“EEEEeeeeeeee!!!”

In hindsight, Tigerbright realized hir mate never had a chance.

The pegasus mare swept her husband aside with a flick of a wing, crossed the room in a flash, and bowled over her daughter with an exuberant flying hug. Violet’s laughter from her spot on the floor alleviated the chakat’s immediate concerns for her safety. That and the cheerful jabbering coming from both mares simultaneously. Tigerbright was fairly skilled at picking relevant sounds out of background noise. For instance, the telltale clicks of a failing actuator over the continuous roar of the hydroelectric plant’s generators. But the similarity of the two voices completely stumped hir. All shi could make out were a word or two without context.

“Proud… you remember… neighbors… Whitetail Woods… your father… did you really?”

The chakat looked back toward the door in time to see Violet’s father struggling to get back to his hooves. Shi took a step forward with an open paw to help him up. Tigerbright’s offer died on hir lips at the glare shi received.

Before the chakat could figure out what to say, Violet and her mom pushed their way past hir.

The pegasus smiled. “Stop dawdling, you two!” She had one wing wrapped tightly around her daughter’s barrel, almost as if she were afraid Violet would slip away.

For her part, the unicorn mare called out over her shoulder. “Meet us in the living room, dear!” Despite the doorway barely being wide enough for one pony, somehow the two mares slipped through without losing contact with each other.

Their conversation faded as the pair walked down the hallway. Time to try again.

The chakat turned to the frowning stallion. “I—”

With a flash of light and whoosh of inrushing air, Tigerbright was left talking to hirself.

After a heavy sigh, shi followed hir mate.

Tigerbright frowned while looking down at hir tail, stroking the end tuft with a hand. Shi could hear Violet’s parents talking in the kitchen, just out of sight. The living room had the appearance of the central den of hir parents’ house: soft lighting, family photos on the walls, a sunken area in the center with several oversized pillows. This should have made hir feel more at home, more at ease.

Violet kissed her mate on the cheek. “I don’t need my empathic sense to know how nervous you are. Just relax. I can guarantee you that my mom is over the moon… both of them if we were on Chakona.”

The chakat looked up sharply. “I notice you didn’t say anything about your father.”

The mare shrugged. “He’s a bit of an overprotective grump. Just give him time. He’ll warm up to you.”

“Eventually,” finished Tigerbright with a sigh.

First hir ears then hir head perked up. The two adult ponies came into view, only one of them smiling. Violet trotted forward to hug and nuzzle each of her parents in turn.

Hir mare gave hir a joyous smile. “Tigerbright! I want to introduce you to my wonderful parents, Fireball and Starshine!”

This was the chakat’s first opportunity to really study the parents. Violet’s mother was a light blue pegasus with a pink mane streaked with medium blue. Fireball moved with the fluid grace that some of her tribe possessed, seeming to flow forward more than trot. In less than a second, the mare was at hir side. “Oh, I’m so glad to meet the stallion that won over little Vi Vi’s heart! Did you know my husband and I had given up hope of her ever finding that special someone? And all it took was for our little filly to move a billion light-years away! And such a rugged specimen! And those legs! I just bet you’re as quick as the wind. Tell me. Did my little darling foal have to levitate you to keep you from running away? She can be a bit presumptuous but that’s part of the family charm! And your pretty eye color! Reminds me of this handsome colt she knew in primary school…”

As the pegasus chattered on, Tigerbright tuned down hir empathic senses. So much joy and love were radiating from the mare that the chakat’s senses were overloading. Tigerbright relaxed slightly as the mare’s wing hugged hir lower back. “I do hope you don’t mind hugs. I understand ponies and chakats have that in common. In fact, no one is a bigger hugger than my husband, are you dear?”

Tigerbright straightened up, tension crawling up hir spine to take root in hir neck. Shi glanced to hir right to see an extremely skeptical unicorn stallion scrutinizing hir. Violet’s father had a medium green coat with a darker green mane and tail, streaked with pink. The chakat felt his huffs across hir bare arms. If Starshine’s frowning muzzle had been any closer, he would be wearing hir T-shirt.

