"...Including five hundred acres of lumber farming, twelve sets of silverware, a full set of fine china, a full collection of season-appropriate lingerie..."
"Mama!"
"You'll thank me later, dear. Now hush." Mercury continued reading from the list of items. "A lifetime subscription to Pegasus Down Mattresses, six sets of garrote weaving pseudoscorpion silk sheets, and a sum of four million bits are to delivered to one earth pony stallion named Noteworthy. With which, he is to provide our daughter, Lyra Heartstrings, with the lifestyle she has become accustomed to, as well as to any children she might have and/or acquire throughout their married life together.
"Should, at any point, they separate, Noteworthy shall be required to return no less than half the acquired dowry to Lyra Heartstrings and her children. Failure to do so, whether by willful robbery or squandrous lifestyle, shall place him under the mercy of the courts, unless forgiven by Lyra Heartstrings and her children, to whom he shall then be indebted to."
The matriarch lifted her eyes from the paper and smiled sweetly at the stallion. "I trust that those last bits and pieces shall never be necessary. Hmm, Noteworthy?"
The stallion hardly seemed to be listening, as well as his first wife. They were sitting there on the seat opposite her and the patriarch in the family's larger carriage. Mouths hanging open in shock.
"I certainly hope they recover soon," Mercury said in the worried tone. "It's going to be a rather dull festival if we have to drag them around in carts. Actually, skip that, it'd be very funny. Glad I brought my camera."
Slightly to her disappointment, Noteworthy and Bon Bon snapped out of their stupor, but not before she had take a couple photos on their way to the docks.
"F-f-f-four m-m-m-million bits?" the stallion stuttered in a hushed tone. It almost sounded like someone was choking him.
Lyra giggled as she ensured both foals were buttoned up for the trip ahead. "I guess it does sound like quite a bit, coming from your background, huh?"
"Well, yes, four million bits, but that's not taking into account the material wealth we've bestowed," Mercury said on an amused tone. "The actual figure, when it's all combined, is really eleven point three-two-nine-seven million Equestrian.
"..."
"..."
"Oh, dear. Broken again."
Lyra leaned over and gave her silly stallion a kiss on the cheek. "Probably more money than he's had altogether in his life, mama."
Baritone chuckled deeply. "Pocket change, for us, really. But, we didn't want to really overwhelm the poor colt. He's a good one, I can tell. He and his first wife. They're going to take good care of you, Lyra. Be sure you reciprocate appropriately."
"Aye-aye, Cap'n Papa," Lyra said, throwing a mock salute. The foals laughed and mimicked her action.
The two earth ponies recovered by the time they reached the docks.
"Now," Mercury began as they got out of the carriage and bid Knick and Knack to return at an appointed time, "I hope you'll be a mature colt about this gift. It's very important to us."
Noteworthy nodded. "Of course. I'm going to handle this like I would a newborn foal."
"Give it back to the parents?" Mercury teased, waggling her eyebrows in an impish manner.
"Uh, I said mature, not stupid," the stallion responded critically. "With something like this, I can finely give Bon Bon the life I been working so hard to provide. Lyra too, of course. And our children can have better educations... Twist can forget about Chocolatier College, she's headed straight for St. Hershey's Academy of Sweets... Henry will... will... well, he hasn't discovered his special talent yet, but with this I can help him carve his own path. And the future children we're hoping to have... they'll want for nothing... and... and...and..."
He couldn't really get much further, as he was overcome with tears. His wives embraced each side of him, nuzzling his face fondly. Even the thestrals couldn't help but join the hug, feeling very proud of their son-in-law.
"I thought mother-in-laws were supposed to mean," Henry whispered to Twist, who sat beside him, watching the adults' emotional display. The filly rolled her eyes punched his shoulder. "Ow."
"Glad to disappoint," Mercury said, giving the colt a toothy grin. She giggled at his surprised expression. "I've got the ears of a bat, kiddo. I hear everything."
The ticket booth was the next stop, after they were done showering the stallion with familial affection.
"The airship leaves in twenty-five minutes," Mercury explained as she passed the tickets around. One to each stallion, and two to the mothers of the two foals, and kept one for her self as well. "Now would be a goodtime to use the facilities, or grab some refreshments for the trip ahead. The dock and airship numbers are on the tickets, so you shouldn't get lost. And, no, that is not a challenge."
"I have to go, mommy," Twist said, tugging on her mother's tail.
"Okay, sweetie," Bon Bon said, turning to escort her filly aside.
"Why don't we go grab the mares some snacks for the road, son," Baritone addressed Noteworthy. The remaining two mare's smiled at how familiar the two stallions had gotten with each other. It was nice to see them bonding so quickly.
"I'm afraid I'll need to see the little filly's room as well," Mercury said with a shrug, heading in the direction Bon Bon and Twist went.
"So, what would you like to do, Henry?" Lyra said, looking down at her son as she placed the tickets in her saddlebags. He looked back up at her with a big grin on his face, his tail wagging excitedly.
"I want to get on the airship," he practically squeaked. Were he a pegasus, she was certain he would be hovering. "I've seen them flying in the sky ever since I've been here, and there weren't any back home. Please? I really wanna see what it's like."
Lyra gave a hearty laugh and scooped him up onto her back before trotting briskly towards the docks. "Of course we can little man. Your mother's gonna get you a full tour of that place, mark my words. Oof."
She was broadsided by a human woman that seemed to be in a big hurry. The contents of her saddles bags spilling out as all three of them fell to the ground.
"Oh, I am so sorry," the woman said, getting to her feet and helping the mare and colt up off the ground while collecting the spilled items. "I don't know why I'm in such a rush today. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Nah-nah," Lyra said, dusting herself and Henry off, before setting him back on her withers. "It was just an accident. Happens all of the time. Trust me, in Ponyville, worse stuff happens before it's even breakfast."
"Oh, well, still, I am sorry," the woman said dusting herself off. "Oh, and I believe these tickets are yours."
"Ah, yes, thank you," Lyra said in relief, accepting the two pieces of paper. Then she narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously. "Hold on. I'm not about to walk into one of these clichés. Are you sure we didn't get each other's mixed up by mistake? I really don't want to find myself on a one-way trip to Yakyakistan by mistake. I don't want Prince Rutherford to turn me into a pony pancake."
The woman chuckeld and shook her head. "Don't worry. I don't have any tickets. I'm waiting to pick someone up, actually."
"Ah, good," Lyra said, wiping her brow in an exaggerated fashion. "Really dodged a bullet there. Well, have a nice day..."
"Gloria," the woman responded with a nod of her head.
"Have a nice day, Gloria. Hope whoever your waiting for gets here soon. Bye-bye. Say good-bye, Henry."
"Good-bye," Henry obeyed shyly, waving at the woman. He hadn't forgotten his humanity, after all.
The woman watched as they disappeared into the crowds of people on the docks. Then she began to laugh as she lifted two familiar tickets up. "Oh, yes, Heartstrings. Have a nice trip. He's waiting for you."