//------------------------------//
// Ep 17 - Meeting the Parents 
// Story: My Little Pony: Small Town Life 
// by Mythic Night 
//------------------------------//

It was just another day at Succulent Sweets when Silver flipped the sign at the door to “Closed” for their lunch break. While he had been working the counter, Sunny was busy in the kitchen working to keep the shop stocked with her delicious chocolates. “What are you feeling up for today, Sunny?” he asked as he trotted back to the kitchen.

“Some hayburgers would be nice,” she told him, busy working on another batch of sweets. “Could you be a dear and bring some back to the shop for me? I’m on a roll here.”

He chuckled and nodded. “Sure thing sweetheart. I’ll be back in a bit,” he said, heading out through the kitchen door to get their food.

“Hey, wait a sec!” she called out to him, heading out the door after the unicorn.

“Huh? What did I forget?” he wondered, stopping to turn around and face her.

“This,” she said, sharing a deep kiss with him. He hummed happily as his hoof went up to caress her cheek, savoring the moment before she slowly pulled away. “Hurry back, okay?”

“Sure thing,” he replied, giving Sunny a final nuzzle before he headed off to the Hayburger.

Sunny gave a happy sigh as she stood at the doorway and watched Silver walking away. I’m so lucky to have him in my life… 

“Now that is the look of a mare in love,” said a familiar feminine voice.

Sunny’s eyes grew wide as she quickly turned to face the mare. “M-mom?! W-what are you doing here? I thought you were still on tour!”

“I came home yesterday evening, and thought I’d come by to visit my eldest daughter,” she replied, barely containing her amusement. The mare had a dark golden coat and purple mane and tail which curled at the ends, and the same deep blue eyes she shared with her daughter. On her hips were a cutie mark of a pink ribbon wrapped like a heart.

She grinned as she added, “And imagine my surprise when I find my daughter kissing some random stallion. Tell me, Sunny, just who was that?”

Sunny blushed at being caught. “That was Silver Streak, and… he’s my special somepony.”

“So when were you going to tell me that you’re dating again? Was I supposed to find out at the wedding?” she asked with a mock pout, as her eyes held a mischievous glint.

Sunny blushed even harder at the mention of marriage, and sputtered, “I was going to tell you when you got back! I wanted you and Dad to find out together, honest.”

“Well, this seems to be great timing,” said the elder mare. “I actually came by to invite you to dinner, so I could discuss something with the whole family. How about you bring Silver Streak to dinner tonight, around seven-thirty? I’m sure your father will be just as excited as I am to meet him.” It was obvious by the tone she used that it was more an order than a request.

“Uh, yeah, sure…” Sunny replied warily.

“Great! I’ll see you then. Ta-ta, sweetie!” She turned and started walking away, leaving her daughter to go back into the shop, wondering what dinner would be like.

It wasn’t all that long after that Silver returned with lunch. “I’m back, Sunny! Here’s your burger,” he said, plopping the bag and sodas on the counter.

She had been so caught up with her thoughts that she almost forgot he was coming back with lunch, and she smiled sheepishly at him. “Oh, yeah, thanks sweetheart.”

Silver frowned as he got a couple plates out and got the food set, concerned at her reaction. “Is everything okay, dear?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” she assured him. “Though, I hope you don’t have any plans tonight…”


= = = = = = = = = =


Silver grimaced as he fiddled with his purple bowtie, his nervousness making it difficult for him to focus his magic to tie it properly. It hadn’t even occurred to him that he’d need to meet her parents at some point, and now that he was preparing for their dinner together, he found himself worried about making a good impression. “Darn it, just… come on…” he grumbled as he wrangled with his tie.

“Silver, relax,” Sunny said, standing there in a simple, orange sundress. “I’m sure they’re going to love you.”

He sighed as he finally got his bowtie set. “I really hope so. I don’t want them to end up hating me because I said or did something stupid at this dinner tonight.”

She trotted up behind him to wrap him in a hug, and he leaned into her. “Everything’s going to be fine, I promise. Just be yourself, okay?”

“Okay…” he murmured, a hoof stroking at her foreleg. “I love you, Sunny.”

“I love you too, Silver.” She pulled away and smiled at him. “Ready to go?”

Silver took a deep breath, and let it out slowly before he nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

The pair of them headed out the door and off to Sunny’s childhood home. There was an uncomfortable silence that hung in the air as they made their way there, Silver being distracted by his worries about dinner, while Sunny was concerned with whatever her mother needed to discuss with the whole family.

Soon, they came upon a two-story house, and Sunny knocked on the door. They only needed to wait for a few moments before the door opened to reveal a large, light blue earth pony stallion with a short white mane and tail, his cyan eyes looking down at the two of them. The stallion was half a head taller than Silver, and muscular, and the nervous unicorn worried that Sunny’s father would break him in half if this night went anything less than perfect.

Silver gave a quiet meep at the stern look the stallion gave him for a moment, before he turned to look at Sunny with a warm smile. “Little Sunny Sonata, it’s good to see you again.” He smiled as Sunny came up to wrap him in a hug, and he hugged her gently in return. “You should come by to visit more often.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry Dad,” she replied, slowly pulling away. “Dad, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Silver Streak,” she said, motioning to the unicorn beside her.

“So I heard,” he replied, looking the unicorn over. “So you’re the one dating my daughter now, huh? I hope you’ve been taking good care of her.”

