Cutie Marks Are Confusing

Silver Spoon draped herself over Silverspeeds back, resisting the urge to vomit. Silverspeed didn’t look like she was feeling any better as she trotted up into a hotel room she had gotten. Knowing Sunset had it’s benefits and the amber unicorn pulled strings.

“That was terrible and disgusting,” Silver Spoon moaned and Silverspeed nodded her agreement. “That was not even food!”

“Yeah, it was gross. I tried it too. Never again,” Silverspeed deposited her sister onto the mattress with a FWOMP sound. “Almost makes me feel bad for the ponies in there. Almost.”

Silver Spoon stretched out on the mattress and sighed contently. She was happy to finally get out of that itchy, orange uniform. She turned and watched Silverspeed taking off her armor piece by piece, setting the helmet down on the nightstand on her side of the bed.

“Ughhhh,” Silverspeed groaned and flopped onto her back on the bed, stretching out her hindlegs with a pop. “That feels good.”

“Mhm.”

“So,” Silverspeed drew the word out and propped her head up with a hoof as she turned to look at Silver Spoon. “What did you learn today?”

“That jail is a scary place. Guardian Angel is scary. Especially when she yelled at that one kid who was disrespecting one of her Guards. Scary mare.”

“Well, she has to be,” Silverspeed chuckled and slid under the covers with Silver Spoon. “She works in Tartarus sometimes. Checking up on prisoners like Tirek.”

Silver Spoon shuddered slightly at that and felt Silverspeed drag her closer to her with a foreleg. Silver Spoon leaned into the embrace with a smile.

“I love you,” Silverspeed muttered softly into her ear. “Everything I do is for you. Tomorrow, we can get waffles and pancakes with fruit and syrup for breakfast. Make up for that horrible prison food we ate today.”

Silver Spoon wagged her tail slightly at that and Silverspeed snickered slightly as she felt the tail slapping her thigh.

“Are we gonna do anything fun here? Or just me going to all the jails in Canterlot?” Silver Spoon asked and gazed out the balcony window.

“We will see. We’re going to see some friends of mine tomorrow after breakfast. Actually, maybe we should save breakfast until after. I don’t want you throwing up your food. And we only are visiting that one jail.”

Silver Spoon sighed in relief and yawned quietly as Silverspeed nuzzled her neck.

“Night Silver.”

“Goodnight.”

Comet Chaser stood in a empty field with a timer held in her left hoof, frowning down at it as she pressed a button.

“Too slow!” Comet shouted and shoved her timer in her saddlebags. “We’re gonna keep doing this drills till we get under three minutes. I want to beat the ninety eighth battalion at the world record. We can’t do that if we can’t get under two minutes and thirty seconds in next year’s Equestria Games.”

“I don’t think we can,” Thunder laid on his stomach panting as he watched Cobalt vomiting into a bush.

“We can do anything we put our minds to. We’re the best of the royal guards, hoof picked by Princess Celestia herself to be her personal guards and fly her, Princess Luna and Princess Cadence around. The rest of Equestria looks up to us four personally. And I know we can put those snobs at the ninety eighth in their place,” Comet announced with her trademark cocky smirk before settling back down on the ground. “But first, take a fifteen and get some water. Rest. I have a friend to talk to and a foal to interrogate.”

Artic collapsed next to his water bottle and laid on his back, panting with a tired sigh.

Comet pushed a water bottle to Cobalt before holding her mane back so she didn’t get any vomit in her hair.

“You know, when I said come find us in Canterlot whenever you need us, I didn’t expect it to be so soon,” Comet glanced back at Silverspeed and Silver Spoon. “How’s it going?”

“Good, yourself?”

“Good, just training. This the kid?” Comet asked and gazed down at the spitting image of Silverspeed. “Are we sure this is your sister and not your secret daughter?”

“Everypony says that!” Silverspeed shouted and flung her hooves up in the air. “I’m absolutely certain Silver Spoon is not my daughter. I don’t have any kids, that I can guarantee you of considering they would come out of me.”

“That sounds gross,” Silver Spoon stuck out her tongue and gagged. “Wait, is that how I was born?”

