Canterlot What Shines and Sparkles in the Distance (Sparkle Family Thread)

[Hippo]

Shining's teeth started grinding together involuntarily as Twilight set to serve the ball into play. The moment Twilight's hoof smacked the side of the ball, Shining's legs buckled and look up and over at the violent trajectory of the ball. It hit a tree and rolled favorably towards them. "Eh, maybe not so hard Twilight, a good serve is all about grace and control." That is of course, unless you're going for an ace, which in this setting is probably inappropriate, the prince assumed.

Shining shrugged as soon as mother suggested a mulligan. "OK, its still zeros. But we get to serve." Shining stood patiently as dad started moving his legs around in an odd art of muscle manipulation. Shining only hoped for a volley lasting longer than a few seconds.

​

[SteelEagle]

Drats and darnit. They had gotten off to an early lead only to have the capriciousness of his wife foil it. Well, that was to be expected. They were going to have to win this game eighteen to zero if she was going to accept it. She wasn't a very good loser. Like most mares, she used her 'feminine wile' to ignore defeat and substitute victory very much like one replaces a bad piece of lettuce with a fresh one. But it wouldn't help her in the long gallop. Shining and Crescent knew how to play and for all of his own kindness, Crescent wasn't going to treat his daughter and wife like they were newborn foals swaddled in safety and without the prospect of failure that was the natural extension of any real effort. Plus he simply wanted to win. His son caved to the demands of the marefolk easily enough, a real husband. Crescent smirked.

"Okay love, but just this once. There aren't any do-overs without risk in life," Crescent winked as the ball found its way back to the other side.

For Twilight, the first serve had been very much her feeling out the way the ball moved post-impact. Yeah, that was it. Strategy. It was all a strategy that she had conceived in a lightning strike of thought and cunning. She had known hee rmother would call for the point to be withdrawn. Tie game and she had lured her foes into a false sense of security! No wonder she was a Princess. Her strategems and tactics were beyond compare. She playe dthem like a fiddle and moved thema cross the board like it was a game of chess! Now if only they were really playing chess and not volleyball would all of that be beneficial. Well, in any case, she wasn't the element of honesty so the personal white lies continued as she received the ball again. It was true though that she had a better idea of what to do with it now that she had a test run.

"Yes, just a test! Now I've got this down!" She smiled though the attitude behind it was nervous at best. She served the ball accurately onto the other sude of the court...and also very, very slow.

[Rosewind]

Velvet gave the stallions a buttery smile as they willfully -- and smartly -- accepted her suggestion for a mulligan. She stroked her short, striped bangs in smart acknowledgement of her meta game. "There aren't any do-overs without risk? Indeed. We have two children because of that specific paradigm. And, what wonderful children they are!" She smartly trotted to the back end of the court, her aqua-blue gaze burning with competitive fire. That was, of course, when she noticed a patch of coltsfoot just taking to flower. It made excellent dye and ink; the color of a robin's egg. It was considered a weed back in Canterlot, but out in the prime of open country, it grew in vast swathes. She picked it with her mouth, planning all of the things she would do with it! It could be dried and processed, or just eaten raw as a snack. Either way, she was quite distracted, and noticed several more patches of wildflowers that were of equal curiosity and use.

She lifted one of her ears as she heard a soft tap. The game! She looked up just in time to see Twilight give the ball a good bop. Actually, it was a very soft bop, and she was on the far side of the court looking at flowers. The other side was completely open. Fearing for a swift return of the ball, she broke into a gallop to cover the middle of the court. She spit the flowers out of her mouth. "Nice return, sweetie!" she shouted loudly, her sight focusing on the two stallions on the other side of the net. "Cover the front in case they try to spike us!"

[Hippo]

Twilight's serve was much better this time. It floated towards the other side with grace. And as it's started to decend on the stallion's side, Shining figured he would entertain just enough muscle for the game to stay in play. And so without moving his legs, the ball came towards him and he lowered his head enough so that his horn would not puncture the ball and with a soft bop, bounced the ball off his head to return it's trajectory. The ball gracefully floated just above the net. "Dad, take the approach, and if you can't get it, I'll flare you, OK?" Shining didn't think for a minute if dad, or anypony else in this family, would understand what he meant. Either way, Shining would probably just make them feel like they did good. After all, this was just a family game of volleyball right? No competition in this family. No sir. Not at all. Nope. Shining dug his hooves partially into the grass below him.

