A train chugged along the tracks, moving across Equestria as it headed for Fillydelphia. On board were Silver Streak and Sunshine, going to meet his parents in the busy city. He watched the scenery passing by while Sunny sat next to him, reading a book from the Scarlet Sword series.
He’d sent a letter to his parents just a few days prior, letting them know of his special somepony, but little did he know just how excited they would be at the news…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Silver was at home, just doing some magical research when he heard a knocking at his door. He flicked his ear at the sound, curious as to who it could be as he trotted down the stairs and went to meet the pony at the door.
Standing at his door was a pegasus mare wearing a blue uniform. “Silver Streak, I presume?”
“Yes. What’s this about?” he wondered.
“Telegram for you!” she answered, offering it to the unicorn.
He accepted the telegram, and gave her a bit for a tip, which she gladly accepted before flying off. With that done, he closed the door, and looked over the note curiously.
Silver Streak,
Your father and I are absolutely thrilled to hear that you’ve found a special somepony, and we want to meet her right away. Let us know when to expect you!
Love, Mom and Dad.
He snorted and shook his head in amusement. Well, I had to meet her parents, so it’s only fair that she meets mine, he thought. I just hope she doesn’t mind closing the shop for a few days…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It had skipped his mind at the time that his mother happened to be one of Sunny’s favorite authors, so she was of course thrilled at the chance to meet his parents. She was also excited at the prospect of taking a small vacation to Fillydelphia, to see where Silver grew up. That same day the two of them packed their bags, and Silver sent a telegram letting his parents know that they’d be taking the next train there.
As they came closer and closer to the city, Silver couldn’t help but think about how strange it felt going back to Fillydelphia. Over the past couple months, he’d made a new life for himself in the small town of Ponyville, with new friends and a home of his own, and going back to the bustling streets of Fillydelphia would be more than a little jarring.
Sunny, meanwhile, was caught between excitement and nervousness at the upcoming meeting. She felt excitement at meeting one of her favorite authors, and she brought EVERY SINGLE Scarlet Sword book she owned to be signed by said author. She also felt nervous though, going to meet Silver’s parents, and she worried about making a fool out of herself in front of his mother.
Resist the urge to fangirl, she told herself. I need to make a good first impression, and acting like a rabid fan isn’t going to help that! As she noticed fields giving way to houses and buildings, the nervousness won out, and her ears folded as she gave a little whimper, worrying about what his parents would think of her.
Silver’s ear flicked at the whimper, and he turned to look to the beautiful mare. “Sunny? What’s the matter?”
She looked nervously to him, and asked, “Do you think they’ll like me?”
He smiled warmly at her. “My parents? I’m sure they will. Just like you told me when I met your parents, you just have to be yourself and they’ll love you.”
She nodded, a small smile on her face, before it fell as she asked, “Can you promise me something?”
“Anything,” he replied.
“If you notice me getting too excited around your mom, could you please stop me?” she pleaded.
He laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I promise, even if I have to hold you down with my magic.”
“Kinky…” she teased him, feeling the tension ease, only for it to come back in spades when they heard the call of the conductor, telling them to get their luggage ready. “Oh no, we’re here already?!”
“Looks like it,” he replied, looking out the window as the train began to slow. “You ready?”
She winced and shrugged. “I dunno, maybe?”
Silver chuckled and nuzzled her softly. “You’ll be fine, sweetheart, I promise. If anything, the fact that you love her books is just going to make Mom love you even more!”
She nuzzled back, hoping he was right as they got their luggage ready. The train soon came to a stop, and they slowly made their way onto the platform, where Silver’s family was waiting for them. He smiled and waved to them through the crowd, and he could see that his teary-eyed mother was barely stopping herself from plowing through the crowd to hug her son.
Sunny looked and saw Silver’s family, and her eyes widened as she laid eyes on his mother, L.S. Fable, who she recognized from the author’s photo found in each of her books. His mother was a pretty pink unicorn with magenta eyes who wore purple glasses and kept a blue feather tucked behind her left ear, which contrasted nicely with her side-swept brown and purple mane. Her cutie mark was an open book, a symbol of her talent for writing. I can’t believe it, it’s really her! she thought with nervous glee.
To her left stood what she assumed to be her husband, a dark blue pegasus—the same shade of blue as the feather tucked behind his wife’s ear—with lighter-blue mane and tail, and bright green eyes. His cutie mark was of a raining storm cloud. He smiled warmly at the pair, looking quite proud as he glanced at Sunny and gave a little nod. Yeah, I’m a catch, she thought with a smirk.
The third and final member of the group was another, younger pegasus stallion, one who looked shocked at seeing the two of them together. Silver’s brother, I assume, Sunny thought. He was purple, with magenta eyes and a short, brown mane and tail. His cutie mark was a lightning bolt.
