//------------------------------//
// Love and Marriage, Joy and Closure 
// Story: My Life as a Suit Pon 
// by Prismfire Productions 
//------------------------------//

This was it.

I had been waiting for this moment for the past six months, anxiety building and crumbling several times over at the fact I was now going to be a married stallion. Last night was the worse, and despite my love for Tammilya, I almost got cold hooves and spent several hours at a bar owned by a mare named Berry Punch drinking my sorrow away at the fact my mother couldn't be here. However, today was a new day, and I woke up with the mare of my life snuggled against my side with her wing protectively draped over me as a reminder of how blessed I really was. Before I could continue my mental escape, a knock at the door caught my attention. 

“You can come in,” I said, straightening my tie as Robert walked in. With the princesses’ approval, and the fact Discord was maintaining the time warp, each of my former co-workers had decided to stay for the wedding. Robert had chosen to be a dragon, his ruby red scales shining bright  in the light and he had his horns polished into a perfect sheen.

“You really need to relax,” Robert said, putting a claw on my wither as I looked up at him. “That mare deeply loves you, and I know that you two will have a long and happy life together.”

“I know that,” I said, softly humming as Robert started to pet my mane. “But still, this is my wedding day. I just want everything to be perfect, and I would hate myself if things got too far out of hoof, especially since there are a few who frown upon my very existence.”

“Princess Celestia gave each of us full Equestrian citizenship remember?” Robert said, his tone getting slightly cross. “You worry too much, and about the wrong things. Just think about this for a moment, out of the whole crew, you were the only one who wasn't with anyone or had a family. Now you get the chance to have those things… the joy of your foal being born,then taking their first step, growing up and having a family of their own if they are lucky. Not to mention coming home from work everyday to your wife, enjoying your time with her and just living life to the fullest. So, please, calm down and relax because everything is going to turn out for the best.”

“You got a point,” I said, sitting and looking down in shameful defeat. “But that does remind me of a question I've been meaning to ask, what are your plans after the wedding?”

“Breathing fire and eating gems is cool and all,” Robert said, chuckling as he shot a small plume of smoke through his nostrils. “But I miss my wife and kids, and I plan on going back and staying there. You, Tammilya, and your foals will be welcome to my house at anytime, but I don't feel like this is the place for me you know?”

“Indeed,” I said, nodding in understanding at his choice and respecing it. “And the offer is available to you as well, you can come visit anytime, I just ask a week notice by the Dragonfire pendant Twilight gave you that will allow us to remain in touch.”

“Right… wait, the pendant!” A deadpan crossed his face, then in a speed that would make Rainbow nod in approval, he was out the door and running through the halls. Chuckling at the fact he had lost it again, I returned to my mirror to finish straightening out my mane when a gentle,nervous knock sounded against the door.

“Hey Jim, got a minute to talk?” A voice said, and I instantly recognized it. Spinning around, and running to open the door, I couldn't believe my eyes as to who was standing on the other side. 

There stood Jackson… smiling at me…

And wearing a bridesmare dress.

“Um, sure Jackson,” I said, still shocked at the mare standing before me. “Come on in I guess…”

“Thanks Jim,” Jackson said, moving her way inside as she shut the door and sat down. “Now, I know you probably have a few questions, and I will answer them as quick as I can due to the time crunch, so let me explain why I'm here. I just wanted to apologise for giving you so much manure with this whole deal, I was way out of line about everything.”

“You think?” I said, raising an eyebrow and letting a bit of aggravation into my tone. “You pushed aside Princess Luna, and kicked my fianceé hard enough that we found out she had two cracked ribs at the hospital in addition to the bruising. I am surprised that you are even a-… wait, why are you still a mare anyway? Your punishment ended three months ago.”

“I know, and at the end of it I took a trip to Canterlot to speak to the Princesses themselves.” Jackson said, smiling again at the memory. “I asked for both their Highnesses’ forgiveness, and asked that I remain a mare for the time I’m here.”

“Why? You all but damned Princess Celestia for turning you to a mare to begin with.” I asked, still dumbfounded at the information I was being filled in on. “And where does you being a bridesmare come into play?”

