//------------------------------// // Ep 22 - Curtain Call // Story: My Little Pony: Small Town Life // by Mythic Night //------------------------------// It was a day that Sunny thought would never come; her mother, Sunrise Serenade, was going to perform on stage for the last time before retiring from her career as the lead dancer for the Canterlot Contemporary Dance Company. She had just arrived at Equestria’s capital with her father, sister, and her lover Silver Streak, though her mother had arrived the night before to prepare with the rest of her crew. A cool breeze blew as they stepped off the train. Autumn had begun, and the temperature was steadily dropping. Though it wasn’t cold enough to need warm clothes yet, they all wore formalwear for the event ahead; Silver wore a blue suit jacket, newly purchased for the occasion, while Snowdrift—Sunny’s father—wore a nice gray suit jacket, and little Crystal Waltz—Sunny’s sister—wore a pretty purple dress. Sunny herself wore the flowing red gown she bought at Rarity’s shop some time ago, on her day-long date with Silver, and throughout the trip he found himself staring at her, much to her amusement. He’d forgotten just how beautiful she looked in that gown, and he felt so very lucky to call her his special somepony. Having gotten off the train after a long ride, the lot of them took a few moments to stretch out. Sunny and Crystal also took the time to check their dresses for wrinkles after sitting a while. When all was said and done, they trotted off the platform and onto the street, where Sunny and her family were greeted by a familiar and welcome sight. “Grandmare! Grandpa!” cried Crystal as she ran up to her grandparents and hugged them both. The elderly couple chuckled as they reached down to embrace their granddaughter, and Sunny wasn’t too far behind as she too ran up to give her grandparents a hug, while their father trotted up to greet his in-laws. While this family reunion was going on, Silver stood there in awe as he saw the fancy clothes her grandparents wore, as well as the large carriage waiting to bring them to the family manor. Sunny came from minor nobility, and though she never thought of herself as a royal, there was proof right here that she was more than a small town mare. Before he could think further about Sunny’s place in the world, she turned back to look at him with a warm smile. “Silver, come here and meet my grandparents!” Sunny called. He hesitated for only a moment, before trotting forward. “Silver, I’d like you to meet my grandfather, Shadow Staccato, and my grandmother, Rose Petal.” She turned to her grandparents, and motioned to the stallion. “Grandmare, Grandpa? This is my boyfriend, Silver Streak.” “I-it’s nice to meet you, Baron and Baroness Concerto,” Silver greeted them, giving a small bow. He wasn’t sure how formal he needed to be toward them, but he wasn’t about to insult his lover’s grandparents on their first meeting. Shadow smiled as he said, “The pleasure is all ours.” He was an earth pony stallion with a dark gray coat and a light gray mane, tail, and bushy moustache. Silver also realized that Sunny and her mother inherited their deep blue eyes from him. “Indeed!” said his wife, Rose, who smiled warmly at the unicorn. “It’s so nice to see our granddaughter has found love once again.” She was an earth pony mare with an orange coat and long white mane and tail, and she wore a fine pink dress. Shadow Staccato cleared his throat. “Well, now that introductions are out of the way, we should board the carriage and head for home. Sunrise’s performance is a few hours away, and I’m sure we’d all prefer to wait at the family manor, hm?” There were murmurs of agreement, and the lot of them climbed aboard the carriage, driven by four strong earth ponies who began trotting toward home. As they made their way through the streets of Canterlot, Silver decided to get to know more about Sunny’s family, and her grandparents seemed to be the best ponies to ask. “So, um, what can you tell me about House Concerto? Sunny told me that your family history is filled with ponies who contributed to the arts, but I don’t know much more beyond that.” Shadow looked proud as he told the younger stallion, “Well, that in itself is a big part of what makes our family so special. For generations, our family has produced opera singers, dancers, and musicians of all instruments. I myself am a concert pianist, and I’ve been playing for audiences around Equestria for decades.” Silver’s brow furrowed as one question came to mind. “So, I’m curious, with a family history like that, how do you feel about your daughter’s retirement?” It was Rose who answered, telling the younger stallion, “We’re quite proud of our daughter. After a long and successful career, she’s finally going to leave the stage on her terms, and enjoy a much-deserved retirement.” “Indeed,” said Shadow. “To be honest, the both of us worried that she’d be forced into retirement due to an injury suffered on stage. She’s not the first dancer our family has produced, and several of them had their careers