloom’s movements slowing, or Applejack beginning to struggle with sitting up as they talked.
Interlude- Zecora's Zenless Morning
Author's Note
Ugh, this one came out like pulling teeth. But At least it came out. Thank goodness!
Hope you all enjoy!
Interlude- Zecora's Zenless Morning
Zecora the zebra was up just as sunrise happened. She enjoyed getting up at the break of dawn to do some early morning meditation. She grabbed a long pole from inside her hut and went out to the pond near her home to meditate. She plunged the pole into the pond, and sat upon it, balancing easily. She sat upon the pole, and shut her eyes.
On the edge of the Everfree Forest, it was not uncommon to hear tiny bits of sound coming from animals or even from Ponyville- especially on Saturdays. Families tended to be rowdy and excitable on the weekends, so it wasn’t uncommon for the sound of a squealing child or a happy shout to barely reach her ears. But today, it was quiet. So very, very quiet. Not even birds were chirping, nor were frogs croaking. There was only silence, and it was somewhat unsettling.
Her focus remained total, as she’d once taught Twilight Sparkle to do. But when her meditation for the morning was finished nearly an hour later, she found worry creeping into what was usually a rather zen time for her.
“The forest is quiet today, I can hear, so why do I feel a sense of fear?” She wondered to herself. “A potion in my cauldron will tell me true, if this feeling is real it will show why in my brew.”
So, she made her way back to the hut. She needed to gather potion ingredients. She got water in her cauldron, and then started ticking off the ingredients she needed in her mind.
The Seeds Of Truth, some Heart’s Desire, some Lapis Lazuli Crystal, and some Bittersweet flowers. The bittersweet flowers and the seeds of truth would help her see what was happening with clarity, and the heart’s desire would bring what she wanted to know into view, and the lapis lazuli crystal would show the truth.
Unfortunately, she needed to restock on the Heart’s Desire and some bittersweet flowers. So, she had to go and find them. The heart’s desire she could get easily enough, only a little ways down the path in the forest. But the bittersweet flowers she’d have to go into town for. So, deciding to get the longest part of her journey over with, she gathered her bags and began the trek into Ponyville.
Roseluck tended to have a good variety at her flower shop, so she decided to go there. It was still early, but not as early as it had been, and she hoped- perhaps foolishly- that Roseluck would be available.
As fate would have it, Zecora got lucky.
Roseluck was outside of her home, tending to her bushes.
“Roseluck, it is good to see you, tell me now, how do you do?” Zecora smiled.
“I’m doing well, Zecora. Thank you! How are you doing?”
“I’m afraid of a certain plant I have run low, do you have any bittersweet I can take to go? A potion I am trying to brew is in need of it to show me what is true.”
“Oh, bittersweet! I have some of those in my backyard. Let me get you some.” She smiled.
Zecora followed her. “It is quiet, haven’t you heard? I’ve yet to hear a single word.”
“It is really quiet this morning. Normally I see a few ponies around here every day. Lyra, Lily, sometimes Bon Bon. But it’s like they’re all sleeping in today. It’s weird.”
Zecora nodded. “It is a most unusual day to see this many ponies seeming to be away.”
“Tell me about it.” Roseluck said, and gathered the bittersweet flowers for her. “Here you go, Zecora.
“Roseluck, I thank you for your kindness, and hopefully It may help my blindness. Tell me, what do you say? How much do I owe you today?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. This bunch is on me. Looks like it’s going to be a slow day. I’m not going to make much today, I don’t think.”
“Then I suppose all that’s left to say is that I hope you have a lovely day.” She smiled.
“You too, Zecora.”
And with that, Zecora went back toward her hut. After that, gathering the heart’s desire wasn’t any great task, and she returned quickly. She got the fire under her cauldron going, and began putting in the ingredients. The heart’s desire, then the bittersweet flowers, then the seeds of truth. She mixed it together, let it bubble, and the mixture became purple. Finally, when it was just right, she dipped in the Lapis Lazuli Crystal. Dipped, not dropped. She needed it coated in the mixture in order to see what was going on. When the mixture absorbed into the crystal, she held it to the sun, and the crystal’s color changed with the light of the sun. Finally, she dropped it in. The sun that was shone through the crystal would help to shed light on things. The cauldron shone a bright gold suddenly, and she stirred it three times, clockwise. And as she stirred, she spoke.
