Gleam

Chapters

Shine
Glimmer
Glint
Shimmer
Sheen
Glisten

Shine

Fair Weather was about to make a terrible decision.

He sighed as he trotted outside. He only wanted to clear his head. A gentle breeze drifted through the open castle window, the crisp scent of autumn following behind it.

Even though he was aware of how much he cherished Legacy, the idea of losing his royal status troubled him. Was his royal status more valuable than being with his infant child? He sat motionless for a while. The thoughts swirling through his head bothered him.
Shaking his mane, he began to pace around the expansive gardens of the Canterlot castle.
He drearily reasoned that promoting Duke wasn't such a bad idea; rather, he worried about his mother's reaction.

Whatever he decided, he hoped Legacy wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

Fair weather sat motionlessly on the ground; his body had lost all of his energy. He had a slight fear that if he stumbled, the ground would give way beneath him. He was fighting back tears, but a lump had formed in his throat.

Never before had he felt so lost and helpless. How he wished Legacy was here so he could do nothing but sob into his mates coat. He shook his head again and struggled to get back on his feet. Instead of wallowing in grief, there were better things to be doing.

The Canterlot Gardens were both expansive and ancient. It was maintained in immaculate condition year after year by the castle staff.

Fair weather couldn't help but sneer. The flower heads he usually cherished so much were now mocking him, choking him with their sickly sweet aroma and vibrant colors.
He wondered if he was being suffocated with chloroform.

He carelessly pawed the ground while gazing up at the milky, vast night sky. His head ached. He gritted his teeth as a constant pounding in the back of his head tormented him endlessly. He saw the image that had been ingrained in his mind throughout the night when he closed his eyes. But ultimately, it was never enough. He had only wanted to buy himself more time.

Even a wise man cannot escape his destiny.

He found it difficult to keep his eyes open; his lack of sleep was starting to affect him. his absence would most likely be noted, so he should go back to bed.

Instead, he reflected for a bit more

Perhaps the pain he feels is not shame or embarrassment. It's fear. Projection is something he has learned well from his mother. He puts the blame for his growing problems on everyone but himself. The lowest kind of hypocritical self-pity.

The chilly air pinched his lungs as he spun around and galloped back to the castle.
I could’ve told her the truth right there and then. But was it true that was never in his nature?
He was soon sobbing and covered in sweat when he returned to his own bed.

"What?"
"I am leaving."

It was a beautiful day to set out on his journey; the sun shone brightly, the air was cool, and many ponies played in the gardens of the castle.

Fair weather observed as his mother cast a stern look in his direction.
He refrained from licking his lips , Making an effort to make his golden eyes meet his mother's tangerine ones.
He smiled.
I could have told her the truth.
He's turned into everything that repulses him about his mother.

But

His children will have the same fortune he does. they have every opportunity at their disposal and the whole world at their feet. He will not and would not falter, as a decision has already been made. He's straining to smile now. His stomach felt tight and hollow, and he had that instinctive feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong and it was too late to stop it. In spite of his fear and sorrow, he continued.

His mother smiled. Fair Weather tensed, frozen, as he waited for her next move. Sunny Weather's smile was clearly one of motherly and nurturing concern. Fair Weather knew better; it was contempt. It was too thick, syrupy, and tangible to be anything other than what it was supposed to be. She smiled, but not with her eyes. They had an angsty, pointed tone. He cocked his head, his fake bravado pushing him forward in the absence of any real courage. He's not sure exactly what he was hoping for. Anger? Perhaps taunting and derogatory language. But he was unnerved by the smiling.

The brief outburst of emotion made Fair Weather's heart race, and for a split second, he thought he had caught a glimpse of his mother's kindness. He had long since prepared himself. But now that he was so close to actually doing it, the question weighed down on him like a million tons of earth and stone. One pebble pulled out of place would be all it would take to trigger the avalanche.

With her lips pursed into a scowl, Sunny Weather said nothing further. The way Fair Weather's mother's eyes furrowed in rage had an appealing quality to it. He enjoys the hatred simmering in her eyes.

Unfair. His revenge was completely unfair and perfect—a sentimental gift for a sentimental feeling.

With his blood still thumping from the absurdity of it all, Fair Weather had thought about this plan endlessly while lying in bed.

Being a reserved man, Legacy never really liked kids and believed he would never have any in his lifetime. And yet, here he is. Peering dubiously at the child in the rocker, he still didn't know what he was supposed to do. Pushing the infant with his muzzle, it looked back at him with wide eyes. Citrus Twist resembled him a bit too much, and the child looked at him without resentment or happiness. It made him a little uneasy.

Legacy didn't like children. Children are not affected by the evils of the world.
Legacy tried to sit as comfortably as his wheelchair would allow, dragging his hoof across the ground.

He slowly extended his leg until it made contact with the warm, soft thing. He hesitated when he heard the soft rise and fall of the object's breath. The infant turned to babble at him. The elder man found the eager naivety of a child fascinating. He didn't frequently indulge himself. Instead, he waited for the sun to set and paint the sky with beautiful oranges and reds. Legacy allowed himself to miss his fiance now that the sun was kissing the sky.

He was the sun, constantly striving to shine more brilliantly than those around him. Perhaps Legacy was the moon, the lesser half. less in general. If he were the moon, he would do anything in his power to make him a shining beacon of hope, even if it meant destroying himself in the process.

Author's Note

HI this is my first time writting anything long term or even multi chapter. I would like advice if you think there's anything wrong!

