I decided early on to make Amethyst my responsibility. It was a big step for a pony who had never done anything for herself, much less another pony. I knew I’d be out of the system long before Amethyst, though, and something had to be done about that. What was I supposed to do, leave her at the mercy of the other foals? Risk her being taken in by some perverted bastard? No, I needed to make something of myself so that I’d be ready when the time came.

That meant bits. That meant a job. I know I have a reputation for being a slacker and partying, and I won’t deny that living that kind of lifestyle is fun. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like doing more than I have to, but when I turned fifteen and could actually work, I did, and I worked hard. Ponies today probably wouldn’t recognize me flipping patties at the local Hayburger in Hoofington, but I was there two days after my birthday.

That’s something that I learned about myself; I like to play, but when it comes time to work, I work. It was that ethic that helped me find my voice in music early and get my first album. I might not have topped the charts when I went on my first tour at just seventeen, but I was still on them, and that’s really something for a first-time musician. It was easy to be lazy and myself with the crowds, because really, the hard work had already been done by that point. I just needed to show up, play the music and lounge around. It’s amazing how success can seem normal.

I didn’t lie to my fans. Every word I ever told them was honest, and I never bothered to put on airs. I just didn’t let on to certain truths. They didn’t need to know that the only reason I was with them was because I knew Amethyst needed somepony to watch over her later, and I was determined to be that somepony. Don’t get me wrong, I love the music.

I just love her more.

I could never really pinpoint the moment I made that recognition. When did I go from protecting Amethyst to loving her? Eh, guess it doesn’t matter.

—Vinyl Scratch, Book of Shadows XLVIII

May 20, 1007

Vinyl stared out the window of the carriage, looking for the familiar sight of the orphanage. For the first time in her life, she was coming home. A smile set across her face, broad and eager. The buildings were familiar and the faces in the street all had names to them. She relished this new experience, but she relished what was coming even more.

“If you lean any further you’re gonna fall out the door.”

“Lighten up, PP.” Vinyl turned to stick her tongue out at her producer. “I think it’s okay to be excited to be coming home after eight months.”

PP, a dappled grey unicorn in a brown suit and tie, sighed and pushed his sunglasses up on his muzzle. “You’re not going to stop calling me that, are you?”

“What? PP’s a perfectly fine nickname.”

“Says the pony who burst into raucous laughter upon thinking it up.” He smirked. “Admit it, Vinyl, your dirty mind laughs at the joke every time.”

“Yeah, it does.” Vinyl returned the smirk. “Besides, ‘Polished Prose’ takes too long to say, and you’re going to put up with it now just as you have for the past six months because I’m making you a truckload of bits.”

“You got me.” He leaned back in his seat with a grin. “Alright, fine, call me PP, but I get to call you Vanilla.”

Vinyl snorted and turned to look out the window once more. “Yeah, sure. You start calling me that in front of your wife. Fifty bits says she thinks you’re in an affair with the hot, up-and-coming musician.”

PP chuckled. “Yeah, there’s no way. She knows I’m wrapped around her hoof.” He sobered and glanced out the window. “Say, Vinyl? You really wanna stay at the orphanage? You could always check out your new place, y’know.”

Ah, it finally came out. Vinyl sighed and let the curtain fall over the window once more. “I’m on vacation. I can spend it where I want.”

He glanced at her from over his sunglasses. “Most people don’t consider an orphanage to be all that relaxing.”

“It’s not all about the location,” she countered with a smile. “Who you spend your time with makes all the difference. Now stop being a stick in the mud and let me enjoy myself.” Her attention went back to the window. She pulled the curtains aside just in time to see a grey building squeezed between a farrier’s shop and a former lawyer’s office, now a restaurant. Her lips split into a broad grin.

“All I’m saying is that you could take the filly with you to someplace nicer.” PP leaned over to eye the orphanage from over her shoulder. “Let her have a chance to see your new lifestyle.”

Vinyl rolled her eyes and turned to him. “PP, why is it you have to accompany me wherever I go?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Because you’re only seventeen.”

“Exactly. Legally speaking, I’m too young to be on my own. I’ve spent eight months with ponies like you hovering around. You’ve let me get away with a lot of stuff I shouldn’t, and I appreciate that, but I’d like to spend some time at home, with the ponies I choose, without dudes like you having to be there.” She shoved the door open and stepped out. “I know it seems like a dump to you, but this is about the only place I’m going to get some real ‘me’ time.”

