Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Of the many ceremonial duties that were entrusted to her, Princess Celestia enjoyed officiating at royal weddings most of all. She had seen many brides and many grooms over her centuries of performing this particular duty, and still she never tired of seeing that certain glow, breathtaking and almost ethereal, that would shine from all of those ponies’ faces.
So it was that Celestia found herself in rather a good mood as she stood in the middle of the Canterlot palace’s expansive gardens, gazing around at the wedding reception that was in full swing.
Over by the fountain, a dance floor of parquet had been set up, and dozens of ponies crowded onto the floor to dance and to celebrate. Celestia watched with an amused smile as a lithe blue pegasus attempted to drag a yellow pegasus towards the dance floor. Meanwhile, not very far away from the dancers stood the musical entertainment for the reception, a small ensemble of musicians culled from the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra. Nestled cozily amongst the orchestra players, as well, was an orange earth pony equipped with a violin. As the violinist played, a white unicorn nearby stood listening and watching with attentive gaze and rapt expression upon her face.
With a soft chuckle, Celestia turned away from the musicians and glanced over to the reception tables. Heaping platters of food sat on each table and, at the longest table, the princess finally spotted the happy, handsome groom. The white stallion was decked out in the finest royal ceremonial attire, and he stood chatting with a beautiful purple unicorn mare, who wore a dress as dark as the night sky. The two unicorns smiled at one another every so often and, from a distance at least, seemed to be enjoying the other’s company.
It wasn’t long before a third pony joined the twosome. A pink earth mare, dressed in a gown the same shade of blue as her eyes, sneaked off the dance floor to approach the unicorns. Celestia had to bite back a most unroyal snort as the pink pony suddenly launched herself through the air and tackled the purple unicorn. The stallion laughed in response, even when the two mares landed in a nearby puddle and sent mud splashing everywhere. But in an instant his laughter was replaced by a dismayed frown, as some of the mud landed on his uniform.
As if on cue, a small, light yellow earth pony came trotting up, armed with a small napkin held between her teeth. Her deep, raspberry-colored mane stood out in stark contrast against the pure white of her elaborate gown. Quickly and carefully she began wiping the mud from the stallion’s clothing with her napkin, and he gazed down at her with a look of pure adoration as she worked to clean him up.
Celestia sniffled, just a tiny bit. She turned her head to the side, a smile still firmly upon her face, and surreptitiously dabbed at her eyes with a kerchief. A moment later, she felt a presence beside her, and she glanced over in time to see exactly who she expected to see.
“Good evening, Luna!”
“Hello, sister!” replied the Princess of the Night, returning Celestia’s smile with one of her own. “I must say, our nephew seems happier and more relaxed than I recall seeing him in some time.”
“He does, doesn’t he? I think being in love suits him.”
“I agree whole-heartedly with that assessment.” Luna tilted her head a bit, looking thoughtful. “I would not have expected a florist from Ponyville, I must confess, considering that she is … well …”
Celestia raised an eyebrow. “A commoner and an earth pony?”
“Yes,” the other alicorn admitted, a bit abashedly. “Not that I think such should matter, mind you, but Blueblood always has been ...” Trailing off, she lifted a forehoof and gestured inarticulately.
“... has been Blueblood. Yes. I know.” The Sun Princess nodded. She loved her nephew dearly, but she knew perfectly well the sort of pony he’d always been--the pony he’d been before, that was.
Love really was the most powerful force in Equestria, wasn’t it? Not for the first time, Celestia marveled over the seeming impossibilities that love could work.
Meanwhile, across the gardens, the foursome of two earth ponies and two unicorns had broken apart. Blueblood and his new bride took to the dance floor while Twilight Sparkle and her fiancée picked up microphones. After a quick glance over to the musicians--which was met by a smile and nod by Applejack--the two mares began singing a tender, gentle ballad. Ponies began slow-dancing out on the floor, and Prince Blueblood held his beloved close against his chest.
“He always did have a fondness for roses,” murmured Luna wistfully. There was a pause, a hesitation, before she continued on. “This … almost did not happen, you realize. It would have been Twilight Sparkle with whom he danced and not nearly so happily.”
Celestia simply nodded at that. She knew.
“Then why, sister? Why did you not intervene? Why did you not put a stop to that madness before it reached the state it finally did?”
“Twilight …” The name came out as a broken whisper, and she cut herself off. Drew in a deep breath. “Twilight is a grown mare. Her life is hers to direct and to control, not mine.”
“So then you truly would have allowed Twilight Sparkle to marry Blueblood?”
Celestia turned and grinned at her sister. “Not a chance in Tartarus.”
Twilight Sparkle awoke to a pair of huge, blue eyes less than a centimeter away from her face. There was a time when such a sight might have startled her. There was a time when Twilight might have screamed in surprise or at least given a little jump. But those days were long, long gone. Instead, she merely smiled and kissed the other pony on the tip of her cute little pink nose.