Silver jumped and stammered, “Y-yes, sir. We’ve been dating for a few weeks now, and I’ve done my best to be a good boyfriend and to show her how much she means to me.”

The stallion’s eyes narrowed. “A good boyfriend would have introduced himself to her parents long before now.”

Sunny fixed a glare at the elder stallion. “Dad! Stop trying to intimidate him!” she scolded him, slugging her father in the arm.

He winced and rubbed his shoulder. “Jeez, I was only joking around, Sunny…” He offered a hoof to Silver and introduced himself. “My name’s Snowdrift. It’s nice to meet you, Silver.”

“N-nice to meet you too, sir,” Silver replied nervously, shaking his hoof in return.

“Please, just call me Snowdrift. Come inside, both of you,” he said, moving aside to let them in.

The two went inside, and were greeted by Sunny’s little sister, Crystal Waltz. “Hey Sunny! Hi Silver!” she said with a wave.

“Hey sis,” Sunny said as the little filly ran up to hug her big sister, and she hugged Crystal in return. “Keeping out of trouble?”

“Yeah,” she replied, and looked at Silver curiously. “So you’re here to meet Mom and Dad, huh?” It was no surprise to the filly that Silver and her sister were dating, after the past few times Sunny foalsat her where she saw firsthoof the love shared between the two. Crystal was glad that they were together, as she saw Sunny become happier and more relaxed than she’d seen her in a while.

“Yeah, that’s the idea,” he replied with a smirk.

Crystal smiled. “They’re nice like you, so I’m sure they’ll like you a lot.”

“Imagine my surprise when I told Crystal and your father that we were going to meet your special somepony, only to find out that she already knew him,” said the motherly mare emerging from the kitchen.

Sunny flinched, and quickly replied, “W-well, Crystal knew because I had to foalsit her.”

The golden mare chuckled. “I’m only teasing you dear,” she said as she came up to her daughter, and the two hugged. “Welcome home, my sweet sonata.” After a few moments, they separated, and she turned to look at Silver. “You must be Silver Streak. Hello, and welcome to my home. I’m Sunrise Serenade, Sunny’s mother, obviously.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” he said, reaching a hoof to shake, and he was surprised when she came up to hug him.

“There’s no need for such formalities,” she chided him playfully. “Please, call me Sunrise.” She pulled away and smiled as she asked, “Are you feeling hungry? I made eggplant parmesan for dinner.”

“Oooh! Mom makes the best eggplant parmesan!” said Sunny with a grin.

“It’s going to be done soon, and then we’ll all be able to sit down and have a nice little chat,” Sunrise told the pair. “I look forward to getting to know the stallion who’s dating my daughter,” she added, before she headed back into the kitchen to finish up.

There was a moment of awkward silence as Snowdrift stood there with Sunny, Silver, and Crystal, none sure what to say and unwilling to start a real conversation while the mare of the house was busy with dinner.

Finally, Silver broke the silence, saying, “M-maybe I could go set the table while she’s finishing up.” He turned and walked into the kitchen to offer his help, leaving the others to talk among themselves in the living room.

“Well… He seems nice,” Snowdrift observed.

“He’s a sweet, sensitive stallion,” Sunny replied with a fond smile, which turned into a frown as she jabbed her father with a hoof. “Which is why I don’t want you acting all mean and scary! He’s already nervous about making sure everything goes well tonight, and he doesn’t need to worry about you beating him to a pulp!”

Her father smirked. “I thought it was my duty as your father to intimidate every colt you brought home.” At Sunny’s stern glare, he quickly raised his hooves up defensively. “Okay, okay! I promise I’ll be nice. But I have to ask, does he make you happy?”

She smiled and nodded. “He really does, Dad.”

He couldn’t help but smile at that. “Then that’s all that really matters. I just hope he understands how lucky he is to be dating my beautiful daughter.”

Sunny giggled, and told him, “I like to think we’re both lucky.”

“Dinner’s done!” Sunrise called out, and three stomachs growled at the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. Snowdrift, Sunny, and Crystal all headed to the dining room, where Silver was helping to set dinner on the table.

Sunrise of course assisted with the placement of the food at the center of the table. “I must say, Silver Streak is quite the gentlecolt, helping me set the table like this.” She glanced over to Snowdrift and added, “Unlike a certain husband of mine.”

Said stallion pouted as he sat down. “Hey, I would have set the table if you asked.”

“Well you seemed so busy trying to intimidate poor Silver there that I didn’t want to interrupt,” she replied with a small smile, giving Silver a subtle wink.

Snowdrift could only scowl while Sunny and Silver both snickered to themselves as they sat down. A feast of eggplant parmesan, pasta, and garlic bread was laying out on the table when everyone took their seats and began digging in.

They spent the first few minutes in silence as they ate, and Silver could definitely agree with Sunny that her mother made some delicious eggplant parmesan. After a short while though, parental curiosity won out over hunger, and Sunrise asked Silver, “Where did you come from, if I might ask?” She knew he wasn’t from Ponyville, or else she would have seen him around town years before.

“I’m originally from Fillydelphia. I just moved here a couple months ago,” he told her.

“And how did you meet Sunny?” Snowdrift wondered.