Glimmer

Fair Weather had never been outside of the castle walls before, and he worried about making such a big splash in Legacy’s small home. He had no idea how to wash or do any dishes. He could possibly hire a maid. Trepidation came first, then worry. However, would he fit in here? He'd never given much thought to how ordinary people lived; the thought of living without his silk sheets and soft pillows made him dizzy. The prince was waiting for his carriage, having just finished packing.

His mind was swirling with so many ideas at once that he was almost delirious with worry and excitement. It had never occurred to him that not everyone had the same level of comfort as he did. He was determined to spoil his spouse, no matter what. He was still in disbelief. He couldn't dress his children in low-class attire, so he began to wonder if there was nice enough food or enough clothing options. What if there were no cucumbers available? What kind of respectable place didn't have cucumbers? He tried to cram more cream into his bag while forcing himself to push the idea of vegetables to the back of his mind. Perhaps he could offer Tropical Storm a reward in exchange for sending him more. His worries returned. What if they didn't take care of their skin properly? He would wither! He'd shrivel up! He-

He was startled out of his reverie by a timid knock on the door. A small servant girl was standing on the other side and was meekly staring up at him. A pang of sorrow ran through his chest; he knew his presence could be quite intimidating to normal ponies. Some part of Fair Weather was still terrified; he'd never been out on his own. He made the decision that it wouldn't stop him as he nervously shuffled around. Using his magic to levitate his luggage, he took one final breath.

The dark tones of the evening had been replaced by the rich violet hues of the early morning. The bleak blues would soon give way to oranges and greens as the sun slowly climbed over the horizon.

Fair Weather was unsure of what he was anticipating—perhaps something small but not filthy.

Watching with wide-eyed terror at the muddy, dirty, filthy roads. Fair Weather thought he was going to faint. Preposterous! How could any pony who respected themselves live in such squalor? The elderly man started to tremble as tears filled his eyes. How could he let his child grow up around such ruffians? Fair weather thought he looked quite silly crying at his age, but nonetheless, the sight upset him beyond words. He needed to find his fiance and be out of these streets now!

The midday heat was bearing down on him, making him woozy and disoriented. He emerged from his carriage with some trepidation. Wincing at the dust covering his hooves, he resisted the urge to press his weight on a different one, lest he muddy his luggage. He spun around in panic and smacked a foot servant in the face with the suitcase. Mortified, he began apologizing profusely. Get yourself together! Come on, one foot in front of the other. SlowHe willed his fiance to arrive sooner as he trotted slowly toward the town square to wait. Fair Weather wanted to be away from the horridness of this town.

Settling down near the statue, he did his best to shield himself from the sun; never had he seen such sweltering weather; dear lord, it was the middle of fall! A large mare came trotting towards him. Her coat was white-dusted, and she had a creamy brown color. Deliriousness mounted; the prospect of having to interact with someone so soon mortified him. One hundred and one possibilities tore through his head, each more terrifying than the last. What if he fumbled with his words? God forbid he even offended her. The mare in front of him now smiled broadly. Are you new around here or what? Fair Weather's face contorted in horror at what the woman had just said. What kind of dreadful accent was that? He fidgeted, struggling with what to say. Wordlessly, he turned on his heels and fled.

The mare behind him watched him with her mouth open.

Legacy should hurry, perhaps. After feeding a very angry baby, he was now tasked with retrieving his fiancée. Everything had gone according to schedule; every detail had to be carefully timed and put in place. He had made a strenuous journey to what might be regarded as the best restaurant in town and had ordered sandwiches with lettuce and cucumbers. his favorite. Legacy expected nothing less than chaos in response.

There was a breeze, swift and brief, and it brought the smell of metallic sky with it.

Perhaps time had indeed diluted his senses until it was already too late to turn back the clock. stabbing at the fringes of his scrambled memory. Legacy tried to envision what would be with him soon
A twitch of the tail, a swish of soft hair against his fur, the twinkling of his eyes, and a strained sigh escaped his cracked lips. Legacy adored that idiotic, idiotic man. The world could cave in and the sun implode before anyone could ever sever him from what he could finally callhis. Fair Weather's smile was the kind that transcended time and space. You saw it in other people when they were at their happiest. Legacy debated going to the town square for a long time before hearing screaming—shrieking would be a more accurate description.

All throughout the town, there were loud banging and thumps. Legacy galloped as quickly as he could in the direction of the sound of the commotion, cursing himself for not cooking faster. The sound of produce being scattered across the ground had been transformed into a strident cacophony by ponies scrambling to retrieve their dropped possessions. The centerpiece of the pandemonium remained Fair Weather himself.

The blue unicorn's eyes were wide with fear as he stumbled, his horn buzzing with each step and the air trembling with ambient energy. He stepped back and forth to avoid stepping on the smaller ponies running frantically around him, kicking up rocks and dirt as their hooves dragged along the ground. They careened around the younger man, a spark of golden magic flitting out of his horn. Legacy frowned: ponies, for better or worse, were naturally magical creatures. More lightning began to erupt all around them at this point in a frenzy. Sulfur and smoke from the fires filled the air. This was a terrible idea. Legacy's appreciation of his hefty weight was limited to this moment. He shifted most of his weight to his front legs and sped up into a faster gallop, cursing the cumbersome, slow-moving wheels as he did so. A tremendous crash from the other side of the town square made Legacy leap into the air. He landed on his front hooves and crumpled face-first onto the street. He tensed every muscle in his body in an attempt to gain some kind of leverage and make his hulking mass move once more. No luck. Inhaling deeply, Legacy continued. in through the nose. out through the mouth. This feeling was an illusion. The anticipation was all in his mind. Legacy jumped over him and slammed into his future fiancée. A wet crack filled the air.

