[Satyr] Cinders

=1=

In the magical land of Equestria, there are many wonderful creatures to meet, sights to be seen, and adventures to be had. It is a truly wonderful place to live, and especially grow up.

Provided you fit the mold of course.

"Hey, Miss Monster!"

Ace grits her teeth as she changes shirts. The locker room is rarely a comfortable place for a teenage girl, but when she's the only one who looks like she does, well... A hoof presses against the cloud locker, shutting it with a quiet poof. Ace glares down at the smug looking pegasus mare.

"I'm talking to you, Monster. Eat any ponies for breakfast this morning?"

"Come off it, May Fly," Ace hisses through her teeth. "It wasn't funny the first time, and it's not funny now." Grabbing her satchel from the ground, she moves towards the wash basins, the satyr scowls as she hears the familiar clip-clop of May's hooves falling in step behind hers.

"Come on, Ace," the pegasus says, bile all but dripping from the girl's name, "why would you have those choppers otherwise?"

The redheaded girl stays silent as she splashes water on her face. Several pegasus mares gather around her, looking expectantly as she brings her head back up. Ace sneers and does her best to ignore them, shoving her way through the group and moving out into the halls of Cloudsdale Academy.

Being out of the locker room does little to alleviate her fury however. Things would be so much easier if she could just take those snotty mares like May out behind the school and rough them up. But no, her father was always harping on being responsible with power, and respecting the well-being of others.

"You're strong, Ace," she mutters, irritation causing her father's words to sound more mocking than she might otherwise intend, "so you're responsible for taking care of those who aren't. What a crock..."

As she rounds the corner, Ace runs into a herd of young stallions. Her face twitches as the group makes eye contact with her. The six stallions grin, before one calls out, "Hey look, it's Ace the Amazon! Scatter before she grabs you!"

Of course, the winged ponies do exactly as they're told, zipping back and forth while staying just out of her reach and chanting: "Death by snu-snu! Death by snu-snu! Don't let her catch you or it's death by snu-snu!"

Clenching her fist, Ace storms off down the hall, leaving the stallions in stitches as they fall over themselves. The clouds under her hooves billow upwards as she stomps, eager to leave this day behind. There's no guarantee that tomorrow will be any better, in fact it may even be worse, but right now, the only thing on Ace's mind is getting home. Her wings unfurl as she pushes the doors open and divebombs straight out of Cloudsdale.

The trip back to Ponyville is beautifully brief, the currents far less intense than flying out to some podunk town near the Unicorn Range. Dropping into the yard in front of her house, the once boiling, now simmering satyr makes her way inside.

"Hey, Poppa?" she calls out, glancing around the entrance. After a moment, her father sticks his head out and offers a small grin.

"Ace, welcome home! How was school?"

"Same old, same old," she grumbles, slinging her satchel into the corner and hoofs it into the dining room. Her father works away in the kitchen, working his fingers and palms together as he hums to himself. After a moment, he turns back to her and smiles.

"Just the same as any other day, huh? So you didn't hit anyone?"

"No!" the girl snaps, earning a frown from her father. Rolling her eyes, Ace buries her face in her arms and sighs. "I mean, I wanted to, but I didn't."

Her father sighs as well, shaking his head. "Champ, I understand that there are lots of folks out there who aren't especially nice, but you can't go around hurting them, or wishing you could."

"Yeah, well, I wish you'd tell them that. It's really hard to show restraint when no one else does."

"I know things are tough; it's not easy being the only human in Equestria, or being the only satyr in your school. But sooner or later you'll see that most of these ponies can't take care of themselves when the going gets rough. That's why it's up to folks like you and me to keep them safe."

Ace perks up as the sink kicks on and her father scrubs down. After a moment, he turns off the water and moves over to her. Pressing his still damp hand against her forehead, he lifts her face and smiles.

"It's a lot of work, but believe me, it's worth it."

Ace offers an uncertain smile as well, which seems to placate her father. Ruffling her hair, he pulls a few toothpicks from behind his back and offers them to her.

"Here, I know you're babysitting tonight, but I didn't want you to miss out on these."

Ace gulps as she eyes the small spheres of meat on the end of the toothpicks. With all the grace of a rabid dog, she leans forward and takes a bite out of one, earning another laugh from her father.

"That's my girl. You sound like you've been through a lot today, so don't worry about practice today. Go ahead and take these upstairs and get ready."

"Yeah, thanks Poppa," the satyr smiles, far more genuinely this time. Getting to her hooves, she grabs the offered meal and clops upstairs.

"Who's on the menu tonight, anyway?"

"Timber! The poor kid’s sick as a dog," the fiery girl calls back, a gentle feeling swelling in her heart. Even though he is more than five years her junior, Ace still prefers his company to any of the ponies in Cloudsdale. After she’d heard he was under the weather, she couldn’t help but jump to assist.

Once back in her room, Ace pulls off her clothes to change into something more comfortable. She pauses in front of the mirror, frowning as she examines herself.

Gone is the short-haired girl of ten years ago, who zipped about the house with her brother in hot pursuit. Instead, a leggy, solidly built woman stares back, perhaps not quite as physically developed as some of her peers, but she can still see promise in her burgeoning body.

"Hopefully I won't get any taller though," she mutters, cupping her hands under her chest and scowling. After a moment, Ace shrugs and pulls on her change of clothes before fluffing her hair up.

With a satisfied nod, the satyr grabs her meal and stuffs two of them in her mouth, leaving the third for her walk over. Stomping downstairs, she grabs her backpack and calls over her shoulder, "All right, Poppa, I'm headed out!"

"This is Bridge-Poppa, you are clear for launch!" the man calls back, earning a grin from his daughter. What a weirdo...

"So, if Timber starts to sniffle and cough, feel free to give him a small dose of cold medicine." Fluttershy frowns, her face scrunching up as she thinks. "Oh, but if the sun is already down, make sure that he gets the night-time medicine. But if the moon is up, he might be difficult to wake up tomorrow. But if he doesn't get any medicine at all, oh the poor dear. Maybe I shouldn't go after all. But then Ivy will be so disappointed."

The cream colored pony flaps around the house in a near panic as she considers all possible options, her green eyes growing ever wider until a heavy hand falls on her flank.

"Shy, you're getting yourself worked up again," her husband smirks. "Relax, we've had Ace watch Timber plenty of times before, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Right," the satyr grins, bobbing her head. "I have lots of experience caring for sick satyrs, so please don't worry too much. I'm sure he's no more trouble than my brother was at his age."

Fluttershy seems unsure, but eventually nods and is lead out the door by her husband. The man lifts his hand and grins back at Ace.

