The smell of the bacon wafted through the air of the apartment, the meat slowly cooking in its own juices.  The crackling of the grease could be heard throughout the entirety of the small abode.  The quaint kitchen was large enough for the stallion that was eagerly preparing breakfast.

   The stallion flipped the eggs with god-like precision as they landed on the pan next to the bacon, cooking evenly.  Taking great care not to get any of the hot grease on his black coat or his perfectly combed dark blue mane, still slightly wet from the shower.  

   His ear twitched as the sound of the mail hitting the floor as it passed through copper drop slot in the door. “Mail's here early today, its barely five A.M.,” he mumbled to himself.  

   He leaned down and bit on the stack of mail and set it on the marble counter, began to sift through the junk and bills in hopes of something interesting.  From the second to the last there was a light crème envelope that was written in black ink.  No distinguishing or interesting marks save for a few dings from mail travel; what caught the stallion’s eye was the sender, Mary Sue.

   The stallion chuckled. “From my sister, Mary. I wonder if she is doing ok in Ponyville?”  He bit down on the edge of the letter and ripped the side opened, discarding the envelope he took the letter and sat down on the wooden chair next to the mahogany table.

.

Dear Gary & Selfie

   I hope you two are doing well in Manehatten. I have heard there are some horrible things that go on those streets and I worry about you two every day that you are out there.  Gary I hope this new book is worth it.  Although I do hear they have the best corn dogs this side of Equestria.

   Selfie, I hope you are doing your school work, maybe even you got yourself a little colt friend.  I do miss you bunches and bunches little sister, things are not going so well from me in Ponyville, but I have made a friend!

   Her name is Derpy Hooves; she is a pegasus with a ash grey coat.  She has a daughter that is around your age named Dinky, I haven’t met her yet, but I am going to be paying her a visit later.

   I did get your birthday present in the mail Gary, and I can’t believe you actually sent me THAT, I'll have you know I am currently see a stallion… sort of… you have no idea how embarrassing it was when I opened your gift and my friend Derpy saw it too.

   She almost choked on the muffin she was eating.

   Where did you even find such a thing, I hope you’re not parading around things like that in front of little Selfie?  I would never forgive you brother if she starts asking unnecessary questions.

   Write back soon, I want a letter from both of you.  I really miss you two, ever since are falling out with mom and dad, I don’t know.

   Love, your sister.

   Mary Sue.

   Gary set the letter down on the marble counter and went back to preparing breakfast.  “Maybe me and Self should pay her a visit… It has been almost a full year since the family split up.”  A hot spike of irritation ran down his spine at the thought of his parents.

   Gary shook off the occurrence, and grabbed two plates from the wooden cupboard and unloaded the contents of the pan onto both plates.  After making a smiling face out of the bacon and eggs, Gary sat down back in his chair and took another sip of his coffee.

   It didn’t take long; it was slowly working its way around the house, the smell.  The bacon guarded the young stallion’s nose – for a time – but even the mighty power of bacon could not stop the aroma that was wafting through the air.

   Then it hit him.

   It took a minute; Gary sat there waiting, enjoying his morning brew.  The smell was sweet, and welcoming, almost intoxicating.  In the back of his mind he had not taken realization yet to what this sweet aroma was, until his curiosity started to work its way to the forefront of his mind.

   He set down his cup, as his green eyes scanned the area for the object they gave off this delightful aroma.  He got off his chair and started to follow the smell, slowly trotting across the dining hall and onto the tannish white carpet of the living area. His mind slowly trying to piecing together the scent, as he sniffed the air like a dog hunting a bone.

   “This smells so familiar, I swear I know what it is,” Gary said in a low whisper as he continued forward. “It kind of smells like…”

   Gary stopped in his tracks outside the door of Selfie’s bedroom, a dark brown door with a large pink S on the outside. Decorated with hundreds of tiny sheep’s that lined the border, a gold door knob was bedazzled with tiny glass crystals.

   Gary opened the door; it took around point three seconds for the musk to burn its way deep into his snout.  He put his hoof to his nose as he fell back on his plot; his eyes watering as the mind nearly gave way to the aroma.

   “Holy sweet baby Celestia, Self is hitting her first heat,” he said as a cold shiver ran down his spine. Gary backpedaled away from his little sister’s door and back into the kitchen. His breathing became heavy as he sat back down in in favorite wooden chair.

   “Ok, this is normal.  She is that age where she should start discovering little colts, and colts will start finding out fillies don’t have cooties. Perfectly normal, who the hay am I kidding this family is never normal.” Gary’s hoof found its way to his forehead as he leaned back into his chair. ”What am I going to do? I can’t deal with a blooming filly; it was bad when enough I had to help Mary through her first heat.” A cold shiver ran down his spine. "Never again."

   A spark of inspiration ran through his mind as his eyes fell on the opened letter from his dear younger sister Mary. “Maybe I don’t have to deal with her at all, Mary is a girl she should be able to deal with a filly better than I can, and this time my socks with go unmolested!”