“So impatient, and quit calling me Jackson. Princess Celestia named me Emerald Breeze after all.” Emerald said, giggling as she booped my snoot, causing me to blink. “I was acting out of fear reflex Jim. I mean, I had just changed species and gender, and I was both angry and terrified at the same time. Human nature is to always be afraid of change, but after I got to the farm and settled in for the night I seriously started thinking some things over. The ensuing three months taught me the actual value of a hard job done by using my hooves, and it was a learning experience I am extremely thankful for. As far as me being a bridesmare, it is actually due to unfortunate circumstances. Derpy caught the Feather Flu, Fluttershy had to deal with a family situation in Manehatten, and Spitfire broke her wing in a Wonderbolt training accident. Well, I went to apologize to Tammilya, and when I arrived she was panicking trying to think of a third replacement.”

“So she forgave you and asked you to fill in,” I said, earning a nod from Emerald as I correctly guessed the situation. “I remember that I came home from the market and she was in a far better mood, I asked her what happened and she told me not to worry since her problem had been solved.” 

“Surprised me when she asked, but I saw no way I could refuse that offer.” Emerald said, a small sigh escaping but her mood quickly brightened back up. “Besides, I really can't complain, this dress really complements my coat and mane perfectly.”

I raised an eyebrow at that, but looked at the finer details of her statement, and saw she was right. The dress hugged her figure well, Val no doubt having a helping hoof in ensuring all attention would be on Emerald’s hips and plot. Her mane and tail had been stylized into a wave, fitting her last name to the letter as it was highlighted with streaks of aquamarine for a two tone look that actually looked good.

“Indeed it does,” I said, chuckling as I imagined how the fitting session must have went. “And consider yourself forgiven. Also, I couldn't help but notice that you referred to human nature in the past tense, aren't you going back to Earth after the wedding with the others?”

“No, I'm not,” Emerald said, holding up a hoof before I could question his choice. “I actually have come to like being the way I am now. Besides, that would defeat the purpose I now serve as Ponyville’s head botanist.”

She turned sideways and lifted up the bottom of her dress, giving me a full view of her flank, and what I saw shocked me. She had a cutie mark of a rotting log, surrounded by ash, with a beautiful lily growing out the top with a phoenix as a backdrop. Another thing I noticed, but didn't dare try and mention, was the fact her teats seemed to be slightly swollen as she refitted her attire.

“Wow Emerald, congrats,” I said, giving the mare a hug with my wings. “I'm sure Pinkie will look forward to throwing you a cutieceañera, just like she did for me when I finally got my mark. How did you feel when you saw it on your flank for the first time?”

“Like I was reborn,” Emerald said, a smile crossing her face. “It was as if Destiny itself had reach out its hand and said 'now little pony, go out and do great things with your special talent’ while giving me a nice warm hug that spread out through my whole body. I never had that sensation before, but it made me feel whole.”

“That is a very interesting take,” I said, glancing back to my own cutie mark of a biohazard flask with rainbow smoke coming out the top of it. “For me, it felt that my life’s work and knowledge had come to fruition. I can do equations in my head, without needing to write them down or sequence them out, to see if the reaction could be fatal. So far, nopony has mixed reactants in a way that could be dangerous, but since I work in Canterlot it would be a bad idea to even risk it with the princesses so close by. I mean, they could contain it, but at the same time it would have a high chance of exposure that can be avoided with proper handling and care.”

“That is the other thing I wanted to discuss,” Emerald said, the sigh sounding more like a sad huff. “I heard through the grapevine that you and Tammilya will be moving there, is that true?”

“Damn Flower Trio…” I muttered, making a note to scold the three later. “Yes, that rumor is in fact true, but keep it under your bonnet for now. We already have a house, located at the top Mount Canter, but we are just waiting to move. Going to wait a few more months for the wedding hoopla to die down before we go up there full time. Keep in mind, both me and her work there, and the flight home is total horseapples due to being tired.”

“Not to mention when you two have a family,” Emerald said, earning a nod out of me. “It's great that you have your future planned, but will you still visit Ponyville from time to time?”