"We appreciate you coming by. Ivy's been looking forward to this for weeks. She'll be hurt her brother can't come, but, that's how things go sometimes. Be good, and we'll be back before ten, eleven at the latest."

"Have a good night!" Ace grins, waving to the duo as they make their way towards town. After a moment, the girl drops her arm and lets out a heavy sigh. "Right, time to work."

Plodding to Timber's room, the satyr sitter knocks twice. There's a small groan of acknowledgement, which brings a smile to Ace's lips. Pushing the door open, she steps into the dark room and resists the urge to flinch.

The room is laden with the smell of sweat and boy, enough to make even the rough and tumble Ace's nose twitch. The puddle of blankets on the bed shifts as a mop of pink hair peeks out from between them; gentle green eyes peering out at the world.

"Ace?" Timber croaks, bringing the girl back to reality. Smiling, she nods her head and steps closer to the sniffling boy. "Uh, thanks for, for coming out. I didn't mean to impose."

"Don't worry about it," the girl grins, ruffling his hair. "I'm getting paid, so it's no big deal; you just focus on getting better."

The boy nods and, after a moment, shifts himself so that the edge of the bed is bare. Ace sits down beside him and places her hand over his arm. "Sorry you're feeling down in the dumps."

"Like I got hit by a wagon," he groans, earning a laugh from the girl.

"But, if there's anything that I can do for you tonight, you let me know, okay?" The boy nods and Ace glances around the room. "You need anything right now? More blankets? Water? What about dinner?"

The boy shakes his head to the first two, but pauses on the third, earning a smile from his sitter. Of course he'd be hungry if he'd been sweating out a fever all day. The question is, what can he hold down?

"M-Mom brought me some bean soup earlier, but I wasn't ready," the boy sighs as the girl nods. In that case, there's probably still some around, somewhere.

"Well, I'll go hunt around for that, and you just sit tight, all right Timber?"

With a sigh she assumes to be acquiescing, Ace hurries down to the kitchen. The soup is labeled, of course, and within fifteen minutes, the sitter is back up in Timber's room. The still weak boy needs a little help sitting and staying up, so Ace sets him with his back against the wall, and then plops down beside him.

Long, greedy slurps echo up from Timber's lips as he works on the soup, Ace watching in mild amusement as some of the broth dribbles out from the corners of his mouth. Despite her best attempts to keep his face clean, they both end up with some of the gritty juice on their shirts, but neither seems to mind too much.

While he doesn't finish the entire cup, Timber does give it his best shot. After a few minutes, he lets his head fall onto Ace's shoulder and sighs.

"Being sick sucks."

"I know."

"You're not going to get sick, are you?"

Ace purses her lips and then shrugs. "Maybe. But honestly, I think I'd be okay with that."

"Yeah right." The heavy-eyed boy looks up at her and frowns. "I feel miserable, and I wouldn't wish this on anyone."

"Well, we can all use an excuse to miss school every once in a while," the golden furred satyr smiles. "So if I do, I do. If not, that's okay too."

Timber gives an unconvinced sniffle. "How do you not like school? I can't stand to be away from all of my friends."

"Well," the girl grimaces, "things are a little different at Cloudsdale Academy. There aren't any other satyrs going there yet, so it's really just me."

Despite the boy's glassy eyed stare, he seems interested. Either that or he's already fallen asleep, in which case he won't remember anyway. So Ace continues.

"As you might expect, it's a little difficult being the biggest, strongest, and weirdest looking student in the school. Makes you stand out like a splinter in the hoof, you know?"

There's a lengthy silence before Timber frowns. "But you're so," he coughs once and shakes his head, "so nice."

"Well thanks, T," Ace smiles, ruffling his hair. "Unfortunately, not everyone is nice, so things can get a little dicey from time to time. Because I'm so very different from them, it makes me an easy target."

"How?"

"Don't worry about it," Ace sighs, wondering if the boy realized the can of worms he was opening. After all, he was her junior, and he would never have to worry about these things. He'd always have another satyr with him, even at the Academy if he got in. There's no reason to-

"Ace, please."

Despite the sniffles and the sinuses, there's a note of genuine kindness in the boy's voice. It strikes the older satyr to her heart, so much that tears instinctively well up in her eyes. Clearing her throat, she struggles through the brief list.

"W-well, you remember I used to keep my hair cut really short? Some ponies said it was because I couldn't grow a proper mane."

Nodding, Timber reaches out and takes her hand in his. "Well, you grew out your hair and proved them wrong."

"Right, right. And, of course, my height. When you tower over everyone, it's hard not to stand out. And my teeth, because ponies can be dumb and afraid of anything that might eat them. And..."

Ace sighs, lifting her arm and looking it over. "And I get a lot of grief about being so big, too. Apparently, girls, even satyr girls, are supposed to be more slender and less muscular. I guess I lost the genetic lottery in that regard."

"Yeah, but you're still you," Timber mutters, burying his face into her collarbone. "I like you, Ace."

The girl's cheeks go hot as she mutters something unintelligible in response. Turning her head away, she lets out a shaky breath and gathers her wits before turning back to the boy.

"Timber, you shouldn't-"

Asleep. Asleep and drooling on her shirt. The fiery girl gives a defeated smile and places a hand to his still hot cheek. With a little maneuvering, Ace manages to get the boy tucked back into bed, the veritable mountain of blankets refusing to budge, even as Timber breathes.

Ace fills his water and puts some pain medicine nearby for when he wakes up, before taking what's left of the soup downstairs and cleaning the cup out. Even as she works, she can still feel his body against hers, blowing off heat like a radiator, and the quiet words he whispered to her still ringing in her ears.


=2=
“Ace?”

The satyr snorts at the sound of her name, her hips raised high in the air, sheets pooled around her. Just a little longer, just a few more minutes. As she begins to doze off again the voice calls, more insistent.

“Ace?”

Five more minutes, she thinks to herself. She takes a deep, long breath and…

“Ace! It’s almost ten!”

Right, almost ten… ten? Wait, TEN as in TEN? Ace’s eyes jerk open and scramble to the clock. Sure enough, the chipper pony face decorating her alarm clock has a hoof pointing towards the upper left edge, and inching higher by the second.

“AH!” the pegasus satyr squeals, hopping out of bed and sprinting over to her closet. “I’m already late!”

Downstairs, her father sighs as the room above him explodes with the sounds of life. “That girl,” he sighs, scratching his head and picking up an orange. A few picks and he’s shucking away the stiff outer peel and just in time too. The familiar tromping of hooves against the stairs signal the descent of his daughter, wide-eyed and panicked as she rushes into the room.

