By the time his senses came back online, Whole Note looked over to the Prince, getting up from his seat, he trotted over to his side. “Uh, husband of mine? Can we talk? Alone?”
“Right now?”
The green earth pony wrapped a foreleg around the alicorn, dragging him out of his seat, “Yes, now!”
Harmonic stumbled out of his seat as his husband dragged him across the room. But before they could make it to the doors, they heard their daughter speak up. “Daddy? Is Dad in trouble?”
Note looked over to her, “Probably not sweetie, it’s just that your Dad has some ex-explaining to do. Don’t worry, we’ll be right back.” Once they made it out into the hallway, the two of them sat down on a couch that was out of earshot of the dining room. “Harm, what’s going on?”
“Well, it’s sort of a long story.”
“Explain it anyway,” the mint green stallion folded his forelegs. “Because I really want to know what’s going on.”
And so, Harmonic explained to him what happened when Color had suddenly burst in their room. He told him that, yes, he did critically check and question the visitor to see if it was who he claimed to be. The Prince of Inspiration too explained what circumstances that Color came from, that he seemed to have panicked before the ceremony of their wedding. Once he told him what he knew, he added, “So that leads to why I wanted it to be a sort of surprise, because it seemed the best way of making an entrance.”
His spouse sighed, leaning back in his seat and rubbing his eyes, he asked: “So, just to confirm all of this, that stallion in the dining room with Joy r-r-right now really is Color Spek-Spectrum, only in this case he’s not exactly married to you yet?” Harmonic nodded. “So what exactly are we to do? Try to convince him in going back in time to make sure that he does marry you or what?”
“Well, to reassure him that everything is going to be alright with me. After all, he has an idea that he’s been dead for a while and he’s worried if marrying me was a mistake.”
Note took in another deep breath, “Okay… But can you do something for me jut-just to get some peace of mind?”
“Anything.”
“Could you get the guards to run a quick DNA test?” he requested. “Even if he looks and sound like him, it would be na-nice to be extra sure it’s really him. Deal?” Harmonic nodded, and he sighed in relief. “That’s… good to hear. If it turns out to be true, then I would be relieved that you wouldn’t-” But he quickly shut his mouth before he could say any more.
“That I wouldn’t, what?” the Violinist raised an eyebrow.
He shook his head, “Forget it.”
“No really, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Tell me. That I would what?”
Note’s ears folded back, “Well… When he kissed you on the cheek, for a moment I thought that…”
Then it clicked, “You thought I was cheating on you?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, “It was one of many thoughts,” he admitted. “At first I thought it was probably a past cou-coltfriend, or that you… took up Luna’s joke in starting a harm-harem behind my back.” The Cellist laughed uneasily but shook his head. “I’m really sorry for thinking that Harm, but for a moment back there, I was really confused and shocked that…”
“I scared you, didn’t I?” his husband nodded. “Oh Note,” he gave him a kiss on the nose. “I’m sorry for making you think this way; you do know that I would never-”
“Do anything without both of us ag-agreeing on it,” the Earth Pony nodded. “Yes, I know. But while we’re on the subject, can I ask you su-sob-st (blach!) something and that I need you to look at me in the eye when answering it?”
“Sure, what is it?”
Whole Note looked at his husband straight in the eye and inquired, “If it’s true that this is Color before the two of you got married in there – uh, did you… you know, got a little too intimate before it?”
“Oh…” Harmonic’s ears perked up, both ears, along with the rest of his head, took on a shade of red. “To be honest, that’s actually the first time anypony asked me that. Though to be straightforward with you, outside of kissing and yes, cuddling, that’s as far as we went until we got on board of the honeymoon train. At the time, while Color was certainly ready to, you know… please me. I on the other hoof wasn’t quite there yet at the time. However, I did promise that we get to do it once the whole ceremony and party were over. So in his timeline, we haven’t done anything as of yet.”
His green husband closed his eyes and nodded. “Okay, I believe you. But since he’s here and if the test confirms it, don’t you think we might want to get Script up here too? After all, he was raised by both of you, and that he saw his… passing, don’t you think we should give him a chance to see his other dad again?”
“Not that I’m against it, but I’m not sure though.” Harmonic’s spouse asked what he meant. “On the one hoof, given the time period, Color doesn’t have a clue that we’ve ended up adopting Script. Then again, he’s changed quite a good deal since then that, if he were to meet him now, that meeting the younger him would be unrecognizable.”