“Sooooo…” said Tigerbright to break the uncomfortable silence. “How did you get your cutie marks?” That was a safe question, wasn’t it? Didn’t all ponies like to talk about that?

Starshine’s frown only strengthened.

Fireball let out a delighted laugh. “Well, I don’t like to show off…”

“Oh, no. That’s never happened,” snarked her daughter.

“Behave, young lady. This perceptive stud did ask.”

Tigerbright didn’t think it physically possible, but the unicorn stallion’s frown got even deeper.

The pegasus stepped away. “Now pay attention, dear.”

Grateful for the excuse to break eye contact, the chakat looked up to see Violet’s mother holding both wings outstretched. “Presto, change-o and voila!” Green flames swept over the mare’s body, leaving the pegasus covered with tiny interlocking black scales. “Ta-da!” Fireball’s voice was unchanged, but the fangs and red eye sclera were new.

Tigerbright’s eyes went wide. “Wow! That’s amazing!” A cough to hir side reminded the chakat of the inspection shi had momentarily forgotten.

“Such a smart stallion,” cooed Fireball. She turned to her daughter. “So much brighter than that griffon you had the hots for. I’m proud of you, dear.” The chakat didn’t miss Violet’s eye roll as her mother returned her attention to hir. “So yes. While pegasi are practically immune to lightning, I can put up with all types of fire in my alternate form. As to how I got my cutie mark… well…” Her wings drooped a bit. “… there are some things a lady doesn’t discuss.”

Violet smirked. “It was a dare. There was this one—”

Fireball tapped her chin with a hoof. “Let’s see. Where did I stash that photo album with tiny little Vi Vi bathing in the sink?”

Her daughter grumbled as she lowered her head. “Shutting up now.”

The pegasus’ happy mood returned. “So I’m the go-to pony for anywhere you need a fireproof and heatproof agent. That pretty much makes me the only flyer who can approach the southern volcanos because all the darling, cute dragons positively hate the cold.”

“Cute?” asked Tigerbright. “I saw Matriarch Cinder when she visited thanks to Destined Path’s teleportation abilities. She’s bigger than my house with fangs longer than me!”

Fireball waved a hoof dismissively. “Oh, that sweetie pie? She’s just a dear. Won’t shut up about her children… all sixteen of them.”

While the chakat blinked to process this, Violet came up and rested her chin on her mother’s shoulder. “What Mom isn’t telling you is her special place among the dragons. She’s their favorite celebrity judge. Even Celestia doesn’t draw the crowds that mom can!”

A throat-clearing came from next to Tigerbright. It didn’t have any effect. Intimidation would have to wait until shi got the whole story about Violet’s dam.

Fireball shifted back to her un-armored form and scraped a hoof along the floor while looking down. “Well, yes, that’s also true.”

Tigerbright’s marefriend grinned. “Mommy got her cutie mark thanks to her temper. When in that form, she can let out curses like a caffeinated sailor, but a sailor with a doctorate in lyrical music! Dragons compete to be the biggest loser when she is judging a contest. Sales from books of her ‘greatest hits’ insults among the dragonkin paid for our vacation house on the Cloverleaf Peninsula and my college education.”

The chakat imagined watching a vidcast focusing on the black-armored mare growing more and more irate until she exploded with a stream of insults directly into a dragon contestant’s face. Internally, Tigerbright shifted hir focus from trying to impress Starshine to never, ever making Fireball angry.

Shi turned to regard the disapproving stallion at her side. “And how did you impress her, exactly?” The frown lessened slightly and was accompanied by an ear flick.

Fireball came up to hug the chakat around the waist again. “Oh, I’m sure you can guess. He’s the first pony that didn’t shrink down when I really cut loose on him. That’s when I knew he was crazy about me and winning my hoof in marriage.” Tigerbright saw and felt the happiness radiate across Starshine’s eyes before THE GLARE returned full force.

