Cracking A Herd

The pitter-patter of chilly rain against the window along with the first flowers outside beginning to bloom signified the end of winter and the reemergence of spring. Despite the annoyance that her morning fly around the kingdom would have to wait Gilda actually enjoyed sitting by the window and watching the rain as it poured down. The overcast sky kept the morning sun from hitting her in the eye as she woke up, and the window that was cracked for air finally considered warm enough to justify doing so was lucky enough to not be in the direction of the wind, thus no raindrops flew in. She took a slow breath to take in both the fresh smell of rain as well as the steaming cup of coffee in her talons.

“Mmmph, do I smell coffee?”

Lost Way’s groggy voice came from behind Gilda. She chuckled as she looked behind her shoulder to see the Zebra with his usual mohawk all lopsided and his pink eyes drowsy and glazed over. He was always a walking zombie in the mornings, even like today on one of his days off when he was permitted to sleep in.

“I just made it,” Gilda said. “Should still be hot.”

“Thank Celestia,” Lost Way muttered softly, more to himself. He shuffled over to the fridge to get himself his usual milk and creamers as Gilda’s attention turned back to the outdoors. As soon as Lost Way finished making his cup he went right up to Gilda and sleepily leaned against her.

“Watcha looking at?” Lost Way asked before letting out a big yawn.

“Nothing,” Gilda said. “I just like the fresh air. If it wasn’t raining I’d be drinking outside.”

“Can’t you like, fly up above the rain?” Lost Way asked.

“Well yeah, but then I couldn’t see the rain,” Gilda said.

“You’re confusing,” Lost Way mumbled before giving a slow sip to his drink. Gilda chuckled at her sleepy partner as she looked over her shoulder.

“Crash still out?”

“Out enough to where I had to crawl out from under him,” Lost Way said. “I had a dream I was suffocating over a massive rock… turns out it was just Crash laying on me.”

“Oof,” Gilda said with another laugh. She had grown to know all too well Crash’s heavy sleep problems. Unless one was willing to shout and shake him it was very difficult to get him to budge the tiniest inch when he was truly out.

Lost Way leaned up against Gilda sleepily and put most of his weight on her. Gilda didn’t mind, and actually thought it was kind of cute. As the breeze picked up and the sound of it whipping against the house could be heard she enjoyed this rare moment of peacefulness simply staring out the front of the house.

Living here the past few months had really been one of the best experiences of her life. This place felt like more of a home than most homes Gilda had known. She had never really thought about settling down in one place this heavily, but the longer she spent here with the boys the less she wanted to ever leave. Her room felt like hers, and not just someplace she was borrowing. She had always considered herself sort of a drifter, but it had been quite some time since she had even considered drifting away from Canterlot. As annoying as the stuck-up snobby elites closer to the castle were, there were enough good creatures around to balance it out.

“Mmmm nother cup” Lost Way mumbled softly. Gilda glanced down to see he had somehow managed to drink his entire mug's worth while she was distracted. He pulled off of her and began to shuffle his way back to the coffee. Gilda chuckled before turning back to the window.

She watched the rain for some time as it splashed into puddles. It got to the point that the first time she actually saw another creature outside, two ponies, it surprised her. One large mare, and a smaller stallion. They were out in the middle of the street without so much as an umbrella to protect them from the chilly winds. They were huddled together walking side by side.

“Did you forget the weather report, dummies?” Gilda asked aloud

Expecting the two ponies to keep trotting past her home she was surprised when they actually turned toward it. Not only that, but they began to actually walk right up the cobblestone path that led right up to the door.

Gilda froze. They didn’t seem to see her. They were getting closer to the door.

“Ugh, stupid salesponies,” Gilda grumbled to herself before rolling her eyes. She pushed herself up off the window.

“What was that?” Lost Way asked as he lazily poured more milk into his fresh mug of coffee.

“Nothing, I’ll handle it,” Gilda said. She went over to the door, and just in time because right as she moved she heard the knock of a hoof on the other side. Gilda took in a breath and prepared to let the two ponies have a piece of her mind if they refused to go away with a simple “no”

“Hello?” Gilda asked as she pulled the door open.

The mare and stallion stood side by side looking soaked. The mare was nearly twice the height of the stallion next to her, and had a wing draped over his back to do her best to protect him from the downpour. The stallion wasn’t small, but standing between a gryphon and an abnormally large mare made it seem that way. He had thick rimmed square glasses and a blonde mane that was beginning to recede on the top.