Silver chuckled at the memory. “My first night here, Pinkie Pie threw me this huge welcome party and invited half the ponies in Ponyville. I trotted around to talk with everypony there, and that’s when I met Sunny. ” He looked to Sunny and smiled as he continued, “When I first laid eyes on her, I thought she was the most beautiful mare I ever saw, and I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t say hello.”

Sunny blushed and giggled, nudging Silver gently when she added, “It didn’t hurt that Princess Twilight told him to go out and make some friends.”

He blushed and stammered, “W-well, yes, I’ll admit that had something to do with our meeting…” He cleared his throat, and continued on. “Anyway, that’s how I met Sunny and all the others. Our friendship grew from there, as did our feelings for one another.”

“And when did it turn into love? When did you start dating?” Sunrise asked.

“Well, did Sunny ever tell you about our adventure with the golden idol?” he wondered.

Snowdrift growled, and said, “Yes, she did, and I swear to Celestia if I ever see that treasure hunter around Ponyville I’ll break every bone in his body!”

Sunny winced. “Dad, please calm down. Everything turned out okay, and I came out alright.”

The stallion looked sheepish. “Yeah, I’m sorry Sunny… I just get so angry thinking about it.”

Sunrise frowned, looking between father and daughter. “Nopony told me anything about an adventure, or about any golden idol.” She had been on tour for a while, and missed out on such events. She noticed the anger in her husband’s eyes, and the uncomfortable look on Sunny’s face, and her gaze hardened as she looked at Silver. “What happened?” she growled.

Silver flinched at the motherly fury that was directed at him. “W-well, you see, Sunny regularly gets a shipment of coffee beans for Frosty, and a little while back it accidentally got switched with another. The bag she got was being used by a treasure hunter, a stallion named Dr. Caballeron, to smuggle a golden jaguar statue out of Tenochtitlan…”

And so he told Sunrise of their adventure, about how Dr. Caballeron tracked down the idol, and how he ponynapped Sunny, and of course how they came together to fight him and save her. Sunrise listened with rapt attention, filled with maternal concern which was only slightly tempered by the fact that her daughter was sitting nearby, healthy and safe.

“That night, when I laid there in bed, I thought about how much Sunny meant to me, and how I’d regret it if I never got to tell her how I felt,” Silver said, finishing the story. “I swore that I’d tell her how I felt, and ask her to be my special somepony.”

Sunny smiled as she leaned over and nuzzled him gently, adding, “And we’ve been happy together ever since.”

Sunrise sipped her drink, gazing thoughtfully at the couple. “It’s nice to know something wonderful came from all that, but I’m curious; why does this ‘Dr. Caballeron’ sound so familiar?”

It was little Crystal who answered, “He’s the treasure hunter from those awesome Daring Do books!” The filly was a fan of Daring Do, one of the few books she enjoyed reading thanks to her big sister.

A look of comprehension came upon the mare, and she remembered the treasure hunter popping up in one or two of the stories she read to Crystal when the filly was sick. She fixed a flat look at Silver. “So you’re telling me that my daughter was assaulted and ponynapped by a literary character?”

“It’s true, Mom!” Sunny cut in. “I have a group photo with the idol in my hope chest, and Frosty wrote an article about the whole thing for the Ponyville Express.”

“’Hope chest?’ What’s that?” Silver asked, curious about this unfamiliar term.

“I’ll show you later,” she told him, before turning back to her mother. “But yeah, apparently Daring Do is real, and so are the villains she’s fought. Who knew, right?”

“That’s a scary thought,” she murmured into her drink. She looked to Silver, smiling warmly, and said, “I know I speak for all of us when I say, thank you so much for saving Sunny.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Oh, y-you don’t need to thank me for that. Honestly, Frosty was the one who came up with the plan, and we all worked to save Sunny.”

“Yes, but it was your magic that took her out of harm’s way, and you charged headlong into battle to protect her,” Sunrise countered. “So, thank you.”

“My hero…” Sunny murmured into his ear, causing the stallion to blush.

Snowdrift cleared his throat, and decided to change the subject. “So, Silver, what do you do for a living, aside from saving damsels in distress?”

Silver smiled proudly. “Oh, I earn my bits by selling sculptures I carve with my magic.”

Snowdrift’s brow furrowed, and his gaze hardened. “So you’re an artist, like Mystic Spiral’s family?” he asked, sounding quite displeased.

Sunrise frowned at her husband’s tone. “Snowdrift, don’t be disrespectful!” she scolded him.

The fatherly stallion looked over to his wife, and said, “I’m sorry dear, I know they’re good ponies and all, but if this colt’s going to support our daughter then he’s going to need a stable income. As much as Mystic Spiral and his family work on their art, they all need normal jobs to make ends meet; I don’t want to see Sunny having to bust her rump just so her special somepony can hawk his wares in the marketplace.”

Sunny grimaced at that. She understood where her father was coming from, she understood his concern, but she was quick to defend her boyfriend. “It’s not like that, Dad. Silver’s a very successful artist. He sells his sculptures at an art gallery in Fillydelphia for a lot of bits, and this new style he’s been working on will make him even more popular in the art world.”

Sunrise was curious about that. “A new style, you say?”

Silver nodded, and said, “Before I tell you about that, I need to explain a few things. While sculpting is how I make my bits, my talent and passion lie in magic, and I’ve spent most of my life studying magic and various spells. I began sculpting as a way to train my magical stamina and precision, and a family friend who owns an art gallery decided my sculptures were good enough to sell.”