Tigerbright heard hir marefriend say, “Mom, is Daddy constipated again?” That got a moment of wide-eyed surprise out of the stallion.

The pegasus answered. “No, dear. Just the same stick as always.” The two mares giggled as the unicorn’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Tigerbright fought very, very hard not to smile.

Violet forced her way between the two males, wrapping her father in a hug. “A-a-a-anyway… Mom and Dad have made us dinner. Mom insisted when she heard that we hadn’t had supper yet. We can tell them how we met while we eat.”

This drew an excited gasp from Fireball. “Oh, I just have to hear all about this! Take me through every single moment!”

Her daughter grinned at her mother. “This is going to be great!” She looked at her father and gave him a shake. “Isn’t it, daddy?”

Starshine lifted his chin and muttered darkly. “We will see.”

The foursome headed to the dining room, the two mares in the lead.

Tigerbright and Violet ate their meal while Fireball bombarded them with questions. The meal consisted of a dish that resembled crispy tofu and vegetables in a black pepper sauce along with a baked squash filled with a cheesy bean dip. The chakat realized by now that they had arrived late in the evening by Equestria time which explained why it had been so dark in the bedroom. Between the night and thick curtains, not a trace of light got in. When shi inquired, hir mate informed hir that the bedroom faced east and she hated being woken by the sun streaming into her room. That reminded her mother about their unusual arrival.

Fireball said, “So, tell me, dear, did you make this trip all the way back to Equestria just to tell us that you got engaged? That would have been enough of a surprise without sneaking into your room.”

“Actually, Mom, we were both on Chakona less than an hour ago.”

The pegasus mare blinked in surprise before her eyes widened. “Oh! That’s right – you’re working on that project for Prince Destined Path. He teleported you here, didn’t he? That was very considerate of His Highness. That stallion really should have stayed for dinner. He of all ponies should know I’ve never had waffles catch fire after that one time…”

Starshine cleared his throat.

“… or at least frequently.”

“Umm, no Mom, he didn’t. I teleported us here from Chakona.”

Starshine had just begun taking a drink from his glass of juice when he choked and started coughing and spluttering. After he got himself under control, he frowned at his daughter. “Come on now, Violet, stop pulling both our left legs. Your mother and I know the limits of your teleportation ability and you’re certainly not alicorn-level.”

Tigerbright spoke up. “For a moment, she was, sir. We were at the center of the surges which have been amplifying active magic throughout the colony. That must have boosted the power behind her spell enormously.”

Violet nodded. “And I have the horn-ache to prove it. And because my hasty casting wasn’t properly focused on a target, my vague but strong desire to go someplace safe brought us here.”

Her mother’s face was the picture of amazement. A smile spread over her face and she wing-hugged Violet. “It’s wonderful that our little foal still thinks of our home the safest place to go when you’re in danger.”

Starshine scowled. “You didn’t teleport to your fiancé’s home though. Shouldn’t his house be your safe place now?”

“Dad! I literally just moved in! I haven’t even finished unpacking half of my stuff yet.”

Tigerbright muttered under hir breath, “Yeah, because we were too busy wrecking our furniture.”

The chakat underestimated the ponies’ hearing though because Fireball giggled and said, “That sounds like our first night when we moved into this house, doesn’t it, dear?”

Her husband blushed and looked away.

Fireball continued, “So, when are you going to give us a grandfoal?”

Neither Tigerbright nor Violet was surprised by the question – the chakat had been forewarned about hir mate’s mother’s desires.”

“Sooner than you think, Mom,” Violet answered with an enigmatic smile.

“Oh? Will you be getting a compatibility spell while you’re here?”

“Let’s just say that I want to consult with Auntie Twilight soon.”

Fireball squeed and hugged her daughter. “I’ll give her a call in the morning.”

Tigerbright interrupted. “Wait. You really do call one of the leaders of Equestria ‘Auntie’? I thought Violet was pulling my tail… again!”