When the two of them made their way through the crowd, Silver’s mother instantly ran up to wrap her son in a tight hug. “Oh sweetheart, I missed you so much!” she said, nuzzling him as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Silver winced at the tight hug, and he hugged his mother gently in return. “Hey, don’t cry... ” He nuzzled her softly, stroking down her back as she regained her composure.
“I-I’m sorry, it’s just… It got so lonely around the house without you,” she whimpered, not letting go of her little colt quite yet.
A chuckle from his father caused Silver to look up at him. “Your mom was worried about you. I swear, not a day went by without her asking ‘what do you think Silver’s up to?’ or ‘do you think Silver’s doing okay in Ponyville?’” He leaned over and kissed the mare’s forehead, murmuring, “Relax Fable, he’s not going anywhere for a while…”
Silver grimaced at that, having never realized just how worried his mother had been. “I’m sorry I didn’t write very often, Mom. I promise, when I get home I’ll make sure to send you a letter every week.”
“You’d better,” she replied, sniffling as she pulled away and rubbed at her eyes.
Silver’s father took her place, and he offered the older stallion a hoofshake, but his father instead pulled his youngest son into a hug. “It’s good to see you again, son.”
He blinked at the surprising show of affection, but took it in stride as he returned the hug. “Hey Dad, good to see you too.” When his father pulled away, Silver looked over to his brother and asked, “What are you doing here, Swift Wing? Did Mom and Dad drag you over here to meet us at the station?”
He snorted and said, “They didn’t have to. I wanted to see this special somepony you mentioned with my own eyes.” He looked her over and grinned. “Gotta say, she’s quite a looker. Good on you, bro.”
Silver scowled. “Yes, she’s beautiful, now please stop checking out my girlfriend.”
Sunny giggled as Swift Wing had the decency to look sheepish, muttering an apology to his younger brother. The mention of Silver’s special somepony reminded his parents why he was visiting, and his mother came over to meet Sunny. “Hello… Sunshine, was it? I think that’s the name Silver gave in the letter…”
Silver smiled wide as he introduced his special somepony to his parents. “Mom, Dad, allow me to introduce Lady Sunshine Sonata, of House Concerto.”
Sunny’s brow furrowed as she wondered why he introduced her that way, when she heard a gasp from Fable, who looked to her son with wide-eyed wonder. “Y-you’re dating royalty?!” She grinned as she grabbed her husband’s foreleg, telling him, “Oh Strike, can you believe it? Our son’s dating a beautiful noblemare!”
“It’s really not a big deal, honest!” Sunny said, smiling nervously. “It’s true, I’m a member of a minor noble family, but I was born and raised in Ponyville. I’m nothing special, really… And please, just call me Sunny,” she added.
“You’re something special, alright,” Fable replied, pulling away from her husband. “You’re the mare who stole my son’s heart, and I think that makes you very special.” She smiled as she said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sunny. From what Silver wrote, it seems you already know who I am.”
Sunny grinned. “You’re L.S. Fable, writer of the Scarlet Sword series and one of my favorite authors! It’s such an honor to meet you.”
Fable giggled. “I’m glad you like my work, but my real name is simply Fable. My editor considered my name too short and generic to write with, so I had to come up with a fancier pen name to write under.” She turned to her husband and nudged him gently. “Go on, introduce yourself!”
He chuckled and stepped forward, offering a hoof. “Hi there Sunny. I’m Lightning Strike, and I’m happy to meet you.”
She shook his hoof as she replied, “Likewise!” She paused as a thought occurred to her, and she glanced between husband and wife. “Lightning Strike, and Fable… L.S. Fable… Your penname came from your husband’s initials?”
“Got it in one!” Fable replied with a grin. “It was a small way I could thank him for all his support as I made a name for myself in the writing world.” She motioned to her other son, and said, “And over there is our oldest son, Swift Wing.”
“Hey there, sorry about checking you out earlier,” he said with a small wave.
Sunny snorted and grinned. “You’re forgiven, this time.”
Fable decided it was time to get off the platform. “Now that introductions are out of the way, why don’t we catch a cab and head on home?” she suggested, to the agreements of the others.
Lightning Strike went over to pick up Sunny’s luggage, only to grunt with the strain of lifting it. “Jeez, what’s in this thing?” he asked as Silver used his telekinesis to lift their luggage.
“Books,” Sunny replied sheepishly, looking to Fable. “Specifically, every single Scarlet Sword book written so far. I was sort of hoping you’d sign them for me?” She looked hopefully at her favorite author, who giggled and nodded.
“I promise I will,” she told the younger mare as they made their way off the platform. “I’m surprised Silver didn’t just give you his collection though.”
That was news to Sunny, who glanced over at said stallion. “You have a collection of your mother’s books?”
“Well, yeah,” he replied. “Every time Mom published a new book, she’d give me a copy.”
Fable grinned knowingly. “You’re leaving out an important detail, dear, mainly that I gave you signed first editions.”
