Alone Timeby Rose QuillChaptersIt All Started When...A Dance in the RainA Certain Ring to itHave to say...Rock of a Hard PlaceNever Saw it Coming...RebuildingFamilyAnd I knew...It All Started When...We were all sitting around the table in the park, the smell of charcoal and various foods wafting through the air. I leaned back, pushing the brim of AJ’s hat back with my thumb. I had gotten a little more country since the two of us had gotten married, and I still loved stealing her stetson from time to time. It looked awesome on me anyway. Sunset was giving her daughter Aurora a romp across the playground on her shoulders, the young girl giggling as she ducked under the branches of the oak tree to settle her down on the bench next to her sister, Midnight Sky. I couldn’t help but smile at the kids. I went back to helping my children fix plates for themselves, the twins coming up on their sixth birthday, trailing behind Middy and Rory by three and two years respectively. “Hey, Mom?” I heard Rhapsody ask, looking at Aria as she raked the coals of the grill to break up ash. “How did you all meet?” “What do you mean, sweetheart?” the Siren asked, glancing at her sisters for support. “You and all your friends,” she said. “I want to know how you all met.” “Told you she was a sharp cookie,” Twilight said, taking a bite from the salad in front of her. “That’s quite a lot to wonder at four.” “I’m four and a half,” Rhapsody insisted earnestly, pushing her dark rose-pink hair out of her face. Thankfully, she had inherited Aria’s straight hair over Pinkie’s curly locks. My own kids, Bushel and Windvane, had somehow gained wavy hair from somewhere. “I think it would be more fun to hear how they got married,” Melody piped up, sounding as much like a second Rarity as she looked like a fusion of the fashionista and Fluttershy. The five-year-old instantly had all the girls’ attention, though Bushel turned away from the sappy stuff, the boy already reminding me of myself at that age. “That sounds like a fun story,” Sunset said as she sat down, reaching over and ruffling Rory’s hair to the child’s dismay. Middy giggled, her own hair tied back simply, reminding me of how my wife had worn hers for years before growing it out and braiding it all the time. Aurora seemed to already be taking more after Aunt Rarity than either of her parents. Twilight shot her wife a narrowed glance. No words were exchanged, but we all knew that they were having a short conversation. “Ah thought we agreed y’all wouldn’t do that at gatherin’s,” Applejack said as she slid onto the bench next to us. The telepathic bond our friends shared unnerved the farmer, but I thought it was awesome. We didn’t quite have that level of bond, but we understood each other enough that a glance could tell volumes. “Sorry,” Twilight said, blushing around her glasses. She adjusted her suit coat a bit before leaning back in. “But I agree. It would be nice to hear how we all managed to pop the question to each other. You all know more or less how it went with Sunny and I, so we’ll forgo putting in unless you really want to hear it again.” “I’d rather hear about how Mom went hang gliding for the first time,” Bushel said, crossing his small arms. I reached out and smoothed his unruly hair. “Another time, squirt,” I said. “Though that is a favorite of mine.” I finished with a wink. “Your Aunt Scoot’s too.” “Speaking of, are they going to be joining us?” Rarity asked. “I haven’t heard from Sweetie Belle yet.” “Apple Bloom said they were hittin’ the books,” AJ said, slicing off a hunk of homemade bread from the assembled food. “Big exam for the three of them tomorrow morning in biology, Twilight level big.” She grinned sheepishly. “Her words, not mine.” The professor waved the comment away. “Well, who should go first?” Sonata asked, the sole unmarried member of the group at the moment, though a ring did glitter on her finger. “I think it would be amusing to hear about Rainbow’s,” Adagio said, Sandalwoods arm over her shoulder as she placed a hand on her pregnant belly. “Should be interesting how she managed it.” “How about we go ‘round the table?” Sunset said, pulling out her phone and setting it on the table. “I’ll record and type it all up later as keepsakes.” “Don’t you have a novel to finish?” Fluttershy asked cautiously. “It’s at the editors,” the fiery-haired woman said. “I may not see it again for a few more days.” “OOH!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing a bit before Aria reached over and pulled her back down. “I wanna hear about Shy’s first!” “I think that would be a bit quiet and short,” I said, my wife on one side and my son cuddled in on the other. “Well, only one way to solve this,” Sandalwood said, picking up one of the empty cider bottles from the recycling bin and setting it on the table. “Random chance.” He spun the bottle, and I followed its spin, watching as it slowly came to point directly at me. “Well, alright!” I exclaimed. “I tell the story better anyway.” AJ stuck her tongue out at me, Windvane climbing up into her lap, her long yellow tresses braided like her mother’s. “Well, then,” Sunset said, tapping a button on her phone’s screen. “By all means, please do share the story, Dashie.” “Yeah, Auntie Dash!” Middy exclaimed, echoed by Rhapsody. “Well, sugar,” AJ said, leaning back to raise an arched eyebrow at me. “It’s yer rodeo now.” I blushed. I heard the subtle meaning in her words, Only the god’s honest truth, now, y’hear? “Ok,” I said. “Get comfortable, because I think this may take your breath away kids.” I saw the girls of the group lean forward in excitement, their parents smiling but showing an equal interest. “It was, gosh,” I started, glancing over at my wife, seeking confirmation. “Seven years ago now?” After the nod, I continued. “Anyway, I was home for the summer from the league, and…” A Dance in the RainIt totally wasn’t my fault. I made sure there was gas in the tank before we left, the battered old truck having a few new gauges bolted to the dashboard that helped me keep an eye on that. I was out under the hood, checking connections while the rain poured down. My hair was already plastered to my forehead and my shirt was beginning to cling to my body. “Try ‘er now” I called, pulling my hands from the compartment. I heard the starter whir and click as AJ turned the key. I shook my head and slammed the hood shut as I popped back into the cab. AJ was just as soaked as I was, having taken her turn trying to get her truck to start from its stall. “Everything look good?” she asked, her blonde hair slicked back from her face. I nodded. “I’m no mechanic like you or Sunset, but it sounds like the fuel pump is shot. It’s not even trying to turn over.” The farmgirl I loved sighed and put her head on the steering wheel. She muttered something under her breath. “What was that?” I said. “Ah said you were right,” she said with a meek smile, glancing at me. “We shoulda taken your car.” Normally I’d gloat about getting such an admission from AJ, but her beloved pickup stranding us halfway to the lake was not something to be happy over. I scooted over and wrapped her in my arms. “It’s ok,” I said. “I’ll just make sure to be wrong later.” She laughed at that. “So what are we gonna do?” she asked. I shrugged. “The cabin is only a couple more miles down the road, and we dropped out luggage off there earlier.” I glanced at the groceries behind the bench seat. “Nothing here that can’t wait till tomorrow to get. I say we make a break for it.” “It’s coming down pretty hard, Dashie,” she said, picking at the soaked blue shirt she had on that was clinging to her like a second skin. I raised an eyebrow at her and picked at the shoulder of my white tee, the outline of my undershirt and bra starting to show through. “No kidding,” I deadpanned. She giggled. “Well, Ah reckon we can’t get any wetter,” she said, grabbing a small packet and revealing it to be a watertight bag. “Toss in anything you think we might need in there while Ah set out the cones.” AJ slid out of the cab and pulled out a few collapsable road cones from the toolbox in the bed while I started to tuck our wallets, loose cash, and a few other things into the pouch. It didn’t have space for much, but I managed. I kept a few things on me, the baggy pockets of my cargo pants coming in handy. I also hopped out, slinging the strap for the bag over my shoulders as AJ reached in and grabbed her keys from the ignition. “All set?” she called over the din of the rainfall. I gave a thumbs up, and we started strolling down the lane, holding hands as we walked. It was a summer rain, the kind that chased away the oppressive heat and gave us a few blessed moments of relaxing cool. We may have been soaked through, but it was a warm rain. After a few minutes, we barely noticed the damp. I tilted my head back and grinned. I hadn’t done anything like this in a while. I used to go on rain walks when I was younger, before I worried about getting sick and missing out on practices. There was something relaxing, peaceful about rain. I could never put my finger on why. “Penny for yer thoughts?” a voice broke in. I smiled, looking up at the taller girl. I hated to admit at times that I’m the shortest one in our group of friends. Even Twilight was taller than me. What’s up with that? “Just thinking,” I said. “I used to go out on rainy days and think. Plan my next training session, or come up with silly songs.” I looked away when I felt the heat rise into my cheeks. “Think about a certain friend,” I finished softly. She squeezed my hand. “And this time?” I felt the item in my right leg pocket start to burn me with its presence. I had planned on asking her in a more romantic situation, something fitting to our relationship. The cabin had an overlook near it, trees lining the edge and a great view of the valley and lake below. It was perfect for it. “Well,” I said, chuckling. “Wondering how we managed to catch ourselves in a freak rain storm with no coats.