Then Note got an idea, “What if he doesn’t have to tell him what his name is? That w-w-we could let him see him under a false name, just to be on the safe side. That way, he can meet his other dad, and Color wouldn’t know any the wiser. Tell me, did your last husband say he was ready for foals when you got married?”
“No, he said that he wasn’t ready for something like that.”
“Well how about it? Why not we get everypony together from your mom to Aunt Lu, your son to Cadence over for dinner tonight?”
“You do remember that she and Flurry are in Trottingham, right? That, and Twilight is in a summit at the Higfish Hive.”
“Oh yeah. But anyway, we should try to get them over here tonight to have ourselves a bit of a family reunion. After all, if we’re going to convince him that marrying you is a good idea, at least we should introduce those that have been affected by him.”
Harmonic thought for a moment, “Alright. We should probably tell the staff that the family is coming over tonight. While we’re at it,” he looked over his shoulder before saying: “We should take down and cover Color’s last painting for his own good.”
_*_
“So…” Color trailed off while the filly called Joy scooped another mouthful of ice cream into her mouth. “How old are you again?”
“Eight.”
“Uh-huh,” the Artist nodded.
Another awkward silence, Color looked over to the door that Harmonic disappeared to. It’s been a good ten minutes since he last saw him. He started to wonder if he and his… fiancé had taken the joke a little too far.
“Are you really him?” the blue earth pony asked.
“Huh?”
“That you’re Color, the painter?”
“Yeah, I am.”
The filly looked up and down at the stallion sitting across from her. “Are you sure you’re not a changeling?”
Color sighed, “For the last time, no. I’m the real deal. I really am Color Spectrum, you’re dad along with several guards have already scanned me several times over (and done it again). Unless you want me to call in a guard to have me searched one more time.”
“Still, it’s kinda weird,” she said. “You really do look and sound like him when he was younger. I’ve seen the interviews you made when Dad was married to you. It’s like… all the pictures I’ve seen and heard the voice from those recordings, and now that you’re here – it makes it all too real.”
“I can imagine,” he looked down at his hooves, rotating them nervously before looking over to the door. “What do you think they’re saying?”
“I don’t know,” Joy shrugged. “I never really pay attention to grown-up things that much.”
Then a thought came the Artist’s mind, “How long have you been living with them?”
“Since I was born,” she replied before a melting scoop of red velvet entered her mouth. “They’ve been raising me since I was a baby.”
“Really?” Color blinked.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “I can prove it, there’s a photo album that has every picture of me since I was born. From the scan thing that helps look into my mom’s belly to my last birthday par-”
“Wait, what was that?”
“Huh?”
“Did you say, your mom’s belly?” She nodded, “I thought I’ve already met your parents?”
“What are you- Oh!” Joy realized what he was asking. “Mom isn’t really married to my dads,” she clarified, “but I do get to see her a couple times a week. Well, not this week because she’s gone to see my other grandma in Manehattan.”
It didn’t take long for Color to put the pieces together, “So in other words, you have a… surrogate mother?”
“Well, yeah. I know that my family is a bit different from the other foals, like how most of them have a mom and only one dad. Most kids I know when I tell them about my family look at me funny, but it’s normal to me though.”
“Huh… I see,” the unicorn leaned back in his chair. “Do you like them being your parents?”
“You mean my two dads?” he nodded. “Uh-huh, them and my mom too – I know that I’m not like most kids, but I have the best parents anypony could ask for! I never heard any of them fight, they wanted to know how my day was, they set some time to play with me. And yes, I know that most kids don’t live in a place like I do, but I’m not like those jerk face grownups that have spoiled brats, but my parents have taught me to be better than that. Besides, dad said he’s done it before.”
Color looked on at her, “What was that last part?”
She tilted her head, “That dad has done it before?”
The stallion took a moment to let it sink in, “You mean… that in… my future… me and your dad are going to raise a foal too?”
“Yeah?”
“Celestia!” he moaned, covering his eyes and setting his elbows on the table.
“Hey? What’s wrong?”
“Oh nothing, it’s that twenty-one year old me has just heard that sometime in my future, I’m going to be a dad, way before I can get the chance to get married to your dad.”
“So?”
He looked up at her, “I’m questioning if getting hitched to my coltfriend is even a good idea, and now I’ve just learned that I’m going to have a kid too! And, in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t know if I’m ready for either!” He got up and started pacing, “How did we get a foal in the first place? Was it by adoption? How long will this happen in my time? Am I ready to be a parent? What if I mess up? What if our kid is in jail? Or Banished? Or-”
“Hey!” Joy shouted, snapping Color’s attention, “Are you okay?”
