The speakers from her laptop played music that Twilight Velvet hummed along with cheerfully as she moved about the kitchen. For a Monday, she’d been rather productive, finishing two whole chapters in a flurry of inspiration, before spending an hour or so giving the main floor a quick cleanup. Now she was staring into the freezer, trying to decide on dinner. They’d done a lot of soups and stews recently, just simply because of how bitterly cold the winter had been so far, but she felt that something more solid would be appreciated by her husband and daughter. Her eyes flitted to a package of chicken and an idea took shape.

The chicken was set in the sink and she checked the fridge and cupboard for the rest of the ingredients. Everything she needed was there, so she decided on making her grandmother’s cream and parmesan chicken recipe over rice. Everyone in the house loved that one, and leftovers wouldn’t last, especially if Shining stopped by on Tuesday like he normally did.

A stray thought intruding sent the woman back to the freezer to retrieve a small package of salmon fillets out. Even though Sunset wasn’t due back at the house until Friday, Velvet decided that the teen would enjoy the same recipe with one of her preferred protein sources, especially if it was pre-packaged into meal sized portions to be kept in the freezer. In the months she’d been coming over, she’d started to lose some of the gauntness that Velvet suspected came from a mix of her vegetarian diet and a lack of real, healthy meals from a tight budget, but she was still too thin in all the wrong ways for a teenage girl with her proportions and frame. It made her wish they could convince Sunset to just make their house a more permanent residence—at least then she would know that Sunset was getting at least one good meal in her every day.

For now though, she’d settle for making extra and sending Twilight over in the next day or two to deliver it. Her youngest would love the excuse to go see the girl she was “secretly” dating, and with how happy time with Sunset made her, Velvet was more than willing to come up with opportunities or sign off on them as often as possible. Watching Twilight open up, laughing and socializing and going on outings like other teens her age—even if those outings were to places most teens wouldn’t be caught dead in, like museums—knowing that she was having those experiences, instead of spending her life cooped up in a lab all alone, was worth the worry that came from letting her ride with Sunset on the redheaded girl’s motorbike, or the added effort of pretending to be blind to the infatuated looks, sappy smiles, and touches that lingered just a little too long and a little too intimately for two girls who were only best friends.

The woman chuckled, thinking of the stash of photos that she had on her laptop. All of them had been taken at perfectly innocent moments, yet when looking at them, it was impossible to deny the love and affection between the couple. All going well, she hoped to eventually put them in an album, perhaps with a suitably amusing title—Night had suggested “Did You Really Think We Didn’t Know?”—and ultimately present it to the girls as a gift. Maybe for Christmas next year, provided they were still together and assuming her daughter actually got to the point of informing them of the fact that she was gay, and desperately in love with her ‘best friend.’ Velvet certainly hoped she would do it soon, because one of these days someone in the house was going to slip up and say ‘your girlfriend’ and she knew that would send Twily right into a nuclear level meltdown. She had a good feeling though—there had been a moment that weekend that she thought Twilight was on the verge of blurting it out, which was closer than she had ever come before.

Truthfully, Velvet mused to herself, it was in no way an exaggeration to call Sunset Shimmer the absolute best thing to ever happen to her daughter. Really, saying anything else would be underselling the impact of the fiery haired girl on the entire family and just how much she brought into their house. She knew, from long talks with Night in those quiet, soft moments before they drifted off to sleep, that the way Sunset responded to parental affection meant a great deal to them both. The teen was like a tiny, withered plant feeling the first droplets of rain at the end of a long drought, soaking it up and reaching for more, trying desperately to not look as in need of simple love and care as she clearly was. The look in those eyes, the old pain mixed with wonder and a little bit of fear touched something in the older woman’s heart, and she wanted nothing more to give Sunset all the motherly love that she had clearly been denied since the loss of her birth family.

It was certainly easy enough to do. Twilight Velvet was not ignorant of her own nature; her natural inclination to care for others manifested in many of her interpersonal relationships, in how quickly she had suggested to Fantasia that she and Night could look after Cadence when their friends had first started going abroad for business, in the way she interacted with her various nieces and nephews... And of course, it was the source of the soft pang that she could never quite move past, that went through her anytime she thought of those long years between Shining and Twilight. So many times where they’d hoped that this time would be different, that they’d done everything right, that she was taking the best care of herself she could, only for it to all end in yet another awful moment in some suitably pastel doctor’s office that could only offer them false comfort and empty platitudes that did nothing to alleviate the way her heart felt like it had been ripped out yet again...followed by far too clinical arrangements that she could only nod along to...Those silent moments of grief where she and Night were both hurting too much to do anything beyond hold each other and try not to weep... Impossibly long treks from the hospital to the car, arms and body filled with a void that ate away at a dream of filling the house with laughter and little running feet...