“So what was your old style like, and why are you working on a new style?” she wondered.

He explained, “I made complex geometric shapes and patterns, but it was all intellectual. Someone told me that art needed to be a pursuit of the heart, and said that if I wanted true fame, I would need to put my heart into my sculptures. So, I’ve been working on doing just that.”

He glanced at Sunny, and felt his cheeks heat up as he said, “I wasn’t sure what to sculpt at first, until I thought of the one pony who has brought so much joy into my life. I made a bust of Sunny, a realistic style for her head and a geometric style for her mane, and I painted it up properly. I put all of my love and joy into it, and then I showed it to her, hoping she would like it.”

Sunny sniffed, tears in her eyes as she thought back to that moment. “When he showed it to me, he told me how special I was, and how much I meant to him… It was the sweetest, most romantic thing…”

Sunrise looked incredulously at Silver. “And you didn’t propose to her?”

“Mom!” “What?!” “Honey!” shouted Sunny, Silver, and Snowdrift, the young couple blushing at the motherly mare, while her husband gaped at her. So far he’d had no issues with the younger stallion, but that didn’t mean he was eager to hoof his daughter over to the colt!

She seemed unfazed at their reactions. “What? What’s the matter?”

“I-it’s way too soon to think about marriage!” she stammered. “We haven’t even talked about it yet.”

Sunrise simply smiled. “It’s clear that Silver loves you with all his heart, and he made a sculpture to show you just how much you mean to him.” Her smile became a teasing smirk as she asked, “Tell me, if he had proposed to you right then and there, would you have said no?”

Sunny sat there, her mouth working soundlessly as she gawked at her mother, before she reached for her wine glass and gulped it down. Silver, meanwhile, felt his whole face burn as he thought about what she’d said. He loved Sunny, there was no question about that, but the thought of marrying her brought both joy and apprehension. He didn’t quite know how to feel about the idea.

Sunrise chuckled, and turned to Silver. “At any rate, perhaps you’d like to ask us a few questions? This isn’t an interrogation, after all.”

He blinked, and felt relieved at the change of topic. He wondered what to ask, and thought about the curious nickname that they called Sunny by earlier. “Well, I was wondering why you two called Sunny ‘sonata.’ Where did she get that nickname from?”

Everyone reacted differently at his question. Sunny had just finished emptying her glass, looking dismayed, while her parents appeared disappointed, and Crystal just seemed confused. “Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

Sunny reached for the wine bottle to fill her glass back up, while Sunrise looked to her daughter and gave a disappointed sigh. “Really sweetie? You didn’t tell him?”

“I-I was going to!” she replied, looking sheepish.

“When?” her father asked with a flat stare.

Sunny grimaced and muttered something unintelligible. Sunrise facehooved at her reply. “He doesn’t even know he’s dating nobility, does he?”

Silver’s jaw dropped, and his eyes bulged out at the news. “W-what?!”

Sunny gave a sigh as she put her glass down. “Okay, so, I have some things to tell you… For one, I never told you my full name.”

That just caused even more confusion as he looked to his lover curiously. “Your full name?”

She nodded. “Yes… Allow me to properly introduce myself; I am Lady Sunshine Sonata, of House Concerto.”

He gawked at her, simply blinking as he tried to process this new information. “House… Concerto?”

“My side of the family,” Sunrise explained with a proud smile. “We’re a minor noble family from Canterlot, with a long, proud history of contributions to the arts. For generations, our family has produced fine musicians, opera singers, and dancers, all performing for the ponies of Canterlot and beyond.”

She chuckled, and added, “And as for Sunny’s name, well, it’s tradition for members of our family to be named after music.”

Silver nodded slowly, looking between Sunrise and her daughters. “So, Serenade,” he said, motioning to her, “Sonata,” he continued, motioning to Sunny, “and Waltz,” he finished, looking to Crystal.

Sunrise smiled and nodded. “Indeed.”

“I see… But Sunny, why didn’t you tell me? Why hide your name?” he wondered.

“Because it sounds so pretentious,” she complained, much to the annoyance of her mother.

His brow furrowed. “Really? I think it sounds beautiful.”

Sunny looked surprised, before her cheeks reddened and she smiled sheepishly. “Oh… Th-thank you…”

He was still confused though, and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about being nobility?”

Sunny snorted and rolled her eyes. “Because it’s really not a big deal. I mean, yeah, we have a family manor in Canterlot, but it’s not like we’re all that high on the social ladder. I’m just a small-town pony who happens to be a member of some noble family.” She nuzzled him softly as she added, “Besides, I didn’t want you freaking out about being unworthy or something like that.”

Silver smiled and nuzzled her gently in return, then turned to her parents. “Forgive me for asking, but how does a noblemare from Canterlot end up raising a family with a small-town carpenter?”

Sunrise chuckled and leaned into her husband, and she reached over to gently stroke his hoof. “Oh, that’s quite an interesting story, actually. Dear, would you mind starting off?”

Snowdrift smirked and kissed her softly. “I sort of have to, don’t I?” He looked to Silver, and began the story. “We met in Manehattan. I was there to visit my brother, who wanted me to build him a furniture set for his living room, but I was having a hard time finding my way around…”


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Snowdrift frowned as he worked his way through the crowds, trying to find his brother’s condominium in all the chaos. Why the hay did he move here, anyway? he wondered. Snow wasn’t used to these massive crowds or winding streets, and he found himself getting lost while narrowly avoiding being trampled.

