> The Princess and the Plumber > by DaiAtlas2016 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Twilight Sucks at Plumbing > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today, was a horrible day. Twilight woke up to find her library flooded, only to find out that her pipes were clogged, so, she grabbed a DIY book on plumbing and tried to fix it herself, and now it was so bad, that Ponyville had an inch of water running through it. "I think you need to call a plumber!", Rainbow laughed when Twilight had told everyone what happened. "Ya think?", Twilight growled. "But not just any plumber...", Spike smiled at Rainbow. "Braveheart! Fixing clogs since 83'!", they said in unison. "Braveheart? You mean that earth pony plumber, who claims to be able to fix any plumbing problem in less than an hour?", Twilight asked. "The one and only! And they say Trotelli is the best, Ha! Don't make me laugh!", Rainbow answered. "Trotelli? Aren't they the PROFESSIONAL plumber?", Twilight asked slightly confused. "Professional? Please! He couldn't tell the difference between a monkey wrench and a plunger!", Spike scoffed. "I'm calling Trotelli!", Twilight declared. And in about 1 hour, Trotelli arrived, another 2 hours he came out and said, "It'll take a couple of weeks!" "What!", Twilight exclaimed, "But we'll be flooded out by then!" "I'm sorry, lady! But..." "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Trotelli! You're being ridiculous! I could go in there and fix it before you could say Mama Mia Ravioli Spaghetti Lasagna 100 times!", shouted, a brown earth pony with a gray mane and a plunger cutie mark, angrily in a Brooklyn accent. "Braveheart...", Trotelli, a gray unicorn with a blonde mane and a pipe cutie mark, said coldly, "I assume you heard about Princess Twilight's plumbing problem?" "Heard about it? Heck! I had her water going up my horseshoes!", Braveheart exclaimed. "You live in Ponyville?!", Rainbow and Spike exclaimed. "Of course I do! Now, step aside, lady.", he grouched, addressing Twilight. "Excuse me?", she asked in surprise. "You heard me, I said move it, Lady! Or we'll all be up to our ears in your plumbing!", he barked, as Twilight stepped aside. After he went inside, Rarity purred, "Ooooooh, he's so rugged and bold!" Spike wasn't there to hear Rarity's remark, he was helping his hero fix the clog. 10 minutes later, the water stopped flowing, and Braveheart and Spike came out soaking wet. "You know, you've got talent, kid!", he smiled at Spike, "Perhaps some day you could become my assistant!" "Sorry! He's already my assistant!", Twilight quickly butted in, "Did you fix it?" "Heck, Lady! Am I a plumber?", he retorted. "Ummmm..." "That was a rhetorical question!", he said quickly. He looked at Trotelli and said, "It was nothing serious, just a little too much TP!", he then smiled at Twilight, handing her a card, "Let me know if you need anything else, Lady, here's my address." He then walked away, dripping wet, with his toolbox. After Trotelli left, Rainbow started questioning Spike, "Is it true what they say, about his hooves being faster than lightning?" "Lightning? Heck! Faster than a Sonic Rainboom!", Spike answered excitedly. "I don't see what's so exciting, he's just a plumber.", Twilight sighed, drying her books. "The fact that I got to help the greatest plumber in the world!", he replied. "I wouldn't exaggerate on his skills, he's good, but not that good.", Twilight groaned. "Exaggerate? He's been winning 'Plumber of the Year' award since 1983!", Rainbow exclaimed. "Really?", Twilight asked. "Not to mention he was knighted by Celestia, Luna, and Cadance for his service!", Spike smiled. That night, Twilight looked at the card Braveheart had given her. She decided in bed to knight him in the next couple of days, it only seemed right, seeing as how the other 3 princesses already had. And for some reason unknown to her, she dreamed about him all that night. > Twilight's Realization > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A couple days later, Twilight found Ponyville hustling about, as if preparing for a party. "Pinkie, what's going on?", she asked. "Oh! We're just going to throw a 'Welcome to Ponyville/We Appreciate What You Do' party for Braveheart! You know, since he came all the way from Brooklyn just to help us! He knew we were constantly having problems with our plumbing! Like last night! He helped Applejack with their sprinklers, Rarity with her sink, Rainbow with her clogged shower, Fluttershy with her bathtub, Me with my sink, and pretty much everyone else in Ponyville!", Pinkie smiled. "I made him a special pair of overalls, just for him! Ahhhh...so rugged and bold!", Rarity sighed dreamily. "Hey! I helped him with Twilight's plumbing! He said I was the best!", Spike boasted. "Oh? Tell me about it.", she cooed, fluttering her eyelashes, signing for him to follow her. "Well, it all started with an enchilada I had for breakfast..." "Yeah...okay! I'm going to see Braveheart!", Twilight said, heading towards the fields. She came to a hill with a door in it, she knocked on it, and sure enough, Braveheart opened it. "Ahh! Lady! What do ya want?", he asked in his Brooklyn accent. "Twilight. My name is Twilight. And I just came to visit.", she lied. "Really? You came to visit me? No ever visits me, they think I'm just some old plumber, who has no need for friends.", Braveheart rambled on, as he invited her in and they sat on a surprisingly comfortable couch made of pipes, "But the truth is, I get lonely! I never got much respect from my mama, or my papa either. Can you imagine how embarrassing it was for them, they were both unicorns, when I was born an earth pony? I hoped that by showing them that, even if I'm just an earth pony, I could still make something of myself. But no, rejection at every turn. So, why are you really here? You can't lie to someone from Brooklyn, we Brooklyns can smell lies." "I came to thank you for fixing my pipes the other day, I'm sorry I didn't call you first. I'm also sorry about your parents.", Twilight sighed. "Hey...no big deal, Lady! That's how everyone learns not to call Trotelli! He takes 3 hours just to stare a clog, and I get the job done in 10 minutes. I suppose you came here to knight me like the other 3 princesses have? Make it quick please, I think they're getting ready to throw me a Welcome/Thanks party out there.", he smiled. "Alright then, I dub thee, Sir Braveheart, for your incredible skills!", she smiled back, there was something about him that made her feel all bubbly, "I'll be going now, it was nice talking to you! And Welcome to Ponyville!" "Thanks, Lady.", the earth pony plumber waved. After her chat with Braveheart, she invited Cadance, who came over right away, to lunch. While they ate she asked, "Cadance? How do you know if...if...you're in love?" Cadance stared at her in surprise before smiling, "Well, first, you dream about him every night..." Twilight had been dreaming about Braveheart for the past two nights since she met him... "Then, you feel all bubbly inside whenever you see him...", Cadance giggled. Twilight had felt that today... "And finally, if the stallion you're in love with calls you by a nickname, he has the same feelings for you!", Cadance grinned. Braveheart constantly called Twilight "Lady", even though he knew her name. "Oh my gosh! I...I...I think I'm in love!", she exclaimed, jumping from her seat, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! What do I do?!" "Twily, calm down...who is your lover boy?", Cadance smiled. "Braveheart...I...I..." "Twilight! It's okay, it's not the end of the world! Just...take him out to a nice Italian restaurant...", she started before getting a confused look from Twilight, "What? Isn't he from Brooklyn? Anyway...just admit your feelings for him, and everything will be a-okay!" "Yes! That's what I'll do! Thanks, Cadance! You're the best!", Twilight smiled, hugging Cadance and leaving her to go find Braveheart. He was on a stage in town square, getting an award from the mayor. "And we are proud to present you, Ponyville's Plumber of the Month plaque! Just so you know, you be getting one every month!", she announced, whispering the last part to Braveheart. Everyone cheered. Braveheart walked up to microphone, "I'm not bragging, I just wanted to ask, does anyone have a really big shelf? I have 33 years worth of trophies sitting in boxes that need to be polished!" Everyone cheered even louder. He then saw Twilight and winked. Twilight smiled back. > Spaghetti with Apple Balls and Horrible Accents > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why Twilight was sitting in Applejack's barn at a candlelight table with Braveheart, waiting to be served spaghetti with apple balls (Doesn't matter how hard you try, nothing is without apple on Sweet Apple Acres!), by Applejack wearing a fake mustache saying, "Mama Mia! Don't-a wor-a-ry! Itsa gonna be a-here a-soon!", all she knew was that she was madly in love with Braveheart. "Um, if you mind my asking, Applejack, what's with the mustache and the horrible accent?", Braveheart asked, for he had never heard such a racket. "Isn't that how ponies from Brooklyn talk? What with the Italian restaurants and all.", she asked. Braveheart just laughed. "What's so funny?" "Ahh...if anyone else besides me were here from Brooklyn, they would tar ya, feather ya, and hang you by your tail on a lamppost till dawn if they saw you doing that.", he smiled, drying his laughing eyes. "Aww, you're just joking...right?" Braveheart smiled before saying, "No." Applebloom finally came, also wearing a fake mustache, with the tray of spaghetti on her back. Applejack presented it to them saying as she left, "Bon Appetite!" "It's Mangia Bene!", Braveheart grinned. "How do you that?", Twilight asked. "My parents are Italian, I'm Italian, so how would I not know?", he smiled, looking into her eyes, and putting his hooves on hers, "Lady, have I ever told you how dazzling your eyes are by candlelight?" "No...I don't believe you have...", Twilight blushed. "And how your mane looks like it combed by an angel?", he grinned. "Oh stop it!", she smiled, blushing like mad as she ate on her side of the plate. (And yes, the "Romantic Spaghetti" cliche is in here, but I won't bother going into detail.) After dinner, they went for a nice moonlit walk around town, Twilight's wing around Braveheart. "Are you doing anything for the next week?", she asked. Braveheart laughed, "Lady! Anything you want! But, in truth, I'm free for the whole week! It's my vacation." "Well, my family is getting ready to go to Hiami Beach for our annual family trip, and I was wondering if you would come, so they can meet you, you already know my sister in law, Princess Cadance.", she replied. "We won't be going anywhere near the water, right?", Braveheart shivered, tensing up. "We will a little, why?", Twilight asked with concern. Braveheart sighed, "Well, Lady, I know this will sound silly, what with my being a plumber and all, but, I'm afraid of water. Because I'm so busy working on ponies' pipes, I hardly notice. But, when there's no pipes for me to fix, it's just me and the water..." "Oh, Braveheart...", Twilight smiled, nuzzling him, "You're my ironic plumber. I promise I'll try and keep you away from the water. Because I love you so much." "Wow, you took that a lot better than I thought you would. So when do you want me to show?", Braveheart sighed with relief, nuzzling her back. "Tomorrow, my family and I will come over to your place and wait for the train to Hiami Beach, you need to have a week's worth of stuff packed, and maybe some bits, just in case.", she answered, kissing his lips. After tasting her lips, Braveheart smiled, "You know, since we're both so serious about this relationship, maybe someday, we could get together and have a couple little drips of our own." "That would be lovely, Braveheart. I've always wanted to have children, I've just been waiting for the right stallion, and I think you're him.", she smiled, pulling him into one final kiss before they their separate ways home. The next morning, Braveheart had just finished packing his luggage, when there was a knock on the door. "That must be them...Lady!", he smiled, as he took her in his arms for a hug. "Braveheart! I hope you're ready!", Twilight exclaimed, kissing him before inviting her family in. "Braveheart, you already know Cadance..." "It's nice to see you again, Braveheart! How have you been doing?", Cadance grinned, sitting on a cot made of pipes. "Just fine, thank you!", he smiled, "Everyone make yourself at home!" "These are my parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet..." "What is it you do again?", Velvet asked coldly. "I'm a plumber, Miss, fixing clogs and leaks since 1983! At the age of two!", he frowned, knowing he had already found an enemy in Velvet. "Oh my gosh! You're THE Braveheart?!", Shining and Night Light exclaimed. "The one and only!", Braveheart smiled, glad he found some fans in Twilight's family. "And that's my brother, Shining Armor, and his and Cadance's daughter, Flurry Heart.", Twilight finished, pointing to Flurry Heart. "Well, we better get to the station, train comes in 5 minutes.", Shining smiled, hauling away their luggage. "Alright, let's go.", Braveheart acknowledged, grabbing his suitcase and a plunger. "I thought you said he was on vacation.", Velvet growled. "Take it easy, Miss! I am on vacation, but I can't tell you how many times this plunger has saved my life! Like the time I fell overboard and climbed back on the ship with this same plunger!", Braveheart snapped. "Oh, I assume you use it to unclog toilets too!", Velvet laughed cruelly. "No, it's too precious for that! We common plumber earth ponies have our prized possessions too, ya know!", Braveheart