Sunny’s jaw dropped. “W-what?!” She pouted at her lover. “So you’re just holding onto an entire series of signed first edition Scarlet Sword books, and you never told me?!”
“Um, oops?” He smiled sheepishly as they found a couple cabs. “To be fair, they’re all gifts from my mother… Besides, they’re the same stories you read now, just slightly more valuable, that’s all.”
“Yeah, but… Grr, never mind!” she said, getting into the cab in a huff.
Silver found himself confused as he sat next to her, and Fable giggled as she explained, “What Sunny’s saying is that she’s jealous.” She laughed when Sunny blushed, and she headed into the other cab.
Strike and Swift Wing flexed their wings, the former telling them, “We’ll fly ahead and meet you guys at home. See you in a bit!” With that, the two of them flew off, letting the others enjoy their rides.
Sunny looked around in awe as the cabbie pulled them along the streets, the small-town mare taking in the sights of a city so different from Ponyville and Canterlot. It was a city that was more about functionality than style, the brick and mortar buildings so different from the fancy designs preferred by the high-society ponies living in Canterlot. As they made their way along, Silver would point out places of interest, including his favorite arcade when they passed it by.
It didn’t take them all that long to make it to Silver’s childhood home in the nicer part of the residential sector. It was a three-story red brick house, with a small front yard, and Sunny noticed that the windows on the third floor were larger push-out casement style, obviously meant for the pegasi of the family to fly off to wherever. “You have a beautiful home,” Sunny told Fable as they trotted toward the front door.
“Thank you,” she replied with a smile. “Early on, Strike and I lived in one of the common row houses, until I made my big break and we could afford a nicer home for our growing family.” She looked to Silver and sighed, adding, “Seems so empty now that it’s just the two of us living here…”
Just as they reached the door, it opened to reveal a smiling Lightning Strike. “What took you slowpokes so long?” He chuckled when his wife gave him a swat, then hummed appreciatively as she gave him a tender kiss. He moved aside to let the three of them in, along with the luggage levitating in Silver’s magic.
“Silver, your bedroom has been left untouched since you moved, aside from the things you brought to Ponyville, so you and Sunny can set your luggage in there,” Fable told him, before she turned to Sunny. “As for you, Sunny, perhaps you’d like to see where I do my writing?”
She couldn’t help but grin at the thought. “A chance to see where the magic happens? Yes please!”
Silver chuckled as he levitated the bags and headed up the stairs to his bedroom on the third floor, with Sunny and his mother following along up to the second floor. While he went and got their luggage situated, Sunny practically hopped along in her excitement as she followed Fable to her office.
The office was actually the size of a bedroom, with a well-worn typewriter sitting atop a sturdy oak desk along one wall, with a cozy oak chair in front of it. Sunny couldn’t suppress a small squeal of delight at the sight of the typewriter that was used to write so many of her favorite books. Along another wall was a loveseat, and against the third wall was a small bookshelf nearly full of books.
“What are all those books there?” Sunny wondered, glancing at the bookshelf.
Fable smiled proudly as she explained, “That bookshelf holds a copy of every book I’ve written and published. Go have a look.”
Sunny was all too happy to do so, noticing there being quite a few more books there than just the Scarlet Sword series. By this time Silver had finished putting the luggage in his room, and was standing at the doorway. “Got our bags in my room,” he told her.
She nodded, murmuring her acknowledgement as she looked through the books on the shelf. She saw the entire series of the popular Scarlet Sword books, and a couple serial collections of some of her earlier work on an upper shelf, before she looked at the books on the lower shelf.
Her smile fell as she looked at the titles of the collection of paperbacks that were taking up nearly the whole shelf, and then her eyes widened as she saw a familiar title; The Dragon’s Secret Treasure, by Taffy Inkwell. “Uh, Fable? You said these were all books you wrote, right?”
“Yep,” she replied.
Sunny looked through every book in that row of books, several with familiar titles that were part of her own collection, and all bearing the same author’s penname. “I don’t believe it…” Even though she couldn’t believe her eyes, the truth was staring her in the face; her favorite author also wrote her favorite erotic novels! She got up and looked at Fable incredulously. “You’re Taffy Inkwell?!”
Fable’s eyes bulged as she was exposed, mentally cursing herself for her carelessness. What are the odds that she’d read those stories? she wondered.
“Who?” Silver asked as he stepped into the room, causing his mother’s whole face to go red as she realized her own son was about to learn of her profitable pastime…
A loud snort at the door caused Silver to jump in surprise, not noticing how his father had sneaked up to them. “Oh sweet Celestia, don’t tell me someone actually reads her trashy romance novels…”
Fable’s embarrassment was swept away in a wave of indignation, and she scowled at her husband. “They’re not trashy romance novels, they’re high-class erotica! And you of all ponies should know how popular those books are from the checks I get every month from the publisher!”
