Harmony University: Strawberry Moon

Sea Salt had only just pulled up at the college clinic parking lot when Darkstar’s phone rang. When she saw who it was who was calling her, the teenager’s blood ran cold. Was it good news? Was her mother okay? Was she worse? ‘I guess there’s only one way to find out…’ she thought. “Just a sec, momma, I should take this,” she answered her phone on the seventh ring, “Nurse Friendly! Hi!”

As she got out of her fortwo smart car, Sea Salt whispered, “I'll go let them know inside you are delayed, child.”

“Hello Darkstar,” Nurse Friendly greeted Darkstar with her typical good humour and a smile in her voice, “Silver is with me and she would very much like to talk to you.”

Somewhat distracted by the nurse’s jovial Vanhoover accent, Darkstar gave Sea Salt a big thumbs up. She knew ‘Silver’ was one of her mother’s more lucid personalities, so her hopes were high, “Hello Silver!”

“Hello, daughter.” Silver was sat in her room by her telephone table, with the summer sun streaming in through the bay window, “Ms. Friendly said you called. I'm sorry I missed it. How are you doing?”

As she heard her mother’s voice, Darkstar actually had tears leaking down her white cheeks, “Mom...I'm good!” she smiled a broad smile even though she was crying, “I'm doing good! I called you because I wanted you to be the first to know, I'm pregnant!”

“Pregnant?” Silver couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “Pregnant! Ms. Friendly I'm going to be...I’m going to be...” she paused, her tone changing like a flipped light switch, “Darkstar, I miss you baby. I'm sorry I'm not there for you. Is that zebra treating you well?”

“I miss you too, mom!” Darkstar hugged her phone to her chest, because it was her mother’s real voice that was talking to her now, “I miss you so much!” she smiled so hard the muscles of her mouth ached, “Slate treats me like a queen mom. You're gonna be a granny!”

“Well,” Shining Star commented with a wistful smile, “You beat your brother to it at least. Congratulations. I do hope you'll visit me with the baby?”

“Of course we will!” Darkstar promised immediately, “I'll mark it down right now. How are you doing, mom?”

“I'm...” Shining Star paused and looked over at Friendly. Sat by her side at the window, the nurse gave her a thumbs up, “I'm in a good place, daughter. I love you, and Brightstar too, and I know you love me. I'll always love you no matter where I am. I’m sorry for not being there with you now.”

“Y-You can't help it mom,” Darkstar started crying all over again, “You don't need to apologise, not for anything, not to me, not ever.” As she spoke, Requiem’s words came back to her, “You're just you, and that's okay, because I love you.”

“Give my love to Slate,” Shining Star gripped her phone tight. She could feel the other personalities in her head, and she wanted more time, she wasn’t ready to go, not yet, not yet! “And call you brother to give him my love. I...I don't want to call him right now, I can’t…”

“I will mom, I'll call Bright, just like you want, I promise!” she didn’t really want to call her older brother, but her mother had asked, and so she would.

“Thank you Darkie,” Shining Star breathed easier now she knew she didn’t have to speak to her son, the voices in her head quieting down for the moment. “You and Bright are everything to me.”

“I love you to the stars, mom, don't ever forget that.”

“I won't, dear.” Shining Star smiled warmly, ‘I love you to the stars’ had been their little thing, a thing they said to each other, “Stop in and say hi to Nurse Friendly, and me, well if you can. I...you take care of yourself, and that baby.”

“The weekend,” Darkstar said quickly, “We'll come and see you. We'll bring a picnic, you like those, in the garden!”

“I...I do, and I will. If,” Shining Star faltered, she knew her time was short and getting shorter by the second. She just had to hold on a little longer, “If I'm not available, you'll have to forgive me. Please?”

“Always,” Darkstar sobbed, “You're always forgiven, mom.”

“Darkstar,” Shining Star said, “You’ll have a husband. You don't have to follow me here. Stay strong and. I love you...” she could feel herself slipping away, it was happening again, “I...I'm sorry,” her voice cracked, ‘Silver’ was waking up again, “I need to go. I love you!”

“Mom!” Darkstar screamed down her phone, “No please! Not yet, it's too soon, please don't go!”

“O-Okay, I...I d-don’t want…to go…” Shining Star’s voice then changed back to Silver, the accent and tone changed completely, “Ms. Friendly, my daughter’s pregnant!”