“Oh, um, is this the right…?” The mare said with a bit of hesitation in her tone.

“Look, we really aren’t interested in anything you’re selling,” Gilda said. “I haven’t even finished my coffee, so can you beat it?”

Gilda thought the best way to deal with sales ponies was to be firm with them and deny them outright. It usually kept them from coming back at least.

“I think there’s been a mistake,” The stallion said. “Does a pegasus named Crashing Thunder live here?”

“Crash?” Gilda asked.

“Winter?” Lost Way’s voice surprised Gilda from behind. He was far more alert than he had been moments ago. “Lightning?”

“Oh, Lost Way!”

The mare without any sort of warning charged forward right past Gilda into her home. She rushed up to Lost Way and embraced him in such a sudden hug that the poor zebra let out a sound like he was a squeaky toy on its last legs.

“It’s been so long!” The light blue mare cried out. She sounded emotional but in a happy sort of way. “Oh I missed you so much! Where’s Crash? Is he at work? Oh, I’m so sorry we dropped in without warning it’s just that…”

“Honey, slow down,” The stallion said with a chuckle. He too walked into the room, and it was only then that Gilda seemed to recognize just how familiar the mane and coat color of this earth pony was. He was far smaller than Crash, but he certainly had the pallette down.

“I missed you too, Winter Storm,” Lost Way said wearily as he was unclenched from the mare’s iron grip of a hug. “My back didn’t miss your hugs, though.”

“Hey, uh,” Gilda spoke up, suddenly feeling very invisible in this situation. “You two wouldn’t happen to be… Crash’s parents, would you?”

“Why yes!” The stallion said with a big grin. “I’m Lightening Strike and this is my wife, Winter Storm… er, who are you, ma’am?”

“Ma’am?” Gilda questioned. She couldn’t remember a time in her life where anybody called her that. “My name’s Gilda. I’m Lost and Crash’s… friend.”

Gilda suddenly felt a big twist in her belly. Guilt and fear and a little bit of embarrassment flooded her.

“Friend?” Winter asked. “Visiting this early?”

“She’s our other roommate,” Lost Way said. “And Crash is still asleep. It’s our day off.”

“I’ll go wake him,” Gilda said quickly, looking for a reason to get out of this situation before she said something stupid. “He’s usually up by now anyway.”

Before Gilda could see any of their reactions she moved forward quickly, and nearly stumbled her way to Crash’s room. She made sure to close the door behind her before standing there trying to catch her breath. Her face was hot. Why oh why did she have to try to tell those two to leave on instinct?

The sound of Crash’s snoring interrupted her train of thought. Gilda let out a long sigh before turning around to see Crash sprawled on the bed. The spot where Lost Way must have crawled out from under was still vacant.

“Crash?” Gilda said softly as she approached. She got onto the bed and shook him by the shoulder. “Crash, get up!”

“Mmm, Gilda?” Crash said groggily. He looked half dazed “Mmm five more… minutes…”

His eyes shut again, but he reached up to grab at her. For a moment Gilda let herself be pulled down before an alarm went off in her head and she pulled back suddenly with her heart racing.

“No, dammit, Crash, wake up!” Gilda hissed under her breath. “Your parents are here?”

“My wha?”

Gilda let out a groan, though quietly in fear she would be heard. She crawled up on the bed and got right next to Crash’s ear.

“Your freaking parents are here!”

Crash’s eyes snapped wide open.

“MY WHAT?” Crash cried out.

Never had Gilda seen Crash wake up so suddenly. He sat bolt upright in bed and threw the covers off of himself.

“Wh-What do you mean?” Crash asked.

“What else do I mean, dummy?” Gilda said. “Stop freaking shouting! They just showed up I dunno! You had no idea?”

“No,” Crash said before shaking his head. “Oh, gosh.. I haven’t… did you…?”

“Lost called me your guys’ roommate,” Gilda said. “Don’t worry, no big talks right now.”

“Okay, uh, crap… I-I should…”

Crash seemed a bit scattered. Gilda couldn’t really blame him, as it was a lot to suddenly process the second he woke up. She let out a sigh and for a moment settled her own nerves.

“Rocky relationship?”

“N-No,” Crash said as he gathered up a bunch of strewn about litter throughout the floor in a panicked state as he ran his hoof through his mane to try and straighten it. “They’re great, really. I just… I haven’t ever explained to them the whole herd thing. I didn’t think they’d just show up like this. I’m really sorry, Gilda.”