Silver looked mortified. “E-erotica?! Wha… When… WHY?!” he asked, barely able to voice his many questions and concerns.
His mother looked sheepish as she explained, “Well, I’ve been writing them for a while now… Sometimes I’d get a bit of writer’s block when I was writing one of my Scarlet Sword novels, and so I’d take a break and try getting the juices flowing by working on something else.”
“And that something else turned out to be erotica?” he guessed.
She blushed and nodded. “Yes, well, I’ll admit it became a guilty pleasure for me, almost a hobby really. I was content to just write them and let them collect dust, but when I brought those stories up with my editor, she wanted to take a look.” She shrugged, and told him, “I wasn’t expecting anything to come of it, but she thought they’d be great for the harlequin branch of her company. Soon enough, the money started rolling in, so I kept at it between entries of my main work.”
“I don’t believe it…” muttered Sunny. “I always loved those stories for the passionate romances and steamy sex, and now I realize that you use the same writing style for both your erotic stories and your main series…”
Strike grinned as he stood at the door. “You can thank me for some of those scenes you loved. After all, I helped Fable out with a lot of her research…” He gave Fable a playful wink, and was rewarded with a shy giggle from his lovely wife.
Silver was confused by that for a moment, before his expression became one of horror as he realized just what sort of research his parents were talking about! He gripped his head and cried out, “Oh Celestia, why?! I don’t need those mental images!”
Fable rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop being so melodramatic! You and your brother didn’t just pop out of thin air, you know!”
He merely groaned and shook his head, trying hard not to think about his parents doing… that stuff together. “Can we talk about something else? Anything else? Please?”
Fable smiled, and said, “Why, yes we can. To be honest, I’d like to learn more about the mare who’s dating my son.” She motioned the three of them toward the hallway. “You three can get comfy in the living room while I go ahead and get some snacks ready. Sunny, do you like tea?”
“Yeah, tea is nice, thank you,” she said as she went into the hallway and started down the stairs, following Strike to the living room while Fable split off from the group to head to the kitchen. The living room featured a couple loveseats on either side of a coffee table, with an armchair at one end and a lamp in one corner. On the center of the coffee table was one of Silver’s sculptures, a small black monolith with multicolored hexagon patterns carved into it.
Sunny sat next to Silver on one sofa, and Strike sat across from them on the other sofa just as Swift Wing was shoved into the room by his mother. He turned to scowl at her, but she growled in response, “You’re not here to raid the fridge, you’re here to meet Silver’s special somepony! Go sit down while I get some snacks!”
Reluctantly, Swift trotted over to the armchair at the end and plopped down on it. Strike chuckled, and told his elder son, “Don’t mind your mother, Swift, she’s just excited about our visitor. Besides, we’ll all have a nice dinner together later.”
“What are we having?” Silver asked curiously.
He looked to the unicorn with a grin as he said, “Filly Cheesehays, of course.”
Silver grinned and cheered. “Woo! I can’t wait!” Those local sandwiches had been a favorite of his growing up, and sadly were only to be found in Fillydelphia. There were times back in Ponyville when he craved them, and he made do with his own cooking. Now back in his hometown, he could indulge his craving properly at last from a local restaurant.
“What’s a ‘Filly Cheesehay’?” Sunny wondered.
Silver explained, “It’s a sandwich consisting of hay fried with onions and green peppers, then put on a hoagie roll and covered with cheese, usually provolone, and put in an oven to melt. Usually served with fries—practically a crime to have a cheesehay without fries—and always delicious.”
She smiled, and licked her lips at the description. “Well, I can’t wait for dinner then.”
“You’ll enjoy it, I promise,” Strike told her. He glanced over at the doorway leading to the kitchen, and called out, “Honey, you need some help in there?”
“I’m fine, sweetie!” she called back. “I promise I won’t take long!”
He chuckled and shook his head, leaning back on his loveseat. “You know, she’s been so excited to meet you ever since we got that letter,” he told Sunny. “I can’t say I blame her, either. Still hard to believe that Silver Streak actually brought a mare home after all these years. You must be something special to have caught his eye.”
Silver and Sunny both blushed, the latter giving a shrug. “I just treat him with the kindness and respect that anypony deserves, and I’ve been rewarded for it again and again.”
Swift Wing snorted at that. “For a pretty little thing like you? I can definitely believe it,” he replied, winking at his younger brother.
Silver was confused by that for a moment, glancing between his brother and Sunny, before his cheeks lit up in embarrassment. “Swift! Th-that’s none of your business!”
Sunny, however, was unfazed, merely grinning in response. “Well, I meant in other ways, but yeah, that way too.”
“Sunny!” he shouted, his whole face turning red.
Lightning Strike threw his head back and laughed at his son’s embarrassment, though he also felt a fatherly pride in his younger son’s exploits. “I like her, son! She’s got spirit!”
