The next day at Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom was making her way to her daughter's room, knocking on the door, "Apple Bush, you in there sweetheart?"
While she was hesitant to answer, Apple Bush eventually spoke up, "I'm here mom..."
"Hey sweetie, ah made you yer favorite breakfast, why don't you come on down to the kitchen?" Apple Bloom said.
"No thanks, I'm not hungry," Apple Bush dejectedly stated.
Apple Bloom sighed in worry, "Listen honey, ah know what you were told yesterday was a big shock, but it don't change much. Yer still mah daughter, the only difference is that, well, now you know how you were born."
"I liked it better before, when I thought you were my mom, and the magic of love is what got my other mom pregnant," Apple Bush said.
Apple Bloom slightly chuckled to herself, while that may sound silly to most, she knows that her daughter just has a very wild imagination, one she usually tried to encourage as she appreciated creativity. "Well, ah do love yer other mom, and ah love you. So ah hope that's enough."
"I feel so silly now though, I bet everyone thinks I'm dumb," Apple Bush said, still in her own despair.
"No one thinks yer dumb, honey," Apple Bloom said.
"I do," Caramel Seed said from nearby.
"Hey can it, squirt," Dinky scolded.
Apple Bloom groaned in annoyance, "No one thinks yer dumb, or means it if they say it. Look, I'll keep yer food warm, when yer ready to, you can come out and eat it at yer own pace."
"Alright mom..." Apple Bush said.
Hoping for the best, Apple Bloom went down the hall, though she knew this might take a bit of effort. Her daughter received quite a shock the day prior, it's understandable that she needs some time to process her feelings.
"She's still really upset, huh?" Dinky said, coming to greet her wife.
"Ah don't know what to do now, ah mean, maybe she was better off thinking ah really was her mom," Apple Bloom said.
"You are her mom, you raised her, you love her like a mom should, blood doesn't mean a damn thing," Dinky said. "Just like I love Caramel Seed, even when he's being a little punk."
"Hey!" Caramel Seed shouted in annoyance.
"You are sometimes," Dinky said. "But you're my little punk."
"Ironic ain't it?" Apple Bloom said. "You birthed Apple bush, yet it seems like she turned out like me. Ah birthed Caramel Seed, yet he turned out kind of like you."
"That's a good thing, really makes it feel like a team effort between us," Dinky said. "Look, Apple Bush will be fine, she has my DNA, and I get over things pretty quickly."
"Uh, no you don't," Apple Bloom said. "You get mad plenty of times over dumb things and stay like that fer days."
Dinky gasped dramatically at that claim, "I certainly do not! How dare you!"
"See, yer gonna get mad at that too, ain't ya?" Apple Bloom asked.
"No!" Dinky insisted, trying to play it cool. "Not mad at all."
"Look, you know ah love ya, but you can be...a bit much at times," Apple Bloom said. "Sometimes it's a good thing, and sometimes it can be a pain."
"Keep that up and you aren't getting any of this..." Dinky gestured to her body, "Anytime soon."
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, dropping it, "Fine, I'll let it go."
"That's a good wife," Dinky said, giving a kiss to Apple Bloom. "So...should we have sex now?"
Apple Bloom raised her eyebrow in surprise, "Uh, ah got farm work to do, and a daughter to tend to. Yer sexual urges can wait. Besides, weren't you upset just a second ago?"
"Yeah...but I still want sex," Dinky said, not even hiding her urges.
"Later, maybe if you help me out there, we can finish faster and ah would have more time for you," Apple Bloom said.
"Sweet, soon we're gonna make outselves another baby," Dinky said, trotting off.
"Dinky, you don't have a...ugh, forget it," Apple Bloom said, trotting off.
Elsewhere at the Cloudsdale Flight school, Cumulon is preparing to go out and show off his skills to a group of judges, with both Barley and Cozy Glow showing their moral support.
"This is it, the moment he was training for," Barley said.
"Gee, I really hope this talk that Rumble had with Apple Bush helped," Cozy Glow said. "Think he finally put it out of his mind?"