Twily had been their miracle child, a life brought into being when medicine and science had advised them that there was no hope and that for her health they needed to stop trying to beat the odds—even during the pregnancy there had been several times the doctors had advised them that she wouldn’t carry to term. She had hoped, her heart breaking anew when her baby had entered the world into the beginning of a life filled with struggle. Twilight had been so tiny when she was born, a little scrap of life cocooned in machines so much bigger than she was.

Those first weeks had been filled with Velvet staring at the baby in the NICU she wanted so deeply to hold and never let go, a whispered, pleading mantra uttered over and over. Just live, my precious little one, breathe, fight and don’t give up...come home with me, with us, and I will give you anything and everything.

It was a vow she would prove unable to keep, though not for lack of trying. In the end, the one thing her beautiful daughter needed was something Velvet couldn’t give her, and it reduced her again to helplessly watching as an indifferent world hurt her baby over and over again, as Twily struggled in so many different ways that most children never did.

Until chance...happenstance...or maybe another hidden miracle brought a neglected, hurting, flame haired child into their lives, and Sunset had somehow reached out to Twily, making contact with that place in her daughter that no one and nothing had ever managed to touch before and brought it to life. For that, if nothing else, Twilight Velvet would love Sunset as if she were her own—even if the romance between Sunset and her daughter didn’t last, Sunset would remain a child of the woman’s heart, and would always have a place in their family and home.

Her phone ringing jarred Velvet roughly from her thoughts, the woman blinking in confusion for a few moments before it dawned on her where the ringing was coming from. She answered her cell, not recognizing the number that flashed across the screen. “Hello?”

“Twilight Velvet?”

It took a few seconds for her to place the voice: Sunset’s Vice Principal. “Luna?”

“Yes, and I apologize if I am interrupting anything,” the woman said.

“Not at all. Is everything alright?” Worry had started to gather in her stomach but Velvet was half hoping this was just the woman calling to verify the new information in Sunset’s file.

The pause from the other end confirmed that this was more than just a courtesy call. “...not exactly. There was a minor accident with Sunset at school today.”

Almost without conscious direction, her free hand reached for her car keys. “What happened? Is she okay?” The woman hesitated for a moment as something occurred to her. “Tell her I can be on my way to come get her in two minutes and that no, it’s not an imposition or a worry or whatever other protest she might be making. That’s why I gave her the contact information.”

Luna chuckled, “I see you know Miss Shimmer well enough to anticipate her excuses. She is quite alright—nothing the nurse thinks is serious. There was a bit of overenthusiasm during dodgeball today, and Sunset was hit in the face. The nurse checked her over, and is concerned she may have a very minor concussion on top of a bloodied nose. Her recommendation is a day off tomorrow, and rest, without any intense activity—no driving, no heavy lifting, no strenuous exercise—but she also recommended someone be able to keep an eye on her in case it is more serious.” There was the sound of shuffling papers in the background. “Though you need not come retrieve her—one of her friends has already volunteered to provide her with a ride.”

Velvet set her keys down. “She’s not used to adults keeping their promises, or putting her first, I suspect. Just the fact that someone cares about her is something she is still adjusting to. It’s as if she has never been on the receiving end of unconditional love and support, and so it’s still a novel experience.”

The administrator on the other end sighed. “Miss Shimmer has a great deal of things she is struggling with, but she is making a great deal of progress...much of which I suspect you and your family have had something to do with.”

She matched the sigh with one of her own, before falling into a brief silence. “Anything we have given Sunset,” she confessed, “has been given back to us threefold or more, in what she has brought to our family...and to my daughter in particular.” Memories of Christmas morning flitted through her mind, of Twilight’s laughter and smile. “I’m not sure if Cady or Shining ever filled you in on the...challenges...my youngest has had to face?”

“Cadence did explain that there is a great deal of social anxiety,” the younger woman responded diplomatically. “I didn’t want to pry too deeply into the matter, as the details seemed...very personal.” Another of those chuckles. “She may have also mentioned that her ‘little Ladybug’ and Sunset Shimmer had bonded...though she had no idea at the time that Miss Shimmer was one of my students.”

A hint of a smile tugged at Velvet’s lips, and she couldn’t hide the affectionate humor that leaked into her voice. “Cady had always been a wonderful big sister for Twily,” she said. “From the very first she always wanted to spend time with her and see her happy.” She thought of the distraught daughter who had been pacing the front hall Friday afternoon. “I wish social anxiety was the worst of her problems, but recently...” she trailed off.

Luna made a soft sound of concern, before speaking hesitantly. “If I may...your daughter goes to Crystal Prep, as Cady and Shining did? Sunset was...asking me for my professional opinion about the school earlier with more than a small measure of concern.”