“G’morning, Pinkie Pie,” she mumbled, voice still thick and groggy.
“Good morning, sleepyhead!” Pinkie grinned back, big and bright and cheerful and disturbingly wide awake. “You were all super adorable when you were sleeping and I totally didn’t want to wake you up, but I had to wake you up, because today is the first day of the rest of our lives!”
Twilight didn’t bother to reply to that. This was how Twilight woke up every morning, and this was the reason Pinkie gave her every morning. Twilight had tried to explain, on multiple occasions, that the rest of their lives could stand to include a few extra hours of sleep, but that was not an argument that Pinkie ever seemed to find persuasive.
Still grinning, the pink earth pony gave the unicorn a quick peck on the mouth. “You taste like socks!”
“Um, thanks? I think?”
Without further ado, Pinkie Pie rolled off the bed and began trotting off. As she did, the necklace she wore clasped around her neck, with a golden ring hanging from it, bounced with every jaunty step she took. She paused at the bedroom door to call out, over her shoulder, “I’m gonna make pancakes! Do you want blueberry or strawberry or pineapple or spinach or cauliflower or--”
“Blueberry!” Twilight interrupted quickly. “Blueberry sounds just fine.”
“Blueberry it is, then!”
With a wink, the earth pony disappeared through the door.
Twilight couldn’t help a small chuckle as she sat up in bed and stretched her legs. She was still a bit sore from last night--and, at that very thought, the unicorn smiled and blushed simultaneously. It had been worth today’s soreness, though. It always was.
Finally, she couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer, and she stumbled out of bed and over to the dresser. She grimaced at the absolute travesty that was her mane before levitating her hairbrush up to handle the tangles and snarls. After that little victory was won, Twilight picked up the golden ring that lay on the dresser and lifted it up next. She studied it for a moment, as she did every morning, allowing her eyes to take in the luster of the gold and the careful craftsmanship of the metal-working.
She slipped the ring over her horn and felt a small but familiar sense of warmth spread through her as the ring came to nestle against the horn’s base. It was perhaps a bit foolish--and more than a bit superstitious--but Twilight never felt entirely at ease or entirely comfortable unless she could feel that ring atop her head.
Already the entire library was filling up with the delicious smell of pancakes, and Twilight happily followed the scent downstairs. She found Pinkie at the stove, flipping pancakes with a dexterity truly unparalleled, while Spike sat beside her on the counter, drinking from a large ceramic mug. Twilight frowned as she took a seat at the kitchen table.
“That had better not be coffee, Spike,” Twilight began, in a warning tone. “You’re still a growing dragon, and that much caffeine isn’t good for you.”
Spike pouted in reply. “Aww, c’mon, Twi! Pinkie said I could!”
“Pinkie … is that true?” As soon as Pinkie turned around, with an impossibly wide smile and nervous eyes, Twilight had her answer. With a gentle shake of her head, the unicorn added, “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
The pancakes were delicious, but then, Pinkie’s pancakes were always delicious. Spike and Pinkie chatted animatedly over their breakfast, mostly about whether strawberries or blueberries were the superior berry. It ended in a stalemate. Meanwhile, Twilight nursed a cup of coffee and responded to her baby brother and fiancée in monosyllabic grunts. It wasn’t until the end of breakfast that Twilight had finally started feeling alive and functional, and by then, Spike had left the table to begin washing dishes.
“So, Twilight, what do you wanna do today?” Pinkie leaned forward eagerly. “I know there’s still lots and lots of wedding planning stuff on your list! We could go taste wedding cakes, or we could audition wedding bands, or we could ask Applejack to teach us how to make those really neat ice sculptures, or we could do all sorts of stuff!”
Twilight’s mouth gave a twitch upward at the list of Pinkie’s proposed activities. It didn’t escape her notice that, although Pinkie was offering to help Twilight with the wedding planning list, all of the earth pony’s suggestions were geared towards her own likes and preferences.
Leaning back, with delicious and invigorating coffee flowing through her bloodstream, Twilight pretended to think it over before finally saying, in a casual tone, “Oh, I don’t know, Pinkie … I was actually thinking that today we could maybe go hang gliding off the mountain just outside of town?”
Pinkie Pie’s eyes went wide in shock. Then, slowly, a huge smile broke across her entire face.
“Oh, Twilight! Do you mean it? ‘Cause that’d be super, duper awesome! It’d be almost like we were pegasuses, and that’d be so …” She trailed off as her eyebrows knit together. “Wait a sec. I thought you said that hang-gliding was ‘stupidly dangerous’?”
That was true. It had been many years ago that Twilight had said it, but said it she had. It didn’t surprise her that Pinkie Pie had remembered, as nopony had a memory quite like that perplexing pink pony’s. But Twilight Sparkle had been a different pony then, when she’d uttered those words. A pony who had not lived through the terror of Discord. A pony who had not faced the stern rejection of her very own brother before going on to save his life. A pony who had not known the comforting embrace of the one she now loved beyond all words, the embrace that could quell all fears and all doubts in her normally over-anxious mind.