Friendly gave no sign at all that Shining Star had been replaced by the other personality, “That’s wonderful news!”

“Yeah,” unfortunately, Darkstar wasn’t as good at hiding her disappointment as Friendly was, not after she had just been talking to her actual mother, “It is, Miss Silver. You ah, you look after yourself, okay?”

“I will, are you still in the zebra lands, Darkstar?”

“No ma'am, I'm in Canterlot, with Slate's mother and sister.”

“That's great” Silver beamed, “Stop in so I can feel the baby bump. Let my secretary, Ms. Friendly know. I look forward to your visit.”

“I will ma'am, that's a promise.”

“Thank...” Silver’s voice cracked and Shining Star emerged once more, “I love you, don't forget...” she then shook her head and when she spoke, it was Silver who was back in control, “I…I love you. Good-bye.”

“Bye! I love you, good bye!” Darkstar tried to draw out the good bye as long as she could, even though she knew Shining Star was gone for now, and it was pointless to plead for her to come back. She heard the phone get passed over, “Thanks, nurse.”

“I’m afraid Silver is tired,” Friendly said with her usual Vanhoovan twang in her smile, albeit a more sympathetic one, “I'll call you back in a few hours. Thank you.”

“Alright, and thank you for calling, I appreciate it…” Friendly hung up the call leaving Darkstar sat crying in Sea Salt’s tiny city car and forgetting why she was at the college in the first place. “Alright! Let's go do this!” Forcing a smile on her face, she wiped her wet eyes and got out of the car.

Sea Salt was standing a few feet away from her car when Darkstar got out. She didn’t say anything, there was nothing to be said. The elderly zebra simply wrapped the teenager up in a tight hug. “Nurse Red Lace said to take all the time you need.” Still holding Darkstar, she stepped back to look at her.

Held in Sea Salt’s arms, Darkstar looked at her momma for a long few seconds with her lip trembling and then the damn burst and she erupted into a flood of tears. Still saying nothing, Sea Salt pulled her back into the hug, allowing Darkstar to break her heart for another five minutes before stopping to a sniffle. “I-I'm sorry momma, I-I'm f-fine…”

“No child,” Sea Salt saw straight through the teenager and shook her head, “You're not fine, but you'll persevere. Does she truly know she'll be a grandmamma, like me?”

Slowly, Darkstar nodded her tear stricken head, “For a few minutes there, she was Shining Star again, and she knew.”

“Then it is in her heart,” Sea Salt said with a warm loving smile, “And that is where it needs to be.”

“I know, momma,” Darkstar sniffed, “I know. It's just hard, y'know? She was mom again, and too soon she was gone, and I didn’t want her to be gone!” she started to cry again, “I want my mom!”

Sea Salt laid a hand on Darkstar’s chest, right on the tight skimpy top over her heart, “She’s never gone in here. You know your mother better than anyone. You had to. No matter what this might say,” she tapped the side of Darkstar’s head at her temple, “That will never change in here,” she placed that hand back on her chest.

For a few more minutes, Darkstar blubbed out some more tears, “Sh-She asked me to call Bright…” she couldn’t carry on before sniffing up some more wet sobs.

“She would,” Sea Salt said wisely, “Because she loves you both. You can give Moonbeak a call later today, and see if Bright is up to talking to you. You could always let my boy talk to him, too.”

“I'll call Moony,” Darkstar knew from experience she would have to talk to Moonbeak, “I dunno if Bright will speak to me even then. He didn't for my birthday, and I haven't spoken to him at all since last Hearths Warming.”

“A bridge to cross when we come to it,” Sea Salt smiled firmly, “You ready to go in?”

“Yes, I’m ready, or I won't be ready.” Sharing a smile with each other, Sea Salt took Darkstar's hand and she led her into the college clinic. Darkstar was very grateful the old woman was there. She didn’t want to do this alone. After squeezing Sea Salt's hand, she walked up to the desk to announce herself. “Hi, sorry to bother you, I’m Darkstar, I have an appointment?”

“Yes,” the receptionist greeted the teenager with a professional smile that became a warm one when she saw what she was wearing, “Nurse Red Lace is in room six. Go on in.”

“Do you want me to wait out here?” asked Sea Salt softly.

