The walk home was dull and quiet, to put it simply. Realizing that he was still in trouble, Tempestive started actively moping about. Head held low, slow walk, a slight frown on his face, it would bring a lesser pony to their knees from adorable sadness. Sadly, for him, I'm his mother, so I know it'll pass. As soon as we get home he goes straight to his room without saying a word.

I head to the kitchen and set my bags on the counter, glad to be home after a long morning of waiting in line. After a little stretch I begin to unpack all of the groceries and put them away while cleaning the plates from breakfast. I know being at home all of the time is starting to get to Tempestive. He wants friends and his own adventures. Listening to Miles talk about his school days doesn't help either-

RING RING RING RING

I jump a little when my phone begins to ring but answer it quickly.

"Did you know apes give themselves cutie marks?" Miles says from the other end, confusing me slightly.

"Uh... yeah. But aren't they-"

"Tattoos basically, yeah... anyway, HI! How're things back on the front lines?" Miles asks, chuckling a bit.

"The war goes well, but the battles are long are arduous," I respond, making us both chuckle.

"What happened this time?"

"Nothing big, but it has large roots," I say, knowing he'll understand.

"I'm telling you, next semester we should enroll him at Ponyville Elementary-"

"You're the one teaching him Trogi-...triga.... super smart math!" I defend, putting away the last grocery. I turn my partial attention to the remaining dishes.

"And you're the one teaching him everything there is to know about history-"

"History is important!" I snap back, making him laugh more. "Honestly though, Miles, you know that's a huge risk we run."

"I know. It's already hard enough to make him wear that damned vest when we go out-"

"Imagine him at school then. What if it ripped and came off?"

"We're eventually going to have to have that talk, Luna. He's getting to that age-"

"Shut up. He'll be my baby forever. No exceptions," I cut him off, making him scoff.

"Yeah, but in all seriousness I think it's time we started putting him out in the real world, Luna. He needs get out of the house and live. It's too safe at home-"

"Miles Eremita, you know just as well as I do that that is a lie. We live in Ponyville, Hun, we're still the chaos capitol of the world," I tell him, moving to dry the dishes.

"Given. Anyway, let me talk with him. Did he finish his homework?" I roll my eyes at that.

"What do you expect?"

"Well, if we're going off of history, he's probably skipped ahead four chapters. Am I right?"

"Eeeeyup," I mimic, making him laugh. "How do we punish overachieving?"

"Fuck that noise. Give him the weekend off. Let him go hang out with Rampant or something." I sigh in irritation from that, getting his attention. "Oh... right. Well... get ready for an extremely bored Tempestive then, cause I got nothin'. Let me talk to him."

"Alright, hold on." I set my last dish down and head up towards Tempestive's room. I knock before opening the door, finding it hard to do with all of the junk in the way. Toys, clothing, even random pieces of nature clutter up most of his room with one exception. A pathway leading to his bed and then to the bathroom remains clutter free, mainly from use. Two lumps lay under the disheveled bed sheets, one being Tempestive, the other undoubtedly being Lupus. "Honey, Dad's on the phone."

"Dad?" Tempestive pops up from the lump at the foot of the bed runs over to me, taking my phone in his magical grasp. "Hello? Hi Dad! Good. Uh-huh. Chapter twelve.... Because I got bored. Good.... no... no... okay, maybe." I shake my head and head back downstairs to finish my chores.

The two of them end up talking for a couple of hours, giving me plenty of time to get things straightened up around the house. I'm sure they're just catching up with each other, so I have no problems with it. Once I finish with my remedial chores, I lay on the couch and start to read a magazine to pass the time. After a bit of reading, Shadow makes it home, looking exhausted.

"Everything okay?" I ask her as she plops into the recliner.

"Well, I spent most of my day avoiding a colt that may or may not have a crush on me. Then I ran all over town because I thought he was trying to follow me, but it ended up being Scootaloo," She tells me bluntly.

"Well... that was forward," I say, getting a chuckle from her as she continues to stare forward. "Is this colt bothering you?"

"No... well, not intentionally," she tells me.

"Okay then. So why were you running from him?"

"... I don't know... Is it okay if the girls come over?" she asks distantly.

"Uh... sure. Have you had lunch yet?" I ask concerned.

"Yeah... school... I'm sorry, I need to lay down," she tells me as she gets up.

