Writing is Magic

Since the first time I stepped into Ponyville, I have been very happy about it. I never thought leaving the comfort and certainty of Fillydelphia would be such a great turn of events. I've never been so happy to be so wrong. But that's not to say life in Ponyville always turns out the way I plan it. Especially when certain ponies show up without a moment's notice.

The day started like any other day I suppose. I had gotten up early, much earlier than Rarity, who, while not lazy in the slightest, did enjoy her 10-hour beauty sleep every night. And I wasn't about to deny her that, not that she needed it, of course. I was just taking care of breakfast in the new manner in which I had learned to do it when there was a knock at the front door. Since it was so early in the morning, I had no idea who it could have been.

"What's shakin' cuz," a blue-maned unicorn said when I opened the door. It was my cousin, Vinyl Scratch, along with her father, Metalhead.

"Um, nothing, I suppose," I answered, bewildered, "what are you two doing here?"

"Didn't Piccoli tell you," Metalhead asked.

"No she didn't tell me anything."

"Oh boy," Vinyl sighed, magically moving her shades above her horn, "we were afraid she hadn't."

I invited the two inside, trying to keep it down, not an easy fit with Metalhead's natural lumbering figure and loud, rock star voice.

"You see," he started after we had all taken a seat in the kitchen, "your parents have organized a little family reunion right here in Ponyville. She invited everyone in their immediate family that I know of. Me, Vinyl, Octavia, Splatterplot, Chisel Cut..."

"Wait," I interrupted, "I understand her inviting Uncle Splatterplot, but did she have to invite cousin Chisel too?"

"I don't see the problem. I thought you got along with Chisel Cut."

"You wouldn't happen to know when the others will be arriving, do you?"

"Nah," Vinyl answered, "but it was scheduled for today, so they should be getting here soon."

"Art," I could hear Rarity's sleepy morning voice coming down the stairs, "what's all the commotion."

By the time I turned around to answer, she was in the kitchen doorway. I have to say, no matter how much she denies it, I think she's just as beautiful when she first wakes up as she is after she goes through her morning routine.

I introduced her to Uncle Metalhead and re-introduced Vinyl for good measure. I decided to wait until she was a little more awake before springing the reason for their visit on her.

"Well, well, well," Metalhead chuckled, slapping me on the back, "seems like you fished up a good one."

"Dad, be cool," Vinyl laughed, "Art has enough on his plate right now without you giving him grief about his marefriend."

"Ok, ok," my uncle laughed in turn, "at least now I know why he's so worried about Chisel Cut coming here."

"Will you two knock it off," I implored, "my parents organized this get-together in the town where I live, and I wasn't told about it. I need to know why."

"The truth is, we really don't know either," Vinyl explained, "we just got the letter in the mail."

"C'mon, we'll meet the others at the train station."

The three of us walked back to Ponyville's train depot. We didn't have to wait long for the rest of the members of the Colter family to arrive. The morning train from Canterlot came in right on schedule. And off of it stepped three ponies, my Aunt Octavia, Uncle Splatterplot, and Cousin Chisel Cut. Splatterplot, my father's older brother, a sculptor, was beginning to show his years. His black mane was beginning to gray, and his brown coat coloring was beginning to fade. His cutie mark, three splotches of paint, red, blue, and yellow, still stood out quite vibrantly. His son, my slightly older cousin Chisel, looks pretty much like a taller, better-looking, version of myself. Same white coat, same color mane, though his is a little lengthier, same horn. His cutie mark, three black marks that sort of resembled camera flashes, marked him out as the stallion model that he was. There was no way we were going to get halfway through town without him getting mobbed by mares.

After we had all greeted each other, I myself hadn't seen Splatterplot or Chisel since I left Canterlot, we decided to try to make it back to the boutique. My parents were supposedly getting on the afternoon train, so there was no point waiting for them at the depot.

We booked it as best we could back to my place. As I suspected, most of the mares around town noticed Chisel and began following us. Something told me that they would all try to get his number off of me later.

When we were all inside, with Metalhead and Splatterplot huffing and puffing a little bit, I could hear hoofsteps coming down the stairs into the main gallery. Before long, Rarity appeared, decked out in the nines, wearing a luxurious violet and blue dress, mane all done up as if she was going to some grand party. Suffice is to say, I was smitten with her all over again.