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Annnnnnd?” she drawled. She's too good at reading me, I thought. The sound of the rain falling among the trees gave me an idea, though. I grabbed AJ’s other hand and spun her around, sliding my arms p and around her neck, forcing her into a slow, swaying motion. “What’s this about?” she asked through a smile. “Never danced in the rain before?” I asked. “There’s no music,” she protested. “Sure there is,” I said, placing a hand over her eyes. “Listen.” I closed my eyes too, the sounds of the wilderness filling my awareness. The soft hiss of rain hitting the leaves, the quiet rustle as the wind moved the branches. A few chirping birds could be heard, and the pitter-pat of rain on the asphalt “There’s music all around,” I said, sliding my hands back around her neck. “If you know how to hear it.” After a moment or two, she laughed and stopped again. “This is silly,” she said. “Dancing here in the middle of the road in the rain. What would our friends think?” “Since when have you gotten caught up on what others think?” I challenged, stepping back slightly. “It’s just…” Her face burned red, the freckles splayed across her face thrown into sharp relief. She sighed, smiling at me. “Ah never know what to do with you,” she finished. “I’ve an idea along that front,” I said, fumbling in my pocket for the small velvet box. “It’s not exactly how I planned it, but that pretty well sums up our relationship, doesn’t it?” She frowned. “What’re you on about?” “Well, this whole weekend was supposed to be one big romantic getaway that was going to end with a really nice sunset overlooking the whole place,” I said, feeling the box slide out of my fingers as I fumbled for it. “It still can be, ya know,” AJ countered, crossing her arms. I pulled the box out and grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, but I can’t think of anything better than this though,” I said, holding it up as I saw her eyes widen. “Dash,” she stammered. “What’re…” I took her left hands in mine, the box pressed against our palms. “Look,” I said. “I’m big enough to admit that I’ve screwed up from time to time, but I don’t think I went wrong in asking you that night on the cruise.” “After having me explode at you, ya mean.” I winced. “Yeah,” I said. “Not my greatest memory. But here we are, three years later, still going strong despite not getting to see each other as much as we may like.” I looked down at her hands, strong and accustomed to hard work, running my thumbs along her knuckles. “I just, well,” I looked into her eyes, not sure if all the wetness I saw there was rain or not. “How’d you like to see me every night when we get home?” I said, cracking the box open to reveal the simple ring inside. “It’s not much,” I immediately started. “I don’t know much about jewelry, and I know you don’t want something big and bulky while working on the farm, but at the same time…” She kissed me and silenced my rambling. “Sometimes, ya just don’t know when to shut up,” she whispered in my ear. I grinned as she stepped back and smiled softly at me. “Well, then,” I said, butterflies in my stomach. “Suppose I should do this right.” “Might be a good start,” she said as I knelt down, ignoring the wet asphalt of the road. “Applejack, will you marry me?” “Dang nabbit,” she said with a laugh. “Git offa that road and kiss me already.” I stood up and obliged her, slowly swaying to the music of the rain as we did. When we broke for air, I leaned my head back a bit. “Was that a yes?” I asked. My shoulder ached the rest of the way to the cabin. A Certain Ring to itI was heading for the parking lot after an impromptu shopping trip with Sunset when I saw it. It called to me, pulling me in slowly with its scintillating radiance. It sat nestled on a velvet lined pillow in the shop’s display window. I actually placed a hand on the wall next to the window as I gazed at its golden gleam. “You alright, ‘Shy?” I heard Sunset ask. I nodded, still captivated by the sight. Something about it spoke to me, immediately calling images of Rarity to my mind. From the marquis cut of the sapphire center stone to the two flanking tapered cut diamonds, it screamed elegance and sophistication. I stepped inside the store and quickly caught the attention of a store clerk while Sunset seemed confused. “How can I help you, Miss?” the clerk asked, brushing her hair behind her shoulder and smiling brightly. “I, um, was wondering if I could see the ring in the display case for a moment?” I asked. “If you don’t mind, that is.” “Oh, not at all!” she exclaimed, pulling a key from her coat pocket and opening the window, withdrawing the ring. When she handed it to me, I felt an electric tingle as the cool gold touched my skin. It lost none of its luster under regular light as opposed to the display lights. “It’s so beautiful,” I breathed, turning it slightly to examining it closely. Up close I could see some light engraving along the band, simple filigree that only added to the overall look rather than detracting from it. “That’s pretty, ‘Shy,” I heard Sunset say, coming up behind me as I slipped the ring on. I knew Rarity and I had the same ring size and when I saw it slip onto my finger and sit securely but not too snug, I felt a tear slip free. Taking the ring from my finger, I handed it back to the clerk, though reluctantly. “How much is it?” I asked, almost fearing the answer. The clerk consulted a list on the display door before responding. “It’s actually on special,” she said. “It was custom ordered a while back and never claimed. It has a balance owed of $695.” I blinked. I knew a little about jewelry from my time dating Rarity, and that was nearly half the cost I thought it would be. I pulled my phone out and checked my balance, wincing when I saw how close it would be, since I still had pending bills. Sunset patted me on the shoulder. “Go ahead,” she said. “Twilight and I are well enough off since my first novel sold that we can cover you.” “Oh,” I said. “But you have the baby to look after, and you’re starting to look at houses, I couldn’t…” The taller woman turned me to face her, a look on her face that was both smiling and serious at once. “First, Middy is a year old,” she said. “And remarkably well behaved, at that. Secondly, we’re only looking at houses because very soon that two bedroom condo is going to be a little crowded, but we can make do with it for a while yet.” Her hand drifted across her abdomen as she spoke. “Still,” I hedged. “I wouldn’t feel right.” “Fluttershy,” she began. “The way you looked at it lets me know it means something to you. Now, since it’s not your style, that means you intend it to be for Rarity. And since you’ve been preoccupied lately, I can only guess what’s been bothering you.” I looked at her. “You sounded like Twilight just now,” I teased. “I know,” she sighed. “I’ve noticed lately how similar we are. And no changing the subject.” I ducked my head again, an old habit coming back for a moment. “I’m sorry,” I squeaked. “But I wouldn’t feel right having you pay my bills for me.” “Actually,” the clerk spoke up. “If it helps, we do have a payment plan.” Two months later, the summer sun beaming down into the apartment Rarity and I had moved into flashed on the glass coffee table she set the tea tray onto. “Fluttershy, darling,” she said, sitting on the couch next to me. “You seem a little tense. is everything alright?” I nodded. “I just didn’t get a good night’s sleep last night,” I said. “Some of the puppies Glory had have a touch of a cold and a hawk was brought in that had been hit by a car. I was up late.” I didn’t mention that I had laid in bed running over a hundred different ways to present the ring to her that was nestled in my purse. “Well, that certainly explains it,” she said, pouring us each a cup of tea. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to rest before we go out? I can call the restaurant and have them move our reservation back. It’s your birthday, after all.” “No, I'm fine,’ I said, waving my hands. “Besides, I know how hard it is to get a private table at places like Mavericks.” “Pish-posh, dear heart,” she said. “I wouldn’t forgive myself if you were to fall asleep halfway through your birthday dinner.” I took her hands in mine, snuggling into her side. “I’m fine, Rarity,” I whispered into her ear. “So stop worrying.” I rested my head on her shoulder, reaching across her waist and sighing happily. “Is my little care-bear having a good birthday?” Rarity asked in a teasing voice, pulling a giggle from me. “There is one thing I want that I haven’t gotten yet,” I said, sitting up. “Would you like to see what it is?” “Of course,” she said, adjusting her skirt. I pulled my purse up into my lap, pulling out the mirror that I used to have in my locker and handed it to her. “I’m not entirely sure what this means,” she said as she looked into the mirror, giving her hair a quick primp like I knew she would. “You already have me, you know…” her voice cut off when she lowered the mirror and saw the opened ring box I was holding behind it. “I want you more than that, Rarity,” I said, voice starting to tremble slightly. “I want to see you when I open my eyes in the morning and I want to feel you next to me as I fall asleep. Every day from now on.” “Fluttershy,” Rarity whispered. I plowed on, nerves controlling my actions now. “I saw this when I went shopping a couple months ago and I couldn’t help but think of you when I looked at it,” I grinned sheepishly. “I’ve been trying to think of the best way to ask you and when I saw that ring, I just knew, that was the one.” I took the ring out of the box and held it out to her, her hand sliding out automatically, her face still encompassed by shock. “Rarity Belle,” I whispered, voice threatening to flee from me. “Will you marry me?” The ring slid onto her finger, and it may have been a trick of the light, but I swear it started to glow and sparkle under its own power. She reached up with both of her hands and cupped my face in them, her azure eyes gazing deep into mine. “Yes," she whispered, leaning forward and kissing me. That was probably the second best night of my life. Have to say...“The second best day?” Rarity said, looking at Fluttershy. “What was the best day?” The meek girl smiled, still stroking her daughter's hair while she answered. “It’s a tie,” she said, smiling. “Between?” Twilight asked, leaning forward. “Between that night on the cruise when Rarity said yes,” she said. “And when I had this little angel.” Melody was asleep, head in her mother’s lap. My daughter, on the other hand, was currently hanging from a tree branch. Which is perfectly fine, all things considered. My wife also hanging from a tree branch, however, is a little embarrassing if you didn’t know her like we did. I sighed and looked at them. “If either of you fall and break your arm,” I said, pulling on my old grump to set the tone. “I am not going to sing it better.” Rhapsody dropped promptly out of the tree, brushing her hands on the front of her coveralls. Pinkie, however, crossed her arm, clinging to the branch with only her legs. “Don’t be such a downer, Ari,” she said while I just blinked at the fact that she seemed to be defying gravity…again. “So, two groups left, it seems,” Sunset said. “Three, technically,” Sonata said. “Well, yes,” Sunset said. “But you haven’t married him yet… “If you want to get technical, all we’ve been doing is telling proposal stories,” Adagio said. “I believe Melody had asked about the weddings.” “Ah, but we were all there for the weddings,” Rarity said, crossing her legs and setting her hands in her lap. “I believe I made the gowns for all of you, as I recall.” Twilight laughed. “All right, settle down,” she reached out for the bottle and set it spinning again. It took three tries before it pointed at myself. “I hate to break it to you all,” I said, picking leaves and bark out of Rhapsody’s hair. “But it’s not anywhere near as romantic as the last two.” “OOH!” Pinkie exclaimed, popping up from under the table. “Does that mean I get to tell it?” I glanced at my wife, far too used to her lack of respect for physics to react. “No,” I said with a smile. “I got it, Pinks.” “Though I have to say, it wasn’t anything like I imagined…” “ Rock of a Hard Place“You have GOT to be KIDDING ME!” Limestone shouted. Marble ducked a little further behind the cooking magazine while I counted to ten internally. “I doubt it’s that much of a stretch, Limestone,” I said. “You stay out of this,” she said, pointing a finger at me. “This is between Marble and I.” I rolled my eyes and held up my hands. Limestone and I had come to respect each other, but that was about it. Outside of a mutual agreement to make sure Pinkie was happy, we really didn’t see eye-to-eye on much. “When were you going to tell me about you and Macintosh, huh?” she said, reaching out and pushing down on the magazine, revealing her baby sister’s face. Marble looked up at her, an eyebrow quirking. “He asked me yesterday, and you were already out at the quarry when I got up today,” she said, her voice soft. She closed the magazine and met her sisters gaze without flinching. She was an interesting mix, as the Pie sisters went. Maud was taciturn and straight forward, Pinkie was…well, Pinkie. Limestone reminded myself of a less happy me, and Marble was a mix of Fluttershy and Applejack. Limestone seemed to freeze for a moment, not prepared for the answer. “You should have come told me when