He plopped down from where he stood and shook his head.
The little pony jumped off from her seat and went around to the stallion with raw nerves and put a hoof on his foreleg.
“Look… can I call you grandpa?” she asked.
“Eh. Why not,” he answered. “Make me feel a whole lot older than I really am while you’re at it.”
She frowned, “I don’t know if this will work but, I think you were a good dad.”
“How’d you know?”
“Because my dad said that he’d learn from the best when it comes to family. I mean, I maybe am eight, but look how I turned out.”
“Yeah, probably from my failures of all the mistakes that I’m gonna-”
“Grandpa!” she flew up to him, “Do what I do. Breathe in,” they did so. “And breathe out.” They did this a couple of times until the Artist was a little more calmed down.
“You’ve learned that from either Princess Cadence or Twilight, haven’t you?” he asked.
“Both actually,” she told him. “Now, are you ready to listen?” He nodded, “Please believe me when I say this, but everything is going to be alright. I mean, my uncle says that you were a good dad to him.”
“You’re, uncle?” Color quickly shook his head, “Don’t answer that. Instead, since you’re here, I want to know one thing above all else.”
“Okay. What is it?”
The unicorn looked back at the door once more, “Tell me, is Harmonic, your dad, happy?”
Joy tilted her head, “Happy?”
“I mean… oh, how do I say this? Is your dad, Harmonic, ever sad all the time? Or does he get rather moody at all?”
“Uh… no? I’ve never seen Dad cry if that’s what you mean. He makes some stupid jokes and laughs at them, he and Daddy share kisses sometimes (which I think is gross). And I’ve never really seen Dad or Daddy really have a fight.”
Then the door finally opened, in walked in Harmonic and Note.
“Sorry for taking so long,” the Violinist said apologetically.
“No, it’s fine,” Color waved over to the blue filly, “I’ve been talking with your daughter.”
“Well, yes, ab-about that,” Whole Note chimed in. “Is it possible you would stay over for dinner in the garden?”
“Considering that I’m not exactly ready to go back as of yet, I guess so. Why?”
“Well,” Harmonic said, “We’ve talked it over, and we’ve decided that there’s someone that should be allowed to meet you. But before that, could we have a few strands of your mane first?”
_*_
“I wonder why grandpa asked us to come over for dinner.” Script’s daughter, the sixteen-year-old Cloud View inquired of her parents. “Didn’t we just eat with them a couple of weeks ago?”
“Is there something wrong with grandpa wanting to have dinner again?” her mother, Page Turner asked.
“Well… no. It’s just that I find it a bit odd is all. We only eat with either grandpa or gramps because it’s somepony’s birthday or a holiday. Plus, if they wanted to eat with us, they usually come to our house instead. What’s going on?”
Script Freeverse sighed, “Cloud, have you considered that maybe they’re inviting us over because they just wanted to?”
“Of course I have dad,” the teenage pegasus said. “But it’s just that neither of them has ever done this before. Don’t either of you think that this is a little weird?”
By now, the trio was walking over the drawbridge towards the palace in which they were given salutes by the guards.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Page told her.
“And if it isn’t?” Cloud questioned. “What if they want to tell us something really important?”
“Like what?” her father asked, “Cloudy, do you remember what we’ve learned about Ockham’s razor?”
The teen rolled her eyes and repeated, “That the simplest of explanations are often times the most likely reality.”
“And what is that simplest explanation of grandpa Harmonic wanting us to come over for dinner?” When his daughter didn’t answer, he pressed on, “Well?”
One frustrated sigh later, she replied, “That he might just want to hang out with us.” Then she muttered under her breath, “Which doesn’t really prove anything.”
“What was that?” her mother asked.
“Nothing.”
“Ah, I was told that you’ve just arrived,” Before they could enter through the front door, they found the Prince of Inspiration standing there. He went up to them, giving each a nuzzle, “How are you doing son?”
“Great dad,” Script replied before moving onto his wife.
“You Page?”
“You know me, just keeping myself busy.”
Then the Prince moved onto his granddaughter, “And you Cloudy?”
“Hey grandpa,” she nuzzled back. “I’m doing okay.”
“Well that’s good to hear,” Harmonic smiled. “We’ll be having dinner in the garden tonight, if that’s alright with all of you, of course. Oh, Mom and Aunt Luna are coming too.”
“Really?” Script inquired as he and his family followed his dad through the palace. “What’s the occasion?”