A pony who had not come so terribly, terrifyingly close to losing that same pony she so loved.
Twilight feared very little nowadays. All other fears simply paled in comparison.
But Twilight didn’t mention any of that. She simply gave Pinkie an affirmative nod. “I do mean it,” she said, as her eyes twinkled. “After all … this is the first day of the rest of our lives. We should make it a good one.”
A pony’s got to do what a pony’s got to do, thought Rainbow Dash grimly.
She stood motionless under the hot, blinding lights and scowled at the approaching enemy. The unicorn across from her approached slowly, craftily, her weapons held aloft with a telekinetic magic that glowed an eerie, ominous blue. Every instinct in Rainbow’s body was telling her to spread her wings, to take to the air, to escape while she still had the chance. But Rainbow ignored all of those urges and instead stood her ground.
She was a brave pony. She was a loyal pony. And she would not betray her solemn duties, no matter how dire the consequences.
Still closer came the fiendish unicorn, a slight smirk upon that hateful face, yet Rainbow Dash did not flinch and Rainbow Dash did not falter. Then, finally within range, the unicorn lashed out and struck with deadly accuracy … and the brave, loyal pegasus finally fell.
“Honestly, darling!” Rarity huffed in exasperation as she lowered the curling iron. “Don’t you think you’re being just a bit melodramatic?”
Dash peeked up at her friend from between her forehooves. She raised a single, eloquent eyebrow.
Rarity had the good grace to blush, if only slightly. “Yes, well … even so. Today is a very important day, and we must all look our best!” The unicorn lifted the curling iron with a wicked grin. “And that means you too, Rainbow Dash.”
With a heavy, beleaguered sigh, Rainbow pulled herself back up onto all four hooves. She stood in disgruntled silence as Rarity resumed primping and preening her. It took a full hour--the longest hour of Rainbow Dash’s entire life--before Rarity decided that she was finally pretty enough to be released from this torture.
A pony has to do what a pony has to do, thought Fluttershy as she stood trembling in stark, naked terror.
The problem wasn’t that the meadow was entirely full of ponies, although there were, in fact, quite a few more ponies than Fluttershy could generally handle at one time. Nor was the problem the loudness of all those ponies talking to one another or from the polka band that was playing off to the side or even Pinkie Pie’s party cannon, which was firing at semi-random intervals. All of that was a bit taxing on her nerves, true enough, but it was bearable. Almost. Sort of.
No, what had Fluttershy rooted to the spot, as firmly as though she were a tree, was the fact that all of those ponies were staring directly at her. Intently. Expectantly. Despite herself, Fluttershy felt a low little whine escape her lips.
“C’mon, sugar cube,” hissed a familiar voice from behind. “Yer holdin’ up the whole processional here!”
Fluttershy nodded. Or, at least, she tried to nod. She wasn’t sure whether she actually succeeded or not.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rarity turned around to glare at the pony who’d just spoken. “Applejack! How can you be so insensitive?” The unicorn gave an indignant toss of her mane. “The poor dear is shaking like a leaf!”
A second voice came from behind, rough yet somehow also gentle. “Hey, it’s okay, ‘Shy. It’s just like we practiced, remember?”
Slowly Fluttershy nodded. She remembered.
“Right. Just like we practiced.” The words were low, soothing, almost seductive. “All you gotta do is put one hoof in front of the other. Just keep your eyes straight ahead and take it one step at a time.”
“Straight ahead,” murmured Fluttershy, locking her eyes on the small podium that stood several yards in front of her. “One step at a time. Just like we practiced. Just a hop, skip, and a jump …”
And then, after taking one last, deep breath, the yellow pegasus lifted her left forehoof and began walking down the aisle.
A pony must do what a pony must do, thought Rarity, as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying.
Under usual circumstances, the unicorn would have had no qualms about crying. She was a mare of deep emotions, pure emotions, emotions unknown and unknowable to the likes of lesser ponies. And sometimes those deep, pure emotions manifested in a rather wet, noisy way. It was why she made sure to carry a stock of clean kerchiefs at all times.
But she could feel Applejack’s gaze upon her, and she could feel the sense of anticipation in the earth pony’s stare. That infuriating certainty that Applejack so obviously felt as to the inevitability of Rarity’s tears. And so Rarity kept her head held up and willed her eyes to remain dry.
Because if she cried, Applejack would gloat … and if Applejack gloated, Rarity would be forced to retaliate … and then things would quickly devolve into arguing, and they’d both given their oaths that on this one day they would not argue. They would not bicker. They would not do anything to take away from the joy or beauty of their dear friends' special moment.
Rarity’s fight against the desire to cry was a losing battle, however. She felt a tickle in the back of her throat as Princess Celestia began speaking, in warm, rich tones, about the two brides who stood before her. A sharp stinging began in the corners of the unicorn’s eyes as she watched two of her dearest friends beam at one another and recite the truly wretched--yet undeniably heartfelt and sincere--poetry that they’d written for this occasion. Then, when Celestia declared them bound in matrimony, when they leaned forward to kiss, Rarity finally gave up and gave in.
