Drawn With the Night Into the Day - Conclusion
by Dan's Comments

DISCLAIMER: My Little Pony is the property of Hasbro, Inc.

Unicorn Filly - Marble Ginger
Unicorn Colt - Thunder Evening
Pegasus Filly - Rivet Joint

Dipper sighed. She looked at her idiot brother walking across the ceiling. The sitter was completely inexperienced, but Dipper was sure she could handle it alone for a little while. She looked up at 'Thunder Child' then back at Marble Ginger, and finally at Rivet Joint. "I'm outnumbered," she commented as she remembered Discord's most important lesson. Watch what's really happening, understand it, so you can do it yourself, she thought, and applied the lesson. She saw the warp and woof of her brother's instinctive magic, and she could cast a similar real spell.

She tentatively put her hoof on the wall, and pulled herself up. Within a few moments, she had taken off after her little brother. He giggled and put on a burst of speed and raced for the wall.

Again, she watched the structure of his magic, and cast a spell duplicating it, letting her chase the idiot through the wall. She found him, on the floor, chewing the ears of her Discord stuffed animal. She collected him, and raced back to put him atop the playpen, so she'd have a few moments to get their breakfasts. Rivet Joint was 'watching' the pot of water Dipper had turned the heat off of when she'd taken off across the ceiling after her brother, Thunder Evening.

Typical of her 'helpful' nature, the water was merrily boiling, despite the stove being off. "Baa," Rivet Joint said proudly, and flew back to her sister, Marble Ginger. The two of them glared at the griffin filly 'trapped' in the overturned playpen. Dive Blossom's older sister had understood her job was to let the two girls glare at her, and report 'Thunder Child's' position and activities to Dipper, to assist with changing the kids, but otherwise provide a distraction for Marble Ginger and usually Rivet Joint. Dive Blossom was only providing the latter, although doing it gave Dipper enough clearance that she could deal with everything else herself.

She turned the stove back on and got the oatmeal cooking. She set out three sets of diapers on the changing table for when they'd be needed, then returned to the kitchen. The trio were still keeping an eye on the 'caged' griffon. Although 'Thunder Child' was standing on the top of the overturned playpen and looking over the edge at the bewildered griffon.

Then the trio all pivoted as one to look at the door, and began babbling excitedly. Dipper shut off the stove and headed off to beat her siblings to the door. She didn't open it until she'd verified she wasn't about to clobber any of them with it.

The door opened and hope rebloomed. "Merry! Discord!" she shouted as she saw her two favorite teachers in the entryway.

Both of them looked at her worriedly as they entered. "Hectic day?" Discord asked as he picked her up and nuzzled her.

"New babysitter," Dipper whispered, then added in a normal voice, "And mom's got three more on the way. I'm really gonna be outnumbered then."

"You'll manage," Merry said as the trio surrounded her. She hung up her tweed coat and set her umbrella aside. She left her hat on.

Dive Blossom crawled out of the playpen, turning it right-side-up. "Ah, do you need me anymore?" she asked worriedly.

Dipper collected the envelope from the drawer. "No you're free, thank you." She'd briefly entertained the idea of holding off the 'tip', but decided that she'd talk to her parents and put Dive on the 'do not call' list.

Once the griffon was gone, at a dead run no less, Discord dissolved the spell which revealed the missing horns and wings of the trio. Freed from their confines, all three flew around Merry chirping and chattering like happy birds. Merry smiled serenely but with real joy.

No one had ever explained to Dipper what a Poppins was or were, but Merry certainly lived up to the first part of her name. Dipper could never understand why Merry didn't have a special somepony, or five. Although Discord had sternly warned Dipper to never bring that or her family up to Merry, or in her hearing, which was extraordinarily acute. It was the closest to a scolding Discord had ever given her. But the question still nagged. She sometimes wondered if Merry had taken the job as thrice-a-week tutor in hopes that Dipper's parents were 'open-minded'. She would have liked Merry as part of the family. Despite how huge she was, she was nice, and enjoyed the hugs and cuddles of the trio, and even of Dipper and her mom. But she was very frightened of dad, despite him being very cordial, even jovial with her.