ended early due to injury. We always told her to pace herself, that she should worry about her health first, and her performance second.” “Luckily, she hasn’t experienced anything worse over the years than a sprained ankle or muscle strain,” said Snowdrift of his beloved wife. “I always worried about getting a letter from her while on tour, telling me she was in the hospital for some crippling injury…” Silver frowned at the thought of Sunrise being crippled. “I didn’t realize that dancing was truly that hazardous.” “It can be,” Rose replied. “Dancing is a very physically-demanding activity, involving both odd and repetitive movements which can cause damage to the joints and muscles. Some injuries come about gradually, from constant wear, while others can happen due to one simple mistake…” “It’s even worse when a dancer decides to just work through the injury,” Shadow added with a scowl. “’The show must go on’, as they say, but any respectable company is going to have understudies to cover illness and injury. There’s simply no reason to make an injury worse, especially when it’s your livelihood on the line…” “But enough about that,” Rose said, smiling warmly at Silver. “I’d like to hear about you, Silver Streak.” “M-me?” he asked. She grinned and nodded. “Indeed! I’ve been very interested in getting to know you after Sunny told us she was dating again during her last visit. So, tell me about yourself.” “What do you want to know?” he wondered. = = = = = = = = = = After a short while, they reached their destination, and as Silver stepped off the carriage, his jaw dropped at the sight of the Concerto manor. It was fairly large, and quite impressive, a fine old mansion that demanded as much respect as the family who lived in it for generations. It was easy to forget that Sunny—no, Lady Sunshine Sonata of House Concerto—was actually a noblemare, but this sight was a blatant reminder of that fact, and he found himself feeling incredibly inadequate. “This place is amazing,” said Silver. “It is,” Sunny replied. “You know, I used to live here for a while, back when I was attending culinary school.” “You did?” he asked, his eyes never leaving the beautiful old building. “Mhm,” she replied, turning her gaze to the stallion at her side. “It felt kinda weird, living in this fancy place and being waited on by servants when I was used to my simple life in Ponyville. Still, it was better than sharing a dorm at the school.” “Servants?” He turned to look at her, his brow furrowed. “They have servants here?” “A small staff,” Rose told him, turning from a conversation between her husband and son-in-law. “So, what do you think of our ‘humble’ abode?” “It’s beautiful,” he answered truthfully. “I’m surprised Sunny ever wanted to come back to Ponyville after living here a while.” Rose chuckled. “Ah, yes, her college years. It was nice, being able to spend time with our oldest grandfoal, at least when she wasn’t out clubbing…” “Grandmare!” Sunny whined. The elderly mare giggled. “I’m just teasing, dear. So, is anyone feeling hungry?” “I’d like a snack!” Crystal told her grandmother. “I could eat,” chimed Sunny. “Wonderful!” said Rose, turning toward the mansion. “I’ll have the chef whip up some snacks then.” With that, they all trotted inside, where Silver got his first look at the interior of the mansion. They stepped into a large entrance hall, with two staircases leading up to the second floor, making a path between them to the doorway leading further into the home. There was a chandelier hanging above them, lighting up the entrance hall, and Silver was in awe of the splendor of it all. He followed them through the doorway, and paused as he saw a dark gray, almost black earth pony mare in a fine blue dress trotting down one of the stairs. “Welcome home, everyone,” she greeted them as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “Aunt Midnight!” cried Crystal Waltz as she once again ran up to a relative to hug and nuzzle, and her aunt was more than happy to return the affections. “Hello, my little songbird,” said the mare as she held her niece close. “Have you been practicing your singing?” “Yep!” was Crystal’s answer. “Show me,” she commanded with a smirk. Crystal paused, thinking about all the songs she knew, before she broke out into a grin and started singing the latest hit from Sapphire Shores. Her aunt couldn’t help but grin and chuckle as she listened to her niece belt out a lovely tune, and after a few lines she began to sing along with the little filly. Snowdrift chuckled at the sight of the two singing, and he leaned over to tell Silver, “That’s Midnight Melody, Sunrise’s little sister. She’s an opera singer, and Crystal adores her; no doubt she’ll follow in her aunt’s hoofsteps someday.” “Ah,” was his response, as he listened to the two singing. Sunny grinned as she watched her aunt and sister sing together. Little Crystal had been working hard to improve her singing even before she earned her cutie mark, and Sunny had no doubt that she’d either become the next Sapphire Shores, or an opera singer like their aunt Midnight. While