She was dabbing at her eyes with her kerchief when she suddenly felt a strong, warm foreleg wrap around her shoulders. Surprised, she glanced up--only to find herself looking directly into the glistening green eyes of an orange earth pony.
A pony’s gotta do what a pony’s gotta do, thought Applejack as she slowly, awkwardly danced a waltz with Twilight Sparkle.
She’d tried to get out of doing this--had tried to busy herself with helping clear the empty dishes from all the tables spread across the meadow--but Rarity had insisted. Everyone had to dance with the brides, Rarity had said. It was tradition, she’d said. And so, with a quiet sigh, Applejack had traipsed over to the small clearing left open for a dance floor and done her duty.
At least the dance she’d shared with Pinkie had been to an upbeat, snappy tune. Some sort of polka that Pinkie’s parents had taught to the wedding band earlier that week. The sort of music that allowed them to do the kind of dancing Applejack knew and the kind of dancing Applejack liked. But all of this hoity-toity classical music stuff that Twilight’s folks had insisted be played too … it was enough to make a farm pony want to run screaming for the hills.
Twilight was smiling at her so happily, though, and her eyes were wide and bright and clear. Not a trace of anxiety anywhere on that high-strung pony’s face. Applejack couldn’t help but smile back at her friend, just a little. It was nice seeing Twilight all nice and relaxed for a change. It almost made up for all the times the inelegant unicorn stomped on her hooves.
Almost.
“Applejack, I can’t even begin to thank all of you girls for everything you’ve done.” Twilight reached forward to give Applejack a hug, managing to inadvertently kick the other pony in the shin in the process. “You’ve helped give Pinkie and I an absolutely perfect day, and I’m so lucky to have you girls as my friends.”
“Aw, shucks, Twi, t’weren’t nothing!” And then, after a moment’s hesitation, she added, “Say, anypony ever tell you that you’re a mighty fine dancer?”
It wasn’t really a lie. It was a question. Questions weren’t lies.
Besides, it was worth it to see the way that Twilight beamed in response.
Suddenly, there came a tap on Applejack’s shoulder, and she glanced over to see a familiar, grinning pink face. “Heya, AJ! Mind if I cut in?” Pinkie Pie asked with a giggle.
Applejack shook her head and tried not to sound too eager as she replied, “Eeenope! She’s all yours, Pinkie.”
As Applejack gingerly limped off the dance floor, she never took her eyes off the happy newlyweds as they swayed together in time with one another if not with the music itself. The two mares’ dancing was jerky, awkward, and yet somehow absolutely, beautifully perfect. Applejack felt a grin spread across her face from ear to ear as she watched.
“She’s all yours,” she repeated softly to herself. “Congratulations, sugar cube.”
“... and that’s the story of how your mommies fell in love and overcame all obstacles in their way and battled an entire squadron of hippopotomuseses and triumphed over evil and then got married and had the bestest wedding ever before living happily ever after!”
The purple mare frowned a bit and raised an eyebrow at her wife. “Pinkie Pie. There weren’t any hippopotami in that story. At all.”
“Details, details, Sparky!” the earth pony chirped in reply, while waving a dismissive hoof in the unicorn’s general direction.
Meanwhile, two small foals, nestled in bed underneath a veritable mountain of blankets and stuffed animals, remained absolutely silent. They seemed to be quietly pondering over what they’d just been told. They had been given the basic outline of this story a number of times before--they knew that their Mommy had first moved to Ponyville many years ago to learn about the magic of friendship, where she’d met their Mamma and all of their mothers’ other friends--but this was the first time they’d heard any of the nitty, gritty details.
It was a lot to take in, Pinkie Pie well knew. The very idea that their parents hadn’t always been together and hadn’t always been married was one that had baffled her and her sisters, when the three of them had been young fillies. But her own children had even more than that to grapple with. Not only did they have to process that she and Twilight hadn’t always been together but also the revelation that their mothers had actually broken up for a period of time after they’d gotten together.
It was nigh unthinkable. Unimaginable. Even to Pinkie herself, if she was being truthful.
At last, the little purple-coated filly leaned forward. “Mamma?” she asked, as she tilted her head.
“Yeppers, sweet pickle?”
“Did Applejack really kick Rainbow Dash in the head?”
Pinkie’s face broke into a grin. “She sure did! And let me tell you, nopony can kick as hard as your Auntie Applejack! This one time, she even bucked a--”
“And it was very wrong of Applejack to kick Rainbow like that,” interjected Twilight quickly, in a stern tone of voice. “And this does not give either of you permission to go around bucking ponies. Do you understand?”
The two foals glanced at one another, and, they both sighed in preemptive defeat. Grumbling, they muttered, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good.” Twilight’s eyes softened and, smiling gently, she leaned down to kiss both her children. “So! Any other questions?”