retorted. And the two of them argued like that all the way to Hiami Beach. > Reunited with Loving Parents > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- They finally made it to Hiami Beach, where it was nice and sunny. As they got off the train, a unicorn came to Braveheart and asked, "Are you Braveheart? The plumber from Ponyville?" "Yes. What do you need?", he asked. "I'm from the EPCG, the Equestrian Plumbing Championship Group, I'm here to congratulate you, and present you with this trophy for "Plumber of the Year"! This your what...number 30?", she smiled, handing him a golden plumber snake on a pedestal with his name inscribed on the bottom, she then left. "Number 34. Thank you!", Braveheart smiled. "Congratulations!", Twilight smiled, nuzzling him. "How does this "Plumber of the Year" thing work? How many pipes you fix?", Velvet groaned. "Well, Miss, it's all about quality and time. And everyone knows that since Trotelli stinks at both of them, I've been winning for the past 34 years. Because I'm all about the quality! The fast comes naturally!", he explained. "So you've really been winning these awards since 2?",Velvet asked, unconvinced. "Actually, according to my parents, they were unicorns, so they always tried to find something about me to brag about since I was such a disappointment, I won my first award at 1, when I threw my rattle at a pipe and put it back in joint, thus, winning my first "Plumber of the Year" award for a job well done under 10 seconds!", he smiled. "Unbelievable!", sighed Velvet. "Well! Let's unpack and look around!", Night smiled. They checked in at a hotel and unpacked, then as Braveheart walked out the door, he accidentally bumped into two unicorns. "Oh! I'm so sorry! Mom...Dad..." "Son! I just want to be the first to say...", started the stallion, with brown fur, black white mane, and a spaghetti sauce cutie mark. "I know...I'm a disappointment.", Braveheart sighed, his head drooping. "No! Bravey Wavey! Your father and I are so sorry for rejecting you for your being an earth pony. But these past few years, we've been so proud of you! Winning the "Plumber of the Year" 34 times in a row! You may not be a unicorn, but you're still our son. And we still love you, Braveheart.", explained the white unicorn mare with the gray mane and a plate of spaghetti for a cutie mark, as she put a hoof on his shoulder. Braveheart had tears in his eyes. "Well what are ya waiting for? An invitation? Come give your old man a hug!", smiled the stallion. Braveheart and his parents embraced in a heartbreaking hug, as Twilight and her family watched on. "So you're really proud of me?", Braveheart asked. "Very. And don't ever think different again, Capsci?", smiled the stallion. "Capsci!", Braveheart smiled back before turning to Twilight, "Lady, this is my father, Arturo Alfredo, and my mother, Mia Alfredo. Mama Mia, Pap Arturo, this is my marefriend, Princess Twilight!" "It's so nice to finally meet you two! You can just call me Twilight.", she smiled, shaking their hooves. "You're such a sweetheart, our dear Braveheart is a lot more charismatic than we thought, if he captured the heart of the Princess of Friendship.", Mia smiled, hugging Twilight. "He was just lucky...", mumbled Velvet. "I'm sorry, mam. Did you have something to say about my son?", glared Arturo, getting protective. "No! Nothing at all!", smiled Velvet, frightened by his stern Italian glare. "So what did you all plan on doing today?", Mia asked, wanting to join the party. "We're going to the beach!", cheered Flurry Heart. "You can come with us if you like!", smiled Night, shaking Arturo's hoof. "It would be a honor! You coming, son?", Arturo grinned. "I'm gonna go into town a bit, I'll catch up later.", Braveheart sighed, heading downtown. Shining was deciding whether he should follow him or not, something was wrong. Braveheart went into a joint called "The Rusty Drain Pipe". He sat at the bar and said, "My usual, Mario!" "Braveheart! I was wondering when you'd stop by!", the bartender, dubbed Mario, handed him a firewater, "What's-a matter Braveheart? I never see you a-this down before!" "Just thinking about how disappointing I am, the world's greatest plumber, afraid of water, do you know how ironic that is?!", he exclaimed. "Hey! It's not as bad as it sounds!", Shining smiled, pulling up a seat next to Braveheart, "A martini, please." Mario handed him a martini and said to Braveheart, "Yeah, he's right! I'm a bartender who's afraid of alcohol!" "And I'm a unicorn who's afraid the dark, we all have our ironies. But that doesn't make us different. Now come on...", Shining grinned, finishing his drink, "Let's go to the beach, Twily's missing you already." "Alright.", Braveheart said, gulping down his jug of firewater before following Shining to the beach. > That Moment Where Everyone Forgets They Have Magic > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shining and Braveheart finally got back to the beach, where everyone but Cadance (Who, like Braveheart wasn't fond of the water!) was in their swimming suits. "Oh! Braveheart! I know you weren't gone for even an hour, but I missed you!", Twilight smiled, running to Braveheart in her dark purple swimming suit, dripping wet as she hugged him. "I missed you too, Lady.", he said, trying not to flinch as the water dripped on him. Shining went to change into his shorts, before Cadance called out from the edge of the water, "Flurry! Come back! Shining help!" Sure enough, Flurry Heart was floating out to sea, on someone's boat, while Arturo, Night, and Shining swam frantically trying to reach her. Velvet glared at Braveheart, while Twilight, Cadance and Mia looked at him, panicking until he said calmly, "I've got this." He pulled his lucky plunger out of his satchel along with some rope, tied it quickly, throwing the plunger with his hoof while he held the free end of the rope in his mouth. "You can't use that confounded plunger for everything! She needs real help!", Velvet shouted, watching the plunger fly through the air, until... KA-POOP! The plunger was stuck to the boat with Flurry in it! Braveheart pulled the rope with all his might, until Flurry was back on shore. When the three stallions got back from the water, Braveheart was holding Flurry in his right hoof, looking very angry, "Do you all see that little bump on your heads? The pointy one in the middle? What does that make you? For most of you, it unicorns, for some, it's alicorns. And what do you do with this self proclaimed 'horn'? You use magic with it! So while you all were running around like a bunch of chickens, you. Could. Have. Used. MAGIC!" Everyone looked at the ground, except Velvet, who was still glaring. Cadance walked up slowly to Braveheart, reaching for Flurry, "Thank You, Braveheart. You were right. I'm sorry, I guess I panicked too much." Braveheart smiled as he rubbed noses with Flurry, before handing her back to Cadance and sighing, "It's alright, Cadance. Just...please think about your capabilities before panicking. Okay? Sorry for getting all hotheaded on you guys like that by the way. But she could've...could've drowned." "It's okay, Braveheart.", she said, before turning to Flurry and smiling, "Now what do you think you should say to Uncle Braveheart?" "Thank you, Uncle Braveheart!", Flurry smiled, hugging his muzzle before Cadance took her to play in the sand. "That was some quick thinking, Braveheart! I could use that in the Royal Guard, how you like to be my lieutenant?", Shining grinned, putting his hoof around Braveheart. "As great as that sounds, I already have a great job as 'The World's Greatest Plumber', I have a reputation to keep! Thanks for asking though!", he replied, nuzzling Twilight. "Why didn't you get in the water?! You're not, scared...are you? Only one way to find out!", Velvet shouted, before smiling evilly and picking up Braveheart with her magic, walking towards the water. Braveheart's eyes widened, and he started kicking and screaming, "Hey! Miss! Put me down! Away from the water!" "Put our son down!", Mia said firmly, never in her life had she been so angry. "Okay then...", she smiled grimly, before tossing him into the water. He struggled, trying to keep his head up, all to no avail, he didn't know how to swim! He quickly sunk below the surface, passing out from exhaustion. "Braveheart!", Twilight shouted. "I'll get him!", Shining exclaimed, jumping in the water, emerging a moment later, carrying Braveheart with his magic, he laid him on the nearest towel, while everyone ran over except Velvet and Night. Velvet was sitting with a content smile on her face as Night Light scolded her. Braveheart started coughing after Arturo pushed on his chest a couple of times, he then sat up and had the rest of the seawater squeezed out of him by Twilight as she hugged him. "Oh Braveheart! I was so worried! Are you okay, sweetie?", she whimpered. "I'm fine, Lady. Just a little traumatized.", he laughed weakly. "Let's get you dried up and ready for bed. You're sleeping with me tonight! So I can keep an eye on you!", Twilight smiled, glaring at her mother as she wrapped a towel Braveheart and walked him to the hotel. Everyone then glared at Velvet as she smiled innocently, "What? I was playing with him!" It was sunset, Twilight sat at the foot of the bed in her pajamas, leaning on Braveheart (Also in his pajamas, along with a sleeping cap!) watching the sunset with him. "I'm sorry about my mom, she likes to do things like that to ponies she hates.", she sighed. "So I noticed!", Braveheart laughed, "You aren't embarrassed about my not being able to swim, are you?" "Oh, Braveheart! Of course not! Nothing you do could ever embarrass me! It's one of those things that make you cute!", she smiled, kissing his lips before getting under the covers, turning her back to him and turning out the lights to say, "Let's get under the covers and go to sleep. It's getting cold, good night sweetie!" "Good night, Lady.", Braveheart grinned, turning his back to her as he got under the covers. > A Wild Little Sister Has Appeared! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning, Arturo and Mia were heading home. "Mama, Papa! You're not going home already, are you?", Braveheart exclaimed when they had told him their plans. "I'm afraid our annual honeymoon is up, Bravey Wavey. But don't worry, we'll come visit. And you'll finally get to meet your little sister, Marianna. Even though she's never met you, you're an idol to her, ha, she keeps going on and on about how she wants to be just like her big brother, The World's Greatest Plumber!", Mia smiled, kissing her son's forehead. "Awww...that's sweet!", Cadance awed. "Looks like you're not the only one with a BBBFF, Twily!", Shining smiled. "Okay then, be sure to visit real soon! And please bring Marianna! I want to meet her!", Braveheart grinned, hugging his parents. "Hey! Let me out! I'm not leaving till I get to see Braveheart!", piped a little voice from inside the coach behind them. "Oh dear...", sighed Arturo, opening the door, to reveal a little filly who was almost the spitting image of Braveheart, except being a female unicorn. "Marianna Ravioli Alfredo! What are you doing here?", Mia demanded, "You were supposed to be at home!" "I know, Mama, but I really wanted to see Braveheart! So I ran away, took my allowance, and bought me a ticket here, to follow you guys to find Braveheart, and...Braveheart?", Marianna explained, gasping when she saw Braveheart. She walked up to him, examining him until she asked, "Where's your horn?" "I don't have one.", Braveheart sighed. "You're an earth pony? That makes you twice as cool! You're The World's Greatest Plumber, without using magic! Mama, Papa? Can I stay with Braveheart? I promise I'll be good! Pretty please!", she begged. "Well, I should take you home and ground you, but I think I'll let Braveheart decide. What do you say, son?" Braveheart thought about this a second before looking down at Marianna, those eyes, they looked at him with hope and admiration. They wanted to be accepted as the eyes that belong to his little sister, he just couldn't say no, not when she was clinging to like she was. "Of course she can stay with me. I would love to spend time with my little sister!", he smiled, grabbing Marianna and giving her a hug. "Yay! I get to stay with Braveheart! I get to stay with Braveheart!", Marianna cheered, dancing around Braveheart, "You're the best brother ever!" After their parents left, they had already made up a sibling hoofshake, just for the two of them. Then Marianna saw Twilight and Cadance. "Wow! Real Princesses!", she exclaimed while bowing. "That won't be necessary, right now, we just normal ponies.", Twilight smiled, nuzzling Braveheart. "About as normal as you'll ever be with that stubby little horn and those freakishly long wings...", Braveheart chuckled, before Twilight smacked him playfully and started nuzzling him again, giggling. "Are you like Braveheart's marefriend or something?", Marianna asked curiously. "As a matter of fact, she is! So be polite, please.", Braveheart smiled. "I will big brother!", Marianna promised, wrapping her hooves around his neck. "Great...now not only do I have to put up with a filthy plumber, but now his kiss flank sister...", Velvet mumbled. "What are you saying about my sister?", he growled. "Nothing! Nothing!", she quickly replied. Come on Braveheart, Marianna, I know this great restaurant we can have breakfast at! Anyone else coming?", Twilight proposed, wrapping her wings around Braveheart and Marianna. "We'll come!", Cadance smiled, holding Flurry Heart. Night and Velvet stayed behind at the hotel, much to everyone's relief. > Old Plumb Chums > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- They finally made it to the restaurant