Ch XXVII

Makin' Our Way Back From Mars

I opened my eyes slowly, and let the early morning light fill them. By my side lay my beautiful fiancé, Fluttershy. She slept lightly, and I could feel her breath on my chest. It was truly the most wonderful thing, being engaged. The two of us shared a love and passion for each other that I could never have even dreamed of. While we burned for each other each day, we still believed it was best to save our virtue, for after we wed. On that note, our wedding was just a few weeks from now, and I am ecstatic. Each day we spend hours planning for each and every possible situation and variable, from one of us suffering from illness, to a full-fledged assault from my father. Nothing was left out, and it seemed like it will be the greatest day of my life… well, actually, I am worried about the honeymoon, as Fluttershy never threw out Whitewash’s gift, and with each passing day I feel like she was serious about wanting to use it. Not that it’s a bad thing, of course. It’s just the thought of my sweet, delicate Fluttershy bending me over with a whip scares me. Either way, I really can’t wait…

‘Oh! Hey, just reminding you… It’s hearts and hooves day today.’

‘No, you don’t say? I knew that. And again, stop talking to me.’

‘Hey. I am the only one around here that can string together proper sentences without shouting something homicidal, so you may as well give me credit for that.’

‘… Touché. Still, don’t bother me. I have things to do.’ The voice ceased its prattling then.

I slowly moved from the bed, being absolutely sure not to wake up my sleeping beauty, before moving downstairs. I moved groggily, as I was still a bit tired, but alas, it would be all but impossible for me to fall asleep now that I was up. I walked past my sister, who was sitting on the couch, and made my way to the kitchen. There, half awake I prepared the romantic breakfast I had planned for Fluttershy and myself. I then returned to the living room after setting everything up, and Scarlet Rain offered me some coffee, which I accepted graciously. I took the cup and sipped gently, before spitting it out, realizing that my sister was here.

“Putain de MERDE! What are you doing here? Please don’t try to kill me again, because I’m getting married in three weeks, and I would rather my fiancé not be put through such grief.” The sleek dark purple mare giggled at my plainly stated plea. I noticed she now bore a scar across her left cheek, likely a reminder of her treachery and torture.

“I’m not here for revenge, brother. I am here to check up on my favorite sibling!” If my brain was powered by a hamster on a wheel, the hamster just stopped running.

“What?” I asked, slightly irritated, but silently as to not awake my beloved above. “Just a few months ago you cast one of the three most dangerous curses in existence on me, and then you just expect me to forgive you? No! What you did was simply unforgivable! I watched as I murdered all of my loved ones, and you come here like we are best friends!” I was now using my normal volume of speech. She blinked a few times, shocked, and obviously hurt.

“Brother… I’m sorry you see it that way. I told you, Father ordered me to, and I had to obey. Believe me; I was having nightmares for weeks about what nightmares you could have had. Not to mention how terrible it was for me to have to deal with the possibility of you being dead. I really, truly love you brother.” I simmered down instantly. Something about my sister when she is like this just melts me like butter over an open flame.

“Very well, Scarlet. I will forgive your heinous deed. But so not expect this from me again. Cross me again and there will be no respite.” She just nodded happily, simply gay at my forgiveness.

“So… you’re settling down, huh?” She asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

“Yes. Why exactly does it matter to you?” She shrugged

“Oh, it’s just nice to see that my little Red Storm is all grown up. You know, I don’t even have any suitors… Maybe it’s the eyes…” she trailed off as she began gently poking herself in the eye. She didn’t even blink as she jammed her entire hoof into her eye socket. I stood there, slightly unnerved until she stood up, removing the hoof from her eye with a wet *POP* and saying:

“Well, anyway… I was just stopping by. I’m not going to ask what you dreamt, or how you survived. I just wanted to come by to see if you are ok. I’m going to leave now, but do reserve a seat for me at your wedding. I will be there.” Before she could reach the door, there was a knock on the door. We both looked at each other sideways, before my sister ducked behind the couch and I made my way to the door. I opened it, and there stood Miss Doo.

“Ditzy! How nice to see you! And how have you been doing?” I asked, trying to act as if my homicidal sister was just behind me; and I was doing a rather fine job too.

“Red Storm! Hello to you too! I just came by with a letter. Real spooky lookin’ one. All red with a weird wax seal on it. It’s like you’re royalty or something!” She said this jokingly, but the truth could be no closer. “Anyway, while I would love and stay to chat, I have other letters to deliver. Maybe you, Fluttershy, the Doctor and I can all go on a double-date sometime? It’d be fun!”

“Perhaps,” I was looking at the letter, almost nodding her off, “That would be nice.” She flew off, none the wiser, and I stepped back inside. My sister moved to my side as I opened the letter. We both knew this was no ordinary letter, and it showed. This was a letter from my father. I pulled out a sheet of parchment from within, and on it was a message hoof-written in ink.

‘Hello, my son. I have received word of your impending marriage, and I must say that I am proud. While it is no Sanguine Wedding, it is your wedding nonetheless. I send my blessing, and my promise of absolutely no interference, before, during, or after. While I would wish to attend my kin’s wedding, I will only make an appearance at your whim. Your father ~ Red Wing ~’

“What nerve!” I said in disbelief. “My father sends you to kill me, has tried to kill me for almost a decade, and now he expects an invitation to my bloody wedding? Buck, no. He can go to Tartarus.” I threw the sheet at the ground, and as it floated lazily to the ground, my frustration grew. My sister placed a hoof on my shoulder, signaling for me to calm down, which I did quickly. However, while my body calmed, the seas of my mind roared.

‘How dare he! He has got to be the worst father ever, and now he wants an invitation! You should go home now and beat him into submission!’

