//------------------------------//
// Summer Days 
// Story: The Royal Canterlot Family 
// by CartoonNerd12 
//------------------------------//

Zealot was walking with Apple Butter as he questioned, "So these important guests from Strapgart have to come here every summer according to a treaty that your aunt and uncle help set up?"
"They didn't tell us until we were older what the treaty was made for. Apparently, they were hoping that Snowy and Quill would fall in love so that there would be a marriage uniting Strapgart and Marendelle."
"And are Snow Pea and this Quill in love?"
"Not yet. But I think it's close. They do spend a great deal together whenever he comes to visit. And then there are his sisters, Barberry and Bubble Gum. For a long time, Roller had a crush on Barberry and don't tell him I know. He was always smitten with her, but as time went on, he lost interest."
"What happened?"
"I'm not sure, maybe he grew out of it. That can happen. Ponies tend to have crushes but grow out of them."
"Have you ever had a crush?"
"Ah…" She was at a loss for words. Truth be told, she didn't because she was always surrounded by her cousins and family. Even when she did come across boys on Marendelle - including Rock Salt - she just wasn't interested until Zealot came.
"I see. You had so many you lost count." he joked.
She giggled.
"Are my ears deceiving me? Or did Zealot make an actual joke?" Skater came up to them.
Butter motioned, "He did! Zealot's finally coming out of his shell!"
He said, "I'm not out yet, but it's a start. So far, making jokes keeps my spirits and everyone else's high. I want to feel as happy as I can without falling into darkness again."
Skater mentioned, "You really did have a rotten childhood. Makes me ashamed for the things I've complained about in my life when they were others who had it far worse."
"Don't. You should live your life. It was not you who was responsible for taking so many innocent ponies' lives away."
Apple Butter nodded, "It's those horrible slavers. They think they can just take a pony without permission and sell them away with no regard to how that pony was living in the first place."
"That's why my father has the whole Equestrian Navy looking out for them." Snow Pea came into the conversation. "You should have seen him when he came back to work after I was feeling better. He was ranting on and on about how evil some ponies were and he made me swear that I would never allow slavers into our kingdom after I become queen. Of course I made the promise - the Pinkie-Promise, in fact - and that helped Father calm down."
Zealot smiled, "You're a good pony, Your Highness."
"I try to be," she gave a half-smile.
Butter scoffed, "Stop selling yourself short. You saved Equestria from the Windigos, for Pete's sake! That makes you a hero."
Zealot saw the look of unease on the crown princess's face, deciding it would be best to change topics right now. He mentioned, "You know, Apple Butter was just telling me about the treaty that your parents have with the kingdom of Strapgart and how they hope you would fall in love with the prince."
Snowy gave a small smile, "Quill is a dear friend of mine, but it was hard imagining having a life with him if there wasn't a life to have…"
Skater pointed, "Yeah, that stupid prophecy made a lot of things uncertain for you…"
Butter said, "But now that it's been fulfilled, are you going to marry Quill?"
Snow went slightly pink, "Well, that all depends on how he feels. I couldn't ask him to give up his life and be my Prince Consort if he doesn't want that. My place is here, it always was, but I am going to need a husband to stay by my side and to help me through the challenges that will be required of me as queen. If I don't get married, then the back-up plan is to have Lil and Rock's children be my heirs in my stead."
"When are those two going to get married?" Zealot asked.
The girls merely giggled and shrugged.
Skater gestured, "Who knows? It could be tomorrow, or years from now."
Apple Butter said, "They're spending as much time as they can to see if they have a future together. I personally believe they do, but they want to be sure."
Skater joked, "Well, they did have a 'rocky' start."
Snow motioned, "My little sister and Rock weren't all that close when they first met, but they have come a long way since then."
Butter questioned, "Like you and Quill?"
Snowy countered, "That's different. We were on good terms due to our parents and political alliance, but like I said, as much as I liked Quill, I couldn't fall for him because the prophecy. But thankfully, Quill wasn't in a rush either to fall in love. I remember our first summer together after one year the treaty was made."
A flashback happened as a young Snow Pea and Quill Scarlet were walking down the beach.
"And this is where my Mommy and Daddy first met. As scary as it was that Mommy washed onto the shore, it was really romantic that Daddy found her and that they fell in love when they saw each other."
Quill merely gave a nod.
"Lil was right. You don't talk that much. But that's okay. We can still be friends."
He nodded again.
"I know! Why don't we collect as many seashells as we can find every time you come over? And then when we're old enough, we'll count how much we collected?"
He nodded with more enthusiasm and started looking around. They kept with the search until Snow Pea heard a strange noise and turned to see Quill on the other side of the beach blowing into a small conch shell. She smiled at the sight and went to him, saying.