"One way to find out," Barley said.
Cumulon readied his wings and took flight through an obstacle course. For this part of the race, it was more about speed than anything fancy, of course Cumulon was more than confident in how fast he was, and it did not take him long to finish his set.
"Awesome speed Cumie!" Barley cheered.
"Like it's any surprise, he's got good genes," Cozy Glow boasted.
"Sure does," Barley said. "I just hope our judges liked it."
Down below was the quartet of Night Glider, Sky Stinger, Vapor Trails and Rainbow Dash, who were overseeing the tryouts.
"So, what are everypony's thoughts?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"He's fast, that's for sure," Night Glider said.
"Great at maintaining control too, especially with those turns," Vapor Trails said.
"Yeah good point, with that speed, turning's hard, but this kid's really got it" Rainbow Dash said.
"If I had one critique, he just doesn't seem charismatic enough," Sky Stinger said.
"Well we can teach him that, but skills mean just as much, if not more," Rainbow Dash said. "After all, Wonderbolts are all about talent, and Cumulon has the talent."
"Still, there might be one tiny, glaring problem," Night Glider said.
"Oh yeah? What would that be?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"His...parent situation," Night Glider awkwardly admitted.
"Huh? Parent situation?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Oh yeah, isn't he the son of Rumble and Cozy Glow?" Sky Stringer said.
"Yeah, he is, what about it?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I mean, don't you see the issue Rainbow Dash...about how strange it is?" Night Glider said.
"Not really, I mean Rumble and Cozy Glow used to date, which means they got it on, of course they had a baby together," Rainbow Dash said.
"It just feels irresponsible of him," Night Glider said. "Like, one of our own doing something like that."
"Irresponsible?" Rainbow Dash scratched her head in confusion. "I mean, yeah he had a kid without realizing but he took responsibility and took career of the baby and his mother, even after he married Sweetie Belle he allowed Cozy Glow and her baby to stay at his house and treated Cumulom no different than any of his children."
"Even if we look past that, this still raises some issues. Like, it basically tells the world that Rumble, a former Wonderbolt, had a colt with a filly who once tried to take over the world," Night Glider said.
"I highly doubt anyone's going to care that much," Rainbow Dash said. "Starlight, Discord, even Luna have caused trouble and they're welcomed into Pony Society."
"Are they really though?" Sky Stinger asked. "I mean, all these years and I don't think anyone trusts Discord. Plus Cozy Glow hasn't really made any effort to really improve her image."
"Yeah, since returning, she's basically isolated herself from everyone aside from Rumble and a few others," Night Glider said. "Ponies are starting to talk, they're worried that she could snap back to her evil ways any second."
"That's baloney, I mean yeah Cozy Glow isn't in the public eye but that's because she doesn't want to be," Rainbow Dash said. "Look, it's been like fifteen years give or take, and not once has Cozy Glow shown any signs that she's still evil. Plus Barley, who flies with us, is actually married to Cozy Glow, and no one seems to have an issue with that."
"Eh..." Night Glider did not seem too confident in that statement, "I mean...she's still the subject of talk. I mean, she's not exactly super popular. Rumble's popularity was helped by the fact that very few knew about him and Cozy Glow."
"You're all being ridiculous, I mean Vapor, what do you make of all this?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Um...well..." Vapor Trails seemed a bit hesitant to say much at first.
"Something up?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well, I mean, regardless of what anyone says, I don't think Cumulon being made into a Wonderbolt is inherently a bad thing," Vapor said. "I mean, no one really needs to know who his mother is, do they?"
Rainbow Dash looked a bit disappointed by that answer, "Well yeah, they probably don't really need to know, but it shouldn't matter if they do. I mean, I hope you're not suggesting that we actually go out of our way to hide it, I bet ponies don't even remember the terrible stuff that Cozy Glow has done."
"They do..." Sky Stinger said. "I mean, just earlier today I noticed some Pegusai were eyeing Cozy Glow."
