"Oh, that's lovely."
"What's lovely?"
"That robin over there, perched on the tree branch."
Winding Whisper followed the direction of his wife's hoof as she pointed to a nearby tree, where a red robin had alighted on a thick tree branch. He stared at it a moment before using a forehoof to scratch the back of his mane. "What's so unusual about that? It's just a robin."
"I didn't say it was unusual, I said it was lovely."
"Looks like an ordinary bird to me, Zeph."
Allegro Zephyr gently punched her husband in the shoulder. "No creature is ordinary, Whisp. Every creation is beautiful, and a testament to the love and care Celestia and Luna carry for us all."
"Well, I guess I'm just spoiled," the unicorn replied, casting her a sidelong glance.
She turned to face him. "What do you mean?" she asked.
The corner of his mouth turned up slightly. "Well, when you're with the most beautiful, stunning creature on the face of Equestria, day in and day out, you kind of see the rest of creation as a somewhat shoddy presentation."
Allegro blushed, and then punched her husband in the shoulder with more force. "You're a shameless flatterer."
He laughed, and leaned in to kiss her. She met his lips with her own, her wings fluttering in anticipation. As they separated from their kiss, Winding Whisper scooted his body up against his wife, and lay together in silent contemplation; their only companions were the rustle of the leaves on the trees, the soft chirp of a single red robin, and the blue skies that capped off the flowing green grass beneath their resting bodies.
They stayed this way for some time, letting the love they felt for one another pass between them. As with all things that must end, however, the Sun had begun its march on the horizon, and they knew their interlude in the grassy meadow was over.
As they left the park, Whisper broke the silence. "Dusty made band tryouts last week."
Allegro Zephyr's expression broke out into a grin. "He did?! Why didn't you tell me this sooner?! When was I going to find out? When I got home?!"
She tapped him on the back of the head to accentuate her point. "This. is. the. kind. of. thing. a. mother. should. know!"
Winding Whisper raised a foreleg to fend off his annoyed attacker. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay! Okay! Yes, I'll make sure to tell you the next time!"
Allegro, mollified, stopped physically harassing her husband. "Good! Just because I'm always away on business doesn't mean I don't want to know every detail about his achievements! I care too, ya know."
Whisper rolled his eyes. "Of course you care. I know that, and I promise I won't forget to tell you of any future developments." He made the required gestures involved in executing a solemn Pinkie Promise.
"Good," she said, leaning into him as they walked, letting her flank bump against his own. The casual intimacy bringing a light blush to his cheeks.
"Aw, look at you, suddenly all bashful," Allegro Zephyr commented.
Winding Whisper cleared his throat. "No," he said, his voice indignant, "I just want to preserve my wholesome image. I mean, it's too late for you, but I'm still somewhat respectable in this town."
She gasped, and Winding Whisper yelped in surprise as she swatted him on the flank with a powder blue wing.
"Ow! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" he called out as he tried to turn his flank away from his wife, in order to better protect himself. It was a futile effort, however, as Zephyr merely flitted over his head, and landed another wing swat on the other side of his flank. This went on for a few more moments, until he felt the skin underneath his white coat begin to buzz from all of the swatting.
In desperation, Whisper dropped to his rear, hoping she wouldn't begin attacking other parts of his anatomy. When nothing happened for a few seconds, he turned his head to see what his wife was up to, but saw no one. A stirring panic began to build in his chest, and he turned toward the marketplace to see if she had headed in that direction, but instead of seeing the humble stalls and shops, he saw a pair of jade irises staring back at him.
Caught by surprise, his head jerked back and sent him off balance, but instead of falling backward, he found himself caught in a warm embrace.
They held that embrace for what felt like hours, but in truth, only a few moments had passed. Whisper leaned into her.
"Well, I guess all is forgiven then?"
She nodded.
"Oh, good. I don't think I could have survived the wrath of the dreaded wife who can defy gravity."
She chuckled, and kissed him on the forehead. "I want some apples."
The horseplay quickly forgotten, Winding Whisper turned his attention to the nearby Sweet Apple Acres stall. Standing, and taking on an easy trot, he sidled up to the stand where a large, red earth pony sat waiting for his customers.
"Hello, Big Mac! Been busy today?" He asked the stallion.
"Eeyup."
"That's good. Um, could I get a couple of your gala apples, please?"
"Eeyup." The stallion gathered two apples, and hoofed them over to Whisper.
"How much?"
"No charge."
"Really? Why no charge?"
"Reasons."
"Are you sure?"
"Eeyup."
"Wow, um, thanks! You have a nice day, then!"
"Eeyup."
Whisper nodded his thanks to the laconic pony, and walked over to where his wife was standing. "Here you go, Zeph," he said as he hoofed her an apple.
She waved it off with a smile. "I'll eat mine when we get back home. I'm not quite hungry just yet."
Whisper nodded, and placed the apples in his personal saddlebag.
"In that case," he said, "are you ready to head on home now? Dusty should be there any time, now that band practice is over."
"You think he'll be home already?"
"Well, no, not exactly."
"Okay then, we can go on home, though what do you mean by not exactly?"
"I'll explain as we head back."
They waited a brief moment as a cart rolled past, and began walking away from the marketplace, the ponies closing up shop and putting their inventory away for the next day of business, a routine that had been instilled into them since what felt like time immemorial.
"Now, start spilling," Zephyr said as she walked alongside Whisper.
"Alright. Now, don't get mad, because I made you a promise to tell you everything, and you can't get mad because I made that promise and I'll keep to it, and really I'm keeping that promise now, so-"
"Spill it, Whisp," Zephyr said firmly, cutting off her husband's rambling.
"Ah, yeah. Spilling." He coughed. "You see, since he made first chair in band, Dusty's become popular with a floutist."