Just then, Fable came into the room, a platter carrying a teapot, cups, and cookies floating along in her purple magic. “Sorry I took so long!” She looked around the room as she placed the platter on the coffee table. “What’s going on?” she wondered.
“Just discussing our son’s love life,” Strike replied, motioning for her to sit with him. He smiled and wrapped a foreleg around his wife as she sat with him.
Sunny worked on making herself a cup of tea, and Silver and Swift both snagged a couple cookies sitting on the platter. Fable waited for everypony to get settled, before she spoke up. “So, if I remember correctly from Silver’s first letter, you two met at a… welcome party?” She had been skeptical of that claim, even though Silver had never been one to lie or exaggerate. Fable had never heard of a town coming together to welcome a pony moving in, after all.
“Seriously? A welcome party?” Swift asked, looking incredulously at his younger brother.
“It’s true,” Sunny answered with a nod. “A local pony named Pinkie Pie loves to throw parties for everyone around town, and a new pony moving in is a very special occasion. I think half the town was there to welcome Silver to Ponyville.” She smiled and added, “In fact, if it weren’t for that party, I never would have met Silver in the first place.”
“I see…” Fable replied thoughtfully. “So, that’s how you met, but I’m curious to know how you fell in love.”
“Just spending time together, I suppose,” Silver answered. “I met the rest of my friends through Sunny, and became a part of their little group, so those first few days were spent getting to know one another.”
Sunny smiled as she thought back to those early days. “We went bowling the day after the party, and found out that Silver’s quite good at it once he knew the rules. After that, a couple days later, we went and danced together at the local nightclub—“
“Woah woah woah, wait a sec,” Swift Wing interrupted. “I’m sorry, but back up; you’re telling me Silver Streak, our family bookworm, went clubbing?!” The mere thought of his little brother doing anything but sit in his room and reading his books was unbelievable to the pegasus. The idea of him ever going out to a nightclub simply didn’t compute.
“It’s true!” Sunny replied with a grin. “We all went to the local nightclub together to hang out, but this doofus here,” she nudged Silver, “just sat there at a table for a while as the rest of us partied. Turns out he didn’t drink, and didn’t know how to dance. Not that he told any of us that,” she added with a playful glare to the stallion in question.
He smiled sheepishly in response. “I was fine just watching you and Frosty dance.”
She just smirked and rolled her eyes. “After about an hour, we all sat with Silver to regroup and chat, and shortly after that Jewel and Mystic left to get her back home, and Frosty decided to leave so Silver and I could have some privacy.”
Silver frowned at that. “I thought she left because she was tired?”
Sunny smiled knowingly at her lover. “No dear, she knew I liked you and thought she’d set us up on an impromptu date.” She turned back to his parents as she continued her story, “So, after that, I got Silver out on the floor to show him how to dance…”
Sunny and Silver went on to tell his family the tale of their relationship, about the early days spent developing their friendship into something more, about the treasure hunters they fought and the ponynapping that brought feelings to light. They talked about their lazy Saturday, and then they talked about the day they met Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, when Silver first told Sunny he loved her.
As their stories went on, all thoughts of getting to know Sunny fell by the wayside as they were captivated by news of Silver’s new life in Ponyville.
- - -
Fable was surprised to hear everything that Silver had done since he moved into Ponyville, and she was happy to hear that nearly every major event was spent with his new friends. He had been a lonely colt growing up, and didn’t spend much time with the friends he made in the nearby arcade, so it filled her with joy to know that her son had found such good friends in Ponyville.
- - -
Swift Wing couldn’t believe some of the things he was hearing. His brother had been a shut-in, a bookworm who stayed in his room studying magic, and now that he lived in Ponyville he was going to nightclubs, fighting treasure hunters, and meeting the princesses? I know I told him to leave his room and go do something with his life, but this is ridiculous!
- - -
Lightning Strike knew something about his son was different, but he just couldn’t figure out what it was. As the couple talked about their lives in Ponyville, their dates and the events they went through, Strike finally realized what was different; Silver was smiling. The only time Strike ever saw his son smile like that was when he was talking about his magic, whether he learned something new or got himself a new spellbook. Strike felt a lump in his throat as he realized just how happy his son was, all thanks to Sunny and his new friends.
- - -
“…and that brings us to today,” Sunny finished, smiling at her potential future in-laws.
Silver’s family simply sat there, blinking owlishly as they took everything in. Eventually, it was Fable who spoke up. “Well… It sounds like you two have been busy back in Ponyville. So much has happened to you since you left home... But, it looks like you’re happy with your new life.”
Silver nodded. “I’ve never been happier, Mom. To be honest, I’m glad I left Fillydelphia; if I hadn’t left this comfortable life behind, I never would have met Sunny or the rest of my friends.” He leaned over and nuzzled Sunny, telling his mother, “I love her, and I can’t imagine a life without her.”