I'm not stupid, she thought, It's not that she's so big, that she intimidates others. It's because she and dad slept together before he met mom, and no foals. So everypony else figures she's barren. But she likes both dad and mom, so why don't they just bring her in? Dipper put the thought aside for later, private discussions with the grownups.

"So, they left you here with inadequate help?" Discord asked.

"You deal with it," she replied, "But I am glad you two showed up." She hugged Discord again, missing the look between 'Merry Poppins' and Discord.

"So what has your parents so busy?" Merry asked as she pulled the lesson books from the bookcase.

"New toy they're working out with Prince Blueblood. It should be an even bigger seller than Tinkers' Toys," Dipper said proudly, "And I got to 'play-test' them." She glanced at her siblings. "They are even building a set too big for foals to get in their mouths and swallow that work with the smaller blocks for colts and fillies." She suddenly remembered and dashed to her room to get what she'd made. As she dashed back, she caught Merry's disapproving gaze. "I know, no running in the house." She turned to Discord. "They'll be talking with the Princesses about special sets, but I built this of you."

The collection of brightly colored rectangular solids did look a lot like Discord, except for the color. Then they matched perfectly.

"I like it. They shouldn't try color matching, at least with me," Discord said, then winced at Merry's gentle cough. "Dipper, thank you very much."

"Your welcome," Dipper said and hugged him.

"Dipper, honey, sorry the meeting ran late," her dad said as he entered and took off his coat and hat. He braced himself for Dipper's charge, and hugged his daughter. Dipper caught the wistful look from Merry, but concentrated on her dad.

"So?" she asked.

"You sound like your mother," her dad replied, "Blueblood should have the first sets out in two months. He'll have the 'princess sets' out in time for the Grand Galloping Gala, since their Highnesses didn't say 'no', he took that as a 'yes'."

Dipper's reply was interrupted by Merry's frantic coughing. Discord looked worriedly at her and conjured a chocolate milk for her. She got the cough under control and drank the glass, leaving the chunk of chocolate milk in her hoof.

"I'm getting predicable," Discord lamented.

"That thing explodes, I'm going to have that printed on every Discord set that we make," dad said.

Discord nodded. Merry drank the chocolate milk. "I thought their Highnesses refused the funds to upgrade his factories," Merry said, "I know his family won't front him the money."

"He sold stock," dad said as he moved over to the table where the lessons would be held. Dipper never quite understood why dad sat in on most of the lessons. Explaining he hadn't gotten much Equestrian studies really didn't explain things. "Hundreds of ponies bought a part of the cost, for a part of the profits. Twenty bits for the chance of one to three bits a year for several years, or they can sell it. Spreads out the risk, and the reward. No more begging the crown for money. It also means the crown won't have the power of the purse to control innovation. If they disapprove, they won't be able to simply deny funds to stop it. It also undermines the power of the court, if a group of ponies want to get something done, they can assemble the funds themselves and get oversight from the local authorities. They don't have to go to Canterlot, bow and scrape to every minor functionary to get on the docket, get a copy for one of the princesses to review, and gain a favorable buzz about the idea amid the court to influence the princesses to approve."

"Surely it's not like that." Merry suddenly looked worried. Then Dipper looked at her dad's grin. There were bears who'd run away from that grin. Dipper started laughing.

"You're doing it again!" she accused and watched her father's innocent expression appear like a cloudless sky after a blizzard.

"What specifically?" he asked.

"Enjoying weirding people out," Dipper said, "You enjoy shocking people."

"Well, I have to keep up with your friends," her dad said as he leaned close and rubbed his nose on hers.

She growled, but she hugged him. She had one for him, at dinner when mom was there too.

"Oh, Discord. After Merry's lesson, but well before dinner, you can teach Dipper how to make birds."