“I already Pinkie Promised a certain pink Earth Pony that I would,” I said, glancing up at the clock. “Got a few more minutes until it is time to go, but thank you for coming to talk to me Emerald, I enjoyed it.”

“Glad you did,” Emerald said, giving me one last hug to calm my nerves. “I just wish that more humans could come here…”

“Hold on, we need to talk or at least hear me out if you truly believe that,” I said, holding up a hoof stop her before she left. “Why would you want that? This land is fine just as it is, and humans would destroy this land just as they have destroyed Earth’s environment. In my honest opinion, things are better off as they are, with no human interference to buck up the way everypony has lived all their lives.”

“Exactly Jim. All of this,” Emerald said, waving a hoof around to emphasize our environment. “Is the very definition of Harmony. It took everypony less than a week after I apologized to accept me, and now I can trot through town and carry a friendly conversation with any of them. Back on Earth, greed is the cause of most problems, but here it is practically nonexistent! Speciesism is no longer a thing since Thorax took over the changelings, which I've learned from both reading and conversations with him, and everypony is so accepting and forgiving.”

“So I've heard,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “So what about it? Yes, greed is a major problem, but you have to keep in mind there are a lot of other issues like famine, poverty, and rampant racism that also made things worse.”

“Racism on Earth and as a whole is a learned trait, and it was just getting worse, all because of not willing to forgive and learn from the past. Race, and species, is only skin deep, and aside from genetics and gender there is no difference between any being.” Emerald said, continuing her rant as she all but seemed to be swearing off her humanity. “Changelings excluded, the body of every species is made of cells, bones, muscles, organs, tissue, arteries, and capillaries. Humans could learn so much about peace and harmony, but is sad to know that history will always repeat itself because of their own stubbornness and unwillingness to compromise and forgive. That Jim, is why I feel the way I do.”

“Your last two points verify mine,” I said, for some reason feeling a bit miffed. “Humans, as a whole, will not change despite their cries to the contrary. My opinion is that they would infect this land like a virus instead of changing. For Celestia's sake, bits are made from gold, there are vast woodlands and farmlands, and that isn't including the gems found in mines.”

“True, but…”

“Emerald, listen…” I said, sighing. “This would be a corporate paradise, and anyone greedy enough would do whatever it took to secure profit, even destroying the tranquility of Equestria to get it. Despite our different options, I respect yours, but you still need to remember where you came from.”

“I appreciate that,” Emerald said, a small glare forming. “But I don't think-”

“I'm not done yet…” I said, literally putting my hoof down in place. “Do you remember your words to me the day of the tornado? You were right, I was the only one without a family, so what is going to happen to yours? I gave up on my humanity to strive forward and actually become happy, but it seems that you are doing it for selfish reasons. Your aunt, sister, and niece are expecting you to come home after work 'today’, but it seems you are abandoning them. Now, it is time for the big event, but I expect you to think that matter over and give me an answer at the reception.” 

Emerald tried to strike a rebuttal, but I stood my ground, singling with a hoof for her to get in position. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was walk down the aisle pissed off, so I took the opportunity to use the few precious moments I had before my cue to calm myself. By the time the music hit for me to enter, I was relaxed, and I made sure to mouth a 'sorry’ at Emerald as I got up to the altar.

The space itself was beautifully decorated, the aromas of different mountain flowers filling the air and giving the sensation of a peaceful day at home. The fake clouds hanging from the ceiling, decorated by Pinkie Pie, provided the colors of a sunset just like when Celestia lowered the sun at the end of everyday to give way to a calming night.

Tammilya was insistent that the color scheme for the bridesmares be yellow and black, something that she would not budge on no matter what else was offered. Val did her best, the base yellow dresses being form fitting and trimmed in obsidian shards, but several attendees said they still looked like bumblebees. My groomstallions Soarin, Thunderlane, Big Mac, and Time Turner wore matching yellow suits with black ascotts and cufflinks, but me and Tammilya had settled on a traditional suit and dress respectively. 