“Can you come in with me, please?” There was no way in Equestria she wanted to go in there on her own. Nodding, Sea Salt walked with Darkstar still holding her hand. Then, she knocked on the door and entered room six. “Sorry I'm late, Nurse Lace.”

“Hello Darkstar, Sea Salt,” Red Lace greeted them both, “The good news is, you are pregnant.”

Darkstar flinched, “And the bad news?”

Red Lace kept her smile in place like she hadn’t been asked, “You're pregnant? From you last visit with Slate, I think that would be a good news outcome.”

“Yeah, yeah it is,” Darkstar rubbed the back of her head with a hand and shuffled her feet, “It’s great news, it's just I'm used to there being a 'but' in most situations.” She smiled a weak smile as the news sank in. “Pregnant. I’m really pregnant!”

Sat by her desk, Red Lace had Darkstar's folder open, “When was your last PAP smear?”

“Um…I haven't had one.”

That wasn’t wholly unexpected, Red Lace just scribbled her notes onto the papers, “I'll schedule that for the last week of August, and then your first ultra sound the first week of September. The results of the test will be back by then. Both are outpatient procedures and can be done here. Any questions?”

“First week of September. When college starts.” Darkstar put that to the back of her mind for now, “No, I don't have any questions. Thanks, for confirming the pregnancy, ma'am.”

“You should start taking prenatal vitamins,” Red Lace continued, before she was ready to see them leave, “A bottle of ninety runs about ten bits here at the clinic. They are generic, but fine all the same. If you want a name brand they are about twice as much, and available at any pharmacy. After you start here, sign up for the child birth classes they offer for free on campus. Drag Slate along to them.”

“I will,” Darkstar made a note to get the vitamins before they left, “And I won't have to drag Slate, trust me he'll be the one doing the dragging.”

“The first ultra sound isn't really needed,” Red Lace admitted, “But as you are a first time mother, it helps to build confidence as you can hear the baby’s heartbeat. You'll have another at twenty weeks. Let us know beforehand if you want to know the sex of the child or keep it a surprise.”

Very quickly, before she even realised she had opened her mouth, Darkstar said, “I want to know!” she blushed, “I mean, I need to know, please?”

“Okay,” Red Lace checked her computer terminal and found an empty slot, “I can get you an appointment with Doctor Smoke on a Thursday at ten a.m., the last Thursday in the month, is that good? All the patients like her.”

“Yes, thank you, that'd be great.”

“Very good,” Red Lace filled out the appointment slot on her screen, “You're low risk and I'm sure Sea Salt can tell you all about pregnancy side effects like morning sickness and cravings,” she paused while the zebra chuckled, “You may also have mood swings. Beyond what the Haldol can modify. Look to your family for support.”

When Darkstar spoke next, it was in a very low, almost inaudible voice. “I always do, nurse,” then, she looked down at her heavily scarred forearms, “Trust me, I'm used to mood swings.”

“Looks like there’s nothing new there,” Red Lace followed the teenager’s gaze down to her wrists and forearms, “And nothing new there, either. My only advise is, don't go it alone.”

Darkstar smiled, “No chance of that.”

“Have a good day, Darkstar,” Red Lace shook both their hands, “It was nice to meet you again, Sea Salt.”

Bidding the nurse a fond farewell, Darkstar left room six, still holding Sea Salt’s hand. Once she was outside in the hall, she at last allowed herself to breathe, “Thanks for being there with me and holding my hand, momma.”

“Yours is an easy hand to hold, child,” Sea Salt replied with a smile before she went to the pharmacy to get the vitamins that the nurse had recommended. “Are you ready to head home?”

“Yes,” Darkstar nodded, “And when I'm armed with a coffee, I'll give Moony a call.”

Like she had on the way there, Sea Salt decided to drive them home. At her little white car she lets go of Darkstar's hand so she could let herself in while she moved around to the driver’s side. Darkstar got in, and she was silent all the way back, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap.

Driving back, Sea Salt knew better than to try and fill the silence. Darkstar would speak whenever she was ready. When they were back at home, Darkstar got out and she made coffee for them both. Only when she was armed with coffee did she get her phone out to call Moonbeak. “If I'm lucky, he'll be home and not out driving.”

“Hey Darkie,” Moonbeak answered the call on the third ring, “How's it hanging, kid?”

“Hanging perky and bouncy, like they were the last time you asked,” Darkstar giggled at the griffon’s joke, “How's the haulage going, Snowman?”