"It seems I have perfect timing," she started, "but, Art, I thought you're parents were coming to visit as well."

"Wow," I said, at the moment paying more attention to how she looked than her question, "you are..."

"By far the most gorgeous mare I've ever laid eyes on," cousin Chisel interrupted, "I must know your name."

"Hoofs off, cousin. She's taken."

"Oh really, by who?"

"By me," I said, sliding over to Rarity's side and giving her a little peck on the cheek, "you look lovely."

"Thank you, Art," she replied, "now would you be so kind as to introduce me to these ponies."

I made the proper introductions and apologized for making a racket.

"Uncle Splatterplot," I asked after this, "do you know why my parents are gathering us here?"

"Can't say that I do Art," he replied, "my brother's been pretty mum about it. It's really rather odd."

"Shouldn't one of us go down to the depot to meet them," Octavia suggested.

"Don't worry," I said, "they've been here before, they know where to find me."

It turned out that while I was out, Rarity had already made some tea and a nice plate of triangle sandwiches, it was almost like she was trying to impress my parents. Didn't think she would have to try that hard.

The seven of us milled around the boutique, waiting for my parents to finally arrive. Chisel wasn't quite done trying to be all suave with Rarity, but after dealing with Prince Blueblood, I was able to handle this a lot better.

Eventually, there was another knock on the door. Metalhead answered it, and there stood the two ponies that we had been waiting for, my parents, Brushstroke and Piccoli. They both seemed a little tired, but otherwise the same. They said hello to all the other relatives, and Piccoli even greeted Rarity. It was at this time that I noticed that Piccoli had on her back a kind of basket, something I had never seen before. The contents seemed to be partially covered by a red and white blanket.

"Now what could that be," I asked my mother as she magically lifted the basket off of her back and set it down.

"This is why we're all here," she replied. With that, she magically tugged on the blanket, revealing the contents of the basket. It was a little unicorn foal, red with a tuft of black hair on his head. A spitting image of Brushstroke if I did say so myself, "may I be the first to introduce you to our new son, Cree Colter."

My jaw about dropped off of my face. My parents had another foal, I had a little brother, I was a big brother. This was a lot to take in at one time, so I just stood back and breathed while the mares oohed and ahhed at the newborn and the stallions gave congratulations to Brushstroke. Rarity was the first to pay notice to my shocked condition.

"Is everything alright, Art?"

"How did you both keep this a secret from everypony," I asked befuddled, "From the entire family?"

"Well it wasn't easy," Piccoli began answering, "Octavia was the only one who knew we were expecting, but even she didn't know when the foal was due. I made her promise to keep it all a secret."

I walked over to the basket holding the little foal. I stared at him for a second, and he stared right back with that curious face a newborn has when they see something or someone new.

"Well little brother," I addressed him, "I'm about to say something that is going to change your entire life.

I slowly turned around to face my parents once more, the shock gone and a big grin on my face.

"Congratulations," I said, my face turning sourer by the word, "But if I may make one request. When Cree becomes old enough to go to school, I ask that you send him here to live with me."

"What are you talking about," Piccoli said, flabbergasted, "he's going to receive proper Canterlot schooling just like you did."

"And what did that get me, huh? I don't want him to live my life, I want him to live his own life. And that starts by getting him away from you two as soon as possible. Now I'll repeat, when he gets old enough for school, send him to me. I'll see that he gets the proper education."

"No, Art. I will not stand here and be accused yet again of being a terrible mother. I was not a terrible mother. And what, do you think you can provide proper care for him when you sleep on a settee in the middle of a boutique every night?"

"Oh I know I can't do it all by myself, I'm not that arrogant. I'm going to need a great mare to help me.

I turned again, this time to Rarity and stepped toward her.

"I was going to wait, but now seems as good a time as any," I reached out to hold Rarity's left hoof in my right, "Rarity, will you marry me?"

No words I could write would do justice to the look on her face. Words do not exist to describe that mix of joy, shock, and beauty.

"Yes. Of course, Art, darling, yes."

Rarity pulled me in for a long kiss. I could hear Vinyl and Octavia applauding in the background. I had waited so long for this moment, I never thought it would come.