“Poppa, I need breakf-” she gives a small yelp as the still moist fruit plops into her open palm.

“Yeah, I know. Where are you going?”

“Lake,” Ace grunts, stuffing two wedges into her mouth and chewing furiously. “Darcy and Hope are going to be there.”

“Mm, you got money?”

“Yuh.”

Her father sets his lips for a moment, before giving her a serious look. “Okay, but remember; don’t go swimming in your clothes.”

“I know, Poppa!” the girl groans, finishing off the fruit and running her hands along her shorts. She flashes a smile at him an raises an eyebrow, allowing her father to get close and inspect for any stray strings of fruit between her teeth.

“Looks good. Fly quick, but be safe.”

“Right!” the girl laughs, rushing out the door and taking to the sky. As the wind rushes by her cheeks, she just hopes her friends haven’t been waiting too long.

Saddle Lake sits just outside of Ponyville, a comfortably sized body of water that is fed from the waterfalls of Canterlot. It serves as an in between for the water coming out of the mountains and the lazy snaking river out to the western sea. For the town, Saddle Lake is a testament to the virility and longevity of Ponyville. However, for the young it serves a different purpose.

“That’s why I’m saying I don’t really get it; it just seems stupid,” Hope sighs, stripping off her clothing as she stands on the gritty lakeshore. Her limbs, while slender, are matched by an equally trim waistline, her petite chest and rather robust backside cradled comfortably in a shiny, black one-piece swimsuit. Darcy shrugs, watching her friend get changed.

“So you wouldn’t?” she asks, crossing her arms under her chest. “You wouldn’t want to start a family?”

Hope offers a wry grin and tossing her shirt and pants in a pile on the ground, “Right now? No way, that sounds like a death sentence. I’ve still got years and years ahead of me.”

“Listen, Hope, just because you look like you’re fourteen doesn’t mean you’re not tw-”

“SHHHH!” The minty satyr’s eyes go wide as she clasps a hand over her friend’s mouth. Darcy glares for several seconds before Hope pulls her hand away and offers an apologetic grin. “We don’t talk about that, remember?”

The farmgirl sighs and nods. “I reckon so. But I really wish you wouldn’t avoid my questions all the time, I got a future to think about too,” she grumbles, unbuttoning her own shirt. The sound of flapping wings draws the attention of the girls upwards for just a moment before Ace lands near them with a thud. As the two grounded satyrs cough and wave their hands in front of their faces, Ace grins.

“Sorry! I overslept.”


“We’re used to it,” Hope responds with a smug smirk. “You’re only ever on time if there’s food involved, or someone’s in trouble.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Darcy chuckles, sliding off her shirt and pants. The green two piece underneath is very snug, designed to hold and draw attention to the red-legged satyr’s curvaceous frame. “Last time I saw you show up early for anything was when I invited you to the Apple Family reunion pie eating contest.”

Ace snorts and rolls her eyes, stripping down with her friends. “Yeah, okay, today’s off to a great start. We should complain about how everything is normal; it’s not like we haven’t gotten together in weeks or anything. Let’s gripe like old mares instead of going swimming.”

While not as slender or as stacked as the other two satyr girls, Ace’s body still remains distinct from both: her meticulously maintained musculature showcasing the better part of an entire decade of rigorous training. Stretching her arms over her head, the fiery satyr revels in the snug fit of her swim top, and the boy-cut shorts below.

“Heh, yeah all right,” Darcy grins, giving Hope’s voluminous backside a swat and making the older girl whinny in surprise. “Last one to the other side has to buy lunch! And no flying, you cheat!”

The farm satyr levels a finger at Ace who simply laughs and rushes by her, crowing back, “Okay, but what about head starts?”

“Consarnit, Ace!” the stacked satyr snorts, hoofing it after her, leaving the still stunned Hope on the shore for a few seconds more before snapping out of her daze and holding up her hands.

“Hey! Wait a second, you two! I don’t… UGH!” Hope grits her teeth, charging after the oblivious girls.


Despite the coming summer, the water is still almost frigid. Ace gasps as she dives in, her limbs suddenly feeling leaden, like they’d drag her to the bottom of the lake if she let them. Still, she struggles through her strokes anyway, tucking her wings tight against her body in response to the increase in drag. That eases her going somewhat, but all too soon a familiar thrashing splashing sound echoes up alongside her.

Glancing to her left, the once plucky satyr sees Darcy shoot her a playful glare. While not nearly as graceful as Ace’s long strokes, the farm mare’s formidable stamina is coming through in spades, the two girls now neck and neck as they plunge through the water.

Stroke, stroke, stroke; Ace feels like she’s about to have one herself! What a nightmare. But the sharp green eyes of her competition refuse to let the fire go out of her belly, and so she struggles onward. Right up until a flash of mint green zips by both of them.

Hope doesn’t even look back as she breast strokes her way across the rest of the lake, leaving the two stunned satyrs in her wake. Eventually they make it to the other side where Hope greets them with a smile.

“I’d really hoped to spend the day sunning and catching up,” she sighs in mock irritation, wringing out her hair as she does. “But the two of you are always so insistent on getting a leg up on each other.”

Darcy huffs, clearly a little more miffed than her friend, though she follows Hope’s example with her waterlogged tail. “I don’t know why I even bothered to suggest a swimming competition; you always win.”

“Yeah,” Ace laughs, still breathless from the swim over. After a quick shake, she looks up at the victor with a smirk. “You must have some sea-pony in you somewhere to be that good in the water.”

“Shoo-be-do, shoo-shoo-be-do,” the minty girl grins, earning a string of giggles from her friends.


The trio dry themselves, still laughing and teasing each other.

“I swear,” Darcy chides, giving Ace’s solid stomach a playful poke. “You’ve got so much explosive power, but you can’t keep it up for any length of time. How do you even manage to stay in the air?”

The pegasus satyr flinches a little, frowning and covering her middle. “My stamina is fine; it’s just that being in the water’s different than being in the air! I can wear layers when I’m flying, not when I’m swimming.”

“Aw, you’re too cold?” Hope coos, standing up on the tips of her hooves, grabbing at Ace’s arm for support. The action still only puts her about shoulder level with the towering girl, but it keeps the grinning satyr from being thrown off balance. “Maybe you should ask your dad for more practice?”

Hope and Darcy begin laughing, even as Ace’s cheeks go hot with embarrassment. After a moment, she grins and prods the smaller girl’s belly, causing hope to squeal and shrink away. Ace presses her advantage.

“Yeah? Well some of us don’t have a little extra padding to keep us warm.”

The farmgirl satyr bursts out laughing again as the otherwise slender satyr pokes at her slightly pudgy middle. Hope pouts up at her taller friend, looking like she’s about to cry.