Hocus Pocus had come to the conclusion that he loathed poor people. The stale air of the small town surrounded him, making the situation unbearable. The entire place smelled completely rancid. He had no intention of ruining his clothes with the grime from the uneven, broken pavement. So instead, he watched the bustling nightlife from several paces away. His yellow eyes glinted in the dark like a cat. Interesting indeed. Although he knew his mother would be absolutely furious if she found out he was gone, the excitement had overcome any hesitation he may have had. He was intrigued by how normal ponies lived. As he approached a group of houses, the sound of his hoof steps resembled the cracking of a ruler. He was starving, but he had used up all of his bits getting here. Pocus wasn't particularly opposed to stealing. Not particularly royal, but he didn't care. He looked at the tiny cottages in the dark, choosing one that was a little nicer than the others. "Take from the rich and give to the poor," he bitterly reflected. Would he not count as rich? Whatever. He had crept up to the window and was just beginning to carefully remove the window pane when he lost patience and simply blasted it off the windowsill. The realization that he could have simply teleported in there hit Pocus like a ton of bricks. Embarrassed, he shuffled inside and opened the refrigerator, looking through what would have been his stolen possessions. What poor people had cheese?. He stuffed as much bread and oats as he could into his saddlebag. Although the bread was coarse and of poor quality, he was too hungry to object. He laughed at the idea that his father would die of a heart attack if he saw his son right now. One of the highest-ranking equestrian heirs is stealing!
When he heard a creak behind him, Hocus Pocus froze.
A filly who couldn't have been older than five was watching him with wide eyed wonder.
Pocus took a moment to think before shooting her with magic.

Glint

The elder male had laboriously dragged his fiance up the long, long way back to his home; he protested the whole way there, and if he hadn't broken a few ribs, broken his leg, and cracked his horn, he might have thought of dropping him. He might have earned the harsh words he was hearing.
Fair weather cooed, “Leeeeeemoooonnn." At the mention of his real name, Legacy gritted his teeth. Are you now going to admit that you enjoy doing romantic things?
He grimly replied, "No." In all his glory, Fair Weather lacked the judgment to know when to stop bothering him. "How could I have been upset with my Lemey wemy?" Fair Weather crooned, “I told you not to call me that!” Legacy sputtered, going red in the face. Fair Weather wriggled out from under his hold as he contorted his body to grab his spouse by the ear. "You do, you do!" “No!” he barked.
Fair weather silenced When he did that, he appeared to be more than happy with his situation, as shown by the way his tail lashed out and the smile he made an earnest effort to cover up. Finally, they arrived at their destination. In spite of his best efforts, Legacy was unable to open the front door due to the wheelchair and the rather large man on his back. Legacy carefully positioned himself and slammed the door as hard as he could with his front hooves. maybe a bit too loud. A small filly opened the door just enough to see one brown eye.

Legacy grinned sheepishly. “M’Sorry about that." The door opened with a painfully slow creak. "Hi," came the meek voice. The tiny, sandy-colored pegasus turned and fled into the house while cowering. He retired to the nursery after spreading his fiancée across the burgundy couch. Hidden behind the crib, Petal Grass was anxiously glancing at him. Despite the fact that it hurt quite a bit to walk after spending so much time on his feet, Legacy dragged himself over to the foal. Legacy sighed deeply as Petal Grass fidgeted. Legacy wasn't quite sure why everyone in this town feared him so much. observing his child peacefully sleep, Petalgrass started to move a little bit closer to him. Until she slid close enough to rest her head on his chest and grinned sheepishly, Legacy watched motionlessly. Though brief, his smile was sincere. She let out a soft snort as she inspected his wheelchair—a precarious position, for sure; even a gentle nudge would likely send her rolling.
Petalgrass grew tired of looking at his walking device, and while still grinning lopsidedly at the elderly man, she proudly proclaimed how well she had cared for Citrus. He arched an eyebrow. Although she was a shy child, she suddenly seemed to come to life, speaking aloud while moving her hoof. As a good father, Legacy listened, complete with mmhms and mmms.

He rose to leave for his bedroom, and the little foal followed. He handed Petalgrass 15 bits after digging around in his drawers. Holding back a smile, he watched the filly's eyes nearly pop out of her head. He whispered that she should immediately go get the town doctor while gently pushing her with his muzzle. She flew down the stairs, nodding furiously. When she came to a stop, she turned with a smile so big it couldn't fit on her face, sputtered and skittered away, and continued to smile despite the fact that her eyes revealed a complete lack of understanding.

Legacy thinks he's getting married to a lunatic.
When the doctor arrived, Fair Weather was furious, as was his mother, who had been sobbing all morning about how awful it was and how filthy each shriek became louder and louder. It was difficult for Legacy to accept that Canterlot's ruler was currently destroying his home. He stared at the many moving ponies that were removing his furniture from the room and fought the urge to strangle his fiance, who was just a few feet away. "Dear, I promise you that when it's finished, it will be absolutely gorgeous!" Fair Weather laughed again and stared at Legacy, who seemed to be completely baffled. No, he was giving him a look that only he was capable of producing—one of utter ignorance.
This man wanted to give him an aneurysm. He huffed as he peered out the window to observe the slate-gray sky and the rain that was still coming down heavily.
Legacy's usual frowns gave way to a smile as it spread across his face.