It was the pink-maned colt who piped up next. “Mommy, does this mean …”
“Yes, honey?”
“... does this mean we were almost royalty?”
Pinkie Pie glanced over to her wife in time to catch Twilight’s look of surprise. And then Pinkie promptly burst out into gales of loud laughter. Twilight frowned at the other mare in disapproval until, after several beats of silent disapproval, she too began giggling.
Their foals only had a few more questions before they inevitably grew bored with tales of such ancient history and romantic mush. All too soon the little ones were demanding a lullaby before sleep, and Pinkie managed to nudge Twilight into complying. Even after all these years, nothing filled the pink earth pony with joy in quite the same way as did the sound of Twilight Sparkle singing.
It only took three run-throughs of “Hush Now, Quiet Now” for the two foals to fall asleep, instead of the usual four or five, and Pinkie and Twilight quietly tiptoed out of the room once their filly and colt had finally nodded off. Together they retired to their own bedroom across the hall. While Twilight read a book on child-rearing techniques specific to the non-winged parents of pegasus foals, Pinkie wrote out a list of supplies needed for a party to be held tomorrow. While Pinkie brushed her teeth, Twilight combed out her mane. Finally, while Twilight magically double-checked the locks on all the doors in the house, Pinkie blew out the lone candle that sat upon a nightstand.
Pinkie Pie burrowed under the heavy comforter on their bed and let out a happy sigh as she felt Twilight snuggle up against her. The earth pony rolled onto her side and arched her back, enjoying the closeness and warmth of the fuzzy chest behind her.
It was in a familiar tone, one full of nervousness and doubt, that Twilight murmured into Pinkie’s mane, “You know, I’m still not convinced they were old enough to hear that story.”
“Aww, Sparky. You worry too much.”
“Maybe. Well, probably.” Twilight chuckled, and Pinkie could feel her wife’s chest gently rumble. “But that’s why you love me, right?”
“I love you for lots and lots of reasons,” Pinkie replied, grinning even though she knew Twilight couldn’t see her face. “But you don’t gotta worry about this. I mean, the story we told ‘em has a happy ending, after all! You can’t go wrong with a story that has a happy ending!”
Twilight didn’t reply for several seconds. When she finally did speak again, she sounded thoughtful, almost dreamy. “You’re wrong, Pinkie. Our story doesn’t have a happy ending ... because it hasn’t ended yet.” The unicorn’s forelegs gave Pinkie a firm, loving squeeze. “It’s only just beginning.”
Pinkie just grinned in reply. And as she drifted off to sleep to the comforting sound of Twilight’s soft snoring, she wondered just where their story might take them next. Just what challenges they’d have to overcome, what monsters they’d have to vanquish, what adventures they’d share with all their family and friends, what absolutely amazing parties they’d get to throw.
Pinkie Pie couldn’t wait.
THE END
Author’s Notes: Thank you so very much to everyone who’s read and who’s left comments along the way. I really appreciate everyone’s feedback and that so many of you have enjoyed this story.
This story is something of a patchwork quilt. It was born out of Thirty Minute Pony Stories, a MLP writing prompt blog for which I moderate. I wrote a number of TwiPie stories for the prompts and, over time, I realized that many of those stories had underlying similarities with one another. I was, at first unconsciously, pulling from a single head canon for the pair.
So I reworked some of those stories so that they could become a unified story and, here and there, wrote pieces for additional writing prompts that could be worked into “Like an Unexpected Song.” For anyone who might be interested in the full listing of prompts I used in the story, here’s all that:
Chapter 1
Prompt: “One of the Mane Six or Spike reveals a skill nopony expected them to have.”
Chapter 2
Prompt: “Spike witnesses something he won’t soon forget.”
Prompt: “Two ponies go to a bar; one gets extremely drunk.”
Chapter 3
Prompt: “You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room’s the greatest arsenal we could have--arm yourselves!”
Prompt: “Character A has done or is going to do something which will hurt Character B, and A knows they’re going to hurt B, but A is going to do it anyway.”
Prompt: “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
Chapter 4
Prompt: “Magic has disappeared from Equestria.”
Prompt: “The circumstances leading to, following, or surrounding somepony uttering the question, ‘How could Twilight Sparkle be so stupid?’”
Prompt: “Rarity stops making a dress.”
Chapter 5
Prompt: “Time to meet the parents!”
Chapter 6
Prompt: “Twilight and Pinkie go to karaoke.”
Chapter 7
Prompt: “The first day of the rest of your life.”
Prompt: “A pony’s gotta do what a pony’s gotta do.”
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Very nice, and heartwarming!
...wait, no threesomes here. But the kissy face...
For an egghead, she's quite the romantic.
Make a sequel or suffer the eternal darkness of hell
I am so glad Twilight and Pinkie are married. And they have foals (how did that happen?
). A truly happy ending.
Out of curiousity, who did Blueblood end up marrying (or was it an OC)?