"Maybe they thought she was cute, I mean she is a really cute pony after all," Rainbow Dash said.
"There might be more to it than that," Night Glider said. "I mean, even here I hear gossip about Barley being married to a villain."
"Don't get us wrong, we know Cozy Glow isn't evil," Sky Stinger said. "But she did leave a pretty bad scar on Ponykind."
"She also saved ponykind," Rainbow Dash reminded. "It was her who teamed up with me, Twilight and other good creatures to defeat Grogar."
"Well...yeah, but still, not sure if that's enough for ponies," Sky Stinger said.
"You serious? In what world is that not enough!?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Cozy's not the same filly she was once before! Plus what does any of this have to do with her son? He hasn't made mistakes! We're judging him based on what he can do, not what his mother has done."
"I mean, in the end, this comes down to Spitfire, she's still in charge of The Wonderbolts," Sky Stinger said.
"You leave her to me, I'll talk some sense into Spitfire if I need to," Rainbow Dash said.
"You're the one best suited for that," Night Glider said. "Anyway, we should move on to the next applicant."
"Uh-huh, sure," a now bitter Rainbow Dash said, very upset with the way things were currently going down.
A little bit later, Barley and Cozy went to meet Cumulon in the locker room, Barley having brought a bottle of water for her son.
"How you feeling kid?" Barley asked. "Confident in this?"
"You bet, I bet my skills totally blew them away," Cumulon said. "Thanks to the training I got from you Barley, and dad too."
"I wish I could help, but I'm not much of a flyer," Cozy said.
"It's fine mom, just your support is enough for me," Cumulon said.
"Yeah, moral support goes a long way," Barley said. "You leave the tough stuff to me and Rumble."
"Sure thing," Cozy Glow said. "I'm just eager to see Cumulon get his chance. Hard work deserves a pay off."
"Damn right," Barley said, then to her surprise, saw Rainbow Dash coming into the locker room. "Hey, Dash, what's up?"
"Hey Barley, how's it doing?" Rainbow Dash asked. "How's your brother doing?"
"He's fine, living up the Bachelor life," Barley said. "I wish he and Scootaloo would get back together, but that doesn't look like it's happening at all."
"Things happen for a reason," Rainbow Dash said. "Anyway, I came by to check on Cumie."
"I'm doing fine, thanks," Cumulon said.
"So...anything you can tell us?" Cozy Glow asked, leaning in close. "How are his chances, did he get the spot? Is he going to be a big star?"
"Uh...well, I personally liked him, and everyone else agrees he's very talented," Rainbow Dash nervously said. "The selection process however, it's a bit iffy."
"Iffy how?" Barley asked. "From what I've seen, it's usually straightforward. There's a flight test with an obstacle course, and the team observing decides if that pony is cut out for the Wonderbolts Academy, or straight to the team."
"Yeah, that's usually how it is," Rainbow Dash said, nervously smiling.
Barley looked a bit suspicious now, and nudged Cumulon, "Hey, I gotta talk a bit with Rainbow Dash, mare to mare stuff, mind waiting outside with Cozy?"
"Uh, sure," Cumulon said, making his leave alongside his mother.
Once the two were gone, Barley focused up on Rainbow Dash, "Alright, spill it, what's going on?"
"Oh nothing really, its just that...well, there's some concern about letting Cumie onto The Wonderbolts, its nothing he did persay, more what...someone he knows did."
"Just get to the point Rainbow Dash, what's happening?" Barley asked.
"The Wonderbolts are hesitant to let Cumulon join The Ranks because of the fact that his mother is Cozy Glow," Rainbow Dash said.
Barley raised her eyebrow in confusion, "I'm sorry, but what?"
"A lot of ponies are still bothered by the things that Cozy Glow did apparently, they're not quite ready to move past that," Rainbow Dash said.
"But what was forever ago," Barley said.
"I explained that to them, but it's still not enough," Rainbow Dash said. "None of them trust Cozy Glow at all, and by extent, they don't trust Cumulon."