In the midst of a downpour in the park, Hocus Pocus had just gorged himself on bread and cheese. He felt a smidge of guilt for last night. Upon zapping her, he initially believed that her head had collapsed like a watermelon. As the child's screams continued throughout the night, blood erupted upon him, and he fled. Obviously, it was neither his problem nor responsibility if she passed away. He could feel the blood dripping over him even after closing his eyes. He lifted a nearby rock with his magic.

He observed the approaching man, who was dressed quite nicely, as he tested it. He was now homeless, so anything to survive, right? His eyes glistened in the gloomy, sodden muck of the downpour. Of course, it wouldn't be enough to kill him; I just need money. The rock struck the older stallion's head, sending him tumbling to the ground with a wet crunch. Pocus watched. The poor stallion didn't move, but at least he was still breathing—this is a step forward!

Pocus had obviously long since vanished by the time the stallion was located. Now with a sizable bag of bits and a spring in his step. He came to a halt near some fruit trees? In Canterlot, he had never seen them.

He grinned. Sadly He couldn't reach the trees because they were too high; instead, he held back a hoof and rammed into one. The middle of the tree split open, shattering. He was showered with apples, the majority of which fell to the ground and split open. He salvaged what he could while sifting through the apple gore. Mission accomplished. Kinda. His face and hooves became sticky from the sweet, bursting juices of the apples. He placed the apples that weren't blown up in his saddle bag, planning to purchase more later. He heard hoof beats and whipped around. In the bushes, a filly was hiding. Her face was covered in wisps of green hair. Whipping around in the wind. He made the decision to refrain from bashing her head in because she was of no use to him. She was approaching quickly behind him as he turned back to his looted goods. He was struck in the cheek by a pebble, which clattered to the ground.

He slowly turned his head, brows furrowed. The pegasus appeared to be in a panic before mustering the courage to speak. “Please, I beg you! "Please stay away from our trees.” As she turned to face the ground and shifted her weight around, she mumbled the last few words. Hocus Pocus gave her a curious look. It persisted for a short while before he blew up one of the trees behind her.

Shimmer

The filly was crying and sniveling rather pitifully when Hocus Pocus prodded her. Surely the megar burns weren't as painful as she was portraying them to be? He prodded her in the stomach once more while pointing his horn. He shifted awkwardly and moved away. A soft sob interrupted him. Honestly, he was unsure of why he was feeling bad.
After some searching, he pulled a simple healing potion from his saddle bag and nudged it toward the still-crying child, setting it down on the ground. That was his day's good deed. Pocus took a few steps back before fleeing into the apple orchard.

Petal grass hadn't moved for several hours. Her father would be worried about her. The strange stallion she encountered in the woods had left her shaken. What kind of unicorn is capable of destroying trees? She has only ever seen the strange man Mr. Legacy brought to the house, whose gleaming horn she thought was quite lovely. Fresh tears began to well up in Petalgrass's eyes as the skin on her hindquarters and hooves began to peel and sizzle. Several places on her hooves were cracked as well. She spread her wings and snuck a look at the tiny vial of fluid the strange stallion had left. Maybe he left it there for her? She struggled to move closer to it despite beating her wings quickly to gain momentum. With cracked hooves, picking up the vial was quite difficult; it slipped and shattered on the ground. She was suddenly overcome with fear and began licking the liquid off the ground before it had a chance to soak in. Petalgrass' stomach burned, and her eyes started to water. She felt like she had swallowed a lit match. Deep within her stomach, the trail of fire settled. After a short while, the burning subsided and was replaced by a cooling sensation. Petalgrass observed how her hooves mended and how the burns faded. She almost twisted her hooves in surprise as she jumped to her feet. She fled in the direction of her farm house while frantically turning around to see if the strange man was still there.

When she first arrived at her house, Evercrisp glared at her with dagger-like eyes that tore at Petal grass with each step. She tried to enter through the kitchen while appearing smaller, hoping that her sister wouldn't bother her today. She flew upstairs as quietly as she could, taking care not to bump into the stairway. She made her way back downstairs and picked up the abandoned gardening tools from this morning before galloping off. Father had let her grow strawberries by herself, and she was so ecstatic she might pass out. When Petalgrass greeted her father, she was practically skipping; Gravestine had given a fleeting smile. Petalgrass grinned, knowing that of all his children, she was the one her father loved the most. A quiet stallion, Gravestine spoke infrequently and showed little emotion on his face. However, Petalgrass would always look forward to those market days when her mother and siblings would depart and a gentle smile would appear on his typically worn face.Together, they would cuddle while he made fluffy, soft potato pancakes. As he took care of the fields and gave her a soft smile, she would watch him with wide eyes. The moment he put her to bed was the one she loved the most. He would read her a book, lulling her to sleep with his soothing, soft voice.

She was now going to grow her own food like a big girl! Despite having a gardening trowel as her cutie mark, Petal Grass had no talent for growing apples because she was unable to harvest them or raise them to adulthood.
She trembled while holding the garden hoe in her mouth as she imagined some fresh strawberries. Mr. Legacy would be shocked! She might also share some with the man he brought. She liked the adoring slow, little smile he gave her. She turned her head, saw yellow eyes glinting in the forest, and nervously stepped closer to her father. Her mind wandered back to her strawberries and the surprise she had in store for her friend (a cake!). Petal Grass kept a close eye on Gravestine as she brought out the strawberry seeds before trotting over to her plot of land and starting to dig quickly. She patted dirt over the tiny seeds after dropping them, flapping her wings in glee. Her strawberries would be the very best ever! The best her father had ever eaten!