Moonbeak smiled to himself. Darkstar was the only one he allowed to call him that, and only because they both liked the Smokie and the Bandit movie. “Five hours out of Canterlot and once this load is dropped off, I'm home for three days.”

“Good,” Darkstar said quickly, “That's good. And ah...how's Bright?”

The slate grey griffon grinned as he drove his big rig along the freeway. He could practically see Darkstar rubbing the back of her head as she spoke. “Your brother’s doing really well. Passed some qualification tests. He wants to go undercover.”

That was enough to give Darkstar cause for pause, her coffee cup held an inch from her lips, “Undercover? Isn't that super dangerous?”

“It's a crazy world,” retorted Moonbeak, “The job is dangerous, and it seems more so if you happen to be in uniform.”

“I won't argue your first point,” Darkstar conceded, the world most certainly was crazy as a box of cats in a roomful of rocking chairs, but… She lifted the mug all the way to her lips and sipped her coffee. “So, ah, to the reason why I called. I have news from Stripe Central.”

“How's Slate doing?” asked Moonbeak, “Still pushing a lawn mower?”

“He is!” agreed Darkstar with a goofy smile plastered all over her face, “And we're doing okay. We've made the move from just D/S to ropes, and does he ever know his way around a knot or two!”

“Go you, kinky girl!”

“I thought you'd approve of that, Snowman,” Darkstar giggled, “In other news, I'm pregnant. Had it confirmed today at the college clinic.”

“Какого черта!” Moonbeak was so surprised at that, that he swore in his native Griffon, before he recovered his composure. Fortunately, he was able to steer his rig in a straight line, “Sorry, you okay?”

“That's alright, you're allowed one 'what the hell', Snowman,” Darkstar chuckled and sipped a little more of her coffee, “I'm fine, mostly.”

“Okay, time for a dumb question. Slate’s?”

“Yes, the baby is Slate's!” squeaked Darkstar, all outraged in a split second that he would think anything different, before the moment passed them by, “And yes it was a dumb question, but I'll let you off. Because I like you.”

“I wasn't sure if the call was for an escape route. So,” Moonbeak shifted gears as he drove, “It must be the song and joy in the stripes house. I don't think Rocky was going to give Sea Salt a grandchild.”

“They're all made up, Snowman, over the moon, almost literally, in momma's case.” Darkstar sighed, then she got to the real-real reason she was calling, “I'm calling you because my brother won't talk to me.”

Moonbeak took a long time to answer, not because the subject was hard, but because he was swearing and honking his horn at an asshole in a van who had just cut him up on the freeway. “He went to visit Shinning about four weeks ago,” he said once he had stopped cursing, “His plan was to get her out. He met up with Steel, needless to say, it didn't go well, and he...” the griffon sighed deeply, “Well he blames you for her being like that. I've learned to go with the flow, but only because I love him.”

“Steel…” all the humour had drained from Darkstar’s voice at the mention of the ‘Blood Queen’, as she called her mother’s most violent personality. She knew Steel very well. It was Steel that had led to her commitment. “Yeah, I know Steel, Snowman.” Darkstar slumped at the table and she held her head in her hand. “I know what he blames me for, but he was off at the police academy and I was on my own and seventeen when I met Steel. What else was I supposed to do?”

“I don't blame you, Lil’ Star, but Bright...” Moonbeak paused and chose his words carefully, “You know this isn't a first time a parent has abandoned him, and he needs time. That last visit still gives him nightmares, and he dove into work to keep them away.”

“Did Steel hurt him?”

“Only with words,” Moonbeak replied grimly, “Nurse Friendly made sure it didn't escalate.”

“He was lucky, then.” Darkstar’s tone was flat and emotionless. So poor Bright got some nasty words thrown his way, so what? That was nothing compared to what she had endured. “It's not fun when she has a knife at your neck…” then, she groaned, hating herself for how callous she sounded, “I'm sorry, Snowman, I know how words hurt. Could you tell him my news when you get home?”

“Of course I will, Lil’ Star, and I'll call back later, maybe tomorrow when he’s at work.”

“Thanks Snowman. Is um...is there any sign he'll come to the wedding?” Darkstar asked hopefully – maybe a little too hopefully – as she swallowed the last of her rapidly cooling coffee.

“Send me the invitations and we'll be there,” Moonbeak promised, “Worse that will happen is he'll be wearing a ball gag.”

