A big thanks to those who are sticking with me as I write this story. I really appreciate all your opinions and comments, and really want to hear more from you.

...Not that I need you to, or anything like that. _

For real though, big thanks to those of you who have commented. I really appreciate that you took the time to tell me what you think. So, without more ado, enjoy!

Chapter 18: Barred Eighth Notes

"Well, to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen any human recover from a wound that serious that fast," Doctor Quick murmured, examining Tyr's wound. It had largely all but scarred over. After he had reopened it in his fight with Night a day ago, the doctors were afraid he had suffered more internal damage. However, only the external wound had come open, and they had easily and quickly patched him back up.

"I guess I'm just naturally resilient," Tyr muttered with a small laugh. "Plus, it has been a week."

"Or maybe it's the magic Luna and I have been using on you near constantly," Chrys said, poking him.

"That may be it," Luna said, running her hand along Tyr's newest scar. She had taken note of all his other scars, most likely childhood and work related, and seeing this new one healing was a strange sight.

"Well, I'd like to keep you here longer, but there really isn't much of a reason to," The doctor said. "You're free to go home."

"Thanks doc," Tyr said, sitting up. After the fiasco the other night, the hospital had moved him to a new room and moved Luna in as well. Chrys had also been allowed to stay at his insistence. "Well, we should probably get out of here."

"I would like that," Chrys said, glancing around. "I tire of this… hospital décor."

Luna giggled as they all got ready to leave. "You haven't enjoyed yourself, Chrys?"

"The only entertainment was killing Night Watch," Chrys said blandly. "And that was short lived."

They exited out into the hall, Chrys and Luna on either side of him. Luna hooked her arms into his, holding herself close to him. "What's wrong?" Tyr asked as they passed by the receptionist's desk.

"…Nothing," Luna said, pressing her head against his chest. She hadn't told him yet about her pregnancy, and she was dreading it. Despite knowing her beloved would never hate her, she just couldn't stomach the thought that maybe he didn't want more children to take care of. But then, what would she do?

"Luna." Tyr shook her lightly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Huh?" Luna looked around, finding them outside. "…Sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts."

"Okay then. Do you know where they parked my truck?" He pulled out the keys, which he most likely had gotten back from the front desk as they were leaving.

"Give me a moment," Chrys murmured, opening her wings. She lifted off into the sky and floated above the parking lot, searching for Tyr's truck.

"Huh," Tyr said, watching his Changeling search. "Well, can't say it isn't helpful having help that can fly…"

[I see it] Chrys thought, pointing.

[Thanks Chrys. We'll meet you over there.]

Chrys nodded and flew over to the truck. Tyr led Luna after her. They walked in silence for a while, before Luna spoke up suddenly. "Tyr, may I ask you a question?"

He glanced down at her, a small smile growing on his face. "Ask away, Princess."

"Are you… fond of children?"

"Fond of…?" Tyr laughed. "Where in the world did that come from?"

"I… um… I passed into the pediatric ward and saw the kids there. I was only curious."

"I see. Well, I don't have anything against kids. I have Sherry after all, remember?"

"I know, I know, but… What about younger children?"

"Younger children…?" Tyr thought for a moment. "I mean, they don't bother me or anything, if that's what you're asking."

"I see…"

"That's a pretty random question to ask, love," Tyr pointed out.

"…I was only curious."

"Well, I know enough about your curiosity to let it slide." He winked as they reached the truck. As they approached the vehicle, Tyr frowned. "What the hell…?"

Sitting in the bed of his truck was a slender, pale skinned girl with knife straight golden hair. She was staring off into the distance, only moving when they approached. Her deep blue eyes focused on Tyr and a slow smile spread across her face. "Well hello handsome," She said huskily. She slowly climbed out of the truck bed to stand before them.

"Who are you?" Tyr asked, frowning.

"Crystal," The girl replied smoothly. She stood up and hopped out of the truck bed, coming to stand in front of Tyr. They were both the same height, although Crystal was slightly shorter. The look of familiarity on her face was slowly driving Luna to anger. Who was this woman, and why was she acting so friendly towards HER Tyr? She felt the moon symbol on the back of her hand begin to glow with magical power, but she stopped herself. What was she so worried about? This… hussy stealing her man? "And you are?"

Tyr stared at her for a long time before finally sighing. "Chrys. Stop."

Crystal giggled, while Luna looked on in confusion. "W-what?"

"You caught me," Crystal said. "So I'm guessing you're not into blondes?"

"Not anymore," Tyr said under his breath.

"Hm, I see. Then how about this?" Crystal's body glowed a faint green, and her skin began to ripple like the surface of a pond after a stone was thrown into it. Her skin tanned, her hair turned a dark brown and shortened to her shoulders. "You prefer brunettes?"

"…Chrys…"

"Or is it the height?" The same faint glow of magic appeared again, and the girl before him shortened about a foot. "This better?"

"Chrys…"

"Or maybe…" A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, and her magic surged forth again. This time, when it finished, Tyr was faced with a completely identical replica of Luna. The fake smiled up at him. "Is this the only form you can love?"

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "Chrys."

"I mean, I don't blame you. To an extent, even I find Luna attractive. But maybe… if I'm like this you might—'accidentally'—take me into your room at night, or even enact a fantasy where you have two Lunas…"

"Chrysalis." The coldness with which Tyr said her whole name made Chrys freeze on the spot. She looked up to meet his eyes and found no humor there. She shrunk a little under his stern gaze. "That's enough."

A feeling Chrys had never wanted to feel again seized her heart. "I'm sorry!" She pleaded, immediately transforming back to her normal appearance. There were the ghosts of tears in her eyes, and her voice came out in a terrified tone. "I was excited when I discovered I had my magic again, and I took it too far…! Please, don't be upset…"

Tyr kept his gaze on her for a moment longer before letting it soften. He put a comforting hand on Chrys's head, gently stroking her hair. She eagerly pulled his hand down so that he was caressing her face. "It was a bit much, yes," He said after a moment. "But I just want you to know that I personally much rather prefer your normal appearance."

"O-okay…" Chrys blushed and moved away from him.

Luna was dumbfounded. From what she had heard, Chrysalis had been a very strong-willed individual, leading an army of Changelings to conquer her homeland. She had feasted on the emotions of countless men and women in order to feed her race. And here she was, panicking that a human might be angry at her. Considering she herself would go out of her way to make Tyr happy… "I guess that's love," She chuckled to herself.

Tyr chuckled. "Alright, come on, get in. Let's get home, shall we?"

"Yes, let's," Luna agreed.