“Hey, Dork,” Gilda said as she scooted off the bed and went over to Crash. She placed her talons on his shoulders. “Go out and see your parents, okay? I’ll be fine. I swear it won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t wanna dump all this herd stuff on them right away.”

“That isn’t fair to you though…” Crash said. He lifted a hoof and put it over Gilda’s talon. “I want them to know you.”

“And I don’t want you to get a panic attack right when you wake up,” Gilda said. “Just do what comes naturally, okay?”

Crash took in a deep breath and slowly nodded his head in agreement. At the very least he seemed a lot less scattered and more focused. He looked focused for a moment before turning toward the door and heading out. The very first thing Gilda heard was an explosion of cries as the mother pony spotted her son and squealed with delight.

“Oh, Crashy, you’re here!”

Winter Storm was loud. As Gilda peaked out from the door she could see the large mother rush over to her child and embrace him. She was still a bit bigger than Crash, and it wasd a little funny seeing the already large pegasus be so easily nearly knocked off his hooves.

“Ow, ow, Mom!” Crash whined. “I missed you too! Ow! You’re squeezing!”

Lightening came up behind and put a hoof on his son’s shoulder before chuckling.

“What are you two even doing here?” Crash asked. “Your place is like half a day away by train.”

“Oh, your father and I were just so bored at the home,” Winter Storm said with a long-winded sigh. “With your father retiring we’ve been traveling so much, and I wish I could have sent you some warning but it was a really last-minute decision. I hope you weren’t busy today.”

“No, not busy,” Crash said as he looked over to Lost Way and then over his shoulder back at Gilda.

“Are the royal guards really paying you so badly you need another roommate?” Lightening asked with a bit of worry lingering on his tone.

“It’s not like that,” Lost Way said. “Gilda just needed a place to stay so we asked her to move in. We have plenty of space, you know. It’s not like we use the second bedroom that much anymore.”

“Your son is great!” Gilda said suddenly when she felt eyes fall on her. She felt herself blush a little, but it felt far more awkward to just stand there in silence. “He and Lost Way really are… They’re really good guys.”

“Glad to see you still know how to treat ladies right,” Winter said as she finally ungripped her iron forelegs from around Crash’s body. “Have you been eating well, Honey? You look thin.”

“He looks fine, Winter,” Lightening chuckled from behind her.

“I’m fine,” Crash echoed. “You two must have been traveling all night, though. Do you wanna sit or eat something?”

“Do I have to make food or are you two gonna pay for us some brunch?” Lost Way asked.

Gilda was a little taken aback by the casual tone Lost Way had with the two, almost like they were his own parents. Though they looked nothing alike Lost Way was such a far cry from Gilda’s own stiff worry. She felt like background decoration right now and was unsure how to behave which led her to keep herself clamped up. Meeting the parents was something she never had much experience with, and under these special circumstances, it was a bit stranger.

“Oh, what about that little place nearby?” Winter asked. “The one with the fancy hay strips. Are they still around?”

“I think so,” Crash said. “Do you really wanna go out, though? You must have been up awhile.”

“Oh, I’m fine I’m fine,” Winter Storm said. “I can sleep after I catch up with my sweet boy.”

“Mom,” Crash said with a little groan of annoyance.

“Are you coming, Gilda?”

Lost Way walked up to Gilda and gave her a slightly reassuring smile.

“I dunno,” Gilda said. “I don’t want to ruin any kinda get-together or anything.”

“Oh, psh,” Lightening said. “I wanna hear about the girl my boys have been living with!”

Boys. Plural. There was something so warm and welcoming about Lightening’s tone of voice. The way he spoke made it clear that Lost Way had been for years now accepted as a member of their family. Gilda was caught between feeling like she was stepping out of her place as well as a desire to push herself into the group.

“C’mon, Gilda,” Crash said as he pushed out away from his mom who looked ready to attack him with another hug, and moved up to the gryphon. “They’ll love you.”

“Jeez, if you’re all gonna beg me,” Gilda said. “Alright, alright.”

—---------------------------------------------

It was clear to Gilda pretty fast that Crash had inherited the body size of his mother, but none of the personality. Winter Storm was brash and chatty and excitable, and it was her husband who was far quieter and reserved like Crash. She asked question after question about every mundane detail of Crash’s life from his recent weeks at work down to what he had for dinner the night before. It was clear her affection for her only child was through the roof. Crash was clearly bashful about all the attention but in a sort of way that Gilda could tell he liked deep down.