"That's bullshit though, I mean, mad over something that happened so long ago!? Back when Cozy Glow was just a filly!?" Barley said. "I mean, yeah she did some evil deeds but she hasn't caused trouble since! She's been a good citizen, what's the point of helping a pony get redeemed if that pony's going to be treated like garbage for the rest of their life?"
"I wish I could say I'm surprised, but Trixie has mentioned that ponies still judge her for her mistakes," Rainbow Dash said. "Plus Starlight admits ponies still give her strange looks. Even Tirek, Chrysalis and The Sirens admit they don't like being in Equestria too much because ponies tend to side eye them."
"Some much for the Magic of Friendship then, just some dumb fucking illusion that does no actual good for the sake of Equestria," Barley said.
"You're angry, and you have a right to be, this is straight up garbage," Rainbow Dash said. "I'll do my best to make sure this nonsense doesn't take off and that Cumulon gets a fair shot, but if I were you, I'd give him fair warning, there's a lot of crap that's happening right now."
"I'll be sure to let him know," Barley said, making her way out of the room, still in a foul mood.
Rainbow Dash groaned in disappointment, knowing that there's so much unnecessary drama among the Wonderbolts.
Outside the room, Cozy Glow was waiting with Cumulon, while there she could spot some other Wonderbolts walking by, seemingly unwilling to give her any eye contact. This wasn't new for Cozy, ponies to this day still seem to avoid her. Granted it has lightened up a bit in recent years, it does get tiring.
One of the reasons Cozy doesn't care about going out much these days is because of the treatment she gets from others. Seems like ponies truly do hold mistakes over the heads of others.
Now she has to wonder if that's why Rainbow Dash seemed so nervous before, and if that's why Barley wanted to speak to her alone. It was then that her wife had come out of the room, and she did not look happy.
"Barley, what's wrong?" Cozy Glow asked.
"Tell you later, lets go," Barley said, escorting her wife and stepson away from The Academy.
In Ponyville, Flurry and Luster Dawn were once again hanging out together, this time at the park, the two having a picnic.
In the distance they could spot young foals playing, including the children of Skedaddle and Kettle Corn. Even Button Mash was out with Babs and Joy Mac, two of the three playing video games but at least they were together.
"So, how are things at The University?" Flurry asked.
"Busy, I have so many papers to write," Luster Dawn said. "I don't mind the amount; I just wish I had enough time to make it perfect."
"Why don't you tell Auntie Twilight, she can probably arrange an extension of sorts," Flurry said. "She'd want the best quality possible."
"I can try," Luster Dawn said. "Hey, question, do ponies ever ask you what it's like being the first pony who was born an Alicorn?"
"Oh yeah, all the time," Flurry said. "I really don't have much to say, I mean I don't know why I was born an Alicorn. I thought it was because my mom was one, but Auntie Twilight had two kids and they're both unicorns. Makes sense since Auntie Twilight was originally a Unicorn before she got her wings."
"Ever wonder what type of Unicorn you would be if you weren't born an Alicorn?" Luster Dawn asked.
"That's hard to say, I mean my dad's a Unicorn, but my mom was born a Pegasus, I could have been one or the other," Flurry said. "If I ever have a baby, I wouldn't even know what that baby would be, I could give birth to another Alicorn for all I know."
"Speaking of having babies, I heard this rumor that you've had a lot of boyfriends, is that true?" Luster Dawn asked.
"No, and I'm not even sure how that rumor even got started," Flurry said. "I mean, I did sort of have a boyfriend once, Pound Cake, but that was when we were kids, I haven't dated him since then."
"Oh...would you date him?" Luster Dawn asked.
"Probably, he's a nice boy," Flurry said. "Of course my true love has always been Rumble, and I think Pound knew it so he kind of gave up on me. I hope he finds somepony else."
"He might," Luster Dawn said. "Still, how in love were you with Rumble?"