you got home last night then! I don’t care that I was in bed!” “That’ll be a first,” I grumbled under my breath. “And you!” she growled, spinning on me. “You shouldn’t be here right now. Pinkie isn’t here.” “I’m aware of that,” I said, mentally counting to ten again. “That’s why I’m here, and the two of you are the reasons.” Limestone blinked, confused. “Come again?” I leaned back in my chair. “Maud is keeping Pinkie busy with a scavenger hunt that we set up yesterday so I can get a few minutes to talk to the two of you,” I leaned forward and winked at Marble. She already knew part of what I was doing here. She smiled softly back, picking her magazine back up but not opening it. “What do you want?” Limestone said, her grump starting to flow back to the fore. “Well, since you are the eldest Pie on the property at the moment, I wanted to ask if you have any problem with me proposing to Pinkie.” I thought for a moment I saw steam come from her ears. “What?” I glanced at my watch. “I intend to propose to Pinkie when she gets to the final spot of the scavenger hunt,” I said. “Which she should reach in about an hour or so if Maud keeps her at pace. And I thought, out of respect, I would let you know what I intended to do.” Limestone’s face turned red. “You can’t just tell me what you’re going to do with my sister!” she shouted, making Marble flinch. “You haven’t even been dating that long! And I don’t like you.” I sensed rather than heard the hesitation in that last statement. “Regardless, it’s not up to you,” I said. “Also, we’ve been dating for almost three years, and so far the only person that’s offered opposition to this is you.” “I’m sure Mom and Pop will have something…” “They asked if I wanted to use the Choosing Stone,” I said, cutting her off before she got started. She stared, then glanced at Marble. “Mm-hm.” she grunted, opening her magazine back up and flipping through it. “You see, Limestone,” I said. “I know you don’t like me, and I don’t think it’s because I’m dating your sister, or that you’re so absorbed in running the family business that you have to be a hard nose all the time.” I played my trump card. “I think you’re lonely and afraid of being left alone.” “You don’t know a thing about me,” she growled, spinning to look away. “I’ve been around a bit longer than you,” I said. “But here’s the thing. Pinkie’s your sister, and just out of her nature she’ll never leave you. Neither will Maud, or Marble. They’re just trying to be happy.” “Get out,” came a snarl from the eldest Pie sister before she stormed off. I glanced at Marble, who shrugged. She glanced at her watch. “You’d better hurry,” she said, standing and heading after her sister. Sighing, I left the Pie house, waving at Igneous and Cloudy Quartz as I passed them on the porch. It was a fair hike to town, but I managed to make it to the stage where the Battle of the Bands had taken place with time to spare. I kicked at the weathered molding of the stage, knocking some debris and leftover ice off. I had barely gotten my bearings when I heard a humming voice I knew like I knew my own. Pinkie came skipping around the corner, Maud in tow. She was looking at a piece of paper that she tucked back into her poofy hair when done. “I wonder what the next clue will be!” she said, animatedly. But let’s face it, everything she does is animated. It’s just her in every sense of the word. “Will it send us to the Everfree Forest? Baltimare? The Neighagra Falls?” She pulled a pith helmet out from nowhere and put it on. “OOOH! The jungle to find the lost Temple of Ahuizotl?” I rolled my eyes at that one. Maud spoke up in her no-nonsense voice. “Let’s concentrate on this clue first,” she said. Pith Helmet gone, Pinkie pulled the note out and re-read the clue out loud. “Here we finished and will start anew, where you discovered your friendship was true. A bright red gemstone to lead the way, bright as the sunlight from the start of day. Where once there were three, now there is one, and there she will be till the show is done.” She scratched her head, thinking. “It’s got to be the stage here, but this one is longer than the rest.” She started to climb the stage and saw me standing just behind the wing curtains. “HI Ari!’ she exclaimed, bouncing over to give me a hug and peck on the cheek. “Are you going to help with the scavenger hunt too? “Actually, Pinkie,” I said, smiling. “I set it up. You’re at the final location.” She grinned. “So what's the big surprise?” she asked, looking around. “Another party cannon? A big screen tv?” she gasped. “An all expenses paid trip to the Smokey Mountains resort for two?” I blinked for a second. How did she…never mind, it was Pinkie. “Maybe something else,” I said, pulling a ring from my pocket. While it wasn’t worth much as far as materials, it was invaluable to me. “I wanna know, Pinks, will you marry and old grump like me?” Pinkie took the ring, her grin threatening to split her face. Even Maud smiled. Well, on the inside. I was started to get good at reading the youngest three Pie sisters. “Oh, Ari, of course, I will!” Pinkie said. “What’s with the stone?” Her eyes went wide. “I didn’t crack it, did I?” I patted her shoulder, smiling. “No, you didn’t, Pinkie. I gave it to you with a crack in it.” At her confused look, I reached out and set my finger on the rubicund stone. It glowed softly for a second. “It’s made from the shards of my old Song.” Pinkie stared at me. “Ari,” she whispered. “Just after the Battle of the Bands, we snuck back here and collected as many shards as we could find,” I explained. “We could sense the power in them fading, and they still responded to our presence, but we couldn’t use them anymore, and as gemstones, they were essentially worthless. “I don’t know what Adagio or Sonata did with their fragments, but I always kept mine, even after we regained our Song,” I lightly touched the blue stone hanging around my neck. “It’s like I was waiting for a purpose.” “It may not be fancy like what Cadence got, or a family heirloom like Twilights,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “But it is priceless to me, and I wanted to give it to the other precious stone in my life.” Pinkie looked at me, tears leaking down a cheek. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” she whispered. “Yeah, well,” I said, stuffing my hands in my coat pockets. “Don’t let it get around, you hear?” “What did Marble and Limestone have to say?” Maud broke in as Pinkie busied herself taking selfies with the ring. “Marble was fine with it, as we expected,” I said. “And Limestone was also what we expected.” “Of course," she said. “She’s the big sister. She want’s to protect us.” “Yeah,” I said, thinking. “Thanks again for the help, Maud. I really do appreciate it.” The laconic woman nodded and turned, heading slowly back towards her families house. There was a pounding on the door to our apartment the next evening. Adagio wasn’t home yet and Pinkie and Sonata were out pricing a catering request, and they all had keys, so I couldn’t possibly think of who it was. I opened the door to find Limestone Pie standing there, hands in the pockets of her coat and a reluctant look on her face. “What do you want?” I said simply. She thrust out a hand, a string with small crystals on it in her grasp. “Just take it,” she grumbled. I took the proffered item and stared at it. “What is it?” I asked. “It’s rock candy,” she sniffed. “Don’t you know anything?” I rolled my eyes. “I know it’s rock candy,” I counted to ten again. “Why are you giving me a string of it?” She shifted on her feet. “I got to thinking,” she said. “I may not exactly like you, but Pinkie does. And she is my sister and should be happy.” She stumbled a bit, and I saw Marble standing behind her, a smirk on her face. “And, well, just don’t make her cry, you got it?” She stormed off, Marble smiling at me. “Did you set that up?” I asked the shy girl. “Mmm-Hmm!” I smiled. “Thanks.” Never Saw it Coming...“I don’t get it,” Sonata said. “A rock candy necklace?” Pinkie grinned, hugging into Aria with a sigh of contentment, Rhapsody trying her best to get between the two. My niece loved hugs as much as Sonata and Pinkie did. AJ spoke up. “As Ah recall,” she said with a drawl, balancing Windvane on her knee. “The Pie sisters all gave them to each other as gifts among sisters, signifying that they’d be best friends no matter what.” She sighed. “She made us help taste a bunch'a batches when Maud came home after her first semester away getting her ‘rocktorate’ degree. Mah stomach was upset for a few days, she made us taste so many kinds.” “And for Limey to have given Ari one,” Pinkie said, rubbing noses with her daughter. “Meant that she wanted to try to make her feel welcome. Limey’s not good with her feelings.” “No kidding,” I muttered, remembering the wedding. Sandalwood nudged me. “Our turn, sweetie.” I rolled my eyes. “When this big lug proposed, I could have been knocked over with a feather.” I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Which he almost did, as a matter of fact.” I smiled when the blush crept up his face. “I know him pretty well, but I never saw what he had planned at all…” Rebuilding“So what’s this big idea you have planned, anyway?” I asked. Sandalwood glanced at me from the corner of his eyes while the corners of his mouth quirked upwards. “You'll see,” he breathed. “Don’t be so impatient. In time, good things come to those who wait.” I rolled my eyes at that. While he had grown into a more well-rounded sort after CHS, he still held a few of the ideas that Aria had teased him about. More often than not, he would slide back into the almost stoner-like talk pattern. I didn’t mind, actually. We had been driving for nearly an hour now, and I hated sitting still that long. Especially after the fight with Acerak or the following war in Equestria, sitting around became a chore. Between working as a shift manager at the restaurant and tidying up at home, placid was not a word anyone associated with me anymore. Turning off onto a small side road, he looked at me and smiled. “Now, bear with me a bit,” he said. “Initially, this is not going to be as glorious as it seems.” I looked at him quizzically as we pulled up to a clearing, a dilapidated building standing in the center. Sandalwood parked the car where I could see that the glittering waters of the Bay of Bitscaine slightly below us through a tangled and woody path. “There it is, sweetie,” he said, waving at the house. I looked at the house and its battered exterior. A shutter hanging onto the side of a window chose that moment to fall off and get stuck in the planks of the half-rotted deck. “Right,” I drawled out. “Ok, I admit, it’s going to be a bit of a fixer-upper,” The shutter fell the rest of the way through the porch. “Ok, it’s got a lot of work that needs to be done, but it’s basically perfect.” I looked at him, fists posted on my hips. “What in the name of Triton are you talking about?” I asked gently. He grinned. “I’m going to fix this place up and turn it into a bed and breakfast,” he said, turning to look at the Bay. “It’s got a great view, an excellent location, and while the outside may not look so great, the foundation is solid and most of the actual interior is still intact.” He turned his head towards me. “And when it’s done, I want you to help me run it.” “Sand,” I said, a small smile fighting to climb onto my face. “What do you know about running a B&B?” “Not a thing,” he said. “I know hospitality and I know how to cook and fix things, but we both know you’re better at the business aspect of things. Which is why I thought I’d use my charms to coax you into helping.” He waggled his eyebrows. I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it, he