Turning to the crowd, I spotted my former co-workers seated together near the front, each having previously decided on being different species. Robert had chosen a dragon just in case a situation needed defusing, Stephanie went with a pristine changeling queen with ash grey chitin and a fire-red mane and tail, and Becky had went with a hippogriff so she could have a legit excuse to break out singing “Under the Sea.”

Everypony was quiet as the front doors opened, Princess Luna trotting into the room wearing full regalia, shined to a flawless polish and looking regal as she made her way up to the pew. There had been a last minute, in other words 'the morning of’ adjustment; Princess Luna was to handle the ceremony while Celestia was to walk Tammilya down the aisle. The change came from Celestia herself, her reason being that since Tammilya had no actual parents, and was originated from the Suit Pon Program™️️ that she had put Jet Set in charge of, she was the only pony who could give Tammilya away proper.

Out of courtesy, Celestia did ask Jet Set if he wanted to do it, but he politely declined because of still feeling guilty about Tammilya having to go through our whole ordeal. Everything was perfect, and even an attack by an invitedChrysalis wasn't going to put me in a bad mood as 'Here Comes the Bride’ started to be played on the piano by Vinyl Scratch.

Tammilya entered with a smile on her face, which seemed to outshine the aura Celestia was giving off, and made the whole room brighten. She took each step with pride, her own coworkers nodding in respect as she passed by. Reaching the altar, the Princess of the Sun stopped in front of me, looking into my eyes with wordless wisdom before moving off to the side so Luna could start.

“Everypony, you may sit.” Luna said, the crowd taking their seats as she called the room into silence. “We are gathered here today to join this stallion and mare in the bonds of holy matrimony. Before we begin, if anypony thinks these two should not be we'd, speak now or your tongue may be cursed into silence on virtue.”

“Lulu, that is not how it goes anymore.” Celestia said, making everypony more at ease as the midnight Alicorn pouted. “She meant to say 'speak now or forever hold your peace’. Please be patient with her, this is the first wedding she has performed since returning and customs have drastically changed. It used to be that if nopony spoke, then objected after the bride and groom were wed, the one who objected would have their tongue sliced off and presented to them fried at the reception. That practice was outlawed after secret marriages between ponies and griffins happened during a minor war, and their relatives found out after the fact when official weddings were held, there were a bunch of ponies who complained in hoof language due to being mute. Anyways, continue on Lulu.”

“Fine,” Luna grumbled, her tone bitter before she cleared her throat. “Seeing as how none of you objected to the marriage, let us commence with the exchanging of swords.”

“Exchanging vows,” Celestia said, clarifying what Luna meant before nodding to Tammilya. “You may go when ready.”

“Thank you, your Highnesses,” Tammilya said, bowing first to Luna then Celestia before taking one of her hooves in mine. “I honestly don't know where my love for you came from Jim, but I'm glad it did form. I guess it was because you were the first being I had encountered outside of the Plant had made me take a step back and observe, which is what I was doing while you were in control of our shared form. You are kind, compassionate, and have a deep sense of morals and virtue. I truly love you Jim, and right now I couldn't ask for anything else because I'm the happiest mare in the world and look forward to growing old with you.”

“That was lovely Tammilya,” Luna said, making the same motion as everypony else by wiping a tear from her eyes. “And now you may say your vows Jim.”

“Thank you Princess,” I said, bowing before looking at my bride. “Tammilya… words can't describe how I truly feel right now. Both of us were victims of circumstances outside our control, freak accidents that have such an astronomically small chance of happening at the same time that a blizzard hitting the Baahamas is more likely. But you know what? It was worth it, because now I get to spend the rest of my life with you. I used to be one of the most miserable and depressed people I knew, but now I'm the happiest I've been in a long time. Thank you for everything you've done for me, thanks in advance for helping me if I stumble, but thank you most of all for loving me.”

A wave of “awwws” and “dawwws” made its way around the crowd, but me and Tammilya giggled at their reactions before we eagerly turned to Princess Luna. The Princess of the Night herself had a different aura about her I never noticed before. Her normal vibe, giving off the peace and tranquility that night brought, was still there but added was the lull of sleep. The whole crowd went quiet whenever she cleared her throat, captivated by the Alicorn who rarely was up in the middle of the day, clinging on every word like a nursing foal. 

