Spice Berry stared at the mirror for a long time after her bath. She had just taken off the towel on her head and was now facing the most difficult decision of her daily routine… how to style her mane. Usually she kept it at a poofy style similar to her parents, but there were days that she wanted to mix it up and try something else. Should she straighten it and then tie it up in a ponytail? Or would a wavy look work better for the day?

“Ughhh, come on! I gotta choose something! This oughta be easy for me!” She whined and rested her chin on the bathroom counter with a pout. “I wonder if this is how Eclipse feels when he’s stuck on a movie script…”

The young mare then decided to grab a brush and just play with her mane for a while until she chose a definitive look for the day. As she ran the brush, through her still-drying mane, her mind began to reach into her bank of thoughts to select a hairstyle from the many she had been sporting throughout the years and some she had yet to try out.

Finally she gasped and pointed her hoof up in the air. “Straight ponytail over the shoulder it is then!” Spice took out her straightening iron and began running it through her light brown mane. Before long, her mane was put into a side ponytail that draped over her shoulder and her tail emulated the same straightness. “Ahhh there we go. Now then, time to set up shop!” She opened the bathroom door and headed downstairs to start preparing her specialty, sweets that combined a delicious sweet flavor with a tang of spice to it.

However, the moment she reached the last step, she heard her a young colt call out, “Spice, look out!”

The light pink Earth pony had no time to react as a black French bulldog puppy came running at full speed towards her covered in mud. With warning, the puppy leaped onto her chest, spraying the goopy brown mess onto her coat, face, and hair.

Her brother Cheddar Tune winced at the situation that just happened and gingerly walked up to her. “Sorry sis. I tried to stop Batty, but he just got away from me. I just hope you’re not-” His sentence was cut short when he heard his sister begin to snicker. It then grew into a boisterous laugh as if not believing what just happened. Cheddar tilted his head in confusion. “Spice?”

Once the mare stopped her laughing fit, she held Batty up to her face and sighed. “Man, I am filthy! And so are you, you silly little buttface.” Her comment earned her a lick on the nose which made her giggle. “Ah well. Come on, Batty. Let’s go and get cleaned up. Then you can help me pick out another hairstyle. Sound good?”

The pudgy pup gave her another lick which was a good enough answer for her.

The rain continued to pour outside as Kitsu drummed her fingers on the table with a huff. Where the hell was that idiot Kumatetsu? He was supposed to be here an hour ago. The vixen ran a hand through her fluffy hair, the top part neatly hidden underneath a red bandanna. She kept watching the door with a bored expression, waiting for the brash bear creature to return home. At some point, her gaze wandered over to Kyuta who was just pacing around. Normally he would be training outside despite the weather, but Kitsu, not wanting to deal with a sick child, ordered him to stay inside. That dummy’s biting off more than he can chew if he’s training a human. Never even had a disciple under his wing before, she thought to herself.

Finally Kitsu groaned loudly and slammed her paws on to the table. “Will you quit pacing around, brat?! You’re making me nervous!”

Kyuta jumped in place at the angry fox’s words and nodded quickly. “S-sorry.”

Kitsu panted for a bit then sighed. “No, I’m sorry, kid. Just…” She settled back into her seat and rested her head into her furry hands. “I’m not used to kids. I mean I know how to treat their wounds and all, but actually talking to one?” She let out a quick breath. “Not my specialty.”

“Kitsu, can I ask you something?”

The female fox raised an eyebrow but shrugged. “Yeah sure. I guess you can.”

The boy took a seat in front of her and looked upon her as if studying her face. “How come you live here instead of your own place? Doesn’t seem like you like Kumatetsu all that much.”

Kitsu visibly blushed while making a face. “Okay, ask any question but that.”

“Hey, come on!” He got up and pouted. “You said I could ask you something!”

She groaned and rubbed her temples. “Fine, fine. I only stay here because-” A pounding noise on the door cut off her answer. She stood up quickly and moved the young boy behind her without thinking. “Stay back, kid. Could be something dangerous.”

Suddenly the door burst open and there was Kumatetsu, soaking wet and holding his gut with one hand while the other had the groceries he set out for in the first place. “Heh… made it.” “Where the hell have you been?! You had us worried sick and-” Her eyes widened as she spotted something red splayed across Kumatetsu’s abdomen. “Oh gods, you’re bleeding.”

“Yeah, some thief tried to mug me and when the bastard didn’t get his way, he stuck me with his dagger. Hurt like hell, but I gave him a good sock in his stupid face.”

Kitsu shook her head and pulled on his arm. “Don’t just stand there! Move to the couch and take off your shirt!”

The large bear man’s eyes widened and Kyuta could have sworn he saw his master blush. “Jeez, Kitsu. There’s no time for that. We got a kid here. At least send him off to bed first.”

The female fox’s face reddened with anger. “I don’t mean it like that, you dumbass! I need to clean your wound!”

“Tch, could have said that first.” Kumatetsu stripped himself of his shirt and sat on the couch. “You don’t need to waste your time on this, girlie. I’ve had worse gashes.”