PP frowned and glanced away. “I didn’t realize you didn’t like our company so much.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Vinyl snapped, then kicked the door closed in his face. “You’ve got a wife and kid to go to! Now git.” She waited until the carriage rolled away to turn to the orphanage.

Eight months away. Vinyl had no idea she’d feel so good about being back. She traced the building’s form with her eyes, taking in the dull colors, the simple design and plain entryway with its… surprisingly fresh flowers. She trotted up to them, amazed at the sight of lush blooms and even a few roses. Vinyl had never been one to appreciate flowers, but even she had to admit they looked lovely. She leaned down to smell, only to be disappointed that whatever scent they’d once possessed had long passed with the afternoon.

Vinyl went to the door, pondering on this curious new development. She stepped inside to find the lobby no different than usual, save for the nice vase of some kind of shrub in the corner. Vinyl had to question how it could look so good when there were no windows in this room. Her eyes on the plant, she went to the front door and pushed her way in without announcement.

The first thing Vinyl spotted was a familiar face near the end of the hall, a brown colt talking with two younger fillies she didn’t recognize. Neither seemed to like what he was saying. Vinyl smirked and trotted up to them. “Well hello, Juke.”

Juke glanced at her. “Hey, Vinyl.” He turned back to the fillies, then jerked around. “Vinyl! Y-you’re back.” The two fillies perked their ears up and gave Vinyl a curious look.

Vinyl, a full head taller than Juke, leaned over him. “That’s right, pal, the queen of the roost is here to inspect her kingdom. If I hear that you’re picking on the younger foals again… well, I might have to teach you another lesson.”

“N-no lessons needed! We’re all friends here.” Juke grabbed a filly in each arm and hugged them tight, his smile like that of a mad pony. “Right, girls?”

The two fillies promptly shoved away from him, to his apparent distress, and turned their collective attention upon Vinyl. “Who are you?” the yellow one on the left asked.

“Vinyl Scratch,” she replied, rubbing her chest self-appreciatively. “DJ, musician and resident head honcho. And you are?”

“I’m Bluebell,” the appropriately blue filly declared. Her tiny wings fidgeted as she stared at the floor.

“And I’m Banana Fluff,” the unicorn announced with a bit more confidence. “We both got here about two months ago.”

“Nice to meet ya.” Vinyl glanced between them to see Juke retreating from the scene. “So, Juke, you haven’t been being mean to Bluebell because she’s a pegasus, have you?”

Juke went ramrod straight, then turned back to offer another of those far-too-big smiles. “What, me? No way. I’m reformed, you know? Uh… tell her, Blue. We’re, like, best buds, right?”

Bluebell’s ears folded back and her head drooped. “I… that is…”

“I can see she thinks highly of you.” Vinyl sat and started stretched her forelegs with an ominous grin. “Looks like Vinyl Scratch is gonna have to start teaching again.”

Juke let out a cry and fled down the hall, disappearing into the playroom. Vinyl laughed at the sight and turned her attention to the two fillies. “If he ever gives you two any trouble, just let me know.”

Banana Fluff shifted from hoof to hoof. “Uh… you aren’t going to… y’know… beat him up or anything, are you?”

Another burst of laughter escaped Vinyl. “Nah, I stopped doing that ages ago. Here.” She pulled out a small jar from her pack and extracted a single white feather. She placed it in Bluebell’s waiting hooves. “Next time he teases you, put this under his mattress.”

The two fillies stared at the feather with mystified expressions. “So… what does it do?” Banana asked.

“It’s got a curse on it,” Vinyl explained in a whisper. “Complicated stuff, but the point is this: it’ll make him think he’s near the edge of the bed. So when he shifts to get back in the middle, kapow, he rolls off the bed. Again and again and again.”

The fillies giggled at the image. “That’s great! Did you make this?”

“Yep. Pretty cool, huh?”

A familiar voice spoke over their chuckles. “Miss Scratchington, are you distributing prank gifts to my foals?”

Vinyl looked up to find a familiar face smiling at her. “Mmmaaaybe. How ya doin,’ Dry Eyes?”

Dry Eyes grinned and gave her a tight hug. “I’m fine, thank you. And what exactly are you giving these fillies?”

“Just a little something that’ll teach Juke a lesson, right girls?”

“Right!” The fillies pranced off, laughing as Banana Fluff carried the feather in her magic.