Zephyr raised an eyebrow, casting Whisper a sidelong glance as they walked along a garden path toward the more residential section of Ponyville. She said nothing, but her glance was enough to goad Whisper into continuing.
"Eh, ahem, anyway, so he catches the eye of this floutist, a first chair floutist by the way, and he uh," at this point, Whisper rubbed the back of his mane, an interesting feat for a four legged pony to accomplish, and if he would have thought about it, he would have likely tripped himself in his surprise.
"It's like this," he said, "Dusty has a friend."
"Well, sure he does. Dusty has lots of friends. He's a very nice pony."
"Oh, I know. But this isn't just a friend friend. This is a friend."
Zephyr stopped in her tracks and looked at her husband, confusion on her face.
"I'm not getting you, sweetie."
"Dusty has a friend friend. A good friend. You know..."
Zephyr shook her head, her sea green mane blowing in the breeze, a neutral expression on her face, giving the appearance of a powerful sorceress just waiting for her bumbling lackey to displease her.
Whisper sighed. "Dusty has a coltfriend."
Silence.
"I was going to tell you, but I wasn't sure how you would feel about it since, well, he-"
His statement was cut off as forelegs encircled his neck and began pulling him upward. He let out a terrified scream, his eyes shut in fear as felt himself lifted several meters off the ground, and swung around in a circle.
All he could hear was laughter. He was certain his beloved wife had gone around the bend, and was now about to take her psychotic episode out on him. He wasn't certain his flank was up to this one, but before he could contemplate the terrors of a psycho wife, he felt his hooves touch solid ground once more. The forelegs, however, were still around his neck, and they were hopping up and down along with the rest of his wife.
"Oh, Whisp! You have no idea how happy this makes me!"
Whisper smiled and embraced his wife, hopping in place with her. If anyone would have walked by them at that moment, they would have probably ran away, spooked by the insane ponies attacking one another with hopping cuddles.
Finally, the two of them settled down, if only to catch their breath.
"I'm glad you're happy about this, Zeph," Whisper said as he rubbed his sore neck, "I wasn't sure what to expect."
Zephyr shook her head. "Honey, my family is closed minded, they always have been. That's what happens when you grow up in Canterlot most of your life."
"I know, and it's why I was a bit hesitant to say anything."
"Now you know me better than that. This is our son. You have to know I was worried. I mean, for the first 13 years of his life, he didn't care about anything other than his games, and his buddies. Now he's got somepony who likes him for more than friendship."
"That's normal, though."
"I know! That's what makes me so happy, that he's growing up a normal, healthy young colt."
They resumed their walk towards the house, which had crested over the hill ahead.
"He misses you, you know." Whisper commented quietly, after a brief silence had passed.
Zephyr nodded her head, a frown on her face. "I know."
"I'm not blaming you."
She smiled. "I know, sweetie. Even though it's something I can't help, I feel like I've abandoned him to your care. I mean, he's growing up so fast!"
"Don't be silly."
"I mean it. I feel like all I'm good for is distant moral support."
"That's not true. You are a big part of his life. Just because you can't always be around him when things happen in his life doesn't mean you've abandoned him."
She stopped as they reached the sidewalk to their home, the creamy yellow paint reflecting the golden sunset behind them, and casting a halo over her.
Whisper saw a tear forming at the corner of her eye. Without saying a word, he leaned in and kissed it away.
"You are the best thing that ever happened to him, and to me. Never feel as if you are anything but a blessing to us."
He leaned in once more, and kissed her on the muzzle.
She smiled and flapped her wings gently against the side of her barrel.
Using his magic, Whisper opened the door and stepped aside. "Mares first, my dear," he said, adding an exaggerated bow to emphasize his sudden formality.
Waiting a few seconds, and following the rules of higher Canterlot society, he then stepped inside, and closed the door behind him. He placed the apples on the living room table, and went to clean up before Dusty came home.
As he washed his hooves, he heard the door open. "Dad?"
It was Dusty.
Whisper stepped out of the bathroom. "Hey, kiddo!" he said, as his son ran up to him and embraced him. "Did you have a good day at band practice?"
His son, a unicorn colt with a beige coat, sea green mane, and jade eyes, nodded his head vigorously, in the way that over-excited colts tend to do when they've just came in from a warm, sunny day of playing outside.
"Did you talk to Mom?"
"I sure did, buddy."
He hesitated for a moment. "Did you tell her?"
Whisper nodded and smiled. "The apples are on the table."
He watched as Dusty grinned, and turned to gallop over to the table, his stubby legs nearly tripping over the carpet, but recovering at the last second. In his magic, he picked up both apples, and walked over the mantel that sat above the fireplace.
Lifting one apple in his magic, he placed the other apple next to a small mahogany box, trimmed with gold filigree. Inset was a small photo of a smiling, powder blue pegasus with a sea green mane, and jade irises.
"Hey mom," Dusty began. "I guess dad told you that I have a really good friend, a special somepony now. His name is Autumn Chord, and he's real nice. Oh, he plays the flute! You used to play the flute when you were a filly, didn't you? I think you would really like him, mom. He's real nice, and he has a smile like you do. He doesn't punch me in the foreleg like you did to Dad all the time, but I can tell he really likes me. We're, uh, we're going on a date this Saturday. I promise we'll only hold hooves. Nothing funny."
He paused a moment.
"Well, mom, I have to go now. Me and the other colts are going to go to Autumn's house. Dad said it was okay. Ooh, did you know? Autumn has a swimming pool! I promise not to eat too much before going for a swim. I know how much you worry. You know, I miss you, but I know you'll always be with me and daddy.
I love you mommy."
He took a bite of his apple.
***
THE END
