New Moon (My Little Pony)

31: Caught Between The Winds (1/2)

"Pick up the pace guys, Lazuli cheered as she put on a black hat. "We got a long day ahead of us and there won't be any pony that didn't break a sweat."

"That moxie of yours is adorable, Lazuli," Hope voiced. "But could you mind being patient? You can't rush a work of art like this."

In the living room of Lazuli and Bud's apartment, Hope had gingerly adorned the foals in a foal-sized cheerleading outfit that she had conveniently commissioned from the enabling seamstress from Baltimare. Unable to successfully resist the whims of their fanatic grandmother, Nebula sighed of yet another unavoidable humiliation. The filly could only take solace that every pony was ignorant of her true identity, else this would be a scandal that would plague her for centuries.

Her brother, on the other hoof, showed indifference to his outfit. While Hope tried to get the two to mimic a waving motion with pom poms that she gave to the two of them, Artemis's attention constantly went towards his mother, who was currently cooking in the kitchen. From the slobber he made from his mouth that Hope constantly had to clean, she can deduce that her grandson had a hunger for some pineapple slices.

"You do realize Artemis is a colt, right?" Lazuli asked.

"You're missing the big picture here," Hope said. "This event needs to be extra special with all the pizzazz it can get. And what's more special than a duo of beautiful foals cheering for all the ponies?"

"You're just doing it to satisfy your own desire," Lazuli said.

"I'm sure he'll understand," Bud voiced as she shifted through foods in the kitchen. She had a basket on the counter that she was filling with wrapped dishes. "And if not, he'll no doubt forget all about it when he remembers the taste of the sweet pineapples slices, I've prepared for him."

"You might as well give some slices right now," Lazuli pointed out. "He's going to soak that outfit in if his drooling keeps up."

"That should not be your biggest concern, Lazuli," Grace voiced after looking away from the window. "The success of today's event is what should take precedence for you. Field day is a very important holiday for foals that want to celebrate the end of the school semester. Parents will take notice of their response. You have done well in designing various activities for not only the foals but for the parents themselves to participate in. However, I would recommend ensuring that all of the equipment is in an acceptable condition. We don't want to risk any accidents occurring."

"What're you in my business for?" Lazuli asked. "Your job is with Arty and Neb, not me."

"It's Neb-Neb," Hope corrected, earning a rolled eye from Lazuli.

"You share residence with the foals," Grace argued. "Because of that, your performance at the event will be reflective of how ponies will view how you interact with Bud's foals. There is no room for error."

"Don't you think that's a stretch?" Lazuli sighed. "Also, the whole point of the event is for ponies to have fun. You gotta loosen up a bit, else you'll ruin the whole vibe."

"I think everything will be fine," Bud voiced. "I know that Lazuli put a lot of thought into today, so we should just trust her and enjoy ourselves."

"I'm not devaluing her efforts," Grace said. "I just don't want anything to ruin this day for us."

"Yeesh," Lazuli said. "You probably need this more than any pony. I'm gonna have to get your blood flowing to get you out of this funk."

"Are you implying that I will be participating in these activities?" Grace asked.

"Why not?" Hope said. "It's a family event, so of course all of my daughters are going to be out there."

"You...you don't have to keep saying that," Grace covered the side of her face with a hoof in an attempt to hide her blush.