Chapter 5
Chris was awoken by someone knocking at the front door of Fluttershy’s cottage. He went to get up, but his movement was halted by two pairs of hooves wrapped tightly around him. He couldn’t help but smile down at her. Each time he tried to move, she tightened her grip. He was pulled out of his swoon by another knock. With a sigh, Chris stood from the bed, holding Fluttershy in place with one hand on her rump, which seemed to make her smile a little. Carefully and quietly, Chris made his way down the stairs without jostling his very precious cargo. Upon reaching the front door, he opened its upper half and looked out.
“Yes? Oh, morning, Twi. What brings you here?”
“Your mother, well, Celestia anyway. She sent me some dragon mail this morning, requesting your presence at the palace.”
“Of course she did. Unfortunately, I’m a little preoccupied,” Chris indicated with a nod of his head toward the slumbering Fluttershy. “Come on in, we can chat while we wait for her to wake up. Quietly.”
Twilight nodded and opened the lower half of the door for herself. She stepped inside only to stop and cover her eyes. “Ugh, one of these days, I’ll get to see some bits on a male that I’m not related to.”
Chris looked down and noticed a surprising amount of bare flesh. “Huh. What can I say, we both needed some… recuperation.”
“Okay, that is way too much information,” Twilight protested while summon a towel which she wrapped around Chris’s waist. “Made all the worse by the visual aid. Take a seat, I’ll make us some tea.”
“Thanks.” Chris sat on the sofa, leaving plenty of room for Angel Bunny who was already in his favorite spot. “So, what did the letter say anyway?”
Basically, it said that your parents had seen their mistake, something about help from Discord,” Chris winced at that. “Celestia wants to get you, your parents, Fluttershy, and her parents all to get together and discuss this whole… thing.”
“What ‘whole pause thing’?”
“Don’t make me say it.”
Chris scowled at Twilight, which was something he rarely had to do to her. “Say it.”
“The whole different species thing. You know that none of us have any issue with it. All of our friends are ecstatic that you two are together, as are her parents, but there’s a lot of ponies out there and not all of them will share our opinion. You are the crowned prince of Equestria, one of the most powerful countries on Equus. The fact that you are not a pony already ruffles some feathers. Now, here you are, marrying one of the Element Bearers. How do you think they’re going to take that?”
“I don’t give a rat’s buttock how anyone else feels about this. I love Fluttershy and she loves me. Our parents have given their consent, not that we needed it. We want to be together, and come Tartarus or high water, we will be. The only one who could stop me from being with Fluttershy forever, is Fluttershy herself. Understand?”
“Yes, and I’m so very happy to see that much dedication. Now, wake her up,” Twilight sniffed the air disapprovingly, “shower, for the love of Faust, put on pants, and come to Canterlot with me.”
Fluttershy gripped Chris tighter in her sleep. “Why should I do that? Those people hurt her and you saw what that made me do. I hate getting into that state. I could have killed somepony because of what they said. I don’t want to risk that nor do I want to see them again… not yet anyway.”
“Listen, Chris, I’ve known you almost your whole life. I know you better than almost anypony on Equus and I know that if you don’t put this issue to rest, it will eat at you until it drives you crazy. You have to go to the palace and you have to do it today.”
“Yes, you do know me better than almost anypony, so how do you think I will handle it if they make her cry again?”
“I think you would bring the palace down around their ears,” Chris pointed at her, signaling her correct answer. “I also think that if you don’t go and talk this out with them, you will never stop hating them. Do you really want to go through your incredibly long life hating your own parents?”
“We need to go,” Fluttershy’s soft voice rose up from her previously alleged sleeping form.
“But, they hurt you, Flutters,” Chris argued.
“And you made it better,” she nuzzled his cheek. “You always make it better. Besides, Twilight’s right. You are going to live a very long life, you will lose a lot of friends and family because of that. You don’t want to start going through that now.”
Chris leaned down and kissed Fluttershy on her forehead. “I will do anything you ask me to, my little princess.”
“Hey, that’s right. When you two get married, Fluttershy will become a princess too. I wonder if she’ll become an alicorns like I did. What will her title be? *Gasp* I’ll get to study a whole plethora of subjects. Oh my, and your foals.”
“Twilight, stop, we don’t have time for adorkable behavior. Fluttershy and I have to shower, and unless you want to hear things, you have some arrangements to make elsewhere.”