He realized after a while that he’d need to ask for directions if he wanted to have any hope of reaching his brother’s home that week. He looked around, hoping to find a police officer to help, before he spotted a beautiful mare sitting alone at her table outside a corner café.

The golden mare sat there, gazing absentmindedly at her cup of coffee, unaware of the small-town stallion staring at her. Well, I need directions anyway; might as well get them from a beautiful mare, he decided as he walked up to her. “Um, excuse me, ma’am?”

She jumped, startled at the unexpected voice, before she looked up to him with a polite smile. “Yes, sir? How can I help you?”

He smiled sheepishly in return, suddenly regretting this idea. “I’m, uh, sorry to bother you, but do you know your way around here? I came to Manehattan to visit my brother, and I’m just getting lost trying to find his building.”

She blinked owlishly, clearly not expecting a question like that. “Uh… Well, I’m not native to Manehattan, but I’ve visited several times now, and I think I know my way around. I trust you have an address?”

He nodded and pulled the letter from his saddlebag, hoofing it over to the lovely mare. She looked at the address, and her brow furrowed as she thought about the layout of the city from her previous visits. “You know, I do believe I can help you. One of my friends has family living on that street, and we just visited yesterday.” She smiled and returned the letter to Snowdrift. “I can show you how to get to that street, and then it’ll just be a matter of finding the place.”

He smiled, scarcely able to believe his luck. “R-really? You’d show me the way?” He felt relieved to know he had help, and giddy at the thought of spending more time with this beautiful mare.

She nodded, and finished her coffee before standing up and grabbing her purse. “I don’t have any plans until this evening anyway. Come on, let’s go.”

The two of them started on their way, Snowdrift following the mare as she led him along down the sidewalk. “My name’s Snowdrift. What’s yours?”

“I’m Sunrise Serenade,” she replied. “Where are you from?” she wondered, simply looking for some small talk on their long trip.

Sunrise Serenade, that’s a beautiful name, he thought to himself, before he realized that she asked him a question. “Oh, I’m from Ponyville, a small town near Canterlot.”

Sunrise chuckled softly. “What an odd coincidence; I come from Canterlot, myself.”

“Is that so? Ever been to Ponyville?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Can’t say I have, but from what I’ve seen it looks like a nice little town. So, what brings you to Manehattan?”

“Well, I’m a carpenter by trade, and my brother asked me to come and plan out a furniture set for his living room.” He smiled at her and asked, “And what about you? What brings a beautiful mare like you to a busy city like this?”

Sunrise blushed softly at the honest compliment. “Well, I’m also here for work, actually.”

“What sort of work?” he wondered, realizing how graceful the mare looked.

“Contemporary dancing,” she replied. “I’m a soloist with the Contemporary Canterlot Dance Company, currently touring Equestria with the rest of my company, and Manehattan is our latest stop.”

“Sounds like an interesting career,” Snowdrift said.

She smiled and shrugged. “I love dancing, but I must admit that it can be tiring, going from city to city. That being said, the way our schedule works, I can’t complain too much; we tour in the summer and fall seasons, and only need to come in for occasional practice during winter and spring.”

He chuckled, and replied, “Sounds kinda nice, having to work only half the year. My little workshop keeps me busy throughout the whole year.”

“At least you’re not bored; when I’m out of the active season, I’m forced to go to these dull parties and social events because it’s expected of someone of my social standing…” she lamented.

Snowdrift couldn’t help but snort in amusement. “You party for half the year, and you’re complaining about it?”

She scowled at him as she replied, “I’m sure the hoedowns you have over in Ponyville are filled with laughter and dancing, but in Canterlot most ‘parties’ consist of putting on a fake smile, agreeing to whatever the most popular pony thinks, and gossiping mercilessly about everyone else at said party.”

“It’s not always a hoedown, you know,” he replied with a smirk. “Sometimes it’s a shindig, or a hootenanny.” Sunrise couldn’t help but laugh as they trotted along, and Snowdrift smiled as he told her, “You should come down to Ponyville some time. Our parties may not be anywhere near as fancy as what you’re used to, but I promise you’d have fun.”

“I may just take you up on that,” she told him.

The two of them made their way through the city, chatting all the while. Sunrise found that she enjoyed Snowdrift’s company, the small-town stallion so very different from the stuck-up high-society types she was used to. He, meanwhile, found Sunrise to be a charming mare, surprisingly down-to-earth considering her high-class heritage, and he was glad to have met her.

Too soon for either of them, though, they eventually found the building they were searching for. “Well, this is it,” he said, looking up at the building.

“Yes…” she sighed. Her ears perked up as she remembered her performance that night, and she turned to Snowdrift to ask, “Say, do you have any plans tonight?”

“Not really, why?” he wondered.

She smiled. “I have a performance tonight at the Grand Auditorium, and I have a special ticket for a great seat near the stage. I’d love for you to attend… Please?” she asked hopefully.

He chuckled and nodded. “I’d love to. What time does it start?”

She grinned, and reached into her purse to retrieve the ticket. “The show starts at six o’clock, make sure to dress nicely.”

“I’m sure I can borrow something from my brother,” he replied as he took the ticket. “I can’t wait to see you dance.”

She blushed as she added, “And after the show, perhaps you could meet me backstage? I’ll let security know to expect you.”