"Super, I mean you've seen him right? How absolutely sexy he is? His silky mane, his pretty eyes, his large wings, his muscular body and his toned butt," Flurry said, her blush growing more and more. "I envy Sweetie Belle for having Rumble. The only other time I had a crush on a pony was Cozy Glow."
"Oh, that one..." Luster Dawn said. "To think she used to be evil."
"Yeah, she was pretty bad once, but she's not that way," Flurry said. "At one point, I could have had her too, once I got old enough. But by then, she had already found somepony else to be with. Of course, she did grant me a...ahem, very special date." The filly began to blush, "One I would remember for a long time."
"What kind of date?" Luster Dawn asked.
Flurry shook her head, her face turning completely red, "It's nothing."
"Hey girls," Sweetie Belle greeted, the filly out with her four kids, as well as Scootaloo. "Having a picnic?"
"We sure are," Flurry said.
"You've been around town a lot lately, Flurry, gonna move here?" Scootaloo asked.
"I wish," Flurry said. "I like Ponyville, it's a bit quieter than The Crystal Empire."
"It's not that quiet, it can get a bit chaotic here," Scootaloo said.
"Most ponies said most of the chaos died down when you two and Apple Bloom finally grew up," Luster Dawn said.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Come on, we weren't that bad."
"Ponies still have nightmares about your chaos," Luster Dawn said.
"That's bullshit!" Scootaloo said, then took a punch from the sides, "Ow! What gives!"
"Don't use words like that in front of my kids! I don't want them picking up your bad language!" Sweetie Belle scolded.
"They're not even here," Scootaloo said, gesturing a few feet away, they're over there, minding their own business.
"Oh, kids, don't wander too far," Sweetie Belle said, trotting over.
"But they're...eh, it's her kids," Scootaloo said, then focused back on the two. "Well bogus rumors aside, what's new with you two?"
"A bunch of papers at school," Luster Dawn said.
"Oh right, I heard the other teachers were going nuts with that," Scootaloo said. "Me, I don't do papers, because it means having a lot to read, if I give you a writing assignment, I keep them simple. Why write five hundred worlds when you can tell me in a decent paragraph. Less is more, quality over quantity, stuff like that."
"You sound like a fun teacher," Flurry said.
"Damn right I am," Scootaloo said. "Soon my kids are probably coming to the school, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing since this is a school to teach Friendship, and that would mean my kids suck at making friends."
"They probably just need a little push, I'd love to have them as classmates," Luster Dawn said. "I'll give them some teaching advice."
"Well speaking of my kids, I gotta go see them soon, make sure they're holding up ok," Scootaloo said. "Pickle's a great father to them, but they can be a lot to handle, which is surprising because he's a Wonderbolt, yet he can't handle two kids."
"A testament to their abilities," Flurry said.
"Got that right," Scootaloo said.
"Say, where's Rumble?" Flurry Heart asked.
"Probably on his way to see The Apples, he told Apple Bush something big and well, it was a disaster," Scootaloo said.
"Sounds tough," Flurry said.
"That's an understatement," Scootaloo said, then saw Snowflake whiz by with Sweetie Belle giving chase.
"Snowflake! Come back! Don't run off on your own!"
"Seems like Sweetie Belle is a bit overwhelmed herself," Scootaloo said. "I'm gonna keep an eye on the other kids, make sure they don't try anything sneaky."
"We'll help," Flurry said. "I would like kids one day."
"Uh yeah, me too," Luster Dawn said.
"Don't let some adults fool you, it's totally worth it being a mom," Scootaloo said.
Meanwhile with Rumble, the boy was on his way to Sweet Apple Acres, passing by a somewhat familiar Pegasus, one who recognized him immediately, "Holy crap! Rumble!?"
"Huh?" Rumble turned to see the Pegasus. "Do I know you?"
"Of course you do, it's me, Wind Sprint!" the filly said.
"Oh! Wind Sprint! Wow I did not recognize you," Rumble said. "How are you? How's life?"
"Great! Man it's been too long, we don't communicate enough," Wind Sprint said.