In front of Gilda walked the three ponies in a line. Next to her was Lost Way who had intentionally slipped back to walk alongside Gilda.

“They’re kinda cheesy,” Lost Way said.

“I mean… yeah,” Gilda said with a little shrug. “I dunno. It’s kinda nice.”

“I don’t think Crash is gonna want to beat around the bush too much,” Lost Way said. “When we first told them me and him were dating she cried for an hour.”

“Damn, that upset about grandkids?” Gilda asked.

“Out of joy,” Lost Way said with a roll of his eyes.

“I know, I know,” Gilda chuckled. “That’s kinda a lot of pressure. I dunno if I’m that likeable to… That kind of chipperness.”

“You’ll do fine,” Lost Way said. “If Crash loves you, they’ll love you. They only care about him being happy, trust me.”

“Yeah?” Gilda asked. “So like, they didn’t care at all about him dating a guy?”

“Well,” Lost Way said. “They were surprised, yeah. We went up for Hearths Warming Eve last year and broke the news to them after we had enough time to figure out if we were gonna stick with this dating thing or not. Crash didn’t even realize he liked guys until me so I guess he was just oblivious enough to not really show any signs. After the shock, though, they were really excited he found somepony. They’ve always welcomed me as family but after that night they were really insistent on including me in literally everything that entire trip.”

“Hoo boy,” Gilda said as she looked back. “I dunno if I’m really good with the whole… family thing either.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Lost Way asked.

“You tryin’ to start something, short stuff?” Gilda asked with a slight glare.

Lost Way chuckled a little before shrugging, and Gilda couldn’t help but crack a smile despite her annoyance. She supposed by this point Lost Way saw well enough through her.

Gilda glanced up and saw that Crash was looking over his shoulder back at the two of them, but it was Gilda’s eyes who he kept meeting. His mom was rambling on and it was clear he wasn’t really able to fully listen to her due to his distraction. By the time they got to the restaurant Lost Way had to run up and grab him by one of his hooves to keep him from walking right by it.

“Woah, slow down, we’re here already!” Lost Way said.

“Oh, crap, sorry,” Crash said with a shake of his head. “Got kinda lost in the conversation I guess… Um, Lost? Could you…?”

Lost Way seemed to read Crash’s mind and gave a quick nod of his head.

“Sure thing,” Lost Way said. “Winter! Lightening! C’mon, let’s go grab a table!”

“Oh, wait, but what about Crashy?” Winter asked as Lost Way took her hoof and tried to pull her away.

“I forgot to ask Gilda about something. It’s uh… A little personal,” Crash said sheepishly. “You three go in, we’ll be right behind.”

A frown of confusion crossed Crash’s mothers face, but it was Lightening who stepped forward and took her hoof from Lost Way.

“Give the boy, space, Dear,” Lightening said.

The three went on ahead, and suddenly it was just Crash and Gilda standing in front of the building. Crash looked back before letting out a sigh and walking up to Gilda.

“What’s up?” Gilda asked.

“I think I wanna rip the bandaid off pretty quickly,” Crash said as he glanced over to the door as his parents and Lost Way went inside.

“You sure?” Gilda asked. “At a restaurant?”

“What, you think they’ll cause a scene?” Crash asked with a chuckle. “They’re not like that. I just wanted to make sure you were fine before I did anything.”

“They’re your folks, Crash,” Gilda said.

“Yeah, but you’re MY girlfriend,” Crash said as he reached his hoof down and grasped Gilda by her talons. She felt herself flush, but Crash wasn’t looking at her face as he spoke and instead down at what connected them. “I feel like if I put it off too long it’s acting like I’m ashamed of you or something, but I don’t wanna force you into something that might be a bit awkward. That’s why I wanna make it up to you, but I’m ready whenever… I think.”

“You’re real sweet, Crash,” Gilda said with a slight smirk. “I think I can handle it, though. Not really fair to make you do all the work.”

“Glad you said that,” Crash said with a little sigh of relief. “Okay, um… A-Are you ready for this?”

“Are YOU?” Gilda asked with a chuckle. “C’mon, Dork, don’t be all cute and romantic and then get cold hooves on me.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Crash said as he shook his head. “You’re right… Let’s go.”