“You really need to stop sharing sometimes, you know.”
“Maybe, but you’re so cute when you blush.” Twilight growled as she left, slamming the door behind her. “Now, care to join me in the shower?” Fluttershy leapt from his lap and sprinted up the stairs. Chris chuckled and he ran up behind her, flinging the towel that had served as clothing behind him.
*****
Several hours later, Chris entered the throne room of Canterlot Palace with Fluttershy pressing against his leg for moral support. Chris stood straight and walked with resolution. He stood before both sets of families. On his left stood Barbara and Steven Lachance. To his right, Celestia and Luna. Two worlds linked by a single individual. For her part, Fluttershy was putting on a brave face, but could hardly stop herself from shivering. Chris reached down and scratched her behind the ear before moving his hand down her back to her cutie mark, channeling his magic into it. As soon as he did, Fluttershy stopped shivering and melted into him.
Celestia, having watched all of this, smiled warmly at her son and future daughter-in-law. She could see the bridge between two worlds before her eyes, and she couldn’t be happier. However, she wasn’t the only one in the room that Chris called ‘Mom’. Her heart was telling her that nothing could go come between them. Her head, on the other hoof, was running figures on how many bits it cost to repair this room. Either way, she had been meaning to add a throne for Luna for some time now.
Chris stood, stiff as a board, and looked into the faces of his family one at a time. He turned to Celestia and Luna and nodded, they returned the gesture. He then looked upon his birth parents. “Well?”
The Lachances flinched a little at their son’s demeanor and single syllable greeting. They had seen what he was capable of and knew he could cause some serious grief if they upset him again. It was Barbara who stepped forward and braved her son’s wrath.
“Honey, we-”
“Don’t. You don’t get to call me that.” He could see the figurative tear in her heart spread and felt one begin in his own. “Not yet at least.”
“O-okay. Um, well, we wanted to say that we never meant to insult you or… your girlfriend. This is all new to us and it will take some time to get use to the idea of smart animals.”
Steven stepped up beside his wife. “Christopher, we’re sorry we upset you. Like your mother said, this will all take some time for us.”
Chris stepped away from Fluttershy and stood before the other humans. “I get that this is new. You think it wasn’t new for me when I came here?” He let out a single huff of laughter. “The fact is this, I can’t leave Equestria, not for long anyway. I don’t want to leave Equestria. I have made a family here. I have made friends here.” He stepped back and knelt beside Fluttershy. “I have found love here. I will not give it up for anything in this, or any other world. You are the ones with the decision to make. You can either accept this new life, live in a world of magic and prosperity, or we can send you home. If you choose the latter, I promise to come and visit when I can, but that will be all I can do. If you choose to stay here, well,” Chris spread his arms and spun in a slow circle, indicating the richly decorated hall around them. “I leave the choice in your hands.”
Before they could answer, Chris rested his hand on Fluttershy’s withers and led her out of the hall and into the gardens. The Lechances could only watch them walk away. Celestia and Luna walked up and stood on either side of them. Celestia was proud of her son for standing up for himself and Fluttershy, but she knew that now was not the time to show that. Luna, on the other hand, couldn’t do that.
“Christopher certainly has grown into a fine stallion.”
Celestia facehoofed. “Sister, your timing still needs work.”
Barbara stepped quickly up to Celestia and, with tears in her eyes, pleaded, “Celestia, please, you have to help us. I can’t’ survive losing my baby boy again.” Wrapped her arms around Celestia’s neck. “Help me be his mommy again.”
Celestia was at a loss. She was used to ponies coming to her for all sorts of issues, but nothing like this had ever happened to her in all her many millennia. This woman was basically asking her for her help in coming between her and Christopher. If she were a lesser mare, she would take this opportunity to drive to proverbial wedge. Luckily for Barbara, Celestia was far from a lesser mare.
“Barbara, if there is one thing I know about my-uh-our son, he is not one who likes to hold a grudge. Luckily, we know exactly how to fix it this time.”
*****
Chris was sitting beneath his favorite tree with his favorite phoenix in the branches while his favorite maid was nearby with iced tea and sugar cookies while his favorite pony in the whole of this, or any other, universe was sprawled across his lap. Fluttershy’s eyes were closed and she was humming beautifully, sweetly, and softly while Chris was rubbing her mane with one hand while the other was resting on her cutie mark, magic coursing through it. Bunny simply stood there, watching her prince enjoy the simplest of pleasures one could ever hope to achieve, a warm day, a shady tree, and a beautiful love.