“We will talk about that later,” Silverspeed told her with a blush. “Anyway, off topic. We’re gonna be training with them today. You’re gonna be going through only a small portion of what we go through at Westhoof. No Hell Week, no gas chamber, nothing like that so don’t worry.”

Silver Spoon had heard all about her sisters experience in training and was not too fond to go through most of it.

“What do you think they’re doing in Ponyville?” Silver asked and Silverspeed shrugged.

“Don’t know. But I do know it’s time to get you,” Silverspeed tapped a hoof against her chest with an smirk. “Out with the others. They won’t be hard on you. Much.”

Sparkler hummed to herself as she laid on the couch, reading a magazine as Dinky sat on the floor playing with Legos in front of her.

“When does mom get home?”

Sparkler glanced at the clock and gave a sigh.

“About three more hours kid. Why don’t you invite Apple Bloom over again today? She seemed nice and a good influence. I like her. Mom did too,” Sparkler turned the page of her magazine. “Or Twist. She’s nice.”

“Apple Bloom is busy with her sister and granny. Twist is baking with Miss Bon Bon and Liza. Can I invite Featherweight?” Dinky asked and Sparkler raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Dinky, can I ask a weird question?”

“Shoot.”

“Are you and Featherweight just friends?” Sparkler flipped her magazine onto her lap. “You and Ruby are always talking about him.”

“Well, yeah. What else could we be other than friends?” Dinky gave her a confused look before returning back to her Legos. “Look, I made a house.”

“That’s very nice Dinky. It looks just like ours. Maybe you will get your cutie mark in architecture or something someday. Anyway, don’t worry about what I asked.”

“Archi-what?”

Sparkler opened her mouth to explain when somepony knocked on the door and Sparkler gave a frustrated whinny.

“I’ll tell you later,” Sparkler told her sister and rolled onto her hooves. “Play with your Legos. I’ll be back.” Sparkler trotted to the door and opened it, staring down at the last pony she wanted to see. “What do you want?”

Diamond Tiara made a circle with her hoof on the front porch nervously as Sparkler continued giving her a dirty look.

“Is uh Dinky here?” Diamond asked and Sparkler raised her eyebrow again.

“No, she’s not. She’s out with Liza and Ruby at Noi’s helping out with some recipe Carrot Top came up with. So run back home. Please and thank you,” Sparkler told her coldly. “I know what you said about my mom. I don’t like ponies who disrespect my mom or hurt my little sister. We don’t associate with ponies like you now get off our porch.”

“I’m sorry,” Diamond mumbled and turned around. “Truly.”

“I doubt that. I’ve heard all about how you treat ponies at school, like ponies without cutie marks, Twist for having a lisp, Ruby for her mom having had drinking problems. I’ve had bullies in my life and they haven’t changed as adults. Bullies like you don’t change just because one pony decided to stand up to you. Now leave before Dinky comes home and you hurt her again,” Sparkler glared at her coldly and pointed a hoof. “Now.”

Diamond hung her and trotted off slowly back home as Sparkler watched.

“Amethyst Sparkler Star.” Sparkler froze and looked up slowly at Derpy glaring at her. “What in Equestria was that?”

“Uhm me protecting you and Dinky? That filly is bad news. She hurt Dinkys feelings. She called you that R word we don’t say. Somepony had to stand up to her. I’m not gonna sit by and let her hurt you or Dinky again. Miss Cheerilee obviously doesn’t care enough to,” Sparkler rolled her eyes and Derpy frowned.

“There is a difference between protecting us and being rude to a kid. I’m an adult. I can stand up for myself.” Sparkler gulped and flattened her ears against her head.

“It seriously doesn’t bother you what she called you?”

“It does a lot. You don’t have to stoop to her level to protect me and Dinky. Which is a lesson I have to reteach her and apparently you once I finish this route.”

“I’m grounded, aren’t I?” Sparkler glanced at Derpy again and Derpy tapped a hoof against her chin.

“We will see.”

Somehow, Sparkler knew that was the best answer she would get until later tonight.