Kitsu ignored his comments and brought out a kit with gauze, medicine, and other supplies to clean a nasty cut like this. “I’m not babysitting you because you got infected.”

“Never said you had to, missy. I ain’t some frail old man,” he sneered. He then let out a pained scream when Kitsu ran a wet rag on his stomach. “Watch it, ya idiot! That hurt!”

“It won’t hurt as much if you stop acting like a baby! And as far as the old man thing, at least the frail old man would be grateful of what I’m doing,” Kitsu grumbled.

Kumatetsu pointed an accusing finger at her, thankful he didn’t touch her chest which was concealed by her tank top. “Then what the hell are you still hanging around here for, huh?”

“I’m only here so you don’t drown in your own filth, ya pig-headed oaf!” the fox yelled while her tail swished around angrily.

As they went back and forth on each other, Kyuta shook his head and finally remarked, “You guys fight like an old married couple.”

At the same time, the two beasts looked to him and screamed, “WE AIN’T A COUPLE!”

Hazel panted heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. Of all of the magical feats she was able to perform, this one was definitely a difficult challenge. She could restore a dead tree to its former glory and even cleanse a lake of its impurities. Yet the act of turning into a large dragon was eluding her every time she attempted to do so.

What made this all the more frustrating is that she did it once before, but it was more of a spur of the moment. The first and probably the last time she became a dragon was… that battle. Hazel winced in pain as she recalled the fight she had with her birth mother… Maleficent. All she wanted was to rekindle any semblance of a bond the two might have had in the past, but what did she find instead? The evil fairy had abandoned her as a baby and wanted nothing to do with her unless it was for her own selfish purposes… and yet something was off. If Maleficent had really no intention of loving her as her own, then why did Hazel catch a glimpse of sorrow in her eyes whenever she spoke of her? Why did her voice carry a twinge of regret in their conversations?

The young woman groaned and looked to her black cat who had been watching her try and recreate the dragon form from that day. “Eclipse, is it wrong that… that I still want to have Maleficent in my life? I mean, granted she didn’t raise me, but maybe there was something she wasn’t telling me.” The feline made a low meow as if telling her that was a bad idea. “Oh I know, I know. She was awful to me and doesn’t deserve to be called my mother.” She sighed and looked up to the sky. “But… but I can’t shake off this feeling that we could have been a family. I-I just…” She let out an exasperated groan and fell to her knees. “I just don’t know what else to do.”

The sorceress then felt Eclipse rubbing his head on her leg and smiled, petting her faithful companion. “Thank you, dear. I don’t know what I would do without you.” She scooped him up and place him on a rock before taking a few steps away. “Now then, back to work!” Hazel walked forward a few more steps to give herself space in case the transformation was achieved. She took a deep breath and channeled all of her energy to the center of her chest. She visualized herself as a large dragon with purple scales and sharp teeth gleaming like the sun, wings spread out and ready to soar. Her face scrunched up in determination eager to handle and conquer this form. She had to get it right. She had to!

Having a twin is probably one of the best feelings in the world. There’s always someone to talk to and share your interests. That was certainly the way Strum and Junior felt for the longest time. Sure, there were times they had arguments like any other set of siblings, but in the end, they’d always find their way back into each other’s loving embrace. One particular afternoon, the two Namekian boys decided to head out into the forest near their home and go looking for bugs. Junior run up ahead eager to find either the biggest beetle or the longest worm while Strum took his time enjoying the scenery. No wonder the insects loved it here, given the tall trees and the many nooks and crannies to hide in in case of danger. Strum picked up a small ladybug and let it walk along his hand. “There sure are a lot of bugs out today, right, Junior?”

“Yup! That’s why I love this part of the forest! Betcha I find a big old beetle before you can,” Junior playfully teased, hoping to rile his brother up for a little competition.

Strum laid the ladybug down and balled up his fists in determination. “Ha! Yeah right! I’ll get it first!” He flew in the opposite direction of his brother and scoured the woods for the prized beetle. However finding one proved to be more difficult than he thought, considering he wasn’t sure what kind of beetle to look for. He shrugged his shoulders and landed on the forest floor, hoping to have better luck on the ground or nearby foliage. His eyes scanned the area and still nothing. Maybe they were hiding behind rocks and twigs? He picked up one rock and… nothing. He groaned and put the rock back in its place, but quickly froze upon seeing something long-legged in front of him. On a sticky web between two trees was a big ugly spider, waiting to trap some poor insect into its trap. Strum wasn’t sure what type of spider it was, but at this point his brain wasn’t registering the species of the arachnid. No, the only words that came to his mind right now were danger and scary. His breath quickened and he felt as if he couldn’t take his eyes off the spider, lest it attacked him.

“Hey, Strum! There you are, ya slowpoke! I got the beetle!” yelled Junior unaware of his brother’s predicament. He then became confused on why Strum didn’t answer him and walked towards the Namekian child. Junior waved his hand in front of his sibling’s face, hoping to get a response, but got nothing. He then followed his line of sight and kind of scoffed. “It’s just a spider, silly. It’s not gonna..” His sentence trailed off when he saw just how scared Strum was and bit his lower lip, feeling bad for his callous remark. He gently took his twin’s hand and lead him out of the forest slowly while saying, “It’s okay. Just follow me. Look at me and nothing else. Breath with me and it’ll be okay.”