“A-Ace, that’s so mean. Why would y-”

“Aw, come off it, Hope,” Darcy giggles. “It ain’t proper for a grown mare to be behaving like a little kid. Especially when she puts away sweets like you do!”

Turning to the grinning dark haired girl, Hope rolls her eyes, muttering, “Says the ox,” just loud enough to be heard. The strong satyr stumbles back in surprise and the minty girl sticks out her tongue and blows a raspberry.

The back and forth continues as the trio walk back to the shore they started from. As the bridge creaks under their hooves, Hope props her hands onto her hips and stares out at the lake. The other girls flank her on either side, watching as a few groups cluster together on the various shores and landings.



“Summer will be here soon.”

“I reckon,” Darcy sighs.

“Yup,” Ace agrees, threading her fingers behind her head. “What about it though? You aren’t in school anymore, so does it really matter?”

Hope shoots a mildly hateful glare back at her friend, who responds with a smirk, before looking forward again. “Just stating a fact. Also, Darcy’s going to graduate.” Glancing to her friend, she grins. “Are you excited? Or dreading working at the farm full-time from now on?”

With an anxious chuckle, Darcy sheepishly grips one of her arms. “Uh, well, actually, I spoke with Pa last night…”

“What?” the two satyrs respond as one, Hope with a squawk and Ace with a grin. The smaller of the pair pounces first.

“Y-You spoke with your Dad? What about!?”

“Heh, well I asked him about maybe continuing my schooling.” There’s a sparkle in the girl’s eyes as she smirks, “In Manehatten.”

While Hope struggles to pick her jaw up, Ace bounces forward and grabs Darcy’s hands. “You got in? That’s amazing! I knew you could do it!”

The farm-girl shrugs, averting her eyes from her friends before adding, “Yeah, it’s not for sure yet though. Pa was real hopeful, but nothing’s set in stone, you know?” Still, even though she’s looking away, it’s impossible for Darcy to hide the wide smile spreading across her face.

“Okay, okay,” Hope finally sighs, stepping in between the other two satyrs and separating them. “That’s enough lovey-dovey for right now. Like Darcy said, there’s no guarantee that it’s going to pan out like that.”

“Aw, c’mon Hope, let her have this moment.”

The smallest of the trio shoots a scowl to Ace, before turning to the other girl and smiling. “I am really happy for you though, Darcy. Just a feeling a little awkward that this might be the last time all three of us are together like this.”

And just like that, the atmosphere changes.


“Shoot, you’re right,” Darcy sighs. “I mean, I knew it but somehow I wasn’t thinking about it. When you put it like that though…”

“It’s not just you. Now that I have a j-j-j,” the minty satyr chokes several times before eventually coughing out the rest of the word, “job, they’re expecting me to do more and more. I mean, I had to take a personal day just to come to the lake; how dumb is that!”

Ace listens, but remains quiet, though she knows the other girls are thinking the same thing. All through their lives, they’ve been different, set apart from both ponies, and the handful of humans who’ve made it through to Equestria. Growing up hadn’t been easy, they all faced their own challenges, but at least they had one another.

Even with a few years separating her from Hope, Ace knows that the petite girl understood what she was going through. She’d been there too, the trail-blazer, the one that every other satyr would follow behind. Darcy too, to a lesser degree, but also being the first not-earth pony in her family. When she needed help, both Hope and Darcy had been there to listen to her bawl, to comfort her, to give her strength. And now, all that is changing.

“I reckon that’s part of growing up,” the dark-haired satyr eventually says, her voice oozing with defeat. “It’s not like we could stay in Ponyville forever.”

“Well, we could,” Hope offers with a sad smile, “but it’s a pretty small corner of the world to confine ourselves to, right?”

The three girls nod and then lapse back into silence. After a moment Hope begins walking again, and the two others fall in step behind her. The hike back to the shore is thankfully brief, and by the time they arrive, a determined scowl sits on Ace’s lips.



“I don’t want things to be like this,” she declares, earning a surprised look from her friends. With a firm shake of her head, she continues. “All of this doom and gloom; this isn’t our way of handling our problems at all.”

After a moment, Hope smirks and leans forward. “I suppose not. If anything, we should be taking this chance to live it up, because after this summer, we’ll all have to meet up in Manehatten and turn that town upside down instead!”

“Heh, you girls,” Darcy smiles, shaking her head, “if my Pa knew the trouble ya’ll drag me into…”

“As if you don’t like it!” the oldest of the trio jeers. “You remember the time we hid every single one of the harnesses, just so you could get a day off one spring? Whose idea was that?”

The usually composed Darcy’s eyes go wide, and she frantically waves her hands. “Shh! I told you I don’t want that story getting around!”

With a laugh, Ace walks up and grabs both of her friends’ hands. “So, let’s agree: we’re going to make the most of this time together, all three of us.”

Hope is the first to bob her head, adding, “We’re not going to have any regrets.” Darcy seems hesitant for a moment, but then nods as well.

“Not a one. Which means I guess I’m going to prom now, so you two have to help me pick out a dress.”

“Ugh, prom,” Hope groans, rolling her eyes. “What a waste. They make a big deal out of it, how it’s all magical and everything, but in the end I had my date’s snout buried in my cleavage all night.”

“Ya sure you just didn’t go with a pervert?” Darcy grins.

“It’s kind of hard to find a date with a gentlecolt when every stallion in the school is eye level with your boobs!” the smaller satyr snaps back. As her friends burst into laughter, Hope only seems to get more irritated. “No, for real! All stallions are pervs, obsessed with sex; all they want to do is bury their faces in your chest!”


As the teasing descends on the trio once again, Ace can’t help but smile. Sure, things are about to get really weird, especially if Darcy moves to the city. Hope is already a hard girl to catch, and from the sound of it, these special days are going to be fewer as time goes on. Perhaps it is best to take what the older girl says to heart, to not leave anything on the table.

However, there’s a gentle pang of envy as Ace considers the younger satyrs coming up; how they probably won’t have to deal with these sorts of things. They’ll always have one another, while she and her friends are getting split apart. And, perhaps, the wider world will be more accepting of the half-ponies in the future. But not now, not for her, and that just doesn’t seem fair.

“By the way,” Hope smirks, turning to Ace. The winged girl is snapped out of her daze by the devious gleam in her friend’s eye. “As I recall, your hoof hit the shore last, Ace. Which means…”

Darcy chuckles and pats her stomach as Ace’s eyes widen. “That’s right. And I’m feeling mighty hungry.”

“What? That- that’s bunk! Darcy was totally the last one!”