“Sure,” he replied with a nod. “I’ll see you tonight, Sunrise. Thanks again for your help getting here.”

“No problem!” She turned and started trotting away, waving goodbye.

He sighed happily as he watched her leave, and turned to enter the building and meet his brother. He could only hope that the next few hours would pass quickly so that he could see Sunrise again.


= = = = = = = = = =


Hours later, Snowdrift stood in front of the Grand Auditorium, wearing a gray business suit he borrowed from his brother. He wasn’t sure what contemporary dance was like, or if he’d even enjoy it, but he’d give it a chance, especially if it meant he got to see Sunrise again.

He went inside with many other fashionably-dressed ponies, feeling somewhat underdressed in comparison, and soon took his seat near the center of the third row. She really wasn’t kidding about it being near the stage, he thought as he looked around at all the other ponies taking their seats. He heard the orchestra tuning their instruments for the coming performance, and he was surprised to hear what sounded like a guitar and drums, and he couldn’t help but wonder how rock instruments could work with a traditional orchestra.

He didn’t have to wait too long to find out, as only a couple minutes after everypony sat down, the curtains opened, and the music began to play as the dancers appeared on stage, all wearing white unitards. Snowdrift quickly found that contemporary dancing was a type of interpretive dance, where the dancers seemed to attempt to tell a story with movement instead of words, and it fascinated him.

There were a dozen dancers in the back, moving in perfect harmony, and Sunrise was one of a few dancers in front of them, doing their own routine together, playing out some kind of relationship issue with a mare and a stallion. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, watching every graceful move and sensual pose she made as she performed on stage.


- - -


Sunrise was overjoyed to see Snowdrift sitting there in the third row, watching her dance. True, they had only met that afternoon, but already she felt a connection with him. She had gotten so used to dealing with the upper-class that she forgot what it was like to talk with simple, honest ponies.

Part of her irritation with said high-society types was the fact that most of them put on an air of indifference, specifically when it came to her performances. She loved to dance, to work with the choreographer and her fellow dancers to turn song into story, but even as she did her best the high-society audiences only fixed her with polite smiles and quiet applause; never was there any real excitement that she could see, and she wondered how many of them simply came to these shows because of social obligations, and how many actually came because they enjoyed these performances.

Because of this, she was quite surprised and rather self-conscious of herself when she saw the look of awe on Snowdrift’s face as he watched her dance. Unlike the other upper-class ponies, she could see his genuine excitement for the show in general, and her performance in particular. She felt overjoyed that she could bring such excitement to anypony, that she could appear so beautiful to anyone, and she had to focus so that she wouldn’t stumble during her dance, so flustered was she.

She couldn’t help but wonder what he’d think about her upcoming solo…


- - -


Sunrise was a joy to watch, as was the rest of her company of course, but she had this real passion for dance that shown through every graceful movement. It wasn’t too long before the mare got her chance to shine as she began her solo performance, and Snowdrift was treated to the sight of a beautiful dance showing her character’s feelings about this apparent love triangle she was trapped in.

He had to blink back tears as he was overcome by emotions that flowed from Sunrise’s passionate performance. He could feel the heartache and loneliness that the character felt as Sunrise did her best to portray those emotions in every graceful move. He couldn’t help but notice her gaze constantly wandering over to him, and he felt his heart skip a beat every time their eyes met.

All too soon for his liking, the show was over, and Sunrise and the rest of her company bowed to the polite applause of the audience. Snowdrift gave a loud and passionate ovation at the beautiful show, grinning up at Sunrise as she smiled bashfully and blinked back tears.

The curtains fell, and as everyone else began to slowly leave the auditorium, he made his way backstage. It was lucky for him that Sunrise had told security to expect him, and they directed him to her dressing room.

He took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. He only had to wait for a moment before the door opened, and Sunrise rushed forward to give him a deep, passionate kiss. He blinked in surprise, before his eyes slowly drifted closed, and he returned the kiss every bit as eagerly as it was given. The two remained like that for a while, until finally the need to breathe caused them to break the kiss.

They were left panting for a few long moments, before Sunrise apologized. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so forward… I just, I’m not used to anypony admiring my dancing like you did.”

“How could anypony not be moved by that beautiful performance?” he wondered. He felt bold, and said, “You know, we should celebrate. When you’re done getting out of that outfit, why don’t we go have a nice dinner together?”

She blushed, and nodded. “I-I’d like that…”


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Sunrise smiled and leaned on her husband, who nuzzled her softly. During the story, the group had moved into the family room, the two couples sitting on the pair of couches separated by a coffee table. “And that’s how it all started,” she told Silver. “After I left Manehattan, we exchanged letters throughout the fall season.”

Snowdrift grinned as he added, “And when the fall season was done and she was finished dancing for the year, she decided to come straight to Ponyville to visit me.”

“I made it back to Canterlot after the end of the fall tour, but I didn’t want to go back to the family manor,” she explained. “Ponyville, and the stallion I loved, were just a short train ride away, so I bought a ticket for the evening train there.”

“Imagine my surprise when I heard someone knocking on my door late at night, and found Sunrise standing there in the rain,” he chuckled. “We spent the next several months together in Ponyville, going on dates and bonding over Ponyville traditions and parties.”