always looked like a dork when he did that and he knew it. “All right,” I said. “You get this place looking respectable, and I’ll make sure you don’t run it into the ground.” I looked at the two-story structure again. “Out of curiosity, where are you going to get the money for all this?” He pulled a folded letter out of his back pocket. “Government grant,” he said, handing the letter over to me. “It’s going to be a bit tight, but I know how to get the materials we need without paying more than they’re worth. And with me and possibly our friends helping when they can, it saves paying for contractors with the exception of electrical, HVAC, and other specialized installations.” I skimmed the letter, seeing a perforation at the bottom that had once held what I assumed was a check or some sort of voucher. I was silently impressed. He had this all planned out. “So,” I said, returning the document to his tanned hand. “Where do we start?” It took a while. Close to a year, all told, between ripping up all the old boards and replacing what bracing that needed it and rebuilding the house from the ground up, running plumbing and redoing the rooms so that there were more available. The downstairs stayed mostly open, a lobby and kitchen with a single bedroom that I assumed was to be ours as it held an attached bathroom. We waited until the few contractors had run the wiring and ducting before we started paneling the place. I’m not sure where he had found it all, but almost every bit of wood used in the house was bamboo. Even now, his eco-friendly thinking showed up, but it was cheaper to purchase and more resilient than some of the other choices. And if it ever needed replacement, it was a highly renewable resource. I was a little impressed, actually. We sat on the porch on the last day, pleasantly tired. We had spent the day clearing away all the brush on the path down to the beach and setting paving stones to provide a nice comfortable trek. Behind the house, the brush was burning in a bonfire in a pit he had dug that morning. The next day the state inspectors would be coming to give the place a look and tell us if we had to fix anything. “I have to admit,” I said, tucked into his side on one of the built-in benches on the veranda. “I’m actually looking forward to this.” “Good, cause there is one more thing we have to do today.” “What’s that?” I asked, not wanting to look away from the way the sun danced on the waters of the bay. Part of me wanted to go down and frolic in the water, to call my sisters up and have a race like we had when we were all younger. “You have to take this and agree to what it means,” he said, pulling a large box out from under the bench. I gave him a quizzical look but took the plain brown box. I opened it and found another box nestled inside, somewhat smaller. I opened that one to find another. I turned my gaze upon him. “I swear, if this turns out to be a gift certificate like you did on Christmas, I’m going to throw you into the Bay,” I warned. “It’ll be worth it,” he said, smiling and holding his hands up in a defensive motion. “Trust me.” Three more boxes were revealed, the last about the size of a thick DVD case. I gave Sandalwood another glance, one with a touch of glare in it. He merely motioned to the box. I sighed and proceeded to open this one. There was another box inside, but instead of cardboard, this one was made of wood and wrapped in velvet. My mind not quite catching up, I opened it to find a small silver ring inside, a simple round gemstone sparkling in the center. I gaped for a moment when I realized that Sandalwood had knelt on the floor in front of me while I had been preoccupied with opening the boxes. “So,” he said, that goofy grin on his face still. “What do you say?” “You’re a dork,” I said, taking the ring out and testing the fit. It was a little loose, but it was secure on my finger. “Besides that,” he deadpanned. “I think I’ll say yes,” I said, smiling. “If you ask the right way, that is.” “Adagio Dazzle,” he began. “Yes,” I said, leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. He grinned and slid back up onto the bench next to me. “So how long have you had this planned?” I asked. “From the day we started working on the house,” he said. “I figured that if you stuck by me in that, you’d be able to put up with me for a few decades at least.” I rolled my eyes. I twisted on the bench, coming up and sliding over into his lap, arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. After we broke away, I laid my head on his shoulder. “You are such a dork,” I whispered into his ear as the sun slipped away, plunging the area into night. FamilyMiddy gave Rory a nudge with her elbow, jolting her younger sister into full wakefulness. “You realize it’s Mother’s turn, yeah?” she whispered. I caught that. “Oh, no, little filly,” I said, brushing a lock of red hair behind an ear and turning off the recorder. “Everyone here -including the two of you - knows how your mom and I got together.” “But it’s so cool to hear,” Aurora said, her pixie-like face earnest. “It’s like a fairy tale.” “She has a point,” Twilight said, cleaning the lenses of her glasses. “It was fairly magical, in more ways than one.” Traitor, I thought through the bond. She stuck her tongue out at me. “Look, y’all have heard that story before, and we’re like to hear it again before we know it should you get a younger brother or sister someday,” AJ said. She had at some point retrieved her hat from her wife, Windvane asleep and leaning back against her. Bushel and Rhapsody were racing across the playground, the competitive nature of the two driving them to see who could cross the monkey bars faster. Sonata tucked her phone away in her back pocket. “Well, that bites,” she said. “What’s up?” Aria asked. “Note can’t make it over,” she said, flopping into her seat. “Rehearsal is running long because Sapphire Shores keeps changing things. He says that the conductor is close to ripping his hair out.” I reached over and patted her hand. “It’ll be ok, Nata,” I said. “It’s not like this will be the only picnic we’ll have. “I know,” she said. “But I wanted to include him on this, and tell how we got together.” “You still can, you know,” Adagio purred. “Yeah, but it’s not as cool as you guys,” she said, twiddling her fingers. “He asked me when we went out to dinner on our anniversary. No great fanfare or anything.” “Noteworthy is a fairly straightforward fellow,” Rarity said as Melody started to stir. “It’s very likely a stretch of his nature to have done anything more exotic.” “True,” Sonata mumbled. “And he is writing a short suite that the orchestra has agreed to play dedicated to you,” Twilight said. “Vinyl said that Octavia has been practicing it all week when we ran into them yesterday.” She brightened up. “Yeah,” she said, giggling. “He’s pretty awesome like that, when you think about it.” I checked the time and sighed. “Well, ladies and gents, I hate to cut this short but I do have a call with my agent to make and I need my notes in front of me at the time.” I glanced at Twilight. “Think you can wrangle the kids?” Twilight smiled. “We’ll see you at home,” she said with a smile. I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before heading over to my bike. I ran my hand along one of the rays of the sun painted on the fuel tank of the lovingly restored bike parked next to our minivan. It wasn’t quite a replica of my cutie mark so much that it was a mingling of my sun, Twilight’s star, and a vague representation of the hillside where the first time I kissed her had occurred. I straddled the bike and hit the electric start I had installed a few weeks ago and pulled my helmet on, waving to my family as I headed home. I smiled as the wind whipped my ponytail around, the long leather binding keeping it from being loose enough to blow forward and obscure my sight. Pulling into the driveway of the two-story rancher that I called home, I saw a familiar face sitting on the porch. “Well, this is a surprise,” I said, hugging Princess Twilight while juggling my keys and helmet. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She looked at me with the face that I had learned through the years married to her counterpart of barely contained excitement and nerves. She handed out a folded card, extremely elegant script flowing across it. “You all are invited to my wedding!” she beamed. I caught sight of the ring on her finger as she withdrew her hand. “Well,” I said. “that’s a bit of welcome news!” I said, hugging her again. I opened the door and led us inside. “But you didn’t just come through the portal to my house just to drop off a wedding invitation when Spike could have sent it.” She giggled. “I wanted to ask you something face to face,” she said, the nerves flaring up again. I stood there, silent, knowing she would continue when she had composed her thoughts. “Would you be my maretron of honor?” she whispered. I smiled, suddenly elated. “Of course, I will,” I said. “But why me, if you don’t mind my asking?” “You’re one of my best friends, a fellow princess, and you’re married, so I can’t call you my mare of honor, now can I?” she joked. “Rarity agreed to by my mare of honor and to help plan the wedding with Fluttershy, who has Dash standing as her maretron.” I nodded. “It would be an honor, Twilight,” I said. “Can you stay for dinner? I have some business to take care of in a few minutes but I know Middy and Rory would love to see their Aunt Sparky.” She smiled. “I’ve got nothing but time, today, she said, sitting on the couch. “I just have to send a note back to the castle so Fluttershy doesn’t worry.” I gestured at the shelves along the wall that held copies of my novels, Twilight’s research volumes, and the communication books. “Help yourself,” I said, gathering my notes for my call. “When you’re done, help yourself to the kitchen, I’ll just be a few minutes. You’re family, after all.” I loved my family. It was an odd family, but it was mine. Who would have thought I’d have something like this back at the Fall Formal? And I knew...“Ah didn’t hit ya that hard,” Applejack complained. “AJ, you hit like a truck!” Rainbow said. “You don’t remember that you’re stronger than normal now.” The farmer grinned abashedly. “Ah kept forgettin’ back then, Ah suppose.” Pinkie started bouncing in her chair, Aria no longer trying to contain her. “Who’s next, who’s next?” she cried as she grabbed the bottle and gave it a spin. As it spun round, it pointed straight at Sunset, who reached out and gave it another spin as she giggled. “Oh, my,” I said as the bottle pointed straight at me. “Your turn, ‘Shy,” Twilight said. “So who proposed, you or Rarity?” “If you desire, dearheart,” Rarity said. “I could tell the tale.” “No, I’m fine,” I said, shifting in my chair as Melody slid into my lap, the girl getting a little sleepy after eating. She was like Rarity in that manner. I started stroking her hair and smiled down at her. “You all know how we all got together, most of us on the cruise our senior year,” I said. I glanced at Pinkie and Aria. “Some later, some a lot later.” I smiled at Adagio. “It hasn’t always been easy,” I said. “I had a lot to overcome, as you all know now.” I had admitted to most of them about the abuse and taunting when I was young, and how difficult it was to open up to anyone, including my friends. “But, eight years ago, something happened,” I said. “And I came across the most gorgeous ring.” I smiled at Rarity, the classy woman still wearing the ring in question. “And I knew just the girl to give it to…” Author's Note This is how the stories going to be, a setup, then the actual chapter. The setups are going to be short and from the POV of who's about to tell the story.