Tutting and wiggling her index finger in the panicking girl’s direction, Hope offers a smug smile. “Those are the rules, girl.”

“And I’m hungry enough to eat a horse!” Two pairs of eyes turn towards Darcy. In the silence, she shifts between the two of them before letting her shoulders sag. “…I heard Cousin Pinkie say it once…”

“Obviously,” the two girls deadpan, before the bickering bartering begins again in earnest.

Ace knows she can’t win, but this is part of what being friends is all about. In her heart, she takes a quiet joy in the knowledge that the three of them get to spend time together like this. Unfortunately, her purse is about to be emptied. Looks like it’s about time pick up another babysitting gig.


=3=

Summer is approaching; the air itself steadily thickening with humidity, promising a night of sweet dreams as the rain rolls in. Not that it should come as any real surprise, with pegasi zipping by overhead and patterning the sky with dark, ominous clouds. Such is life in Ponyville, where even the weather is tended to with care. The idea of tough love is foreign, at least to most parents.

But not mine, Ace thinks, gritting her teeth as she glares at her father. The broad shouldered man across from her offers up a wry grin and cocks his head to the side. After a moment, he calls out, “Ace, are you done already? I can practically taste the rain, but I haven’t even broken a sweat yet!”

“As if,” the stubborn satyr snorts, offering up a shallow laugh as she brings her sword to bear. “I’m not going to go in until I land at least one good hit!”

“That’s the spirit,” her father smiles, dropping into a lower stance and hefting his much thicker blade. The sharp-eyed swoardsmare doesn’t miss the slight wince in the corner of the older man’s lip, but from the way his muscles tense she knows to keep wary of him. “Well then, don’t keep me waiting, unless you’re hoping I’ll get stiff.”

Not a bad idea, but Ace already has appointments on her schedule. It would be best to bring a close to this training session as quickly as possible.

The fiery haired girl’s steps are measured, her hooves carrying her closer towards her father. The full human’s eyes sparkle with excitement as she reaches the edge of his range and then stops, a quiet grunt of approval as the golden-legged mare sizes him up again.

“I could still take your head off from this range,” he warns, earning a playful grin from Ace.

“Yeah, but if you missed that would leave you wide open; you’ve gotten a lot more cautious in your old age, Poppa.”



“I suppose,” he sighs, “that headstrong valor’s for the young.” The human’s expression softens for a moment, and Ace prepares to spring forward. But a sudden tension in his shoulders catches her attention and she leaps upwards instead.

The blade begins to swing towards her, leaving Ace’s wings to flap furiously and keep her out of range. However, her father quickly pulls back before reaching the midpoint of his swing, earning an irritated hiss from the girl. On the ground, the human resets his feet and grins up at his glaring daughter.

“But never underestimate a good pump fake. Now quit lollygagging!”

Thrusting upwards, the human attempts to catch her off guard, but the wide wingspan of his progeny has already carried her out of the way. Once clear, Ace settles back on the ground, already feeling her back muscles tensing from the sudden acceleration. While certainly indispensable in her style of combat, flying certainly wasn’t without its drawbacks. But she could hardly be considered a slouch on the ground.

Having the presence of mind to settle in a good few paces away from her father, Ace settles into a more aggressive posture and eyes him up again. He’s a little winded from the abrupt change of direction with the feint, likely sore, and won’t be interested in repeating it. Rather, a forward attack would be more-

Sure enough, the human cuts his daughter’s thoughts short by hopping across the distance between them with only two steps, coming in with a diagonal slash down and from the right. Ace takes a half-step back and plants her hoof before using it as a pivot. The move shows her back to her father, but the measured movement keeps her out of his attack and, in continuing the motion onto her other hoof, swings her deep inside his range.



Ace hears him grunt a curse as she takes the last small step inside. His back, shoulders, and biceps bulge as he attempts to reverse his momentum, but the fiery girl clenches her fists and grins. Unwilling to waste the opportunity, Ace forgoes her weapon and settles for giving him a quick, light jab in the sternum with her fist, then watches as the human stumbles back several steps. Holding a hand to his chest, he wobbles about and supports himself with his sword for several seconds.

“Ah, blast it all,” he finally grumbles, giving an irritated huff and turning away from her. “It used to be that I’d catch you with that fake every time…”

“It’s called a feint, Poppa,” Ace laughs, bouncing over to her father and giving him a playful prod with her blunt weapon. “And you know that kind of stuff is only really effective on bigger creatures like minotaurs and dragons; small and quick targets like me don’t have to commit to momentum as easily.”

“Small, eh?” the human says with a smirk, turning back to face his daughter. He brings a hand to his head and then slides it off, as though it were on a plane. He shifts back and forth a few times, before it finally dawns on Ace what he’s doing. Her face goes hot as she takes a step forward, a frustrated tone entering into her voice.

“I-I’m still small, okay?”

Her father laughs and reaches out, grabbing Ace by the arm and pulling her into a hug. She yelps as her face bumps against his shoulder, but she very quickly finds herself falling into the familiar position she adopts when he holds her. The placement is becoming increasingly awkward; it used to be that she could lay her head against his arm without any trouble, but now she has to crane her neck to manage that. Still, the familiar sensation quickly douses her heated attitude and Ace gives a gentle sigh.

“Yeah, I know,” he finally says. “No matter what, you’re always going to be my little girl, Ace. Great job today.”



The satyr gives a noncommittal grunt, but smiles all the same. The two fighters stand together for a moment more before her father finally releases her and picks up his weapon. Ace dusts herself off, rubbing some of his sweat off her cheek as they trudge up out of the woods and towards the house.

“So, you’ve got a date this afternoon?”

“Ugh, Poppa, it’s not a date.”

“Right, right; so who’s the lucky stallion?”

Ace rolls her eyes as her father grins at her. He’s always like this, even though she’s not the least bit interested in boys, for good reason of course. On the whole, they’re either mean, nasty, oblivious, or ignorant, or sometimes even more than one. But, there was…

With a firm shake of her head, Ace knocks loose the blush threatening to cover her cheeks. Clearing her throat, she turns to her father. “Just a couple of the younger satyrs; since we’re in for a big storm, most of the pegasi are busy getting ready. I figured it would be a good opportunity to help out around town, and make a little extra money really quickly.”

“Mm,” her father nods. “That’s good thinking; the satyrs are probably itching to get some time outside before the rains come. And even your mother’s been called up to oversee some of the work as well, so I imagine there’s not a pegasus left in Ponyville who isn’t trying to make this monsoon happen.”

“Ugh, it’s not a monsoon; it’s just a steady rain that’s going to last for a few days.”