the two sang, Rose Petal ordered a nearby maid to go to the kitchen and have snacks made, and she gave the baroness a nod before trotting off to fulfill the elderly mare’s request. The pair finished the song, during which little Crystal showed off her talent for singing like her aunt, and the whole family applauded the two as the song ended. They both took a bow, before Midnight trotted up to the group. “Snowdrift, so good to see you again, and same to you, Sunny.” She paused as she noticed the unknown stallion standing next to her elder niece, and a smirk grew upon her lips that filled Silver with dismay. “And would you happen to be Silver Streak, by any chance?” “Y-yes ma’am,” he stammered. “I’m Sunny’s boyfriend.” “Are you now…?” Her smirk grew into a wicked grin as she looked to her elder niece. “So this is the stallion you told us about, hm?” “Yep,” Sunny answered, wrapping a foreleg around her lover. Midnight looked back to Silver, and said, “Sunny told us she was dating again the last time she came to visit.” She chuckled, and added, “She had a lot of good things to say about you, you know.” Silver smiled sheepishly at that. “I-I’d hope so… I try to be good to her.” “You’re better than good, Silver,” Sunny reassured him. “Where are the boys?” Rose asked her daughter. “I requested some snacks from the chef, and I thought we could all get to know Silver while we eat.” “Snacks sound good,” Midnight replied, before turning toward the stairs. “Boys, get down here and say hello!” she called, and a few moments later a pair of teenage colts appeared at the top of the stairs, followed closely by a light-blue earth pony stallion that Silver assumed to be their father. The new trio greeted the Ponyville branch of House Concerto, and afterwards Midnight happily introduce them to Silver. “Silver Streak, allow me to introduce you to my husband, Fine Tune, and our twins Radiant Chorus and Shining Soprano. Boys, this is Sunny’s boyfriend, Silver Streak.” Fine Tune grinned at that news. “Is that so? Well, it’s nice to meet you, Silver Streak.” “Nice to meet you too,” he replied. With introductions out of the way, Rose spoke up. “Come, everyone, let’s go to the dining room. Those snacks should be ready soon, and we can talk while we eat.” And so they trotted down the hall, where Silver saw old paintings along the walls, all portraits of ponies wearing fine clothes from different eras, and he paused to look more closely at them. Shadow Staccato noticed that the stallion lingered behind, and he turned to smile proudly at the paintings. “Portraits of the heads of our house throughout the ages,” he explained. “Looks like your family has quite a long history,” said Silver. “We do indeed,” Shadow replied. A question came to Silver’s mind. “Say, if you’re the current Baron of House Concerto, then who is next in line?” “The answer to that is rather interesting,” said Shadow. “Traditionally, a royal house will have the firstborn inherit the estate and title, but our house does things a little differently.” “How so?” Silver wondered. Shadow explained, “House Concerto has the current Baron or Baroness select one of their children for succession, and as we are a royal house that is dedicated to the arts, we usually prefer them to be a singer, dancer, or musician of some kind.” Silver frowned at that. “That doesn’t seem very fair… What about family members like Sunny, who do other things with their lives? Do you shun them for not following your family legacy?” “Of course not!” Shadow replied, scowling at the young stallion. “We love every member of our family, regardless of their careers. That being said, each member of our family is taught from birth the importance of the arts to our society, and how vital it is that we continue on with that legacy.” Silver’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand…” Shadow looked down the hall, realizing they’d been left behind, before he faced the unicorn once more. “My boy, there is more to our society than just having a roof over your head and food on your table. Those are essentials to survival, of course, but life is about more than just survival; it’s about being at peace to savor the act of existing, and about being able to create for the sake of creating. Art, music, neither are necessary for our survival, and yet they are so very important to our lives, and to our culture.” “So…” Silver paused, taking in what the elder stallion had told him. “What you’re saying is, art and music are necessary parts of society, and your house is dedicated to their continued existence?” The elderly stallion smiled and nodded. “Exactly. There are of course many other ponies out there who contribute to the arts, but so few truly understand the importance of such things to society. That is why my family always chooses a performer to head the estate.” “So… Would Sunrise be the next in line?” Silver wondered, knowing that Sunny’s mother would fulfill the role quite well. Shadow merely shrugged in response. “She is our eldest daughter, and has made quite a name for herself in the field of contemporary