"Swing by Tempestive's room first; your father is on the phone," I tell her, getting a nod in return. One thing I love about Shadow, she's too shy to get into trouble with colts. I'm not entirely sure how to deal with that, so thank you, Shadow.

With a few hours left before I have to head over to Canterlot, I decide to get started on prepping lunch for the kids. These eight-hour shifts Celestia and I agreed on are a life saver for me. I think I would have gone insane with boredom by this point if it wasn't for them. And it helps me keep in touch with what's going on in the world. A bit hypocritical now that I think about it. I get to leave, but Tempestive has to stay inside. Then again, I'm leaving to work, not play.

I actually really like this whole new arrangement. Now I never have to lower the moon. In the evening I raise the moon and lower the sun, while in the morning Celestia raises the sun and lowers the moon. We agreed on this so I could spend more time with my son, but now I never have to say goodbye to the moon. A little something I thought I'd dislike, but fully enjoy. The scheduling is still a little strange, but it beats being nocturnal I guess.

"Here you go," Shadow says, bringing me back to reality. I thank her and take the phone, pressing it to my ear as she heads back to her room.

"So what's going on with you?" Miles asks.

"Me? Nothing really, why?" I ask suspiciously while chopping vegetables and setting a pot of water onto the stove to boil.

"I've been gone for two months, Luna. How are you holding up?" he asks seriously.

"Well..." I pause to check if the coast is clear. I hear Shadow walking upstairs, telling me she's out of earshot. "It's been rough."

"I should be able to make it home within a few weeks. It won't be for long, but it's better than nothing," he consoles.

"Good, because hooves are no replacement for... you know," I tell him, blushing slightly. I move onto the rice bag and levitate a portion out, putting it into the boiling water. I lean against the counter and wait for it to finish.

"Good for what?" he asks smugly.

"Anyway, I had to spend a weekend in Canterlot last month to avoid Tempestive. Also, ends up the halls in my tower echo-"

"HA! Really!?" Miles laughs.

"Watch it, buddy. You're on thin ice right now," I warn him. "Do you think you can make it back around the twentieth?"

"Oh this month? No. Not even a chance. Next month... probably. We have the citizens meeting on the first, but that's nowhere near close enough now is it?" I bite my lip as I think about it. It's now within two weeks of my heat. "By the way, did you happen to explain Tempestive why you were gone?"

"No, that's your job. If we end up having a filly eventually, then I'll do it,” I tell him flatly.

"So you want another one then?" he asks smugly.

"No, well, not right now at least... maybe. I don't know," I groan as I sit on the floor. "Tempestive and Shadow are already a hoof full, I couldn't imagine bringing in another foal. Maybe in a year or so when Tempestive is older and more understanding."

"One year, got it-"

"That was a maybe-"

"I'll be sure to be there in one year. Think fertile thoughts until then. We still need to hit our quota of twelve kids-"

"I'm maxing out at three and I don't care what you say," I tell him sternly.

"Twenty, got it. Now, are you going to finally send me that picture?" my blush grows tenfold when he asks this. Ever since I've learned to use this phone he's been practically begging for me to send him a picture of my... privates.

"Miles! Tempestive goes through our phones!" I yell at him in a hushed voice, ducking slightly for some reason.

"So? Just delete it on your end and I'll put a password on my end. Just do it really quick while no one is looking." I look around in a panic and turn towards the pot, still blushing.

"I'm not sending you a picture of flanks!"

"Take a pussy shot then-"

"Or that!"

"Tits?"

"No! Miles!"

"What? We've been separated for two months now. Cut me some slack," he defends nonchalantly. I look around the room again to confirm that I'm alone at the moment. I'm not going to send him a picture of that, ever, but maybe I can do something else to trick him so he'll stop asking.

"Hold on." I tell him. I can practically hear his eagerness from the other side, despite his lack of a response. I can feel my blush intensify as I look throughout the room and try to think of provocative things to do with various objects. Carrots, no too easy. Blueberries, no too small. Tempestive, no- "GAH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"What? I'm just getting a snack. What are you doing?" he asks innocently. I try to think of an answer, but instead just scoop him up and kiss his cheek, taking the picture quickly. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?"

"Annnnnd send," I say aloud as Tempestive drags his face over the floor. "Oh don't be over dramatic-"

"I just washed my face of your germs! Now I have to do it all over! Why did you do that!?" he demands, still rubbing his face on the floor. Apparently my lips are dirtier than the floor.

