Adventures Are No Fun.

Screech sat at the broken kitchen table with a coil of rope poking out of her saddle bag. "We are going to Sky Fair," declared the bat pony. "It will be a fun family bonding experience."

Success smiled.

Second glared at Screech.

Glitter sighed and into her toast. "You have fun with that."

Screech pulled a lasso out of her bag. "I am doing this for you. You can come willingly or you can come tied up in a wagon. Either way I am getting you out of this house."

"Screech, I am an adult you may not talk to me that way," Scolded Glitter.

"I am not going to Sky Fair either," said Second firmly. "Earth ponies and unicorns don't belong among the clouds."

"I am excited to go," assured Success. "I have never been."

Screech nodded. "We are going to have a lot of fun."

Screech pulled a wagon behind herself. She calmly walked down the wide road in the part of town made for tourists.

Passing ponies looked at Glitter and whispered to each other. One mare laughed.
Glitter struggled to break free from the ropes. "You made your point. Untie me!"

Second walked beside the wagon smiling at his mother's plight.

Screech stopped. "Okay. If I have to tie you up again I will. I don't care how many ponies see you trying to escape spending time with your children. I will make a scene."

Glitter sighed. "I am sure you will."

Screech untied the rope in two seconds.

Glitter looked at the sky then the rope. She seemed to be trying to figure out if she could outfly a lasso. She stepped out of the wagon being careful to keep her wings folded.

Sky Fair was an amusement park and hotel built on six air ships. Ponies boarded on the ground and the ships brought them around Equestria. There was one ship in every major town two days a week.

Success looked up at the Ferris wheel with wide eyes. "I want to ride that." He hopped with excitement.

"Why?" scoffed Second. "You can fly."
Success stopped hopping. He looked at the ground.

"Do you want to be tied up?" threatened Screech.

Second flinched back. "I didn't tell him he can't ride the boring wheel."

Screech bared her fangs. "Success and I are riding the wheel." She grabbed her rope and tied Glitter's fore leg to Second's fore leg with only a few hooves of slack. "The two of you can do anything you want together."

Second looked at the four big knots in the rope. "You are not as funny as you think."

"You will thank me for this," assured Screech with a genuine smile. Her sudden shift in mood caught every pony off guard. She was not scolded further by Glitter or Second.

Sky Fair was packed with ponies. The floors were covered with food, vomit, urine and mouse droppings. No pony seemed to notice they were hoof deep in filth. The lights were brighter than the sun and music played from dozens of booths. Ponies ran around hopped up on sugar and adrenaline. The floors creaked and loose nails with dried blood on them stuck up.

Even with her ear plugs and sunglasses the lights, sounds and smells made Screeche's head hurt before she stepped hoof on the poor excuse for an amusement park. It was too late to change her plan. Besides she needed a plushy by the end of the day.

Success sat on the Ferris wheel and frowned. Once the ride began proper he still looked dejected.

"Listen," said Screech. "It is very important you at least pretend to enjoy this ride. Glitter is sad and seeing you happy will make her happy."

Success sighed. "I wish it was just the two of us here."

Screech nodded. "I understand why. Your brother and your mother... could be more positive. But if you play along I can fix your family."

Success looked at his big sister with wide hopeful eyes. "Can you really?"

Screech placed her hoof over her heart. "I promise."

Success did not enjoy riding the Ferris wheel despite Screeche's best efforts. He jumped off with a big smile and laughed. He insisted the ride was more fun than flying.

Second rolled his eyes.

Glitter smiled at her son. She, only for a moment, glared at Screech. She didn't let the moment of jealousy last. "Success, you and I should ride something together."

Second furrowed his brow. "What about me!"

Glitter smiled even wider. She hugged both of her sons. "All three- four of us can ride something together."

"There are bumper cars over there," Screech pointed toward the stern of the ship.

Second seemed to be in a good mood after slamming into his brother and mother half a dozen times each. He smiled ate cotton candy.

Glitter laughed and furrowed Successe's mane.

Screech stopped in front of a booth built into a big wooden fence.

A big sign covered in lights read "Complete the obstacle course in fewer than twenty minutes and win the grand prize."
Plushies half the size of ponies sat up on the highest shelf.

Success looked over the prizes. His eyes stopped on a famous rodeo pony even he knew. "I didn't know a plushy was made after you."

Screech nodded. "How do you think Papa bought Glitter such a nice house?"

Glitter bit her lip and hoped Screech was exaggerating.

"His job payed well," interjected Second.
Screech nodded. "It did. Our home in Canterlot was nice."

Success cocked his head. Tears started to gather in his eyes. "Was Dad a bad pony?"

Screech took a deep breath. "He lived in Cloudsdale, despite being a bat pony, to make Glitter happy."