"Very well," Chrys said, disappointed that Tyr had removed his hand. The three of them climbed into the truck, and before long they were on their way. They were silent during the car ride, each of them retreating into their own thoughts. Luna was conflicted. She wanted to tell Tyr about her pregnancy, but he had just survived two attempts on his life! Could she really drop this on him now? She let out a sigh.

"You really must have something on your mind," Tyr murmured.

"Hm?" Luna looked up to find themselves parked outside their home. Tyr and Chrys were looking at her with confused looks on their faces. "…Oh."

"If something is bothering you…"

"No! I'm fine."

Tyr frowned. "Luna…"

"Tyr, beloved." She smiled. "I am alright."

"…If you say so." They all got out of the truck, Chrys coming up beside her master as they did so. [What do you think?] He thought to his Changeling.

[I believe I enjoy the feeling of being owned] Chrys thought back, a smile on her face. [Maybe you should buy me a collar, Master]

Tyr shivered slightly. [Yeah, I doubt that will go over well with the others. And that is not what I was asking]

[I know… She is apprehensive, but about what, I do not know]

[Hm… oh well then] Tyr moved to the door, put his key in, and opened it.

Almost at once, over a dozen voices spoke up at once. "SURPRISE!"

A giant banner fell from the ceiling with the words 'Welcome home, Tyr!' written on it, while all of Tyr's friends came bursting out of their hiding places. Sherry leapt into her father's arms. "Daddy! I'm so glad you're home!" She squealed into his chest.

"Good to see you too, sweetie," Tyr said, pulling her into a tight hug. He looked up as all his friends came around to welcome him home. "When did you guys…?"

"My Pinkie Sense told me!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing over. "And I just haaaad to throw you a party when you came back!"

"Pinkie Sense…?"

"It's best not to question it," Twilight said. "Trust me on that one."

"You guys didn't have to go this far…" Tyr began, but Rarity quickly hushed him.

"Now don't start with that, darling. We wanted to show you how much we appreciate and missed you."

"As cool as I am alone…" Dash began, before Ace elbowed her in the side. "Ow. Fine! It's cool you're back, bro."

Ace simply grinned. "Good to see you, man."

AJ clapped him on the back, making him stagger a bit. "Glad to see y'all in one piece, sugarcube!"

"With a hit like that, you might put him back in," Flash muttered.

"We really value your friendship Tyr," Twilight said, "And we should be allowed to worry when a friend is hurt, right?"

Tyr smiled. "…Yeah. You're right. Thanks everyone."

"Well, shall we enjoy the cake Pinkie-winkle…" Rarity turned around and trailed off. Celestia was standing beside the triple layer cake, already eating a slice. She looked up from her blissful ignorance to find everyone's eyes on her.

"What?" She said as innocently as possible.

Luna sighed and put her hand to her face. "Sister…"

Despite the large cut in the cake, the party was lively. Tyr was told somewhere between assuring his daughter and pulling off her friends as they peppered him with questions that Pinkie's parties were always lively. About a half hour after Tyr, Luna and Chrys came home, Cadance and Shining Armor arrived. "I hope we're not too late," Cadance said.

"Nope!" Pinkie said happily. She glanced back over to where Celestia was finishing off what remained of the cake. "At least… you missed the cake. Anyway, come on in!"

"Well now," Shining said as Cadance and Twilight did their usual greeting dance. He walked over to the small group of guys. "Nice house, Tyr."

"It's cozy," Tyr replied, sipping at a cup of punch. He made sure to taste the drink thoroughly, and shot a glance over at Celestia. She noticed his gaze and smiled. –Not this time—her eyes seemed to say. "It's a lot livelier with everyone here."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Shining said with a chuckle. "When everyone left our house, it suddenly felt a lot emptier."

"Well, that's your fault for having a big house for two people," Flash said with a roll of his eyes. "In addition to being on beachfront property…"

"Man, I wish I had a beachside house," Ace murmured.

"You just want an excuse to have Dash in a swimsuit every other day," Flash pointed out.

"Eeyup," Big Mac murmured, sipping at his own drink. Tyr blinked a bit at hearing his voice. Despite his size, his quiet nature sometimes made him as hard to notice as Fluttershy.

Tyr raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ace. "Did I miss something while I was under anesthesia?"

"Only our dear friend here getting a second chance with Dash," Flash said dryly. "She agreed to at least one date."

"And I will be certain to make the date awesome," Ace said with a grin.

"Well, good on you man," Tyr said, playfully punching his friend's arm.

"So, I'd like to know what happened with you, Tyr," Shining said, turning to him. "From what Princess Celestia told Cady, someone attacked you?"

"Two to be precise," Flash said, "The first guy… well, let's just say Princess Luna took care of him."

"And the second?"

There was a bit of silence. "It was Night," Ace said after a moment. "Night tried to kill Tyr."

Shining's face betrayed his shock. "What? Why in Celestia's name would he do that?"

"Simple answer was that he wanted Luna for himself," Tyr said bitterly. "He was going to kill me and Chrys."

"Celestia… well, seeing as you're here and he's not…"

"Chrys finished it. She did promise him after all."

"Well, considering the circumstances…" Flash sat back in his seat. "He got what he deserved. I'd have acted like that if someone tried to take Twilight from me."

Shining frowned, and then smiled. "Well, I'll hold you to that. But I still can't believe Night tried to kill you."

"Neither can I," Tyr said.

Across the room, the girls were having the same conversation. "Thank goodness Chrys was there," Twilight murmured in shock.

"I'm just glad Tyr was awake as well," Rarity agreed.

"I suppose you've earned our trust this time," Cadance said, meeting the Changeling's eyes. "Thank you for saving him."

Chrys scoffed. "I would have saved him no matter what. But… I appreciate that, Cadance."

"It's nice to see everyone getting along," Fluttershy said happily.

"I reckon that's better than us being at each other's necks like a bunch a angry snakes," AJ said with a chuckle. "Right, Dash?"

Dash frowned and folded her arms. "Yeah, whatever."

"So!" Rarity said suddenly, a smile growing on her face. "Rainbow Dash, I heard you and Ace are going on a date?"

"Oh?" Cadance said, intrigued. "You and Ace…?"

"I-It's nothing!" Dash said, blushing a bit. "He helped me out when I was hurt, so I figured…"

"You wanted to give him another chance, huh?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Twilight said. "On the positive side, you know his feelings are genuine."

"Don't remind me," Dash said bitterly.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Cadance suddenly perked up. "I wanna know how everyone else's relationships are going!"

"Oh dear," Celestia said with a slight chuckle. "You can't help yourself, can you, Cadance?"

"Can you stop waking up early in the morning?" Cadance countered.

"…Fair enough."

"So!" Cadance turned to Rarity and Pinkie first, catching the latter trying to feed her girlfriend a slice of pie. "I see you two are not shy about your love."