Darkstar actually giggled at that, “You never know, I might be wearing one, too.”

“Hard to say, 'I do' with a gag in your mouth,” Moonbeak pointed out.

“I have excellent body language!” Darkstar’s giggles became a burst of laughter, but it didn’t last very long.

“Прощай, позаботься о себе.”

“You too Snowman. Give my love to Bright when you see him.”

“Will do, Lil’ Star,” Moonbeak then hung up the call as the traffic on the freeway was taking up all his attention, thanks to an asshole in a BMW thinking they could veer all over the lanes at will.

Call over, a despondent Darkstar got up and, leaving her phone on the kitchen table, she trudged to the open door of the living room. “Momma,” she sounded as low and flat as she felt, “I'm going to go lie down.” ‘And hopefully not wake up…’ she thought miserably to herself.

“Okay,” Sea Salt was scared stiff of the deadened emotionless tone in Darkstar’s voice. She knew she had to get her son in on this as soon as possible. “But, you may want to check in with your Master, first.”

“Yeah, whatever, I guess…” Darkstar went back to the kitchen table and, taking up her phone, she sent Slate a text. ‘Pregnancy confirmed. Spoke with mom. She was Shining, and she took it really well. Called Snowman, told him the news. BS still hates the idea of me. Going to lie down.’

Immediately, practically at the speed of light, a text came back from Slate. ‘No, you are not. You are going to study one hour of Griffon, Dragon, and Zebran. Write me a short poem in each language, and send them to me.’

For a split second, only a second, Darkstar felt a mutinous streak in her that almost made her tell him to screw himself. But only for a second. Then, it passed, and her shoulders sagged defeatedly. ‘Alright,’ she sent the message and dropped her phone back on the table. “Going to study, momma.”

“Let me know if you need any help.”

On the stairs, Darkstar answered her, though she didn't sound at all like her usual self, not by a long shot. “Yeah, I'll yell if I do.”

In her bedroom, Darkstar did study, just like Slate had ordered her to. For the first time ever though, she really didn’t want to. All she wanted to do was lay down and sleep.

It took the running of her fingers over the collar buckled around her neck to remind Darkstar of her place. Slate was her Master, she was his pet, and he had given her an order. With a resigned grunt, she hefted out her college books and opened the Dragon one first.

It only took Darkstar a few moments to get a handle on the rudimentary structures of the dragon language, at least enough to write a small poem in it. She wrote, ‘flying dragon tail sails through the air and meets flesh snap crackle and pop!’

Next, she picked up the Griffon book, not that she needed it as much as the first one, thanks in no small part to her knowing Moonbeak. She smiled, grateful for knowing the hard as nails griffon. This poem came easier than the first, ‘one simple word yours compliant obedient prized possession mine.’

Easiest by far though, was the Zebran poem. Darkstar didn’t even have to look at the college book to write that one. Such were the benefits of living with a family of zebras. ‘Master guides the trip to dark and wonderful spots under the new moon.’

Watching from the doorway, Sea Salt said, “I like the last one.”

Darkstar just shrugged her shoulders, “It seemed to fit.”

“I can't help you if you shut me out, Darkie,” Sea Salt sighed slightly, realising the teenager had closed herself off and she was getting nowhere fast, no matter what Slate had asked of her, “Care for a snack?”

Darkstar’s sigh was much, much deeper than the zebra’s was. “I’m sorry momma,” like she was stuck to the chair with glue, she got up and walked with her down the stairs, paper held in her hand.

“No need to be sorry, child,” Sea Salt led the way to the kitchen, gently holding Darkstar’s hand so as not to pull her or steer her too much, “Your voice gives you away. It's a cry to shed light on the darkness, just like the moon sheds light you can look at.”

Darkstar allowed herself to be led along, her eyes firmly downcast to the floor. “I know Bright blames me for having mom sent away,” she sat and stared at the kitchen table, “And he’s right.”

Getting a snack of left over curried goat from the fridge, Sea Salt set it on the table and she sat opposite Darkstar. “You've known that for years, but now it means something more to you. Why?”

Idly, Darkstar picked at the goat meat, though she wasn’t really interested in it. It was reflex at that point. “I thought, after these two years, he might have started to forgive me. I want to be forgiven, is that so wrong?”

“Do you forgive him?”