“Uh…” the alicorn began but trailed off, giving his granddaughter all the reason to be suspicious.
“Hey grandpa,” Cloudy said, “Did something bad happen?”
“Huh?” Harmonic blinked, “Oh no! Nothing like that, I assure all of you. However, it is serious.”
This got the whole family’s attention.
“Harmonic?” Page questioned, “What happened?”
“Well… it’s…” the Prince’s wings flustered, “It’s kinda hard to explain. In fact, it’s something that I have to show you beforehoof – something that requires all of you to assist in a very important matter.”
Harmonic could sense that all three were giving him very confused looks. So once they reached the back of the palace where the windows extended to the Royal Gardens, he pointed a wing out. To which, they did.
“I don’t see anything out of the ordinary other than a table being set up,” Script’s wife said.
“No,” the Violinist shook his head. “Look again at who’s out there.”
They did.
“I see gramps setting the table and another pony setting up cushions,” the pegasus pointed out the window.
Harmonic shook his head, “Look harder. Who do you see?”
This time, Script concentrated on the other pony, “Why does that stallion look familiar?”
His father gave a sad look, “You mean you don’t recognize him?”
“Why? Is it one of your friends?”
The prince shook his head, “No. He was much closer than that, to both of us. Look again, does his face look familiar at all?”
He did, “Well not really. He’s just… wait?” Script’s eyes widen, “That cutie mark… that mane and coat…” the stallion shook his head. “No… that can’t be-”
“It is,” his father nodded. “Before you say anything, no, he’s not a Changeling. And yes, that out there, right now, is Pa. Color Spectrum, helping Note set up the table.”
To this, Script Freeverse gasped, “No.” Shaking his head, with tears forming from the corner of his eyes, “No dad, that’s… not possible! Pa’s not-” He looked at his father, “But he’s dead! We’ve both saw it happen!”
“Technically, it isn’t,” Harmonic rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, I know what you’re thinking, but as out of the blue as it is, that out there is your Pa. For Cloud, that’s your other grandfather out there.”
“Are you sure?” Page asked, still amazed the circumstance. “This isn’t someone that’s imitating to be him, is he?”
“He told me something that only he and I would know as a couple. Something that only the real Color would know, and he answered it correctly – plus, I had the guards run a quick DNA scan of him, just to be absolutely sure. Guess what? They’ve confirmed that it’s really him.”
All three ponies’ jaws hit the floor.
“But how!” Script demanded, “How’s that possible? I mean look at him! He doesn’t seem to age a day! If anything, he looks even younger then I remember.”
“Well before any of you jump to conclusions,” Harmonic raises a hoof. “Please, let me try to explain.”
However, his son didn’t listen to that part.
_*_
“So…” Color began, if not rather awkwardly. “About ten years?”
“Uh-huh,” the light green Cellist set a fork down next to one of the plates.
Another moment of silence, ever since Harmonic had left to get someone named “Written Word,” both stallions were left alone and, by the Prince’s request, had them set up the table. The reason, as far as they understood, was to get a little more acquainted or something along the lines of that. However, they found it rather difficult to start up a conversation.
“How long did you know him?”
“What?” Note asked, “What was that?”
“I said, how long have you known Harmonic for?”
He tilted his head, “What ya mean?”
“I mean, how long have you known him, well, romantically?”
“Oh,” Note nodded as he set another fork down. “I wanna say… fit-fat- excuse me. Fifteen or fourteen years at least, but I’ve kinda known about him somewhat for a little longer than that.”
“Explain?”
“Well, I’ve heard about him since I was a colt. Heh, i-in fact, I remember seeing in the papers about you two gu-ge-getting married when I was quite young. But in a way, Harmonic has been my uh… role model.”
This got the Artist’s curiosity, “Oh? Harm was your role model? In what way?”
“Besides musically, of course, in which I’ve collected a few records of his. I’ve looked up to him cause… he indirectly helped me… come out.”
Color paused from putting the cushion near the table, “Really?”
Note nodded, “Yeah. I mean, you and Harm are really special in the history books. That being the first in Equestrian Road-Royalty, who are both males, to agree to marry each other without any political or financial motive, I remember the news of it was pretty big. And… rather inspiring for me.” After placing another fork down, he added, “I know that… when you’re from, that you haven’t exactly tied the knot yet. But for ponies like me, who growing up in Ponyville with no other gay colts his age, the idea that, an abused alicorn who was adopted and an artist who was overall ignored can fall in love… it gave me hope that I, a colt whose mind and sp-sp-speech was broken… that I could be happy too.”