“With the golden sun shone through, let the crystal help this brew. Let the truth at last be shown, and let it at last to me be known. Tell me now and tell me clear- show me the thing that causes me fear.”
The top of the cauldron suddenly ceased bubbling. In it, an image appeared. A slow rolling mist coming through Equestria.
“Well now, what have we here? And how does this mist correlate to my fear?”
She wasn’t sure what this mist was, but she knew very well that she needed to share her findings. She got her saddlebags on, and decided to leave her hut, headed to Ponyville to report to the Mayor’s office in town hall.
Just because she wasn’t a citizen, doesn’t mean she didn’t have an obligation to help her friends who were. And if those friends were in danger, she would do whatever it took to help them.
When she couldn’t find the mayor in her office, she realized that her fear wasn’t the only one running through town.
Author's Note
The Pie family was rather difficult but fun to do. I enjoyed it.
I hope you guys like it too!
5. The Pie Family
Cloudy Quartz knew the value of hard work.
She had no qualms with getting up before dawn to cook for her husband and four girls. She never had an issue with being both a mother and a farm mare. Balancing them was a challenge, but for her, it was an exciting one, because harder work in both areas meant a greater reward would be reaped later on. You reap what you sow, as her mother had once said to her. And Cloudy Quartz fully intended to cultivate greatness in both areas. Great daughters, and great harvests. What more could she ask for?
She was a modest woman, certainly. But she was not above wanting to raise a great family and be a good farm mare. Modesty did not mean throwing aspirations and goals to the wayside- it simply meant not bragging about them. She was a modest woman, but she was still proud of her accomplishments, and considered her four daughters her greatest ones. Pinkamena, Limestone, Marble, and Maud were the greatest things she had done with her life, and she never once regretted having them.
Rising before dawn was nothing new for the farm mare. She’d done it ever since she and Igneous had married, and doing it now was a blessing. With four foals on her hooves, being able to wake before dawn and not feel as though she was hit by a rock cart was a beautiful thing indeed. So, today, as with every day, she got up, and began her chores.
Some days she could manage to get breakfast with her husband. Others, she was not so lucky. Today happened to be the second one. She’d finished making bowls of granite for herself and her husband- though it wasn’t hearty in any respect, It was likely what they would have to go on for the day for the sake of time. Just as she and Igneous sat down to eat, the sound of crying reached her ears, and though it wasn’t civil, she let out a sigh.
“Best to go see the children, Mother.” Igneous said.
Cloudy nodded. “Aye.”
So, Cloudy went to the nurseries. They’d made them at the top floor of the homestead. Four cribs, all in a row. They didn’t paint it. They couldn’t afford such luxuries. The cost of diapers alone was enough to barely ensure them breaking even financially. Cloudy had quilted all the blankets herself while she was pregnant. In shades of grays and blacks and purples and whites. They were masterpieces of sewing, intricate crafts and weaves, that she was proud of, not for the craftsmanship, but for the love and effort that went into them.
Limestone was the one wailing- honestly Cloudy shouldn’t have been surprised. The girl could find reason to fuss for the smallest reasons. Too hot, too cold, her blanket swaddling her too tightly- anything. Maud and Marble were so much less low-maintenance. And Pinkamena… Well, she didn’t cry much, but she wasn’t necessarily low-maintenance with how much she tended to bounce around. Maud and Marble didn’t seem to be awake yet, but Pinkie was. She wasn’t fussing, She was just watching- Curious, not quite bouncy as of yet, but awake.
Limestone was, this time, not fussing for a petty reason. Her diaper was certainly well used, and Cloudy immediately went to change her. She was well used to unsavory tasks such as these, and they didn’t phase her in the least. Limestone, ever stubborn, still wasn’t happy afterward. So, Cloudy began to nurse her, and sure enough, she latched on immediately. As Limestone nursed, Cloudy went to Pinkamena, and picked her up too.
Pinkie latched onto her, and a faint smile traced Cloudy’s features. She always was a good eater. Cloudy had never had to worry about her meeting weight milestones in her development. At six months old, she was perfectly healthy, as she should have been. All of her girls were growing up on track, and it was comforting to know that someday there would be four more ponies working their farm.
But not for a long while, unfortunately.