Sunrise smiled warmly as she thought back to those early days, filled with laughter and love. “And a week before I went back to Canterlot to begin the next season, Snowdrift proposed to me.” She smiled and squeezed his hoof as she nuzzled into his shoulder. “Of course I said yes. We kept in touch through the summer and fall tours with letters, and by the time I came back at the end of fall, we planned out our wedding. We got married that spring, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

A mischievous smile grew on her face as she got off the couch and went to a nearby bookshelf. “And speaking of history, I don’t suppose you’d be interested in seeing some of Sunny’s baby pictures?” she asked, much to Sunny’s horror.


= = = = = = = = = =


After looking through the family photo album and getting a look at Sunny’s childhood photos—only a few of which were embarrassing—they continued to chat, questions going back and forth as Sunny’s parents got to know their daughter’s special somepony, and Silver got to know them in turn.

It was late in the evening when Sunrise finally stood in front of her family for the discussion that she had invited Sunny over for originally. Crystal sat on one couch with her father, while Sunny and Silver sat together on the other one, all eyes on the motherly mare. “So, as you all know, I’ve been dancing for years. I’ve gone on many tours, danced on every major stage and auditorium in every major city, and have gained a lot of recognition for my talents.”

She smiled as she continued, “All these years, I’ve been living my dream and making the Concerto family proud, but I’m getting older now. Yes, I’m still youthful, but how much longer before the upper-class decides I’m too old to dance? How much longer before I suffer a crippling injury, something I’ve been lucky to avoid until now?”

Snowdrift’s brow furrowed, concern clear on his face. “I don’t understand, honey, what are you saying?”

“I’ve decided to retire,” she said, much to the shock of everypony there. “I want to leave the stage on my own terms with my head held high, not because some snobby royals think I’m too old or because an injury ends my career. In a couple weeks, I will go to Canterlot for my final performance.”

Crystal was the first to regain her voice, the little filly looking hopeful. “So, does this mean you won’t leave Ponyville anymore? You’ll stay home from now on?”

She smiled and nodded at her youngest daughter. “That’s right, sweetheart; no more tours, no more shows. I’ll be here with you and your father every single day.”

Crystal let loose a squeal of delight as she jumped off the couch and ran to hug her mother, and Snowdrift wasn’t far behind, while Sunny just sat there stunned. For her entire life her mother had been dancing on the stage, and this sudden announcement wreaked havoc with her emotions. “Th-that’s great, Mom…” Sunny murmured, not sure what else to say, or how to feel.

Silver’s brow furrowed as he turned to look to his lover, concerned. “Sunny? You okay?”

She looked between him, her mother, and her sister, her mouth working silently as she tried to answer, but found herself speechless. AM I okay? she wondered.

Sunrise chuckled at the hugs she received from her husband and young daughter, until she noticed her elder daughter’s less-than-enthusiastic expression. “Sunny? What’s the matter?” she asked.

Sunny grimaced. “It’s just… Why retire now?” Her mother opened her mouth to answer, only for Sunny to raise a hoof to silence her. “I know what you said, what I’m asking is… Why couldn’t you have retired years ago, when I was a filly? Why couldn’t you stay home to raise me?”

Sunrise frowned at her daughter. “I’ll admit, spending so much time away from home was the one thing I hated about my career, and there were times I considered retiring early.”

“And why didn’t you?” Sunny wondered.

“Because I was afraid I’d grow to resent you,” she answered.

Sunny’s brow furrowed as she looked curiously at her mother. “What do you mean, Mom?”

The elder mare looked to her daughter, and told her, “Ever since I was a filly, I dreamed of dancing on stage, and I worked hard for years to make that dream a reality. The day that the Contemporary Canterlot Dance Company hired me as a soloist was one of the happiest days of my life, and I was overjoyed to perform on stage.”

“Didn’t sound like it from what you told us about meeting Dad,” said Sunny.

Sunrise chuckled softly. “I’ll admit, as a soloist, I didn’t get quite the recognition I would have liked. Still, I was living my dream, and about a year after I married your father, I was promoted to lead dancer after the previous lead suffered a crippling injury.” She grimaced, and added, “I wasn’t exactly thrilled to have earned the top spot that way, but I can’t deny that it allowed me to shine in the spotlight and show everyone what I could really do.”

She smiled once more as she thought back to that time. “Two years after that, I felt secure enough in my position to finally start a family, and I became pregnant with you not long after.” She chuckled at the memory of it all. “Your father and I were so excited, and we worked hard to make sure everything was perfect for your arrival.”

She shook her head, realizing she was starting to ramble. “Anyway, to make a long story short, you were six months old when I decided to come off of maternity leave and start dancing again. As much as I loved raising you, watching you grow and learn every single day, I felt the urge to go back to the company and continue living my dream. I spent most of my free time practicing once you got a routine down, and we hired your nanny, Starry Night, to help your father care for you while I was out of town.”

Her eyes lost focus as she thought back to that day long ago. “The four of us were standing on the platform at the train station, early in the morning, waiting for the train that would take me to Canterlot. Up to that point, I felt sure of myself, and I felt ready to continue my career.” Her brow furrowed as she gazed at her daughter. “But then I looked down at you, sleeping peacefully in your carriage, and it hit me; I was about to leave my little filly behind.”