where they would have breakfast, The Italian Toaster. Not that the only thing that they served there was toast, it was just a popular menu item. "Here, I'll buy!", Braveheart smiled as they walked in. "Hey, you don't have to do that Braveheart, we'll buy.", Shining retorted. "Nah it'll be fine! Besides, I owe you one for saving me.", he declared. They walked up to the counter, the chef looked at them from the kitchen before running to them and embracing Braveheart, saying, "Braveheart! My old friend! So good to see you again! It's not time for Plumber-Con already, is it?", asked the chef. "No, Luigi. I'm just here on vacation with my marefriend and her family. And we're here to have breakfast! What do you have for us?", Braveheart smiled, having Twilight nuzzling him, she constantly wanted to cuddle with him. "Oh! I have a very something special for you! On the house! Ey, Alfonso! Get me two Triple Chocolate Lovers Delights! Rapido! Here! Let me get you a seat!", Luigi grinned, taking them to a table for 6. "Wow! You must know everyone in this city, Braveheart!", Marianna exclaimed, proud of having him for a big brother. "I should, I saved the city from a tsunami 5 years ago! Along with a few friends of mine!", Braveheart smiled as a waiter brought them two 3 ft glasses filled to the brim with a chocolate sundae, three straws sticking out of each one. Braveheart, Marianna, and Twilight shared one, while Shining, Flurry, and Cadance shared one. "So how did you save Hiami?", Cadance asked, already hooked on the tale, "I hear that was the worst tsunami in the history of Equestria!" "Well..." "Well, it started when Braveheart came up with the great idea of building a enormous containment center for the floodwaters, which would drain from the trench we dug around the city before it got here! It may not have stopped the wind, but Braveheart saved us a whole heck lotta mess by thinking that up!", smiled a blue pegasus with a brown mane, and a toilet paper roll for a cutie mark. "Susie! Everyone! This is Susie Lava Tory! One of 3 plumbers who helped saved Hiami!", Braveheart said, introducing the plumber to them as she pulled up a chair. "Well, gosh, Braveheart! In all these years I've known you, I never knew you had yourself a wife and kid!", she exclaimed, making Twilight blush. "Braveheart laughed, "No, Susie! That's my little sister, Marianna. And that's my marefriend, Twilight!" "It's nice to meet you, Twilight! Boy, your sister is sure a cutie!", Susie grinned, as a griffon walked up. "Braveheart! Never thought I'd see you around here till September! Vacation?", he asked. "Reggie! Yeah, I'm on vacation. This Reginald Loo! Another one of the 3 plumber legends who saved Hiami!", Braveheart smiled. "I wouldn't go so far as to call ourselves legendary...", Reggie started. "Are you kidding me, Reggie! We have a statue in town square!", Susie interrupted. "Wow! My big brother has a statue?", Marianna exclaimed. "He sure does! That's Braveheart for you though, he's great at his job, but has trouble taking credit for it!", Susie laughed. "Well I didn't do it all by myself! You guys helped me!", Braveheart insisted, "All I did was supervise and install the pipes, you guys did the brunt of the work! And besides...you know I'm terrified of water!" "That maybe so, Braveheart, but if you hadn't thought of that, we all would've been soaking wet!", retorted a yellow unicorn, with a black mane, and a plumber snake for a cutie mark. "Laura Latrine! I was wondering when you would show!", Reggie smiled. "Yeah! I heard Braveheart was in town, I just had to visit!", Laura grinned. And they sat there talking until the were done with breakfast. "Can we go see the statue? Can we?", Marianna asked excitedly. "I don't see why not!", Twilight smiled, nuzzling Braveheart, "I would love to see my hero in stone!" So they walked out of the restaurant, followed by Susie, Reggie, and Laura. > Twilight Velvet: Psychopath for Hire > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When they got to town square, they saw big bronze statues of Laura, Reggie, Susie, and in the middle, Braveheart. "You know, I guess I never really looked closely at these statues...", Twilight said, still nuzzling Braveheart. "Easy, Lady! You'll be burning a hole in my fur if you keep nuzzling me like that!", Braveheart laughed. Twilight pulled away, looking a little hurt, "O...Okay." Braveheart saw what he had done and quickly said, "Not to mention, it's my turn now!", as he started nuzzling her, making her sigh with content. "Oh, Braveheart. I love you. Do you know why?", she asked, nuzzling him back. "Because I'm...I...uh...no. You never have told me. Why?", he asked. "Because, you care more about how I feel, than how you feel. You always try to cheer me up when I'm down, you always ask how I'm doing. That is #1 in my list of most lovable qualities about you.", Twilight smiled. "Wow, Spike wasn't kidding when he said you make a list for everything! Not to be nosy, but what are the last two in your top 3?", Braveheart laughed, kissing her forehead. "Well, #2: Is the way your mustache feels against my face. It's silky smooth, I just love when you kiss me because of it. And #3 would be the fact that you love me purely for WHO I am, not WHAT I am.", she sighed contentedly as Braveheart held her close. "Oh, Lady! It doesn't matter whether you're a princess, a pauper, or a plumber like me! I still love you for YOU.", he smiled, kissing her. "Ooh! Can I get my picture taken by the statues?", Marianna asked. "Sure! I have my camera right here!", Cadance smiled, leaving Twilight and Braveheart to their selves. After Marianna got her picture taken next to the statues, standing specifically close to Braveheart's statue, Braveheart's friends left, and they went back to the hotel. "Oh! Back so soon? I expected you to elope with my daughter and run away.", Velvet smiled, it was a psychotic grin. Braveheart took a step back and whispered to Twilight, "No offense, but I might have turned your mom into a psychopath!" Twilight sighed and said, "Don't worry, she's always been like that when stallions try to hit on me." "Honey...let's just forget about that...because it's time for lunch! Who's hungry? I'm getting ready to order room service!", Night said, trying to keep his wife under control. "I'd like to break every breadstick in your body, Braveheart...And then, I'll pull every string of spaghetti out of your little head...", Velvet smiled, rubbing Braveheart's mane, "And then..." "Mom! No!", Twilight shouted, pushing her away and getting a tight grip on Braveheart, "You're not going to hurt him! He's my special somepony! And someday we're going to get married and have kids together!" "Mom. You need to leave him alone, Braveheart's a good pony. He would never hurt Twily!", Shining said firmly, standing between his mother and sister and Braveheart. "But...he's...a filthy plumber! He's not fit for a princess! Especially when that princess, is my daughter!", Velvet roared, shoving him out of the way and lunging at Braveheart. The two of them went tumbling around, Velvet cursing him the entire time, so that Cadance had to cover Marianna and Flurry Heart's ears. Twilight used her magic to separate them, Velvet had only a couple of bruises, but Braveheart had his left foreleg broken, a bloody nose, teeth marks on his ears, and a black eye. "Oh my gosh! Braveheart!", she gasped, holding him in her arms. "Here, let me help you clean him up.", Cadance said, concern showing in her eyes. "You're mean, Miss! Hurting my brother like that!", Marianna shouted at Velvet. Velvet snarled back, making Marianna hide behind Shining, "You're just lucky I haven't hurt you!" Night sighed, getting up and taking Velvet, "I really didn't want to do this, but it looks like I'm going to have to..." "Where are we going, DEAR?", she asked, laughing like a maniac. "To that hotel with the cushioned walls and the barred windows...", Night sighed. "Ooooh! I love that place! BUT...", she smiled, before glaring at Shining, "Tell your sister that she is no longer my daughter! I am disowning her! As for Braveheart...I'll find him! Make him wish he never met Twilight, when I spill his tomato sauce everywhere!" The door slammed shut. Shining was frightened. Very frightened. > Recovery > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After they left, Marianna looked at Shining and asked with a shiver, "Did she really mean that....about......ki.....kill....ing....Braveheart?" Shining put his arm around her and sighed, "I don't know....but don't worry. I won't let her get him. I promise." "Thank you, Shining!", she smiled, throwing her arms around his neck. Cadance came into the room with Flurry, "Well, he's banged up pretty bad, but he'll be fine. Where are your parents?" "Dad is taking Mom to the asylum. Where she won't be able to hurt Braveheart.", Shining said. "Speaking of Braveheart, come look at this!", Cadance said, grinning from ear to ear. They stood in the doorway to Twilight and Braveheart's room and watched as Twilight was kissing her unconscious plumber good night and curled up next to him before dozing off for a nap. Their snores in perfect sync. "Aren't they adorable?", Cadance asked, making Twilight jump. Twilight saw them and patted a spot next to her and motioned for Marianna to join her. Marianna climbed onto the bed and curled up with Twilight, their snoring getting back in time with Braveheart's. "Awww.....cuteness overload!", Shining squealed as they went back to the living room. After ordering a lot of food, and half a hour for it to get ready, Shining set the table, and Cadance played with Flurry. Braveheart limped out along with Twilight, who was beside him every step of the way, stuttering, "Oh! Be careful! Watch your step! Oh! Are you sure you don't want me to carry you? I can use my magic...." "I'll be...agh!.....fine, Lady.", he replied, while grunting in pain, he took a seat at the table, Marianna sitting to his left, and Twilight to his right, nuzzling him. After Velvet was taken to the asylum, the rest of their vacation went very well, and Braveheart and Twilight made a quick stop at Brooklyn to drop off Marianna, before they returned to Ponyville. Braveheart went back to his house in the hill, much against Twilight's will. She was now getting a little more protective of him since that last event. "Gosh, Twilight! Sounds like your ma had a breakdown! Is Braveheart okay?", Applejack asked, after Twilight told her and the others about her vacation. "Braveheart's fine. But I'm still a little worried....", she sighed. "Oh, Twilight! I see you've developed feelings for him, haven't you? Well, in case you were wondering.....I saw him first! No fair!", Rarity smiled, before screaming. "Rarity, me and Braveheart are dating!" "Yeah, Rarity! Back it up a bit! Let Twilight have a chance! She's never had a stallion hit on her in her entire life! Right, Twi?", Rainbow asked. "Never.......Braveheart makes me feel.....special....", Twilight sighed dreamily. Braveheart, his leg in a cast, came up with a picnic basket and asked, "Hey, Lady! I just finished fixing Roseluck's water sprinklers, and I was wondering if you would like to join me on a picnic. Would you?" She smiled and nuzzled him, "Of course I would, My Ironic Plumber...." And her friends watched as they walked off, Pinkie laughing, "You see that, Dai? They're such a cute couple!" (Shut up, Pinkie!) > Twilight takes Braveheart's Job > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Braveheart and Twilight found a nice, shady spot on the hill next to Fluttershy's cottage. Twilight spread out the blanket, while Braveheart put the basket down and started unpacking it. "What'd you bring?", Twilight asked. "Well, I brought you your favorite, daffodil sandwich, and for me, a spaghetti sandwich with tomato sauce, and for desert, I made this sweet cherry pie with pineapple gelato!", Braveheart smiled, handing her a wrapped parcel. While they were eating, Twilight said, "Braveheart....on the way home, I made this list. I want you to read it aloud and tell me what you think...." After Braveheart took the list, he read it out loud, "Drippy, Droppy, Leaky, Splasher, Clogger, and Drainiana. Sounds like a bunch of foal names.....ohhhh......." "Well? What do you think?", she asked. "Well, I like them. They're actually really clever, at least since you're a librarian, our little drips will be smart like you are. They'd never get that from me.", he smiled. Twilight started nuzzling him, "Oh, Braveheart! You're smart too! You probably know more about plumbing than any book in a library would teach me!" "You really mean it?", he asked. "I know so! Mmmmm! This stuff is good!", she grinned, as she ate her slice of cherry pie with a blob of gelato on top, "You really made this yourself?" "It was a recipe my mamma gave me before they left for Brooklyn.", he smiled. After their picnic, they packed up and headed back for Ponyville. Mrs. Cake came up with panic in her eyes, "Oh, Braveheart you have to help us! Our sink is clogged! And we can't wash any of the dishes!" Braveheart sighed, "I don't know....Nurse Redheart's gonna kill me if I get my cast wet one more time...." Twilight exclaimed, "You won't have to get your cast wet! You can give me directions and I'll fix the sink!" "I don't know....I don't want you hurting yourself....I got a nasty welt on my head once....", Braveheart said with worry. "Come on! Let's go!", she said determinedly. When they got there, Twilight took Braveheart's tool box and opened the cabinet under the sink, "Alright! What first?" "You turned off the water, right?", he asked, turning to Mrs. Cake. "Oh yes! It was the first thing we did!", she replied. "Okay, take the wrench and take out that middle pipe!", he began. Twilight used her magic