The pegasus mare smiled. “Of course we know Twilight. She made the base for the first changeling-pony compatibility spell for my great grandfather. Since then, she’s taken such a keen interest in our family.”

Violet smiled. “That manifests as a few hours of testing every year as our pony-changeling hybrid abilities develop.”

Fireball rolled her eyes. “And as your magic studies counselor plus Hearthswarming gifts, tours of the moon and Griffonia…”

“OK! Fine! Yes, she truly is our Auntie in every possible way!”

The chakat recognized the you-should-know-better-by-now-than-to-argue-with-me look that Violet’s mom gave her daughter. That was quickly replaced with an expectant smile. “You’re staying here tonight, of course?”

Tigerbright tried to imagine how both shi and hir mate would fit on the single pony-sized bed in Violet’s old bedroom. Cozy but not conducive to any carnal activities. Shi put that thought off when Violet replied to her mother.

“Actually, I need to report to Prince Destined. He supplied me with a special comm to contact him as soon as we found the source of the surges.”

“It’s rather late, dear. The prince may have gone to bed by now.”

“I know, but he must have known that New Horizon’s time of day and Equestria’s were unlikely to line up conveniently, and yet he didn’t give us any limitations on when to notify him. For all I know, he might have it set up to take a message.”

Starshine said, “In that case, it would be wise to follow the Triarch’s directive to the letter.”

“I’ll do it now.” Violet started to use magic to fetch the comm from her saddlebag, then winced. Instead, she got off her chair, went over to the bags and pulled it out by hoof. The device was a small black box with two red buttons. However, considering that it was supposed to contact the alicorn over a gulf of many lightyears, it was probably more sophisticated than it looked. She poked the ‘CALL’ button and the comm chirped. Mere seconds later, a tinny voice radiated from the box.

“Destined Path here. Is that you, Violet Woods?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I wished to let you know that we’ve found what we were searching for.”

“Excellent! I shall join you immediately.”

“But, Your Highness—” Violet began before being cut off by another chirp from the comm. “Umm… company’s coming, I think.”

Before her parents could react, a blue alicorn stallion materialized in the room. He blinked and looked around for a moment before fixing Violet with a puzzled look. “This isn’t Chakona.”

“No, Your Highness – it’s my parents’ home in Whitetail Woods.”

Her mother and father had hastily risen from their chairs and were bowing toward the Triarch.

“Please rise,” Destined said. “This is an informal visit and I’m an uninvited guest, apparently.”

Fireball straightened up and said, “It’s wonderful to see you again, Prince Destined. Your timing is impeccable! I’m fairly sure dessert is ready – baked crystalberry cobbler with white jasmine ice cream.”

Tigerbright caught the brief moment of fear radiating from the alicorn before he got it under control.

Destined bowed slightly. “That would be wonderful, Fireball, thank you.”

As Violet’s mom skipped into the kitchen, dragging her husband along by the ear, the chakat made a note to get the whole story about the flaming waffles that could strike terror into an alicorn.

Destined looked back to Violet who had joined Tigerbright. “Would either of you two care to explain what you’re doing here?”

Violet poked her mate. “Your turn to tell the story.”

“Gee, thanks, Vi.”

After a lengthy explanation accompanied by Violet’s datapad recordings, Destined shook his head in wonder. “You’ve both made fantastic progress; well done. As for your alicorn-level teleport, Violet, that is unprecedented. It’s an amazing accomplishment for a unicorn, and also a perilous one. A poorly structured teleport like that could have gone wrong in so many ways.”

“Still better than the alternative, sir,” the chakat pointed out.

Destined chuckled. “I suppose so. I guess I’m going to have to teleport you back to Chakona and retrace your steps.”

“It’s nighttime there now,” Violet said. “The surges always happened after sunset.”

“Good point. I’ll come back in the morning after breakfast and we’ll head there then.”

