The tutoring room of Fancypant's home was filled with laughter. It was a gleeful giggling; an illation of unadulterated joy that only a child was capable of. Know-it-all was lying in the corner, his body being ravaged with angry bleeding scratches.

Lala focused her horn and willed the air to warp, to compress and in one deft wave unleashed in the general direction of Know-it-all’s corner. In a loud crack of air, not unlike a whip, the wall behind Know-it-all splintered into thin fissure in the solid oak. Blood exploded from Know-it-all’s flank as a new scratch marked him, his blood gushing from the wound, hissing like the screeching death cry of a hydra.

The wall was completely ruined, splinters all over the floor, mixing with pools of blood. Know-it-all, with skin barely attached to his body, stood.

“It feels good doesn't it? To make a pony suffer is one of the greatest joys you can feel in this world.” Know-it-all was smiling, his bloody, hacking breath, releasing something that resembled laughter.

“But pain hurts... why are you so happy? Pain is sad!” The joy in Lala had gone, replaced by the panic of confusion.

In reaction Know-it-all only laughed harder. His eyes widened at the pain but that only made him laugh even harder. With purpose, the now red pony moved his hooves, making a distinctly sloppy and squelchy noise with each agonising step.

“Pain can be pleasure, precious Lala. Pain can be happiness, giving and receiving.” Instinctively Lala backed away, confusion and fear commanding her body to flee, but she couldn’t. Deep down inside her she was intrigued. This fear she was feeling. It was making her love place so wet.

The pair met eyes and Lala froze in terror at the madness in those eyes. She recognised something in them, understood something in them that froze her stiff with the terror.

“No!” With a will into her horn Know-it-all slammed back into the wall. He screamed in pain as jagged wood and splinters stabbed into him.

“I don't want to hurt anymore. I won't let you hurt me.”

The grin in Know-it-all's face remained solidly on his face as once again he stood.

“If that’s what you want, then please hurt me. Put all your pain onto me.”

Lala hesitantly approached.

“Only if you make me happy, only if you give all your love to me!”

As if compelled by some unknown force they magnetised to each other. Their breath hot and passionate in their mouths.

**

“According to Lala, ponies had come into your home awhile back to capture her.” Red Cross didn’t look at Fancypants, content to read from his clipboard floating idly to cover the view from his face. He was grinning. Despite the precaution, Fancy wasn't looking his way, his eyes looking downwards, focused in contemplation. All he could muster was an absent nod as a reply.

Fancy could never forget that feeling. To come into his home and yell out his daughter's name only to have no reply. To wander an empty house looking for signs of life and then see a wall clearly ravaged by relentlessly cruel magic and blood staining the floor a dark, nearly black red. There were also scatterings of white blotches peppering everywhere.

Something depraved had happened. And the realisation made him sick right then and there.

“It was a good thing Know-it-all was there to rescue her. He was severely injured by the battle but somehow he managed to safely escape with her and ask me for help.” Red Cross paused for effect. He lowered the clipboard off his face and put on a mask of sincerity.

“You should have seen the state he was in. What he fought against were utter monstrosities.” Fancy’s face contorted with guilt but he made no reply. Red Cross put his hoof to Fancy’s own and looked him in the eyes.

“Fancy... I think you can now believe without a shadow of a doubt that we're willing to support you through this. Lala has grown into someone we can all love and like you, want to protect. So if something is troubling you. You can count on us to help. Let’s have no secrets between us.”

“I’m sorry Cross, it’s just... my wife returned to Canterlot recently and things...” Tears welled in Fancy’s eyes and softly he sobbed. Cross moved over to hold him to his chest. The good doctor’s face wore a grimace of distaste at the action.

“It’s okay Fancy, tell me all about it.”

**

“A daughter?” Fleur was sitting in the lecturing room enjoying one of Fancy’s own specialty herbal tea. No pony could ever replicate it and none of it was out in the world to be bought. It was a special brew that only Fancy knew how to have prepared and make. If one family reserved the choicest wines and spirits for times of celebration, Fancy saved his tea.

“Yes, she is a child of my youth, who has come to find me. I've decided to take her in and adopt her. I’m hoping that you will act as a good mother to her.” Usually the correct thing to do was to be utterly insulted that such major decisions were made without her say so, however... For Fancy to make such drastic decision, circumstances would’ve forced his hoof to do so.

Truly this stallion was lucky to marry such an understanding wife.

“Oh darling of course. I couldn't be happier. We've been trying for children for years, I was actually starting to consider adoption myself.” In truth, she was a true lady of Cheval and only blood truly marked a person as family. If she could help it, she’d want to have a child of her own flesh and blood to preserve the nobility of the family. Adoption for a Chevalier was as unheard of as much as it is frowned upon.

But she loved Fancy. There weren't many things she could tolerate a stallion to do unto her, but with him, she couldn't help but be more forgiving than most.

“Really? Do you still not want a child of your own flesh and blood? I don't want any animosity between us.” Fleur took a long sip of her tea. Her eyes closed as to not reveal anything to him. With a relaxed breath, her eyes opened and met his increasingly concerned gaze.

“Well... if you still want to, we can still try to give her a little sister.” A sultry smile marked her face.

“A little sister you say...” Fancy was blushing.

A delicate wet smack sounded in the silent room. Fleur parted her kiss from his and smiled in kind.

“ I'm sure we'll make a happy family.” Relief and joy climbed along Fancy’s spine and exploded on his face.

“Now, where is the little darling...?” Fleur strained to keep her voice measured and calm. Feeling herself on edge again, Fleur took another sip.

“She’s in the next room. Lala darling, can you come in here?”

Lala was wearing a beautiful dress. An original Carousel Boutique commission that Rarity was all too happy to make as a labour of love.

Fleur was speechless. At complete awe. It took a long moment for her clarity of thought to return as the lady stood to take a closer look at the girl.

“Oh my... Fancy darling... she’s gorgeous! Oh Fancy I absolutely adore her!” Fleur peppered Lala with kisses and held her tight, all thoughts for composure forgotten.

“Hello there little Lala, I'm going to be your mother.” Fleur smiled with tears of joy in her eyes.

Fancy was the happiest pony in the land. This couldn't have gone any better.

“You... You’re an evil stepmother.” Fancy and Fleur’s smiles vanished.

Fleur didn’t know what to make of it. Tears in her eyes now felt bitter. There was fear in them too with hate welling up inside as well.

How dare this child!

Her well of emotion exploding, the tears in her eyes were accompanied with pained sobbing. Fleur di lis galloped out of the room. And Lala with a pouting face exited the way she had come.

Fancy was livid and yet worried. Her daughter was insane. The reunion with his wife was dashed away. And her daughter hurt his beloved feelings.

"Of all the worse possible things..."

His heart was a battlefield. Indecision plaguing him as he had to choose who to chase after. But even then he still had to decide on an emotion to act upon. He just didn't know whether to laugh, cry or fume with rage.

Author's Note

I think that's nearly all the pieces in place now.