“You haven’t been home for five minutes and you’re already back into your role of righteous trickster.” Dry Eyes raised her hooves in a dismissive shrug. “Old habits die hard, I suppose. Do try to keep it down while you’re here, yes? I don’t need a repeat of the Pickled Pony Ears incident.”

“Nice to see you, too.” Vinyl smirked as she recalled the gag in question. “That was a good one, but not at all marketable. Is my room open?”

“It is indeed.” Dry Eyes led Vinyl down the hall, making for the stairs. “Amethyst wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s been doing well since you left, much better at making friends. How was the tour, by the way?”

“A lot easier and a lot more fun than I expected,” Vinyl replied with a broad smile. “And you talk about money! Speaking of which, you need a donation?”

Dry Eyes shot her a wide-eyed look. “Vinyl! You just earned some bits, and now you’re going to spend it all? Besides, you can’t donate until you’re eighteen, you know that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Vinyl glanced around, but there were no foals present that she could see. Even so, she continued on in a whisper. “I bought a place on the East side of town.”

“What? When did you come back to do that?”

Vinyl shook her head. “I didn’t. I already knew exactly what house I wanted. I told my producer and we got in touch with the owners. House is completely paid off. Even got some guys to go in and fix it up a bit.”

Dry Eyes peered at Vinyl, her lips pursed. “You really are spending all your money at once, aren’t you?”

“Actually,” Vinyl declared in a mock-lecturing tone, “the house only amounted to about a fifth of my earnings for the tour.” She giggled at the headmaster’s bulging eyes. “Yeah, it was really successful.”

The revelation seemed to have shut down Dry Eyes’ capacity for communication, as much of the rest of the walk upstairs was quiet. Several of the foals either welcomed Vinyl home, retreated at the sight of her or – for the few news ones – watched her pass with curiosity. Just as they reached the top floor, Vinyl paused and set a hoof to the headmaster’s shoulder. “Wait.”

Dry Eyes shook as if coming out of a trance and looked to Vinyl like she had forgotten she was there. “Uh… yes?”

Vinyl glanced down the hall, eyes set on that familiar door near the end. A few foals played in the middle of the hallway, but there was no sign of the one she was looking for. Nodding to herself, she turned back to Dry Eyes. “It’s pretty obvious, but… you know what I intend to do, don’t you?”

“Ah.” Dry Eyes smiled warmly. “You’re right, it’s a foregone conclusion, but you have to wait another year for that too.”

“Just want to make sure we’re on the same page.” Vinyl smirked. “So if somepony comes along trying to snatch her up before I can, I want you to scare them off.”

“I’ll do my best.” Despite her dry tone, Dry Eyes smile turned wan. An awkward pause came between them. “So… how long do you intend to stick around?”

“Two weeks.” Vinyl grinned at the thought. “After that it’s back to work on a new album. I’ll be in Castville for that.”

“Castville.” Dry Eyes chuckled and shook her head. “I thought you were obligated to play guitar and sing about your spouse leaving you in order to live there.”

Vinyl joined in on the chuckle. “I know, right? Apparently they don’t just do country. Who knew?”

Dry Eyes sighed and gestured down the hall. “Well, I’m going to let you spend some quality time with your favorite filly. I’m supposed to be helping Jamboree with supper. Oh, you haven’t met Jamboree, have you? I hired him four months ago to replace Ms. Breeze.”

“I’ll do that, then. See ya later, Dry Eyes.”

Now came the fun part. Grinning uncontrollably, Vinyl walked as quietly as she could down the hall, pausing only to raise a hoof to her lips when the foals there spotted her. Those in the know giggled and continued their game, which seemed to be a modified version of ‘red light.’ She used her magic to open the door as slowly and quietly as possible, then peeked inside.

Amethyst had company in the form of a colt who appeared a little older than her. She was focused on a gemstone, which hovered between them in his magic. A trio of wires were dancing in the air, gradually twisting about to form small patterns and wrapping around the pale stone. The two foals were so focused on their task that neither noticed as Vinyl slipped through and closed the door behind her. She sat and watched as the wires came together in a final form: a necklace.

“All done,” Amethyst declared with a nod and a proud smile.

“Wow.” The colt slipped the necklace over his head and looked down at the gem resting against his chest. “It’s good as new! Thanks, Ammy.”

“You’re welcome! Take better care of the wires this time, okay?”

“I will.” The colt grinned and lifted the gem in his magic. “Momma will appreciate it.”

“Not bad.”

The colt shrank at the sound of the new voice, but Amethyst went from still to launched in an instant. She squealed and barreled at full speed into Vinyl, knocking her onto her back. “You’re home!”