—--------------------------------------

The restaurant was small, especially for Canterlot’s usual standards, but that was what Crash liked about it. As he made his way inside with Gilda next to him he tried his best to settle the knot in his belly. He couldn’t decide if it was better or worse for his parents to find out like this as opposed to a simple visit. When he had come out to them about both his sexuality and dating Lost Way he had obsessed for days beforehand about how they might react. He could hardly eat or drink at the time he was so nervous.

Even with the memory of that though them showing up like this did have its downsides. He had no time to plan what he would say about Gilda, stupidly not thinking about it until they were quite literally inside his home, and no plan for how to go about it. Still, it was either this or feel an unwavering guilt in his belly that he was doing something wrong by hiding what Gilda truly was. Even if Gilda said she felt okay with it he certainly didn’t. Why in Equestria had he spent so long trying to start a herd only to get nervous about being proud about it?

Luckily for them they were able to find his folks and Lost Way pretty easily. His parents greeted them again. They had managed to get a nice seat by the window where not too many ponies were nearby. They each slid onto their cushions around the table with Crash sitting right between Gilda and Lost Way. After they had all ordered their drinks the waiter left and casual conversation started up instantly.

“So tell me, Gilda,” Winter Storm asked. “How did you meet Crash and Lost?”

“Oh, uh,” Gilda looked a bit surprised that Winter had taken a sudden interest in her. “At the gym. I used to go pretty much every day and ran into them a lot.”

Crash smiled a little at the memory.

“You asked me to spot you on weights,” Crash said. “I remember. You came up to me and said all the other guys looked way too scrawny to help you.”

“Well, they were,” Gilda said. “It’s not my fault gryphons are stronger than ponies.”

“I remember,” Lost Way piped up. “All the other people in the gym stared cause they had never seen somepony lift that much. Actually I was a little worried if Crash was gonna be able to help you on his own if something went wrong…”

Gilda chuckled at that. For just a moment the nerves seemed to leave her eyes and it was just casual conversation between the three of them as they reminisced.

“So how did you end up as roommates?” Lightening asked.

“Well, uh… She was just looking for a place to stay since her old place was kind of bad,” Crash said.

“Oh please,” Gilda said with a roll of her eyes. “What’re you being so modest for, dork?”

“G-Gilda,” Crash said bashfully.

“What’s she talking about, Dear?” Winter asked.

“My last landlord was a total… er… jerk,” Gilda said, censoring herself last moment. “He refused to fix anything and wouldn’t stop hitting on me. Crash stood up for me and basically made the guy look like he was gonna wet himself. After he chewed him out he offered to let me live with him and…”

“My goodness,” Winter said.

“It’s true,” Lost Way said. “Crash was kind of cool. A little scary, but cool.”

“Guys…” Crash said sheepishly.

“We definitely raised you right,” Lightening said to Crash before reaching his hoof across the table and squeezing Crash’s. “You were never able to stand up to bullies when you were little, at least not until they started going after Lost Way. You were always a protector even when you were a foal.”

“I-It’s not a big deal,” Crash said. “I just did what anypony else would do. Gilda could have taken care of herself, I know that, I just got so mad when I heard how that guy talked to her. I probably shouldn’t have lost my cool.”

“Not a big deal?” Gilda asked. “Dude, nopony’s ever stood up like that for me.”

“I mean…” Crash tried to speak.

“Oh, come on,” Winter said with a chuckle. “Remember what I told you when you got in trouble for standing up to Lost Way all those years ago? I don’t care if you have to get rough as long as you’re protecting somepony you care about. This landlord sounded like a real… excuse my language, a Bastard!”

Gilda couldn’t help but snort a little. It was pretty funny to hear the older mare swear like that, Crash had to admit. Soon enough Lost Way chuckled as well, and it was Crash who was sitting there blushing and squirming with all the praise being put onto him. Gilda stopped laughing when she realized Crash was staring at her, and for a moment the two simply stared at one another. He gave a single nod of his head, and suddenly Gilda realized what was about to happen.

“Mom, Dad?” Crash asked. “Um… Can I get serious for a quick second?”

“What’s wrong?” Lightning asked.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Crash said with a shake of his head. “Just… Don’t freak out, okay?”

“Oh, Hon, you’re making me worry,” Winter said.