All was quiet as the night dragged on. Time seemed to move at a slow pace as Lumina looked down at her papers. Had it really been only a few decades since she left home? It was almost funny how a long stretch of time like that could feel like an eternity to other races but to Zoras, it amounted to nothing more than a year or two. Lumina sighed to herself and looked out her window to see the full moon of Hyrule. Could Mother and Father still be out there in the wide ocean waters? Do they even miss me? She wanted to believe that they did. She wanted to think that they regretted their decision and welcome her back with open arms… but it was just a foolish notion. They disowned her… without so much as a second thought. A sharp pang of pain hit Lumina in the heart as she suddenly remembered the last words her parents spoke the day she decided to share her life with Dorephan. ‘Don’t ever come near us again. We now know where your allegiances lie… and we’re disappointed. You had so much potential and you throw it away to be some filthy River Zora’s wife. Goodbye, Lumina.’ Her eyes welled up with tears and she sobbed into her hands. They weren’t the best of parents. In fact, they were downright awful… but as horrible as they were, she couldn’t bring herself to hate them.

Then a small hand tugged at the angel shark’s fin. “Mama? Are you okay?”

Lumina gasped slightly and looked down to see her youngest child, Sidon. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Oh, it’s nothing, dearest. Mommy’s just tired.”

“Why were you crying? Did someone hurt you?” he asked showing concern.

The older Zora saw no reason to lie to him and picked him up to sit him on her lap. “Yes, little one. A long time ago… my mother and father hurt me with their words. Because I fell in love with your father, they told me that…” She swallowed a large lump in her throat before continuing. “That they did not want me anymore.”

Sidon made a sad whine and gently touched his mother’s cheek. When her eyes met his, the tiny Zora gave his best smile to hopefully bring her spirits up. “It’s okay, Mama. Papa and Mipha still want you. And so do I!”

Lumina stared at her baby boy for a good while before tearing up again and bringing him closer for a hug. She sobbed once more but out of joy. “Thank you, my precious guppy. I love you with all my heart.”

Sidon giggled and hugged her back. “I love you too, Mama. I’ll love you forever and ever!”

Leo tapped his hoof as he waited for his cousin Twinkle Hooves to arrive. He had offered her a chance to see his newest bugs and arachnids he had collected and wanted to share his findings with her considering how eager she was about almost everything. His green eyes brightened when he saw a small red-orange filly run towards him.

“Leo!” Twinkle hugged his leg tightly and wagged her tail like a puppy. The young colt smiled and pet her bright red mane. “Hi there, kiddo. You ready to see my bugs?” “Uh-huh! Then I can tell Mommy all about it!” She gestured to her mother Sunset Shimmer.

The mare chuckled and looked to them with a warm grin. “Thanks for doing this, Leo. She’s been wanting to see your bugs for a long time. I hope it won’t be too much to handle.”

The gray-colored colt gave a small wave of his hoof. “No problem! I got this!”

“Well okay then. I’ll see you two in about an hour or so. Have fun, Twinkle.” Sunset gave her baby girl and kiss on the head before walking off. “Bye Mommy!” Twinkle turned to Leo and bounced up and down happily. “So where are the bugs? Huh, huh?”

“Follow me and I’ll show you.” Leo lead Twinkle around the castle until he stopped upon a door with a picture of a six-legged bug on it. He opened the door to reveal a room that displayed a plethora of insects and arachnids.

“Ooooh, you got all these by yourself?” wonder Twinkle. “Kinda. Papa bought some of them for me and others I caught myself. Some of them are really neat and I love showing other ponies this room.” The filly nodded and looked around the room, admiring the different bugs she passed by. One of them in particular struck out to her. She pointed to its container and asked, “What’s this bug?”

Leo followed her tiny hoof and his eyes widened a bit. It was a female black widow and although he had no problem with spiders, this one made him feel uneasy from time to time. “Oh, uh, that’s not a bug. She’s actually an arachnid. Meet the black widow, one of the deadliest and most poisonous spiders to walk the lands.”

Twinkle tilted her head a bit confused. “Why is she so scary? She’s just a spider, right?”

“Yeah, but her bite is lethal to any unfortunate person to get bit by one.” He shuddered just looking at her. “I certainly wouldn’t want her in my room at night.”

“Wait a second. You’re okay with letting a big old tarantula crawl on your face but not let a black widow in your room?” She giggled a little seeing her older cousin squirm at the thought of one of those spiders, even though he handled them.

Leo frowned to prove his point. “Black widows are no joke, Twinkle. They can hide in dark spaces and ponies wouldn’t know they were there until many years later. Oh and did you know they kill the male spider after they mate?”

Twinkle scrunched up her face in disgust. “No. That’s dumb. Why would they do that?”

“Nature’s cruel in many ways, Twinkle. Especially in the bug and arachnid world.”

The filly gasped and pointed behind him. “She got out! She’s right behind you!”