​

[SteelEagle]

The ball was lazily returned by Twilight, but as far as Crescent was concerned he'd just call it leisurely. he didn't want to be turned into a was or some other bug, of even for a few minutes. His daughter probably knew how and his wife would certainly allow it, the deadliest and most concerning combination for any stallion with a desire to win a game. The ball seemingly floated and Shining returned it with greater force, though by no stretch of the imagination anything approaching what he was capable of. He had raised a strong son after all! But then he started speaking and it may as well have been Prench. Get the approach and let Shining flare him- what did that mean? Context clues! Context clues! The approach likely meant the front, owing to the general usage of the approach being somewhat like that. Flare likely meant let him take the range near the back. So Crescent took up position with a good trot, mirroring his wife on the other side as he kept his eye on the ball.

Just like Twilight. She had done a textbook easy serve that had allowed the game to actually commence, and after doing so had heeded her mother's sage advice. Well, Twilight hoped it was sage. It was entirely possible that Twilight was better served being in the rear but who was she to argue- mom's word was mom's word, no matter the situation. Twilight galloped to the front as quickly as she could, reaching her position just as Shining returned the ball in featherweight fashion in front of her. She had expected something harder from Shining, but this was good too. What to do? It took a second for Twilight to come up with a plan, but when she did she had less time to go to work on it. She angled her head and bopped the ball easily back up, but still on their side of the net. If everything worked out, those poor stallions wouldn't know what hit them. It was all up to dear old mom.

"Spike it back mom!"

[Rosewind]

Velvet grinned inwardly. Volleyball was certainly a game of finesse and skill. She knew the stallions had both strength and speed on her daughter and her, but she had a secret weapon: psychological warfare. She cleared her throat as the ball sailed back toward Twilight.

"Cressy, do you remember that polka-dotted diaper cover we got for Shining when he was a foal? I think it was blue with pink spots. When he got older, I re-purposed it into a tea cozy! You know that one we use that sits on the counter? I just love pulling it out to show the guests..."

Now that her attempt to faze her son was delivered, it was time to strike! Like a mare viper. "Good girl, Twi! Right to MOM!" Velvet used her yoga Stance of the Bawling Mantis, raised her forehooves in the air, jumped high, and SPIKED! She landed to the grass, spinning on her hind legs, with her tail swishing behind her. She was rather graceful; if not in the kitchen, at least she was playing with balls...

[Hippo]

Shining was distracted slightly by what mom was saying. She was going to make what now? Shining was used to the nonsense that she spouted every now and then. And for the most part, he wasn't really affected. But it did throw him off just enough that when she violently spiked down after her little diversion, Shining was unable to make the mark in time, and dove for the ball and getting nothing but grass. Immediately, Shining smiled up at dad. Mom had won the round. Shining tossed the ball back to the mares' side and shortly huddled with father. "Alright, Dad, here's the plan. You got to do whatever you can do to distract mom and Twilight. Just say something that strikes their attention. And then, we go in for the kill. I mean score."

Shining broke the huddle, just when the mares were about to serve. "So, Twilight, how's your boyfriend in the REA doing?"

​

[SteelEagle]

"Sweetie, you and I both know the guests hate that. Plus it looks weird. Nopony else we know has diaper covers from their foals' youth, re-purposed or not. Seek help," he shot back playfully, not that it matter. They scored.

The fact that they scored a point rankled him. Why did Shining get so caught up in what Velvet said? Talking about the diapers he had to use as a foal and the pictures she showed to others didn't make much of a difference. In terms of the embarrassment scale it ranked so far below the stuff he was forced to deal with on a near daily basis as to almost appear inconsequential. He was a Prince, married to a Princess, and the co-ruler of an Empire. He didn't have to worry about living with Velvet nor should he concern himself with the opinions of others. Alas, it was what it was. Now the two stallions would have to think of a new strategem since Shining just couldn't let their superior ability tell the story. It was a bit silly to consider the possibility of embarrassing his wife in any circumstance as she existed in a state of perpetual shamelessness unless one discussed matters so personal that they would be uncomfortable rather than funny. So he shook his head at Shining, distancing himself from the equation.