“Wow,” the unicorn painter said. “I had a hoof in that kind of impact? Only… I mean, really? All of that from a small wedding?”
“You know, it wasn’t just Harmonic you were saving on that day from thinking that he was an outcast. There’s a… an old gryphon proverb I’ve ha-her-heard before. ‘He who saves one life saves the world entire.’”
“What?” Color questioned, “But… I’m just a painter for crying out loud! I’m not a hero. I’m not even brave enough to go back to my time and say ‘I do’ to his face. From you, all I did was marry a prince!”
“Yes, that is true. Even if you don’t see yourself as a hero, you are one to me.”
Another moment of silence before Color spoke again.
“How did you meet him?”
“The orchestra… but, just to be clear, I didn’t go to him, he came to me first because I was too shy.” The musician looked up at the clouds overhead, grinning in nostalgia. “I didn’t even get the courage to go talk to him until he spotted me. At the… what was it? Oh yeah! ‘The Cherry on Top’. when he saw that I was sitting there all by myself when he suddenly came in and sat down next to me!
“From there, we started talking. He said that he got out from this really had-bad date and just wanted somepony to talk to because he’d seen me from rehearsal. I just couldn’t believe it really. But we talked a little about each other for a bit before he told me thanks for the cut-chut-chat. (Sorry.) And like that, he left. It wasn’t all love, at first sight, mind you, but I… developed a kind of crush on him.”
“So it grew from there?” he nodded. Color looked over to the castle door where his… fiancé had disappeared through. “Whole, can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure.”
“Do you feel jealous when Harm and I are in the same space together?”
Note looked up at him in surprise, “Huh?”
“Look, I completely understand, given the current situation. With me here, you might be thinking that I’ve come back from the dead to reclaim my fiancé or what have you. I don’t blame you for thinking that you might be the third wheel in all of this.”
“But last time I-I’ve checked, you’re not married yet.”
“You know what I mean.”
Whole Note took in a deep breath, “He is my husband, Color. The truth is, I love him too, just as much as you do. If he’s like the Harmonic you know, you know he would never do anything behind our backs without saying so. So when y-you pulled that prank back there… you scared me for a moment.”
Color’s ears folded back, “Oh… I’m sorry, it was only a joke, we didn’t-”
“I’ve already forgiven both of you,” he interrupted. “Just… please don’t do anything like that again.”
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” the painter said as he went through all the motions of the promise. To this, Note blinked, “What, knowing Pinkie Pie, if I so much as though about breaking it, she probably come right back to haunt me.”
The cellist opened his mouth before closing it and shaking his head, “I’m not gonna ask.”
“I do have one more question to ask from you though,” Color said, “and please, I want you to answer me sincerely.”
“What’s that?”
Here, the Artist looked at Note in the eye, “Is Harmonic happy?”
With a puzzled look, he answered, “Of course he is. Look, I know that you’re a-aware that you’re no longer around, but he has gotten over his grief over you a l-long time ago. Truly. Sure he does miss you like his parents, but he doesn’t cry about it anymore. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s forgotten about you. I mean, he still holds on to some of your p-paints. Besides, we have our filly Joy, Celestia and Luna, not to mention that w-w-we’ve been composing together.” Note smiled and said, “I-If you want, we could play a new concerto for you. we composed it! If you like that is.”
Color shrugged, “Why not, I’m not exactly in a hurry to getting-”
“Wait! Come back!” The slamming of doors was heard in the gardens. Before Color Spectrum knew it, he was suddenly tackled by somepony at full force.
The Artist screamed as he was tossed to the ground, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He quickly realized that a blue stallion with a red mane that was hugging and nuzzling him very tightly. “Huh? Wha?”
“I’ve missed you Pa,” the stranger sobbed. “It’s been so long.”
“Say what!” Color grabbed hold of the stranger, pulling him away from him. “What did you call me?”
The other stallion blinked, “Pa, it’s me. Your son?” he then gave a puzzled look, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
For the artist, his brain came to a screeching halt. Luckily, Harmonic came rushing in and lifted the other stallion off. His eyes darted between him and the one that claimed to be his son, “Uh… Harm? Who’s that?”
Before Script could open his mouth, he found that his father had muzzled him in his magic. “Mom and Aunt Lu will be here soon. If you excuse me, I need to have a quick word with this one.”
Once Harmonic and the blue stallion were carried off behind a hedge, Color blinked… and blinked again – turning to Whole Note, he asked, “What in the name of sanity just happened?”