Bunny watched, a little timidly, as a snake slithered up to the couple. She was about to call out a warning to Chris and Fluttershy when she froze. She couldn’t believe it at first, but then she remembered exactly who was sprawled out across who’s lap. Chris had seen the snake approach out of the corner of his eye and immediately determined it to be a harmless corn snake. He took his hand from Fluttershy’s mane and lowered it to the snake. The snake looked at the proffered hand hesitantly, it flicked its tongue a few times before it slithered up his arm and wrapped itself around the wrist and hand.
Chris smiled at the snake and brought it in front of Fluttershy’s face. Now, this act would have scared and then infuriated any other mare one could think of, but this was the Element of Kindness. Fluttershy’s eyes lazily opened and then focused on the serpent. A smile broadened across her face, making it shine like the sun. Fluttershy leaned in closer in greeted the little snake, she then nuzzled it. Bunny would have dropped to her haunches if she weren’t such a professional. She could only watch as Fluttershy said some more things, giggled, looked up at Chris, blushed and hid her face, spoke some more to it, nuzzled it again, then Chris lowered his hand, and the snake slithered away.
Bunny trotted up to the smiling couple. “You two never cease to amaze me.”
“It was just a little snake, not even venomous,” Chris shrugged.
“It was still a snake.”
“His name is Sammy, Sammy Slithers. He was in the gardens looking for his mate. They were hoping to finally… um, well, baby snakes.” Fluttershy blushed again. “But he did say that we made a cute couple.”
“Aw, that’s nice. Thanks, Mister Slithers!” Chris waved at the bush that Sammy Slithers had slithered away into.
“You do make a cute couple,” a masculine voice came from a little up the pathway. Steven and Barbara walked up to the two lovebirds and the pony and human sitting below them.
Fluttershy pushed up against Chris tighter. Dust Bunny stood between the newcomers and her employer. Chris stroked Fluttershy’s mane and cooed into her ear.
“It’s alright, Bunny. I don’t think they came here to cause trouble. Right, Dad?”
“That’s right,… son. Your mother and I came here just to talk.”
“Son, Celestia made it clear to us what we did wrong and what we stand to lose, again. We’re sorry that we failed to see this,” Barbara indicated Chris and Fluttershy cuddled up together, “for what it is.”
“And that would be?”
“Love. Love between two beings that truly care for one another, regardless of their species or backgrounds. When we first came here, we were… in shock. I mean, look at this place. It’s like a kid’s cartoon show or something.”
Chris looked around for a moment. “Yeah, I can see that. Cool, right?”
Steven chuckled. “Yeah, it is pretty cool.”
Barbara stepped forward. “Chris, Fluttershy, the bottom line is… what we’re trying to say is… we’re sorry. I… we would both be very happy to get to know you better. If we’re going to be a family, then we need to get closer to each other.” Barbara knelt before the couple and wrapped Chris in a hug, trapping Fluttershy between them. “We will do whatever it takes to not lose you again.”
Chris wrapped his own arms around his mother. “I don’t want to lose you again either. I want you both to stay here with us.” He released her and scooped up Fluttershy. “But you have to accept her too. Can you do that?”
Barbara reached down and took Fluttershy’s hoof in her hand. “If you’ll let me, I would like to give it a try.”
“Try is good,” Fluttershy said smiling up at the humans.
Chris smiled back at her and kissed her on the snout. “Yes, try is good.”
The sound of hooves approaching grabbed their attention. Celestia was walking up the path, Philomena was perched on her withers before flying over to Chris and landing on his shoulder and nuzzling him. “Well, since you are willing to try new things, perhaps you would like to try something else.” Celestia stood proudly before Barbara and Steven, “There is a title given to the ponies who are related to somepony who has joined the royal family. They are given status and privilege, and access to resources not available to the citizenry of Equestria. I will provide you with a villa, staff, and an allowance. You will never want for anything in your life again. What say you?”
Steven and Barbara looked at each other, sharing a conversation through marital telepathy alone. They nodded. Steven told Celestia, “Princess, we graciously accept your offer.”
“Excellent. Then welcome to Equestria Duke and Duchess Lachance.”