Sunny smiled and kissed his cheek, and Silver reached for a cookie while she looked over at Fable. “I love Silver with all my heart, and I can honestly say that he’s been the best thing to ever happen to me.”
Fable smiled widely at that. “I’m so happy to hear that. It sounds like you two are truly committed to each other. Have you two made any plans for marriage and foals yet?”
Lightning Strike looked incredulously at his wife while Silver, who had been eating a cookie, nearly choked at the mention of foals. Fable winced as Sunny gently thumped her boyfriend’s back to clear his airway. “Mom!” he croaked.
“Well I’m sorry, but you’re my only hope for grandfoals!” she told him. “I mean, your brother’s a lost cause—“
“Hey!” Swift said, scowling at his mother.
“Well it’s true, Swift! We all know you’ll never settle down, let alone have a family,” she said, frowning at her eldest son, “so it’s up to your little brother to make me a grandmother.”
Silver blushed, feeling very uncomfortable with this conversation. “Mom, we haven’t even talked about marriage, let alone foals! Give us some time, will you?” Sunny herself nodded slowly, blushing every bit as much as he was. Neither one expected a demand for foals from his mother!
“Oh, fine,” she sighed. “But you two make such a good couple, and I don’t see why you’re not even talking about marriage yet.”
Silver grimaced, wondering why both his mother AND Sunny’s were pushing them to get married. It’s not like we’ve been dating for very long! He looked to his father, wanting desperately to change the subject. “Hey, Dad, it’s starting to get late. Shouldn’t you go get us those cheesehays you promised?”
Strike glanced out the window, seeing how dark it was getting out there. “Yeah, I suppose that it’s dinner time. I’ll be back in a little while,” he told them, giving Fable a kiss before he got up and left the room, heading out of the house to get dinner.
Silver got up off the loveseat, taking Sunny’s hoof to help her up as well. “As for Sunny and I, we’ll get ourselves situated in my old bedroom. Let us know when dinner’s here,” he said, leading Sunny up the stairs. He wasn’t about to give his mother an opportunity to grill them about marriage or… foals…
“Alright…” she relented, watching them head up the stairs. “But if you two are going to practice making me some grandfoals, could you try to keep it down?”
“MOM!”
= = = = = = = = = =
It wasn’t too long after that Silver and Sunny were sitting at the dining room table with the rest of his family, and his mouth was watering at the sight and smell of the sandwich on his plate. While everyone else was simply enjoying their sandwiches, Silver was happily devouring his. Sunny found that she enjoyed her sandwich, the melted provolone cheese going beautifully with the onions and green peppers fried with the hay, and she made a mental note to get a recipe for this sandwich before they left for home.
Fable frowned at her younger son as she saw him demolishing his sandwich, telling him, “Slow down, Silver! It’s not going to disappear!”
Sunny noticed this, and reached a hoof to rest on his shoulder. “She’s right, Silver. You’re going to choke if you keep eating that fast.”
He grumbled incoherently through his mouthful of food, but complied with their requests, already halfway through his sandwich as he finally began to savor his meal. Sunny smiled and relaxed, confident that the love of her life wouldn’t start choking, and she went back to eating her dinner.
Fable decided to take this time to get to know more about Sunny, as their talk earlier had turned into story time. “So, Sunny, you said earlier that you own a chocolate shop. That must keep you quite busy.”
She smiled, glancing at Silver as she replied, “Well, it used to, until Silver started helping me with the shop.”
Fable’s eyes widened as she glanced to her son, and the rest of his family looked at him curiously as well. “Is that so?”
“It’s true,” Silver replied. “Sunny was running the shop all by herself, which left her overworked because she had to work the counter during business hours, and make chocolates to stock the shelves during off hours.” He frowned at Sunny, and told them, “She had almost no time to herself, and she was getting burned out by all the work involved.”
“Almost thought about closing my shop,” she admitted to them. “But to be honest, it was mostly my own fault for not hiring anypony. I guess I just got stuck in my ways, and didn’t think about how useful it would be to have some help.”
“Not until I volunteered to help,” he told them. “I told Sunny she didn’t need to work that hard, that I had plenty of free time to help her with the shop. So, after a bit of training over a couple days, she finally trusted me to run the storefront while she was busy making chocolates.”
Sunny smiled and reached a hoof to stroke Silver’s affectionately. “Thanks to Silver working the register, I only have to worry about working during normal business hours, leaving me with lots of personal time. And don’t worry, I’m paying him a fair wage for his time. There’s no way I’d let him work for free,” she quickly added. She didn’t want them to get the impression that she was exploiting their son.
Swift Wing snorted derisively at his brother. “Wow… So you studied magic for all those years, just to end up working as a cashier? Way to go, bro…”
Fable chastised her elder son, but Silver didn’t hear it. He looked as if he’d been struck by the words, and something snapped in him after years of taunts and insults from his big brother. He felt his blood boil as he turned to glare at Swift Wing. “What is your problem with me?!” he shouted.