“Semantics, kiddo,” the human says with a chuckle, reaching up and giving his daughter a nudge in the back as they reach the house. “Why don’t you go ahead, get cleaned up, and then head out?”

He doesn’t need to offer twice. Within twenty minutes, Ace has scrubbed herself clean and taken to the sky, letting what’s left of the water wick away from her body in the rush of the air. Shortly thereafter, she goes to pick up the kids one-by-one. A few stops later and Ace stands on a rock, looking over her charges.


“Okay, just to be sure who we’ve got: Icarus, Maverick, Misty, Ivy and Timber, right?”

Sure enough, the satyrs respond when their name is called. Five; that’s a pretty good haul and worth at least a month’s worth of babysitting for two hours. Trying hard not to obsess over her imminent wealth, Ace grins at the younger satyrs.

“So, what shall we do first?”

Ace’s Rule #82 of Babysitting: If attending to more than two foals, don’t ask them what they want to do at once.

“Cloud busting!” Icarus and Maverick cry out, punching their fists in the air.
“Stickball!” Misty responds, with just as much exuberance as the boys.
“Mumfhuh…” Ivy mumbles unintelligibly while her brother stays quiet.

Hooboy. Putting on her best smile, Ace places her hands on her hips and tries to look thoughtful. After a moment, she lifts a finger.

“Hmm, those are all really good ideas,” she begins, watching as each face lights up, “but I don’t think we can bust clouds right now, since the pegasi are getting ready for a big storm.”

“Aw!” the rival boys groan, shooting each other rather hateful looks in the process. They’ll be a handful, that’s for sure.

“And we don’t really have enough for stickball,” she continues, watching as Misty’s shoulders sag and turns her eyes towards the ground. “Besides, I’m not sure that Ivy or Timber would be up to playing.”

The two pink-haired satyrs stay quiet, but that gives Ace the chance to move straight into her solution.

“But just because we can’t play a full game doesn’t mean we can’t have fun together! What if we have Misty hit, and then you two can show off your aerial skills while the rest of us cheer you on?”

It’s not what they wanted originally, but from the way the light comes back into the eyes of the more active satyrs, Ace can tell her suggestion is a resounding success.


Within five minutes they have a small space set up and materials gathered. Misty wiggles her rump a couple times as she settles into the ground, ball in one hand, stick in the other. The stay in place high above the field, the steady flapping of wings keeping them aloft. Ace and the brother-sister pair sit off to the side, watching intently.

There’s a pause, then Misty tosses the ball in the air, calling out, “Coming your way, Ic!” before gripping the bat tight and swinging. The stick connects with a smack, sending the ball rocketing towards the boy. While still in the shadow of the ‘fastest flier in Equestria’, Icarus does well to barehand the ball, earning a gasp of surprise from the onlookers, even Ace herself.

“Got it!” he crows, sending the ball back down to Misty. The wall-eyed girl catches it with ease, before picking her spot and tossing the ball in the air again.

“Mav! Look sharp!”

The ball shoots off into the sky again, nearly missing the blonde satyr as it zooms by him. Ace cups her hand to her mouth, ready to shout at him to pay attention when she sees a glint in the boy’s eyes. He takes off like a bolt, rocketing high into the sky and snagging the still climbing ball out of the air. With a playful lob, he tosses it back towards the ground, fixing Icarus with a smug look.

“Oh boy, here we go,” Ace sighs. Another day of one-upmanship, though it should hardly be unexpected. Misty simply shakes her head and fires off another high-fly towards Icarus.

“Those two are always at it, hm?” the older girl smiles at Ivy, who nods and continues working on steadily growing the flower crown in her fingers. Instinctively, Ace flexes her own, remembering a time not so long ago when she could move with such a delicate touch. Maybe she still could? Probably not though.

Turning her attention to the boy between them, Ace reaches out and ruffles Timber’s hair. “You look like you’re feeling better.”

“Mhmm,” the youngest of Ace’s charges smiles, bobbing his head a few times to knock her hand loose. But in spite of that, he doesn’t take his attention off the high-flying escapades of the other two satyrs. “It took a few more days, but my fever cleared up.”


“Good, good. I have to say I’m a little surprised that you’re out here with me today. Cloud duty doesn’t seem like your mother’s thing.”

“Oh, she’s not moving clouds,” Ivy says, in her mother’s familiar, somewhat uncertain tone. “The animals, they have to be kept safe; so she and our Dad are out in Whitetail.”

The sitter raises an eyebrow, but nods. “I see. I had no idea that was a job that needed to be done.”

“Mom’s great,” Timber grins, “she’s always looking out for critters big and small.”

“You’re both very lucky, to have your Momma care for you that much. And,” she adds, prodding her thumb to her chest, “to leave you with a great babysitter like me.”

Timber smiles, but Ivy raises an eyebrow. Turning her attention back to the flower ring, she responds, “Actually, I wanted Tonbo to sit for us, but Mom said that she was already booked for today.”

Tonbo? Ace feels the hackles on the back of her neck go up at the mention of the flighty, feminine, flat pegasus satyr who had been cutting in on her gigs since last fall. While there were still a few years between the two of them, the younger girl’s cool look and demeanor had made her a quick favorite on the child-care scene. Grinning through the jab, Ace decides to push the older of the two a little more.

“Oh? And why’s that?”

“Tonbo’s more feminine,” Ivy deadpans, shooting her sitter a look, making sure to linger over the larger girl’s corded body. Ace does her best to appear stoic as the girl continues. “And she’s got better maternal instincts.”

An instinctive flinch runs down the sitter’s spine as Ivy drives the bolt home. The pink-haired girl doesn’t blink as Ace languishes in the grip of her barbed words. This girl, she thinks, is ice cold.

“Aw, c’mon Ivy,” Timber groans, snapping Ace out of her funk, “Ace has been our sitter since always and she’s never done anything but be helpful.”


The older sister’s brow scrunches up a little as she looks to her sibling. Timber grins and rolls his eyes, smiling up at his sitter. Reaching out, he grabs her hand in two of his, the soft touch of his palms against her calloused ones causing her heart to begin thudding away in her chest, as Timber pushes his face closer to hers.

“I think you’re great, Ace. I don’t care how girly Tonbo is; you’re just as caring, maybe even moreso!”

Ah, now the pounding is in between her ears, flooding her face, her ears, and even her brain with a redness that’s absolutely impossible to hide. Timber’s smile widens as Ace sputters, struggling to spit out some kind of response. His eager face moves even closer, closer, close enough that the older girl forgets to breathe for fear of blowing him away. Until-

A dull thud draws Ace’s attention away from the boy encroaching on her space. Timber sputters as he gets a mouthful of cinnamon-scented hair, falling back against his sister. The ball rolls to a stop near the golden legged satyr’s hooves, and a quick look up confirms that the two flying boys are the ones responsible. Icarus, in particular, looks a little perturbed.