“Of course I do,” Darkstar picked again at the meat, tearing off a small piece and chewing it without thinking, “I just want my brother back, momma.”

“Your forgiveness puts him in your heart,” Sea Salt commented before tearing off a chunk of the meat, “Should I send a few dock workers to go and beat some sense into him?”

Darkstar simply smiled sadly, “That’s a nice idea, momma, but no. He's seen Steel at last. Trust me, that's more than enough punishment.”

“You survived Steel,” Sea Salt pointed out, though her caring tone was at odds with the ruthless efficiency with which she was devouring the goat meat, “And now he may understand just what that means.”

Darkstar let out a whine and a shudder. All she could see in her mind’s eye was the monster what wore her mother’s body, her eyes wide and wild, her mouth drawn in a vicious snarl of feral rage, the glint of the carving knife she held in her hand… “I wouldn't wish Steel on anyone, momma. Tell me, how could I have acted any differently?”

“I don't see how, child,” Sea Salt conceded, “Will he show up to the wedding?”

“Snowman says if I send him the invites, they'll be there.”

“Let it go till then, child,” Sea Salt said softly, her old hand resting on Darkstar’s much younger one, “The four of you can hash it out at the wedding, and I'll have a med kit if needed.”

“I'm not interested in fighting, momma,” Darkstar didn’t try to move her hand from under Sea Salt’s. “I'm just...done, momma, I’m done with it. I don't feel guilty for what I did, because I did nothing wrong. I’m…done.”

“You are not ‘done’, child,” Sea Salt squeezed her hand over the leftover meat, “All but one knows that. Together the four of you can have him man up to it, or woman up, whichever term he’s using these days.”

“Snowman told me on the phone that four weeks ago, Bright tried to get mom released from the hospital,” Darkstar stared down at the kitchen table and she laughed harshly, which was an unusual sound, coming from her. “He met Steel then. Can you imagine if he'd met Silver, or one of her other benign personalities and mom out, and she was out in town, and then Steel came out? The people she could hurt like that…”

Sea Salt shivered uncomfortably, because she could easily imagine such a thing, though she couldn’t imagine experiencing such a horror as Steel attacking her own daughter. “Did she hurt him?”

Darkstar shook her head, “Only with her words. Brightstar didn't get the blade of a knife pressed to his throat…”

Affectionately, Sea Salt stroked Darkstar’s hand, “Send your Master your poems, child. Bright can wait. Slate cannot.”

“You're right, momma,” Darkstar felt immediately guilty that she hadn’t sent her Master the poems straightaway like she ought to have done. She reached for her phone and she sent the three poems to Slate, along with an apology.

‘Good work,’ Slate sent her his reply in a few seconds, ‘I had to look up two of them. I will be home at five, you will be in the living room. You may do as you wish until then.’

Darkstar let out a breath she had been holding in. Slate didn’t sound upset with her, thank the moon above, she wouldn’t get punished too severely. ‘I understand, Master. See you at five.’

Sea Salt tore another chunk of meat from the leftover goat, “What does the boy have to say?”

“Master says he'll be back at five and I'm to be in the living room when he gets back.”

“Harsh,” Sea Salt giggled, “Not.”

“Yeah,” Darkstar giggled, “I think a shower is in order before he gets home.”

At last, Sea Salt let go of Darkstar's hand. “TV for me, after I make a snack of hertzoggies to eat along with it.”

“Let me guess, ‘Out of Zebrica’ is on today?”

“Of course!”

“At least you don't watch Muckraker, momma,” Darkstar smiled, eminently grateful that the older zebra didn’t care for the poisonous talk show. “Not be long!” When she went upstairs, Sea Salt got busy making the cookies. Darkstar had herself a long, very long, very hot shower, after which she walked nude downstairs, clean and dry. “All better, momma! How's the show?”

“There’s a new plot twist,” Sea Salt answered her from her comfy chair without looking away from the screen, “The Chieftain has gotten his daughter from his mistress, and his wife has claimed the child as her own.”

“Huh. Really?” Darkstar couldn’t quite believe it, “Something new in a soap opera? I'm intrigued!” Gleefully, she hopped up onto her spot on the couch, where she crossed her legs and got comfortable.

As ever, Sea Salt was completely unfazed by Darkstar's nudity. Were she any younger – and considerably fitter – she would be doing the same. “Just don't tell my daughter,” she grinned, “She can find out when we binge watch on Saturday.”