"Really!?" Dipper and Discord chorused with matching mad smiles.

"Just remember, she isn't strong enough to make real ones, but you can teach her to make those 'lights and shadows' versions," he said, then leaned over to Dipper. "Just remember not to bother your other teacher with them during her lessons."

Dipper hugged her father. Discord said 'thank you', and Merry rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Okay, poetry," Dipper said. It was one of her favorites, playing with words and sounds.

They settled down to study, while Discord played with the three, little alicorns.
------------------------------

Her siblings asleep in bed, the group sat down to lunch. Dad had cooked another weird thing, that turned out to be surprisingly good. "Why aren't these called tomato worms again?" Dipper asked the long noodles with the tomato-based sauce and cheese on them.

"Because they are called spaghetti," her dad said as he set the garlic bread on the table beside the salad, "It means string, not worms."

"Still looks like we're eating worms," she said, "I don't need to get into the head of a bird to make them."

"I'll have yours," Merry said as she looked at the dish of noodles, tomato sauce, mushrooms and cheese.

Dipper put a foreleg around her dish. "I didn't say I wasn't going to eat them, I just said they looked weird."

"Would you like them to be worms?" Discord asked.

"You do that you aren't getting any," dad said and grinned at him, holding the plate.

"Just a question," Discord said and smiled innocently. Dad put the plate down in front of Discord and returned to get his own.

"Are you feeling all right?" Merry asked mom as she squirmed in her chair.

"They aren't crushing my bladder like the first trio," mom said, "But they seem a bit more active." She glanced at dad. "I think I'm going to have you fixed."

"You said you wanted a big family," he said as he sat down at the table, "Now you'll have one and still be young enough to enjoy it."

Dipper caught Merry giving Discord a raised eyebrow. Discord sheepishly shook his head slightly.

As everyone dug in, and thoroughly enjoyed dad's cooking, Dipper decided now was the time. "So why aren't you going to invite Merry to join our family and marry her?"

The sudden silence from all the adults merely highlighted Discord's fork on the plate as he happily ate.

"Look I can see how uncomfortable you two are when you realize you hugged and stuff, but mom treats her like a sister. And I know ponies sometimes have a couple of wives, or husbands, and some are really complicated," she said, "So why don't you all just admit you all love each other instead of all the dancing around?"

The three looked at each other worriedly.

"Because she's under a curse. If she's ever truly happy, she'll die," Discord said as he ate.

Dipper stared at him in horror.

Discord gestured and the pots delivered another helping while he explained. "So she can love being hugged and cuddled by Ginger, Evening and Rivet. She can love playing games and teaching you magic. She can enjoy meals and friendly arguments with your folks, but in the end, she has to go home. She gets to be ecstatically happy, with the little, constant reminder that it's all an illusion. She can think of herself as part of your family, but she can't really be part. That little misery is enough to hold the curse off."

"Well do something!" Dipper said.

"That's not exactly true," Merry said.

"It's oversimplified, but how is it wrong?" Discord stared at Merry and asked, "She's right, you want to be here, they want you here, because they are your friends and they wouldn't really object to being more. Not because of money changing hooves, or knowledge or anything else. Have you got any real friends at home? People who listen to you, try to learn, and try to teach in return? People, adults, you can cuddle with and be cuddled in return? You go home to your pet bird, that pack of self-assured squabblers, and what? Remember your hopes and dreams? Or do you remember that Dipper is learning the lessons better than your sister ever has? That your other three students here as bare children have learned what you've been trying to teach your whole life? That you are learning from them what you never understood how to do yourself?" Discord leaned towards Merry. "This is your refuge from all of that. Even if you could only be here a few nights a week, Dipper is right. You'd be welcomed. And maybe there's one more thing that could be accomplished. If Fancy's experience is a guide."

Merry looked worried, then blushed and looked away.