“Hey there, Little Sparkler!” Vinyl hugged Amethyst tight and rubbed cheeks with the filly. “How’s my little sis?”

“I’m great now that you’re here! I started to think you’d never come home.” Amethyst stepped back to sit on Vinyl’s chest and beam at her. “How was the tour? Did the ponies like your music?”

“The tour was awesome.” Vinyl pushed her to the side so she could sit up. “And of course they liked my music, it’s mine. You doubt me?”

“Never!”

Vinyl hugged the filly once more, then turned her attention to the confused colt. “And who’s this? Your coltfriend?”

“What?” The colt shivered and stuck out his tongue. “Gross! No, I’m Ice Sculpture.”

“I was fixing his mom’s pendant,” Amethyst said with a grin. “I’m a lot better at making jewelry now.”

“Really? Can I see?” Vinyl gestured to Ice Sculpture, who approached hesitantly. Using her magic, she examined the gem. Considering the necklace was pieced together by a seven-year-old, it looked quite nice. “You really are getting better at this, kid.”

Ice pulled the necklace and Vinyl released her hold. He cradled it and smiled. “Thanks, Ammy. I’m gonna go show Poppa!” He gave Amethyst a quick nuzzle before prancing out the door.

Vinyl watched him go, then turned to Amethyst. “His dad?”

“Mr. Jamboree. He’s new.” The filly began bouncing in place with a broad grin. “I’m so happy you’re back! Now I can show all the new ponies my cool sister!”

Vinyl chuckled and pulled her into a one-legged hug. “That’s right! But first, how about we go to Maple’s and get some treats?”

The sun shined down on the park, warming the air with its powerful rays. Seeking to escape the heat, Vinyl and Amethyst settled in the grass beneath a tall pine tree. Amethyst enjoyed a small ice cream cone, having already gotten some of the strawberry-flavored stuff on her cheeks. Vinyl, not all that into ice cream, had a Horshey’s candy bar floating before her.

Vinyl hadn’t taken a bite. She was too busy watching Amethyst for that. She could only smile at the mess that had become of the filly’s face. Tempted to let the scene play out to its gruesome end, Vinyl decided it would be easier to clean up right away and thus levitated a paper napkin to wipe off the ice cream. Amethyst scrunched up her face at the unexpected contact, which only made Vinyl chuckle.

Freed from the attack, Amethyst shot Vinyl a glower. It didn’t last. “You don’t like your candy?”

A glance at the bar showed it was still wrapped. Vinyl sighed and set it down. “It’s not that, it’s just… I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?” Amethyst chewed on the final remnants of her cone as she studied Vinyl.

“Big pony things.”

Swallowing the cone, Amethyst wiped the crumbs from her lips with a fetlock before taking on a sage tone. “Ah, ‘big pony things.’ I see.”

Vinyl smirked at the familiar exchange. “Do not.”

“Do too.”

“Not.”

“Too.”

“Not times infinity.”

“Too times infinity plus one.”

Vinyl’s smile grew and she bumped the filly’s muzzle with her hoof. “Not times infinity times infinity again.”

“Hey, you never used that one before!” The filly peered at Vinyl. “Too times infinity three times!”

“Not times infinity squared.”

Amethyst blinked, thought for a second, then cocked her head. “Huh?”

“Higher math.” Vinyl bopped her on the muzzle a second time with a toothy grin. “Beat that!”

The filly scrunched her face up in thought. She maintained that expression for some time, “hmm”-ing and “uhh”-ing. Vinyl giggled at the expression.

“No fair.” Amethyst crossed her hooves and sulked. “I don’t know that stuff yet.”

“Well then, you better do well in school so you can beat me.” Vinyl raised her chin in a haughty manner, though she couldn’t stop smiling.

Amethyst gained a smirk of her own. “I’ll get better grades than you.”

“You better!” Vinyl nodded vigorously. “You don’t have to jump from school to school like I did. That’s going to make a big difference, and you’re gonna take advantage of it.”

Yet Amethyst didn’t respond with her usual cheer. Instead, she bowed her head and stared at her hooves. “Am not.”

Vinyl sobered at the sight. Cocking her head, she leaned down so her eyes were level with Amethyst’s. “Hey, Little Sparkler, chin up. What’s wrong?”

It took some time for the filly to respond. She looked up at Vinyl with worry in her eyes. “Orphans have to change homes every four years. They’re gonna send me to another home.” She bowed her head once more and kicked at the grass. “I don’t wanna leave.”