It All Started When...We were all sitting around the table in the park, the smell of charcoal and various foods wafting through the air. I leaned back, pushing the brim of AJ’s hat back with my thumb. I had gotten a little more country since the two of us had gotten married, and I still loved stealing her stetson from time to time. It looked awesome on me anyway. Sunset was giving her daughter Aurora a romp across the playground on her shoulders, the young girl giggling as she ducked under the branches of the oak tree to settle her down on the bench next to her sister, Midnight Sky. I couldn’t help but smile at the kids. I went back to helping my children fix plates for themselves, the twins coming up on their sixth birthday, trailing behind Middy and Rory by three and two years respectively. “Hey, Mom?” I heard Rhapsody ask, looking at Aria as she raked the coals of the grill to break up ash. “How did you all meet?” “What do you mean, sweetheart?” the Siren asked, glancing at her sisters for support. “You and all your friends,” she said. “I want to know how you all met.” “Told you she was a sharp cookie,” Twilight said, taking a bite from the salad in front of her. “That’s quite a lot to wonder at four.” “I’m four and a half,” Rhapsody insisted earnestly, pushing her dark rose-pink hair out of her face. Thankfully, she had inherited Aria’s straight hair over Pinkie’s curly locks. My own kids, Bushel and Windvane, had somehow gained wavy hair from somewhere. “I think it would be more fun to hear how they got married,” Melody piped up, sounding as much like a second Rarity as she looked like a fusion of the fashionista and Fluttershy. The five-year-old instantly had all the girls’ attention, though Bushel turned away from the sappy stuff, the boy already reminding me of myself at that age. “That sounds like a fun story,” Sunset said as she sat down, reaching over and ruffling Rory’s hair to the child’s dismay. Middy giggled, her own hair tied back simply, reminding me of how my wife had worn hers for years before growing it out and braiding it all the time. Aurora seemed to already be taking more after Aunt Rarity than either of her parents. Twilight shot her wife a narrowed glance. No words were exchanged, but we all knew that they were having a short conversation. “Ah thought we agreed y’all wouldn’t do that at gatherin’s,” Applejack said as she slid onto the bench next to us. The telepathic bond our friends shared unnerved the farmer, but I thought it was awesome. We didn’t quite have that level of bond, but we understood each other enough that a glance could tell volumes. “Sorry,” Twilight said, blushing around her glasses. She adjusted her suit coat a bit before leaning back in. “But I agree. It would be nice to hear how we all managed to pop the question to each other. You all know more or less how it went with Sunny and I, so we’ll forgo putting in unless you really want to hear it again.” “I’d rather hear about how Mom went hang gliding for the first time,” Bushel said, crossing his small arms. I reached out and smoothed his unruly hair. “Another time, squirt,” I said. “Though that is a favorite of mine.” I finished with a wink. “Your Aunt Scoot’s too.” “Speaking of, are they going to be joining us?” Rarity asked. “I haven’t heard from Sweetie Belle yet.” “Apple Bloom said they were hittin’ the books,” AJ said, slicing off a hunk of homemade bread from the assembled food. “Big exam for the three of them tomorrow morning in biology, Twilight level big.” She grinned sheepishly. “Her words, not mine.” The professor waved the comment away. “Well, who should go first?” Sonata asked, the sole unmarried member of the group at the moment, though a ring did glitter on her finger. “I think it would be amusing to hear about Rainbow’s,” Adagio said, Sandalwoods arm over her shoulder as she placed a hand on her pregnant belly. “Should be interesting how she managed it.” “How about we go ‘round the table?” Sunset said, pulling out her phone and setting it on the table. “I’ll record and type it all up later as keepsakes.” “Don’t you have a novel to finish?” Fluttershy asked cautiously. “It’s at the editors,” the fiery-haired woman said. “I may not see it again for a few more days.” “OOH!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing a bit before Aria reached over and pulled her back down. “I wanna hear about Shy’s first!” “I think that would be a bit quiet and short,” I said, my wife on one side and my son cuddled in on the other. “Well, only one way to solve this,” Sandalwood said, picking up one of the empty cider bottles from the recycling bin and setting it on the table. “Random chance.” He spun the bottle, and I followed its spin, watching as it slowly came to point directly at me. “Well, alright!” I exclaimed. “I tell the story better anyway.” AJ stuck her tongue out at me, Windvane climbing up into her lap, her long yellow tresses braided like her mother’s. “Well, then,” Sunset said, tapping a button on her phone’s screen. “By all means, please do share the story, Dashie.” “Yeah, Auntie Dash!” Middy exclaimed, echoed by Rhapsody. “Well, sugar,” AJ said, leaning back to raise an arched eyebrow at me. “It’s yer rodeo now.” I blushed. I heard the subtle meaning in her words, Only the god’s honest truth, now, y’hear? “Ok,” I said. “Get comfortable, because I think this may take your breath away kids.” I saw the girls of the group lean forward in excitement, their parents smiling but showing an equal interest. “It was, gosh,” I started, glancing over at my wife, seeking confirmation. “Seven years ago now?” After the nod, I continued. “Anyway, I was home for the summer from the league, and…”
A Dance in the RainIt totally wasn’t my fault. I made sure there was gas in the tank before we left, the battered old truck having a few new gauges bolted to the dashboard that helped me keep an eye on that. I was out under the hood, checking connections while the rain poured down. My hair was already plastered to my forehead and my shirt was beginning to cling to my body. “Try ‘er now” I called, pulling my hands from the compartment. I heard the starter whir and click as AJ turned the key. I shook my head and slammed the hood shut as I popped back into the cab. AJ was just as soaked as I was, having taken her turn trying to get her truck to start from its stall. “Everything look good?” she asked, her blonde hair slicked back from her face. I nodded. “I’m no mechanic like you or Sunset, but it sounds like the fuel pump is shot. It’s not even trying to turn over.” The farmgirl I loved sighed and put her head on the steering wheel. She muttered something under her breath. “What was that?” I said. “Ah said you were right,” she said with a meek smile, glancing at me. “We shoulda taken your car.” Normally I’d gloat about getting such an admission from AJ, but her beloved pickup stranding us halfway to the lake was not something to be happy over. I scooted over and wrapped her in my arms. “It’s ok,” I said. “I’ll just make sure to be wrong later.” She laughed at that. “So what are we gonna do?” she asked. I shrugged. “The cabin is only a couple more miles down the road, and we dropped out luggage off there earlier.” I glanced at the groceries behind the bench seat. “Nothing here that can’t wait till tomorrow to get. I say we make a break for it.” “It’s coming down pretty hard, Dashie,” she said, picking at the soaked blue shirt she had on that was clinging to her like a second skin. I raised an eyebrow at her and picked at the shoulder of my white tee, the outline of my undershirt and bra starting to show through. “No kidding,” I deadpanned. She giggled. “Well, Ah reckon we can’t get any wetter,” she said, grabbing a small packet and revealing it to be a watertight bag. “Toss in anything you think we might need in there while Ah set out the cones.” AJ slid out of the cab and pulled out a few collapsable road cones from the toolbox in the bed while I started to tuck our wallets, loose cash, and a few other things into the pouch. It didn’t have space for much, but I managed. I kept a few things on me, the baggy pockets of my cargo pants coming in handy. I also hopped out, slinging the strap for the bag over my shoulders as AJ reached in and grabbed her keys from the ignition. “All set?” she called over the din of the rainfall. I gave a thumbs up, and we started strolling down the lane, holding hands as we walked. It was a summer rain, the kind that chased away the oppressive heat and gave us a few blessed moments of relaxing cool. We may have been soaked through, but it was a warm rain. After a few minutes, we barely noticed the damp. I tilted my head back and grinned. I hadn’t done anything like this in a while. I used to go on rain walks when I was younger, before I worried about getting sick and missing out on practices. There was something relaxing, peaceful about rain. I could never put my finger on why. “Penny for yer thoughts?” a voice broke in. I smiled, looking up at the taller girl. I hated to admit at times that I’m the shortest one in our group of friends. Even Twilight was taller than me. What’s up with that? “Just thinking,” I said. “I used to go out on rainy days and think. Plan my next training session, or come up with silly songs.” I looked away when I felt the heat rise into my cheeks. “Think about a certain friend,” I finished softly. She squeezed my hand. “And this time?” I felt the item in my right leg pocket start to burn me with its presence. I had planned on asking her in a more romantic situation, something fitting to our relationship. The cabin had an overlook near it, trees lining the edge and a great view of the valley and lake below. It was perfect for it. “Well,” I said, chuckling. “Wondering how we managed to catch ourselves in a freak rain storm with no coats.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Annnnnnd?” she drawled. She's too good at reading me, I thought. The sound of the rain falling among the trees gave me an idea, though. I grabbed AJ’s other hand and spun her around, sliding my arms p and around her neck, forcing her into a slow, swaying motion. “What’s this about?” she asked through a smile. “Never danced in the rain before?” I asked. “There’s no music,” she protested. “Sure there is,” I said, placing a hand over her eyes. “Listen.” I closed my eyes too, the sounds of the wilderness filling my awareness. The soft hiss of rain hitting the leaves, the quiet rustle as the wind moved the branches. A few chirping birds could be heard, and the pitter-pat of rain on the asphalt “There’s music all around,” I said, sliding my hands back around her neck. “If you know how to hear it.” After a moment or two, she laughed and stopped again. “This is silly,” she said. “Dancing here in the middle of the road in the rain. What would our friends think?” “Since when have you gotten caught up on what others think?” I challenged, stepping back slightly. “It’s just…” Her face burned red, the freckles splayed across her face thrown into sharp relief. She sighed, smiling at me. “Ah never know what to do with you,” she finished. “I’ve an idea along that front,” I said, fumbling in my pocket for the small velvet box. “It’s not exactly how I planned it, but that pretty well sums up our relationship, doesn’t it?” She frowned. “What’re you on about?” “Well, this whole weekend was supposed to be one big romantic getaway that was going to end with a really nice sunset overlooking the whole place,” I said, feeling the box slide out of my fingers as I fumbled for it. “It still can be, ya know,” AJ countered, crossing her arms. I pulled the box out and grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, but I can’t think of anything better than this though,” I said, holding it up as I saw her eyes widen. “Dash,” she stammered. “What’re…” I took her left hands in mine, the box pressed against our palms. “Look,” I said. “I’m big enough to admit that I’ve screwed up from time to time, but I don’t think I went wrong in asking you that night on the cruise.” “After having me explode at you, ya mean.” I winced. “Yeah,” I said. “Not my greatest memory. But here we are, three years later, still going strong despite not getting to see each other as much as we may like.” I looked down at her hands, strong and accustomed to hard work, running my thumbs along her knuckles. “I just, well,” I looked into her eyes, not sure if all the wetness I saw there was rain or not. “How’d you like to see me every night when we get home?” I said, cracking the box open to reveal the simple ring inside. “It’s not much,” I immediately started. “I don’t know much about jewelry, and I know you don’t want something big and bulky while working on the farm, but at the same time…” She kissed me and silenced my rambling. “Sometimes, ya just don’t know when to shut up,” she whispered in my ear. I grinned as she stepped back and smiled softly at me. “Well, then,” I said, butterflies in my stomach. “Suppose I should do this right.” “Might be a good start,” she said as I knelt down, ignoring the wet asphalt of the road. “Applejack, will you marry me?” “Dang nabbit,” she said with a laugh. “Git offa that road and kiss me already.” I stood up and obliged her, slowly swaying to the music of the rain as we did. When we broke for air, I leaned my head back a bit. “Was that a yes?” I asked. My shoulder ached the rest of the way to the cabin.