Crash let out a long-winded sigh before reaching over and grabbing Gilda by her talons. He squeezed her hand, and for a moment both of the parent's eyes fell down to there. Visible confusion appeared on their faces, and it looked like Winter Storm was about to open her mouth to say something right before Crash cut her off.

“Gilda isn’t just me and Lost Way’s roommate,” Crash said. “For the past few months, we’ve been… Seeing each other.”

There was a pause. A long one where the room seemed to grow quiet despite the bustling noise of the rest of the restaurant.

“But, you and Lost…” Winter said as she looked over to Lost Way. “I thought you two…”

“We are,” Lost Way said before taking Crash’s other hoof. “Crash is still my boyfriend, and I still love him a ton.”

“I don’t…” Lightening began.

“For as long as I can remember,” Crash interrupted his father, though it seemed to be more a rambling of words spilling out than intentionally cutting his old man off. “I never imagined myself with just one pony… or one creature, I guess. I’ve always wanted a big home full of creatures I love, and I don’t just mean kids.”

“It’s true,” Lost Way said. Though he wasn’t informed of the plan, he seemed to pick up rather quickly to insert himself into the conversation. “I’ve known for a long time, even before we started dating. Actually, I used to sort of assuming when Crash did settle down with a mare and start a herd of his own I’d have to move out… then, y’know, everything happened with him and me.”

“So… I’m sorry, I’m confused,” Winter Storm said with a shake of her head.

“That’s okay, Mom,” Crash said. He could feel himself get choked up a little, and he hated it. His eyes stung a little as he looked down. “You and Dad don’t need to get it. Just don’t get upset with Gilda or Lost Way, okay? This doesn’t mean I love Lost Way any less or that we’re having problems… In fact, we’ve never been better. Gilda being here makes me happier than I’ve ever been. I… I love them both for different reasons, but I love them both the same.”

“Crash…” Gilda said softly.

Crash realized he was on the verge of tears now. It came on suddenly, and his vision blurred before he sniffled slightly. He felt silly for getting so emotional so quickly. He found himself holding his breath in fear his emotions would get the best of him, and soon enough his lungs began to ache.

“Son,” Lightening said. He reached across the table once more and took his son by the hoof. “I’d never be mad at you for loving somepony else. I told you that when Lost Way and you started dating. I… I’m a little confused, I admit, but you’re an adult now and you’re old enough to know what you’re doing.”

“Oh, Honey,” Winter said. She suddenly looked like she herself was going to start bawling. She looked like she was about to get up from her seat and charge over to Crash to give him a hug, but it was Lightening’s hoof on her shoulder that kept her from rushing over and making a scene.

“Um… Crash is really great to me,” Gilda spoke up. She sounded more sheepish than Crash had ever heard her sound before. “Lost Way, too. I get that you don’t know me at all, especially compared to Lost Way… But I hope we can work on that? If you… accept me, I guess?”

Seeing Gilda so nervous was still new for Crash. Suddenly his parents' eyes were on her and then shifted back to Crash.

Winter let out a long sort of sigh that sounded filled to the brim with emotions. Gilda was starting to see more and more where Crash got his enormous heart from. She put on a tear-eyed smile before looking over to Gilda.

“I don’t fully get it,” Winter said. “But that’s okay… All I’ve ever cared about is that Crash is happy.”

“Mom…” Crash said. His voice was trembling with emotion now, and it looked like he too was going to start spilling tears.

“Oh!”

Without warning, Winter broke free of Lightening’s grasp and rushed over to the other side of the table. She embraced her son in a tight hug that was nearly a tackle strong enough to knock him over.

“I love you, so so much, Crashy,” Winter said. “I always knew you had so, so much love to give with that heart of yours. You’re the kindest stallion in the world and I don’t know how I was so lucky to have you.”

“Mom,” Crash whined. “You’re starting to embarrass me.”

“That’s what mothers do, silly,” Winter said.

“Your mom’s cool, Crash,” Gilda said with a chuckle.

“See!” Winter said. “Even your new girlfriend thinks so!”

Girlfriend. It was remarkable just how easily that rolled off her tongue without hesitation. Crash had always known his parents were accepting, but even with that in mind he had expected the revelation of him starting a herd would throw them for a bit more of a loop.

“Dear,” Lightening said. “Ponies are staring.”

“Oh, gosh, I’m sorry,” Winter said before backing off her son and quickly trotting back to her seat. As she sat down she wiped her eyes. Crash could feel a shaky breath exhale from his lungs as the last bits of his anxiety faded away.