"The troubles of the past are absolved and set aside, because you apologized, offered the requested restitution and were forgiven. How did that feel? It's a potent tonic, isn't it? Princess Celestia made Fluttershy give it to me. It hurt to think of losing that. And you took a dose yourself. Why do the others avoid the medicine that you survived?" Discord sat back and glanced at Dipper. "Yes, I brought her here and talked your dad into accepting her as your tutor because she needed to learn the things you, and he, and Fancy knew in your bones. But she has to leave and come back, or her life is essentially over. Not exactly dying, you keep moving, but there's nothing left but the pain and the regrets. And that hurts worse that just dying ever could."

"I don't understand," Dipper said tearfully, "Why can't you fix it? You can do anything!?" She looked at her parents. "You've figured out stuff no one ever figured out before, can't you help her?"

Merry gathered the teary, distraught filly into a hug. "There, there."

"It's not fair! It's not fair!" Dipper sobbed as Merry held and nuzzled her, her own tears flowing freely. Discord scratched Dipper behind the ears.

"Discord said it was more complicated, and it is," Merry said, "And it's wonderful, you're wonderful for offering. But I can't accept."

"Why? Why? Why?!" Dipper sobbed as she clung to the larger mare.

"Because it's something I have to do. Something I owe to people, because I promised. The promise was important, and people will get hurt if I don't keep it. Grownups have to do things they don't like to look after others. Like you look after your brother and sisters, when you'd rather be out playing. Your mom and dad would like to be here with you and them, but the people at the factory depend on them, you depend on them, and even I depend on them. I'm sorry it's so complicated, but that's the grown-up world."

"I don't wanna grow up!" Dipper said as she snuggled against Merry, not seeing the joy on the mare's face.

"I'm afraid you already have," her dad said, "By asking us to add Merry to the family. We would, if all of us could."

Dipper lifted her head. "Discord?"

"Yes, I could make it happen. Force it. But that's not what you want," he said not pausing in his scratching. "You made the offer," he said, "That counts for a lot. But it won't work right now."

"It's not fair," Dipper said as she hugged Merry tightly.
------------------------------

'Merry' and Discord walked down the streets of Multicursal, the first signs of the short spring were here. "You could do it," Discord said, "A couple of nights a week. Let yourself be taken by them, leave yourself vulnerable and at their mercy. Isn't that how mares used to surrender to stallions and their mares in the old days?"

"You make it sound like a war," Merry said, feeling her unseen wings and horn ache at the thought.

"Fancy's teeth and tongue on your horn, raising your tail for Klein. Having lips and teeth and fingers preening your wings for more than just keeping them pretty. The ring I gave to Fancy will probably work on you. You'll find . . . what?" he asked as 'Merry' squirmed.

"You know very well what!" she told him as she resettled her coat and hat over herself.

"Of course I know, so does Klein, so does Fancy, Tirek's Beard even Dipper practically knows and she's too young to really know," Discord said angrily, "It's what you want too, and yet, nothing. You think I was joking saying you were cursed? Two, maybe just one night a week: cuddling with two people who see you are just a lonely, friendly mare, and waking up to a pack of people who love you. And you throw that all away, why, because it isn't dignified? Because you're guilty about what your sister and student did?" Discord stepped in front of 'Merry' to force her to halt and look at him. "Because deep down you don't deserve it?"

'Merry' looked away from him, blushing furiously and rustling her concealed wings.

"This can't be that you're embarrassed that Dipper will find out you've been trading magic lessons for parenting lessons?"

'Merry' glared at him. "It isn't!"

"Isn't it?" Discord asked, "What has Equestria gained since this started? Twilight learned the lesson, rather brutally, at the hands of her friends. You're learning how to be a parent at the hands and hooves of Luna's former victims. With the lessons, you are already applying the practices so it's not older sister/younger sister, but parent/child, and she's showing far less resistance. In a few years, she may even grow up enough to apologize for the whole thing. So what is holding you back? There's an embassy within a short dash. Once there, it's off to Canterlot. So what is it?"