   “What are you talking about, Big Brother?” said the quiet voice of a groggy-eyed filly who was still trying to wipe away the dust the sand pony left in her eye the night before.

    Gary swallowed a large pool of saliva that had begun to pool at the back of his throat as he looked into his sister's eyes. “Nothing, Self, just got a letter from Mary…” Gary said as he started look for something to gather his attention away from the smell.

   Self’s ears snapped up and her eyes widened as a wide grin grew on her face. “Mary sent me a letter?”

   Gary relaxed as he slid the letter over to his younger sister, a wry smile growing on his face.  Self looked at the letter and back at her older brother, a clear frown growing on her face.

   “Read it to me,” she whined. “You know I can’t read Mary’s chicken scratch.”

   Gary grabbed the letter and pushed an imaginary set of glasses up the bridge of his nose, which caused the young filly to do a very dramatic eye roll that went unnoticed.

   “My dear family, it is I, your sister, Mary,” spoke in a dramatic voice. “Oh, how long has it been since I last saw my great and powerful, handsome, dashing, always well-tempered and a snappy dresser-“

   “It doesn’t say all that,” Self accused.

   Gary was taken back. “It does too, now quiet while finish.” The stallion cleared his throat. “-Gary. Also, to my little sister, Selfie, Hi.”

   “How come you get the nice long introduction and all I get is a simple hi?”

   Gary shrugged. “You know Mary, and she is a weird one.” His eyes fell back to the letter. “I have missed you both terribly, but I have been doing well here in Ponyville.  I have made tons of friends and even have a very special somepony.” He looked about the letter he was ‘reading’ to catch the bright red cheeks of the young filly.

   So innocent, it’s just adorable.

   “I, however, miss my family far more than I can say.  Oh how I long to see you both by my side again like the good old days back at are grape vineyard in Prance.”

   Self raised an eyebrow. “I thought we were from Canterlot?”

   “Except Self who was born in in a shoebox in Canterlot.”

   “I was not,” Self huffed.

   “I don’t know, it sounds legit to me.” Gary smirked. “Now let me finish. Even though I have made tons of friends, I want you both to come visit me as soon as possible,” he lied.

   With eyes the size of saucers and a wide gaping smile that nearly broke the edges of her face, she was at Gary’s side with a pleading face. “Can we go, PLEASE?”

   Gary rolled his eyes. “I don’t know, Self, and if I know her she will want us to stay a while.  I can’t homeschool you like I normally do, so if we do go, it will be for a while.” Long enough for you to come to your senses at least.

   Self wrapped herself around the black fur coat of her brother, nestling her nose right into his chest. “Please, Gary, if I do the dishes and clean my room can we please go visit Mary, please, please, please, PWEEASE,” she begged.

   Gary sighed, “Sure, start packing up. Oh, and make sure you grab everything you will want and need.  We are going to be there for a bit.”

   Self didn’t move from her brother’s lap, she stood there holding her side as she leaned her head on his barrel. Gary smiled as he looked down at his little sister, times like this I love being the older brother.

   “You smell really good, big brother,” Self said in quiet voice.

   Well this just got weird.

   Self looked up. “Gary, what are you going to do about work?  I thought you needed to be in Manehatten for your next book?”

   Gary put his hoof on his little sister’s blonde mane and started to rub it vigorously. “Now what are you doing worrying about what I do for my work huh? That’s not like you at all. Don’t worry, I will keep up with my work just as well in Ponyville.”

   He waited for a response, after several moments passed, the stallion looked down to see a sleeping filly, complete with drool. “I guess it’s just a little too early in the morning for my growing little sister,” Gary whispered.

   With a quick wrap of his wing, he encompassed the little alicorn, taking great care as he walked along the floor not to wake the sleeping filly.  He passed the threshold into the room jam-packed with Daring Do collectables and memorabilia.

   He laid her back down on the white sheets, she grabbed and squeezed on his foreleg as her unconscious body refused to let go.  It was easily remedied by a little slight of hoof, which was now replaced with a Daring Do plushy.

   He covered her in her favorite flannel blanket. It had pink hearts that traced the border of the blanket and in the center was a blown up picture of Daring Do.

   Quietly, the stallion backpedaled out of the room, as he eased the door shut until it clicked securely. Gary sighed as he made his way to the kitchen; after wrapping up the filly’s plate in shrink wrap. Gary systematically consuming his bacon and eggs while he cleaned up the kitchen.

   It took almost twenty minutes for the stallion to finish cleaning. When he finished, he trotted over to with work area,  a simple wooden desk, covered in papers with both edited and unedited works.  The author sat down in the comfy office chair and looked down at his latest publication.

   Daring Do and the Mystery of the Manehatten Prince, By Gary Stu.

   “Well, I guess my new book will be about Ponyville,” he said to no one as he shut the off desk lamp.

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