“Actually, Destined, could you let Auntie Twilight know that I’d like to see her before we leave?”

“Sure. May I ask why?”

“Tiger and I need to talk to her about my pregnancy.”

The alicorn gaped. “What? Already?!”

“Already?!” echoed Fireball, only much louder.

She threw herself at her daughter, practically tackling her to the floor. Only the fierce hug let the poor unicorn keep to her hooves. Meanwhile, her mother showered her with kisses before letting her go and pouncing on the chakat next. From that day, Tigerbright swore that the pegasus mare had twice as many limbs as hir, all of them trying to hug the taur all over.

“Such a wonderful stallion!” Fireball gushed. “Oh, I am so looking forward to being your child’s grandmother. She’s going to be marvelous foal with such a virile sire and strong, fertile mother.”

“MOM!” Violet protested.

The pegasus mare ignored her daughter and fixed her gaze on a rather bemused alicorn. “And so unexpected! Did you have anything to do with them getting together?”

“Well, I—”

That was a far as he got before he was cut off by a flying hug and kisses on the cheek.

Tigerbright couldn’t help chuckling at the sight of the mighty alicorn rendered helpless by a pony half his size. In a fit of daring, shi turned to Starshine and asked, “Can’t you control your wife?”

That earned the chakat a snort and a laugh. “Oh, innocent stallion – you have so much to learn.”

Tigerbright counted the brief smile as a win, even as shi worried a little over the comment.

Meanwhile, Violet tried to extricate her mother from the alicorn. “Mom! Stop assaulting the Triarch. Auntie Luna and Auntie Tia will get jealous if they hear that Destined got all this attention.”

“Let them. If they had anything to do with this miracle, they’ll get theirs too.”

The chakat extended one claw and lightly poked hir mate in the shoulder. “I thought you said Prince Destined was supposed to be all knowledgeable about the future. As it is right now, I’m ready to wager my paycheck against his crown in a game of poker.”

Destined laughed long and hard. “Oh my. That’s great. I needed that.” He gave the chakat a very warm smile. “Let’s just say the consequences of wearing an Equestrian crown might be more than you bargain for. And yes, I’m speaking from experience here.”

Violet pursed her lips. “So, all of these surprises tell me you have been distracted. Care to tell us why?”

The alicorn drew in a quick breath and looked directly into Violet’s eyes. Tigerbright inferred that hir mate’s insight had been spot on. Then Destined’s form grew fuzzy on the edges for a couple of seconds.

After his form stabilized again, the alicorn stood up straight. “You’re right. There’s something on the time-space horizon that is very big and very important. I don’t know what it is yet, but the closer it gets, the more it swallows up alternate timeline pathways. Soon, there may be no other future other than that one and it is a black hole to my perceptions at this distance.”

Tigerbright gripped hir mate’s shoulder. “Not related to the surges?”

“No. Not that I can tell. A moment ago, I checked to see if telling you two would affect the time-streams negatively and the answer is no.”

All three ruminated in their thoughts for several seconds. Violet said, “Well, let us know if we can be of help.”

Destined smiled. “Thanks. Keep following up on leads to your current investigation and let me know when you want to return to Chakona. For now—”

Fireball brushed past the triarch of Equestria. “For now, everyone needs to try my cobbler!” Her smile slipped a bit. “Although I have to apologize, Your Highness. I have the worst luck whenever you’re around. The crust got a bit over-caramelized.”

Tigerbright caught the telltale scent of burnt crust at the same time shi saw the alicorn shiver. The chakat turned to hir mate and raised an eyebrow. Violet smiled and nodded.

Thank goodness! Violet had promised to clue her in. Tigerbright didn’t think shi could last another day without hearing about the Waffle Incident that scared the horseshoes off one of the most powerful beings in Equestria.