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me, momma,” Darkstar relaxed on the couch and she allowed her mind to wander and slip into its own little world. She watched the soap, but she wasn’t really watching. She was there but not wholly 'there' in the living room, as it were.

While she watched her soap, Sea Salt pushed the plate of cookies she had made to within reach of Darkstar. Every so often, the zebra plucked one from the plate, eating it at the same time as she drank her glass of milk slowly. For almost a whole hour, Darkstar didn't move at all, then she helped herself to a cookie.

Sea Salt noted the removal of the cookie, but she didn’t say anything. She simply chose a different victim for herself. “It’s just not the same since they wrote Bufford out of the show. Sad he had to pass in reality.”

In spite of herself, Darkstar giggled, “It’s kind of a legit reason to get rid of the character, though. Not like the actor was pulling a sickie.”

“Just leaves a hole in the cast,” Sea Salt pointed out, gesturing with her half eaten cookie like a sergeant major would a swagger stick, “Maybe next season they can fix it.”

“Maybe. Momma, after this has done, can I choose a thing to watch please?”

“As long as it isn't Muckraker.”

Sharing a laugh with the older woman, Darkstar giggled and shook her head, “Nope, not from me. There's a special episode of that Trottingham based comedy, Only Fools and Horses on the other side in a few minutes.”

In a rare move, Sea Salt passed the remote to Darkstar, “I'm game.”

“Thanks momma,” Darkstar took the remote like she had been passed the Sacred Cup of the Moon at the Lunar Temple, “There's three, actually. Hearths Warming Special episodes from ages ago,” she flicked the channel over and the TV planner on the screen displayed the three titles, Heroes & Villains, Modern Men and Time on Our Hands.”

Wisely, Sea Salt chose not to question the fact that Darkstar thought that 1996 qualified as ‘ages ago’. It wasn’t her fault she hadn’t been born until 2001. “I remember when they came out.”

“Mom used to watch the specials, every year at Hearths Warming,” Darkstar smiled a fond, nostalgic smile, “She was always amazed how something so funny could make her cry when it felt like being serious.”

“Hold onto your memories, child. I know I do,” Sea Salt pointed to an old photo on the wall that hung above the fireplace, a picture of Sea Salt, Rockslide and Slate stood with a fourth zebra, a strong looking male with a wide smile and kind eyes. “I can still hear what Gravel would say about my soaps.”

Darkstar admired the picture for a moment, wondering if her own father had eyes as kind as Gravel’s had been. “I would have liked to have met him. But I kinda have, through you three.” When Sea Salt nodded, Darkstar grinned, “I bet he used to grouse no end at your soaps, but loved to hear you talk about them all the same.”

Laughing, Sea Salt affected a deep gruff voice, “What happened on your silly show today? That doesn't really happen!” she laughed some more, then spoke in her usual voice, “Then I would show him the newspaper, where it did happen.”

“To be fair,” Darkstar said after she had stopped laughing, “I think the same about most soaps, but ‘Out of Zebrica’ is useful for the zebran, at least.”

“I'll add educational to my list of reasons to watch it.”

“It is!” insisted Darkstar with a giggle in her voice and a smile on her face, “It's the only show in Equestria that’s broadcast purely in zebran!”

Sea Salt gave the teenager a roll of her eyes, “Can’t say I’ve ever noticed,” she snickered, then she asked, suddenly curious, “Do they have shows in Griff and Draco?”

“They do, but have you seen Draco shows?” Darkstar answered the question with a rhetorical one of her own, “Game of Bones is really not my thing. At all.”

“You could just listen to the sound,” pointed out Sea Salt, “Or is it that bad?”

Darkstar blanched. Whatever colour she had in her face drained away, leaving her practically translucent. “I watched it one time with Slate. I really wish I hadn’t. There was once scene where crowd got roasted alive by a dragon…” she shuddered badly and her eyes went into a thousand mile stare, “The screaming and the burning...I swear I could smell it...like I was right there…”

Sea Salt made her mind up based on Darkstar’s excellently eloquent review, “I'll pass too.”

“There was so much blood,” Darkstar could see the scene in her mind’s eye, “So much blood, so much! Always with the blood, blood everywhere!” she clutched her head and rocked back and forth on the couch, “Blood! Red blood, people dying and screaming and burning and bleeding!” she tugged strands of her grey hair from her head, “Like those stupid horror movies!”