Limestone and Pinkamena finished nursing around the same time, And she expertly and efficiently burped them both. Limestone calmed, apparently having her needs met. Pinkamena, meanwhile, needed a change. So Cloudy set Limestone down, and went to change her other daughter. Pinkie- for it was the nickname Cloudy gave her- squirmed throughout the entire change. It seemed to Cloudy that the girl always had so much energy in the morning. Much more so than at night, so it always made the first change of the day difficult. But, as it were, Pinkie seemed relatively calmer this morning. Thank goodness for that. That change done, she set to work on Marble and Maud. She nursed and changed them, and then called for Igneous to carry two of them downstairs so that she could feed them. It was the only chore she asked of him to help her with in the mornings and, thankfully, one he was happy to agree to. Though he spent most of the time in the fields, Igneous was an excellent father.
The two of them carried their girls downstairs, and settled them in the old wooden highchairs that had been passed down generationally in the family. Igneous touched foreheads with his wife, and nuzzled his daughters affectionately (as he did believe kissing should have been reserved for husbands and wives and certainly confined to private) before he set to work in the fields. Cloudy, in the meantime, set to work feeding their girls with the bowls of gravel she’d set for them. Babies, of course, needed things that were easy to eat. Gravel was as good a way to start as any.
She fed her girls, going down the line of high chairs one by one so they could eat. Each one was shown tenderness in her way. Her enjoyment of the task was rooted in the happiness she felt in being with her daughters. She knew that intermittently throughout her day she would have to go out to the farm to trade places with Igneous for the polishing that needed to be done. It made her feel… worried to be away from her girls. There was a constant sense of fear in going to work in the fields, an incredible pressure of time going by too fast. She worried there would be some incredible moment she’d miss. Sitting up, or walking, or a first word.
But that was ridiculous. Her girls weren’t even old enough to sit up by themselves… Right?
Interlude- Spitfire's Surprising Saturday
Author's Note
Hooray, a chapter!
This one was surprisingly long, considering it did not want me to write it. It was pleasantly surprising to see it make it this long.
I hope you guys enjoy!
Interlude- Spitfire's Surprising Saturday
Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts, started her morning at five AM.
Every morning at five, she would wake up, and do exercises in her backyard. Then, after stretching, she would fly twenty laps around her yard, always adding extra flair to it. Circles, loops, dives, flips- anything she could think of. This time always fostered the best from her regarding ideas. She devised some of her best flight choreography sequences from it. She’d switch things around, try things in the air. The movement always did something for her. She always came up with her best ideas in the air. When she flew up, the ideas sank in.
Grogar had wanted very much to have Spitfire under the effects of The Mist, but he knew it wasn’t wise. Taking her fliers was good enough. He had to maintain some of an illusion of normalcy, and the captain of the Wonderbolts absent meant a lot of media coverage he didn’t need. Some sacrifices had to be made- no matter how much he did not want to make them.
Today she awoke and did the same thing she always did. She did stretches, she flew in the backyard, she did her laps, and she got her creative juices flowing. She considered switching the Icauranian Sun Salutation with one of the series of barrel rolls in the routine. As she did, she noticed a lack of something, but she wasn’t sure what.
When Spitfire went inside to eat breakfast and drink (at minimum) a half-gallon of water, she realized what that lack of something was. A lack of buzzing from wings.
Certain sounds in a home or out of it were so customary that it became too quiet without them. The low hum of an air conditioner or refrigerator, the almost nonexistent, barely there sound of gas on a burner. One of the sounds that was a staple of Cloudsdale was the sound of Pegasi buzzing by. It happened at all hours of the day and night. All day, every day, without fail, wings would buzz. It didn’t matter if it was for a second or for three hours nonstop. It was something she expected and grew accustomed to. And in all the time she’d been outside- at least a solid hour and a half- not a sound was heard.
This perturbed her greatly. After an egg white veggie omelette, a wheatgrass smoothie, and some more water, alongside a bit of orange juice (She did, after all, need to keep her energy up), she still couldn’t get it off her mind.
She cleaned up from breakfast, grabbed her saddlebags, and began the flight toward the Wonderbolts grounds. All the while, she kept an ear out for that comforting sound, that buzzing which told her life was happening around her.
Having a birds eye view of certain things really tended to come in handy. It prevented ponies from being hit by rocks or unsavory things, it prevented thievery if the pony flying was brave enough to confront it, and it gave an overview of the world around them. Normally, she’d see things like children playing, ponies grocery shopping, or others flying off to work not unlike herself.
Today, unfortunately, was not a normal day.