to unscrew the pipe with the wrench and taking it out and smiling, "Done!" "Good, now check for anything in the pipes.", he grinned. Twilight looked in all the pipes before exclaiming, "I found it!", as she pulled out a cupcake. She had gotten dirty. Mrs. Cake could only say one thing. "PINKIE!!!!" > Marianna's Apprenticeship > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight and Braveheart were on their way to Twilight's place from Sugarcube Corner, after Twilight had gotten soaked and dirty while unclogging the sink. "Did you have anything planned today, Braveheart?", Twilight asked, nuzzling him. Braveheart replied, "Well, no, not really. Why?" "I was thinking after I got cleaned up, we could cuddle up with a good book!", she answered. "I could go for that!", he smiled, as he sat on the couch next to Spike, while Twilight went to take a bath. Spike was looking depressed. Braveheart put his hoof around him and asked, "Hey! What's wrong kid? You can tell me what's bothering ya." Spike sighed, "It's Rarity. I can't get her to notice me. It's like I'm not even there. I want to tell her how I feel.....but I'm afraid of what she'll say....." "Oh, don't mind about that! There's an old plumber saying that goes, 'You'll never know how deep the water in the basement is until you jump in.'", Braveheart smiled. Spike looked at him in confusion. "It means you won't know what she'll say until you try. Do that for me, will ya? Go ahead! No fear! You're a dragon! Dragons have no fear!", Braveheart grinned, slapping Spike's back. Spike felt a surge of courage, "You're right! I'm going walk into that boutique, and tell her I love her! Thanks, Braveheart.", he smiled, hugging him before he left. "Anytime, kid.", Braveheart replied. Twilight came over to the couch with a book, her mane was still a little damp, but was super soft. "Hey......", Braveheart said, examining the book, "Don't think I've seen this one before....." It was a red hardback book with a gold heart on the front, and gold lacing around it. Twilight blushed, snuggling up to Braveheart, "It's a little something I was working on while on vacation....thought I'd try my hand at writing....." She started to read it out loud, Once upon a time, there was a lonely princess. She thought she had everything she could ever want. Friends, family, a home. But she felt like she was missing something... Then one day, a scruffy, kind hearted plumber came and fixed her plumbing. Where everyone else had given up very quickly, he worked relentlessly, the sweat beaded on his forehead like dew on the grass. It was then that the princess realized that what she had been missing all along was a lover and that she was in love with the plumber.....but a princess? In love with a plumber? Would it work? After turning the page to find the rest of the book blank, Twilight smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, I'm not quite finished with it yet...." Braveheart grinned, "That was pretty good. I like where you got the inspiration.....now how about we cuddle and fall asleep in each other's arms like them ponies do in those other romance novels?" "I wouldn't have it any other way.", Twilight blushed, wrapping her arms around her plumber. Braveheart wrapped his arms around her, and they both fell asleep. A couple of hours later, they were awakened by the slamming of the door. They turned to find Spike skipping and dancing for joy. "What did she say?", Braveheart grinned, knowing full well what Rarity had said. "Well, I asked her if she wanted to go out with me next weekend, and she said yes!", Spike exclaimed. Twilight beamed, "That's great, Spike! I'm so happy for you!" "Oh, and Derpy had a letter for you!", Spike said, handing Braveheart a letter. Braveheart opened the letter, it said: Dear Braveheart, We decided that Marianna is old enough to begin her apprenticeship to you, please teach her everything you know about the art of plumbing. She looks up to you so much, so try to not disappoint her. We'll send her over on Monday, please wait at the train station for her. Love, Mama and Papa "Wait....today is Monday.....", Twilight said. "Oh No! I better get going!", Braveheart exclaimed, his cast making it hard for him to hurry. "No, Braveheart. I'll go pick her up.", Twilight smiled, using her magic to pick him up and put him back on the couch. "But.....", Braveheart stuttered, Twilight putting her hoof on his lips. "It's okay......I can handle it. You need to rest.", she grinned, kissing his lips before she left. When she got to the train station, she found Marianna sitting on a bench with a suitcase. She looked up and ran towards her with a hug, beaming, "Twilight! Where's Braveheart? Is he still resting?" Twilight hugged her back and smiled, "Yes, Marianna. He's resting at my place, you won't mind staying the night there, will you?" "Wow! I get to spend the night in a castle! Wait till Mama and Papa hear about this!", Marianna grinned excitedly. So Twilight and Marianna walked back to the castle, and found Braveheart telling Spike stories about his plumbing adventures. "Braveheart!!", Marianna exclaimed, charging her brother with a hug, "I'm sooooo happy to see you again!!! I'm going to be the world's greatest plumber, just like you!" "It's good to see you too, Marianna. Just a couple more days and I'll be out of this cast, then we'll get to it, okay?", Braveheart smiled, ruffling her mane. And so Twilight, Marianna, Spike, and Braveheart all cuddled up and read stories for the rest of the day. > Marianna's Job > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A week later, Braveheart was in his bed, in his house, in the hill. It was Saturday. Then all of a sudden, he had a little filly jump on him, nuzzling him. "Cmon, Braveheart!!! You promised to teach me how to use a plumber snake today!!!", Marianna exclaimed, jumping up and down. Braveheart snored, "Just 5 more minutes, Marianna.....it's Saturday. Don't you wanna sleep in?" "No way! When your on a quest to become the world's greatest plumber, there's no time for sleeping in!!", she beamed. "Please, Marianna. I'm tired. Just 5 more minutes....." "Twilight!! He won't get up!!", she shouted towards the kitchen. Twilight came into the bedroom and smiled, "I have breakfast ready, Marianna! You can go eat, I'll get Braveheart out of bed." She then got in bed with him and started nuzzling him as he asked, "What were you doing in my kitchen?" "I was making you two breakfast. You'll need help with Marianna, she's quite the handful.", she answered, kissing his forehead. "I love you, Twilight.", he smiled, kissing her forehead and getting out of bed. "I love you too, Braveheart.", Twilight grinned, leaving the room so he could get dressed. Braveheart finally got to the table, just as Twilight set a plate of heart shaped pancakes in front of him. "So, what are we doing today?", Marianna asked. "After I finish breakfast, we'll go over to Rarity's and fix her sink. Today you'll be learning how to use a plumber snake and how to unclog a sink!", he smiled. "Really? I thought that would be the first thing you taught her....what did you teach her first?", Twilight asked, a little puzzled. "Safety rules of plumbing. That was the first thing I learned.", Braveheart replied, kissing her forehead. "Who taught you to become the world's greatest plumber?", Marianna asked. "Giovanni La Dranica! The Father of Modern Plumbing!", Braveheart beamed. Marianna gasped, "THE Giovanni La Dranica!!?? He taught you?" "He taught me everything he knew, right before he passed away from old age. And now, I hold all his secrets in my heads.", he smiled, ruffling her mane, he finished his breakfast, "Okay, go get ready, I'll do dishes." And so when Marianna came out of her bedroom, she was wearing a green and blue coveralls, with a little green cap. "I'm ready, Braveheart! Let's go!", she beamed. Braveheart was in a red and blue coveralls, with a red cap, carrying a toolbox, "Okay, let's go!" "I'll be going back to the library, you two be careful, okay?", Twilight declared, kissing both of their foreheads before leaving. As soon as they got to Rarity's, Braveheart hadn't even knocked on the door when Rarity swung it open. "Oh, Braveheart! My sink is clogged! And I really didn't want to call Trotelli! I'm so glad you could come!", Rarity exclaimed, before she saw Marianna, "I don't believe we've met before....are you his daughter?" "No, I'm his little sister! Marianna! Braveheart's training me to become the world's greatest plumber! Just like him!", Marianna smiled, saluting her. "Oh! Of course! I remember Twilight telling us about you! You so adorable!", Rarity said with a tone of realization. "Rarity, where's the sink?", Braveheart asked. "It's in here! I'll leave you two to it! If you need anything, I'll be in here!", she replied, leading them to the bathroom and leaving them. "Ok, Marianna! What's the first thing you do?", Braveheart asked, immediately testing his little sister. "You......shut off the water!!!", she beamed, running outside to turn off the water. When she came back, her brother asked, "Did you tell Rarity that you shut the water off?" "Yes, sir! Now what?", Marianna grinned. "Now! I'm going to take out this pipe, and you'll take this plumber snake, push it in and out of the sink until you push whatever is clogging it out. Okay?", he smiled. "Okay!", she replied, getting on a stool and grabbing the plumber snake. Half an hour later, Marianna managed to push a small bar of soap out of the pipe, "I did it!!!" "Good job! Now, can you put this pipe back on while I go tell Rarity we're done?", Braveheart asked, patting her on the back. "I sure can!!", Marianna smiled, grabbing the wrench and putting the pipe back in. After they got the job done, they went home, and found Twilight and Spike making lunch. "Good Afternoon, Honey! I hope you and Marianna had a good time!", Twilight grinned, kissing his cheek. "I unclogged the sink, Twilight!", Marianna cheered, hugging the purple alicorn. "Really? That's great! I'm so proud of you!", she beamed, hugging the little unicorn filly back. "So Spike...before we left, Rarity told me she really enjoyed her date with you last week. Where'd you take her?", Braveheart asked. "I took her to the Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, just like you suggested! Then, I took her for a ride in one of those.....umm....." "Gondola?" "Yeah! Gondola! She said it was the most romantic date she ever had!", Spike beamed. "Well, I've got lunch ready! How about we eat!", Twilight smiled. "Okay, I'm getting kinda hungry.", Braveheart grinned, kissing Twilight. And so they began lunch. > Applejack: Plumber Confindent > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- While they were eating salad and daisy sandwiches for lunch, Marianna asked Twilight a question. "Hey, Twilight, when you were a filly, did you want to be a princess when you grew up?", she asked. "Well....not exactly.....I actually wanted to be a librarian. But I guess I ended up being both!", Twilight answered. Braveheart smiled, "So....are you doing anything tonight?" "No, did want to go do something?", she asked, batting her eyelashes. "Well I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner tonight...", he replied. "I'd love to, but who'll watch Marianna?", Twilight asked. "I can watch, Marianna, Twilight!", Spike grinned. "Are you sure you two will be alright by yourselves? I think I'll have Rarity keep an eye on both of you. How's that?", she replied. "Yes! Of course! I'd....I mean....we'd like that!", Spike exclaimed, happy to have Rarity over. Braveheart then looked to Marianna, "Are you okay with this?" Marianna replied in what sounded like a mix between Princess Peach (I don't own Mario!) and a mafia member, "Sure, Boss! Take your girl to a night on the town! We'll be okay, capsci?" Her brother smiled, "Capsci!" After they finished lunch, Applejack came in. "Hey, Braveheart? I was wondering if you could come over and do a check up on our sprinklers? We won't be having any rain next week, so I want our sprinklers in top condition before then. Can you do that?", Applejack asked. "Sure we can, Miss Applejack!", Marianna smiled, saluting Applejack. "We'll come right over! Sorry to eat and run, Twily....", Braveheart replied before sighing. "It's okay, Braveheart. You can make it up to me tonight!", Twilight grinned. Spike grinned, "See you guys later!" So Braveheart grabbed the toolbox and left with Marianna and Applejack. They got to Sweet Apple Acres, and Winona greeted, making everyone laugh when she licked Braveheart. "Okay, Winona! Let's leave them to their business! You two take your time! We got some lemonade inside when you get thirsty!", Applejack beamed, Winona following her as she left. "So what are we doing here, Braveheart?", Marianna asked. "Well, we're going to go around and check the sprinkler system for damage. Then we'll give it a little tune-up! It should be good after that!", her brother smiled. They walked around the orchard, checking for leaks, then they tweaked it a bit, so as to make it perfect. "I brought you two some lemonade and a couple of tarts, as a thank you!", Applejack smiled. "Thanks, Miss Applejack!", Marianna beamed, digging into her tart and lemonade. Applejack then turned to Braveheart, "Did you get it? The thing for Twilight?" "I did! Here, tell me what you think!", Braveheart grinned, pulling a box out of his pocket, showing her a ring. The ring was made of gold, having a purple gemstone shaped like a heart in the middle. "Do you think she'll like it?", he asked. Applejack gasped, "Braveheart! My stars! Where'd you get that? It's beautiful!" Braveheart smiled, "The gold was mined from the very heart of Yakistan! And the gemstone, I had Cadance do me a little favor and get me a gemstone, specially