Violet was woken by morning sunlight shining directly on her face. Unlike her old room, the dawn’s devilish beams weren’t blocked by blackout curtains. She groaned, turned over, and buried her face in her lover’s belly fur. The mare smiled at the memory of last night spent on the large bed in the guest room. Hopefully, they hadn’t disturbed her parents. Actually, come to think of it, her mother would probably have been delighted at the demonstration of their desire for each other. Violet went back to sleep until her mother’s voice woke them both.

“Violet, dear, Auntie Twilight is here! Breakfast is ready for you both.”

“I was hoping Twilight Sparkle would be a late riser,” grumbled Tigerbright as shi rolled off the bed and onto hir paws.

“You don’t know her like we do. I’ll bet ten flawless rubies to your one that she’s been up all night researching all the implications of what her son told her.”

The chakat snorted. “I’ve known you for two weeks and I already know better than to take you up on that bet. Also, stop trying to bankrupt me with your common Equestrian gravel. Rubies don’t grow on trees or rock farms or whatever like they do in this magical place.” Tigerbright stretched and yawned. “I take it that the Princess of Magic visiting your home is not uncommon?”

“Auntie has always been excited to visit us at any excuse. I half-feared she would teleport here last night as soon as Destined told her about us.”

“I still can’t get over how your family is so close to the ruling class of Equestria,” the chakat said as shi tried to tame hir bed-hair.

“House Path is like that. Even Auntie Luna prefers informal socializing when she’s away from Canterlot Court.”

“Name-dropper.”

Violet giggled. “When you grow up with alicorns visiting frequently, it becomes the norm.”

“So, should I bother with a shirt then?”

“Suit yourself. What’s normal in the colony is just as normal here.”

Tigerbright decided against any clothing – shi figured shi would be overdressed for the company.

As soon as the pair stepped into the kitchen, they saw the purple alicorn seated at the table with a mug of coffee and a short stack of pancakes. Fireball had insisted on feeding her guest although they were untouched yet. As soon as Twilight noticed Violet, she cried in delight, jumped up, and went to hug her. She was met halfway by Violet and they embraced enthusiastically before the alicorn turned her attention to Tigerbright.

“So, this is the chakat who caught Violet’s eye like nopony could. Welcome to our extended family. May I give you a hug too?”

“I’d like that,” Tigerbright responded.

The embrace was only marginally less enthusiastic than Fireball’s.

“Well,” the alicorn said, turning back to her niece. “Let’s get a good look at you.” Her horn lit up.

“Let the couple have their breakfast first,” Fireball interjected.

“Oh. Right. Just a quick scan for now. We can do the more thorough tests later.” She put words into action.

Violet gave Tigerbright a ‘told-you-so’ glance before seating herself at the table. Her mother promptly piled her plate with pancakes, a mushroom omelet, and a side-serving of six slices of toast with butter and jam.

“I’m not starving, Mom,” the unicorn said drolly.

“You’re eating for two now, dear,” the mare replied before serving up the chakat’s share. Tigerbright smiled when the pegasus loaded down hir plate with an equal amount of food .

“I only conceived a few days ago!” Violet protested.

“And it will be interesting to discover how that happened,” Twilight said enthusiastically.

“Didn’t Prince Destined tell you?” Tigerbright asked.

“Of course Des did, but I’m skeptical that the surge was solely responsible.”

“Isn’t a similar event the reason why hippogriffs were conceived?”

“It certainly was a factor, but unlike chakats, griffons have far more in common with ponies. For starters and very importantly, we’re both magical species. Chakats most definitely are not. However, Violet, like all her forebears back to Whirring Cogs, has the benefit of changeling genes in her DNA. My working hypothesis is that these worked in combination with the enhanced mana field to enable conception.”

“Aw! And here I thought I was a super-stud,” Tigerbright said in a mock bitterly disappointed manner.

Twilight chuckled. “Maybe you can hang onto that hope. After your exposure to so much mana, you may have been changed too. I’ve already devised a series of tests.”

“Can’t say I didn’t warn you,” Violet mumbled through her mouth half-full of food.

Tigerbright was surprised by how much precedence Twilight Sparkle gave to hir mate’s pregnancy over the reason they were together in the first place.