"That won't work on Velvet. She is impervious to shame," he whispered back as the two prepared for the next serve. Shining's comment that was floated back over put the father on edge- who was this guy dating her daughter and why did he not know?! No offense to the REA and the many fine stallions who ran around getting beat up all the time by Equestria's enemies, but his daughter was not going to be pinned down by some punk. He had also known a few REA members with names like Punk and never thought it a good sign. The only way this could turn out well is if it was a ruse, a joke, something risible and it distracted Twilight likewise. Otherwise, Crescent had a few dozen strategies in mind for how to make such a stallion safe for his daughter. A few of them were unwilling if the target was unwilling but sometimes the wheels of love needed to be greased with awful in-laws for it to be true love.

For her part, Twilight as glad they had scored a point. The stallions were going to win and win big but a shutout would have been poor form. Now at least it could be an interesting game! And it all came thanks to Velvet's fantastic plotting. Shining was an oddly proud stallion who still had this later colt's embarrassment of his foalhood and all things associated. It seemed to be a more common trait of a stallion's in any case but one that did not help them. Twilight couldn't stop discussing her foalhood...mostly because she had theories about magical growth in pre-filly years and how her upbringing helped her aura connect to the aetheral flow of Equestria on a deeper level than others giving her a pool of innate magic and talent in the arts of aetheral distortion and application of the aetheral connection with her aura. But funny foalhood moments were't too far down the list of things that made her smile, embarrassing or not.

"Serve!" Twilight said proudly before Shining's question came in like rolling thunder. Immediately a blush set in and she felt like spiking the ball down Shining's throat. He needed to shut that mouth of his up. Flash Sentry was not her boyfriend and she didn't even talk to him all that much. Under what condition is that a coltfriend? More annoyingly, how did he figure he know about any sort of crush she had? Was Flash Sentry going around telling people she was dating him?! What a lying liar! She was not! Oh, maybe he cried himself to sleep every night wishing so and maybe he drank from the cup of perpetual sadness because of his unfortunate position, but she was busy laying around with Ponyville's favorite mare. A step up under every definition.

She served the ball right into her mother's flank, the ball rebounding and smacking her in the face to complete the worst serve in recorded history. She shook her head an shot Shining a deadly look.

"He is a friend, not a coltfriend. It would be an awful relationship if as a Princess I didn't ask for my boyfriend to be transferred to my castle, wouldn't it? I think my fillyfriend would have something to say about that too," Twilight replied in a huff as Crescent levitated the ball back to their side, giving it to Shining. He was too focused on it not being an REA member to focus on the other part.

"Score tied. Shining, your serve."

[Rosewind]

Velvet steeled herself. She knew the stallions would have something to say in retaliation of her diaper cover gambit. Twilight...dating? She gritted her teeth mentally. Unfortunately her father was also present, and on the opposite team. Clearly her son was playing dirty if he would induce mental fallout on his own team. She chanced a glance at her husband -- she knew the boyfriend comment caught home on him just as well. She nonetheless regrouped herself. She would check Hoofbook later and confirm if her little girl was dating.

Her mental regrouping fell rather short. She felt a sharp snap against the lavender stars of her cutie mark. She whipped her head around, her striped bangs shooting straight up in the air from her sudden surprise. She saw the volleyball rolling away, far away, into the grass beyond, her daughter looking somewhat frustrated and surprised at once. Velvet was a big mare, she could take it to the flank -- and she often did when playing with Cressy at home. She cracked a soft grin, giving Twili proper motherly reassurance. "It's okay hon, we'll get them again soon! Later on we can talk to Celestia about having that guard transferred to the Crystal Empire or something, and he won't be a problem anymore. I'm sure she's forgotten about that Incident in Canterlot Gardens and she will be receptive to your Father and I." She turned back to the stallions, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "Who's up?!"

[Hippo]

Distracting his sister worked better than he could have imagined. Although, the funniest part about it, is despite Shining's vague mentioning, Twilight seemed to be speaking about a particular pony. Shining wasn't even sure he knew who it was. He knew there was an interesting friendship between Flash Sentry, but he hadn't consider it still being a thing. Maybe Twilight was hiding more than he realized. But then, Shining made the mistake of not taking father's perspective into account. He, along with mother, both grinded their teeth like they were chomping at an invisible bit. "It's ok dad, it's only talk." Shining whispered. Shining gave his father too much credit sometimes. He loved who he was, and he couldn't ask for much more out of a father. But sometimes, it was like talking to the wind. Some things he'll never seem to understand or gain Shining's perspectives, and he'll continue to give the same fatherly advice he built up over several decades. Have to admit though, all those years with mom did strengthen his personality.