“For a moment, I was filled with doubt,” said Sunrise, sitting down on the floor. “I seriously considered heading home and sending Pirouette a telegram telling her that I quit, but then…” She paused, and grimaced as she looked away. “But then, I had to wonder, could I live with that decision? Could I be happy leaving my career behind?” She shook her head, and answered her own question. “Perhaps I could have been happy for a while, but I knew that eventually, I’d think back to my career and the dream I gave up, and I’d grow bitter. The love I have for you all would have turned sour, and I couldn’t bear the thought of that happening.”

She forced herself to look at Sunny as she told her, “So, the train came, I said my goodbyes, and then I headed off to Canterlot. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, but I still think I made the right choice.” She frowned, and added, “I never wanted to hurt you, Sunny, but I had to make a decision that I could live with.”

Sunny grimaced. “I… I’d be a hypocrite if I said you shouldn’t live your dream, but… There were plenty of times I wished that you were home with us. Don’t get me wrong, Dad and Starry Night were great, but neither of them could replace you.”

Her mother’s ear flicked as Snowdrift spoke up. “I understand where you’re coming from, Sunny, and I’ll admit, I too wish your mother could have been around more often.” He noticed his wife looking at him curiously, and he smiled at her before he told his daughter, “But the fact of the matter is, your mother and I discussed this before you were born.”

“You did?” Crystal asked.

“Of course we did,” he answered, reaching a hoof to stroke her mane. “We didn’t just decide one day ‘hey, let’s have some foals!’ We had to think about how we were going to raise you girls, and how we wanted to live our lives.” He looked over to Sunny, and told her, “You’re upset with your Mom for missing half your childhood, but I’m just as much to blame as she is.”

He saw her confusion, and explained, “We didn’t have to live here in Ponyville, you know; I could have sold or closed my workshop, and we could have moved into the family manor in Canterlot. But the truth is, I love woodworking every bit as much as your mother loves her dancing, and I didn’t want to give it up, nor did she want me to.”

“I wasn’t about to ask your father to give up his dream just so I could live mine,” Sunrise added. “I’m sorry that our decisions hurt you, and I’m sorry that I wasn’t around as often as you would have liked, but soon, I’ll be home for good.” She smiled at her daughter. “I hope that in the coming months and years, we can make up for lost time.”

Sunny smiled, and leaned over to hug her mother. “I’d like that…” she told her.

Silver smiled as he watched mother and daughter working through their issues, and he wondered whether the issues he had with his own mother could be fixed so easily.

“Congratulations on your retirement, Mom. I’m sorry I got upset,” Sunny said as she pulled away from her mother.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart,” her mother replied. “So, will you and Silver be attending my final show in Canterlot?”

Sunny smiled and nodded. “Absolutely! I want to be there when you perform your last show.” She looked over at Silver, and asked, “You’ll come too, right, Silver?”

“Sure,” he answered. “I admit, I’m curious to see what contemporary dancing is like.”

“Wonderful!” said Sunrise. “Most of my family will be there as well, so you’ll get to meet everyone from House Concerto.”

Silver smiled sheepishly. “Sounds like I’d better be on my best behavior then…”

Sunrise grinned. “Just be yourself, and you’ll be fine.” She paused and thought for a moment, then added, “Though I’d recommend wearing a nice suit for the occasion.”

He grimaced in response. “I’d have to go out and buy one. The fanciest outfit I have is just a button-up shirt and a few different ties.”

“I’ll help you get a nice suit,” Sunny told him, nuzzling him gently. “By the time we’re done, you’ll look quite handsome.” She grinned and kissed his cheek, adding, “Well, more handsome than you are already.”

He simply smiled and blushed at that. He looked at the clock on the wall, and nudged Sunny, telling her, “It’s getting pretty late, we should start heading home.”

Sunny nodded, and gave her mother, father, and sister a parting hug. “I promise I’ll come visit more often, especially now that I’ve got more free time thanks to Silver helping me with the shop.”

“I’m sure we’d all love that,” her father said with a warm smile.

With a smile and a wave, she and Silver headed out the door and began walking back to the shop. They were just out of sight of the house when Silver broke the silence and asked, “So, how did I do tonight?”

She giggled and nuzzled him softly as she told him, “You were great. Mom and Dad really liked you, even before we told them you were helping me with the shop.” She gave him a playful nudge. “I told you not to worry, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, yeah…” he muttered, giving her a kiss on the cheek. The two took their time walking back as they looked up and admired the beautiful night sky together.

After a little while, they reached the shop. “Come on, let’s get out of these clothes and get to bed,” she said as she headed for the kitchen door.

Silver followed her inside, and up the stairs into the bedroom, where the two of them started to undress. He broke the silence, asking, “Do you think I’ll like contemporary dance?”

Sunny chuckled as she slipped out of her sundress. “I think you will, and if you don’t, well, you’ll only need to watch one performance anyway.” She tossed her dress into the corner hamper, and climbed into bed.

He climbed into bed with her, cuddling up under the covers. “You know, it occurs to me that my parents don’t know we’ve been dating…”

Her ears perked up at that. “You mean you haven’t told them yet?”

He blushed and shook his head. “Well, no… I guess I should send them a letter in the morning, let them know about you and me, huh?”

“I’m sure they’d appreciate that,” Sunny agreed. “But worry about that tomorrow. Right now, it’s bedtime.”

As they laid there, drifting off to sleep, Silver remembered someone else who still needed to be informed. Gotta let Pinkie Pie know we’ve been dating too…