Everyone turned to look at Silver, silently gawking at him as he let loose years of rage. “All these years you’ve done nothing but ridicule me for my studies! No matter how hard I worked, you always looked down on me! I had to put up with your insults every single day, and I’m tired of it!”
He grit his teeth as he thought back to that terrible day, when Tirek attacked, when his magic and studies failed him. “I bet you must have been so happy when I lost to Tirek… All those years of study, all that hard work I did to become strong so that I could help Equestria, and it all blew up in my face. I bet you thought it was hilarious when he drained me dry and left me powerless on the street!”
He stomped a hoof on the table, causing everypony to jump, and Swift Wing felt his blood run cold as his brother’s horn lit up with arcane energy. “Come on Swift Wing, now’s your chance! Go ahead and laugh at my failure!”
Sunny placed a hoof on Silver’s shoulder. “Silver, don’t…” she pleaded with him, but he barely acknowledged her touch as he glared daggers at his brother.
Swift Wing looked… hurt at his words, which confused the aspiring wizard. What, he can dish it out, but he can’t take it?! Silver wondered, his tail flicking in agitation.
The pegasus slowly shook his head, telling his brother, “I wouldn’t dare laugh at you for that, Silver. The truth is, I’m proud of you for standing up to that monster.”
The fire in Silver’s belly—and the glowing of his horn—instantly went out as he heard the last words he ever expected from his big brother. His jaw worked soundlessly for a few moments, before he finally managed, “But…. You… What?” Where rage once consumed him, now all he felt was confusion as he looked to Swift for an explanation.
“It’s true, Silver. Even though you lost to Tirek, I’m still proud of you for trying to save us all,” said Swift Wing.
Silver sat there, gawking at his brother, simply unable to believe the words coming from his mouth. After all these years, to hear Swift Wing say something like that left him speechless. He could only look to his parents, trying desperately to find some sort of answer, but none was forthcoming from their equally confused gazes.
Finally, after several long moments of silence, Silver shook his head and got out of his chair. “I… I can’t handle this right now,” he told them, before he left the dining room and headed for the front door.
Sunny only spared his family a glance before she chased after him. “Silver, wait!” she called to him as they heard the front door opening and closing. She ran out the door and found him pacing around the front lawn, muttering to himself, too caught up in his own thoughts to notice the love of his life standing there.
She paused, not sure what to do or say, but knowing that Silver needed a friend more than anything at that point. She stepped forward, and gently placed a hoof on his shoulder, causing him to jump in shock at the unexpected touch, though he relaxed when he saw who it was. “Silver, are you okay?” She winced, instantly realizing that she’d asked the wrong question.
He snorted derisively. “’Am I okay?’ No, I’m not okay! I mean, what the hay was that?!” he asked, motioning to the house. “After all these years, after every insult he threw at me, he tells me that he’s proud of me?” Silver shook his head, trying desperately to process this. “I just… Sugar and cinnamon! Everything was simpler when we just hated each other!”
Sunny’s ears folded as she looked dejected. “You… You can’t mean that. You don’t really hate your brother, right?” He turned to answer, only to pause as he met her teary-eyed gaze, and he looked away. At his silence, she simply replied, “Oh…” There was little else for her to say; it hurt her to see two siblings actually hate one another, but there was nothing she could do about it.
“I’m going to go for a walk, try to clear my head,” Silver told her, looking down the sidewalk. “I’ll be back in a while.”
Sunny wanted to tell him to stay, to come inside and talk it out, but she knew that he needed some time alone. “Okay… Just, please be safe out there.”
He nodded, a small smile on his face as he glanced at her. “I will, I promise.” With that, he started trotting down the sidewalk, and she watched him disappear around a corner before she finally turned to head back inside the house.
She made her way back to the dining room, where Silver’s family was still sitting there waiting for them. She sat down at her seat, and told them, “Silver went to take a walk, to clear his head. He was feeling a bit overwhelmed…” She looked down at her half-eaten sandwich and fries, no longer feeling hungry after all that.
“You two were out there for a little while. What did he have to say about me?” Swift Wing wondered, looking to the yellow mare.
She grimaced, remembering Silver’s words, and she looked to the pegasus. She slowly opened her mouth to answer, but instead turned away, her eyes glistening with tears as she simply shook her head. Siblings shouldn’t hate each other…
Swift Wing wilted at her reaction. “Oh… I see… Makes sense, I suppose. We’ve been at each other’s throats for years, after all.” He sighed, and got out of his chair. “I should go back home, so Silver doesn’t have to see me whenever he gets back. Mom, Dad, it was nice to see you. Thanks for dinner.” With that, he trotted to the doorway, pausing to look over at Sunny. “It was nice meeting you, Sunny.” She nodded silently in response, and he left for home.