Good news though, the guys did score. It's too bad Twilight was getting flustered though. But when Twilight mentioned a girlfriend having something to say about a boyfriend, it gave Shining another cheeky idea. "Oh, that's right! Hey, have you girls decided on who's going to carry your first foal? Because if it's her, I'll be more than happy to be a surrogate as a brother of the relationship," Shining's white pelt grew pale. "Indirectly of course." It was a good thing Cadance wasn't here for that. Shining tossed the ball to dad for him to serve.

​

[SteelEagle]

Twilight recovered herself well enough, situating herself mentally in a position of srength relative to before. Bringing up her marefriend made her feel a little better, if only because the warmth of the memory was doubled by the fact that she was confident nopony here knew her well. Of course they had seen her and maybe even chatted a bit but she knew that they couldn't spend an hour detailing what was wrong with her marefriend. That didn't stop her brother from being an awkward goof but she wouldn't have wanted Shining to be any other way. After all, underneath the armor of a Guard and the position of a Prince was a little nerd who spent as much time wit his friends as Lord Seagon as he did as Shining Armor anywhere else.

"Oh, I think I would. A lot of my duties are pretty passive even if I have to keep up at them constantly. She leads a very physical life, labor intensive. Don't want her work to suffer on account of our first foal. We agreed on the second or third she would so we could share the load. And, ha, thanks fo the offer but you're MY brother. Nopony else's. Don't forget that, Shiny," Twilight replied lightly as she prepared herself for balls.

Crescent admired the underhoofed manner of his son...to an extent. It was a valuable skill in all fields of life as politics and gamesmanship were vital no matter what road you rode upon. Then again, bringing up the prospect of her beautiful little filly being defiled by some disgusting pervert who used his shiny armor to attract her disgusted Crescent in a deep and harsh way. He wanted to turn that stallion into a piece of dust. Of course his daughter denied it and that raised his level of calm a bit but the prospect enough was enough to send his parental klaxons ringing internally nearly eternally. He nodded towards his wife, understanding completely that they would work together to get Celestia to agree to such a plea.

"I'm sure she will have forgiven our transgressions, dear. Broken guards and burned terraces recover quickly...as has our bank account and criminal records, so it should be fine," Crescent replied with a nervous chuckle. Hopefully he was right, anyway. It would be great if he could get that guard moved. Maybe even have him transferred to another nation on a training mission for...well, as long as legally possible. Probably not forever because at some point Twilight would be unavailable. Which brought him to the idea of a marefriend- it still made his stomach churn but less so, if mostly because his daughter seemed more comfortable with the prospect.

"Whatever makes you happy, sweetie. Daddy loves you no matter what. Alright everypony, serve time!" He shouted with glee before hammering the ball right over the net, the ball skimming right over the top and heading straight for Velvet's beautiful face.

[Rosewind]

Velvet swallowed hard, doing well to hide the growing lump in her throat. She fiddled with her pearl necklace, which she tended to do when topics of mental strain came about. The talk of foals -- it was actually quite wonderful! She wondered the day she would be a grandmare, and a grand, grandmare she would be! She never really had a grandmare herself -- her closest related (living) on her mother's side wasn't very attentive to her, despite her attempts to get to know her during her fillyhood. In fact, she never even referred to her as "grandmare," but just "that ancestor" when talk of family lineage and relatives came about. She resolved to never put another foal through that ordeal. She would be very involved with whatever baby one of the girls popped out. Soon, hopefully. Just not Twilight. She would need a ring around her horn for that. It was somewhat old-fashioned, but Velvet was quite firm in her cultural armaments.

She glanced up at the sky with her aquatic gaze, letting out a deep sigh. One of the clouds did look a bit like a rattle. Or was it a bottle? Could this be a portent?! A round object snapped her out of her brief reverie. It looked like a ball, which was steadily getting bigger as it sped toward her. The ball! "The ball!" she cried out. Velvet spun around. She tripped over both of her front legs, then her back ones. She teetered momentarily, landing smack on her butt. The ball whizzed right into her horn. Velvet gasped loudly. It rebounded, by sheer luck! The grey mare's jaw dropped open as she looked onward, the ball neatly pitching over the net. It certainly wasn't the most graceful way to return a serve, but she did it...if not unintentionally, she would certainly spin it as a triumph of skill. "Hah! How about that?! I call that my yoga ball butt bounce return rebounder!"