Quickly, Sea Salt moved from 'her' chair over to the couch and she wrapped Darkstar up in an extremely tight hug, “Breathe, Darkie, relax and breathe, I’m here now, I’m here.”

“All the blood!” Darkstar screamed and ripped out more strands of her hair, sobbing as she rocked in Sea Salt’s arms, “I can't take the blood, I can’t take it, all the screaming and the blood, blood, blood, bloOOOOD!” descending into a flood of tears, she allowed Sea Salt to hold her and, after five minutes, she was able to take several deep breaths and get herself under a small amount of control, “M-Mo-Momma, I-I'm sorry...”

“Hey now, child, none of that,” Sea Salt gently patted Darkstar’s head and stroked her long hair to further calm her down. “Rest with me,” she steered the young woman’s head onto her shoulder as the opening credits of Only Fools and Horses rolled, “And we can watch together from the couch.”

Darkstar was more than happy with where her head was at. For the next three hours it stayed there like it was glued in place, and she certainly wasn’t in a rush to move it any time soon. When the end of Time on Our Hands – the third special – was playing, Darkstar spoke at last, “I love the bit when they finally become millionaires.”

“It is nice to see the money didn't destroy them,” Sea Salt commented, her eyes as wet as the teenager’s was for the emotional climax.

Before Darkstar could offer a comment on that, the front door opened and Rockslide stomped in with her usual heavy tread that assured she’d never be called ‘twinkle toes’. “Well,” she snorted with the tone that communicated in one word that her day had not been that great, “Don't you two look comfy? Shower for me.”

“Hey Rocky!” Darkstar called out as she heard the thumping footsteps ascend the stairs. Then, she smiled at the TV, “I really like this next bit afterwards in their old apartment. Del's all sad cos now he's got everything he wanted; he thinks it's all over.”

“But they can be billionaires!”

“This time next year, huh?” snickered Darkstar.

Just as the closing credits were starting to roll, Rockslide came back down the stairs fresh from her shower wearing nothing but her long fluffy bathrobe. In the living room, she took her spot on the other side of Darkstar. When she sat, her robe fell open to reveal a decent side boob, but the D cups were large enough that the nipple was still covered.

As soon as Rockslide was seated, Darkstar moved her head onto her big sister’s shoulder, happy to rest it there even though Rockslide had the remote in her hand. True to form, she changed the channel to Muckraker’s talk show, but Darkstar didn’t care. Sea Salt didn’t complain either, she took the opportunity to clear away the stray grey hair.

The door opened a second time and Slate walked in just as Sea Salt had disposed of the evidence. “My,” he grinned broadly, “The three most beautiful ladies in the world, all waiting for me.”

“And here's the hunkiest guy in the world!” Darkstar exclaimed and, after Slate had given his mother and sister a familial kiss on the cheek, he treated his pet to a full lip embrace, one she returned by wrapping her arms around his shoulders, “I missed you.”

“The shower misses you too, little brother,” Rockslide held her nose and turned away as Slate laughed at her, downwind, he was not.

In order to further tease his sister, Slate stood behind the couch and made sure she could smell him. “Gee, Rocky, you're starting to take on Darkie's habits,” he said after looking down and catching an eyeful of her large chest.

Rockslide knew how to get back at her brother for his stink, and for ruining Muckraker. She fanned herself with the front of her bathrobe, and in the process, she flashed him and Darkstar a full and unfettered view of her breasts. “She is worth imitating.”

“My sis is doing a great job,” snickered Darkstar, “I'm sure I'll keep rubbing off on her.”

Slate rolled his eyes at the three of them sat there teasing him, “Just what I need, a house full of nudists.”

“Well if that is what you want...”

Quickly, Slate held up his hands and backed away, “That's fine, momma, really. You don't need to encourage the other two.”

“He's right,” Darkstar said after she had finished laughing along with Rockslide and Sea Salt, “We don't need encouraging, do we, Rocky?”

Smirking, Rockslide raised a hand for a high five, a gesture that Darkstar was quick to deliver, “We do not.”

Deciding that he really didn’t want to watch Muckraker’s trashy show, and that he wanted to get away for some much needed alone time, the zebra took hold of Darkstar’s hand and tugged her to her feet. “I think I need a wash, and I think you should wash me, my lovely pet.”