“Considering the fact I'm about to bucking pass out from being awake so long, and the fact these two love each other, I'm just going to skip the 'I do’ part.” Luna said, unable to hold back her exhaustion anymore. “So, by the power vested in me as Princess of the Night, Keeper of Dreams and Banisher of Nightmares, and Diarch of Equestria I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

The two of us smiled, cupping our cheeks with a hoof as we planted a deep kiss on each other's muzzles. In that moment, it felt like a cool honey had been poured over me, clearing my mind of any doubt. We only broke the kiss when our lungs started to beg for mercy. The gathering erupted into cheers as we turned to look at them, Luna giving one last tired smile before departing. Pinkie kicked the reception into gear, having somehow stuffed her confetti cannons underneath the stage the altar was on, the *bang* making everyone get into the party spirit as the music began pumping. 

As joyous as the moment was, I was not in a party mood, choosing to keep to myself after the congratulations finally subsided and the small talk started amongst the guests. Finding the drink station, I got myself two glasses of cider that Applejack made just for the occasion before heading to a corner table and downing the first glass, but leaving the second untouched.

“Still thinking about your mom huh,” Emerald said, sitting across from me with her cup of water as she motioned to the untouched cider. “She would be proud of you Jimmy, she really would.”

“Thanks Emerald,” I said, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips as I thought back to our earlier conversation. “So are you going to tell me why you have had such a drastic attitude adjustment in such a short period of time, or am I going to have to ask it myself?”

“How did you-” Emerald froze, her eyes widening as her cheeks turned so red her name might as well been Ruby Breeze. “Is it really that obvious?”

“Kinda,” I said, reaching over and giving the skittish mare a pat on the head. “When you lifted up your dress to show me your cutie mark, I noticed your teats looked a little swollen. That, the fact you are drinking water instead of cider, and the fact you seemed awfully nervous about the prospect of returning to Earth were dead giveaways.”

“Busted,” Emerald said, her ears folding flat against her head as she spoke. “Yes, I am pregnant, and I plan on keeping the foal. That is why I literally begged to remain a mare, because turning back into a stallion meant that I would be killing my baby and I couldn't handle that possibility. Same would be true if I return to Earth, Twilight and Discord both explained that nothing they can do would prevent me from instantly reverting into my old male self if I went back.”

A very serious guilt trip hit me in the gut, and thinking back to the attitude and remarks I had made did not help matters any. “There is a way around that you know, Stephanie is next in command at the plant. Simply give her your resignation and have her call your family to 'collect your stuff’ while you handle some things away from the plant. When they get there, have Steph shove them into the portal to bring them here.”

“As if they would want to see me like this,” Emerald said, eying the cider until I moved it out of her reach. “Only thing I got going for me is the fact I got a good paying job, but how do you think they would feel about how I am now? Heat sucked really, really badly and all I could think about was a nice, juicy co-”

“Hey!” Pinkie said, despite being across the room her glare still packed the second most punch, only behind Fluttershy. “Keep to the rating! We don't need to know all the details, jesh! 78% of us in the room are mares so we know how you felt at the moment.” 

The room went dead silent, resuming after everypony shrugged off the awkward moment and allowing me and Emerald to continue our conversation.

“You are wrong about what you said, about the only thing going your way is a good paying job,” I said, once again putting a hoof on Emerald's wither. “You have a foal on the way, and friends that will have your back the whole way. It doesn't hurt to just talk to them, now does it? Who knows, they might decide to stay here and help you with the foal. Who is the father anyway? If you don't mind me asking.”

“Truth will come out at some point,” Emerald said, hearts starting to form in her eyes. “The father is-”

“Oh there you are darling,” A voice I recognized, but somehow still felt off, said cutting Emerald short on her announcement. Spinning around in my seat, I saw Val approaching us, but her tone and trot were a little bit different. Thinking back to my fitting sessions with the Mistress Seamstress, it clicked that it was actually Rarity who was approaching us. “Emerald, Soarin and Big Mac are ready to escort you home, and Tammilya is looking for you Jim. She is ready to head home, and Princess Celestia already warned the Seismology Center to prepare for any unusual blips on  their charts from near your house.”