carved, straight from the Crystal Empire!" "Wow! That all sounds mighty expensive! How'd you pay for it?", she asked. "I actually didn't know how I was going to pay for that, let alone a plain gold one, but it was Celestia and Luna who insisted on getting me that ring. So I owe them big time!", he answered. "I think she'll love it! You know she's been waiting for you to pop the question. Does anyone else know?", Applejack asked. "Nope. You're the only one. I can trust you to not tell her. I know Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie would burst, and Fluttershy wasn't even home.", Braveheart replied. "You're going to propose to Twilight?!?", Marianna exclaimed. "Yes, but you can't tell ANYONE. Okay?", he smiled, ruffling her mane. "I promise, big brother!", she beamed. "Well, you better get going! Don't want to keep Twilight waiting! Thanks again, Braveheart and Marianna!", Applejack smiled, sending them off. "Okay, thanks for the tarts, Miss Applejack!", Marianna grinned, following Braveheart. That night, at the cafe, Braveheart, in his white tuxedo, and Twilight, in her purple sparkly dress, sat at a table, finishing their meals. "Oh, Braveheart.....it's so nice to spend time with you.....", Twilight sighed dreamily, nuzzling him. Braveheart reached for the box in his pocket, "Lady....I've been meaning to ask you something..." "Yes, My Ironic Plumber?", she asked. It was the big moment. "Will you marry me?" > Answers > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight felt like a little filly again, when Braveheart asked her that question. She started jumping around, chanting, "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!", she finally got a hold of herself and said, "Oh, Braveheart! I thought you'd never ask!! Where'd you get this ring?" Braveheart smiled, winking at three alicorns wearing very big trench coats sitting at a table behind Twilight, "Oh....I have my ways, Lady..." "Oh Braveheart! We're going to be so happy together!!! And I'll finally get to be a mother....and a grandmother! Oh Braveheart!! This is the best day of my life!!!", she cheered, kissing him. "Well, Lady. I'm happy you said yes. We better start planning our wedding!", Braveheart smiled, nuzzling her. Twilight gasped, before running back to her house, "Of course! I better write to Cadance and let her know! And the rest of the family! Make sure you do the same and tell your family!" "Okay, I will!!", he grinned before turning to the princesses, "Thanks, guys! You're the best!" "Anytime, Braveheart!", Cadance beamed. "Yes, Braveheart, you're welcome. But we must also thank you for making our Twilight Sparkle happy.", Luna smiled. "Well then, you're welcome. I better get back, Marianna will be waiting.", he grinned, leaving them to go home. Back at the castle, Twilight was telling her friends all about Braveheart proposing to her. "Oh, darling! Congratulations!", Rarity exclaimed, hugging Twilight. "Wow!! He finally did it! This calls for a party!!!", Pinkie shouted. Applejack smiled, "Easy now, Pinkie! You can throw a party AFTER the wedding! I'm happy for you, Twilight!" "Yeah! That's awesome! Nice one, Twilight!", Dashie exclaimed. "Maybe you two can have children of your own.", Fluttershy said quietly, hugging her tightly. "I know! I'm so happy!! We already have names picked out! Drippy, Droppy, Leaky, Splasher, Clogger, and Drainiana!", Twilight cried, she was so happy, tears were streaming down her face. "Twilight, darling...don't you think it's a bit early to start thinking about children?", Rarity asked. Spike came in, "Aww....leave her alone. She's happy." Rarity smiled, "I guess you're right, Spikey Wikey! As long as she's happy!" "Have you told your family about it yet?", Dashie asked. "Yeah, Shining Armor and Cadance were excited. Dad was excited as well. I don't think Mom isn't going to be too happy though.", Twilight said, sighing at the last part. "Hey......it doesn't matter whether or not she's happy, Twi. As long you're happy, nothing that your mom or anyone else says matters, okay?", Starlight said, putting her hoof on her shoulder. "Yeah, I guess you're right, well I better get to bed. I have a busy day tomorrow, planning our wedding and all. Good night, girls!", she said, cheering up instantly. Good night, Mrs. Braveheart! Good Night, Starlight!", they giggled as they left. "Did you see that ring? I wonder where he got it....", Rarity pondered. "Well, he said the gem was from the Crystal Empire, and the Gold was from Yakistan.", Applejack answered. "Wait....so you knew about this the whole time? Why didn't he tell any of us?", Dashie exclaimed, obviously offended. "I'm sure he had his reasons, Rainbow.", Rarity said, trying to calm Dashie, "You, me, and Pinkie are quite the gossipers. And Fluttershy and Starlight weren't even home this week. So Applejack was the only one he could trust." Rainbow thought about this for a minute, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense....." And so all of them went home. Meanwhile at Braveheart's, he was tucking Marianna into bed. "Did she say yes, big brother?", she asked, as he kissed her forehead. Braveheart covered her up and replied, "She did. Now you better get some sleep. We have work to do tomorrow!" Marianna smiled, "Are you going to have kids?" "We plan on it, which means you'll be an aunt. Good night, Marianna!", he grinned. "Yes!! I'll be an aunt!! Good night, Braveheart!! I'm so happy for you, big brother.", she yawned, nodding off to sleep. "Thank you, Marianna. Thank you, little sister.", Braveheart smiled, as he started writing a letter to his parents. > Braveheart's Side of the Family > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next week, Twilight and Braveheart already had their wedding planned, now they were just counting down the days. They both agreed that it would be a simple one, inviting friends and family. Today, they were snuggling together outside, while Spike and Marianna were playing in the leaves. "Oh, Braveheart....I am probably the happiest mare in Equestria right now. Only 3 more months and we'll be married!! Not to mention, our wedding will be so beautiful in the winter!", Twilight sighed, nuzzling Braveheart. "Yeah.....sometimes I wonder how I wound up with someone as beautiful as you, Lady.", Braveheart grinned kissing her forehead. Marianna and Spike ran up to them. "Braveheart, look! Mama and Papa are here!! And they brought Grandmama Rosalina!! And Cousin Mario! Cousin Luigi! Uncle Marco and Aunt Alessandra!!! The Whole family!!!", Marianna exclaimed, pointing to a large crowd of ponies, an assortment of earth ponies, unicorn, and pegasai, heading in their direction, being led by Arturo and Mia. "Braveheart!! I didn't know your family was so big!!! Are they all related??", Twilight asked, taken by surprise. "Yep, about half of them from Italy, a couple of them live here in Ponyville, and the rest are scattered throughout Equestria!", Braveheart smiled, hugging Arturo and Mia as they came up. "Oh, Braveheart! We're so proud of you!! You found your special somepony!!", Mia exclaimed, hugging her son tightly, letting loose a few tears. "My boy! Getting married!! I better see some grandkids from this!!", Arturo laughed, hugging Twilight. "Don't worry, Mr. Arturo! We planned on it!", smiled Twilight. "Please, call me Papa! We better introduce you to the rest of the family, they're eager to meet Braveheart's Princess Bride!", Arturo grinned. Twilight raised a brow at Braveheart and smiled, "Did you have to tell them I was a princess?" Braveheart smiled sheepishly, "Grandmama would have box my ears if I left out any details! Speaking of which, let's meet her! She's from Italy!" He led her to an old, blind unicorn, wearing shades. "Grandmama may be blind, but she can hear a pin drop within a 5 mile radius!", Braveheart explained, as Twilight examined the old white unicorn, with white mane and tail, and a gondola for a cutie mark. The old unicorn asked in an old wise voice, "Is this my grandson?" Braveheart replied, taking her hoof and putting it on Twilight's face, "Yes, Grandmama. It is I. This is my bride to be, Princess Twilight." Grandmama felt around Twilight's face before smiling, "Itsa so nice to meet you, Princess. I see my grandson's charm is a lot more charismatic than I thought if he has captured your heart. Back in the old country, they called me Rosalina, but you may call me Grandmama." Twilight replied, "It's quite an honor meeting you, Grandmama. I see you're quite the poet." "Sí, I used to write plays under the name Rosa Linda. An educated mare like yourself has probably heard of me.", Grandmama beamed. Twilight gasped, "Oh my gosh!! You're the Rosa Linda?!? I'm talking to my grandmother in law, who is Rosa Linda!!!" Braveheart laughed, "Let's go meet Cousin Mario and Cousin Luigi!" "Ahh! Braveheart!! So this is where you've been staying! It's a nice place you've got here!!", Mario exclaimed, examining the house in the hill. "Thanks, Mario. Lady, this is my cousin Mario. He works as a bartender in Hiami. Mario, this is Twilight.", Braveheart said, introducing them to each other. "Yeah, Braveheart was telling how great you were. And how he was so lucky to have ended up with you! It's such a pleasure to meet you, ma'am!", he grinned, bowing. "It's nice to meet you too, Mario.", she smiled, bowing back. "And you remember Luigi from that restaurant in Hiami...." "Of course! It's nice to see you again, Luigi!", Twilight beamed, shaking his hoof. "Yes, it's a pleasure seeing you as well. And don't worry! I will personally be baking the wedding cake! It will be the most beautiful thing I have ever created! Bellissimo!", Luigi exclaimed, smiling with pride. "Aww...thanks, Luigi!", she grinned. "And you probably already know Cousin Bon Bon....", Braveheart said. "Twilight!! I'm so happy for you!!", Bon Bon beamed, hugging Twilight. "Bon Bon? You're related to Braveheart?", Twilight asked in shock. "Of course! You don't think I learned how to make such great candy in Ponyville, do you? Not to mention, me and Cousin Octavia were thrilled when we found out Braveheart was moving to Ponyville! We hung out a lot as kids, all of us being earth ponies of course!", Bon Bon replied. "You're related to Braveheart too?", Twilight exclaimed, this newfound knowledge overwhelming her mind. And after about an hour of meeting relatives, Twilight learned that Bon Bon, Octavia, Lyra, and Mayor Mare were related to Braveheart. Dun! Dun! Dunnnnnnnn! Okay. I'm done. > Chats > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a good thing that Braveheart's house was a lot bigger than most think, for squeezing in approximately 99 relatives, your fiancé, and her dragon is very tricky for stallions with small living space. But Braveheart was lucky, his house went deep into the ground, leaving room for about 200 rooms, about 1/2 of them being guest rooms, the other 1/2 serving as bathrooms. "Braveheart!!! This place is enormous!! How come you never invite me over for tea?", Octavia asked. "You never suggested it.", Braveheart smiled, as he and Twilight had finished leading everyone to their rooms. Marianna and Spike were playing in the living room with some of the younger colts and fillies, being "watched" by Grandmama. "Thanks for having us over. I hope we're not too much trouble, Cousin. You know it's still 3 months till you two get married....", Mayor Mare said, hugging Braveheart. He smiled, "I know. But it's been a long time since we've had the WHOLE family together. So this is kinda what I had in mind when I invited you all to stay for a couple of months." Lyra came rushing at them, "May! Come quick! Bon Bon and Aunt Alba are having their annual candy making contest!!" "Oh boy!! I'll see you two later!!!", Mayor replied, before dashing off after Lyra. Braveheart laughed, "Oh no......" "What's wrong?", Twilight asked. "Every year, my kitchen looks like a hurricane went through it after they finish their contest.....and they never clean up after themselves.", he chuckled, kissing her lips. Twilight laughed, "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Besides, I can help you clean up. It'll be good practice." "Practice? For what?", Braveheart asked. "Well I read that part of being a good housewife is helping her husband keep tidy, doing most of the work.", she replied. He put his hoof around her and smiled, "You know I won't let you get away with that, right? I'm not letting my special lady work herself to death." "Oh, Braveheart! You care too much! Oh, and Shining and Cadance are coming over to visit. Cadance wants to go over the details of the wedding with me, while Shining talks to you about the bachelor party. And there's a small chance that my parents might come over too. Mom just got out of the asylum....." Braveheart kissed her forehead, "Hey.....it's alright. I'm sure she's over it by now. She was probably a good pony to start with. And it was me that pushed her over. So if anybody is to blame.....it's me. I'm sorry, Lady." "No, Braveheart. You don't understand, it's not your fault. This was her 3rd time. The other two times were when Cadance and Shining started dating. She wasn't exactly too fond of Cadance.....", Twilight sighed, nuzzling him. "Oh.....sorry for bringing that up......", he apologized. "No. You don't have to apologize. Although that was sweet of you. I love you, Braveheart.", she smiled. "I love you too, Lady.", he echoed. Uncle Marco came up to them and said in his deep voice, "I don't mean to interrupt you two, but the little lady's family is here." "Thanks, Uncle Marco! Let's go, Braveheart.", Twilight beamed, kissing her lover's lips. In the living room, Flurry Heart was playing with the kids, while Shining and Night Light were talking to Braveheart about the bachelor