"Yeah sorry, you do travel a lot for your Buckball games," Rumble said. "Plus your Wonderbolt Schedule is intense too, makes me happy I retired."
"You left quite a hole when you did," Wind Sprint said. "But still, you and I made a great team along with Pickle and Barley."
"Do you keep in touch with them?" Rumble asked.
"Oh yeah, actually I'm on my way to Pickle's house, between you and me, we stared dating," Wind Sprint said.
"Oh...oh wow, you did?" Rumble said. "You and Pickle?"
"Yeah, it started a couple of weeks ago, we caught up, stared talking, then the next thing I knew, we were getting pretty close with one another," Wind said.
"Well I'm happy for you, but being with Pickle's a big deal, I mean he has kids after all," Rumble said.
"I know, and I'm fine with that, they're really cute kids," Wind Sprint said. "Plus Barley makes it work, she's the stepmother to the baby you and Cozy Glow had."
"Oh yeah, she's great too, I'm glad Cumie has a good parent, and I'm really happy Cozy Glow found somepony who loves her," Rumble said. Suddenly Wind Sprint got inexplicably close. "Uh..."
"Remember when we were together? The good times we had?" Wind Sprint said. "Do you remember the first time we had sex?"
"Uh, what's this all of a sudden, and when did we have sex?" Rumble asked.
"You remember, that party, you had a bit too much to drink, I took you home, and you went to town on me," Wind Sprint said.
Rumble could vaguely remember that, he had one glass of wine too many, and while his memory was fuzzy, it did come back to him a little.
Wind was a bit smaller than him, not as small as Cozy Glow but enough so that when he penetrated inside her, it felt super tight on him. He then remember the look in Wind's eyes, how sensual the feelings were as he trusted into her. Perhaps it was because she reminded him of Cozy Glow that he couldn't remember well, because in his mind, that's who he was doing it with.
Rumble nearly forgot how in love he was with Cozy Glow at one point, if things didn't work out with Sweetie Belle, Cozy Glow would more than likely be his wife right now. Still, Wind's reactions that night, the way her eyes dilated when he thrusted into her, then her gasps when he did her from behind, utilizing both of her entry points to their fullest. Wind had a very comfortable butt, and as a foal who loves the butts of fillies, Wind places pretty high on that scale.
"Yeah, I remember," Rumble said ."Guess you're part of the list."
"Oh there's a list now?" Wind teased. "Anyway, sorry if that was random, but maybe because I had sex with Pickle recently that I started comparing him to you. He did well, but you definitely placed the bar high. Sweetie Belle's a lucky girl, she gets you every day."
"Yeah, usually," Rumble said. "Well, I'll see you around then."
"Bye Rumble," Wind said, making her exist.
Rumble had to wonder if there was any other time he's been with a filly and didn't remember, "I feel like I've also gotten intimate with Lily Longstocks, but maybe it's my imagination. Doesn't matter, she did end up dating that guy with the bad teeth."
He arrived at Sweet Apple Acres later, making his way up the farm's path. It was then that Dinky seemed to notice him while bucking for apples.
"Yo, Rumble! What's up!?" Dinky said.
"Hey Dinky, how's it going?" Rumble asked. "How's Apple Bush."
"She's...not well," Dinky said. "Really did not expect her to be this bummed out."
"Well she feels like her whole life is a lie, mind if I go and talk to her a bit?" Rumble asked.
"I'm fine with it, just make sure she is," Dinky said.
"I will," Rumble said, making his way inside. While there he spotted his brother, along with Applejack and Apple Bloom. "Hey there Apples."
"Hey, Rumble, how's it going?" Thunderlane said.
"Good to see ya, Sugarcube," Applejack said.
"Are ya here to see Apple Bush?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Yeah, is she available?" Rumble asked.
"Not yet, she needs a little more time to adjust to this," Apple Bloom said. "Yer more than welcome to stay but ah doubt she'll come see ya."
"Well maybe I can give it a shot," Rumble said.