“Thanks Rars,” I said, nodding in approval at the outfit she wore, with the familiar matching silver collar around her neck. “Tell her I will be there shortly after I finish talking to Emerald, and please tell Val thank you for all the hard work she did making sure our sessions were appropriate.”

“The pleasure was mine darling,” Rarity, using a mix of her’s and Val’s voices, said before giving a courtesy bow and trotting away. 

“So, Soarin and Mac huh?” I asked, a smirk forming once Rarity was out of earshot. “Wonder which one is the father…”

“That makes you, me, both of them, and Sugar Belle all in the same boat,” Emerald said, patting her belly before getting up. “It is time for me to go, and I will talk with Steph about what you suggested as I make my way out. Until next time old friend.”

“Until next time.” I said, bumping hooves with her before heading off to Tammilya, taking the first steps of my new life of happiness.





-Eight Years Later-

Timothy Kozak was a busy man. In the years since he had been hired, replacing the old Nuclear Physicist that had left unannounced, the plant had undergone massive upgrades. This effort was spearheaded by the current manager Stephanie, who when pressed about why the plant needed the upgrades, simply stated than an unforeseen set of circumstances had exposed massive shortfalls in the design and integrity of the facility and put employees in danger. 

He had just finished his calculations on the available production of the fuel rods when something bright caught his attention. Glancing in the general direction, he saw a flare of sparks appear on the wall, soon forming into a circular shape before a spectrum of colors swirl inside of it.

“What the hell?!” Timothy exclaimed, dropping his note book to the floor and making a dead sprint to his boss’ office. “Mrs. Stephanie, I am sorry to bother you, but we have a situation that I think you need to see for yourself.”

“Let me guess, Robert made a big enough mess in the bathroom again that we should make this a dung beetle breeding farm?” Stephanie asked, her deep green eyes piercing into Timothy's soul. “It wasn't funny the first time, and it wouldn't be any funnier this time. Now, unless it is the end of the world or aliens are invading I suggest you leave me alone so I can finish the budget for the fiscal year.”

“That's the thing Ma’m,” Timothy said, his tone uneven due to pure fear. “I think we are being invaded. I just finished the calculations like you asked me to, and this weird looking portal with swirling colors appeared and-”

“Stop right there Tim,” Stephanie said, now standing right in front of her terrified worker. “A portal with swirling colors you say? Take me to it.”

There are times in an employee's career when their gut instinct is to do the complete opposite of what their boss tells them to do. Whether it is doing a safety sequence differently, or using an experimental shortcut to try save time, it still feels like it should not be done in the first place. To Timothy, this was one of those situations, but when the boss is insistent on being taken to a possible vortex of doom, you follow orders. 

“Alright,” Timothy said, shrugging his shoulders as he started down the hall, Stephanie right beside him. “But I hope you know what you are doing, I like this job and I like working for you.”

“Awe, that is so sweet,” Stephanie said, her chuckling seeming to reverberate off the walls. “And I can tell you love your job because of all the hard work you have done. That has not gone unnoticed, and I included a $5/hr raise for you in the budget.”

“Seriously?” Timothy asked, surprised that he was going to be getting that big of an increase. “That will make Penelope extremely happy, now I can buy her a proper wedding ring.”

“I know somep-one who might be able to help with that,” Stephanie said, managing to catch herself midword by faking a cough. Equestrian magic poured into her, like a river transitioning from drought to monsoon. She could already hear her drones, calling out to her and welcoming her with open hooves, but she knew she had to keep self control. “What kind of stone were you thinking of?”

“She has her eyes on a 2.5kt diamond ring, accented with sapphires, for the last few months now..” Timothy said, now feeling a bit uneasy as they drew nearer to the portal that was now in sight. “Why do you ask?”