“Oh, that’s easy,” the alicorn explained. “The surges aren’t much more than an inconvenience, although a most intriguing one. Your mate’s family has fascinated me since I first became involved with them. And now you have joined their ranks.”

“I don’t suppose you just mean that I took her as my denmate?” Tigerbright asked as Twilight removed some sensors from hir torso.

“Nope. Exposure to all that mana affected your cells. I don’t know what exactly it is yet, but you’ve been changed. I’m so excited about this. While all living things generate mana that can be utilized with the correct tools, you are the first chakat to exhibit true magical potential that I’ve ever encountered. I’ve already planned a few weeks of tests and trials—”

“Auntie Twilight,” Violet interrupted, “I’m afraid we can’t spare the time right now. Tiger and I are still working on the surge mystery, and after that, shi has an office to run and I have geological surveys waiting for me.”

“Nonsense, Violet! I’m sure I can pop over to Chakona and squeeze in some studies during your downtime.”

“But we—”

This time Tigerbright interrupted hir mate. “It’s okay, Vi. I think I’d like to know what has happened to me. We’ll find some spare time.” Violet gave hir a “you don’t know what you are doing” look that the alicorn missed.

“That’s the spirit!” Twilight enthused. “And if you leave me a genetic sample, I can even get a head start on the process.”

The chakat raised an eyebrow. “Genetic sample? You’ve already taken some of my blood and several swabs.”

Violet’s frown disappeared behind a hoof and she snickered. Tigerbright looked at her suspiciously. “What am I missing?”

Hir mate replied with an innocent smile, “Nothing much. We’ll be able to provide that sample later this evening.”

“Why not now?”

That sent both Violet and Twilight into a fit of giggles.

“Well, if you insist, Tiger,” the unicorn said as she nuzzled the chakat and projected lascivious thoughts.

It suddenly occurred to Tigerbright exactly what kind of genetic sample the alicorn wanted. “Umm… no. I think it can wait.”

“Oh, pooh,” Twilight replied in mock disappointment.

“Why do you need that anyway?” the chakat asked.

“Are you aware of the Kline hybrids?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes. He’s the human that has sired children by several different species, including chakats. There’s been much speculation about how that was possible, although in light of meeting a whole world of magical races, the rumor of intervention by Rakshani deities sounds a lot more plausible now. You want to know if something similar has happened to me.”

“That’s one possibility,” Twilight conceded, “but far from the only one.”

“Well, I want to know whichever result you get.”

“Naturally. And while I’m happy with your mate’s condition, Violet should make a point of seeing a specialist in a few weeks to check for any medical problems.”

“Don’t worry, Auntie Twilight – I’ll be sure to do that. However, if you’re done poking me and Tiger, could you tell us if you’ve made any progress deciphering the Gateway runes?”

Twilight grimaced. “Not as much as I had hoped. They were obsolete long before Celestia was born and they were barely touched upon during her magical education, so I’ve been searching all over Equestria for any ancient manuscripts that could help me. However, right now my best bet is to wait for Star Swirl to return from wherever he and the others went.”

“Are the runes on the array on Chakona of any use to you?” Tigerbright asked.

“Every bit of new information is helpful. How much help remains to be seen. I definitely want to go see them for myself.”

The chakat frowned in thought. “We could go back now but we’ve already used a large portion of the day, and we would need to be flown out to the mountain and retrace our steps. I strongly recommend that we get there early tomorrow if you want time to study the object. You don’t want to be caught in a surge like we were.”

Violet added, “Besides, Destined wants us to keep investigating the surges from this side of the portal. Have you discovered any instances on Equus equivalent to what Emu Island is experiencing?”

Twilight shook her head. “None whatsoever that we’ve been able to detect, but I have an idea about tracing the surges in another way. How would you like to take a little jaunt into space with me?”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Meeting the in-laws for the first time is always awkward for one reason or another.

Art by Foxenawolf.