"Can't hurt to try," Thunderlane said. "It'll do her some good, even if its just a start."
"Thunderlane's got a point, she's going to have to face this sooner or later," Applejack said. "Honesty is an important Element after all."
"Of course you would say that," Apple Bloom teased.
"My point is that, Apple Bush was given a shocking revelation, accepting that is going to be something she has to come to grips with, even if its difficult," Applejack said.
"She's a strong girl, she can handle this," Thunderlane said. "As long as its at her own pace. In a week or so, she'll move past this."
"I hope so," Apple Bloom said. "I'm still a bit worried about her, she's never been this sad before, it's really unsettling. I'm so used to that beautiful smile of hers, it reminds me so much of Dinky. But now...ah don't even know. Ah hope she don't see me as less of her mother."
"I don't," came Apple Bush's voice, getting everyone's attention. "Hey everypony, sorry if I worried you."
"Oh it's fine hon, how are ya feeling?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Still kind of trashy," Apple Bush looked up at Rumble. "Hello...'dad'."
"Uh, you can just call me 'Uncle Rumble'," The boy nervously insisted. "Your parents are Dinky and
Apple Bloom, that's always going to stay the same."
"It doesn't feel the same though, I was happy thinking that I was related to Apple Bloom by blood, that it was magic that got Dinky pregnant with me," Apple Bush said. "What a joke, I feel so stupid."
"Well, it's a magical world, your thoughts weren't that out there," Rumble said.
"Honey, you know ah still love ya," Apple Bloom said.
"I love you too, I just hate that we're not related by blood," Apple Bush said, wiping her eyes. "I just want you to be my mom."
"Ah am yer mom," Apple Bloom said, hugging her daughter. "Being related by blood don't mean anything. Cumulon loves Barley, he's not related by blood, but he still loves her, and ah love you. Ah carried you in mah arms when you were a baby, ah fed you, loved you, all the things a mom does. Some things are greater than blood."
"She's right, you've never been any less of an Apple to any of us, that's why Apple Bloom gave you yer name, to remind you that you are a true Apple, right down to the core," Applejack said.
Apple Bush wiped her eyes again, feeling a bit better, "Alright."
"Looks like you're still adjusting to this," Rumble said. "Maybe I can come back another time, right now I think what's best for her is family time. Rebuild a little, and when you're ready Apple Bush, come to my house, you and I can talk. Not a father to daughter thing if you don't want to, but just so I can help you understand things a little better."
"Ok," Apple Bush said.
"I really did not mean to hurt you, and I do love you, not just because you're my daughter by blood, but because you're family regardless," Rumble said.
"We'll all go to yer place, Caramel Seed needs to hear this as well," Apple Bloom said.
"That sounds good," Rumble said. "I'll get out of your manes now."
"Oh come now, you came all this way, at least stay fer some dinner," Applejack said.
"Yeah, I want to catch up with my little brother," Thunderlane said.
"Uh, sure I don't mind," Rumble said. "Think I can bring a little back for Sweetie Belle? And Scootaloo since she's staying there still."
"How long is that gonna be?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Well she isn't doing much at home, and she likes being busy," Rumble said.
"Just keep an eye on her, she can get weird sometimes," Apple Bloom said.
"Yeah, of course," Rumble said.
"That being said, I'd be happy to make sure they got something," Apple Bloom said.
"I'll make a pie fer your family, ah know yer little colt loves mah pies," Applejack said.
"Oh yeah, he said you're his favorite aunt because of that," Rumble said.
Dinky, who had just come in, spoke on that subject, "I resent that!"
That garnered a bit of laughter from the Apples and Rumble, grateful for the smiles that can still touch their faces.
Meanwhile in Canterlot, while Tender Taps was tending to some Royal Duties, in place of Twilight for the sake of giving her a break, Prince Blueblood made his presence known.
"Ah, Tender Taps, I've been looking everywhere for you," the Prince said.
"What is it Blueblood?" Tender Taps asked, somewhat annoyed. He did not care much for this stallion.