A Certain Ring to itI was heading for the parking lot after an impromptu shopping trip with Sunset when I saw it. It called to me, pulling me in slowly with its scintillating radiance. It sat nestled on a velvet lined pillow in the shop’s display window. I actually placed a hand on the wall next to the window as I gazed at its golden gleam. “You alright, ‘Shy?” I heard Sunset ask. I nodded, still captivated by the sight. Something about it spoke to me, immediately calling images of Rarity to my mind. From the marquis cut of the sapphire center stone to the two flanking tapered cut diamonds, it screamed elegance and sophistication. I stepped inside the store and quickly caught the attention of a store clerk while Sunset seemed confused. “How can I help you, Miss?” the clerk asked, brushing her hair behind her shoulder and smiling brightly. “I, um, was wondering if I could see the ring in the display case for a moment?” I asked. “If you don’t mind, that is.” “Oh, not at all!” she exclaimed, pulling a key from her coat pocket and opening the window, withdrawing the ring. When she handed it to me, I felt an electric tingle as the cool gold touched my skin. It lost none of its luster under regular light as opposed to the display lights. “It’s so beautiful,” I breathed, turning it slightly to examining it closely. Up close I could see some light engraving along the band, simple filigree that only added to the overall look rather than detracting from it. “That’s pretty, ‘Shy,” I heard Sunset say, coming up behind me as I slipped the ring on. I knew Rarity and I had the same ring size and when I saw it slip onto my finger and sit securely but not too snug, I felt a tear slip free. Taking the ring from my finger, I handed it back to the clerk, though reluctantly. “How much is it?” I asked, almost fearing the answer. The clerk consulted a list on the display door before responding. “It’s actually on special,” she said. “It was custom ordered a while back and never claimed. It has a balance owed of $695.” I blinked. I knew a little about jewelry from my time dating Rarity, and that was nearly half the cost I thought it would be. I pulled my phone out and checked my balance, wincing when I saw how close it would be, since I still had pending bills. Sunset patted me on the shoulder. “Go ahead,” she said. “Twilight and I are well enough off since my first novel sold that we can cover you.” “Oh,” I said. “But you have the baby to look after, and you’re starting to look at houses, I couldn’t…” The taller woman turned me to face her, a look on her face that was both smiling and serious at once. “First, Middy is a year old,” she said. “And remarkably well behaved, at that. Secondly, we’re only looking at houses because very soon that two bedroom condo is going to be a little crowded, but we can make do with it for a while yet.” Her hand drifted across her abdomen as she spoke. “Still,” I hedged. “I wouldn’t feel right.” “Fluttershy,” she began. “The way you looked at it lets me know it means something to you. Now, since it’s not your style, that means you intend it to be for Rarity. And since you’ve been preoccupied lately, I can only guess what’s been bothering you.” I looked at her. “You sounded like Twilight just now,” I teased. “I know,” she sighed. “I’ve noticed lately how similar we are. And no changing the subject.” I ducked my head again, an old habit coming back for a moment. “I’m sorry,” I squeaked. “But I wouldn’t feel right having you pay my bills for me.” “Actually,” the clerk spoke up. “If it helps, we do have a payment plan.” Two months later, the summer sun beaming down into the apartment Rarity and I had moved into flashed on the glass coffee table she set the tea tray onto. “Fluttershy, darling,” she said, sitting on the couch next to me. “You seem a little tense. is everything alright?” I nodded. “I just didn’t get a good night’s sleep last night,” I said. “Some of the puppies Glory had have a touch of a cold and a hawk was brought in that had been hit by a car. I was up late.” I didn’t mention that I had laid in bed running over a hundred different ways to present the ring to her that was nestled in my purse. “Well, that certainly explains it,” she said, pouring us each a cup of tea. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to rest before we go out? I can call the restaurant and have them move our reservation back. It’s your birthday, after all.” “No, I'm fine,’ I said, waving my hands. “Besides, I know how hard it is to get a private table at places like Mavericks.” “Pish-posh, dear heart,” she said. “I wouldn’t forgive myself if you were to fall asleep halfway through your birthday dinner.” I took her hands in mine, snuggling into her side. “I’m fine, Rarity,” I whispered into her ear. “So stop worrying.” I rested my head on her shoulder, reaching across her waist and sighing happily. “Is my little care-bear having a good birthday?” Rarity asked in a teasing voice, pulling a giggle from me. “There is one thing I want that I haven’t gotten yet,” I said, sitting up. “Would you like to see what it is?” “Of course,” she said, adjusting her skirt. I pulled my purse up into my lap, pulling out the mirror that I used to have in my locker and handed it to her. “I’m not entirely sure what this means,” she said as she looked into the mirror, giving her hair a quick primp like I knew she would. “You already have me, you know…” her voice cut off when she lowered the mirror and saw the opened ring box I was holding behind it. “I want you more than that, Rarity,” I said, voice starting to tremble slightly. “I want to see you when I open my eyes in the morning and I want to feel you next to me as I fall asleep. Every day from now on.” “Fluttershy,” Rarity whispered. I plowed on, nerves controlling my actions now. “I saw this when I went shopping a couple months ago and I couldn’t help but think of you when I looked at it,” I grinned sheepishly. “I’ve been trying to think of the best way to ask you and when I saw that ring, I just knew, that was the one.” I took the ring out of the box and held it out to her, her hand sliding out automatically, her face still encompassed by shock. “Rarity Belle,” I whispered, voice threatening to flee from me. “Will you marry me?” The ring slid onto her finger, and it may have been a trick of the light, but I swear it started to glow and sparkle under its own power. She reached up with both of her hands and cupped my face in them, her azure eyes gazing deep into mine. “Yes," she whispered, leaning forward and kissing me. That was probably the second best night of my life.