“Okay, okay, let’s start over!” Winter said. “Gilda… Tell me everything about you, please!”

“Oh, um…” Gilda started.

“Sorry,” Crash mouthed the words to Gilda, who let out a long sigh in return before rolling her eyes.

“Dear,” Lightening said with a chuckle.

“Oh my gosh!” Winter gasped. “Does this mean you have two weddings?”

“Mom!” Crash snapped, a blush fully on his face now. “Slow down!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Winter said. “Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!”

—----------------------

Lost Way let out a long-winded sigh the moment he felt the fresh air hit his lungs. As much as he loved Winter Storm when she got excited it was like listening to a record on double speed. Even hours later after the knowledge of Gilda’s relationship she had still yet to stop talking and asking questions determined to know every little detail of Gilda’s life. It had lasted so long that the late breakfast they had burned through them and they needed to get started on dinner. Inside the kitchen, both Gilda and Winter cooked, and while Lost Way and Crash had tried their best to worm their way inside both women had practically kicked them out to do their job. As such Crash had gone to the living room to sit on the couch and wait while Lost Way had excused himself out the front door to catch his breath.

Though before he even had a chance to so much as gather his thoughts he heard the door creak behind him. He had expected to see Crash, though when she looked over his shoulder he instead saw the older stallion who was far closer to his size. Lightening stepped out of the door and shut it behind him.

“Trying to run away from all that?” Lightning asked.

“Course not,” Lost Way said with a chuckle. “Just needed some air.”

Lightening chuckled at that. He walked up beside Lost Way and sat himself down on the slight step in front of the door. The old man rubbed at his joints as he looked out into the streets. Lost Way slumped down beside him, and for a moment they just sat there.

“So, tell me,” Lightening said. “You’re happy too, right?”

“Huh?” Lost Way asked.

“I mean, with Gilda and all,” Lightning said. “Unless something’s changed aren’t you a stallion-only kind of guy?”

“Yeah, no, that’s the same,” Lost Way said with a chuckle before shaking his head.

“This might be a silly question,” Lightning said. “But… You wanted this too, right? You aren’t just trying to make Crash happy?”

“Trust me,” Lost Way said with a long-winded sigh. “I spent… a really, really long time thinking about that. Almost a year. When me and Crash started he told me he was fine just being the two of us forever if that’s what I wanted… He never pushed me or asked me about it after that.”

“That sounds like my boy,” Lightning said. “He never was selfish, even when it was something he wanted more than anything in the world.”

Lost Way chuckled and looked over his shoulder toward the window. He could see through it that Crash was trying to sneak his way closer to the kitchen to see what was being made, only for Gilda to fling some eggshells at him and snap at him loud enough to be heard through the door to sit back down or else he’d ruin the surprise. This was followed by him frantically apologizing and scurrying out of sight like a mouse when it saw a cat.

“Thanks for worrying about me, though,” Lost Way said. “I’m fine, really. The way Crash loves Gilda isn’t how he loves me. This might sound cheesy but even with her around he still makes me feel… I dunno, special?”

“Heh, that’s my boy,” Lightning said. “I always tried to set a good example for him growing up. I never wanted him to feel like love was a chore or somepony you married was just whoever you were stuck with. He used to roll his eyes when I and his mom kissed in front of him or I gave her little gifts for no reason… I used to tell him that I didn’t care how much trouble he got in if it meant standing up for ponies he loved. I actually told him that right after he stood up to those bullies for you.”

“Yeah?” Lost Way asked. “I remember… Actually, he cried the whole time after even though I was the one who got punched.”

“Heh, that sounds like my boy,” Lightning said. “Hearing that story about that landlord Gilda had, though… It reminded me just how proud I am of him. When I heard he was going to be a royal guard I knew it was perfect for him. He’s always been a protector.”

There was a bit of a pause as Lightning stared out into the street. The twilight sky was fading and most of the sunlight was gone as the nearby street lights flicked on one by one. They glowed with magic from the spell that put them on a timer for each and every night.

“So, do you think they’ll be more?” Lightning asked.

“More what?”

“Partners that Winter and I should prepare to meet?”

“Oh,” Lost Way said. He looked down at his hooves. “I’m not really sure. I think I want there to be. It isn’t something you can really force, though. I guess it’ll just depend if it happens naturally or not.”