“Hey.” Vinyl offered a warm smile and raised Amethyst’s chin with a hoof. “You’re not going anywhere. Trust me.”

But Amethyst merely shook her head. “Yes I am! It’s the law. I’m going to go away and… and I might never see you again.” Tears began to well up in her eyes.

Vinyl scooped the filly up and hugged her tight, a familiar pleasure sweeping over her mind. “Come on, don’t start that. You gotta be tough! Besides, I know you’re going to stay right here in Hoofington. Would I lie to you?”

Amethyst hugged her tightly, but there was a touch of sarcasm in her tone. “Yep.”

“Hey, that hurts!” Vinyl held her at leg’s length and offered a look of mock-annoyance. “I only lie when it’s going to have fun results, and lying about this is definitely not fun. So what does that mean?”

“That you’re not lying.” Amethyst rubbed her hooves together with an uncertain frown. “But… how? How would I stay here?”

Vinyl winced and cursed herself. “I… uh…” She averted her gaze from the filly’s imploring eyes. “Well, I kinda know something…”

Amethyst gasped. “Tell me! Tell me, tell me!”

Crap, too soon! “I wanted to keep it a secret.”

The filly squirmed in her hooves. “But I want to know! I don’t wanna leave. Please?”

Vinyl resisted as best she could. She turned her face away and closed her eyes tight. Don’t look, don’t look, whatever you do, Vanilla, don’t look…

She looked, cracking open a lone eye to find Amethyst staring at her with the biggest, most imploring gaze she could muster. The expression seared its way into her consciousness and clouded her mind, steadily cracking open her formerly resolute shell of refusal. Unable to hold out for long, Vinyl groaned before pulling the filly in for another tight hug.

“You’re a monster.”

Amethyst giggled and nuzzled her neck.

“Alright, but first I’ve got to show you something.” Vinyl set her down and nabbed her candy bar. “Come on, kiddo, we’ve got some walking to do.”

It had taken nearly an hour to reach the proper neighborhood, and by that time Vinyl was carrying Amethyst on her back. A far cry from the huddled homes and busy streets that defined the orphanage’s neighborhood, this place had fresh-cut lawns, attractive two-story homes and an immaculate street of thick paving stones. Vinyl didn’t need to think about where she walked, for she’d had this place in mind for many years. It had seemed like a pipe dream when the idea had first taken hold.

Yet now she paused, gazing upon a brick home of two stories. The grass in the yard stood tall, but the shrubs that lined the side of the wall had been trimmed; the vines that once filled them were stacked in a neat pile on the corner, awaiting removal. Vinyl stared up at the place, a giddy feeling in her chest and a dopey smile on her lips.

Holy horseshoes, this belongs to me.

Amethyst set her forehooves on Vinyl’s ears for support as she looked over her head. “What is this place, Vinyl?”

Vinyl glanced up at her. “Let’s find out.” She pranced forward, pulling out the key she’d received from PP. “Time to see if this works.”

Amethyst fidgeted. “B-but what if somepony’s home?”

“Trust me, kiddo, nopony’s home. Yet.” Vinyl paused before the door, key hovering before her. She lingered, butterflies dancing in her stomach and breath coming in quiet gasps. Moving with dedicated slowness, she put the key in the lock and turned it. The latch gave a pleasant clack.

Swallowing to moisten her throat, Vinyl turned the handle. The door opened without a sound. Still, she didn’t move. Her eyes were set on the threshold, breath stopped entirely as she pondered the implications of stepping across.

“Vinyl? Are you okay?”

Vinyl licked her lips. “I just… need to savor this moment.”

Seconds ticked by. Vinyl closed her eyes and imagined a lifetime of moving from orphanage to home to orphanage, of always having strangers watching her, of sleeping in new and abused beds. All the things she longed to be rid of in one ugly little package, wrapped up and to be left right here at the threshold. Her lips curled into a grin.

Amethyst began to fidget on her back. “Umm…”

Opening her eyes, Vinyl took the step she’d been longing to take for ten years. Her hoof landed on a hardwood floor. She’d never touched anything so wondrous.

She passed through a short hallway and into an entry room, her head moving about slowly to take in the sight of it. Her heart skipped a beat; this one room was bigger than any three rooms in the entire orphanage combined. “H-holy horseshoes.”

Amethyst stood on her back. “Hello? Anypony home?”