"Of course not!" Pinkie giggled. "I love Rare-bear, and I'm not afraid to let the whole world know it!"

Rarity sighed. "Pinkie's been wanting to throw an 'I love Rarity' party for the longest time."

"But I just wanna show how much I love you…"

Rarity smiled and leaned against Pinkie, resting her face against hers. "I know, dear. You don't need to throw a party to tell me that."

"Well, that answered my question," Cadance said. "Applejack, how about you?"

AJ rubbed at the back of her neck. "Well… It's… kinda…"

Surprisingly, it was Fluttershy who answered. "It was a little hard explaining everything to her family, but they've all agreed to simply be happy for us."

"Well, that's good," Twilight said. "I would have felt terrible if Applejack's folks didn't approve."

"Same here, darling," Rarity agreed. "When I told my parents, they were simply shocked I had gotten into a relationship at all."

Pinkie grinned. "My parents were happy, but my big sister said she wanted to come make sure I was happy."

"You have an older sister?" Luna asked.

"I have three sisters!"

Cadance smiled. "Sounds like a big family."

"You don't have any siblings, Cadance?" Fluttershy asked.

"The closest thing to a sister I would have is Twilight," Cadance said with a wide smile. "Since she is my sister-in-law and all."

"I did always want a big sister," Twilight said.

Cadance thought for a moment. "Although… If Aunt Luna and Tyr were to get married, wouldn't that make Sherry my sister too?"

"M-marriage?" Luna stuttered, blushing heavily.

"You haven't thought about it darling?" Rarity said, shocked.

"I mean, I have, but…" Luna glanced down at her hands. "I haven't spoken to him about it."

"You should!" Twilight said. "I'm sure Tyr would love to marry you!"

"I… I don't want to pressure him…"

"I believe she should wait until she's ready," Celestia said softly. "After all, she does have quite a bit to think about."

"I suppose that's fair," Cadance said.

Luna fell silent. Another thing she had to think about. Marrying Tyr would be a perfect occasion, and with the baby on the way… She went pale. There was still the baby, and she still hadn't told Tyr. She felt Celestia's hand on her shoulder, and looked up to find her sister smiling at her. "All in due time," She said.

"R-right…" Luna nodded.

As they continued to talk, a voice screamed from upstairs. "Scootaloo, wait!"

All eyes turned to the staircase, where the violet haired girl was rushing along. She rounded the corner to the stairs, just as Sherry and the other girls appeared. "Be careful!" Sweetie Bell called out. It was too late, as Scootaloo realized her danger a second too late and her foot caught on the edge of the top stair. She tumbled down, her small wings flapping uselessly as she fell. "Oh… crap!"

There was movement all over, as those with wings opened them, and everyone else jumped up. But no one was close enough or fast enough, not even Dash. As Scootaloo fell further, suddenly an aura of silver energy caught hold of her, keeping her from hitting the ground just inches short. As she realized her safety, she let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," Twilight said.

"Seems even Dash wasn't fast enough this time," AJ teased. Dash blushed and scoffed.

"Yeah, whatever. I can't beat magic anyway."

"Who caught her anyway?" Fluttershy asked softly.

"Now that you mention it…" Twilight said, glancing around. "I don't recognize that magical aura…"

"Dad!" Sherry gasped in surprise as she, Applebloom and Sweetie Bell rushed down the stairs to their friend. "Your hand!"

Tyr glanced down at his hand just as everyone else looked. His hand was sheathed in a silver glow, small bits of energy floating off to vanish in the open air. "What the hell…?" He murmured in quiet shock.

"How is that possible?" Twilight demanded, going over to him. He backed up instinctively, caught off guard by her accusatory tone. "You're human! How can you use telekinesis?"

"Great, Tyr has magic powers," Flash sighed. "Anyone want to explain this one to me?"

"I'd like an explanation as well," Twilight agreed.

"I think I may have an idea," Chrys said, going over to Tyr. "Luna and I were both using our magic to sustain Tyr during that first night, albeit on Luna's part it was unconscious."

"Luna did have Tyr wrapped in her magic," Rarity said. "And she wasn't really controlling it."

"So you believe my magic and Chrys's affected Tyr's body and allowed him to use magic?" Luna asked.

"That would be my guess," Celestia told her. "Tyr was already a bit of an unusual case, as he gained a Cutie Mark. And now he has access to Unicorn magic."

"Don't tell me he's going to sprout wings or something," Ace mumbled. As a side thought, he went behind Tyr and yanked up his shirt to look at his back.

"Hey!" Tyr snapped, pushing him away.

"Nope, no wings."

"Thanks for checking," Tyr said dryly.

"Um…" Scootaloo murmured, still suspended in midair. "I like being in the air and all, but can you put me down?"

"Uh, sure…" Tyr frowned.

"Simply think about letting her go and feel it," Luna advised. "Magic like ours react to our emotions."

Tyr nodded, and looked back over to Scootaloo. He lowered his hand slowly, and imagined setting her down as gently as he could. Scootaloo drifted towards the floor, and then the aura of energy dissipated, dropping her the last few inches. "Ow," She complained, rubbing her butt.

"Sorry," Tyr apologized. "First time and all."

"That was good for your first ever experience with magic," Celestia said.

"It was… a strange feeling," Tyr murmured, looking down at his hand. A smaller version of the mark on his back was now on the back of his hand. As he focused on it, it began to glow again. He relaxed, and the glow receded. "Guess that's something I have to get used to, huh…"

"It gets easier with time," Luna said.

"And practice," Shining told him. "Which we'll have you run through the training with the other new recruits."

"We're training new recruits?" Ace asked. "Weak, dude…"

"Hey, we have to get a replacement for Night, plus we have to make sure all the other guards are up to par."

"Great…"

"I just remembered!" Cadance said suddenly. "Tyr! You owe me a match!"

Tyr blinked in surprise, and then grinned. "Bring it on, sweet cheeks!"

"That's 'Candy Ass' to you, Tyr. Cause that's what you'll be kissing when I wipe the floor with you!"

They both rushed upstairs, the kids chasing after. Shining watched them go with a sigh. "That's my Cady for you… She's got a competitive streak almost as long as her tail."

"Ah, how eager all you young ones are," Celestia said with a laugh.

Luna shot her a dark look. "Do not start with that, sister."

"I was only making an observation, Lulu."

"Yes, whatever you say…"

-x-

Tyr realized that next morning that he kept strange company for breakfast. AS he prepared an overly large breakfast, he glanced back to where three Princesses, a Prince, and a former Queen sat at his breakfast table. Cadance and Shining Armor had stayed the night since it was so late, and Celestia… who knows why she was there. But seeing the tall, radiant princess in simple night clothes was worth it anyway. [Staring at the wrong one, aren't you Master?]