"Because you're my son and I love you," I tease him, walking after him. He quickens his pace to avoid me, so I lift him up with my magic. He continues to try and run midair, so I bring him over and hug him tightly while peppering his face with kisses.

"MOOOOOAAM! STOP!" he yells as he tries to wiggle out of my grasp. "SOMEPONY SAVE ME! SHE'S GONE CRAZY WITH EMOTIONS AGAIN!"

"Okay, I had my fill," I tell him with one final kiss to the cheek. I set him on the ground before me and ruffle his mane a bit, laughing at his disgruntled look. "Thou may go now."

"Thou's not even a word," he grumbles as he leaves the room. I laugh a little more at him before returning to the phone.

"He's right you know. Thou is not a word," Miles tells.

"It is too a word. Now, here's your picture," I tell him as I send the picture.

"... good enough for me... I guess. Alright, I have to get going now. I'll call again as soon as possible. Love you."

"Love you too, stay safe," I tell him, feeling my heart twinge a bit. He hangs up before saying anything further, making me worry slightly. I hate it when he doesn't promise to be safe. I know it's a lot to ask for given the circumstances he's in, but I'd appreciate the reassurance at least.

"Mom," Tempestive says from the stairs, looking nervous. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?" I ask him, trying to mask my own concern. He steps out a bit further and keeps his gaze on his hooves.

"You looked really sad a moment ago. Was that because of me?" he asks, glancing up at me.

"What? No, sweetie. I promise you, you have done nothing wrong. It's just... the bad ponies Dad is... investigating, are keeping him busy. And I miss him dearly," I tell him softly, motioning for him to come closer.

"I miss him too. When is he coming home?" he asks while taking a seat beside me. I glance over to the food and turn the heat off, letting it simmer.

"Soon, hopefully. We'll at least be able to see him at the next citizens meeting for sure," I tell him, ruffling his mane and getting a soft smile in return.

"In the meantime, can some friends come over? Pleeeeeeease?" he begs, putting on his best puppy face possible. I think it over for a second before getting an idea.

"If you can get their mothers to say yes, then okay. But just for tonight, okay?"

"Okay, GUYS SHE SAID YES!" he yells to the living room, dropping his little act. From the living room enter Rampant Growth and Jet Spectrum, the two of them wearing smug little smiles. "Let’s go to my room!" he yells, running past them quickly.

"Thanks for letting us come over, mama Luna!" Jet yells to me before running off.

"Yeah, also, what time will dinner be? Cause, I'm kind of hungry and would like to eat... is that rice? Never mind. Not hungry," Rampant rambles before running after the other two.

Did... did I just get played by a six-year-old?

---

I close the door to my room after everypony runs in and take a seat at my desk. Jet flies over to my bed and begins bouncing on it while Rampant starts digging through the stuff on the floor, looking for something.

"Why is your room so dirty?" he asks irritably, tossing junk one way or the other.

"I'll clean it eventually," I defend.

"No... you... won't," Jet says between bounces.

"Yeah, I won't. Anyway, what's on the agenda today?" I ask excitedly. Rampant stops his search for a moment before kicking over a toy, then smiles when he finds what he's looking for. He grabs whatever it is and pulls on it, making an isle pop up from underneath the layer of junk. Huh... so that's where that went.

"Okay, operation 'Get Tempestive a Cutie' is back on track!" Rampant announces proudly as he steps his way to the front of the isle. "As we all know, attempts one through four-forty-six have failed miserably. So now it's back to the drawing board!"

"Have... we... tried... bouncing?" Jet asks before landing on Lupus, getting an irritated growl from him. "He's not going to eat me... is he?"

"Lupus? Nah. He couldn't hurt a fly, even if he wanted too! He's too old," I tell him, watching Lupus move to the other side of the bed and curl back into a ball, letting out a little sigh as he does so.

"We tried bouncing back when the circus came into town, remember? The trampolines and elephants and the fire-"

"Those poor carnies," Jet says mournfully, looking down.

"Think they'll ever come back?" I ask.

"Maybe after they buy a new tent," Jet says with a shrug, still looking down.

"Come on guys, and you at least try to pretend to help? I'd think you'd be a little more enthusis... enthusiash... excited about getting a cutie mark Temp!" Rampant stumbles through.