Second huffed. "How much money did he steal from you?"

Screech shrugged. "I don't care. My rodeo career if far from over. I can always make more."

Glitter smiled at the pony in the booth. "How much for a big toy."

"Two hundred bits," said Fleece.

"Don't bother," said Screech. "I can clear this course in ten minutes flat." She grinned showing the tips of her fangs.

Screech dashed over the mud pit. She kept her steps light and barely sank. The other ponies who were running the course were still on the fifty hoof dash before the mud pit when she cleared it.

Screech charged through the snaking path of tires without slowing down. Her four legs moved in prefect rhythm like a dancer gliding across a ball room.

Screech ran into a hay bail head first and barley losing any speed and pushed sixty ponies around two wide curves.

Screech picked up an egg and balanced it on her snout. Her speed and grace did not diminish. She sped across the finish line with the egg.

Screech beamed at Fleece. "Please give me the bat pony plushy."

Fleece rubbed his chin. "I can't. Those toys are for display purposes only. I can give you a smaller prize."

Screeche's smile vanished. "I finished your obstacle course in twelve minutes," she explained.

Fleece nodded. "Yeah."

Screech stared at the stallion at a loss for words.

"My boss told me I am not allowed to give out the top prizes," lied Fleece. "I can give you two small prizes."

Screech bared her fangs. "I want the plushy of myself!"

Fleece looked at the doll then the pony. "You are her? That explains your time."

"Give me the doll!" exploded Screech.

Fleece furrowed his brow. "No."

Screeche's face burned red. Her blood boiled. She clenched her jaw so tight her teeth hurt. "I waaaannnaaaa go h-home!" she wept. She collapsed to the ground tears running down her face. "I-I miss my friends! I miss m-my bed! I miss my garden! I miss my home! I-I have not r-received a s-single letter since I got here! My friend must be worried sick! I am worried sick! I-I-I want to go home! I hate it here! I hate it here! I hate it here! I want to go home!"

Ponies were staring.

"Get up!" snapped Glitter. "You are making a scene!"

Screech didn't listen. She continued to sob loudly.

Success hugged Screech. "This is your home now," he assured.

Screech crushed Success with her fore legs. She did not calm down. She wept even more loudly.

Glitter ran off.

Ponies gathered around to see the crying filly, shake their heads and remark their children would never behave in such a way.

Second rolled his eyes. "It is just a toy. Quit acting like a foal." The rope was still around his foreleg.

"It is not just a toy," retorted Screech. "I was going to send it to my friends in ponyville so they would remember me."

Glitter came running back with a big plush Luna toy. "If you let go of Success I will give you this toy," pleaded Glitter.

Screech stared at Luna. She slowly extended one of her hooves keeping her other fore leg around Success as if she though Glitter would go back on her deal. Once she safely had the Luna doll in her hoof she let go of her little brother and pulled the toy to her chest. She berried her face in Luna's back.

"Please get up," pleaded Glitter.

"I can't, mumbled Screech into her toy. "I am embarrassed."

Glitter sighed. "Sweetie, we are all embarrassed."

Success flew into the Fleece's booth and grabbed the Screech plushy.

"Give that back," snapped Fleece.

"No!" shot back Success. He placed the large toy into the wagon. "I got the plushy for you."

The crowed of ponies mocked Glitter's kids in whispered.

Screech looked at Fleece; she saw his bulging eyes and burning red face. She ran away with her two dolls as fast as her hooves could carry her.

The Stormchaser family sat on a bench only a short run from Fleece and his crooked game. It had been hosed down recently enough it was not sticky.

Glitter handed out ice cream cones.

"Who does that jerk think he is!" yelled Second. "I hope he loses his job." He kept his hoof gestures subtle so he would not lose a scoop of mint chip.

"I am not letting him get away with that," assured Glitter.

Screech rolled her eyes. "What are you going to do about it?" She licked her Blueberry & Strawberry swirl.

Glitter pressed her lips together.

"It is your fault he didn't give her the doll," accused Second.

"How is it- I offered him money." Glitter sighed and shook her head.

"I don't think he would have given you the toy if you did pay," said Success. He bit a little coconut and chocolate sauce off his banana ice cream.

"Would not surprise me," said Screech.
"He was horrible," agreed Glitter. She picked the cherry off her vanilla scoop.

"I am having fun," said Screech. "Despite my... I am enjoying spending time with you."

"You are happy to be here?" asked Success. "You don't want to go back to Ponyville?"

"I am and I do. My friends mean the world to me. I want to bond with you- I can't have too many friends- you will never be able to replace them."

"What makes your friends so great?" huffed Success.