"You're right," she said quietly, "I don't deserve it. I don't deserve their forgiveness, or their love."

"Well, guess what? Forgiveness is for the giver, not the receiver," Discord said, "And big surprise, the world isn't fair. You found people willing to be friends with you, personally, who couldn't care less who you are to everyone else. Congratulations, choking down part of your pride paid real dividends. Now put aside your 'I am not worthy', which is just misplaced pride too, and accept the rest."

'Merry' looked at him with fury in her eyes, pawing the ground as if ready to charge, but Discord regarded her coolly. Finally, she looked away.

"Fine, let's keep it G-rated," Discord said, "And make this about your martyrdom, imagine how it feels: a soft, feathered wing as comforter and a warm, fuzzy form on these long, cold Multicursal nights. Maybe you shouldn't have played 'tough mare' but scared mare, had him comfort you sleeping under your wing when you were in that cell. That really would have driven the lesson home."

"There was still a chance that Luna and Twilight were right. I chose to take the middle ground," 'Merry' replied.

"It wasn't that he stank? You should have had a bath ready, kept glancing at the guards out of worry and played it to the hilt the second night," Discord said, "That's your real problem. You keep applying the 'Golden Mean Fallacy' to everything. The middle is the most reasonable place to be. If you want to really be alive, you take occasional risks. That was my problem. As entertaining as I was, I never ran the risk that others living their lives could be equally entertaining. Until things began to pall and I upped the ante until you and Luna intervened. If I'd stepped back and let the people around me go through their lives with just a smidge of chaos to make things interesting, I wouldn't have had to do anything else."

"Make ponies' lives harder?" 'Merry' asked.

"Harder, easier, different. That's the key. Think about it. Joining their family doesn't mean being there every minute of every day. It means that you have someplace to retreat to. 'Home is where they have to take you in.' Besides, do you know what soft fur feels like against bare skin? Woo!" Discord giggled as 'Merry' frowned at him.

Finally, she looked away. "You kept up with the 'banishment'?" 'Merry' asked.

Discord sighed and shook his head. "I got bored with it," Discord admitted.

As I knew you would, 'Merry' thought, It stopped being fun, and you wanted her to learn her lesson. Your 'vengeance' on me was to teach her what I taught you.

"I turned her little empire into a tourist attraction. Lots of ponies tramping around, taking pictures, selling overpriced and attraction-themed muffins, calling her an employee in a costume, foals barfing all over the moon-dust for being overexcited and eating too many sweets, all that jazz, or actually, elevator music."

'Merry' snorted. "I think she would prefer solitude, after a few months of that."

"Two weeks. So I gave it to her. Left her a note that I'd check back in a month. When I did, she was desperate for a change, to talk with ponies again. But she didn't ask me to stop, or what she had to do to make it stop."

I know where this is going. Merry frowned but nodded. "I shouldn't be enjoying this, but what happened?"

"During the 'day', she had a job as a customer service representative at the Department of Carts and Wagons, their busiest branch in Manehatten, and went home at 'night' to her empty moonscape," Discord said.

"How long did it take her to realize she was working through the day, dragging herself 'home' and ignoring her 'beautiful night'?" 'Merry' asked.

Discord looked quizzically at 'Merry'. "How did you know? Never mind. After she was promoted to Senior Executive Assistant to the Junior Assistant, she woke out of a sound sleep in the dream, and had a complete freak out. She'd realized she hadn't looked at a night sky in six months." Discord turned red, then orange, then yellow and smoke started billowing out of his ears. "All right, all right, you win! How'd you know?"

"She ran around one morning shouting 'I figured it out', she apologized too, to everyone she could reach, and kept shouting 'I've figured it out!' She was fine by lunch, but refused to explain, and the apologies stopped. But I figured it out too. Unfortunately, she didn't ask to apologize to Klein, or even Fancy or Dipper."

"She hadn't really absorbed the lesson. She asked for a change back to the barren moonscape and I left it that way for almost ten years by her perspective," Discord said, "It was incredibly boring, because she just sat there staring at her shadow."