"You found a conch shell! You know, if you hold it to your ear, you can hear the ocean."
He looked at it in confusion before he held it up to his ear and slowly smiled from hearing the sound inside.
"You can keep it. That way, you can listen to the ocean all the time when you're home."
He beamed at her and nodded as if saying 'thanks'.
"I look forward to the day when you feel ready to chat with me."
The flashback ended as adult Snow Pea said, "Turned out that day came about two years later…"



Young Snow Pea sat at the piano in the castle music room playing a piece as Quill watched on the side wearing the conch shell around his neck. He had a dreamy look on his face as he swayed his head to the sound.
Once she stopped, she faced him with a smile.
He clapped and, for the first time, he spoke to her, "That was beautiful, Snow Pea."
She gasped, "You talked!"
He gave a sheepish grin, "Yeah… I was afraid to the last few times we met… but I just had to say something after hearing you play."
She beamed, "Well, thank you. But I am curious about so many things about you, like what's your favorite color, or what you like to do back home, or how well do you get along with your sisters?"
He smiled, "My favorite color is yellow, and I like listening to stories told by my nanny and sometimes I act them out with my sisters. I do mostly anything they do. They look out for me even though I sometimes wish I was brave enough to do things on my own…like how you defeated the Umbrum and Sirens! You're so amazing."
She blushed, "Well, I had help… My Aunt Sunset, Uncle Discord, and Uncle Spike were there and told me what to do. I also wore the Fire Tiara; that helped a lot, too."
"That doesn't make you any less amazing…" He blew on the conch shell, reminding her of when he first found it, "You talked me to me even when I didn't talk to you… You showed me around and played with me…"
"That's what friends do, Quill."
"And your friend I shall forever be, Snow Pea."
She giggled, "Call me, Snowy."
He grinned, "Okay… Snowy."



Adult Snow sighed fondly over the memory. She then commented, "With each passing year, we spent every moment together and I loved how one time, we had our fathers take us around the village. It gave our dads a chance to catch up and the best part is we managed to meet up with our grandparents by chance…"
A pre-teen Snow and Quill sat on a bench near the docks as they watched their fathers talking with Cinnamon Swirl and Scarlet Plume a few feet away.
"Just what have you two been up to since retirement?" Button asked.
Cinnamon smirked, "If you must know, son, Scarlet and I want to repair our old ship the S.S Destiny and take one last adventure before we become too old."
Button furrowed his brow, "Does Mom know about this?"
Scarlet answered with a grin, "Does she? She's the one who suggested it!"
"What?!" both Button and Featherweight gaped.
Cinnamon chuckled, "It's true. Love has gotten bored now that she doesn't have a kingdom to watch over anymore or a son who's more than capable of ruling by himself now."
"Wow… so this will be Mom's first time leaving the island…"
"It's a shocker, all right, but I will be there every step of the way for her."
Plume glanced to where her grandson was and noticed how he was staring strangely at Snow Pea as they were conversing. Featherweight noticed, too, and so did Button and Cinnamon.
"They are such a sweet pair…" she commented.
Cinnamon smiled, "Reminds me of when we were young, Scarlet…"
Button turned to Featherweight, "I'm glad they're getting along so well."
"Naturally! We were best friends, so why wouldn't they be friends?"
"Of course, Sweetie's hoping they'll fall in love when they grow up."
Scarlet gave a heavy sigh, "Every pony expected me and Cinnamon to fall in love, but that didn't work. We were friends first and foremost."
Cinnamon nodded, "It's true, but I wouldn't mind our grandchildren getting together. I can see from here that they could rule this kingdom with kindness and courage."
Button gave a sad smile, "But it all depends on them falling in love and if circumstances will allow for that to happen…"
They glanced strangely at him and Scarlet asked, "What do you mean by that?"
He shook his head, "Nothing. It's nothing." He put on a smile, but Cinnamon was having suspicions.
As good as his son was able to hide things, there was something going on that was troubling him, but he decided it was best not to question it right now. He hoped that whatever was going on would work out in the end.
Snow Pea then approached her grandfather and asked, "Grandpa, what was Daddy like as a colt?"
Cinnamon chuckled, "Oh, you should be asking what he wasn't like as a colt."
Button went red with embarrassment, "Pop!"
Quill asked his grandmother, "How's Gramps doing, Grammy?"
Scarlet smiled, "Oh, he's the same joking, funny stallion I fell in love with."
Featherweight asked, "Still handling the wheelchair okay?"
She touched his cheek with a sad grin, "I can't tell you how wonderful it was for you to take over for your father after his accident. It made him so proud, but we were even more proud the day you married Babs."