[I'm not staring] Tyr thought back, earning an amused giggle from the Changeling.

"I know what you two are doing," Cadance pointed out, "But it still just seems weird."

"Believe me," Luna muttered, brushing her hair. "You do not have to live with it."

"My apologies, I simply like to tease my Master," Chrys said.

"Speaking of which," Shining said, "What's up with the whole 'Master' thing?"

Chrys thought for a moment, but it was Tyr who answered. "According to Chrys, I technically own her." He said.

"You… own her?" Cadance asked, confused.

Chrys smiled happily and nodded. "Uh huh! And he's going to have Rarity make me a custom-made collar!"

The room fell silent. Tyr coughed softly and began flipping pancakes off the griddle onto plates. He served each of them—minus Chrys—and sat down beside his daughter. Celestia was the first to speak. "May I have some syrup, Tyr?"

"Sure." Tyr got up and retrieved the bottle of syrup. He passed it to Celestia, who gave him a small nod of thanks. The silence set in again.

"A collar!?" Cadance yelled, standing up. Her sudden outburst made Tyr's magic flare up defensively, blasting his pancakes off of the table and into the wall. "…Oops."

"I promised no such thing," Tyr said with a sigh. He glanced over to find a hurt looking Chrys looking at him. "…What?"

"…It seems she really wanted one," Luna murmured. "As… odd as that is."

"Serious?" Tyr frowned.

"Collars mean safety and ownership, even protection," Shining said thoughtfully. He glanced over at the others. "…So I read."

Cadance coughed, and sat back down. "I mean, everyone expresses their love differently…"

"You really want this collar?" Tyr asked Chrys. She nodded vigorously, her smile growing. "…Ugh. Fine, I'll talk to Rarity later. I'm going by there anyway to fix something for her. Maybe she'll make this collar for you."

Chrys jumped up and hugged him. "Oh, thank you Master! This means a lot to me."

[You just wanted to mess with me, didn't you?]

[Of course, Master]

Tyr arrived with his usual punctuality at Rarity's boutique. After almost destroying his own breakfast with his somewhat out of control magic, he had decided to keep his magic restrained while he worked. Rarity wanted him to repair her sewing machine again, and he didn't want to accidentally blow it up or anything. As he came inside, he almost ran into Sweetie Bell. "Oh, sorry Sweetie Bell. I didn't see you."

"Oh, hi Tyr!" Sweetie Bell seemed to brighten up at seeing him. She was lying on the floor, looking bored. She sat up as he came over. "Here to see my big sis, huh?"

"She did want me to help her out."

"She's been working non-stop all day," Sweetie Bell complained. "I wanted to spend the day with her…"

Tyr listened closely and could hear the sound of frantic working coming from upstairs. "Did she get in an order or something?"

"I guess. She told me not to help, so I figure it's something important." She sighed. "She never lets me help."

"Let me guess: whenever you try to help, it doesn't end well."

"I try really hard!" Sweetie Bell protested, sitting up. "But whatever I try to do doesn't work out…"

Tyr nodded. "My little sister Freyja was like that. She was always trying to help our big sis Nanna out in the lab. Always said she wanted to be a scientist like her sister."

Sweetie Bell perked up at hearing that. "I wanna be a fashion designer like Rarity!"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you good at designing?"

"I… I…um… kinda." She blushed.

"Not very, huh?"

"I only really know what Rarity has taught me…"

"Do you really want to be a fashion designer? Or do you just want to do that because Rarity does it?"

Sweetie Bell looked caught off guard. She opened her mouth to respond, but at the same moment Rarity came rushing downstairs. "Tyr! Darling! Thank goodness you came! I need your help at once!"

"You said your sewing machine broke down?" Tyr said, straightening up.

"Yes! And it is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" She emphasized each word with increasing amounts of panic. Tyr simply held up a hand to placate her.

"Uh… right. I'll get right to work."

Sweetie Bell dropped back to her laying position on the floor. "Guess I'll just stay here…" She muttered.

Tyr thought for a moment. "Hey, Sweetie Bell. Wanna watch me work?"

"Really!?" Sweetie Bell and Rarity said at once. Tyr chuckled a bit at the odd symmetry between the two sisters.

"Yeah, but I don't want you touching anything, okay?"

"Oh…" Sweetie Bell was more disappointed while Rarity seemed relieved.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd let you help if I could, but I'd rather you didn't get hurt."

"Hurt?" Sweetie Bell looked confused.

"I'll show you." The three of them went upstairs to where Rarity's work zone was. It looked like a tornado had struck the room, with fabrics and other materials scattered about. Tyr led Sweetie Bell over to the sewing machine. He pulled it open, revealing it's myriad of moving parts. "See? There's a lot of stuff in here that moves, and I wouldn't want you to get your hand or fingers stuck."

"Oh…"

As Tyr and Rarity got to work, Sweetie Bell moved closer so that she could see what he was doing. As he worked, Tyr went out of his way to explain exactly what he was doing and what tools he was using. Whenever Sweetie Bell had a question, he answered it as simply as he could so she could understand. Rarity found herself watching the man more and more until she had stopped working just to watch him. He was surprisingly tolerant of Sweetie Bell's constant pestering, almost seeming to enjoy the attention the young girl was giving him. And even more surprising, Sweetie Bell had kept her promise and was not touching a single thing. The most she was trying to do to help was hand Tyr his tools as he worked. In her opinion, he was an excellent father. Rarity hadn't even noticed that she had set down her own things until her cat, Opalescence, meowed loudly at her feet. "Oh! Oh dear, Opal, I didn't see you there."

"Spacing out over there, sis?" Sweetie Bell teased.

"I was… um… having an idea. Yes, an idea." She picked up her needlework, a number of fabrics lifting into the air hoisted by her white tinged magic. She hadn't lied, that would have been unbecoming of a lady. But her idea was not about the dresses.

-x-

"So how is your stomach doing, Lulu?" Celestia asked. She was watching Cadance and Luna brutalize Shining in a game of CoD. Chrys sat off to one side, watching with mild disinterest. Sherry had gone off to play with Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner, so that left just the five of them in the house.

"Your stomach is still acting up?" Cadance asked, concerned.

Luna frowned. She didn't want to lie to her niece and nephew in law… "Well, yes, but not for the reason you think." She rubbed at her stomach.

"Not for the reason I think…?" Cadance frowned, a confused look on her face. After a moment of thought, it changed to one of understanding, and then one of shock. Before long, she was brimming with excitement. "Oooooooh!"