“Ace!” Maverick cries out. “Ace, you have to watch us, okay? Ic and I have worked out this totally awesome trick, right?” The boy gives his friend/rival a grin, and after a moment the satyr nods.

“Right. Mav and I figured this out, so, can we show you?”

A hopeful smile dances across his lips, enough to make Ace’s heart melt. With a firm nod, she gets up and tosses the ball to the waiting Misty.

“Sure, show me what you got!”

“Hey, wait!” Timber shouts, jumping up. “I-I want to try too!”

Icarus flinches, but Maverick grins wide and waves him up. “Well come on then!”


Really? Timber? A warm smile spreads across Ace’s lips, but as he turns to the youngest of the bunch, she sees the siblings engaged in a quiet back-and-forth. Ivy looks none too happy that her brother is going off with the other boys, but eventually Timber pulls away. With a few firm flaps, he takes to the air and settles in, sitting a few lengths lower than the other two.

As Misty hits him his first ball, Ace watches intently. He bobbles it a few times, but eventually takes hold and tosses it back to the ground. Misty calls out to the other two boys and they get ready. Right before she hits it however, Ace feels a tugging on her sleeve. Ivy gives her a sidelong look.

“I…” she gulps, “I don’t like what you’re doing to Timber.”

“I’m not doing anything,” Ace deadpans, only half watching as Icarus and Maverick compete for the ball in long, lazy loops. “I’m his babysitter.”

The tension swells between the two satyrs for several seconds before Ivy responds. “He really likes you.” Ace glances down at the pink-haired girl, who is now giving the muscular sitter her full attention with a dark glare. “I don’t like that he likes you.”

Despite the physical difference between the two of them, Ace shivers. This girl is ice cold. Or perhaps it’s the sudden cool summer wind that picks up, sending Misty’s ball to Timber off course. He scrambles to run it down, and all three airborne satyrs are quick to return to the earth.

“It looks like they’re getting ready to turn on the rain pretty soon.” Ace sighs, grateful for the chance to defuse the situation. Waving her hand over her head, she calls to the other four satyrs, “All right! Huddle up, because we’re headed home!”


In the end, things weren’t too bad. Ivy might have thrown Ace off her game a little, but the young girl had to admit that the pink-haired satyr wasn’t especially intimidating outside of her attitude. Icarus and Maverick had been well behaved, at least as much as she could expect, and Misty had really gotten to show off her swing. That girl was going to go far.

As Ace lays sprawled out on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, she listens to the heavy sound of rain pounding against the roof. It sends shivers down her spine, and gradually pulls her eyelids down into the pleasant, heavy haze of sleep. But one thing still breaks through, taunting and pulling on her heartstrings her even as she drifts off to sleep.

A pair of intense, bright blue-green eyes, staring up at her: holding all the trust and child-like love in the world.


=4=

The sun peeks over the tree line of the Everfree, a slow, reddish-golden glow growing forth across the sleepy town of Ponyville. Even still, there are dull thuds and quiet sounds of groaning labor at the farms, as the early risers of the town set about their morning chores. Still, outside of the usual, only a few ponies wake up before the sun has cleared the forest. Spitfire is one of these ponies.

And so is her daughter.

“Eyes up, Ace!” the fiery pegasus roars, earning a grimace from the winged girl. The halfing shoots a glance towards the mare, her feathery wings flapping as she flies in place with a smirk and a whistle between her lips. Ace tenses as she sees Spitfire’s barrel expand and-

At the shrill sound of the whistle, the satyr grits her teeth and flexes her back muscles. In the following instant her wings respond and she rises up towards the sky. Another flex and she goes higher still, until she passes her still smirking mother. Up, up, into the sky, surrounded by a murky mix of purple and gold as day and night push back against one another.

Ace very nearly has time to comment that she’s high enough to see Sweet Apple Acres on the other side of town when the whistle blows again. Flipping her body around nearly one hundred and eighty degrees, the red-headed girl rockets towards the ground like a missile. The dive causes the air rushing by her to tug at her cheeks and sting her eyes, nearly blinding her. The clods of grit and dirt loom menacingly as she approaches, and only the faintest sound of the whistle causes her wings to unfurl scant seconds before she hits the ground.


The change in direction is a strain on her wings, and Ace wobbles slightly as she glides parallel to the ground, but the loud whoop from her mother lets the satyr know that she has nothing to fear. She carries on for a short distance more, decelerating to a reasonable speed before her hooves hit the ground. A quick three steps to lose the rest of her speed, and Ace finally brings herself to a stop. Wiping her sleeve against her forehead, she turns back to her mother.

“Momma!” she waves, unable to hide her excited grin. “How was that?”

A blazing blur drops down beside the girl, Spitfire pulling up short and grabbing Ace’s cheeks between her hooves. The smile on her face gives the rising sun a run for its money.

“As if you even need to ask; you were outstanding!” A delighted laugh escapes the pegasus’ throat as she pulls her daughter into a hug, burying the satyr’s face in her fluffy chest, running her hoof along the back of the girl’s head. “Ah, lilla gumman, when did you get so good at flying?”

The girl giggles, basking in the slightly musky scent of her mother for a moment before pulling her face free and smiling. “My Momma taught me everything that I know; why wouldn’t I live up to my name?”

“Cheeky,” Spitfire says with a chuckle, releasing the girl and looking towards the sunrise. After a moment, she gives a gentle sigh and drops to the ground. “Well, I suppose that’s enough exercise for this morning. If we don’t hurry up, your Poppa will start to worry.”

Ace rolls her eyes but smiles and nods all the same, and the two begin the trot back to the house. All the while, Spitfire struggles to contain her excitement, prancing around her taller daughter with a grin.

“You put on a show you put on this morning though; thirty lifts and dives in thirtt minutes? Your wings must be aching.”


“A little,” the satyr admits, though it’s only a half-truth. In reality, the feathery appendages are all but roaring from the strain, and her back and shoulders are faring little better. She makes a show of flexing them all the same, and gives her mother a self-assured smile. “But it’s nothing that I can’t handle.”

“That’s my girl.” Spitfire’s laugh rings through the morning air. “Skilled as a pegasus in the air, but strong enough to put any workpony to shame.”

Ace’s cheeks color at her mother’s praise, the mare obviously overestimating how strong earth ponies actually are. Not that the girl would move to correct her of course. Still, with the compliments still lingering in the air, now seems as good a time as any to ask the pressing question. With a gulp, Ace turns to the prancing Spitfire.