[Hippo]

Shining wasn't aware of the things his sister spoke, so it stunned him. The ironic turn that would leave him stuttering to understand exactly what she was saying was only triggered by his willingness to open the can of worms of introducing foals into the conversation, something he refused to do earlier when mother was focusing on his intentions with having foals with Cadance. "Wait, really? You're going to carry? How soon?"

Shining volleyed the ball back to the girls' side. But when Twilight continued to remark that he would not be a a participant in that situation due to the obvious completely forbidden nature of the action, Shining stammered a bit in his thoughts. Of course, he didn't think that, and he hoped mom and dad didn't think that. So he had to respond with something, something short and not well thought through. "Well it's OK. Cadance wants me to save for the moments we try anyways." The moment he said this, he realized it contradicted what he said earlier that Cadance and he had yet to have a chance to talk about foals. And it struck him scared that mom would find out. And speaking of mom, She made a somewhat athletic move on the ball which sent it hurling at Shining, without him having enough chance to react to it, and the girls scored. Shining looked up sheepishly at his dad.

​

[SteelEagle]

His wife played with her necklace and his son fumbled about in thought and confusion as his daughter discussed carrying a foal. By all the stars of Luna's ornamental desires, what was with everypony? It made some sense that his wife would be tossed out of sorts by the thought. She was afflicted dually with the overwhelming desire to deal with more foals as well as wanting to see her little girl get hitched before then. Discussion of foals before discussion of marriage- Crescent had an inkling that his daughter wasn't a brazen hussy and would do the right thing, but in the end who cared? If what Crescent pieced together was accurate, then by all means allow his daughter some freedom in her decisions as she was with a pony of integrity. What was a little bit more shocking was his son being all bent out of shape by the discussion. He was the brother and as long as he couldn't order the culprit around why should he care? Then he went and contradicted himself. No doubt Velvet overheard that. He had to act fast. "Son, focus!" Crescent ran over to the ball and served it with authority over the net.

"Serve!"

As far as Twilight was concerned, this whole discussion had been an overwhelming success in one manner. Yes, she had discussed the possibility of foals not too long ago and the discussion went well, mostly because of Twilight's eagerness to formulate plans and Applejack's love of family. But for all intents and purposes it was idle chatter between lovers as both were far too busy to really commit to something like that. But it threw the other team off, didn't it? She had expected her father to be the one to have such difficulty dealing with the information she was dishing out but it was her brother caught by the trap of foalish confusion. Really? He was a married stallion. While he went ahead and just then contradicted herself vis a vi Cadance- something she had already suspected because of her conversations with her sister-in-law- it was still an open wound of his that she would pick expertly.

"Well, of course we have discussed it but we aren't sure just when. This winter when everything dies down, perhaps. Depending on how my schedule shakes out I may decide to have three at once! I have a fifty percent chance of having an Earth pony, twenty-five of a unicorn, and twenty-five percent chance of a pegasi. No alicorn births sadly. You only have a chance of that if the mates are both alicorns and she is not an alicorn- not yet, anyway!" she laughed, imagining Applecorn to great effect, "as for gender I calculated my odds. As we all know, seventy percent of Equestria is female. We are both mares, increasing the odds of a filly from the normal sixty-four point six to seventy-seven point eight in a natural birth. Of course, the vast majority of Equestrian births are magically aided and constructed so it can be reversed to a degree, though as I'm sure mom knows there is no way to guarantee a colt. If I had my pick I'd have two of each. Mom, who is easier to raise, a filly or a colt? Shining, take notes," Twilight trolled expertly, using science to crush the defenses of her brother.

Her father served the ball over and Twilight backed up bopping the ball back up in the air on their side, setting up for a spike from her most formidable mother.

[Rosewind]

Velvet couldn't believe she actually scored by tripping over her own legs. Still, the conversation was infinitely more interesting than the game itself -- it was an entirely different back-and-forth of words, which carried the weight of a million volleyballs getting served at once. She grinned, her aqua-blue eyes sparkling. "So you and our daughter-in-law are at least trying, Shiny? That's wonderful news! Did you hear that honey? They're trying! You know, when Shiny came into being, it was actually the result of your Father and I having an argument and making up. Funny how things work when you least suspect them to work. The less you try, the more successful you'll be! At least with that kind of thing."