Hnnngh. Twi destroyed my heart in these last two chapters. That's really all there is to be said.
Hnnnnngh! So much dawwww! A very sweet end to the story. Throuroughly enjoyed the whole thing.
Well, this was beautiful. We get two weddings, everypony happy, although I do wish we could have seen more of Twilight's parents and how they accepted Pinkie too. Blueblood getting his own happy ending was a really nice touch.
There's so much I loved about this fic, and so much that was lovely, right down to the end that is only the beginning. It was sweet like nothing else, and wonderfully warm. Congratulations, you're awesome
*cries twin fountains of tears like Pinkie Pie "This... was.... soo.... beautiful!"
(Hmmm there needs to be a pinkie tear-fountan emote...)
Brilliant. I enjoyed this a whole bunch. Really got me in the heart.
1258849
I think it was Roseluck.
2.bp.blogspot.com/-fKagbm46zEg/TrBOQOHl7II/AAAAAAAAQbM/TU2_Z5Ngy4E/s1600/79312+-+artist+celesse+rose+roseluck.jpg
That was quite lovely.
I'm ashamed to say, the "[...] because today is the first day of the rest of our lives!” line took me a couple of seconds to actually process in what it actually meant, but that was probably my favorite thing. So cheesy, yet perfectly romantic.
I am thoroughly pleased with this ending of yours. I just have one question, how was foalbirth possible between Twi and Pinkie? I assume magic.
Ah well.
Great job, once again! You never fail to please!
Yay!
This one was absolutely devastatingly hell on my emotions. I went from Sweet enough to cause Tooth Decay to absolutely torn up inside sad out of my and finally back to sweet again. Congratulations on a fine story well told.
This...is just beautiful and wonderful and perfect. Both the story as a whole and this particular chapter - it's really quite remarkable how you managed the shifting tones and mood changes without it ever feeling forced. And then we get to the ending, and you outdo yourself yet again. it's pure joy through and through: everything is good, everyone is happy - even Blueblood - and it's all exactly as it should be - and yet it doesn't feel at all forced, or tacked on. All the threads are tied up, all the ponies are happy, there are cute little babies, and all is right with the world.
I really, really like the tone here - but I think what sells it for me is the humour throughout. Not because it feels perfectly in character, though it very much does - I'm especially fond of Celestia's last line and Applejack's not-quite-lie - but because it's only when it comes back that you realise it wasn't there during the whole crisis, at least not in the same way. It adds a lot to the feeling that everything's going to be okay, and that everyone is relaxed and back to normal to see them slipping snark into their conversations and feeling kind of awkward about dancing. I don't know if I'm just reading too much into it, but those few little lines are just amazingly powerful to me. Enough that I want to go on about them some more, but since I'm not sure what I'd say I shall refrain.
I think I've already told you how much I adore the interaction between Dash and Shy when Shy's afraid back when it went up on TMP, but it bears repeating - it's perfectly handled, and it made me smile. As did all the little interactions between the characters - they're small, tiny little things but they say so much about the relationships the characters have and how they look at each other. Just awesome as always.
And, of course, the look into Twi and Pinkie as parents was just awesome - I think you did it perfectly, and Twilight trying to play the serious parent in the face of Pinkie's sheer absurdity - and failing, because Pinkie - is very sweet. And they totally could've taken those hippopotomuseses.
Well done, DB. This is excellent from start to finish. It was an interesting experiment, and you pulled it off. Be proud.
When looking through favorites
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma5xytu83N1rdx4yso1_250.jpg
after I find out you wrote another chapter
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Magic!
Awww.
Celestia's last line makes me so happy. I can just imagine her presiding over the Blueblood/Sparkle wedding: "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Twilight and Blueblood... Ha! No. Like I'd let that happen. Nephew, if you can please excuse yourself. Ms Pie, get up here. Lady Sparkle, shush up now."
Is it odd that the lovely couple having magically conceived foals is quite fine, but that they're not both fillies is a problem? I'm clearly being too sciencey about this.
A pink stallion?
That's, interesting.
D'awww.
1262443 she would say that to.
I already commented here, but having read and re-read this story, I need to comment again: wonderful. I don't like 99% of Pinkie in fandom - too many writers use her as a cheap 4th wall breaker / omniscient psychic / Bugs Bunny invincible / hammerspace gag and I can't stand that depiction. This is the first fic I've read where I actually liked Pinkie Pie as written, so much so that I was pulling for her, which isn't often for me. Everything flowed well, everything was in character, and I could hear their voices as I read each line.
Only thing I wasn't clear about was the TwiBlood marriage. Did he ask her to marry him, or vice versa? Was there a courtship, did they date? Or was it an arranged marriage, possibly forced upon them by their parents?
Whatever the answer, this fic gets a high place in my favorites list.
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I think it's strongly hinted that Twilight's mother was the one to set the engagement, which was why it was so significant that she was also the one to call it off.