“Well, I already told Crash this,” Lightning said. “But please don’t ever hesitate to let us meet them if it happens. I may not fully understand this herd thing but I know that I want to meet everypony my son loves. You too. You were practically family even before you and my son started dating, you know.”

“Heh, thanks,” Lost Way said a little sheepishly.

“You and Crash have always made a great team,” Lightning said. “I used to always tell Winter that no matter what you two faced you would come out on top because you had each other. I might not know her that well yet but I think Gilda might make you two even stronger.”

“Thanks, Lightning,” Lost Way said as he looked over to the older stallion with a smile. The words coming from him really did feel like the sort of talk that would come from a father, at least if Lost Way had to guess.

“Well, I better get in there,” Lightning said. “Before my son gets a rolling pin upside his head from trying to sneak a peek at dinner.”

Lost Way chuckled as Lightning stood up, but before he reached for the door Lost Way couldn’t help himself from speaking up one last time.

“Lightning?” Lost Way asked.

“Yes?”

“Just… Thanks for checking up on me,” Lost Way said. “I didn’t need it, really, but it was nice.”

“Just being a dad,” Lightning said.

After the stallion left and Lost Way was left alone the zebra took in a long breath. The air that just a week ago had been frosty was already bearable to sit outside without so much as a shiver. The change of seasons was in the air. As much as these past few months had been important to his relationships time continued to march forward. He reflected briefly on Lightning’s question about further creatures being added to their herd. He wondered briefly about if and who that creature might be.

Just as the seasons changed so would the three of them. Instead of feeling worry, Lost Way felt a strange sense of excitement. Even if they were never going to meet another creature to add to their herd the three of them would continue growing together.

Lost Way smiled as he turned and opened the door. As he stepped into the house it was right at the moment Gilda came from the kitchen into the living room with a spoon full of some sort of sauce.

“Since you’re such a starving baby here, does it need anything?” Gilda asked as she forced the spoon up to Crash’s lips.

“Mmm!” Crash said. “Oh, wow, that’s great… maybe salt, though?”

“On it!” Winter said from the kitchen.

Gilda looked over her shoulder to see Lost Way.

“Hey, dork!” Gilda said. “Dinner’s almost done.”

“Good to know,” Lost Way said. He moved forward with a smile and went right to the back of the couch to hug Crash from behind. He buried his face in his mane with a smile. He looked over to Gilda as she went back to the kitchen, and deep down he felt a sense of warmth within him.

“Hey, hon,” Crash said. “Something up?”

“No,” Lost Way said. “Everything’s perfect…”

“Oh, Gilda, I forgot to ask you one thing!” Winter said from the kitchen.

“Yeah?” Gilda asked. “Need something.”

“Oh, no, the food’s done,” Winter said with a giggle. “I was just wondering, have you ever thought about having kids?”

“MOM!” Crash shouted from the other room.

“What?” Winter asked as Gilda stood there stunned. It was a shock she didn’t drop the spoon in her hand. “You and Lost Way wouldn’t give me a straight answer the last time I saw you!”

“I… I uh…” Gilda paused. “I mean I guess I… haven’t thought about it?”

“Oh my gosh,” Lost Way whined as he pulled himself off of Crash. Even he was beginning to feel a tingle of embarrassment. It was bad enough when Winter asked them this but to ask Gilda?

“Your mother doesn’t mean to pressure you,” Lightning said. “It’s just we want to know if we should expect it or not!”

“Oh my gosh you’ve known her for one day PLEASE don’t ask her that!” Crash whined loudly as he got up from the couch and went over to Gilda.

“You always wanted to be a father, haven’t you, Crashy?” Winter asked. “When you were a kid you used to carry around that toy pony with the bottle and pretend to feed it…”

“MOM!”

“Wait a doll?” Gilda asked. “That’s… kind of cute.”

“I was four!” Crash whined.

“Wasn’t that doll still in your room when I started hanging out with you?” Lost Way asked. “Actually, isn’t that doll STILL in the attic?”

“Aww, you still have her!” Lightning said. “Heh, I knew you were lying when you told me you were too big to have that toy anymore.”

“Holy crap I need to see that,” Gilda said. “Is it like, in a box up there or something?”

“Crashy used to sleep with it all the time,” Winter said. “What was its name? Sherbert?”

“Cherry,” Lost Way said. “Isn’t that right, hon?”

“Can we… Can we go back to grandkids please?” Crash asked.