There were only a few moments of uncomfortable silence, before Sunny spoke up. “I… I hope you don’t mind, but I need some time to myself,” she said, trying to blink away her tears. “May I be excused?”
“Go ahead dear, I’ll clean up,” Fable replied.
Sunny nodded gratefully and left the dining room, heading up the stairs to reach Silver’s room on the top floor, where she flopped on the bed and started weeping. She’d known of Silver’s tense relationship with his brother, but to see how bad it really was, to see him hate Swift Wing was too much for her to bear.
- - -
Meanwhile, downstairs in the dining room, Fable slumped over and sighed, weary from the events of that evening. “This was supposed to be a nice evening… Why did it all go wrong?” she wondered, mostly to herself. She looked up as she felt a hoof rest on hers, and turned to look at her husband as he gave it a gentle squeeze.
“It was bound to happen eventually, Fable,” Strike told her. “Swift Wing’s been harassing Silver for years now; I’m just surprised it took him this long to finally snap.”
“But why tonight, of all nights?” she wondered. “We were having a nice time, and then Swift just had to open his big mouth and insult his brother, again! Why couldn’t he just be nice to Silver for once?” She heaved a sigh as she leaned against her husband. “I shouldn’t have let Swift Wing join us today…”
Strike wrapped a wing around his wife, holding her close as he nuzzled her softly. “It’s not your fault, sweetheart. You just wanted Sunny to meet the whole family. The problem is that Swift and Silver are just too different to get along…”
She snorted derisively. “And yet Swift is proud of his little brother. I’m just as confused about that as Silver is…”
“It’s clear they’ve got a complicated relationship. The only thing we can do is let them work it out for themselves,” said Strike.
“That’ll only happen if Silver ever decides to talk to Swift again…” she lamented. And after what happened that night, she wasn’t betting on it.
= = = = = = = = = =
It was a couple hours later when Sunny, who had been waiting on the living room couch, heard the front door open. She smiled and ran to the front door to catch Silver in a tight hug, causing the unicorn to wheeze as the air was squeezed out of his lungs by his lover’s earth pony strength. “S-Sunny! Can’t breathe!” he wheezed.
Sunny winced and loosened her grip, letting her unicorn breathe again. “I’m sorry! I was just so worried. You were gone for a while there…”
He winced. “Yeah, sorry about that. I needed a while to cool off and get my head on straight… And after that, I realized I had gotten lost. Took me a little while to find my way back home.” He never wandered around much when he lived in Fillydelphia, as he usually only traveled to the library, bookshop, or arcade.
Sunny snorted and shook her head. “Well, I’m glad you’re back. I was getting sleepy, but I didn’t want to go to bed until you got back home safe and sound.”
“Sleep sounds good,” Silver agreed. He led her upstairs to his old bedroom, and they spooned beneath the covers, with him acting as big spoon. While he felt tired from the events of the day, there were things that he needed to say. “Hey, Sunny? I just wanted to say that I’m sorry I yelled earlier; I was upset, but you didn’t deserve to be yelled at.”
She stroked the foreleg that was wrapped around her waist, telling him, “It’s okay, Silver. I know you were under a lot of stress.” Something bothered her though, and she couldn’t sleep until she asked the question. “Silver… At the table, I saw your horn glow. You weren’t really going to hurt your brother, were you?”
He opened his mouth to respond, and paused. He wanted to say that he wouldn’t, but the truth was that couldn’t be sure. “I… I don’t know,” he admitted. “I was so angry with him. All these years, he’s been like a bully that I couldn’t get away from. Mom and Dad tried getting him to stop, but he’d always just keep at it…”
After a moment of silence, he said, “You want to know something? What made me snap wasn’t that he insulted my studies again, but that he belittled my work at your shop. I like working at your shop; I’m glad I can help you in some way, and repay you for everything you’ve done for me.”
Sunny frowned, and lifted her head to glance behind her at Silver. “I don’t know why you think I’m so special, sweetheart. I really don’t think I did all that much…”
He nuzzled into the crook of her neck. “You showed me the magic of friendship, and you love me through all my flaws. Maybe that’s not much, but it’s more than I ever expected from anyone. That’s why I think you’re special.”
“Oh Silver…” she whispered, her cheeks turning red as she stroked his hoof. Silence reigned for a few long moments, before Sunny raised a question that needed to be asked. “So… What are you going to do about your brother? You can’t ignore what he said…”
Silver sighed, and said, “I guess I have to talk to him about it, even if I don’t want to…”
“We’ll be here a couple more days, so there’s no rush,” Sunny told him. “Tomorrow, we’ll just relax and enjoy our time here. The day we leave, you can go ahead and talk to your brother. Does that sound good?”
“Yeah, that’s fine by me,” he answered. “Goodnight Sunny. I love you.”
“I love you too, Silver,” she whispered, caressing his hoof once more as she closed her eyes and started drifting off to sleep. “Sweet dreams…”