By the time dusk fell, Petalgrass had put up fences, planted seven plants, and provided them with fertilizer and water. Her father stood a distance away and nodded slowly. Sweaty and panting, she trudged up to her father as they began their journey back home. Her mother had been preparing a feast when they arrived. Apple Gallete gave her a bewildered look before breaking into a wide grin. It wasn't unusual for Petal Grass, who would frequently flee to Mr. Legacy's home during her mother's outbursts. He didn't give her strange looks—just tight-lipped smiles. The platters of fried cauliflower, gravy, mashed potatoes, hay, and beans caught her attention as she peered over the counter. The apple family was a big one, as was well known. Petal Grass was the smallest and the youngest of the family, boasting an impressive number of cousins, siblings, aunts, and uncles of all kinds. She was a pegasus who had come from a family of only earth ponies.

Stranger still, her cutie mark had been a trowel. The family had surrounded her in horror, their comments and stares piercing right through her. The best course of action would be to keep quiet and pay attention. It was better to be seen and not heard. Gravestine had named her after the green-colored flowers that grew in wispy, tiny bundles and crunched under people's feet. She was a wallflower, perhaps. When she turned 2 years old, Gallete gave her to her father and preened over her two older siblings. She had no desire to interact with the child. Her father had explained that it was because her mother was ill. In any case, Petal Grass didn't like her. Petal Grass had washed up and sat down like the good child she was. She consumed relatively little food, circling it with her spoon. Petal grass couldn't stop thinking about the odd man in her orchids. She saved her dinner, hoping that would make him go. He must have been starving. Who doesn't enjoy home-cooked food? She had always wanted to meet a unicorn and had hoped he would allow her to touch his horn. Perhaps she would make a new friend. Petalgrass grinned while kicking her feet.

Petalgrass patiently waited until nightfall while listening intently for her mother to fall asleep (she snored rather loudly). She had balanced the plate in her mouth before leaving while struggling to lift the window. She started to feel uneasy as she made her way closer to the forest—what if this wasn't a good idea? What if he caused harm to everyone or the apple trees? She mustered all her courage and softly yelled, "Hello." There was no response after a few moments. She called out again, this time louder as she got closer. "I- I brought you food; I hope you're not starving." Several feet away from her, a tree had been struck by a golden light, and Petal Grass erupted in fear. The tree had smoldered and smoked. Before her, glowing eyes had appeared. ”I DO NOT NEED ASSISTANCE FROM PEASANTS.” Petalgrass put her hooves over her head and squeaked. Hocus Pocus was observing her from above, his mouth twisted into a snarl. “The blatant incompetence of you peasants infuriates me."
”I just wanted to help," she said, lifting up one tiny eye.

A tiredness seemed to settle over his eyes. The sunset light bounced off his eyes, making them glitter. He hunched over, and his shoulders sagged. As Petal cautiously opened both her eyes, she saw that he was filthy. His clothes were ripped, and he had numerous cuts on his neck and flank. Pocus sagged to the ground, his energy gone. He had no energy to fight. As she brought the plate nearer to him, Petal Grass gave him a quiet glance. She saw a tear drop to the ground. She quickly turned her head away and said nothing as he ate, shoveling food into his mouth as quickly as he could. He snapped, "Stop oggling me!" Petal Grass looked at him, then she started to giggle. Hocus Pocus's eyes widened, and then he thinned his eyes at her. Finally, he relented and let down his walls. Petal grass leapt to her feet and exclaimed, "I COULD TAKE YOU HOME AND I COULD GIVE YOU A BATH AND CLOTHES." Pocus had smiled while watching her as she rambled on incoherently.

The strange filly had painstakingly dragged Pocus inside and scrubbed him raw. She dumped bucketful after bucketful on his head. Pocus screamed in pain from the scrubbing. He would be sleeping in a barn, she had said, his wounds bandaged. He was left with no choice but to look at the younger child with pleading eyes; at least it wasn't cold. With each minute that passed, his eyes grew more heavy. Petalgrass' mellow humming gently rocked him to sleep.

Pocus had only woken up today because Petalgrass had doused him with a bucket of water.
She poked him twice in the stomach. He simply rolled on top of her. She screeched at him to move, but he didn't budge. Pocus murmured drowsily, "I wake up when I want to." He gave her a dirty look and shut his eyes once more. "May I touch your horn?" Petal Grass inquired.
“NO.” He snorted. She was laughing hysterically. Afterward, she began poking him in the cheeks. Hocus Pocus opened one eye to glare at her.

He was, in fact, furious, seething even. He pictured his mother and grandmother searching through all of Equestria for him, probably tearing the kingdom apart. That part placated him. Although Canterlot Castle was the pinnacle of opulence and opulent living, from which he had fled, he actually found everyone there to be quite dreary. The over-the-top royals there bore no appeal to him. Flashing pearl teeth and fake smiles annoyed him. In truth, Hocus Pocus had no interest in his grandparents. Twilight and Sombra were merely two more royals to whom he had to smile and extend a cordial greeting in a manner that his mother considered appropriate.Instead, he had decided to accept his fate as that of a self-centered, festering wound who would rip everyone apart for his own gain.

In some ways, Pocus was perhaps a coward; he fled even though he was to be courted and given the title of king. Since he found them all to be so unbearably boring, Pocus had never given any of this any thought and simply nodded in agreement.

The words meant nothing to him, he could tell what they were. A death sentence.
Words were only keys in his eyes, tools he could use to achieve his goals.