party. "Oh come on, you guys! You know I'm not the 'get drunk and party all night' guy....", Braveheart groaned. "But it's tradition! And besides everyone gets drunk every now and then.....", Night tried to reason. "Me? Never! If I got drunk, you would have heard about it in the newspapers, believe me!!", he exclaimed. "Ok, Braveheart! Calm down!", Shining chuckled, "We believe you! How about we just have a normal party, with a little alcohol and no mares in cakes, okay?" "That's better.", Braveheart sighed. They sat there in awkward silence for about 3 minutes before Night Light said, "So, did you boys see that hoofball game last week?" Meanwhile, in Braveheart and Twilight's bedroom, Twilight, Cadance and Velvet were sitting on the bed, talking. "Are you sure you don't want to forget about this plumber and marry....oh....I don't know.....a prince?", Velvet said, trying to change her daughter's mind. "Mom! No! I love Braveheart, and he loves me!! That's all I need to be happy!!", Twilight glared. "How do you know he loves you? How do you know it's not because you're a princess?", Velvet continued. Twilight looked at the clock and said, "5....4....3....2....1." Braveheart came into the room and smiled, "Hey, Lady! Have I told you lately that I love you?" Twilight grinned, "About 10 minutes ago, honey. But I never get tired of hearing it. I love you, Braveheart." "I love you too, Lady.", he beamed, kissing her cheek before leaving to check on the guys. Twilight then turned to her mother and smirked, "He tells me every 10 minutes." "Aww, Twily! I think you found yourself the real deal! How'd you two meet, anyway?", Cadance asked, hugging Twilight. She replied, "Well it started when Spike ate an enchilada for breakfast......" > Sleeping In > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, Saturday, everyone was bustling around the house at 8 in the morning, except Braveheart and Twilight. They were sleeping in. "Do you think we should wake them up?", Bon Bon asked, as her, Mia, and Octavia stood in front of the master bedroom door. "No.....let them sleep. It's Saturday! They deserve to spend some quality time together.", Mia replied, putting her hoof around Bon Bon. "Not to mention....remember when we were fillies? Braveheart would kill us if we woke him up at 8 on a Saturday!!", Octavia added. "Yeah, probably not such a swell idea now.....let's go have breakfast!!", Bon Bon smiled, leading the way to the dining room. Marianna and Spike were eating breakfast with Grandmama and Uncle Marco, Luigi and Alfonso were in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone else. "Good morning, Aunt Mia! Bon Bon, and Octavia! What would you like for breakfast?", Luigi asked, sticking his head out of the kitchen. "I'll have some toast, please, Luigi.", Mia answered. "I'll take some oatmeal with a side of iced tea.", Octavia decided. It was Bon Bon's turn, "Oooh! Oooh! I want a stack of waffles!!! Covered in chocolate!!! If it's not too much trouble, that is..." Luigi grinned before leaving, "Oh, Bon Bon, please!! That's as easy as spreading jam on a slice of toast!! I'll have your breakfast out in a minute, Uncle Marco!" "Where's Braveheart?", Marianna asked. "He's sleeping in with Twilight, sweetie. Have you seen your father?", Mia replied. "Yeah! He's in Braveheart's trophy room with Aunt Alba!", Marianna smiled, eating her pancakes. Mia walked in and found Arturo and Alba looking at the huge shelf that held all 34 of Braveheart's trophies, along with several plaques. "So that one right there is his first one he got? When he was 1?", Alba asked, pointing to a trophy with a plunger molded on it, a pacifier seemingly out of place on it. "I guess it is! And to think that was 33 years ago.......", Arturo smiled. "Good Morning, Honey! Good Morning, Alba! What are you two doing?", Mia beamed, hugging her husband and his sister. "We're admiring my nephew's collection. Has he really been winning this award for 34 years?", Alba asked. "Yep! And we're so proud of him!! And now that he's getting married, eventually he and Marianna won't be the only plumbers in the house.", Arturo grinned, kissing his wife. "Oh? Has Marianna won an award yet?", she inquired. "No, but she'll get there!! Braveheart's teaching her everything he knows.", Mia smiled, before leaving the room, "I better go check on my toast." About 3 hours later, it was 11, and Braveheart and Twilight started stirring. "Braveheart.....", Twilight moaned, snuggling closer to Braveheart. "Yes, Lady?", he asked, wrapping his hooves around her waist and pulled her closer. "I'm hungry. What time is it?", she yawned, kissing his nose. Braveheart turned to look at his clock, "It's 11. What do you want for brunch?" Twilight giggled, "Well, for breakfast I would like 5 more minutes of snuggling with you. And after that, a daisy sandwich for lunch." "As you wish, my little snuggle bunny.", he smiled. And so 5 minutes later, they got out of bed and had lunch. "Braveheart!! Twilight!! You're up!!", Marianna and Spike exclaimed, hugging the two. "Did you two have breakfast?", Twilight asked. "Yep! Luigi makes the best pancakes!!", Spike exclaimed, "Listen, I'm going to visit Rarity. Is that okay?" "Sure, it's alright! Have fun, Spike!", Twilight smiled, kissing his forehead. Mia came up to them, "Good morning you two! I hope you slept well?" "Yes, Mama! Did you have trouble finding your way around?", Braveheart asked. "No, son. Not at all! It's not so hard when you a mother's instinct.", she smiled, "What did you two plan on doing today?" "Well....we were going to Canterlot for a date...will you all be okay here by yourselves?", Twilight asked. "Of course!! There's no need to worry about us! You two go enjoy yourselves!", Octavia grinned, hugging Braveheart. And so they left. (Sorry this was so short, having a bit of writer's block) > Apologies > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- At Rarity's, Spike was telling Rarity and the others about what was going on at Braveheart's house. "Oh my, it must be really cramped in there with all those relatives! How does he fit them in his house?", Rarity asked. "It's a lot bigger than you think!! He has enough room to fit the entire Apple Family in twice!!!", Spike replied. "Huh.....well.....what kind of relatives does he have?", Applejack asked. "Well, there's Aunt Alba. She's from Italy....she makes the BEST apple cannoli EVER!!", he answered, beginning to list the relatives one by one. "Apple Cannoli? I wonder if she'll give me the recipe.....", Applejack pondered. "Then there's Cousin Antonia.....she's a fashion designer....." "You mean THE Antonia La Heartibrave? Oh my gosh!!! I must meet her!!", Rarity exclaimed, star struck. "Uncle Amedeo is a veterinarian, Aunt Amanda is part of the Meatball Brigade!! (Basically the Italian Wonderbolts!) Cousin Cosimo is an astronomer, and I could go on, but that would take all day. Twilight and Braveheart went out on a date to Canterlot.", Spike said, finishing his specifics. "Oh? I wonder what restaurant they're going to.....", Starlight said in thought. Meanwhile in Canterlot..... "Oh, Braveheart! This is so romantic!! The view, the food and drinks, you spoil me!", Twilight smiled, as her and Braveheart sat on the balcony of a restaurant in Canterlot. "Anything for My Little Princess....", Braveheart replied, eliciting a giggle friends her as he kissed her. "Oh, Braveheart! I just can't wait! We're going to have children, and watch them have grandchildren! We're going to be so happy!! And Mom has finally accepted you, and has given us her blessing!", Twilight grinned, nuzzling him, "On one condition: to name one of our children after her." "That's reasonable! How does Drainiana Velvet sound?", Braveheart smiled. "I think it sounds cute...", Velvet smiled, coming up to them and sitting next to them. "Mom? What are you doing here?", Twilight asked. "I came to apologize for the way I treated Braveheart. I know now that he can take very good care of my daughter.", she replied, turning to Braveheart, "Can you ever forgive me?" Braveheart grinned and put his hoof around her, "Oh, you know I was never mad at you in the first place. Just a little concerned. That's the way I am." "Thank you, Son. I can give you my blessing now.", Velvet sighed, tearing up, as she hugged him. "Thank you, Mom. It's okay....", he smiled, comforting her. Suddenly, there was flash! They turned to find Twilight levitating a camera. "Sorry. I just had to take a picture!", she beamed. "So....where did you two plan on taking your honeymoon? Las Pegasus?", Velvet asked. "No....I was going to take her on a tour of the Motherland! The land of pasta and pizza!! The kingdom of fine dining!! The old country!! The one and only: Italy!!", Braveheart exclaimed, very excited. "Yes, I'm really looking forward to it. There's so much history and culture! It'll be exciting!!", Twilight added. "And the food! Spaghetti, Lasagna, Ravioli, and so much more!!", he continued. Velvet laughed, "You better be careful! You're already a little chubby as it is!" They all laughed. "Yeah, I could probably cut down on the garlic bread.....", Braveheart grinned. > Friends and Family > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in Ponyville at Braveheart's House, Spike had led the girls to Braveheart's house, so as to introduce them to the family. "Wow.....I never knew Braveheart's House was so big......", Starlight gasped. "I know, right?", Spike smiled, as he led them through the front yard, "Aunt Amanda! Huh? What's Spitfire doing here?" Aunt Amanda grinned, "Me and Spitfire's mom used to know each other, and when Spitfire heard I was in Ponyville, she decided it would be nice to see me again. Last time I saw her she was a little filly...." "You still think you can race?", Spitfire asked. "You know I still can, Spitsy. I assume your friend here wants to race too.", Aunt Amanda smiled. Rainbow Dash squealed, as she followed them up, "You want me to race? With you guys? Awesome!!" "Hey, Spike! What are you doing? Look at this new dress I made for Twilight! Do you think she'll like it?", Cousin Antonia asked, showing them at purple wedding dress, made with a pink breastplate shaped like a heart. "Antonia! It's beautiful! I think she's going love it!! Hey, Antonia! This is my marefriend, Rarity! She's a big fan of yours!", Spike said, deciding to do something special for Rarity. "Rarity, huh? I've heard of you! You're quite the talk back in Italy. Your skills rival those of even myself, Antonia La Heartibrave!", she smiled. Rarity screamed, picking up Spike and covering him with kisses, "Oh my stars!!! Antonia La Heartibrave!! Heard of moi? Oh, Spikey Wikey!!! I love you!!!" "I love you too, Rarity!", he grinned, giving Antonia a thumbs up. Antonia nodded and took the dress back inside as Arturo, Mia and Marianna came out. "Spike! Are Twilight and Braveheart back yet?", Marianna asked, charging Spike with a hug. "Nope, but I brought Twilight's friends to introduce them to you guys!", he replied, pointing to the girls. "Wow! You're the Elements of Harmony!! Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie!! And you're Twilight's student: Starlight Glimmer!! Wow!", Marianna exclaimed, hopping around each one of them as she said their names. "Well thanks for introducing us, little one. You must be Braveheart's little sister.", Fluttershy smiled quietly. "Yep! That's me! Sister of the world's greatest plumber!!", Marianna beamed, puffing out her chest. Mia grinned, "Why don't you all come inside?" "Well, I can't say no to a kind thing of hospitality!", Applejack replied, following them in, along with everyone else, except Dash, who was still racing with Spitfire and Aunt Amanda. Inside, they found Bon Bon, Lyra, and Mayor Mare in the living room, looking through the photo album, while Octavia played on her cello, as Arturo watched. "What are you all doing here?", Rarity asked, eyeing the 4 Ponyville residents. "Don't you know? We're all Braveheart's cousins!! Bon Bon, Octavia, and Mayor here are from Arturo's side of the family, and I'm from Mia's side.", Lyra smiled. "Well! That explains that!", Pinkie smiled cheekily as she sat on the couch. Finally, Braveheart and Twilight returned from their date. "Braveheart!! Twilight!! You're home!!", Marianna exclaimed, hugging the both of them. "How was your date?", Arturo asked. "It was great! My mom even gave us her blessing!", Twilight smiled, hugging Mia. "Velvet? Are you sure she's not going to try and hurt our Braveheart?", Mia asked, concerned. "Oh no! She came over to apologize, and see! I even have this picture of Braveheart and Mom!", she insisted, showing the picture she took on their date. "Yeah, there's no need to worry about her. She's a good pony when you get to know her.", Braveheart smiled. "Okay, son. We'll talk your word for it!", Arturo grinned, hugging his son. Twilight turned to her friends, "So what are you guys doing here?" "Oh, darling! Spike brought us over here to visit! I think he's quite the sweetheart if you ask me!", Rarity beamed, squeezing Spike tightly. He was loving every minute of it. "Well everyone! I have dinner almost ready! Ahh! I see we have guests! No matter! There's more than enough!", Luigi announced, as he came and went. "So I guess we're staying for dinner.....", Starlight smiled sheepishly at Braveheart's family. "Yeah....I guess....", Twilight said, trying to break the ice. Braveheart smiled, "Let me make things a bit less awkward. Yes, you are staying for dinner." "I love you Braveheart." "And I love you, Lady." > A Suprise Guest and the Big Day > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- And so, during dinner, everyone had a great time. "So....Spike told me you have a recipe for apple cannoli....", Applejack began. "Yes, I do. Would you