As she flew over Cloudsdale, no hum of wings greeted her, not even a slight whisper of one. No ponies were headed off to work as per usual- though that may have perhaps been because she herself was going to work on a Saturday and it was admittedly early in the morning. Still, to not see one pony out was… highly suspect. Her perturbation quickly blossomed into clear anxiety. For a moment, however briefly, she wondered if this was some odd sort of dream about being the last pony in Equestria. But she was able to shake that when she saw that far below on the ground, there was one pony working.
It was a slight- very, very slight, really- comfort to her. Okay. So she wasn’t the last pony in Equestria. But then just where was everypony?
She didn’t have time to pursue the course of thought further as she reached the grounds. She flew straight for her office, fumbling with the keys as she tried to open the door. She was typically very precise in matters of dexterity, but her nerves had been shot to Tartarus by this strange day. She felt paranoid, suddenly, as though a shadow might grab her somehow. This jumpiness wasn’t ever shown in her face, but it was shown in the tenseness of her muscles as though she were preparing for a fight, and in the tautness of her facial features. She tried to project calmness and sternness, but that was, unfortunately, countered by her fumbling with her keys.
She got the door open at last, and chucked her saddlebags aside, for once uncaring of the order that usually permeated her office. She took her microphone in hoof that would project her announcements across the grounds, and spoke.
“All Wonderbolts report to the Captain’s office immediately!” She thundered.
Then, afterward, in the silence so heavy one could hear a pin drop, she waited.
She waited, and waited, and waited.
Not a soul came. There was no Blaze, no Thunderlane, no Rainbow Dash, and even no Soarin- and that stallion only ever missed practice if something was broken!
That was it. It was time for action.
She left her bags in her office, taking only the key with her, and flew to Soarin’s home. She’d come over there several times in the past- to see how he was doing after an injury, to talk about work, occasionally even to just have lunch and hang out- but never for a panic-induced reason like this. It didn’t take more than ten minutes to fly there, and she banged on his door, somehow already knowing this was a lost cause but desperate to be wrong.
“Soarin! It’s me, Spitfire, open up! Soarin!” She called. She glanced in every window, but there were no signs of life. The only sign was the unmade bed, but she knew Soarin well enough to say that that wasn’t exactly a clue. While he always held to Wonderbolt standards at work, at home his standards were… well, lax.
Spitfire was incredibly frustrated. She started running down the list of ponies who could have seen him. If she could find him, maybe she could find everypony else. She shoved the names of other Wonderbolts aside for the time being, and finally remembered that he’d pointed out his mother’s home to her once. She’d never met the mare, but she was certain that concern for Soarin’s wellbeing would go over well. So, without missing a beat, she flew there.
The twenty minutes it took to get there from his home seemed to move so slowly. But at last, thank goodness, she made it. She landed in front of the cloud home with blue trim and knocked on the door.
Okay, she banged on that one too.
Her ears flicked when they caught the sound of something happening behind the walls, and it made her feel relieved. Somepony was here. Thank goodness.
A blue mare with a brown mane answered the door, looking terribly exhausted.
“Can I help you?” She asked, a faint trace of annoyance in her voice.
“Ma’am, my name is Spitfire. I’m-“
“Oh yes, Spitfire! Captain of the Wonderbolts! I’ve heard of you. But… What brings you knocking at my door at this hour?” She asked, confused.
“Well ma’am, I’ve been looking for-“ A clatter sounded from inside the house.
“Soarin!” Her voice called sharply. “You get down from there right now!”
Spitfire felt relief flood through her. “So he is here. Is Soarin okay?”
“Of course he is. You know how foals get when they’re starting to fly, they just knock over everything."
“Yes, I-“ Then she caught what had been said. “Wait, what?”
A crash resounded, so loud it hurt Spitfire’s ears, and his mother looked at her with concern. “I’m terribly sorry dear, but this will have to wait for another time. I’ve got glass to clean.”
Before Spitfire could protest, the door was shut, and the sounds of wings flapping came from inside.
Determined to get her answers now that she was so close, she flew to the nearby window and was shocked by what she saw.
Soarin sat in a playpen, clutching a stuffed animal, and wearing was clearly a diaper as he sucked on one hoof. And judging by his mother’s reaction, it was supposedly normal.
As she looked through the glass at her friend, the only thing that went through her head was one phrase:
What in Tartarus is going on here?