‘Come now; look at it as your sister has presented it. He just wanted what was best for you after all this time. The assassination attempts were a set of tests to make you stronger. And stronger you have become.’

‘No. I must not let this drag me down. It won’t. I will not let it.’

I brushed my sister’s hoof off of my shoulder, and brushed down my mane with a hoof, as my fury had caused it to become untidy. Then, above there was movement. My sister gave a brief nod, before disappearing out the door. Down came my fiancé, and I greeted her with a hug.

“Good morning, my love. And how did you sleep?”

“Well. Happy Hearts and Hooves day Red Storm.” I chuckled.

“Indeed. Happy Hearts and Hooves day.” The holiday was still alien to me, although I had been studying the holiday for weeks with Twilight Sparkle. It was supposed to be a holiday devoted to the love and joy of romantic partnership. I still did not understand it. After all, I was raised in a country where business was more important than love, and any type of marriage was always for political reasons. Still, I was interested. More so, I wanted nothing more than to show my wife-to-be the best Hearts and Hooves day ever. I had planned (in order) a delightful breakfast, a nice little spot of shopping, a spa treatment, a hiking trip to the most lovely spot I had found the other day, before finishing it up with a romantic picnic. After all, she is truly the most important pony in my life, and deserves the best. I let her go from my embrace, and she kissed my nose before heading over to the kitchen. There, there was a “squeak” of surprise. Excellent. Phase one, complete.’ I made my way over, and there, spread across the table was a beautiful assortment of flowers, fruits, and other things that were both appealing and delicious. The flowers were assorted in multicolor rings of red, yellows, purples and pinks, and the fruit were stacked into a neat pile in the center of it all. I gave Fluttershy a quick kiss before pulling out a chair for her. I pushed her in after she sat down, and I sat myself across the table.

“Go on, eat, my love. I did all this for you.” She smiled before taking some flowers and beginning to munch on them. I then noticed that she was wearing her locket. Now that made me feel warm inside.

“So Red Storm,” she said after swallowing the last of the flowers she was eating, “what have you got planned today? Because, knowing you, you have something spectacular planned out.

“Indeed I do! But, that is for you to find out. Not now. Later. Now, we eat!” I took an apple out of the pile, nodded my head to it, and took a bite. I returned my gaze to Fluttershy, and said:

“Today, I have prepared the ultimate Hearts and Hooves Day date for you. And the secret ingredient of this ensemble is: LOVE!” I grabbed her with one foreleg and ran out the door with her slung across my back. She never even got to finish her breakfast, I realized soon after.

We arrived at the market place in mere moments, due to me flying there with her on my back at Mach 3. She was giggling as we landed and windows exploded.

“That was fun, but unnecessary.” She brushed her mane back down as everypony came out of cover.

“Oh, but it was necessary! I had to make an entrance for my beautiful fiancé!” I turned to a random pony; “Isn’t she beautiful?” He slowly backed away, and I realized I had another psychotic break. I gathered myself, and turned to Fluttershy.

“Anyway, we are here so that I may lavish you with material wealth of your choice. Please, my darling, lead the way!” She nodded with a smile and a blush, and led the way. We arrived at the very same jeweler as the one where I had purchased the locket, but I made no note of this. We stepped inside, and she began to look around. For this, I was prepared. I had been saving money for weeks for just this occasion. I had enough bits and gems on person to buy a solid gold chariot for Fluttershy, and that was merely what I have on me. The stallion who owns the mine that I work in is kind enough to let us miners keep any gems we dig up, as he is there for the iron and minerals. That, plus the twenty-bits-an-hour wage makes for good living with Fluttershy, even though I have been working at night now so that I can share the day with my love.

Fluttershy was trying on a very pretty set of ruby and gold earrings that went marvelously with the locket. It’s eerie, really, how much she wears red these days. She only started this trend after we started dating, but now it seems like she loves the colour these days. Likewise, it has become apparent to me how much I love the colour of aquamarine stones, and I was in fact looking at a dashing set of aquamarine cufflinks when Fluttershy came up to me with the earrings.

“Can I get these? I like them a lot.” I put the cufflinks back and pulled out my coin purse.

“Of course, my dear. We are shopping for you. We can get whatever you want.” I placed the earrings on the counter, the salespony rung them up, and I paid the three hundred bits, all while wearing a smile. I smiled because while I knew that material gifts cannot bring eternal happiness, they can bring momentary joy. And one cannot place a price tag on the happiness of a loved one.

We left, and spent another hour or so shopping, in which we spent over two thousand bits. All the while I smiled. It didn’t matter to me how much I was spending for my love, because if she is happy, then I am in ecstasy. She had bought the earrings, two dresses, and a new pair of shoes, along with a few other things that she wouldn’t allow me to see from a rather suspicious shop. Overall, it was a rather successful shopping trip.

“Are you finished shopping for now, my love?” Fluttershy nodded her head. “Well then, I suppose it is time for our next course of action… wait, can you stay here while I bring everything back home?” She nodded again silently. Peculiar. I gave her a quick peck, and slung the shopping bags over my shoulder before taking off. Seconds later I broke the sound barrier and a few more seconds later I landed in front of the cottage. I made my way inside, and plopped the bags down on the floor next to the couch, and I saw the red letter. I moved to it, and picked it up. I moved to the kitchen, and threw it away. I then made my way back to the door, locked up, and took off again.

Author's Note

Heeeeyyy... Just wanted to remind all of you who have come this far to post reviews on what you think! If you see any errors, do tell! And if you think that the story is dying at this point, well so do I! Throw me some suggestions, or even your predictions on what may happen next! On the internet, comments are the lube of a well-greased machine, and I'm getting rusty! Help a brony. Leave a comment.