“A trade as it were,” Stephanie said, musing as they stopped in front of the swirling splotch of colors, her already telling a drone that it was clear for whoever wanted to come through to do so. “You keep what you are about to see quiet, not even telling your family or fianceé, and in exchange I will personally get a ring crafted that will be worth more than your salary made over ten years.”

“That sounds more like a blackmail bribe than a trade,” Timothy said, taking a step back as the colors began to bulge and ripple. “W-what is it that is so secretive that you have to resort to blackmail?”

“That is the question, my dear Timothy,” Stephanie said with a grin, Timothy swearing that he could see that she had fangs. That was not what scared him the most, what did was the colors shimmering before several humans came tumbling to the floor.

“Hello Steph,” I said, a smile forming as the group of us stood up. “Been awhile huh?”

“How you doing Jim?” Stephanie asked, pulling me and Tammilya into a hug. “Thought you would never come back to this facility. Much has changed since I took over from Emerald, all focusing on fixing the mistakes that could have potentially killed us.”

“Great to hear,” I said, stepping to the side so she could see my children, who were being helped by their mother and Twilight. “Emerald says hi by the way, and little Tiger Lily even drew a picture for her favorite bugmom.”

“How sweet of her to do that,” Stephanie said, taking the picture of her and Tiger having fun in a field that I retrieved out of my pocket. “And wow, the kids sure have grown since the last time I saw them, what have you been feeding them?”

“A new protein rich dandelion cereal Flim and Flam came up with, surprisingly it was not an actual scam but a legit product.” Tammilya replied, smiling as our daughters gave Stephanie a tight love filled hug. “Only reason we are here is because me and Jim figured it was time for them to see their grandma's grave, to quell their curiosity about why they have never met her. Twilight decided to tag alone to conduct business with you in person instead of our normal dragonfire messeges, some interesting charts her and Celestia figured you would like to see.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Timothy said, clearing his throat and trying to keep his demeanor as calm as possible. “but what in the actual fuck is is going on here?! You harboring aliens, who speak English and look like humans, without the government knowing?”

“Oh they know completely,” Stephanie said, patting the twins before her complexion became serious. “Turns out Jackson, the manager before me, made an inquiry to the Department of Homeland Security. When he explained the situation, they had laughed at him, but he had sent some security footage of Tammilya here without anyone knowing. My first act as manager was having to debrief them and the President on what had happened."

"You had to debrief the President?" I asked, mildly amused. "How did that go?'

"Classified," Steph replied, the quickness showing that it was an answer that she had burned into her brain. "Well, shit happened, but luckily the Princesses of Tammilya's world were willing to accept a diplomatic understanding on the condition that no human visit there without signing a full NDA and having passed an extremely rigorous background check by both the DHS and the Princesses. Tell me, have you noticed anything unusual about the plant’s output and fuel rod reactivity?”

“Actually, I have,” Timothy said, composing himself enough to use no walk support. “The rods are at 100%, with no measurable decay rate, plus the output is slowly creeping up at about a fifth of a percent per month.”

“Just as I predicted it would,” Twilight said, a smile forming as she glanced at her clipboard. “Come Mr. Timothy, lets head to Stephanie's office and we'll debrief you on Project S.P.E.C.T.R.A.”

“Yeah Twi, might as well since he saw you guys come out the portal yourselves,” Stephanie said, nodding at Twilight's suggestion before looking at me. “Feel free to use my truck to head out to the cemetery.”

“Thanks Steph,” I said, Stephanie me a nod as she and Twilight escorted Timothy away. Heading into the parking lot, I shook my head at the fact she still drove her old gunpowder-grey Ford F150 and hadn't upgraded to a newer model.

“What is this daddy?” The younger twin, Scarlet Hoofsen, asked as I buckled her and her sister in. “Some kind of fancy carriage?”

“You can say that,” I said, chuckling as I made sure both girls’ and Tammilya's seat belts were secured and tightened before climbing into the driver's seat and starting the engine. “This is called a truck, and it is a carriage that pretty much runs by itself, I just have to steer it. Sit back and enjoy the ride, it is about an hour and a half drive.”