Have to say...“The second best day?” Rarity said, looking at Fluttershy. “What was the best day?” The meek girl smiled, still stroking her daughter's hair while she answered. “It’s a tie,” she said, smiling. “Between?” Twilight asked, leaning forward. “Between that night on the cruise when Rarity said yes,” she said. “And when I had this little angel.” Melody was asleep, head in her mother’s lap. My daughter, on the other hand, was currently hanging from a tree branch. Which is perfectly fine, all things considered. My wife also hanging from a tree branch, however, is a little embarrassing if you didn’t know her like we did. I sighed and looked at them. “If either of you fall and break your arm,” I said, pulling on my old grump to set the tone. “I am not going to sing it better.” Rhapsody dropped promptly out of the tree, brushing her hands on the front of her coveralls. Pinkie, however, crossed her arm, clinging to the branch with only her legs. “Don’t be such a downer, Ari,” she said while I just blinked at the fact that she seemed to be defying gravity…again. “So, two groups left, it seems,” Sunset said. “Three, technically,” Sonata said. “Well, yes,” Sunset said. “But you haven’t married him yet… “If you want to get technical, all we’ve been doing is telling proposal stories,” Adagio said. “I believe Melody had asked about the weddings.” “Ah, but we were all there for the weddings,” Rarity said, crossing her legs and setting her hands in her lap. “I believe I made the gowns for all of you, as I recall.” Twilight laughed. “All right, settle down,” she reached out for the bottle and set it spinning again. It took three tries before it pointed at myself. “I hate to break it to you all,” I said, picking leaves and bark out of Rhapsody’s hair. “But it’s not anywhere near as romantic as the last two.” “OOH!” Pinkie exclaimed, popping up from under the table. “Does that mean I get to tell it?” I glanced at my wife, far too used to her lack of respect for physics to react. “No,” I said with a smile. “I got it, Pinks.” “Though I have to say, it wasn’t anything like I imagined…” “
Rock of a Hard Place“You have GOT to be KIDDING ME!” Limestone shouted. Marble ducked a little further behind the cooking magazine while I counted to ten internally. “I doubt it’s that much of a stretch, Limestone,” I said. “You stay out of this,” she said, pointing a finger at me. “This is between Marble and I.” I rolled my eyes and held up my hands. Limestone and I had come to respect each other, but that was about it. Outside of a mutual agreement to make sure Pinkie was happy, we really didn’t see eye-to-eye on much. “When were you going to tell me about you and Macintosh, huh?” she said, reaching out and pushing down on the magazine, revealing her baby sister’s face. Marble looked up at her, an eyebrow quirking. “He asked me yesterday, and you were already out at the quarry when I got up today,” she said, her voice soft. She closed the magazine and met her sisters gaze without flinching. She was an interesting mix, as the Pie sisters went. Maud was taciturn and straight forward, Pinkie was…well, Pinkie. Limestone reminded myself of a less happy me, and Marble was a mix of Fluttershy and Applejack. Limestone seemed to freeze for a moment, not prepared for the answer. “You should have come told me when you got home last night then! I don’t care that I was in bed!” “That’ll be a first,” I grumbled under my breath. “And you!” she growled, spinning on me. “You shouldn’t be here right now. Pinkie isn’t here.” “I’m aware of that,” I said, mentally counting to ten again. “That’s why I’m here, and the two of you are the reasons.” Limestone blinked, confused. “Come again?” I leaned back in my chair. “Maud is keeping Pinkie busy with a scavenger hunt that we set up yesterday so I can get a few minutes to talk to the two of you,” I leaned forward and winked at Marble. She already knew part of what I was doing here. She smiled softly back, picking her magazine back up but not opening it. “What do you want?” Limestone said, her grump starting to flow back to the fore. “Well, since you are the eldest Pie on the property at the moment, I wanted to ask if you have any problem with me proposing to Pinkie.” I thought for a moment I saw steam come from her ears. “What?” I glanced at my watch. “I intend to propose to Pinkie when she gets to the final spot of the scavenger hunt,” I said. “Which she should reach in about an hour or so if Maud keeps her at pace. And I thought, out of respect, I would let you know what I intended to do.” Limestone’s face turned red. “You can’t just tell me what you’re going to do with my sister!” she shouted, making Marble flinch. “You haven’t even been dating that long! And I don’t like you.” I sensed rather than heard the hesitation in that last statement. “Regardless, it’s not up to you,” I said. “Also, we’ve been dating for almost three years, and so far the only person that’s offered opposition to this is you.” “I’m sure Mom and Pop will have something…” “They asked if I wanted to use the Choosing Stone,” I said, cutting her off before she got started. She stared, then glanced at Marble. “Mm-hm.” she grunted, opening her magazine back up and flipping through it. “You see, Limestone,” I said. “I know you don’t like me, and I don’t think it’s because I’m dating your sister, or that you’re so absorbed in running the family business that you have to be a hard nose all the time.” I played my trump card. “I think you’re lonely and afraid of being left alone.” “You don’t know a thing about me,” she growled, spinning to look away. “I’ve been around a bit longer than you,” I said. “But here’s the thing. Pinkie’s your sister, and just out of her nature she’ll never leave you. Neither will Maud, or Marble. They’re just trying to be happy.” “Get out,” came a snarl from the eldest Pie sister before she stormed off. I glanced at Marble, who shrugged. She glanced at her watch. “You’d better hurry,” she said, standing and heading after her sister. Sighing, I left the Pie house, waving at Igneous and Cloudy Quartz as I passed them on the porch. It was a fair hike to town, but I managed to make it to the stage where the Battle of the Bands had taken place with time to spare. I kicked at the weathered molding of the stage, knocking some debris and leftover ice off. I had barely gotten my bearings when I heard a humming voice I knew like I knew my own. Pinkie came skipping around the corner, Maud in tow. She was looking at a piece of paper that she tucked back into her poofy hair when done. “I wonder what the next clue will be!” she said, animatedly. But let’s face it, everything she does is animated. It’s just her in every sense of the word. “Will it send us to the Everfree Forest? Baltimare? The Neighagra Falls?” She pulled a pith helmet out from nowhere and put it on. “OOOH! The jungle to find the lost Temple of Ahuizotl?” I rolled my eyes at that one. Maud spoke up in her no-nonsense voice. “Let’s concentrate on this clue first,” she said. Pith Helmet gone, Pinkie pulled the note out and re-read the clue out loud. “Here we finished and will start anew, where you discovered your friendship was true. A bright red gemstone to lead the way, bright as the sunlight from the start of day. Where once there were three, now there is one, and there she will be till the show is done.” She scratched her head, thinking. “It’s got to be the stage here, but this one is longer than the rest.” She started to climb the stage and saw me standing just behind the wing curtains. “HI Ari!’ she exclaimed, bouncing over to give me a hug and peck on the cheek. “Are you going to help with the scavenger hunt too? “Actually, Pinkie,” I said, smiling. “I set it up. You’re at the final location.” She grinned. “So what's the big surprise?” she asked, looking around. “Another party cannon? A big screen tv?” she gasped. “An all expenses paid trip to the Smokey Mountains resort for two?” I blinked for a second. How did she…never mind, it was Pinkie. “Maybe something else,” I said, pulling a ring from my pocket. While it wasn’t worth much as far as materials, it was invaluable to me. “I wanna know, Pinks, will you marry and old grump like me?” Pinkie took the ring, her grin threatening to split her face. Even Maud smiled. Well, on the inside. I was started to get good at reading the youngest three Pie sisters. “Oh, Ari, of course, I will!” Pinkie said. “What’s with the stone?” Her eyes went wide. “I didn’t crack it, did I?” I patted her shoulder, smiling. “No, you didn’t, Pinkie. I gave it to you with a crack in it.” At her confused look, I reached out and set my finger on the rubicund stone. It glowed softly for a second. “It’s made from the shards of my old Song.” Pinkie stared at me. “Ari,” she whispered. “Just after the Battle of the Bands, we snuck back here and collected as many shards as we could find,” I explained. “We could sense the power in them fading, and they still responded to our presence, but we couldn’t use them anymore, and as gemstones, they were essentially worthless. “I don’t know what Adagio or Sonata did with their fragments, but I always kept mine, even after we regained our Song,” I lightly touched the blue stone hanging around my neck. “It’s like I was waiting for a purpose.” “It may not be fancy like what Cadence got, or a family heirloom like Twilights,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “But it is priceless to me, and I wanted to give it to the other precious stone in my life.” Pinkie looked at me, tears leaking down a cheek. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” she whispered. “Yeah, well,” I said, stuffing my hands in my coat pockets. “Don’t let it get around, you hear?” “What did Marble and Limestone have to say?” Maud broke in as Pinkie busied herself taking selfies with the ring. “Marble was fine with it, as we expected,” I said. “And Limestone was also what we expected.” “Of course," she said. “She’s the big sister. She want’s to protect us.” “Yeah,” I said, thinking. “Thanks again for the help, Maud. I really do appreciate it.” The laconic woman nodded and turned, heading slowly back towards her families house. There was a pounding on the door to our apartment the next evening. Adagio wasn’t home yet and Pinkie and Sonata were out pricing a catering request, and they all had keys, so I couldn’t possibly think of who it was. I opened the door to find Limestone Pie standing there, hands in the pockets of her coat and a reluctant look on her face. “What do you want?” I said simply. She thrust out a hand, a string with small crystals on it in her grasp. “Just take it,” she grumbled. I took the proffered item and stared at it. “What is it?” I asked. “It’s rock candy,” she sniffed. “Don’t you know anything?” I rolled my eyes. “I know it’s rock candy,” I counted to ten again. “Why are you giving me a string of it?” She shifted on her feet. “I got to thinking,” she said. “I may not exactly like you, but Pinkie does. And she is my sister and should be happy.” She stumbled a bit, and I saw Marble standing behind her, a smirk on her face. “And, well, just don’t make her cry, you got it?” She stormed off, Marble smiling at me. “Did you set that up?” I asked the shy girl. “Mmm-Hmm!” I smiled. “Thanks.”