He beamed, "She's everything I could want, Mom."
Scarlet then asked Quill, "How are your sisters, Quilly?"
Quill shrugged, "They're the same as always."
That caused Scarlet to giggle. "Tell 'em I said 'hi'."
Featherweight smiled, "Will do, Mom."
Button then announced, "We should be getting back to the castle, but it was great seeing you both."
Cinnamon nodded, "I'll tell your mother how you're doing and that you wish her luck for her first ever adventure."
He grinned sheepishly, "Would you?"
His father chuckled, "Of course."
Quill and Snow said their farewells to their grandparents before their fathers took them back.



The flashback ended and back in present time, adult Snow Pea faced her cousins and Zealot, "I must go now. Quill and his family will be docking into the harbor soon and Dad and I have to go greet them."
They gave her encouraging words as she left, but it was Apple Butter's words that stood out the most.
"Give Quill your love when you see him!"
She wanted to retort, but found she couldn't as she blushed a deep crimson red. But before she went down the stairs, she stopped at the line of portraits and found her parents' picture. She saw the empty space next to it and for the first time in her life, she could imagine her picture up as the next queen with her husband, Quill Scarlet. She gave out a tiny gasp as more memories of her and Quill filled her head. He really was everything she could ever want for a husband and she would gladly tell him that.
She started turning around when she suddenly bumped into someone and looked up in surprise to see…
"Quill?"
He smiled back at her and she noticed that he was carrying a string guitar on his back.
"But what are you doing here? I thought my father and I were supposed to come meet you at the docks."
He replied, "We wanted to surprise you. My dad's already looking for your dad, and Mom's looking for your mom. But I would have come by rowboat if I had to, just to see you…" He told her that last part with big eyes.
Snowy gaped, "Quill, really?"
He nodded, "There's something I need to tell you. I wanted to tell you this for a long time, but I was too scared to do it."
She watched on in amazement as he held his guitar and started playing it as he began to sing, "I love you too much… To live without you loving me back… I love you too much… Heaven's my witness and this is a fact… I know I belong when I sing this song… There's love above love and it's ours… 'Cause I love you too much… I live for your touch… I whisper your name night after night… I love you too much… There's only one feeling and I know it's right… I know I belong when I sing this song… There's love above love and it's ours, 'cause I love you too much… Heaven knows your name, I've been praying to have you come here by my side… Without you a part of me's missing… Just to make you my own, I will fight… I love you too much! I love you too much… Heaven's my witness and this is a fact… You live in my soul… Your heart is my goal… There's love above love and it's mine, 'cause I love you, there's love above love and it's yours, 'cause I love you, there's love above love and it's ours, if you love me as much…"
	He faced her with a serious expression as she uttered, "Do you really mean that?"
He answered, "Ever since the day we met."
"Quill…" She touched his cheek before she moved him toward the empty space and asked him, "What do you see?"
He gave her a confused look on what she was doing, so he said, "A wall?"
She giggled, "For now it is, but that wall will soon hold a portrait of me as queen along with my husband, Prince Consort Quill Scarlet."
He gaped at her as she teased, "Oh, dear. Have I made you lose the ability to speak again?"
He just smiled and merely nodded.
She stood silent herself as she moved closer to his face and closed her eyes. He followed suit and their lips touched.
Unbeknownst to them, their parents were watching the heartwarming scene. Sweetie Belle was on the verge of crying and so was Featherweight while their spouses beamed in pride.
Sweetie uttered quietly so she didn't disturb the young lovers, "I can't believe it finally happened."
Babs whispered, "Of course. This may shock Barberry and Roller Blade since you know they can't stand each other."
Button commented, "A shame, really. We'll have to find a way to-" Suddenly, they heard a rustling from a broom closet and Sweetie used her magic to open it.
Two ponies entwined in each other's arms came out with a thump. The adults gaped when they saw it was Roller Blade with…
"Bubble Gum?!" her parents exclaimed.
She blushed sheepishly, "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad…"
Roller blushed at his aunt and uncle, "You won't tell my parents about this, will you?"
Button said, "Depends. What is this exactly about?"
Roller glanced at BG before rubbing his neck awkwardly, "We… may have more or less fallen in love?"
Sweetie inquired, "But didn't you have a crush on Barberry?"
Roller stammered, "H-how did you know about that?!"
Featherweight grinned, "It was pretty obvious."
Bubble stated, "It was." She said that like it was common knowledge.
"Oh." Roller felt more inept than ever.
Babs chuckled, "Don't worry. We can keep this just between us." She looked at the other parents and they nodded in agreement.
Roller gave a sigh of relief while Bubble nuzzled his cheek.