She nodded toward Twili. She knew the full mental subversion was at play, and she wouldn't fall into its trappings. Instead, she played along with her daughter-in-crime: "Three? Honey, you should go for six! Two of each gender from each pony type. You really do have to cover all the bases. Don't forget you carry royal blood. Sparkle genes are definitely never recessive, but always progressive!" Velvet tapped her chin, looking up at the sky as she pondered. "Which is easier to raise? Hmm, it's hard to say! You two came out perfect. Cressy and I are blessed parents to have two such wonderful children. I will say it is harder for a mother to raise a daughter -- she sees so much of herself in her; all of her flaws, her thoughts, her dreams, her wishes. She's walked the walk before, and it's hard to show her that path looking backward. Still, I think you came out famously well!"

As Velvet was yapping about motherhood and raising foals, she was completely oblivious to the ball as it thumped to the ground next to her, rolling off the grass court boundry. Score for the stallions! She was so caught up with her motherly foal-rearing introspection she didn't even notice. She grinned sheepishly at Twilight, her ears flattening. "Oops! Er, I guess it's your serve, honey!"

[Hippo]

Shining knew how he was conceived. Mother had talked about it before. Thankfully, Shining was able to forget. But then he was reminded. It'll probably take him another four years to forget again. Shining had fallen into the trap. So overconfident in his serve of conversation, he completely missed how quickly the mares in this family were at returning the volley. The combination of Twilight's set up and Mom's diving strike, they were making Shining chase all over the court. And this was only figurative. "Six foals!?" Shining gasped. Clearly mother was crazy.

Or maybe...

Shining then came to, thanks to the slight jolt of attention his dad shouted out. It was all a ploy, a fake. Twilight and Applejack having foals? Yeah this was obviously a fabrication of a story, he knew it sounded a bit odd. Shining couldn't see Applejack with her anyway, Twilight was way too nerdy to be attracted to life on a simple farm. Maybe Shining would fight back but how? How could he top mother's outlandish expectations? And then it came to him. Instead of fruits of the family growing and seeding, Shining wondered how the Sparkle ponies would react to the absence of such a blessing. "Yeah, well. Actually me and Cadance have talked a lot about it, I admit now. We're pretty sure we don't want to have any foals ever. They're just too much work."

​

[SteelEagle]

Between his daughter's jabs and his wife's playful vexation of their son, Crescent was in a tough spot. Shining was made of stern stuff no doubt but it seemed his weak spots were being skillfully carved up by the mares in the family. He was so young and still had the hope of equal treatment shining in his bright and youthful eyes. Someday he would be a beat up old stallion who was resigned to the fact that for every little jab he could throw, his wife would be justified in throwing a dozen. It didn't mean you avoided engagement, you just picked the smart battles to fight. For his own sanity, anyway. If he wanted to insane then maybe he could just get tossed around some by the mental whirpool that was a playful wife. But finally his son started to play the game. Maybe the mares didn't know that look of deception that he now wore but Crescent had played enough poker to see it.

“Really, Shining? That'd be a bold step, but if you and Cadance are happy with that then I'd support it. Wouldn't we, honey?” Crescent asked sweetly as he prepared to receive the ball. For Twilight's role, she listened to her brother intently as she served. Unwilling to accept him at face value, as after all she knew he had a bit of shiftiness in him and what he said did not jive with what Cadance had said.

“Oh, really? Strange, that isn't what Cadance told me...serve!” Twilight ended mysteriously with a powerful serve towards the stallions.

[Rosewind]

Velvet stamped her hoof, glaring at Shining. "Pfft, I've raised you long enough to know a fib when I see one! Besides that, you got The Look from your wife at your wedding after you kissed her. Cressy knows about The Look." The Look was a sacred, unspoken gesture from a wife at a wedding. The "I want to have six dozen foals with you" message carried in one fluttery glance, right after kissing. The grey mare glanced to her daughter, grinning. She watched the ball fly over the net toward the stallions. She giggled. "Oh yes, what did your sister-in-law tell you, Hon? Speak loudly, please! My hearing isn't as sharp as it used to be."

That was a lie. She could still pick up the buzzing of a mosquito in the other room of her home. She hated mosquitoes. They tended to buzz right in her ear while she was sleeping, and it happened fairly often during the summer months. "Oooo, nice serve! Next return, aim low toward the net! Mom has a plan!"