Screech told stories about her friends. About Wild finding a spot behind Bobo's ear that made his hind left leg go crazy. Scoops getting two colts to joust for her affection. Ham throwing rotten eggs through random open windows. Hazard locking all of her board games with small pieces in a safe. Carver's detailed letters and the cute drawings she put in them. Melodie convincing young ponies the boogy stallion was real so they would stop being scared of Screech and herself.

"We are your family," said Success. His fore legs were crossed so tightly he could barely breath.

There was a long silence.

"Second, tell me about your friends," said Screech.

"You agreed to stay out of my life."

Screech tossed the last of her waffle cone into her mouth. "I will be less likely to break my promise if I think your friends are nice."

"Your friends don't sound nice," said Second.

"My standards are low. Your should not worry about me not liking your friends."

"He does not have any friends," said Success.

Second punched Success on his fore leg.

"I can smell another pony on him. He has at least one."

Second blushed.

Glitter noticed the look on her son's face. "I told you to stay away from him!" she snapped.

"It is some pony else," assured Second.

"Who?" demanded Glitter.

Second froze.

"You are in so much trouble," murmured Glitter. She grabbed her son and flew away.

"Who were they talking about?" asked Screech.

Success shrugged. "I don't know." He pointed at a game where ponies were scooping fish out of a tank with a paper paddle. "Can we play that game next?"

"Yeah." Screech hopped off the bench. She could not tell if her plan worked. Success smiled at her. She decided to worry about it later.

Screech opened the front door to the house she lived in. A small hard object slammed into her chest like a tennis ball hitting a brick wall. Her eyes filled with tears. She hugged Melodie so tightly her body started to turn into a cloud of smoke. "I am so happy you are here."

"I missed you too," said Melodie.

"How?" choked out Screech through a rush of tears.

"I took the bus," said Melodie as she wiped away Screeche's tears ignoring her own. She smiled brightly.

"Did you get my letters?"

Melodie shook her head. "We were all worried sick." She still smiled.

Screech hugged Melodie again.

"Is this one of your friends?" asked Success.

Screech took the Screech doll out of the wagon. "I got this for you. I didn't want you to miss me too much."

Melodie held the plush to her chest. "I would rather sleep with the real thing."

"Is this one of your friends?" asked Success.

Screech blushed. "O-oh."

Melodie realized what she said. "I don't mean sex. I know you are not ready and respect your boundaries."

Screech breathed a sigh of relief. "It is not you. It is Seam and Scoops and maybe me." She looked at her hoof and watched it poke the floor. "Sorry."

Melodie lifted the bat ponie's chin and looked her in the eyes. "There is no need to be sorry."

"Is this one of your friends?" asked Success.

Melodie looked at the small colt standing beside Screech. "Who is that?"

Screech looked over her shoulder. "Success Stormchaser. My half brother."

Melodie's mouth dropped open. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know. I have been so home sick I have not really processed it yet. And I have been thinking about my great ect grand mother and if she played a roll in this. There is so much going on in my head I don't know how I feel about most of it."

"I am going to make tea and we can talk about this for as long as you need," assured Melodie.

"Is this one of your friends!" asked Success.

"Yeah. Why don't you go play with your friends?"

"I don't want to," stated Success. "I want to play with you."

Screech opened her mouth. She bit down on her tongue right before she said something horrible. "We can play again soon. I need to talk to Melodie for a little while first."

"It has only been three days."

"Listen you little brat," snapped Screech. "I don't care what you want. You are going to leave me and Melodie alone for the rest of the day."

"Why are you excluding me?" Success sniffled. "The three of us can spend the day together."

Melodie's eyes glowed green. "Quit being selfish. Go play with your friends."

Success obediently walked out the of the house.

"We can talk in the dining hall in one minute," said Screech with a big smile. "I have something to do first."

Melodie nodded. "I already know where the kitchen is. Your tea will be waiting for you."

"Wake up," yelled Screech. "I have a gift for you." She placed a fish bowl on Glitter's bed.

"I don't want a fish," stated Glitter. She licked pudding off a spoon. "I have children to take care of."

Screech shrugged. "I guess Gold will die then."

"Why did you get me a gold fish?"

"Gold is a minnow. She is blue. Why would you think she is a gold fish?"

"You named her Gold."

Screech smiled. "Yeah. Glitter and Gold." She placed the fish bowl on a dresser. "Who is the pony you don't want Second talking too?"

"Don't worry about it. I took care of it." Glitter wiped pudding off her chest and ate it.

Screech sighed. "Is second in danger?"

"No." Glitter opened her sixth pudding cup. "He is not dangerous. I don't want him putting ideas in Second's head."

"Is this about Second being gay?" hissed Screech.

"Second is a good colt!" snapped Glitter. "I will not let you say those things about him!"

Screech rolled her eyes. "We will talk about this later." She ignored her instincts and rushed to the dining hall.