The girls nodded, me draping an arm over Tammilya's shoulder as I started to drive towards my hometown. The drive itself was nothing to speak of, field after field of wheat being gently blown in the breeze like fingers through hair. That was only broken by the occasional cattle pasture, where herds of dairy cows were feasting under the tranquil blew skies. 

“Sure you are up to this hun?” Tammilya asked, leaning her head on my shoulder as I drove on. “This is the first time that you have visited her since our wedding, so I can understand if you feel apprehensive or nervous.”

“I'm fine,” I said, rubbing her shoulder to ease her mind. “In a way, this will bring me closure. For so long I was always running from my troubles, wallowing in pity and despair. You gave me a spark I never had before, a spark of true love that has grown into a raging inferno that will never die out. Now, I can come to her a happy man, the man she would have wanted me to be.” 

“Taking insight lessons from Cadance again?” Tammilya asked, giggling as she laid her head on my shoulder. “You talk so sappy when you try to sound smart around me.”

“I do not.” I said, my face coloring in embarrassment and my cheeks puffing slightly.

“Do too,” The older twin, Curie, said with a giggle. “You act like one of my Friendship Academy classmates around their crush!”

I decided it was best to let the topic drop. It was bad enough for my wife to playfully pick on me, but when my oldest daughter backs her up? That is when I know I have been completely and thoroughly defeated. Sighing, I resumed thinking about how the different scenarios for how my mom's grave would look. Everything from total dilapidation to well kept ran through my mind right up until we pulled into the graveyard.

“Why are we at a cemetery dad?” Scarlet asked, still not used to how fingers worked as I helped her out the truck, Tammilya helping Curie. “I thought we were going to meet grandma.”

“You kinda will,” Tammilya said, tightly holding my hand as I led the way to the burial plot. “Your grandma passed away before I met your father, we are taking you to her grave to pay respects, no different than anypony does to their departed loved ones back home.”

“Yeah, now lets-” I froze midsentence, my words dying in my throat as I looked at my mother's grave, not believing what I was seeing. "Umm... Tammi..."

“Hun, are those…” Tammilya asked, also in a state of shock.

“They are…” I finally managed to say, reaching down and touching one of the elegant blue roses that surrounded the burial plot. They were one of the subspecies Emerald had made, the flowers being 27% larger than normal, with a deep cyan color that looked very similar to Rainbow Dash’s coat and the center was a transition from the blue to white. The color was natural, and to my further surprise there was a plaque placed at the foot of plot.


These beautiful roses are a mystery of their own. Appearing seemingly overnight, they are only found around this one grave, and further scientific analysis has shown both the roses and the soil are of unknown composition and do not match anything else on the planet. 

A wide range of theories, including a side effect from the nuclear reactor 85 miles away, have been presented and debunked. Attempts to recreate the color by reproduction of cut stems has yielded no success, the stems dying when placed into normal soil and not regrowing. Cut stems placed in a sample of the mysterious dirt, however, have yielded accelerated growth, but the buds always produce a pinkish-purple flower. 

As such, this newly discovered subspecies has been classified as “Equu Rosa”, the horse rose for how tightly clustered the vines grow like wild mustangs grouped on  the plains.


“Wow,” Tammilya said, putting her hand on my shoulder as she finished reading the inscription. “Emerald must have made a sneak visit here and used Earth Pony magic to enchant just your mom's grave to be the only spot on Earth to grow these. Talk about a nice surprise.”

“Y-yeah…” I said, my tone hitching as I dropped to my knees and brought one of the delicate flowers into my hand. “A surprise i-indeed.”

I no longer could hold back the floodgates, tears flowing down my cheeks like double diamond rapids as I cried out my pain and grief. For so long I had nothing, for so long I let my heart harden to stone, but now being a married man and father had allowed joy to soften it back up. The fact that Emerald, who vowed to never return to Earth after her family relocated to Ponyville, had returned here to plant her special roses meant to much more than words could ever describe. I now wept at my mother's grave with tears not of sadness, but of happiness with my family at my side.

All because of the brief period of my life as a suit pon…