"I hear talk that The Changelings are coming over for a feast soon, and that they're bringing Chrysalis with them," Blueblood said.
"Well yeah, she's one of them," Tender Taps said.
"But you of course know how much fear she strikes into the hearts of ponies, many fear she could change back to her wicked ways at any moment," Blueblood said.
"That's bogus, she's been our friend for many years, she's not gonna betray us now, what could she have to gain from it?" Tender Taps asked.
"Even if it has been a while, one can't be too careful," Blueblood said. "I don't want to risk anything bad happening to Princess Twilight."
"If I thought anything bad could happen to my wife, I would be the first to object," Tender Taps said. "Trust us, nothing will happen, it's just the same stupid paranoia that's been going on for years, honestly it kind of pisses me off."
"Just keep an eye out, just in case, I don't say this to worry you, I say it to put us at ease," Blueblood said, then made his leave.
"Pain in the flank," Tender Taps grumbled. "Like really, what is the-"
"Tappy!" Twilight called, getting his attention.
"Twilight? What is it?" Tender Taps asked, getting greeted with a surprise yet welcome kiss.
"I'm pregnant!" Twilight said, showing the test. "We're gonna have another baby!"
"No way!" Tender Taps said, literally dropping everything. "That's...that's fantastic! Dusk and Dawn are gonna have another sibling! Holy smokes! I'm gonna be a dad again!"
"And I'm gonna be a mom again!" Twilight said. "I can't wait to tell my friends!"
"Do the girls know?" Tender Taps asked.
"Not yet," Twilight replied.
"Let's tell them, they're gonnq be so happy!" Tender Taps said. "At least...I hope they don't get jealous."
"They won't, come on," Twilight said, leading her excited husband away.
Meanwhile at Sweetie Belle's house, she had put all her kids to bed, very satisfied with the fun they had that day.
Scootaloo was sitting on the couch as Sweetie Belle passed by, leaping onto the couch herself.
"Hey, Sweetie Belle, if I told you I was thirsty, would you let me drink your teat milk?" Scootaloo asked.
"Don't be stupid, go get some water if you're thirsty," Sweetie Belle said.
"But its so far away," Scootaloo joked, though Sweetie Belle was bemused. "I'm kidding."
"Scootaloo, I like you, but that perverted humor really needs to go," Sweetie Belle said. "I know we both did it once but that was a long time ago."
"It was fun though, honestly you did me better than Rumble did," Scootaloo said. "He's got the right 'tool's but you got the moves. Kind of want to be in the middle of that one day."
"Ask Rumble, though I make no promises," Sweetie Belle said.
"You know, it's funny," Scootaloo said. "I used to wonder what it would be like if I married Rumble, never thought about marrying you. What kind of couple would we be like?"
"How should I know?" Sweetie Belle said, getting up. "Anyway I gotta make dinner since Rumble's going to be late. So he better not complain about my cooking."
Before she could make her way into the kitchen, Scootaloo yanked her tail, bringing Sweetie Belle back to the couch. She then crawled on top of her, looking her in the eyes for a brief second before engaging with her in a kiss, taking the Unicorn girl by surprise.
Scootaloo did not hold back on her kiss, she jammed her tongue in deep before pulling back, Sweetie Belle laying back in shock.
Eventually Scootaloo herself began to feel a bit awkward and slightly ashamed of what she did. She slowly backed up toward the door when it opened, startling her.
Coming in was Rumble with some food, "Hey girls, I hope you're hungry."
"I...I gotta go!" Scootaloo dashed out the house in a hurry, surprising Rumble.
"What was that about?" Rumble looked over to his wife, who was still in a state of shock. "Uh, Sweetie Belle?"
"Huh?" Sweetie Belle took note of Rumble, now herself feeling ashamed of what happened. "Hi dear."
Rumble could tell something was bothering Sweetie Belle, "Did something happen?"
"Kind of...sit down, I have something I need to tell you," Sweetie Belle said. For Rumble, surprises were not over quite yet.