Shining looked between his aunt-in-law and his wife, confused. "What? What's going on?"

"Shiny, don't you have to go meet the boys for training later?"

"Uh, yeah, but it feels like you're kicking me out…"

"Well, duh. Just go, baby!"

She started to push him out of the door. "Okay, okay, geez! If you wanted to have a girl talk, just say so."

"Alright fine, we're gonna have a girl talk."

"Okay. See you later Candy."

"Shiny!" She blushed slightly, glancing back at her aunts. "I told you to only call me that when we're alone…"

"You didn't hesitate to tell Tyr to call you that last night…"

"Oh, stop! I'll see you later!" They shared a quick kiss before she finally pushed him out and closed the door. She turned back around, a small smile on her face. "Honestly, that man…"

"You two are quite in love," Chrys said halfheartedly.

"You would know, huh?" Cadance shot back. Chrys acted hurt for a moment before chuckling softly.

"I suppose I would," She said.

"Anyway!" Cadance sat beside Luna and leaned in close. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I have told no one, as of yet," Luna murmured softly. "Tia only knows because the doctor told me while she was in the room."

"So that is why you have been so apprehensive," Chrys said, turning. "Tyr was worried something was wrong."

"I worried him? I did not mean to…"

"You haven't told him yet?" Cadance asked, shocked. "Why wouldn't you?"

"I was… waiting on the right moment…" Luna explained, rubbing her hands nervously over her controller. "I mean, he almost died! Twice even! I did not want to burden his mind with more information…"

"…She's scared," Chrys said, matter-of-factly. Luna hung her head in defeat.

"…Yes…"

"Lulu," Celestia said gently, "I believe the news that new life will be entering the world is pleasant news for anyone."

"But what if he didn't want to have kids?" Luna asked. "What if… what if he didn't want to have them so soon?"

"Things happen, auntie," Cadance assured her. "I doubt Tyr is the type of person who would get angry about that sort of thing."

"I could always just ask him," Chrys offered.

"Don't!" Luna pleaded.

"It would only take a thought…"

"Promise me you won't, Chrys?"

"…And why should I keep said promise?"

"Because my magic allows me to enter your dreams and alter them into nightmares if I so choose."

"…Very well then. You make a convincing argument."

"Auntie, you have to tell him eventually," Cadance said. "I mean, a protruding belly isn't something you can hide that easily."

"I am well aware. I just want… the best time for telling him." She sighed.

"I suppose that is fair," Celestia said. "You would not want him to find out at an inopportune time, would you?"

"You also do not want to wait too long," Cadance warned.

"This is true as well…"

"So for now we should get you something for your stomach."

"Where would we go? The doctor?"

"A doctor of sorts," Celestia said with a smile.

-x-

"You're really smart, Tyr," Sweetie Bell said, watching Tyr finish up with Rarity's sewing machine. "You must have been in school a long time."

Tyr chuckled. "I actually skipped grades. I never went to seventh grade."

"Really?"

"Mmhm."

Rarity looked up from her designing. The small work glasses she wore made her look pretty professional, Tyr thought. "Really, darling? How old are you actually?"

"Twenty-nine," Tyr offered. Rarity looked surprised. "What, you thought I was younger?"

"No, I actually thought you might be older than that. You have gone through college, correct?"

"Yeah, and I took a lot of summer classes. I was only in college for three and a half years."

Sweetie Bell looked horrified. "You went to school through summer?"

Tyr chuckled. "I was kinda a bookworm at the time. I really wanted to hurry and get my degree."

"I was wondering about that," Rarity said. "What did you go to school for?"

"Criminal Justice," Tyr replied. "I went into the police academy soon after, and after a year there, I was picked for S.W.A.T. training."

"They picked you?" Sweetie Bell asked.

"Normally you have to apply, but I was tapped cause of my marksmanship. I was fast tracked into advanced training."

"Pretty impressive," Rarity said.

"You want impressive? You remember my sister, Nanna?"

"I believe so."

"She graduated college five years before me." Tyr smirked. "She's only a year older than me."

The two sisters gaped. "Wow…" Sweetie murmured.

"Yeah, that's Nanna for you." Tyr patted the sewing machine. "Well, I'm all done. She's as good as new."

"Wonderful!" Rarity said. She quickly retrieved her check book and wrote out a quick payment. "I do not know what I would do without you, darling."

"It's no problem, Rarity. I like helping out."

"Oh! I just remembered. An acquaintance of mine wanted to know if you could repair something for her." She frowned. "Would it be too much if you went today?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "I don't mind, but I'll need directions…"

"Ah, yes, right." She went over to a desk with a motherlode of sticky notes stuck all over it. She quickly pulled one free. "Here you are."

"I'm kinda surprised you found it so quickly," Tyr remarked, taking the note from her. He glanced down and read it quickly. It was s decent drive away, but it wouldn't interfere with any of his plans for the day.

"I pride myself on my organization," Rarity said proudly.

"I can see. Well, I should head off then."

"Thank you again, darling."

"Aw, you're leaving, Tyr?" Sweetie Bell asked sadly.

Tyr smiled apologetically. "Sorry Sweetie. I got work to do."

"Okay…"

The look of disappointment on her face was too much for Tyr. "Actually…" He murmured, thinking quickly. It was something he didn't normally do, but he figured he'd make an exception for the young girl. Rarity was pretty busy, so she couldn't spare much time for her sister. "Hey, Rarity. Would you mind if I took Sweetie Bell with me?"

Rarity paused in her work, confusion on her face. "Take Sweetie Bell…? You don't mind her?"

"She's not hurting anything if she's only watching and asking questions," Tyr informed her with a chuckle. Plus, she's just be sitting around here, right?"

"I suppose that is true… I mean, if Sweetie wants to…"

"I do!" Sweetie Bell said hurriedly. "I wanna go with Tyr!"

"…Okay. Do whatever Tyr tells you to, okay?"

"Mmhm!"

"I'll take her by Sugarcube Corner or something later," Tyr told Rarity, letting the younger girl exit first. "I'll keep a good eye on her."

"Please do," Rarity said, a little bit of pleading in her voice. "She means well, but sometimes…"

"I got it, Rarity. I have younger sisters too, remember?"

"Fair enough…"

Tyr smacked his hands together suddenly. "Ah right, Rarity, could you do me a really big favor?"

"After fixing my sewing machine and taking Sweetie Bell off my hands, I wouldn't mind in the slightest, darling." Rarity smiled brightly. Sweetie Bell rolled her eyes and went downstairs with a loud groan. Tyr smirked a bit, but remembering what he was about to ask Rarity for shriveled up his smile quickly. He cleared his throat and tried to sound as serious as possible.