like a copy of it?", Aunt Alba smiled, handing her a piece of paper. "Wow! Gee thanks, Miss Alba!", Applejack grinned, taking the paper. Mia spoke up, "Braveheart. Are you sure she's coming? I don't know how she'd be able to...." "Mama, don't worry. She'll be here. Celestia would understand.", Braveheart answered, as a knock came from the door, "I'll get it." At the door, stood an orange unicorn and her pets, 2 Pygmy Dragons. "Cousin Sunset!!! Quickheart!!! Timothy!!! I knew you guys would come!!", Braveheart exclaimed happily, hugging Sunset as Quickheart wagged his bionic tail, and Timothy yawned. "Well, Celestia said I could come back, since the other me showed up in the other dimension. Not too mention, I missed you guys!", Sunset beamed, hugging him tightly. Her and Twilight made eye contact. "Twilight!! Congratulations!!! I'm so happy for you!!", she exclaimed, as they embraced. "Sunset!! What are you three doing here?", Twilight asked excitedly. "Well, I heard my cousin, Braveheart was getting married, I knew I had to come. But when I found out it was you he was marrying, it became even more important that I came. Not to mention, I missed Quickheart!", she replied, nuzzling her Pygmy Dragon. Luigi grinned, "Well don't just stand there! Dinner is being served! And there's plenty for everyone! Here, Quickheart! I'll get you and your friend a little dish!" "It's a shame Delilah couldn't be here with us....", Mia sighed, a tear coming to her eye. Sunset sat next to her and nuzzled her, "Don't cry, Aunt Mia. I miss her too......and Dad......"l After dinner, Braveheart helped Sunset unpacked, while Twilight played with Quickheart and Timothy. "Hey Twilight! Do you and Braveheart plan on having kids?", Sunset asked, coming into the room and picking up Quickheart. "Of course! We were planning something along the lines of Drippy, Droppy, Leaky, Splasher, Twilight Clogger, and Drainiana Velvet.", Twilight smiled. "Oh....I see we're going with a theme here.", Sunset grinned, running her hoof through Quickheart's fur. "Yeah....I guess you're right. I thought it would be cute. Braveheart loves them.", she replied, patting Timothy's head. One month later..... It was time. Everyone had gathered in Canterlot, they had gathered for the Princess of Friendship's wedding. "Oh, my little princess! Finally getting married!! I just can't believe it!", Velvet sobbed, as she put the finishing touches on her daughter's mane. "Oh....don't cry, Mom. It's okay. I'm happy too. I just hope Braveheart doesn't get nervous....", Twilight smiled, hugging her mother. "Twilight.....you know that even if Braveheart gets nervous, he won't back down. Just like the time we had a leak so bad we begged him to give up and help us evacuate the Crystal Empire. But he was stubborn, and got the job done, and a crisis avoided!", Cadance grinned, "You better get going, it's almost time!!" As Twilight walked down the aisle, being led by Night Light, she saw Braveheart getting his bow tie tightened by Marianna. "Don't mess this up, big brother!!", she said, as she finished the bow tie. Braveheart laughed, "I won't. What could possibly go wrong?", he then saw Twilight, "Wow, Lady! You look great!" "Thanks, I love you.", Twilight sighed in content as she nuzzled him. "I love you too, Lady.", he replied, nuzzling back. Luna was the one marrying them, "Do you, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, take this plumber to be your lawfully wedded husband? Through hail, sleet, and snow?" "I do." "And do you, Braveheart Alfredo, Plumber of Legend, take this princess to be your lawfully wedded wife? Through leaks, clogs, and cracks?" Marianna tapped him on the shoulder and whispered, "This is the part where you say, 'I do'!" The entire crowd laughed. "Thank you, Marianna.", he smiled before turning to Twilight, "I do." "Then you may kiss the bride.", Luna finished. Braveheart lifted Twilight's veil, and kissed her. "Jolly good show, Braveheart!!", Reggie cheered. Susie was in tears, "I'm so darn proud of you!!" Laura couldn't stop smiling, "Congratulations!! You finally did it!!! You found a girl who'll love you to death!!" As they walked out the castle, said their goodbyes, and got on a ship heading towards Italy. Twilight smiled, "So when are we gonna get started on those kids?" > The Twins > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Braveheart could do at the moment was pace. There was no leak, clog, or problem that needed fixing, just Twilight, the doctor, and several nurses in their bedroom. It had been a year since they had taken their honeymoon, and it was time. "Braveheart.....calm down. I'm sure Twilight will be alright....I trust the doctor. He delivered Twilight, and Shining.", Velvet smiled softly, putting her hoof on Braveheart's shoulder. "Yeah!! It'll be fine! Hey, Cadance! Do you think it'll be a colt or a filly?", Marianna asked, sitting next to Cadance, while she played with Flurry Heart. "Hmmm.....I think it'd be nice to have another girl in the family!", she beamed, brushing her mane. Shining laughed, "Hey! Give us guys a chance, huh?" The doctor then came out along with the nurses and smiled, "Mr. Alfredo, congratulations! You have healthy, fit twins! And the Mrs. is alright. We'll leave you two alone now, we'll be back next week for a check up." Braveheart rushed into the room, followed by the Sparkles. Twilight lay in bed smiling weakly, with a brown unicorn, with Twilight's mane and eyes in her left arm, and a purple unicorn with a gray mane and Braveheart's eyes in her right. "Lady!! Are you okay?", he asked, running his hoof through her mane. "Braveheart, I'm okay. Are you happy? We did it, we have two beautiful daughters, who'll grow up to be just like you.", she smiled. "Aww, Lady....one of them has to grow up like you! It wouldn't be fair if both of them were Daddy's girls! One of them has to be a Mommy's girl.", he exclaimed, kissing her forehead. Twilight giggled, nuzzling him, "Oh....Braveheart.....there you go again, putting my feelings over yours, that's why I love you." "So what are their names?", Night Light asked. Twilight nodded to the filly in her left arm, "That's Twilight Clogger....", and then to the other one, "And that's Drainiana Velvet!" "Wow! They are so adorable!! You two did a great job!", Cadance beamed. "You were pretty creative on those names, weren't you?", Shining smiled. "Yep, My Special Lady came up with those all by herself!", Braveheart grinned, kissing his wife. "Oh, Braveheart. Your friends are right. You have trouble taking credit for things.", Twilight sighed happily, kissing him back. He exclaimed, "But you were the one who came up with them! I had nothing to do with it! I just agreed with you!" She smiled, "That maybe so, but you the one who gave me the inspiration. Braveheart, have I told you that I love you?" "About 3 minutes ago. But it doesn't get old. I love you too, Lady.", he consented, nuzzling her. Marianna stared at the two young fillies, "Does this mean I'm an aunt?" Braveheart grinned, "It sure does. How does Aunt Marianna sound?" Marianna thought this over for a minute, "It sounds great!" Velvet smiled, "Okay, here come Twilight's friends, let's clear out so they can visit." "Okay, Auntie Velvet! Can I call you that?", Marianna asked, as she followed them out of the room. "Of course you can!", she grinned. As they left, Applejack, Rarity, Sunset, Starlight, Rainbow, Pinkie, Spike, and Fluttershy entered the room. "Oh my stars!! They are so adorable!!", Rarity squealed, looking at Twilight Clogger. Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pointing at Drainiana Velvet "Wow!! She looks like just you, Twi!! Except she has her pop's eyes and hair!" "Awww....you have some mighty cute nippers there! You two went and done a great job!", Applejack smiled, patting Braveheart on the back. Fluttershy cooed, "They're beautiful, Twilight! I'm so happy for you two!!" Pinkie beamed, "They're so cuuuuuuuttttttttte!!!!!!!" "Are you alright, Twilight?", Spike asked with concern. Twilight rubbed his head and smiled, "I'm okay, Spike. It looks like you're a big brother now." "Wow! Congratulations, Braveheart! You're now in the father business!", Starlight grinned, putting her hoof around Braveheart. Sunset giggled, "This is probably the happiest day of your life!! And maybe when they get a bit older, you can take one of the puppies Quickheart and Winona had! I'm sure they'd love that!!" Twilight replied, "Oh yes! We all would love that!!" "Well, we'd better leave you two now, you need rest. Good night, Twilight. Good night, Braveheart.", Applejack smiled, as they left the room. As they left, Twilight kissed Braveheart as he lay in bed next to her, "Good night, Braveheart. I love you." "And I love you, Lady." > The Next Morning > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning, Twilight woke up in bed alone, with the two fillies in her arms, who also awake and cooing. She could hear voices coming from the kitchen, so she knew that Braveheart hadn't gone too far. "You know.....Twilight raised me...so she's like a mom to me....does that mean I can call you Dad?", Spike asked, as she heard some water running and dishes being shunted. "Yeah...I suppose you could. I don't mind.", Braveheart replied, turning off the water, "Hey, Spike, I'm gonna go check on Lady and the girls, will you be alright?" "Yeah, I'll be fine, Dad.", Spike answered, finishing the dishes as Twilight heard hoof steps coming towards their bedroom. Braveheart stuck his head in and asked, "Lady? You up?" She smiled at him and said, "Yes, dear. I'm awake, so are the girls. I think they're hungry." "Well then, I'll bring in a couple of bottles, and do you want anything for breakfast?", he grinned, kissing Twilight and his two little girls. "Maybe some orange juice....I don't exactly feel hungry at the moment.", Twilight replied, kissing her husband back. "Alright then! I'll be back!", Braveheart smiled, leaving the room, as Spike had finished the dishes and walked in. Twilight beamed, "Hey, Spike! Come here! Do you want to hold Twilight?" Spike walked over, sat on the edge of the bed and took Twilight Clogger in his arms. "Heh..she looks just like Dad, except she has your eyes and your mane.", Spike grinned, cradling the filly in his arms. Twilight smiled, "I see you've been bonding with Braveheart...." "Yeah, I like having him as a dad, considering I've never had a dad. How are you doing? You feeling okay?", he asked in concern, looking at Twilight. She replied, "I'm fine, just a little sore and really tired. Other than that, I'm okay." Braveheart came back with two bottles and handed one to Spike, took Drainiana and gave Twilight her orange juice. "You feeling okay, Honey?", he asked. "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for asking. What are you two going to do today?", she replied, sipping her orange juice. Braveheart smiled, "Well, we could watch the girls while you took a little nap, not to mention, my folks are coming over and....I wanna show them off. Is that okay?" "Of course, dear. Just be careful with them, okay?", she laughed before setting her glass on the nightstand and nodding off. They took the girls to the living room, spread out a blanket and set them down and started playing with them. Drainiana had a habit of using her magic to pull Braveheart's mustache, but he didn't mind, he thought it was adorable. Twilight Jr. on the other hand, was quite the adventurous type, climbing on top of Braveheart's head, and sliding down his back like a slide. Applejack walked in, escorting Marianna, who had a backpack, "Hey, Braveheart! It was nice of you to let Marianna come over for the girls' sleepover! We enjoyed having her over!" Marianna set the bag over to the side and sat next to Braveheart before saying, "Thanks for bringing me home, Applejack! Oh! Look at them! They're so cute!!" Applejack smiled, "No problem, Marianna. Hey, Braveheart, whenever you can, could you come check on our sink? Big Mac thinks the pipeline needs to replaced." "Yeah, sure! I'll come over this evening.", Braveheart replied. "Okay, thanks!", she called, walking out the door. And just as she walked out, Arturo and Mia walked. "Oh! Where are the little darlings? I need to see them!", Mia exclaimed, hugging Marianna, "Oh! There you are!! You two are so adorable!" Arturo smiled with pride at his son, "So, what are their names?" "Well, the one that looks like Twilight is Drainiana Velvet, and the one that looks like me, given a bit more feminine, is Twilight Clogger.", He answered, handing them the girls, "Listen, I know you just got here, but I have to go check on something. Can you watch them, and Lady?" "Oh, of course, Braveheart! I'm sure it's hard to not have a job to do when you're the world's greatest plumber!", Mia smiled, cradling Twilight Jr. And so he left for Sweet Apple Acres. > Visitors > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Braveheart left, they set the girls on the floor and started playing with them. Until Drainiana said something...... "Pa....pa.....Papa!" Mia smiled, "Oh no! It's too bad Braveheart's here! Drainiana said her first word!!" Drainiana looked at her and smiled, before gagging and threw up on her. Mia laughed, "Oh! It's just like Braveheart and Marianna when they were little!!!" Spike grinned, "Here, let me get something for you to clean up with, Grandma!" "Oh, thank you, Spike! I take it Braveheart is your father now?", she said, handing Drainiana to Arturo. "Yeah, we like hanging out! And he tells such funny stories!", Spike replied, handing Mia a wet washcloth. Mia exclaimed, "Oh yes! Antonia sent us some clothes she made for the girls! And a dress for Marianna! Arturo, could you unpack those please?" Arturo smiled, "Of course, dear! I can't wait to see them in their