[Hippo]

Twilight was getting more and more clever. Shining missed the days when her intillect had not been able to overpower his whit. Of course, he didn't have much of it to speak of, ans especially now that he was married. Still, he could tell from dad that there was always a little bit of wisdom from words deep inside every stallion, no matter how much the mares of their lives shaped their outer core. "Well, what Cadance says doesn't always go. After all, I'm the husband of the relationship. I can put my hoof down when I need to. Any good husband knows how to. Right dad?" Should Shining find dad totally avoiding Shining's take, which is something he would expect in defense, Shining might be going alone on this. It was interesting. Mares you fall in love with and marry are the best ponies in this world when you're with them. Group them together, and all the sudden you're their play thing. Dad must be used to this by now.

And Shining didn't know what look mom was talking about. Although, he figured it had something to do with the many fake mannerisms mares like to pretend is a secret form of language every mare can understand. He was pretty sure they could not. With the ball coming towards him, Shining set the ball into the air towards dad.

​

[SteelEagle]

Crescent was not a fool by any stretch of the imagination. He knew his wife and what would happen if he disagreed with her up front, and he knew how important it was that son and father won the game. Two birds with one well-placed stone should do the trick. Hopefully then they could get to the business of winning the game and silencing their female critics for the day, chowing down on some food and relaxing under the warmth of Canterlot for another perfect day. The only way it could get any better was if somepony brought hard apple cider but he didn't think that was entirely too likely. Maybe Velvet could create something out of nothing, the alchemy of alcohol the greatest skill in the world at the moment.

The ball fluttered towards Crescent in perfect spike position.

“Oh, you know what they say, Shining. Your wife is always, always, always right...until it matters! That is when you stomp your hoof DOWN!” He finished with a spike, sending the ball harshly over the net. The ball crashed against the ground, much to Twilight's chagrin. They weren't hitting it on all cylinders, were they? Oh well.

They could do it better now. They knew what to do. Twilight levitated the ball to her mother and waited for the serve.

“Oh, what did Cadance say? Not much. Just that she and Shining had a list of fourteen names, seven for either gender, and that as long as he stopped asking for a riding crop- what does that mean?- they could get to it. Seemed odd to me, but that was what she said!” Twilight said loud and full of innocence as her mother smacked the ball.

[Rosewind]

Velvet spun on her heel, giving the ball a solid kick with her back hoof. Her smartly-trimmed stripey tail spun around like a lethal white-and-lavender candy cane as the force of her buck smacked the ball into the heavens. "Ha! I knew it!" Velvet gushed in delight. Grandfoals were on the way for sure, if not already! Probably not, but maybe. She winked at Twilight, stamping her feet smartly. "Cressy used to give me rides on his back all the time! Except for that one day in the woods when he clotheslined me on a tree branch and gave me a black eye. It took almost an entire jar of eye shadow to cover it up, and I wasn't allowed near his coworkers for reasons." She nudged her daughter in the side, grinning.

The ball spun in the air, cast along by an updraft. It swirled to the ground in an unpredictable pattern, smacking into a wild daisy growing on the fringe of the court boundary. "That was good!" she hollered out, cupping the side of her hoof to her mouth. "Boys're up!" She lowered her voice to a soft murmur. "Twili, take the back side of the court. Knowing the stallions they'll go for an immediate spike since they're sore about last serve. Wait. No. They'll want us to think that. Take the mid court, love."

[Hippo]

What was the score? Shining had lost count. And in his mind, he couldn't separate the scores on the volleyball and the scores in the conversation. And you can forget Shining responding to the current topic. He wasn't about to admit his exposures, despite Cadance seemingly telling ponies what he told her not to. And on top of that, he didn't want to get into the argument about how valid or invalid the name Gibbous might be for their first colt grandchild that may or may not be on the way.

And then mom served and the ball was gone. Or at least as far as Shining could immediately see. When chasing after the ball's trajectory, he could see it got stuck into a tree near the top branches. Shining glowed his horn and attempted to use standard telekinesis to pull it out. But, unfortunately Shining was not able to grab it with his magic as the ball was too far out of his range. Telekinesis was never Shining's strong point. He was much better at strong barriers and wards. Twilight could probably get it easily, but instead of giving the mares the satisfaction of scoring again in the family battle, he called on his father for help. "Hey, Dad. Help me get this ball." Shining proceeded to throw small sticks with his magic, only finally hitting the ball with one on the twentieth try, but the ball failing to move.