"Could you… make a collar?"

"…A collar? I didn't realize you had pets. I suppose it wouldn't be too hard, but why ask me?" Rarity frowned. "Couldn't you simply get one from a pet store?"

"It's not for a pet… exactly."

"Why, whatever do you mean?"

Tyr scratched at his head. "Um… it's for Chrys."

"…why in Celestia's name does Chrys want a collar!?"

"Look, it's probably best not to ask questions. Could you please make it for me?"

"Well, as long as you take good care of my sister."

Tyr gave her one last smile. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."

He left then, catching up to Sweetie Bell as she waited beside his truck. As he approached, a thought occurred to him. With a sudden flick of his wrist, his magic flared forth and opened the passenger side door. "Oh!" Sweetie Bell yelped in surprise.

Tyr grinned. "Forgot I could do that?"

Sweetie Bell giggled. "Well…Yeah, kinda."

He helped her up into the truck before jogging around to the driver side. Once they both had their seatbelts on, Tyr pulled away. As they drove, Tyr found the young girl watching the town slip by with undisguised interest. Girl must not ride in a truck like his often, he thought. He took a moment to glance at her when they stopped at a stoplight. Unlike her sister, Sweetie had a less refined approach to style. That wasn't to say the girl dressed casually like Applebloom, but Sweetie Bell didn't go to the lengths her sister did to look good. Her curly pink and grey hair fell loosely around her small shoulders, and her green eyes were untouched by any makeup. She was a cute kid, Tyr had to admit. Sweetie Bell watched the scenery outside the window for a while before turning to her older friend. "Hey, Tyr?"

"What's up?" He asked.

"Can I turn on the radio?"

"Sure."

Sweetie Bell scooted forward to turn on the radio. An upbeat, peppy song started to play. "Oh! I love this song!" She exclaimed happily. Tyr found out just how much when the girl began to sing. Instead of the innocent, untrained voice of a young girl that Tyr was expecting, the strong voice of an experienced singer suddenly came out of Sweetie Bell's mouth. To Tyr's surprise, Sweetie Bell sounded as good as the actual singer of the song, if not better. Plus, she seemed to really be into it. He listened quietly, not commenting until she finished singing. It wasn't until she was done that she realized she was with another person, and blushed heavily.

"Embarrassed?" Tyr asked playfully.

"Yes!" She squeaked.

"Don't be! Your voice is beautiful, Sweetie Bell."

"It's not that great…"

Tyr shook his head. "You could be a professional singer with that kind of voice, plus you really looked like you enjoyed yourself."

"I mean, I like singing…" Sweetie Bell told him.

"But you don't think it's your special talent?"

"I mean, everyone can sing…"

"But not as well as you. That's something I'd call a gift."

"I dunno…"

"I don't know about you, but I believe being yourself is always the best policy."

Sweetie Bell looked over at Tyr. He was focused on driving, but there was still a small smile on his face. Be herself? "That's harder than it sounds," She said quietly, low enough that he didn't hear her.

They pulled up in front of a small apartment building. "Well, let's head on in. Stay close, okay?"

"Okay." They got out of the truck, Tyr leading the way with Sweetie Bell close behind. Tyr glanced at the directions Rarity had given him, heading up a few flights of stairs and eventually ending up outside of a simple wooden door with the numbers 626 written on it.

"Well… this is the place," Tyr said. He reached out and tentatively knocked on the door. No one answered for a long time. "Are they home…?"

The question was barely off his lips when the door swung open and a short, slender girl appeared. Her short, spiked hair was a bright blue with highlights of a lighter shade running through it. A pair of rose colored sunglasses obscured her eyes. She frowned. "Uh… who are you?"

Despite the fact that the girl was dressed in nothing but a short t-shirt and panties, Tyr smiled and kept his eyes on her face. "Uh, I'm Tyr. Rarity said someone here needed me?"

The girl lowered her face so that her sunglasses could fall away. Her magenta eyes focused on him. "You're Tyr?"

"That's me."

The girl leaned back as another voice called from inside. "Vinyl, who is at the door?" The voice was a bit smoother and softer. Vinyl, as Tyr now had a name for her, glanced back.

"It's that guy Rarity told you about, Tavi," Vinyl said. She glanced back over at Tyr before replacing her sunglasses.

"Ah, that's good—Wait, Vinyl, why on earth are you answering the door wearing that?"

"I was comfortable," Vinyl protested, moving aside and letting Tyr and Sweetie Bell enter. "I don't think he minds, anyway."

Tyr looked around. The apartment was covered from wall to wall with music paraphernalia, musical instruments, and even some pages of sheet music were scattered about. There was a large L shaped couch on one side of the large living room, and a large TV was facing it. Two women were sitting there, both turning when Tyr entered. One of them, a blonde, gasped in shock as he came in. Her companion, a woman with dark blue hair and pink highlights, glared at her. "Honestly," A woman with dark greyish hair said with a frown, folding her arms. "How on earth can you greet people at the door like that…?"

"At least I'm wearing something," Vinyl shot back.

"Maybe you should have opened the door completely naked," The blonde murmured.

"Lyra!" The other girl on the couch admonished. "How could you suggest something like that?"

"Oh, come now, Bon-Bon! You can't deny you wouldn't want him all to yourself."

"What? No!" Bon-Bon blushed. "I-I mean, he is attractive, but I'm not interested in him like that!"

The gray haired girl sighed. "You all…" She turned to Tyr. "Sorry about them. I do what I can to get them to be somewhat acceptable members of society…"

Tyr chuckled softly. "I'm friends with Pinkie Pie."

"…I won't complain then. I'm Octavia Melody."

"Tyr Hymir. Nice to meet you." They shook hands. She was a professional, Tyr realized. Plus, she had strong hands that were also surprisingly soft. "…You play an instrument?"

Octavia's face broke into a small smile. "You can tell just by touching my hands?"

"I've worked with instrumentalists before."

"I see. I play the cello."

"Ah, nice. So, what needs to be repaired?"

"Ooh, he's a handyman?" Lyra purred. "I know what he could get hands on with, if you know what I mean…"

"Lyra!" Bon-Bon admonished again.

"I try to ignore her," Octavia murmured, turning away. "Vinyl needed some repairs on her turntables before her gig tonight."

"Oh, sweet!" Vinyl grinned. "I normally do this sort of thing myself, but this one is out of my expertise.

"I'll see what I can do," Tyr promised.

"Why does Vinyl get to be alone with the guy?" Lyra complained. "She might try to snap him up!"

"Uh, if I can interject," Tyr said, but didn't get the chance.