"But you left her there?" 'Merry' asked, "Why?"

Discord shrugged. "It seemed the right thing to do. When I had my epiphany, I didn't want to be alone, and no one abandoned me. I thought it best to give her what she politely asked for, in hopes she'd realize she could politely ask for me to stop." He looked at her. "And what about you? Have you forgiven yourself? It's not like it's your fault what happened."

'Merry' bowed her head and pawed the ground. "Isn't it? Who else taught them? Twilight finally found wisdom from her friends in Ponyville, but all I tried to teach her, all I managed was to have her put me on a pedestal."

"And none shall pass to remove her therefrom!" Discord squeaked and waved a wooden sword in the air. "It ever occur to you that letting her see you screw up occasionally while she grew up might have been a good idea?"

"Like imprisoning you?" 'Merry' asked.

"Too ancient," Discord said, rubbing his chin, "Unless you're referring to Luna. Admittedly, it was the only option you had open. You were young, naive, and inexperienced. Using a hammer on a mole looked like a good idea at the time. But not learning any new tricks came back to bite you. When you had no choice but to turn that hammer on your own sister, when stripping away some of her naivete might have done both of you some good. If you were planning on being rulers. But Dipper can do things her dad can't. He's firmly on a pedestal, but she knows that she can do things he can't. It's what really is important in a parent: The child becomes greater than they are or grows in unexpectedly wonderful ways."

"I can only hope," 'Merry' said.
------------------------------

Luna glared at Celestia as she arrived for dinner. "I have just realized how much you truly hate me."

"How so?" Celestia asked in real concern.

"The Committee for the Beautification of the Appleoosan Desert wants Crown Funds to paint every rock 'more attractive colors', and Chief Thunderhooves actually thought he needed to send a delegation to assure we understood their strong reluctance to allow such a thing," Luna said, "Do they truly believe that the Equestrian Crown is THAT stupid?"

"Considering that we authorized the settlement of Appleoosa, by members of the Apple family, and didn't consider that they would try to turn every piece of flat ground in all directions into apple orchards," Celestia said, "Yes, they do. And not without justification."

"The land grant didn't allow that," Luna replied.

"But it didn't forbid it either, and it should have," Celestia said as she seated herself and looked over the repast.

I'm really in the mood for more spaghetti, she thought as sighed, But Celestia is a good mare, she always eats what's put in front of her and thanks the cooks for their efforts. A plain bowl of oatmeal would be nice. But my meals like my schedule are planned weeks in advance. She sighed again.

"What are you sighing about?" Luna asked, "I apologize, my irritation isn't with you."

"So, I can't convince you to take over completely and let me take a vaca - " Celestia asked, then wiped the coffee from her face. "I'll take that as a no."

Luna had covered her mouth with a napkin and was looking at Celestia with utter horror.

Celestia grinned. "Gotcha!"

"Some things should not be joked about," Luna said sternly, "After this day, I am actually craving the enforced boredom of Discord's 'punishment'. I thought solitude was punishment, until I had no choice but to deal with these . . . subjects, for hours on end. How do you prevent a massacre?"

"By remembering the crown is responsible, and trusted, because they can bring their troubles to our hooves for a reasonable hearing," Celestia said, "Trust is everything. If our ponies decided they no longer trusted us, what would you suggest we do if they all packed up and moved to Minotaura or Griffonstan? Build a fence to keep them in?"

Luna looked at the elaborate food on her plate, and pushed it around with her fork. "No, but why does everything have to be our problem?"

"You want to be in charge, then everything is your fault, even when you had nothing to do with it. If you want authority, you have to take responsibility, and then keep in mind that authority is held in trust for a time, but the responsibility clings to you like a tick for the rest of your life."

"You make the prospect sound incredibly daunting," Luna said.

"Now you understood why I couldn't understand your jealousy. I would have loved to throw it all to someone else and walk away. That I didn't understand you didn't understand that was my fault, not yours."