​

[SteelEagle]

Velvet kicked that ball into another galaxy, the small little sphere of fun being caught up in the uncaring winds of chaotic fate until it came down. She was so wrapped up in her ruminations of their intimate escapades of an unusual nature brought public due to a sense of youthful debauchery. A part of his life blissfully kept out of the ring of knowledge of his colleagues for profession-saving reasons and an anti-humiliation bent burrowed into his soul. Having it come up in conversation as his sown and daughter moseyed about in a duel of wit and fate was unpleasant and would have provoked a reaction had he not been more concerned with the way the ball was acting. The breeze was too light for the ball to be flipping about so erratically and there was no sign of magic application. Shining fiddled the ball some and it finally fell, though considering the struggle he had it wasn't because of any magic. It fell just inside, point mares.

“Shining, work on your horn a little more. I didn't think I'd have to be the strong stallion for the team today,” he teased, the ball rolling up naturally to his hoof. He ably knocked it into the air and then head bumped it to Shining, jerking his head so his son knew to take the serve. His own head looked up, however. Those clouds hadn't been there before, had they? No, they had bot. Great. It was going to rain the Sparkle family parade and family picnic. If only they had a son who could cast protection spells, like some sort of bubble shield that could protect a defined space. Oh, woe to them for not having that.

“Twilight dear, can you feel the storm coming along or is your dad a little insane?” He asked jovially, tip-toing around any further discussion of their intimate lives.

Twilight fof her part had been all about her mother, laughing at the image of her father giving mom some rides in the woods, apparently. Why wouldn't he want his coworkers to know? It sounded cute and harmless. Stallions could be confusing sometimes, so antsy and demure when it came to anything adorable. Oh well. They were a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in baked goods. She then listened to her mpther's astute advice, following it piece by piece. First she went back and then when her mother changed her mind Twilight went to midcourt. Twilight rolled her eyes playfully as she took position, “got it! You make sure to keep our back secure. Shining is pretty strong and it wouldn't shock me if he knocks it back pretty far!” Twilight started before her father's worry seeped towards her, causing her to look up and study the whimsical sky above. No doubt, atmospheric pressure was going wild, her pegasi magic more than a little tingling at the thought of getting up there and corralling whatever storm it was. Sadly, that was out of the cards. She was not quite that good yet.

“Yes, a storm is brewing. Nothing major, but certainly something that could put an end to this. Shining, can you protect us?”

[Rosewind]

Velvet fiddled with a wildflower in the grass, glancing up now and then to see the stallions throwing sticks at the ball she had inadvertently launched into the tree. She thought it was sort of cute to see them trying to get the ball down with sticks. Unicorns were quite astute with magic, but magic certainly wasn't the answer to everything; at least when it came to the subject of dislodging balls. She cleared her throat with a certain conceited aplomb -- the kind her daughter clearly inherited from her large plethora of mannerisms.

"You're doing it wrong, boys! You should levitate the stick and use that to dislodge the ball. Honestly." She turned her light blue gaze to her daughter. "Soooo, what books are you reading right now? I'm currently working on 'Flower Wood Carvings and You: A Primer,' "Gone with the Whinny,' and..." she lowered her voice to a murmur,"Fifty Shades of Hay. Teehee!" She smiled, knowing Twilight's return list would take a while in all probability. "Bigger stick, Cressy! Use a bigger stick!"

[Hippo]

The ball fell without the help or interference of any magic. The wind picked up, and to the rest of the family's suggestion, it was starting to rain. Shining's reaction was more annoyed than worried. "Ugh, really!? We visit one time and we happen to visit on the rare rain day the pegasus schedule for this month. Just great." Shining looked at the ground around the playing court they had set up. The grass wasn't the greenest it had been, but it wasn't near starving for water either. He knew how important the showers were in Canterlot, but his time with his family was more valuable this time. He ignored all the ponies abandoning their picnics under the trees and decided to throw up a magical barrier. "Yeah, the grass looks green enough." The barried was about the same size and shape as the area they were playing, and was placed about ten pony hieghts above. Effortlessly, he placed it there and talked casually as he held it with his horn. "My serve." Shining tossed up the ball, with his hooves, of course, and head butted it towards the mares, earth pony style.

​