Was he really selfish, though? Perfection did not exist within a creature.

Sheen

Hearing her name, Petalgrass, brought something to mind.
Maybe she really did have honey eyes. She would look at him with those gentle, slow eyes quite often.
How simple it was to play the sympathetic lover and pretend to feel something when, in reality, what he said was true for him. He really did despise her.
All that stood in his way was a blubbering foal. unworthy of his grace, unworthy to be his wife, and unworthy to be the queen.

Hocus Pocus grinned; perhaps this one would be worthy. He licked the brown coat of petal grass, who was startled to see him. She gave him a crooked smile. It was a little ugly, kind of like a sick cat, he thought. However, this time, his smile was sincere.

Legacy had no idea what he had done to anger his fiance, but he had woken up to plates being thrown at the wall. Citrus twist peered at him from his place on the couch. Despite only having known Fair Weather at the time of his birth, he had developed a strong affection for him. He had not sobbed since then; instead, he had simply stared. Citrus was just starting to babble when he noticed Legacy making typical baby noises. Fair Weather had pointed a fork at his head, saying, "What kind of terrible cutlery is this?" "Terrible, absolutely terrible!" The word "terrible" echoed throughout the entire house. At this point, Fair Weather was practically yelling, "This is what you call silverware!" Legacy had only stared at him before pouting. "Darling, don't you know we'll be moving to a lot more.." Fair Weather asked, spinning around. Finer establishments was his final statement. Legacy looked at his bare home and frowned.
“ Oh, I see. Where did you put each-”
Fair Weather shoved a chocolate croissant into his mouth.
Legacy glared in protest “Mmmph”
"Don't worry, darling, leave everything to me," said Fair Weather, beaming and prancing around the house.

Never having visited Trottingham Gardens, Legacy didn't think he wanted to stay.
The size of the house and the neighborhood's cleanliness made him feel uneasy.

Only the wealthy and upper class of Ponyville were permitted entry into Trottingham, a gated community. Fair Weather had undoubtedly bought a house here. The entrance mare, who had white and black hair pulled back into a tidy bun and a smooth silver coat, had been glaring at Legacy the entire time. In response to her inquiry about him, Fair Weather ripped her a new one.

While gently spinning Citrus around, who was squealing with delight, his other half appeared to be deep in thought. Most of all, the neighborhood kids gave him the most trouble because they wore dresses made of downy fabric without a scratch or a sign of mud or dirt, and had smooth coats and hair ironed like dolls. As he entered his home, they had gathered and were gawking at him as if he were some strange creature. Immediately after Legacy closed the drapes.
Fair Weather was stroking the infant and cooing at him as Citrus started to scream.
Fair Weather had turned to face his fiancée and smiled, batting his eyelashes, Oh god, he has something planned."
He opened a moving box using magic and levitated it before giving Legacy something inside.
‘Tada!” Legacy's eyes watered as he feigned indifference while Fair Weather grinned.
Fair weather had gotten him a new wheelchair. Not because Legacy lacked the funds to purchase a replacement, but rather because he was very stubborn. Before that man would spend anything on himself, he could wither away. Fair Weather had pushed him into his new wheelchair, which had room for Citrus, who was delighted to ride along with his dad.

When Fair Weather insisted that Legacy hire house servants, Legacy was bemused.
He had complied even though he had no desire to argue. Midas was present because Fair Weather had demanded one directly from Canterlot. He had piercing golden eyes that darted left and right; they kind of burned. He had arrived stern and glaring, and he was quite frightening. Citrus, on the other hand, became very fascinated with relentlessly pestering the stallion. Attempting to yank the golden strands of hair out of his white coat. Additionally, while he slept, he licked his cheeks. However, Midas took a liking to the odd child and made him an "honorary cleaner," accompanying him on his patrol around the house. Citrus responded with nothing but nonsense, like the child he was.

Legacy was quite apprehensive about interacting with his new neighbors; ,the looks they gave him were odd, and he could tell the smiles were strained. Every time someone attempted to interact with Legacy, he would freeze, sputter like a fish out of water, and then run back inside. Fair Weather, however, set about organizing their wedding and was committed to creating an extravagantly lavish affair. After giving Citrus some flowers to see how he liked them, he peered at his father before puking all over the ensemble. He grabbed the child by the scruff, swung him out of the puke puddle, and called for Midas. In response to the mayhem he had started, Citrus simply grinned and gurgled.

Hauling the child to a warm bath, Fair Weather had begun scrubbing absentmindedly at his multicolored hair. Even though he adored his little child, Fair Weather still had many doubts about his parenting skills. The fact that his child would vomit milk and poop all over the place was something he was still getting used to. Were these not childish things, alas? Citrus was given a sincere kiss on the head by Fair Weather.

Legacy had found himself in a stuffy dress shop because Fair Weather demanded perfection and nothing less. They were being fitted for wedding clothing, Fair Weather was practically beaming. He had never walked this far into town before, so Legacy was a little uneasy. Making an effort to avoid children's prying eyes, he had hidden behind his bride-to-be. The owner of the boutique at the moment was Operetta, a tall, lean mare who measured Legacy while yelling at him to stand still. Legacy would not have cared if Fair Weather's mother had not been standing in the store's corner. Because she was a bit too big to fit inside, she had to bend over to avoid bumping into the ceiling lamp. She glared at him and then turned to face her son, telling him that his wedding dress would be perfect. Legacy sagged, and Operetta smacked him with the measuring tape. Oh, he had a long day ahead of him; after this, there would be flower shopping, catering, and designing their wedding invitations. He sighed.