"I'm not snapping anybody up!" Vinyl protested, before giving Tyr a once over. "Although…"

"Lyra, Vinyl stop!" Bon-Bon said. Seems the voice of reason was often ignored in this place, Tyr thought to himself.

Lyra pouted. "You never let me go after the cute guys!"

"So," Vinyl said, turning to Tyr as Lyra and Bon-Bon began bickering. She smiled. "You taken?"

"That's what I've been trying to say," Tyr said with a sigh. "I already have a girlfriend."

"Aw, that sucks. Oh well."

Octavia sighed loudly and shook her head. The motion caused her to notice Sweetie Bell. "Wait a moment… I recognize you."

"Me?" Sweetie Bell squeaked, surprised. Tyr hadn't noticed, but the young girl had suddenly gotten shy around all these new people.

"Yes… You're Rarity's little sister, aren't you?"

"Um… Yes, I am." She coughed a little. "I'm, um… Sweetie Bell."

"Oh, Rarity got him!?" Lyra exclaimed. "Oh, that's not fair at all!"

Tyr let out a sigh and went over to where Vinyl's turntables were located. The DJ followed, a smile on her face. "You snagged Rarity? Nice one."

"I didn't snag Rarity," Tyr pointed out. He personally couldn't believe that same misunderstanding was happening again. And Rarity wasn't even there.

Sweetie Bell nodded. "Tyr isn't dating my sister!"

Thank goodness for his new little friend helping out. However, Lyra was adamant. "Then why are you here?" She demanded.

"Rarity is still a friend," Tyr said, trying his best to explain things. "Sweetie Bell wanted to watch me work."

"So you're friends with Rarity?" Vinyl thought for a moment. "So that means you have to be friends with the other five, right?"

Tyr figured she meant Twilight and the others. Seems the six of them were pretty well known among Equestrians. "That is true, but what does that have to do with—"

"So one of them caught your fancy, huh?"

"Uh… what? No, that's not—" Tyr couldn't exactly lie about that one: each of the girls was pretty attractive, and he could be forgiven for having some inappropriate thoughts about them. But before he could clarify, Lyra cut him off again.

"Which one, which one?" Lyra bounced up and down eagerly. Seems she got over not being able to win his heart pretty quickly.

"Lyra, honestly!" Bon-Bon said, exasperated.

"My money is on either Applejack or Fluttershy," Vinyl said. "Or maybe he's into the intellectual types, like Twilight?"

"None of them," Tyr said defensively.

"So maybe Pinkie Pie then?"

Lyra frowned. "You couldn't have possibly gone after Rainbow Dash, could you?"

Tyr looked over to Octavia for help. The cellist had already sat down at the kitchen table, focused on the piles of sheet music in front of her. She wasn't going to be much assistance. Sweetie Bell was confused as well, slipping into silence at the two women heavily questioned Tyr. "I'm not dating any of them."

"Then who?" Bon-Bon asked, giving in to her curiosity.

Tyr sighed. "Luna. My girlfriend is Luna."

The room fell silent. Even Octavia looked up from her music, a confused frown on her face. "You don't mean Princess Luna, do you?" She asked slowly.

"Princess of the Night and all that?" Vinyl added.

"Former Nightmare Moon?" Lyra murmured.

Tyr frowned. As far as he was aware, Luna used Nightmare Moon as her alias whenever they played games online. He hadn't heard anyone call her that outside of games, however, and the way Lyra said it… "Nightmare Moon?"

"You don't know," Bon-Bon murmured.

"What is it I don't know?"

"Nightmare Moon was what Luna called herself after she came back from a thousand year exile on the moon," Octavia said. "She tried to envelop all of Equestria in an eternal night. Twilight and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to defeat her."

"Elements of Harmony…?" Tyr had heard the six girls referred to as such, and thought maybe they had been titles of some kind. He had only been half right.

"Well, there isn't anything to worry about right?" Bon-Bon asked nervously. "Nightmare Moon was banished, and Princess Luna is back to normal, right?"

Octavia shrugged. "As far as we know. Princess Luna went out of her way to endear herself to the populace afterwards."

"So it really isn't all that big of a deal," Vinyl said with a big grin. "On top of that, Tyr snagged royalty! That's more so why I'm surprised."

"I see…" Tyr murmured, going back to what he was doing. Luna had been evil at one point? He remembered what she had told him so long ago. She had been jealous of her sister, she had told him. He chuckled ever so softly. What did it matter, really? He loved the girl, despite her faults.

"So, Sweetie Bell," Octavia said, trying to change topics. "Are you into music?"

Sweetie Bell jumped at being addressed. "M-Me? I mean… I um… I sing a little…"

"You sing?" Bon-Bon asked, surprised.

"I mean, I sing sometimes…"

"Yeah, I remember now!" Vinyl said. You and your friends did that talent show thing, didn't you?"

Octavia seemed oddly interested. "Would you mid singing for us?"

Sweetie Bell went pale. "Sing? In front of all of you?"

"I heard you had a really good voice. I'd like to hear for myself."

"I…I um…"

"I'm finished," Tyr said, straightening up. "The rotary gears were shifted out of place. Try not to work them too hard, will ya?"

"I'll try," Vinyl promised with a lopsided grin. She went over and began hooking stuff up. "So, Sweetie Bell, I think I can find something you can sing for us."

"But… But…!" Sweetie Bell looked to Tyr for help.

"Remember what I said," He said quietly.

Be yourself. Sweetie Bell's panic didn't start to go away until the music began to play. Both she and Tyr were surprised to hear that it was the same song as the one she had been singing on the way over. As the first chorus began to start, Sweetie's nervousness fell away and she began to sing, her eyes focused on Tyr's soft smile.

-x-

"Whose home is this?" Luna asked, as she, Celestia, Cadance, and Chrys got out of Celestia's car. The house they stood in front of was an older looking house, albeit quite unassuming. It sat at the end of a street at the very back of a neighborhood, just shy of being in the woods behind it. Celestia knocked on the door.

"A friend my faithful student introduced me to," Celestia offered as explanation. They waited for a moment before there was the sound of rustling from behind the door. The door opened then, revealing a dark skinned woman with striped gray and black hair and dressed in a simple wrap tied at the waist with a sash. Tribal looking tattoos covered her visible skin, and her blue eyes fell upon them with a mixture of amusement and surprise.

"Why, if it is not the Princess and her companions waiting at my door; I do not believe I have had this pleasure before." The woman's low voice was lilting and almost sounded like she was singing a song as she spoke.

"Zecora," Celestia said in greeting. "I believe it has been a long time since we spoke."

"Yes, indeed it has, Princess Celestia," Zecora said with a smile. "It has been ever since we left Equestria. Now, to what do I owe this visit? If it was an occasion, I hope I did not miss it."