Fantastic tale, I really loved your depiction of Pinkie in this; like someone mentioned above she's too often used for cheap gags. Yours feels much more realistic and that's worth celebrating
To be perfectly honest, i stumbled upon this fic on accident. But it looks neat and I shall be reading it.
Such a shame to see it come to an end.
You did one hell of a job, man I loved it. So the books on the magicians that Pinky was going through was she trying to find a spell so they could have kids together? I so could see Pinky doing that because she has always been inherently, though rather spooky, in knowing what to do for the future.
I do hope there will be a continuation though you did end it at a very good point, bravo.
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Hee! Thanks.
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Also, given her friendless childhood, I think she's one to especially appreciate relationships.
Twi has her moments.
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Ha, ha! Thank you. Glad you liked it.
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It was Rose, yup.
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Hopefully in a good way!
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I'm glad to hear it!
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Aww, thanks for the kind words. I do wish I'd been able to fit more of Twi's folks in, but it would've made the story way longer, I think, to do it properly. I regret that I couldn't find a way to do so, though.
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I see Pinkie as having distinct cheesy tendencies, bless her heart.
If it helps, it was meant to be cheesy.
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I figure they have all the same options open to two women in our world who'd like to have kids--insemination via sperm donors, adoption, etc.--plus whatever Equestrian magic can cook up. Didn't really have any particular method in mind as I was writing.
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Thanks so much for all the nice things you said about my writing, too. Especially nice to hear I did okay with the happier emotions--they are harder than sad, I think, and I feel less secure about my ability to pull them off well. And I'm glad to hear that the Twi Sings to Pinkie scene apparently didn't come across as overdone or something.
No need to apologize. Didn't owe me nuthin'.
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Thank you kindly! Hopefully it helped that it ended on the happy and not the sad!
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Thanks, as always, for commenting and for all the kind words. I'm glad the change in tone seems to have been evident--'cause I did mean for that to be there. The last few chapters, everyone was in crisis mode, and that cast a pallor over things. I like there to be a chapter of more or less unrestrained happy at the end, to give the characters a bit of a reward for slogging through everything I've thrown at 'em. Heh.
And of course they could have taken the hippopotami. No question.
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Indeed, indeed. Glad you liked it while it lasted, though!
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Ha! I laughed out loud at your Celestia dialogue. That's great.
Also, if it helps you sleep easier at night, feel free to just assume the kiddos were adopted or conceived through using a sperm donor.
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I really like three-dimensional, well-characterized Pinkie too. Consequently, I try to do right by her in my stories; it's good to hear that y'all think I succeeded. Dunno if you're much for Pinkie ship fics, but if so, I'd like to recommend Cloudy Skies, AbsoluteAnonymous, Professor Piggy, Baby Seal Burritos, and Krizak as all writers of what I consider very good characterizations of Pinkie Pie.
Also, re: the TwiBlood engagement (alternate ship name: BlueLight!), I did have in mind that Twilight's mother arranged it. I figured it would be similar to how marriages were arranged between various noble and royal families in Europe back in the day.
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Hope you like it!
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And sure, why not? Pinkie could've been lookin' up spells for kiddos. Would be pretty fast-moving of her, considering she and Twi hadn't even gone on a proper date at that point, but hey ... when Pinkie wants something, Pinkie goes and gets it. 
Thanks!
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Heh, thank you. And really glad to hear you liked the "WWU" bit--reaction to that was a bit mixed, though it was something I liked a lot myself. But I can't pretend that I'm an unbiased judge of my own writing.
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Hee!
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The best kind of destruction. Destruction through d'awh.
Ok, To be honest it took me some time to adjust to the skipping around this story does (Even Considered just moving on, So glad i didn't). But all in all this is a wonderful story with some good humored knife twisting your readers. The whole "Blueblood's wedding and then directly mentioning twilight" so much rage-face till i forced myself to keep reading. So worth it.
A brilliantly sweet ending to a great story. Donny, you always manage to impress me with your ability to get in your characters' heads and to write general cuteness. This may not have had the same drama and excitement as some of the other chapters, but it had that utterly delightful fluff that I've come to expect and love from most everything you write. Keep doing your thing. I know that I'll be reading it.
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Eh hee hee hee. I was hoping the Blueblood/Rose wedding would throw people for a bit of a loop until Pinkie showed up. Sorry about the time jumps resulting in confusion, by the way. Shall have to work on that in future stories.
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Oh, heh, thank you. Yeah, it's definitely a lower-key kinda chapter. After all the angst an' such, I like to give the chapters a bit of unambiguous happiness at the end. Kind of their reward for slogging through all the stuff I throw at 'em.
1269005 where is the part when rarity and applejack finally get together?
cause you hinted at it several times but couldn't you give them a scene like you did with fluttershy and rainbow dash
This story was excellent. Most of it was twisting my emotions in some way and there was one perfect moment in which the only thought I had was, "Somebody is about to get bucked up."
That story got me right in the heart. I loved every bit of it.