Never Saw it Coming...“I don’t get it,” Sonata said. “A rock candy necklace?” Pinkie grinned, hugging into Aria with a sigh of contentment, Rhapsody trying her best to get between the two. My niece loved hugs as much as Sonata and Pinkie did. AJ spoke up. “As Ah recall,” she said with a drawl, balancing Windvane on her knee. “The Pie sisters all gave them to each other as gifts among sisters, signifying that they’d be best friends no matter what.” She sighed. “She made us help taste a bunch'a batches when Maud came home after her first semester away getting her ‘rocktorate’ degree. Mah stomach was upset for a few days, she made us taste so many kinds.” “And for Limey to have given Ari one,” Pinkie said, rubbing noses with her daughter. “Meant that she wanted to try to make her feel welcome. Limey’s not good with her feelings.” “No kidding,” I muttered, remembering the wedding. Sandalwood nudged me. “Our turn, sweetie.” I rolled my eyes. “When this big lug proposed, I could have been knocked over with a feather.” I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Which he almost did, as a matter of fact.” I smiled when the blush crept up his face. “I know him pretty well, but I never saw what he had planned at all…”
Rebuilding“So what’s this big idea you have planned, anyway?” I asked. Sandalwood glanced at me from the corner of his eyes while the corners of his mouth quirked upwards. “You'll see,” he breathed. “Don’t be so impatient. In time, good things come to those who wait.” I rolled my eyes at that. While he had grown into a more well-rounded sort after CHS, he still held a few of the ideas that Aria had teased him about. More often than not, he would slide back into the almost stoner-like talk pattern. I didn’t mind, actually. We had been driving for nearly an hour now, and I hated sitting still that long. Especially after the fight with Acerak or the following war in Equestria, sitting around became a chore. Between working as a shift manager at the restaurant and tidying up at home, placid was not a word anyone associated with me anymore. Turning off onto a small side road, he looked at me and smiled. “Now, bear with me a bit,” he said. “Initially, this is not going to be as glorious as it seems.” I looked at him quizzically as we pulled up to a clearing, a dilapidated building standing in the center. Sandalwood parked the car where I could see that the glittering waters of the Bay of Bitscaine slightly below us through a tangled and woody path. “There it is, sweetie,” he said, waving at the house. I looked at the house and its battered exterior. A shutter hanging onto the side of a window chose that moment to fall off and get stuck in the planks of the half-rotted deck. “Right,” I drawled out. “Ok, I admit, it’s going to be a bit of a fixer-upper,” The shutter fell the rest of the way through the porch. “Ok, it’s got a lot of work that needs to be done, but it’s basically perfect.” I looked at him, fists posted on my hips. “What in the name of Triton are you talking about?” I asked gently. He grinned. “I’m going to fix this place up and turn it into a bed and breakfast,” he said, turning to look at the Bay. “It’s got a great view, an excellent location, and while the outside may not look so great, the foundation is solid and most of the actual interior is still intact.” He turned his head towards me. “And when it’s done, I want you to help me run it.” “Sand,” I said, a small smile fighting to climb onto my face. “What do you know about running a B&B?” “Not a thing,” he said. “I know hospitality and I know how to cook and fix things, but we both know you’re better at the business aspect of things. Which is why I thought I’d use my charms to coax you into helping.” He waggled his eyebrows. I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it, he always looked like a dork when he did that and he knew it. “All right,” I said. “You get this place looking respectable, and I’ll make sure you don’t run it into the ground.” I looked at the two-story structure again. “Out of curiosity, where are you going to get the money for all this?” He pulled a folded letter out of his back pocket. “Government grant,” he said, handing the letter over to me. “It’s going to be a bit tight, but I know how to get the materials we need without paying more than they’re worth. And with me and possibly our friends helping when they can, it saves paying for contractors with the exception of electrical, HVAC, and other specialized installations.” I skimmed the letter, seeing a perforation at the bottom that had once held what I assumed was a check or some sort of voucher. I was silently impressed. He had this all planned out. “So,” I said, returning the document to his tanned hand. “Where do we start?” It took a while. Close to a year, all told, between ripping up all the old boards and replacing what bracing that needed it and rebuilding the house from the ground up, running plumbing and redoing the rooms so that there were more available. The downstairs stayed mostly open, a lobby and kitchen with a single bedroom that I assumed was to be ours as it held an attached bathroom. We waited until the few contractors had run the wiring and ducting before we started paneling the place. I’m not sure where he had found it all, but almost every bit of wood used in the house was bamboo. Even now, his eco-friendly thinking showed up, but it was cheaper to purchase and more resilient than some of the other choices. And if it ever needed replacement, it was a highly renewable resource. I was a little impressed, actually. We sat on the porch on the last day, pleasantly tired. We had spent the day clearing away all the brush on the path down to the beach and setting paving stones to provide a nice comfortable trek. Behind the house, the brush was burning in a bonfire in a pit he had dug that morning. The next day the state inspectors would be coming to give the place a look and tell us if we had to fix anything. “I have to admit,” I said, tucked into his side on one of the built-in benches on the veranda. “I’m actually looking forward to this.” “Good, cause there is one more thing we have to do today.” “What’s that?” I asked, not wanting to look away from the way the sun danced on the waters of the bay. Part of me wanted to go down and frolic in the water, to call my sisters up and have a race like we had when we were all younger. “You have to take this and agree to what it means,” he said, pulling a large box out from under the bench. I gave him a quizzical look but took the plain brown box. I opened it and found another box nestled inside, somewhat smaller. I opened that one to find another. I turned my gaze upon him. “I swear, if this turns out to be a gift certificate like you did on Christmas, I’m going to throw you into the Bay,” I warned. “It’ll be worth it,” he said, smiling and holding his hands up in a defensive motion. “Trust me.” Three more boxes were revealed, the last about the size of a thick DVD case. I gave Sandalwood another glance, one with a touch of glare in it. He merely motioned to the box. I sighed and proceeded to open this one. There was another box inside, but instead of cardboard, this one was made of wood and wrapped in velvet. My mind not quite catching up, I opened it to find a small silver ring inside, a simple round gemstone sparkling in the center. I gaped for a moment when I realized that Sandalwood had knelt on the floor in front of me while I had been preoccupied with opening the boxes. “So,” he said, that goofy grin on his face still. “What do you say?” “You’re a dork,” I said, taking the ring out and testing the fit. It was a little loose, but it was secure on my finger. “Besides that,” he deadpanned. “I think I’ll say yes,” I said, smiling. “If you ask the right way, that is.” “Adagio Dazzle,” he began. “Yes,” I said, leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. He grinned and slid back up onto the bench next to me. “So how long have you had this planned?” I asked. “From the day we started working on the house,” he said. “I figured that if you stuck by me in that, you’d be able to put up with me for a few decades at least.” I rolled my eyes. I twisted on the bench, coming up and sliding over into his lap, arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. After we broke away, I laid my head on his shoulder. “You are such a dork,” I whispered into his ear as the sun slipped away, plunging the area into night.
FamilyMiddy gave Rory a nudge with her elbow, jolting her younger sister into full wakefulness. “You realize it’s Mother’s turn, yeah?” she whispered. I caught that. “Oh, no, little filly,” I said, brushing a lock of red hair behind an ear and turning off the recorder. “Everyone here -including the two of you - knows how your mom and I got together.” “But it’s so cool to hear,” Aurora said, her pixie-like face earnest. “It’s like a fairy tale.” “She has a point,” Twilight said, cleaning the lenses of her glasses. “It was fairly magical, in more ways than one.” Traitor, I thought through the bond. She stuck her tongue out at me. “Look, y’all have heard that story before, and we’re like to hear it again before we know it should you get a younger brother or sister someday,” AJ said. She had at some point retrieved her hat from her wife, Windvane asleep and leaning back against her. Bushel and Rhapsody were racing across the playground, the competitive nature of the two driving them to see who could cross the monkey bars faster. Sonata tucked her phone away in her back pocket. “Well, that bites,” she said. “What’s up?” Aria asked. “Note can’t make it over,” she said, flopping into her seat. “Rehearsal is running long because Sapphire Shores keeps changing things. He says that the conductor is close to ripping his hair out.” I reached over and patted her hand. “It’ll be ok, Nata,” I said. “It’s not like this will be the only picnic we’ll have. “I know,” she said. “But I wanted to include him on this, and tell how we got together.” “You still can, you know,” Adagio purred. “Yeah, but it’s not as cool as you guys,” she said, twiddling her fingers. “He asked me when we went out to dinner on our anniversary. No great fanfare or anything.” “Noteworthy is a fairly straightforward fellow,” Rarity said as Melody started to stir. “It’s very likely a stretch of his nature to have done anything more exotic.” “True,” Sonata mumbled. “And he is writing a short suite that the orchestra has agreed to play dedicated to you,” Twilight said. “Vinyl said that Octavia has been practicing it all week when we ran into them yesterday.” She brightened up. “Yeah,” she said, giggling. “He’s pretty awesome like that, when you think about it.” I checked the time and sighed. “Well, ladies and gents, I hate to cut this short but I do have a call with my agent to make and I need my notes in front of me at the time.” I glanced at Twilight. “Think you can wrangle the kids?” Twilight smiled. “We’ll see you at home,” she said with a smile. I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before heading over to my bike. I ran my hand along one of the rays of the sun painted on the fuel tank of the lovingly restored bike parked next to our minivan. It wasn’t quite a replica of my cutie mark so much that it was a mingling of my sun, Twilight’s star, and a vague representation of the hillside where the first time I kissed her had occurred. I straddled the bike and hit the electric start I had installed a few weeks ago and pulled my helmet on, waving to my family as I headed home. I smiled as the wind whipped my ponytail around, the long leather binding keeping it from being loose enough to blow forward and obscure my sight. Pulling into the driveway of the two-story rancher that I called home, I saw a familiar face sitting on the porch. “Well, this is a surprise,” I said, hugging Princess Twilight while juggling my keys and helmet. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She looked at me with the face that I had learned through the years married to her counterpart of barely contained excitement and nerves. She handed out a folded card, extremely elegant script flowing across it. “You all are invited to my wedding!” she beamed. I caught sight of the ring on her finger as she withdrew her hand. “Well,” I said. “that’s a bit of welcome news!” I said, hugging her again. I opened the door and led us inside. “But you didn’t just come through the portal to my house just to drop off a wedding invitation when Spike could have sent it.” She giggled. “I wanted to ask you something face to face,” she said, the nerves flaring up again. I stood there, silent, knowing she would continue when she had composed her thoughts. “Would you be my maretron of honor?” she whispered. I smiled, suddenly elated. “Of course, I will,” I said. “But why me, if you don’t mind my asking?” “You’re one of my best friends, a fellow princess, and you’re married, so I can’t call you my mare of honor, now can I?” she joked. “Rarity agreed to by my mare of honor and to help plan the wedding with Fluttershy, who has Dash standing as her maretron.” I nodded. “It would be an honor, Twilight,” I said. “Can you stay for dinner? I have some business to take care of in a few minutes but I know Middy and Rory would love to see their Aunt Sparky.” She smiled. “I’ve got nothing but time, today, she said, sitting on the couch. “I just have to send a note back to the castle so Fluttershy doesn’t worry.” I gestured at the shelves along the wall that held copies of my novels, Twilight’s research volumes, and the communication books. “Help yourself,” I said, gathering my notes for my call. “When you’re done, help yourself to the kitchen, I’ll just be a few minutes. You’re family, after all.” I loved my family. It was an odd family, but it was mine. Who would have thought I’d have something like this back at the Fall Formal?
And I knew...“Ah didn’t hit ya that hard,” Applejack complained. “AJ, you hit like a truck!” Rainbow said. “You don’t remember that you’re stronger than normal now.” The farmer grinned abashedly. “Ah kept forgettin’ back then, Ah suppose.” Pinkie started bouncing in her chair, Aria no longer trying to contain her. “Who’s next, who’s next?” she cried as she grabbed the bottle and gave it a spin. As it spun round, it pointed straight at Sunset, who reached out and gave it another spin as she giggled. “Oh, my,” I said as the bottle pointed straight at me. “Your turn, ‘Shy,” Twilight said. “So who proposed, you or Rarity?” “If you desire, dearheart,” Rarity said. “I could tell the tale.” “No, I’m fine,” I said, shifting in my chair as Melody slid into my lap, the girl getting a little sleepy after eating. She was like Rarity in that manner. I started stroking her hair and smiled down at her. “You all know how we all got together, most of us on the cruise our senior year,” I said. I glanced at Pinkie and Aria. “Some later, some a lot later.” I smiled at Adagio. “It hasn’t always been easy,” I said. “I had a lot to overcome, as you all know now.” I had admitted to most of them about the abuse and taunting when I was young, and how difficult it was to open up to anyone, including my friends. “But, eight years ago, something happened,” I said. “And I came across the most gorgeous ring.” I smiled at Rarity, the classy woman still wearing the ring in question. “And I knew just the girl to give it to…” Author's Note This is how the stories going to be, a setup, then the actual chapter. The setups are going to be short and from the POV of who's about to tell the story.