"I failed to talk to you," Luna admitted, "Or to attend enough court to realize the price you daily paid for the 'adulation' they showered you with. I now understand the one was not worth the other."

Celestia nodded. "Do you want to turn in and let me handle the night court?"

"NO!" Luna exclaimed as she stood suddenly. She looked around nervously, then at Celestia's shocked expression. "Sorry, tonight is the astronomical society, it's the one court function I really enjoy, even with the arguments. I only have to be the sergeant at arms, not the moderator."

"All right," Celestia said and laughed, "Enjoy."
------------------------------

Celestia woke from her sleep, or thought that she had. Then she realized how little she was. She was in the middle of rolling fields with a few scattered copses of trees. And she was covered in what she dearly hoped was mud. "DISCORD!" she shouted, sounding like 'the chipmunk' version.

"Oh hush you," Fancy said, as Dipper and Klein hauled a washtub between them. The mare tousled Celestia's mane. "Just enjoy it," Fancy said, "Consider it a vacation."

"Like taking leave of my senses," Celestia said, noting her pink, normal hair, rather than rainbow, ethereal mane and tail.

"Oh pooh," Fancy said, "When was the last time you let go and really had fun?"

Celestia frowned. "There was Cadence's wedding, I had fun at the Equestria Games, I had fun with all of Twilight's friends after the Grand Galloping Gala."

"Oh, and you got drunk and danced with a lampshade at the wedding did you, you whooped and hollered at the Equestria Games like a real fan, and you told embarrassing stories about Twilight and she did the same to you? I said 'let go and really had fun'. When in any of those did you let go? The last time you were undignified, was when someone with an explosive vest blew himself up and took part of your castle with him. And that fails the whole 'fun' part.". Fancy considered. "Or may be it doesn't."

Celestia snorted at that.

"Okay, let's get you cleaned up," Fancy said as her horn glowed and Celestia felt herself being picked up and set in the warm, sudsy water. Then they started scrubbing. Not the gentle, oh-she-might-break, 'put on her wing covers so they don't get wet' washing she got that made her pretty, but a cleansing by caring parents trying to get the muddy foal clean right down to the skin. It felt wonderful. All protest stopped and she just accepted and luxuriated in the hands and hooves of people who cared about her, and not the princess.

'I'm serving Celestia, not the princess', Celestia thought as she nearly fell asleep under the gentle motions, and the realization she wasn't immediately going to be buried under a pile of 'clean' dirt in the form of lotions and polishes and powders applied to her the moment she was even slightly clean. She noted with some amusement that Fancy cleaned her more intimate areas while Klein stayed away. But what he did with her wings may have made them unusable for flight for a while, but he got down to the roots of all her feathers and she felt completely clean for the first time in ages.

It didn't last, she didn't let herself soak in that warm and now dirty water. They lifted her out to rinse her off, then set her amid a pile of towels. Even Dipper got into the act of drying her off. She was as gentle as her parents, but she was washing a kid, not offering service to the Princess of Equestria.

"You know, I never blamed you for what Luna did to my daddy," Dipper said as she carefully dried Celestia's mane.

Celestia cringed at that.

"I can imagine you wanting to hide from her at our house," Dipper continued. She peered at the three adults who snorted at that. "But I can see why you didn't tell me. Fewer who know a secret, fewer can let it go. And I still think you and dad and mom would make a nice group."

Celestia blushed at that.

"But no matter what, there's one thing you can never change," Dipper said earnestly, "Not if you quit being princess. Not if you let someone else raise the sun. Not if you live a million years."

Celestia looked at her, searching her face for some clue. "What's that?" Celestia asked.

Dipper booped her on the nose. "You're it." She took off at a dead run across the rolling fields.

"ARGH!" Celestia exploded out of the towels and raced after the filly. But Dipper's longer legs and more recent experience dealing with three, little alicorns gave her the advantage.
------------------------------

The tub was larger this time, and it needed to be, because neither Fancy nor Klein was going to get near the splash fight going on between the two fillies in it.