She moved aside to let them enter. The inside of her home was decorated with numerous trinkets of varying designs, mostly tribal in appearance. She motioned them over to a low table surrounded by cushions, and they each took a seat. "Well, it's funny you should ask about an occasion…" Celestia said with a smile. Zecora raised an eyebrow questioningly, but Celestia simply looked over to Luna.

"I was hoping you had a remedy to soothe an upset stomach," Luna said slowly.

Zecora thought for a moment. "Remedies and cures I have in stock, more than I care to give an offhand thought. But if it is an upset stomach you seek to cure, wouldn't a normal medicine do for sure?"

"Well, going to a doctor is almost out of the question…"

"Is it a secret you wish to keep? If it is private, I promise not to pry too deep."

"I…" Luna blushed heavily. "…I'm pregnant."

Zecora blinked in surprise before a wide grin crossed her face. "Congratulations are in order, Princess of the Night! May a happy future be well within your sight!"

"Thank you very much, Zecora. But the problem is that I have not told the man whose child it is yet."

"Why would you not tell him such happy news? Are you afraid he will not share your views?"

"…Something like that."

"She's trying to avoid piling on stress," Chrys said shortly. "He already has one child to worry about already."

"As well as an overprotective cat," Luna snapped at the Changeling. Chrys narrowed her eyes but didn't respond.

"Regardless," Celestia said, heading off the argument. "My dear sister was looking for something that would allow her to endure to morning sickness she had been feeling."

Zecora stood up and went over to a nearby cabinet. "I believe I may have something among my potions and brews; a remedy or cure-all that you surely could use. But even though your wish to hide is known to me, won't it be easy for him in time to see?"

"I told you so," Cadance said.

"I believe it is a bit early for that," Celestia chuckled.

"I know I can't hide it forever," Luna said quietly. "I just… want to wait for the right time."

"In my experience, the right time is only a lie," Zecora said sadly. "That will never be true, no matter what we try." Before anyone could ask what she meant, she pulled a small violet vial out of her cabinet. "Here you are Princess, the potion you asked for; more potent and efficient than any you could buy in a store."

Luna took the offered vial. "I thank you for your generosity, Zecora."

"A single sip a day is all you will require, any more than that and you may…" She smirked. "Soil your attire."

Luna blushed while the other women suppressed amused giggles. "I will heed your advice," She said evenly. "Thank you again."

Celestia stood up, prompting the others to do so as well. "Well, we should be on our way. Thank you again for your help, Zecora."

Zecora smiled. "I am always available to help someone in need, so do not hesitate to come to me with all speed."

They all nodded and wished the medicine woman well before exiting her home. "She's quite pleasant to speak to," Cadance said as they got into Celestia's car.

"That whole rhyming thing puts me off," Chrys muttered.

"She wasn't native to Equestria," Celestia said. "Perhaps where she was from, that is how everyone speaks."

"Seems uselessly difficult to me."

As they got on their way, Luna looked out the window, running her fingers over the smooth glass of the medicine vial. She had promised to tell Tyr soon, but how soon? When would be a good time to ask him…?

"I have an idea!" Cadance said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her.

"An idea about what, my niece?" Celestia asked.

"About when Luna could tell Tyr about being pregnant!"

Chrys scowled. "Must you be so excitable about it?"

"It's a really good idea!" Cadance pressed.

"Well, do not keep us in suspense," Celestia said.

"Well, what if Luna told Tyr on his birthday? That way, it would be like a 'happy birthday' gift sort of thing!"

"That…" Luna paused. "That is actually not a bad idea."

"See? And it'll be his birthday, so he's bound to be in a really good mood anyway!"

"I believe Cadance has hit on a winning solution," Celestia said with a smile.

Luna thought about it. Telling Tyr on his birthday was a sound plan. As long as it wasn't too far in the future, and she hadn't begun showing… It could work. "A question, if I may," Chrys said suddenly.

"What is it?" Cadance asked, narrowing her eyes. "Trying to poke holes in my idea?"

"Not particularly."

"Then what is it?"

"There is one glaringly obvious oversight."

"…What?"

"Do any of you know when Tyr's birthday is?"

Silence. Luna sighed and rested her head in her hands. "…Damn it."

-x-

The room had fallen completely silent as the song ended, with Sweetie Bell letting out her breaths long and slow. A heavy blush rushed to her cheeks as she looked around. The girls were staring at her with wide eyes, while Tyr was still smiling, albeit very widely. "…Was I okay?" She asked softly.

"Okay?" Vinyl asked. "Just okay? No sister, you were amazing!"

"Your voice is… just impossibly good," Octavia murmured. "I have only heard singers that good in professional choirs…"

"You've got a real talent there, Sweetie Bell," Lyra said. "You enjoy it, you're good at it, and… I think you should look at your hand."

Sweetie Bell frowned and held her hand up for a closer inspection. Her mouth dropped open, and she ran over to Tyr. "Tyr! Tyr! Tyr!"

"Whoa now, Sweetie Bell, what's up?" He frowned, confused at the girl's sudden excitement.

"Look!" She shoved the back of her hand into his face. On the back of Sweetie Bell's hand was the image of a microphone set behind a pink heart. "My Cutie Mark!"

"See?" He patted her head. "I told you that being yourself was better than trying to be something else."

She hugged him, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you so much, Tyr."

"I didn't do much. I just pointed you in the right direction."

"Aw, isn't that just the cutest," Lyra giggled.

"Well, we've hung around here long enough," Tyr said. "We should get going."

As they moved to the door, Vinyl tapped Sweetie Bell on the shoulder. "Come by anytime to jam with us, alright?"

Sweetie Bell smiled widely. "Sure!"

They said their goodbyes and headed back to the truck. Sweetie Bell had a little skip in her step, not even reacting as Tyr used his magic to open the truck doors again. Well, he couldn't really blame her, he thought with a small chuckle. She had finally achieved something that she had always dreamed of, and knowing what her personal talent was probably made her extremely confident. It wasn't until they were headed towards Sugarcube Corner that she suddenly frowned. "Hey, Sweetie Bell, what's up?" Tyr asked, a little worried.

"I… I just thought about it… but what will the girls think?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… we were trying to get our Cutie Marks together and all… and now I went and got mine all by my lonesome."

Tyr smiled. "I doubt those two would hold it against you. You guys have been friends for a while, right? They'll be there for you, and all you have to do is be there for them."

"…Okay. I'll take your advice." Her smile returned again. "Thanks, Tyr."

"No problem. Now, let's get ourselves something to eat, alright?"

"Okay!"

The Library is going back to sleep for a while, and wishes you a Good Day. look forward to the next update, and don't hesitate to leave a comment!