“There’s nopony here,” Vinyl said, using her magic to deposit the foal on the floor. “It’s just us.”

“Are you sure?” Amethyst rubbed her leg and looked around as if she expected somepony to step out in the open at any second. “Why are we here?”

Vinyl sat and grinned. “This is my place now.”

“Yours?” Amethyst cocked her head, frowning in thought.

“That’s right, mine.” Vinyl couldn’t resist the tiniest of bounces. “It’s mine. All mine! I can’t live here by myself for another year, but still… it’s my home, Amethyst!”

The filly’s jaw dropped. “But you said you had to be eighteen.”

“I have to be eighteen to live without adult supervision,” Vinyl corrected as she turned a circle to take in the bare walls and ceiling. She giggled like a mad pony. “There’s no law saying I can’t buy a home. Can you imagine it? A place of our own, no more cramped rooms, no more having to deal with the other kids, no more worrying about whether we’ll be part of a family. We can live like normal ponies!”

Amethyst leaned forward, her eyes shining. “We?”

Vinyl’s head whipped over to Amethyst, her excitement disappearing in a flash. Her cheeks turned pink and she chuckled weakly. “Y-yeah. I’ll be eighteen next year. And… well…” She sat and beamed at the filly. “I’ll be an adult then.”

“S-so you’re going to…”

When Amethyst seemed at a loss for words, Vinyl nodded enthusiastically. “Adopt you.”

With a squeal, Amethyst launched herself into Vinyl, knocking the pony off her hooves. “Oh Goddess, yes! I’m going to have a family!”

They laughed on the floor and held one another. Vinyl’s chest swelled and her brain swam with thoughts of the future. Everything was going according to plan and she couldn’t have asked for more. “We’re gonna make a great family, kid.”

“Wait.” Amethyst sat up and cocked her head. “Does this mean you’re going to be my mom?”

“Uh…” Vinyl blushed, then chuckled at the unpleasant look the foal acquired. “Yeah, that seems odd to me too. How about a big sister?”

Amethyst bounced and dove in for more snuggling. “I’ll take it!”

“Good, because I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer.” Vinyl buried her muzzle in Amethyst’s mane playfully, earning her a giggle. “We’ve got to do our jobs properly, y’know? That means I have to embarrass you at every opportunity and you get to annoy me at all hours of the day.”

“Yep, then I’m gonna spread my toys aaall over the house for you to trip on.” Laughing at her own suggestion, Amethyst sat up and sported a faux-serious manner with her muzzle turned high. “Then you can shout at me and tell me to clean up my room.”

“ ‘Right now or you get no dessert!’ ” Vinyl sat up and shook a hoof at the filly. “And what’s with these grades, huh?”

Amethyst scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out. “But homework’s boring. Can’t we go get ice cream instead?”

Vinyl crossed her hooves and turned her face away with a hmmph. “Not a chance, little filly.”

“How about some candy?”

“Err…” Vinyl tensed and kept her lips tightly pursed for a few seconds, then groaned and threw her legs up. “Oh, fine, but then you gotta take a bath.”

“Aww…”

They burst into laughter and held one another close. After a while the laughter died. Amethyst leaned against Vinyl’s chest and Vinyl rested her chin on Amethyst’s head. Vinyl’s heart swelled. “Normal lives. Think about that, Amethyst. We’re going to live normal lives.”

Amethyst nodded against her chest. “I can’t wait. Why can’t we move in now?”

“Not for another year, kiddo.” Vinyl sighed and stood. “It’s just something to look forward to.”

“I guess.” Amethyst pouted and stared at her hooves. “I want you to be my big sister now.”

“I’ve always been your big sister.” Vinyl nuzzled the filly with a grin. “We don’t need some fancy house or a bunch of adoption papers for that. Now come on, why don’t we explore the place? You can pick out your room.”

Amethyst jumped to her hooves. “Yeah! Let’s go.”

Vinyl permitted the filly to lead her on, a smile plastered on her face as the filly bounced from room to room. Her eighteenth birthday couldn’t come soon enough.

Author's Notes:

Yes, I know Vinyl's math is off. That's intentional, both on my part and hers.

The one thing I'm not liking about these stories is that I have to make so many huge time jumps. On the one hand, they're necessary to keep the whole tale from being too big – and it's already set to be massive even with these steps. On the other hand, sprinting through like this makes it hard to focus on things and really dig deep into each character, which is frustrating. The next chapter looks to be a particularly troublesome victim of this and I'm trying to see if I can improve upon it somehow.