Ready...

Aim...

And...

FIRE!!!

I stifle a giggle as the Cheerio bounces off of Flutters' nose, and falls into her milk with a plop. She panics at the sudden noise, and jumps out of her chair, letting out a squeal of utter terror as she dives behind the couch. I burst out laughing, and almost fall out of my chair.

"Lyra, don't throw your food," I hear Daddy scold.

"I'm sorry," I respond, still giggling a bit as I eat the rest of my Cheerios. I look up to see that Flutters is in Daddy's arms. As I see the petrified look on her face as she stares down at her bowl, I can't help but laugh again. "Okay, I lied, I'm not sorry. That was worth it."

Daddy gives me a frown, and I stop laughing immediately. I don't wanna make Daddy mad...

"Sweetheart, there's nothing to be afraid of. It was just your sister throwing a Cheerio." Flutters dips her hoof into the bowl, and pulls away, hiding behind her pink hair as she stairs at it. Once she's sure that it's safe, she-

Plop.

She jumps and runs again, and I squeal in laughter, one Cheerio short.

"Lyra! I thought I said not to throw your food!" I stop laughing as I Fluttershy starting to cry. "Now look what you've done...you're in trouble, little lady."

I pout as I stare down at my bowl.

"You're in trouble, you're in trouble~..."

I glare at Scratchy, and she immediately stops taunting me. A few of my siblings snicker, but the return of a cautious yet happy Flutters silences them as Daddy looks around at us. He looks at my empty bowl, and immediately picks me up.

"So, you're done?" He asks as he brings my bowl into the kitchen. I nod, and he places me on the counter. I look away from him in embarrassment.

"Now, do you know why you're in trouble, sweety?" He asks.

"Because I didn't listen to you and threw something at Fluttershy..."

He nods. "Exactly. Do you promise to be nicer from now on?"

"Yes..."

"Good," he responds. He immediately picks me up, and kisses me on the forehead. "Now, let's get you ready for going outside."

I look up at him in surprise. "You're not angry?" I ask.

"Of course not," he responds, smiling down at me. "Just don't do that again, alright?"

I nod, smiling as I wrap my forelegs around his neck. He pauses as he hugs me back.

"You're the best," I announce with a grin.

"And so are you," he responds. "Let's go get you ready."

I nod, and he carries me to the backyard door. He quickly puts a bit of bug spray on me, puts a new diaper for playing in the dirt on me, and then pulls a shirt over my head.

"There," he whispers. "Now, for your little hoofsies..." He puts some little boots that he sewed himself on my hooves, and I smile at the design: he had each of us draw a design for our own hoof boots on a piece of paper, and mine is the color of my fur striped with the color of my hair. I don't know what the name of those colors are, though. But I found the ones that looked the closest in the crayon box. Couldn't read the names, though: the letters weren't big enough.

"So, just wait here, and I'll-"

He's interrupted by a loud clattering noise, and a chorus of laughter. Then there's another clatter, and the crying starts. I expect him to sigh: Uncle Charles always does whenever there's trouble. However, all he does is give a little playful smile as he darts off to deal with whatever's going on. I follow him, and watch as he picks up Jacky's bowl off of the floor, then picks up Dashie's, and, turning the bowls upside down, puts them on both of their heads.

"If you didn't want to eat from them, you could've just asked for hats," Daddy announces. Jacky giggles, and Dashie stops crying as she giggles, too. Daddy picks them both up, and brings the into the kitchen. I hide behind the wall as he scolds and cleans them.

"So, who did what first?"

"I knocked down Apples' bowl," Dashie immediately announces. I don't know why, but when Daddy scolds here she immediately loosens up. "And then Apple hit my bowl for rev...uh...for getting back at me."

Daddy smiles, and makes them promise to be nice to each other. They do, and Daddy quickly washes off their hair before picking up a sponge to get up the milk. Then he comes back in, and I return of the backyard door.

"Let's get you two into your outdoor wear," Daddy announces. I watch as he changes them, and make a mental note to observe Big Mac: I want to know if boys are different there.

Once Daddy's done with everything, I look at Jacky and Dashie's boots.

Jacky has orange boots with bits of yellow, green, and red in them, and they look nice. She chose yellow green and red because apples are her favorite snacks.

Rainbow Dash has a mess of colors on her boots, and they match her mane: rainbow-styled and crazy.

"You guys wait here," Daddy announces. "I'll go get everyone else."

We nod, and begin to play. We all take stances at different spots, and throw out our hooves.

"Go, Electrike!" I shout. "I like Electrike because it's cute!"

"Go, Ho-Oh!" Dashie cries. "I like Ho-Oh because it leaves my hair behind!"

"Go, Hitmonlee!" Jacky shouts. "I like Hitmonlee 'cus it's strong!"

We all stare at each other, and I make the first move. "Electrike, use Thunder Wave on Ho-Oh! It's super effective - Ho-Oh fainted!"

"Hey! No fair!" Rainbow Dash shouts. "Ho-Oh's a legendary!"

"So? Electrike can still do massive damage if it's level one hundred!"

Dashie sighs. "Fine, next Pokémon..." She reels back her foreleg, then throws it outward. "Go, Hercules!"

"Hercules isn't a Pokémon, stupid," Jacky mutters.

"So? This is imagination! We can do whatever we want!"

"Fine, then!" I shout. "Then come back, Electrike! Go, Mary Poppins!"