"HEY!" Dipper complained as Klein dumped a bucket of warm water over her head.

"Your splashing-fu is weak grasshopper," Klein said and quickly got out of range.

Celestia didn't understand it, but she suddenly burst in tears. Dipper didn't understand, but hugged her anyway. Klein and Fancy headed over and joined in. Without meaning to, she got them all soaking wet from hugging her. She couldn't stop sobbing.

The part of her that was always 'above it all' realized she was crying because she was being forgiven, for what had been done to this family in her name. That they really did not care about it anymore. That they didn't hold all her failures over her head, that they didn't care about or honor the pillar of all Equestrian Society, but welcomed the frightened, uncertain mare who was in so many ways not so different from the filly who stood up to evil while others ran in terror. Because someone had to.

The mare who failed in the end. And had to wait a thousand years to win by proxy.

They recognized all the flaws, and loved her anyway. They made a place for her in their home and in their lives because someone had to.
------------------------------

They were all dry, and Celestia had stopped needing to cry. She was snuggled up against Fancy while the mare played the guitar. Klein sang a song that Celestia supposed embodied the strength that let him stand when so many others fell. The song repeated the advice 'Learn to be still.' She knew she was very guilty of 'following the wrong gods home.'

"The Eagles, Learn to Be Still," Klein said.

"I somehow I guessed the title," Celestia said, "Good advice. Maybe I should take it. It seems to have served you well."

"There's some wisdom in charging ahead when it seems irrational." He sat down and began scratching Fancy behind the ears. From her expression and ears swivelled forward, she not only loved the feeling, but trusted the one who was doing it implicitly.

"The same artists also did a song stating they'd like to find a complainer's inner child and kick its ass," Klein said, "The dichotomy was one reason I liked them."

"I never heard them," Dipper said.

"Way before your time," Klein said, "They broke up a quarter-century before you were born."

"Wow, that's ancient," Dipper said.

Th three adults rolled their eyes.

"What?" Dipper asked.

"I have to ask," Celestia said, "Why?"

"Because you found the one weakness in his armor," Fancy said, "You showed up on his doorstep, ready for him to toss you out, like everyone else had, and asked him to help you. I'm not sure if Luna or Twilight could do that, but as you know, others have."

"I think Twilight might try. Luna, maybe in fifty years," Celestia said. She looked at Klein and Fancy. "Is that why you hid your foals' identity?"

"Yes. Let them grow up without everyone 'grooming them' for their eventual role. Because here, they can have any role they want," Klein said.

"Except babysitter," Dipper said and frowned, "After the next three are born, they'll be too young to help, until they're too old to need it."

"What about the three after that?" Klein asked.

"Don't you dare!" Fancy said and waved the guitar at him, "Seven is quite enough." Then she bumped Celestia. "Besides, there's somepony else."

"What, I could never, it's that, who could -!" Celestia stammered, looking at the laughing faces, "I could?" She felt like begging to be let in, to feel like this, just a little while.

"Yes," Fancy said and nodded to Klein.

Celestia felt her heart in her throat as he considered. She expected, would understand completely, a rejection. It's taking so long, she thought, He's trying to be diplomatic about it.

"No," he said.

Celestia felt crushed. But I understand, she thought and felt her tears welling up.

"Not Princess Celestia, it would cause too many problem, for all sides."

"I understand," Celestia said, as the last ember of hope died out.

"But Merry Poppins has been offered, and as I recall, she said 'no', maybe you should get her to reconsider," Klein said.

A cheering Dipper immediately tackled Klein, while Fancy did the same to Celestia. Both crying and laughing.

"What happens when you get her pregnant?" Dipper asked.

Celestia nearly choked as Klein and Fancy began laughing.

Author's Notes:

I may do a later chapter of Dipper as a babysitter, but I won't promise anything.