I don't say this often, but that was beautiful. Actually, genuinely beautiful.
You tugged on my heartstrings. I don't know whether it was good or bad that the beginning chapters were so cheerful and heartwarming. The 'rising action' was like a buck to the side of the head. I felt bad for you writing that transition. You should feel bad.
This was playing in my head the whole chapter.
I read this in one big job lot and, I have to tell you, I'm feeling every emotion at once. My heart hurts.
I might... I might call a doctor now.
Finally read this. Sitting in read later for a while. Very glad I did. Was a solid plot and pro writing. Do more Fluttershy!
okay, now that i think my feels have been felt i may give my say.
I never really cared for the twilight x pinkie pie ship. i never even really thought to give it a chance. it seemed too.... out there i guess. it seemed like both characters were both too well developed in the show to really have a romantic compatibility. all in all i just couldn't see it.
However! due to a curiosity and spur of the moment interest in said ship, i decided that i would read a story that was twilight x pinkie pie based. This was the first one i read and you have effectively sold me on this pairing. despite my doubts toward their compatibility you managed to tie the ends together in a way where i can see how their relationship could bud and went so far as to back track through the episodes to fill in the spaces where i would typically question how these two could end up together. All of this while still making a story with a strong conflict and happy resolution.
I always love it when i'm sold onto a new shipping pair but that usually only happens on background ponies whose personalities and pasts are a blank slate that the author can do with as they please. And so i must thank you. thank you for giving me this lovely new outlook on this adorable pairing and thank you for this wonderful story.
Also that ending made me feel happy, in a weird, mortal kind of sense. so thanks for that too.
have a wonderful day sir!
(sorry for my lack of commas. i find that an absence of them can sometimes be preferable to a complete misuse of them, which i am often prone to do.)
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There isn't one, and that was done on purpose. I like leaving a few loose ends, as it feels more true to life, and the wedding scene was meant to be the RariJack conclusion.
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Aww, thanks!
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Heh. I made it all better in the end ... does that help?
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Thanks! And for what it's worth, my next planned multi-chapter story will focus on Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.
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Oh, thank you. That's such a huge compliment--writing a ship that seems believable enough that it works for someone who doesn't already ship that pairing. I really like adding new pairings to the list of things I ship, too, so I'm very happy I was able to do that with this story for you.
Amazingly romantic work. I loved the use of multiple view points across chapters and scenes. It gave the story a very unique flavor. Two hooves way up!
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Oh, I'm glad you liked that line! I love Rarity to bits, and I think she can be quite the force to be reckoned with, when she wants to be.
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Thank you! The multiple POVs was a bit of an experiment, and I think it probably worked out better in some places than others. Very good to hear what other folks think about it.
I liked it. Warm and fuzzy feelings all around. Here, have a thumb. Ah hell, have a favorite. You've earned it.
I'm glad that in the end, Twilight's parents (barely) made their likability saving throw and didn't come off as complete jerks. But the 5th chapter... Man, I don't think I ever had such a burning desire to punch a unicorn in the face. Well, once, actually. That doesn't really count though, it wasn't actually a unicorn, it was just a gazelle standing sideways. Still, that gazelle was a huge douchebag.
I was actually not expecting that the guards would take orders from Blueblood. I mean, if there is a list of important rules and guidelines for the royal guard, it has to look something like:
Rule #1: Blueblood has no authority whatsoever.
Rule #2: If Blueblood tries to give you an order, ignore him and wait for him to go away.
Rule #3: If Blueblood tells you that he is acting on my or Luna's authority, he is lying. We don't tell him to do stuff. Ever! Knock him on the head and tell him to zip it!
Rule #4: Seriously, look at #1, #2 and #3 again. Write it on a post-it. Slap it on your bathroom mirror and read it every morning while you brush your teeth. It's important!
Also: Surprise Flutterdash! Yay! Reading a good Twipie story and finding out there is some Flutterdash involved, that's like buying a big cup of coffee and getting a cookie for free - as in, it's delicious and sweet and keeps you from sleeping (seriously, it's like 2 in the morning over here).
All right, enough lame jokes for now. Again, a very sweet and fun read. Thanks for sharing
That ending
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Thanks for reading! I'm glad you liked it, including the surprise FlutterDash. (I'm pretty sure at least one person scampered back in disgust once they hit the surprise Rarijack. Heh.)
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That... that was amazing. There are really no other words I can think of. Every little detail felt real and... I just don't even know what to say!
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Yeah, I'm familiar with the etymology of "anthropologist" and why it's not a word that Equestria would have developed. I'm just leery of ponifying too many words, as I worry that might distract the reader, so I tend to restrict the ponyified words to dialogue only. Unfortunately, for some readers, not ponifying terms with human-specific roots ends up being distracting. Sorry 'bout that.
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Heh, I'm glad you liked it and gave it a chance even though it's a romance. I do try to keep everyone in character, and I'm glad you found the dynamics between Pinkie and Twi to feel real and natural.