"Not fair!" Jacky protests. "I want a good character, too! Come back, Hitmonlee! Go, uh..." She pauses, and thinks for a moment before sending out a character. "Go, Beast! Y'know, from Beauty and the Beast?"

"Well, duh," Dashie responds. "That's obvious, stupid."

"Hey! Don't call me stupid! Beast, bite Hercules' face off! Hercules fainted!"

"Nuh-uh! Hercules is a god! He can't die!"

I grin as I finish charging. "Solar Beam is charged! Use Solar Beam and Hyper Beam at the same time! Beast and Hercules fainted!"

Both Jacky and Dashie are about to argue, but after a moment, they both nod. "Yeah, Hyper Beam with Solar Beam could make anything faint," Dashie admits. "You win."

"Yes!" I shout.

"But I still have one more!" Dashie cries, grinning at me. "Go, me!" She steps into the center, and takes a fighting stance.

"And me, too!" Jacky shouts.

"And me!" I shout.

"Cut!"

"Tackle!"

"Hi Jump Kick!"

"Fly! Rainbow Dash flew up into the air!"

"Sing! Jacky fell asleep!"

"Jacky ate a Chesto Berry!"

"Rainbow Dash used fly!"

I'm knocked aside by the Pegasus as she comes down and hits me. "Ow!" I shout, holding the side of my head as pain sears my face. "That hurt!" I sniffle as I start to cry.

"Oh-sorry," Dashie immediately says. "I'm really sorry!" She shouts, sitting down in front of me with pleading eyes. "Please don't cry...please, I'll get in trouble!"

I can't stop it. I begin to cry, because...it hurts!

"Daddy!" I shout.

Daddy rushes in with two ponies in his arms: Ti-Ti and Scratchy. He sets them down as he picks me up, and I keep crying.

"Oh, sweetheart, what happened?" Daddy whispers to comfort me. "Are you okay? You've got a big bump on your head, baby!"

"Dashie hit me!"

"No I didn't!" Dashie shouts. "It was just a tap, you big baby!"

"Rainbow Dash, did you hit her or not!?" Daddy demands as he kisses the side of my head.

"Yes, Daddy..." Dashie mutters. She's afraid of Daddy when he gets angry. I am, too.

"Are you okay?" Daddy whispers. I nod, and he puts me down before picking up Dashie, and bringing her into the kitchen. Again. I follow, and watch as he scolds her.

"I told you before: we don't hit!"

"But I was just playing!"

"But we still don't hit!" Daddy scolds. "You're going to be punished, Rainbow Dash - no playing with your siblings outside today. You're going to have to sit next to me the whole time - and I'm going to put that leash on you again."

"Daddy, that's no fair!"

"No, it's fair. No flying today, Rainbow Dash. Now, I'm going to take you inside, and you're going to say that you're sorry."

"Yes, Daddy..."

He picks her up again, and I dart back to the room with the readied ponies.

A moment later, Dashie stands before me, sniffling as she looks at me. "I'm sorry for hitting you, Lyra," Dashie says.

"It's okay," I respond. I smile at her, and I feel compassion: she's my sister. I can't just let her be all depressed! "If you want, I'll sit with you when we go outside."

She looks up at me in surprise. "Really? You will?"

"Yeah! You're my sister, and besides, it was all in good fun!" I cry. I pull her into a hug, and I can tell that Daddy is smiling - he's probably very proud of me.

"Thanks, Lyra" she says. "You're the best sister ever."

I smile, and we part after a moment. Daddy prepares our sisters, and Dashie and I sit next to them. When he's done with those sisters, he puts the small backpack-leash on Dashie so she can't fly. She pouts, and I watch as she gets the rest of the ponies ready. I pout myself as he takes Big Mac out of the room to be prepared.

I feel an unexpected weight on my side, and I look to the right in surprise: Derpy is leaning against me. I roll my eyes, but remember that Daddy told us to be nice to her: she's not weird, just different.

Dashie mutters something about being the only one not flying, but stops as she looks up in surprise as Daddy does the same for Tia and Lu-Lu.

"Why are they punished?" Somebody asks.

"Well, they came downstairs early," Daddy announces. "They used the computer, and, well...they blew it up."

"What!?" I shout.

"I didn't blow it up, Tia did!" Lu-Lu whines.

"Because you wouldn't let me have my turn!"

"It wasn't your turn!"

"Stop arguing," Daddy commands. He puts the three leashes in one hand, and picks up Flutters in the other: she's always afraid to go outside at first. Daddy adjusts the small yellow and pink booties on her hooves before walking to the screen door. "Now, come on, kids. You can play around until lunch time, alright?"

We all nod, and Dashie sighs in irritation as Daddy opens the door. Everyone jumps out, but Tia Lu-Lu Dashie Flutters and I stay back. Then he walks through, and closes the door behind him.

"Let's sit over here," Daddy says, softly. He steers us over to a spot under a tree, and sits down with a smile as he watches my siblings starting to play tag.

I sit down next to Dashie, whose leash is now tied to the tree - along with Tia's and Lu-Lu's - and rest smile as I let a cool breeze wash over my body.

"Daddy, can I fly now?" Dashie asks. "Please?"

"No, Rainbow. You're grounded, remember?" He smiles a bit, but I don't get the joke. "We can just relax for now..."

Dashie sighs, and lays down in the grass. I lay down next to her, and rest my head on her shoulder as I close my eyes, and get ready for a nap.

Author's Notes:

Spoilers: next chapter will be in Peter's point of view, and will be a lot longer.