new....uhh....where's Twilight?" They looked around for Twilight Clogger, but she was no where to be found. "Oh...what is it Braveheart says...Crapper!!! Let's go look for her!! Marianna, stay with Drainiana!! Spike, Arturo!! Come on!!", Mia shouted. Spike looked in the bathroom, and Mia looked in the study, while Arturo looked in the kitchen. There he found Twilight Clogger sitting on top of the fridge, eating out of a jar of cookies, she waved at him. He waved back before grabbing her and laughing, "That was a very naughty thing to do, almost gave Grandma a heart attack! I found her! You can call off the hunt!" They were all back in the living room, trying the clothes Antonia had made for the girls, when Twilight came and sat on the rocker. "Is everything okay? And where's Braveheart?", she asked. "Braveheart went to go fix something. Look at these cute little outfits Antonia made for the twins!", Marianna smiled, hugging Twilight. Twilight beamed, "Oh my gosh! They're adorable! I'll have to send her a thank you letter!" There was then a knock on the door. "I'll get it!", exclaimed Marianna, running towards the door. "Hey everyone! We heard Braveheart had himself a couple of little girls, and we came to see them!!", Laura beamed, being followed by Reggie and Susie. They all hugged Twilight before examining the twins. "Wow! Braveheart went off and had himself a set of twins! And they're awfully cute!", Susie grinned. Reggie agreed, "Yes, quite, now what did you name them?" Meanwhile on Sweet Apple Acres..... Braveheart was just walking out of the orchard, when Applejack stopped him. "Braveheart, I just want to thank you for helping us with the sink. I know you have daughters to take care of now, and I felt really guilty asking you to come fix the sink. You're a good friend, Braveheart.", she smiled, hugging him, "Tell Twilight I said hi." "I will.", he grinned. > What an Obituary Should Sound Like > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Braveheart finally got home, he found his parents, Laura, Susie, Reggie, Spike and Marianna all playing with the girls, while Twilight sat in the rocking chair. "Sorry I was gone for a while, Applejack wanted me to fix their sink....", he began, before having Twilight interrupt him by pressing her lips against his. When they finished, she grinned, "It's okay, Braveheart, you have a job to do, and I'm okay with that. Guess who said their first word while you were gone!" "What? Already? Which one of my beautiful little girls was it?", he smiled, nuzzling Twilight. Drainiana decided to speak up and smiled, "Papa!" "Oh! I see! You want to make sure your sister doesn't take credit for your achievement, don't you, Drainiana? Huh?", he beamed, before turning to Twilight Clogger, "Don't worry, you'll get there someday, Twilight! I know you will!" Twilight Clogger just looked up at him and cooed. "Awww! She's just so adorable!", Susie grinned, patting Braveheart on the back. "Yeah, I hope you two plan on having more, because these two are going to grow up eventually.", Laura smiled, playing with Drainiana. Twilight laughed, "Don't worry, we'll 'talk' about it....." Braveheart started giggling. "What's so funny?", she asked. "That's first time I've ever heard my Lady make an innuendo!", he laughed, gasping for air. "You like it? I started reading a book called 'How to Communicate with Your Husband Through Innuendos'. So there's plenty more where that came from!", she said, smiling at him. It was then Twilight Clogger started smelling very.....foul. "I'll change her!", Braveheart said, picking her up and kissing her forehead. While Braveheart went to change Twilight Clogger's diaper, Twilight smiled, pointing to the picture of their wedding on the fireplace, "So, what do you think?" Mia looked at the picture before grinning, "I'll never forget how beautiful you looked in that dress Antonia made for you! And how much I cried, seeing my Little Plumber get married..." "Yeah, it was a proud day for us! And now he has two beautiful little daughters.....", Arturo put in. "He deserves all of this. All of the hard work he's done. He really should retire....", Reggie smiled. Susie beamed, "Yep! Good Old Braveheart! He's the best at what he does! Plumbers come and go, but Braveheart will always live on." "He's a good pony. You help him, he'll help you a whole lot more than you ever helped him!", Laura finished as Braveheart walked into the room with Twilight Clogger. He smiled, "That was beautiful! That's exactly what I want my obituary to sound like!" Everyone laughed at him, "Oh, Braveheart...." > Passing the Torch > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been 5 years since the twins were born. Both of them were now 5, while Spike was a whopping 13! Today, was Braveheart's last day, he was passing the title of "The World's Greatest Plumber" on to Marianna, who was 16. There was going to be a big fancy celebration just for the occasion. They were walking towards town square in Ponyville, Braveheart with Spike and Drainiana on his back, while Twilight had Twilight on her back. "Braveheart, you don't have to do this....you can still be the world's greatest plumber, and a father....", Twilight said, trying to sway Braveheart's decision. "No, Lady. I've been 'The World's Greatest Plumber' for over 30 years now. It's time I passed the title on. Besides, I want to spend more time with the kids, isn't that right, guys?", Braveheart smiled, nuzzling his wife. "Yeah! Papa said we could go to the park after the party!!!", Twilight Clogger shouted, hoofpumping with every word. Twilight Sparkle still wasn't sure, "Are you sure Marianna is ready for such a big responsibility?" "Of course she is! I taught her everything she knows! She's ready!", he smiled with pride. Drainiana spoke up, although very shyly, "I hate to disagree with you, Mama, but Papa's the best plumber ever! And if he taught Aunt Marianna EVERYTHING, she'll be the best." Twilight Sparkle smiled, "Well I guess you're right, Drainiana. Papa is the best..." Spike grinned, "Aww come on, Mom! You worry too much! Everything will be just fine!" "And besides, after we go to the park, we need to start packing.", Braveheart added. "Packing? Why? We're not leaving Ponyville, are we?", Drainiana asked, suddenly getting frantic. Her father smiled and replied, "Of course not! But, Cousin Antonia has invited us to stay in Venice for a couple of weeks. It'll a nice family vacation! My Princess needs one anyway." Before Twilight could speak, a regal voice stopped her, "Do not dare try to wriggle yourself out of this one, Twilight Sparkle! You have been working very hard as of late, too hard. You need a vacation! I order you to go on vacation with your family!" They turned to find Princess Luna. "Aunt Luna? What are you doing here?", Twilight Clogger asked, cocking her head. "I'm here to congratulate your father on his retirement, as are Celestia and Cadance.", she answered, turning to Braveheart, "I'm very sorry to hear that you're finished though, Equestria will forever be in your debt. Especially after the Flood of 1999. We would have never recovered without your help. Once again, congratulations on finally retiring. I have faith that your sister will carry on your legacy, forever." "Awww....that was nothing, really, Luna. I didn't help that much. I wasn't even part of the clean up crew! All I did was replace the damaged sewers and plumbing! You know I'm terrified of water!", Braveheart sighed, holding his hoof up to stop her. Luna smiled, "That doesn't matter, what does matter is the fact that you did it. Even if you were afraid of water. You overcame your fear to help." "Did I? Did I really do that?", he asked, questioning his fears. "Maybe you're not afraid as you thought you were....you better get going! Don't want to be late for the ceremony!", Luna grinned. They finally reached Town Hall, where all of Ponyville, the Princesses, and Marianna were waiting for him. "Braveheart! Are you sure you really want to do this? Are you sure I'm ready?", Marianna asked, hugging her brother. Braveheart smiled, putting his hoof around Marianna, "I'm positive! I taught you everything, now, it's time for you to live your dream." "Thank you, Braveheart.", she sighed, hugging him tightly. Mayor Mare stepped up to the stage and announced, "Today, is the day. Today, Ponyville's prized Plumber is retiring. But never fear, his sister, Marianna Alfredo will replace him. And I have complete faith that she will be as good, if not better than her brother before her. Marianna, you are now The World's Greatest Plumber! Congratulations!" The crowd started cheering, and Marianna was lost in the swarm of the crowd. "Now that I'm no longer the center of attention, let's go to the park!", Braveheart smiled. "Yay!!!" > Packing > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When they got to the park, Braveheart and Twilight sat on a bench, while the twins and Spike ran off to play. "Peace at last....", was all Braveheart could say before Twilight's friends surrounded them, "Dang it." Sunset looked at Twilight, "Why'd you let him quit? He was the World's Greatest Plumber!" "Yeah! You can't just let him quit like that! He's a super hero!!!", put in Starlight. "But I don't want that. I want my girls to see me as their personal hero....as their father.", Braveheart explained, "I don't want them growing up thinking I'm some super important pony that has no time for them." "Well, I personally respect Braveheart's decision. It's his career, or rather, pastime, his decision.", Applejack smiled, putting her hoof around Braveheart. Rarity chimed in, "As do I, but Braveheart? What will you do in your free time? While the girls are at school?" Braveheart grinned, "I'll go back to my first craft. Carpentry!" "Carpentry? That sounds boring!!! You're just hammering nails into a wooden board all day!", Dashie frowned. Fluttershy gasped, "Ummm....excuse me, Braveheart....if you don't mind....could you make some birdhouses? If that's alright with you?" The plumber turned hobbyist carpenter smiled, "Of course. After...we get back from our vacation! Which reminds me...we better start packing! We've been here for a while. Girls! Spike! It's time to start packing!" "Okay, Dad!", they shouted, running towards him and launching a full scale assault consisting of hugs. They got back home, and started packing. To Rick Astley. You know the song I'm talking about.... "Hey, Mom? Do you think I should bring my swimsuit Aunt Rarity made me? Or my suit Cousin Antonia made me?", Drainiana asked walking into the master bedroom. Twilight Sparkle thought, looking at the purple and pink swimsuit Rarity made, and the red, white, and green one Antonia made, "It's whatever you want, dear! Braveheart, what do you think?" Braveheart smiled, "I think they both cute. But Antonia will like to see something she didn't design. You know how her and Aunt Rarity admire each other's handiwork!" "Dad! I don't know what to pack!!!", Twilight Clogger groaned from down the hall. "What do you mean you don't know what to pack? You pack clothes and a couple of things to do.", he sighed, heading towards her room. Twilight Sparkle laughed, "Your father is really eager to go on this vacation..." Drainiana replied, "Well....it's been awhile since we all spent some quality time together! So that's probably why." Braveheart came back as Drainiana left and sat on the bed next to Twilight. "The only thing she had in her suitcase was candy from Nightmare Night....that filly...", he laughed, kissing his wife. "Yes, she has your stomach, you know that....", she smiled, nuzzling him. "I know.....I know..." > Antonia's Pool > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After everyone finished packing their luggage, Braveheart led them to a pipe at the back of the hill. "Uhm....honey, are we not taking the boat?", Twilight asked. Braveheart laughed, "Of course not! Why would we do that when we have our very own pipeline system leading to all parts of the world in our backyard?" "Wow! Really? That's awesome!", Twilight Clogger exclaimed. Her father grinned, "Of course! In we go!" And they jumped down the pipe and ended up in a room with what must have been at least 30 other pipes. "Which one?", Drainiana asked. Braveheart looked around before pointing at a northeast pipe, "That one! Away to Italy!" A few seconds later they popped up in the middle of an olive tree orchard, where Antonia was awaiting their arrival. "About time you got here. I wasn't too thrilled having to wait out in the heat, when I could be in my pool.", Antonia grumbled. Twilight Clogger and Spike shouted, "You have a pool?" "Follow me...", Antonia smiled, leading them to a mansion. Minutes later, Twilight Sparkle, Twilight Clogger, Drainiana, and Spike were swimming in the pool, while Braveheart and Antonia were snacking on breadsticks and olive oil. "You've got yourself a nice family, Cousin. It's what you deserve, after over thirty years of hard work. But what are you going to do now, that Little Mariana is the World's Greatest Plumber?", Antonia grinned, before cocking her head questioningly. Braveheart replied, "I'm going back to my hobby, carpentry. It's something different, and something I enjoy doing. Almost as much as plumbing. Though truth be told, I just wanted to spend more time with my girls. They're gonna grow up and leave me and Lady one of these days. Speaking of which...." Braveheart got up and went to the edge of the pool, preparing to jump in. "Dear, wait, what are you doing?", Twilight shrieked. Braveheart jumped in, then surfaced, "Aww, don't worry, Lady. Applejack has been giving me swimming lessons." "Oh, I guess that means you're not my ironic plumber anymore. How's hobbyist carpenter sound?", Twilight smiled, nuzzling her husband.