Sunset had said something? Velvet’s concern ticked up a few notches. Her daughter’s paramour was highly empathetic and intuitive, and had shown an unerring ability to read people. That she was concerned enough to broach it to one of her educators spoke volumes, and it hardened Velvet’s resolve over convincing the rest of her family—especially Twilight—that another school would be a better choice for her youngest child. “...I wasn’t aware she was going to do that, but yes, Twily goes to CPA currently. It’s...something I am seriously hoping to see change before her senior year starts next fall.”

For a long minute, there was only the sound of a desk chair creaking on the other end, but Luna eventually drew in a deep, slow breath and let it out again. When she spoke, her voice had lost the stiff formality and cool distance of an educator. “I’m...taking my Vice Principal hat off here, Velvet, and speaking ‘completely off the record,’ as Shining might put it.” There was a soft tapping noise, not quite fingernails on metal or wood, but close. “As Cadence’s best friend, and as someone who always thought that little girl on the phone, asking so politely and carefully to talk to Cady, had to be one of the sweetest children I’d ever encountered...if there is any way you can get her out of that corpusculent, soul rotting hell-mouth masquerading as an educational institution, do it without hesitation. Whatever accommodations your daughter needs, whatever educational support is necessary, we’ll make it happen for her here, or barring that, I’ll support you in seeing she gets it at whatever other school you choose.”

Velvet blinked, surprised by the vehemence in the woman’s tone. She must have made some sort of sound, because Luna spoke again. “I apologize if that sounds particularly harsh, but the truth is, I wouldn’t trust Abacus Cinch with the care of a pet rock, let alone a living, breathing creature. That sadistic, self centered, egotistical virago shouldn’t be allowed within a hundred yards of any child, let alone one like Cady’s ‘sweet little Ladybug.’”

Her breath caught in something that she couldn’t fully define as either a laugh or a sob, but was filled with a sense of relief. “Finally...someone who feels the way I do... It gets tiring to hear how my opinion of that woman is unfair and biased.” Velvet rubbed her face. “If I give you my email, is there a way you can send me the information on Canterlot High? It’s going to be an uphill battle to convince my husband and Twily, but both of them are rational minded. They prefer to deal in facts rather than feelings in serious matters.”

“I can do that. My sister is a bit more of the public relations type than myself, so I’ll see about enlisting her in polishing something up to present our best aspects in their best light.” Shuffling sounds. “Go ahead.”

Velvet rattled off her email. “Thank you, Luna, for this....and for calling me about Sunset. We’ll keep her here for the night and make her rest tomorrow. Does she need any kind of note?”

“Only if she ends up going to the doctor and getting any kind of extended instructions—though I wish you luck on that, given how thoroughly and aggressively she was protesting even seeing the nurse.” Luna sounded more than a little amused and a tad exasperated.

Laughing, the older woman found herself grinning. “I have a secret weapon, to be fair. If I really feel she needs to see a doctor, all I have to do is share my concern with Twily. I can guarantee that Sunset would be in the car, waiting to leave, inside of ten minutes.”

“Not a weapon we have here, unfortunately,” Luna laughed. There was the sound of voices in the background and the vice principal sighed. “And I’m afraid I have to cut this call short—duty calls, and disciplinary matters wait for no woman.”

Moving around the kitchen to fish vegetables out, Velvet found herself nodding despite Luna being unable to see it. “Well, since Sunset’s friend is giving her a ride over, I’ll get a pot of her favorite soup started. If she’s got even a mild concussion, a light meal is probably best—I’ve learned that stress tends to upset her stomach at the best of times. Thank you though, Luna, for calling me, and for persuading her that coming here was the best course of action.”

Luna’s parting words were sobering. “Thank you, Velvet—I say that from the bottom of my heart. Miss Shimmer is not the first child I have encountered from a troubling background where love seems a conditional, limited thing...but you and your family have welcomed her into a loving home. That gives her a measure of stability that puts her in the unfortunately small percentage of those children who stand a chance of getting some kind of happy ending to their story.”

The phone call ended with a beep, and Velvet found her eyes drawn to the kitchen window, toward the small rose garden tucked neatly in the corner of the yard. Luna’s observation was one steeped in truth, and the fact was, if Twilight Velvet had any say in the matter, Sunset would never lack a family or love ever again. She would’ve adopted the girl outright if she could, even if just unofficially, if that wouldn’t have made things awkward, given the romantic entanglement between the two girls. Though, if it worked out, ‘future daughter-in-law’ was equally acceptable.