“Momma?” she asks, trying to sound casual. It doesn’t work, as the mare’s smile immediately falls into a mildly serious frown.

“What is it? Is everything okay?”

“E-everything’s fine!” Argh! How does she do that!? Ace gives a derisive snort, trying to collect her wits and squelch the sudden rush of butterflies in her stomach. After all, she’ll need to be in top form to ask this question. With a deep breath, she turns to her mother and tries again. “I was just wondering if, this summer, I could take the Wonderbolt placement exam.”

“Hm?”

Ace gulps as she locks eyes with her mother. Hm? Hm? What exactly is ‘Hm’ supposed to mean? Her heart thuds away in her chest as Spitfire’s muzzle scrunches up a little, her frown deepening further.

“Ace, sweetie, don’t you think it’s a little early for that?” What? No. No, no, no. This isn’t going according to plan at all! The satyr’s brain begins firing on all cylinders as she wrestles with how to make her argument while her mother continues. “We agreed that you could try after graduation, so you’ve still got school ahead of you; there’s plenty of time to-”


There it is! “But you joined the Wonderbolts when you were my age; you were even a regular, so I’m already behind!”

“It’s not a race, Ace.” The humor of the statement is lost on both of them as Spitfire sets her hooves onto the ground and Ace bites back a grin. Undoubtedly she’d scored a hit with that one, but now it was time to see how her mother would react. There’s a lengthy pause, and then the mare smiles.

“Well, that’s true.” Yes! Score one for the satyrs! “But it’s also true that I spent a lot of time outside of Equestria proper for many, many years. The Wonderbolts are a much bigger organization than just performance fliers, and you really have to show your chops before they’ll let you on the traveling team.”

As her mother continues, Ace’s face begins to droop. When she can finally get a word in edgewise, the best she can manage is a simple, “But-”

“It was different for me,” Spitfire cuts her off with a gentle smile. “I was just a little filly from a nowhere town across the sea; the Wonderbolts were my way to leave home and make it to Equestria. But you’re already here; you’ve got connections to the former and current Captains, and your training is worlds beyond anything I could have hoped to experience growing up. Ace, you don’t need to rush.”

The girl gives a quiet huff, her shoulders slouching as she kicks up a bit of dirt with her hoof. Logically, her mother was right; Ace didn’t have to worry about being part of some foreign community where the only options for living were working the fields, moving the clouds, cooking, cleaning, and having lots of foals or trying to make it in Equestria. Still, she didn’t have to like the idea of being held back, by her own mother no less!

“But Momma,” she says with an almost whine, “what if I want to be a Wonderbolt? More than anything?”


Spitfire purses her lips for a moment and then looks up at her daughter. “If that’s the case, I want you to give up training with your Poppa.” Ace freezes, her mouth dropping open as her mother continues. “Today, when we get back to the house, tell him you want to focus solely on flying for the rest of your life.”

A chill rolls down Ace’s spine as she stares into her mother’s eyes. She isn’t sure if her tumbling tummy is the result of the statement, or the absolute sincerity in the mare’s eyes. With a gulp, the girl attempts to mount a counter offensive. “I-isn’t that a little, abrupt?”

“Your father’s a grown stallion-” she pauses and then laughs, “man. He’s used to the ups and downs of life, to the successes and disappointments. If anything, he’ll be happy that you’ve decided to devote your life to something as worthwhile as flying.” The mare pauses again, before fixing her daughter with a serious look. “But if you continue to spend time training your body with him, that’s less time that I can turn you into a lean, mean, flying machine. In fact, you’ll have to work twice as hard with me to keep an aerodynamic shape.”

Ace puffs out her cheeks and scowls. “So, no more sword training?”

“Or babysitting.”

What?

“Or weekend excursions with Lyra, Darcy, or any of the other girls.”

WHAT? Ace’s jaw drops fully this time, her eyes threatening to bulge out of her head. Spitfire offers a wry grin and flaps her wings a few times, bringing her high enough to shut her daughter’s mouth with a raise of her hoof.

“Becoming a Wonderbolt isn’t easy Ace, especially when you’re built strong, like you are. It’s not that you aren’t fast, or sleek enough, but you’ll make smaller gains and have to work harder to maintain what other ponies will seem to have naturally. And, your look might be a bit of a hard sell.”


The hair on the back of Ace’s neck stands on end as she scowls at the ground. “You mean because I’m a satyr.”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” her mother says quite bluntly, though there’s a note of tenderness in it. Chancing a glance into her eyes, Ace trembles a little as she sees the morning light in Spitfire’s gaze. “You’re a wonderfully special girl, Ace; you’re my treasure and your father’s too. But you know that some ponies aren’t ready for someone who is as spectacularly different as you.”

Ace scowls. She sulks. She pouts. And then she sighs. Spitfire leans forward and plants a kiss on her forehead. Her daughter grumbles a series of half-words and gives a frustrated sniff as the pegasus pulls her back in for another hug.

“It’s not a bad choice, or even a bad way to live; but you’ll miss out on a lot if you do. I was lucky to find your Poppa, so I don’t want you to feel like you’re stuck being alone forever, Ace.”

“Yeah, well,” the girl huffs, getting a snout-full of her mother’s scent, “maybe I like being alone.”

That’s a lie. And somehow her mother manages to see right through it by holding her larger daughter even closer still. Ace gulps back an unexpected swelling of tears and hugs the pegasus mare back. The two stand like that for several seconds more before a clanging sound rings out several times in quick succession.


“Hey! What are you two doing out there?” Ace’s father calls out to them. The girl peeks out and sees the man smiling, a wooden spoon in one hand and a pot in the other. Despite the sunken feeling in her stomach, she can’t help but smile back as he brings the spoon wielding hand to cup around his mouth. “Breakfast has been on for five minutes already, and I’ve got my hands full in here!”

“Come on,” Spitfire says with a laugh, flapping off towards the house. Ace watches from a distance, seeing her parents exchange an eskimo kiss at the door before Spitfire flutters inside. Cocking his hand on his hip, her father turns back to her with an expectant raise of the eyebrow.

“What are you waiting for, champ? If I remember right, you’ve got a full schedule of watching little monsters today. Get in here and eat!”

“Yeah, I’m coming.” The girl rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Her parents could be really harsh sometimes. And embarrassing. And weird. They didn’t pull any punches. But they are hers all the same. And besides, the summer is only just starting; if she really wants, she can take her mother up on the offer any time she pleases. It’s not like she doesn’t love flying.

It’s just letting go of everything else that’s difficult.