Glisten

After some begging from his fiance, Fair Weather had shooed his mother away so they could spend some time alone. After some insistence that he bring fair weather to his favorite restaurant, he reluctantly brought fair weather to the Harvest Cafe, one of only three restaurants in town. After placing their order for two large hayburgers (Legacy received three patties), fries, and a large shake (Fair Weather insisted on an iced tea instead), they were now seated face to face and sheepishly looking at each other. Fair Weather raised his eyebrows, and Legacy knows that expression on his face—the one he makes when he's about to say something stupid.
"Soooooo," Legacy said, shifting his gaze to the side. Fair weather then started kicking his legs back and forth. “ Legacy asked Fair Weather, who was pouting, "How ya liking it here?"
"I haven't mixed with the common folk yet, my dear, so it was less than piquant." Fair Weather's radiant grin seemed to falter for a brief second. Legacy raised an eyebrow at this point. Legacy laid a hoof on Fair Weathers and said, "Let's maybe start off by not referring to them as common folk." Fair weather looked at him in shock and said, "Why?" After a brief pause, Legacy said, "You might make people feel a bit in’secure about they place in life, so to speak."
"Instead, they are my subjects," the other man said with a thoughtful frown.

"No fair weather, callin dem by they names, okay?" Legacy grimaced as the waiter brought their food at that precise moment. Fair Weather saw the burgers and widened his eyes as a young stallion balanced the tray of food and then levitated it over to their table. At the corners of Fair Weather's eyes, Legacy noticed a hint of devastation. "Darling, are you sure this is... healthy?" Fair Weather poked the fries. Legacy grabbed one and stuffed it in his mouth, mumbling "yeah" as he did so. Fair Weather gave him an indignant look and agitatedly stirred his sweet tea, slapping him in the head with a fry. After much bickering and bribing Fair Weather to eat his food (which he liked but wouldn't admit to), he had bought an ostentatious slice of cheesecake that he also refused to eat and instead chose to pawn off to Legacy, who had put a dollop of whipped cream on his nose and smiled cheekily.

When they arrived at their home, Citrus was overjoyed to present Fair Weather with his ruined flower bouquet. The younger man kept quiet and instead smiled tightly at the child, which gave Legacy concern that he might have busted a vein. Midas held back a smile as he stood some distance away. He received a glare from Fair Weather that could have melted metal as he stormed upstairs. Citrus drooled on him in response as Legacy kissed his infant and placed him on the open space in his wheelchair. Citrus was going to the neighborhood park because Legacy had made a resolution to spend more time outside. No more hiding, no more running away! Legacy felt awful moving from the most impoverished areas of Ponyville to the most illustrious, he almost felt naked.

Trollpplace Park was another benefit of the large neighborhood.
While slowly moving through the neighborhood, Legacy heard a loud, welcoming "Hello!"
Sapphire Hooves was currently beaming down at him from her porch,he chuckled nervously.
“Hiya there Msrs Hooves uh how are ya doin?” Citrus licked his rump and squealed as Legacy muttered something apologetic. Sapphire Hooves was the extravagantly wealthy wife of Sapphire Sorbet, who owned the largest chain of instant oatmeal in all of Fillydelphia. She was quite lovely in Legacy's eyes, but he wasn't the kind to get close to people in general; he knew the couple had no foals and had difficulty having any. She appeared quite taken with Citrus Twist, who was attempting to shovel mouthfuls of his father's mane into his mouth. "Dear, how about you come in and we have some tea and biscuits?" Still smiling, she asked while shifting her weight from one hoof to the other. "Aw, yeah, ma'am," he stammered, "I mean, I'd love to..."
He tried to smile, but he probably looked like he was going to sneeze.

The interior of Sapphire Hooves' home was extremely fancy, and Legacy was a little concerned that if Fair Weather ever got back on his hooves, he would desecrate the house with the same obscenely extravagant decor. The house was filled with many vases and trinkets, as well as dresses and fabric thrown about haphazardly. Massive wall paintings, extravagant rugs that Legacy believed to be made of real wool, sculptures carved into the wood interior of the house, and red and gold fabric sewn into the exteriors of all the rugs seemed to swallow his hooves with each step. There were intricately decorated mirrors in every nook and cranny of the house.
Housemaids were frantically attempting to gather up jewelry that was scattered across the ground in all directions. However, Mrs. Hooves paid no attention and flounced through the crowded house while dragging Legacy behind her, chattering the entire time.

Citrus had just started to reach the age when kids would start toddling around, so of course he took advantage of this ability to destroy anything he could get his hooves on. Ms. Hooves had quickly picked him up and held him in a tight grip as he made an attempt to push the numerous vases off of the tables. Legacy shifted around uncomfortably before attempting to sit down.
Legacy could not fit in any chairs, and he did not want to get out of his wheelchair, so he chose to stand instead. In some mysterious way, Mrs. Hooves paraded the foal throughout her house while pulling out toys one after another from cabinets. Citrus was running around quickly, bumping into various pieces of furniture, and screaming the entire time. He liked his new toys, Legacy surmised.

The woman looked so happy holding his child that he really didn't have the heart to separate them. Legacy smiled at her through clenched teeth—man, she talked a lot. "Oh, I had always wanted to talk to you both, but you never really came outside, and you always hurried back inside so quickly, so I would be quite lonely all alone at home, and my husband would be gone all the time," she said. Citrus was licking her forearms while attempting to wriggle free of her hold. "Oh, you know that there's a new daycare down in the town, dear, but if you don't want to pay for that, you could bring this sweet little colt here, and I'll watch him free of charge," she continued, holding the foal in a vice grip. Citrus, who was trying to eat her pearl necklace, caught Legacy's attention. "Erm, I'll try to keep you in mind, ma'am, I promise.”