She set to getting the small pot of vegetable soup on to boil, working quickly while keeping her ears open for the sound of a car in the driveway. Some part of her felt an irrational twinge of frustration at Sunset’s friend for being so helpful, for no other reason than her want to see for herself as soon as possible that Sunset was okay. It wasn’t that she believed Luna would mislead her or lie to her—her son held the woman in too high a regard for her to be dishonest—but two and a half years of far too many incidents where Crystal Prep had downplayed things with Twilight had left a mark. Especially because that supercilious bint they employed as the school’s nurse almost never bothered to call, and when she did, it was with a plethora of remarks about how it was ‘high time you stop catering to her tantrums and force Miss Sparkle to grow out of her childish behavior and dependence.’

The sound of someone pulling into the driveway cut through her thoughts, and she hurriedly wiped her hands off on a dishtowel. By the time she reached the front door, she could hear the murmur of voices, or more specifically, what sounded like Sunset arguing with someone. Velvet opened the front door, finding Sunset giving a half hearted glare at a young man who had the redhead’s backpack slung over one shoulder.

“I really can carry my own backpack twenty feet to the door, Flash,” she complained.

The blue haired boy shook his head. “Just humor me, Sunset. Nurse said no heavy lifting, and it feels like you’ve got bricks in here.”

She rolled her eyes, following him up the front path. “They’re books, Flash. My advanced calculus doesn’t do itself, and neither does my AP physics.”

Velvet couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her at the exchange, her feet already carrying her out onto the porch. “Sunset, sweetie, I’ve seen those textbooks, and they definitely count as ‘heavy lifting.’” As she closed the distance, she gave into the urge to pull the too-slender girl into a hug.

As she always did, Sunset stiffened the moment the arms enfolded her, a rigid tension that was less about any kind of discomfort and more to do with her not expecting the affectionate contact or knowing quite what to do with it. It didn’t last long before her body leaned into the embrace, arms coming up to return it with a soft, throaty noise that Velvet had only heard her make when she felt safe and happy. In response, Velvet ran her fingers through tousled tresses, holding the teen until she felt her start to pull away, focusing on just letting her know that she was loved. Her heart felt lighter at the fact that Sunset accepted the parental affection so much more readily with every passing week.

Sunset’s lips held the hint of a smile as she was let out of the hug. “It’s not that heavy, and I’m not that hurt. A good night’s sleep and I’ll be good as new.”

The woman chided her in a gentle tone, her smile softening the words. “I know, but it sounds like you gave your classmates and Luna quite the scare, and I was quite worried myself when she called. It would mean a lot if you would let us fuss over you a little bit until we’re all reassured that you are okay. Despite the nurse at your school judging it to be a minor thing, head injuries are fickle things and we want to make sure it stays minor.”

“It wasn’t so minor for those of us who saw it happen, either. You were a mess, Sunset,” her friend added.

The redhead sighed. “Alright...I’m too tired to argue anymore and my head still hurts anyway.”

She put an arm around Sunset’s shoulders, guiding her towards the house. “Which is why I’m going to tuck you into bed. You can rest, and when you get hungry, there will be some of my vegetable soup waiting for you.” Twilight Velvet turned her smile on Sunset’s friend, who was still holding onto her backpack like some kind of spoils of war. “Can you bring that inside for us? There’s a hook in the hall you can hang it on.”

“Sure thing,” he responded, following them into the house.

Velvet turned briefly away from pointing Sunset towards the stairs to address Flash. “I’m going to get Sunset situated, but can I offer you a cup of coffee or cocoa to say thank you for giving her a ride home and ensuring she got here safe?”

His eyes, which had been looking over some of the photos on the wall, flicked to Sunset, who was trying to hide laughter. “I appreciate it, ma’am, but I actually have to get to work, so I can’t stay.”

Another snicker from the teenage girl. “Yeah. Those lattes don’t make themselves. And stars forbid your regulars miss even a minute of you wearing that atrocious hot pink apron.”

Flash raised a brow in challenge. “You’re just jealous because I rock hot pink better than you ever could.” He made an exaggerated show of flinching when Sunset slugged his shoulder, but he returned the gesture much softer. “Feel better, okay? And...think about what I said.”

Sunset nodded, smiling despite the slump to her body and the pain that showed in her eyes. “I...I will, Flash. Thanks again for...well...everything.”

It felt like Velvet was missing some important layer to the conversation, but she settled for calling after the young man as he turned towards the door, “Drive safely,” in the way of mothers everywhere.

Some Velvet viewpoint. Little bit of Sparkle family backstory woven in, and a reference to the mom of human Cadence, lol.

And no Twilight yet...Sunset dodged that bullet a bit.

No, Luna does not like Cinch. At all. Seems like there's some SERIOUSLY bad blood.

Also, have some more nice-boy Flash. He's soft and huggable.