"... meh. In all honesty, I don't really care about getting my cutie mark. I get that they’re important and stuff, but I find it more fun attempting to earn one."

"... Tempestive…," Rampant groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose while shaking his head. "You'll never become a stallion if you don't get your cutie mark."

"That's not true-"

"Prove me wrong," Rampant says smugly. I stop and try to think of a stallion who doesn't have a cutie mark... but can't. I know ponies who had to wait a long time for theirs. But, that doesn't help my argument. "Thought so. Now, back to business. We need fresh, new ideas if we're going to get anywhere-"

"Well, we know it's not flying," Jet says proudly, glancing down to his cutie mark: a rainbow breaking the sound barrier. I look over to Rampant's cutie mark; an apple tree with blue apples made of gems, and wonder what it could mean. He's never told anypony how it got it or what it means. Every time I try and ask him about it, he just says nnnope and walks away.

"I got it! Lion taming!" Rampant says excitedly.

"Done it," I groan while leaning back in my chair. "Remember? Back at Fluttershy's?"

"Oh yeah... hmm..."

"What about... wolf training?" Jet asks, getting us all to look to Lupus. His ears perk up as his eyes open up and move about the room, glancing to all of us.

"Well... Lupus does listen to me pretty well," I add, waiting for Rampant. He's rubbing his chin while staring down Lupus, calculating to himself.

"What about Hati? Does she listen to you as well?" Jet asks.

"Mostly. She listens to Mom more though-"

"Because we haven't tried it enough yet, of course! It's perfect!" Rampant yells in triumph. "How could we have not seen this before! It was so obvious! C'mon, let's go out back and try it now!" Jet and I get excited from his enthusiasm and jump into the air, high hoofing. We look down and wait for Rampant to shed his yellow vest before joining in on our bro-hoof.

We all take off for the back yard, slamming the door open as we all charge through. Together we glide down the stairs and skid to a stop at the bottom. We pause for a moment to wait for Lupus to come trotting after us, a bemused look upon his face. With him in tow, we head out towards the back door.

"Slow it down, you three," Mom chides us as we run past her. "And lunch will be ready soon so don't go far!"

"Kay, Mom!" I yell back to her when we make it out back. Once we make it out back I stand before Lupus and try to think of something to train him to do.

"Oh! Make him do a back flip!" Jet starts out, jumping in place from excitement. "Or climb a tree! No, no! Train him to fight Ursas and hydras and Nagas and-"

"How about we start with sitting," Rampant drones.

"Oh... yeah, sure. Kind of boring but... sure." Jet deflates a bit, but continues to watch excitedly. I roll my shoulders and stretch my wings a bit, hyping myself for the exciting world of wolf training.

"Lupus.... SIT!" I yell at him.

...

"I said SIT!"

...

"SIT!" He yawns and lays down before me, ticking into a ball. "No Lupus, sit not lay down."

"It doesn't seem to be working," Jet complains.

"Sit up Lupus!"

"Give it a bit Jet, we only just started," Rampant defends.

"Lupus, SIT! UP!"

"There's no way we're going to get that wolf to sit up, let's just cut our losses and move on already."

"C'mon Lupus, sit up! Sit! UP! LUPUS!"

"Hmm... hold on... I think I've got it!" Rampant announces, getting me to stop yelling at Lupus. "My aunt is always saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Lupus is probably too old to teach new tricks, so that means we're going to have to wolf puppies in order to teach them anything."

"That actually make a lot of sense, though I guess it would if it wasn't coming from you," Jet says, making me snicker.

"Look, if we're going to do this wolf training we're going to need young wolves. And I only know of one place to go to get young wolves," he says with a determined look as he steps forward. We move alongside him and stare into the dense forest ahead of us.

"The Everfree?" I ask nervously.

"Eeyup."

"Isn't it supposed to be off limits?" Jet asks.

"Eeyup."

"How do you even know we're going to find any wolves in there?"

"We'll never know without going in there. Once your mom leaves for work today we'll do a little reconnaissance and do our major trek in during the weekend. Sound good?" Rampant asks with that tone of voice.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" I ask.

"Am I supposed to understand that word?" he replies.

"Boys! Lunch!" Mom yells from behind. "Hurry up or it'll get cold."

Next Chapter: Chapter 203 Easy Mystery Estimated time remaining: 27 Hours, 48 Minutes