The mention of that seemed to make Mrs. Hooves perk up. She urged him, "Oh, my darling, you should really try the pastries from the bakery; they are quite delectable, and you know you can't get anything better." Legacy murmured, "Oh well, you know, ma'am, I think I oughta get goin' on home." while trying to move to the side. “Oh, please be safe on your way home, dear.” She wore a dejected look as Citrus escaped from Mrs. Hooves' arms, carrying a pearl from her necklace that she had to take out of his hooves before he swallowed it. Legacy cringed and picked up Citrus and slowly shuffled out of the house (while banging into her walls and cracking a vase)

The moment Legacy stepped outside, he nearly flew down the street, hooves pounding on the concrete with each step. Citrus's hair floated behind him as he laughed with delight at the speed. After a brief period of running, Legacy thought he should return to town and just shop.

Slowing to a trot, he started to walk slowly. Fair Weather had been giving him quite a large amount of money (that he never used) every week, insisting that he go treat himself. Perhaps he could go to the bakery and buy something nice. Legacy never really left the house, so he could try something new at the same time. The small town of Ponyville was bathed in midday sunlight as he approached the main street, where children were playing games and having fun in the schoolyard. Legacy was a little concerned about when Citrus would grow up and he would have to pick him up from this area. The decayed little cottages scattered along the cracked and worn-out paths seemed to be staring back at him.
Legacy remembered why he had stayed out of town.

Legacy finally arrived at SugarCube Corner after almost 30 minutes of trudging through town because he kept getting lost. He was surprised to find it packed, so he immediately ducked down. However, Citrus began babbling when he saw other ponies. Legacy tried to inch his way into line and make himself as small as he could when he felt a light tap on his rump. He slowly turned around to catch a glimpse of gleaming eyes and white teeth. Oh no. Celestial Sunlight was currently smiling at him with a toothy grin. “Oh! "I was starting to think you had moved away, but it's you, it's really you!” Legacy stared incredulously at the smaller stallion. He had spoken to the other man once, when he had unintentionally wandered into the library and was subjected to his nonstop babbling. Legacy was prepared to beat the man to death if he continued talking.

While grinning at Legacy, golden magic kept pushing the circular glasses
onto his face. Warm orange sunlight illuminated his amber eyes, cream-colored hair that turned golden at the tips, cream-colored tufts of fur on his feet, and spots all over his rump, and face. His cutie mark was an illuminated lightbulb. Legacy wasn't sure if it was because he was a loser.
The younger stallion, who had only recently reached adulthood, was a little younger than Fair Weather. As he gushed about the pastries and suggested that Legacy try an eclair, Sunlight's eyes appeared to widen. From his position on the chair, Citrus peered at him. “You have a child!" Is that the reason you were gone so long? "Hello, baby, hello!” The child only returned his gaze as Sunlight gushed over him. His glasses had come off of his face because he had leaned a little too far. The line moved forward as he brought them back to his face and continued speaking. Legacy thought his head would explode in another 10 minutes.
Celestial Sunlight was waiting for him to finish when it was finally his turn to place the order after nearly an hour of this torture. To make his time worthwhile, he had splurged on a number of croissants and other pastries. Legacy had brought Citrus a small cupcake just for him to experience. Celestial beamed at him from his corner, holding a massive bag of whatever that was in his grasp. The young adult followed Legacy as he made his way outside, and Legacy tried to strike up a conversation. “So.. uhm who ya going home to?” Celestial's expression immediately became happier. "I'm going to hang out with my grandpa, you know, because he's getting too old to go outside by himself, so I'm helping him," he said. “I haven't made many friends in this town, but it's nice." Yeah , he wondered why.

He was aware of Sunburst's arrival, which had occurred when Legacy was still a teenager; Legacy thought the man was a crackpot and avoided interacting with him. He lived in the far corner of town and did Celestia knows what all the time. Due to his friendship with Twilight, he was frequently gawked at by villagers to the point where he stopped going outside altogether.
One day, another person moved into the tiny house. Freeze Frame.
Legacy had seen her before; she had thin, slanted eyes and frequently glared at him when he had the misfortune to be in her presence. She had neon white electric mane strands that made her white spikey fur look like she had been struck by lightning. Her fur never stood flat. A flashing camera, as Legacy recalled, was her cutie mark. Sunbeam appeared after a few years. He was eerily similar to his father, save for the difference in his green eyes, which were the opposite of his father's, and his platinum blonde hair, which had ginger stripes instead. Sunbeam, on the other hand, was very shy and avoided interacting with people, preferring to hover around his wife and recoil when approached.
Legacy didn't see him often enough to recall what his cutie mark was.

Now, the child with the insane bloodlines was babbling nonstop right next to him. Why he chose to live here rather than in Cloudsdale was something Legacy was beginning to question.
Citrus had licked the frosting off of his cupcake and mashed the remaining soggy cake into Celestial's coat while he wasn't looking. Legacy made the decision to keep his mouth shut. The other man abruptly left Legacy alone and went rushing down the street, suggesting that he had found something more interesting to do. An interesting day indeed.

Author's Note

I might be droning on about gibberish I'm so sorry! This Story was honestly just self indulgence