dance, but she’s also made a life for herself in Ponyville. I believe that she would make a fine baroness, but I’m not sure that she would want to leave that life behind. We’ll just have to see what happens when the time finally comes.” He cleared his throat, and then turned to trot down the hall. “Now come along, they’ll be wondering where we galloped off to.” Silver followed him into the dining hall, where everyone turned to look at them as they went to their seats. “Ah, there you two are!” said Rose. “Silver was curious about the portraits in the hallway,” Shadow explained as he and Silver sat down at the table. “I was just telling him a bit about our family history.” “That’s fair, I suppose,” said Rose, a mischievous glint in her eye. “After all, if he and Sunny get married, then he’ll be part of that history too.” “Grandmare!” cried Sunny, her cheeks reddening. Rose Petal snorted. “Okay, when you get married, then,” she said with a smirk. “Grandmare, stop!” said Sunny, covering her face as everyone giggled. Everyone except for Silver, who was also blushing at the teasing. Fortunately for Sunny, a maid soon came in rolling a cart filled with snacks. The main course was a large platter of simple sandwiches, with a side of sugar cookies, and finally there was a steaming teapot with all the necessities. It all looked quite tasty, and Silver wondered what dinner would be like later that night. The maid, a unicorn, used her magic to pass out plates and teacups before she trotted around and served everyone their sandwiches and tea. “Thank you, my dear,” said Shadow as he received his food. “You’re most welcome, sir,” the maid replied with a small smile as she continued to serve the group. Before the maid could finish her service, the doorway was suddenly occupied by a butler. “Baron and Baroness Concerto, your son and daughter-in-law have arrived.” With that, he stepped aside, and a couple ponies appeared, one a deep red earth pony stallion, and the other a pink unicorn mare. “Hello everyone!” greeted the stallion. Rose smiled at the sight of the two. “Crimson, Morning Dew, I’m so glad that you made it!” The stallion named Crimson grinned. “Of course! Like I was going to miss my big sister’s final performance!” He and his wife sat down at the last couple chairs available. “Where are the foals?” Shadow wondered. “At home with a foalsitter,” said Morning Dew. “They’re still a bit too young to bring to a show like this, and we wanted to spend an evening away from them anyway.” “I know how that feels,” said Midnight, glancing at her twins. Crimson did a double-take as he noticed Silver sitting there. “And just who might you be?” he asked. Sunny smiled, and told her uncle, “This is my boyfriend, Silver Streak. Silver, this is my uncle, Crimson Crescendo, and my aunt, Morning Dew.” “Boyfriend?” Crimson asked, looking to Sunny. “When did that happen?” = = = = = = = = = = They spent the next couple hours talking, and just as Silver told Sunny’s family about himself, so too did he learn about them. He found out through their talks that Midnight’s husband, Fine Tune, was a cellist who worked for the same opera house that she did. He also found out that she and her family lived at the mansion with Shadow and Rose, which made sense as the house was far too large for one elderly couple. As for Crimson Crescendo, he discovered that the stallion was the youngest of the baron’s three children, and that he was an accountant by trade. It turned out that Crimson used his talents to help manage the sizable family finances, when he wasn’t keeping things running at the business he worked for. After everyone was finished with their snacks, Rose decided to give Silver a tour of the mansion. Among the various rooms in the mansion, they had one with mirrors to practice dancing, and an open room with a piano to practice with instruments. The most interesting part of their home had to be a room made up to be a small museum, featuring several old instruments on display, each one formerly owned by famous members of the family, as well as some framed music sheets written by the few composers that House Concerto produced. Not long after the tour ended, everyone boarded one of two pony-drawn carriages and were carried off to Sunrise Serenade’s final performance. Silver was happy to leave the mansion, as the sight of their high-society life made him feel even more unworthy of Sunny than ever before. Not for the first time, he wondered what she saw in him, knowing that she could have any stallion she wanted. It didn’t take them too long to reach the Contemporary Canterlot Dance Company, and judging by the crowd, it appeared that they weren’t the only ones excited to see the show. The company had been advertising the retirement of their lead dancer for the past couple weeks, and as a result tickets were completely sold out as every high-society pony in Canterlot came to witness this final performance. There was a dull roar of gossip among the crowd as the members of House Concerto, and Silver Streak, stepped out of their carriages. Silver felt a bit shy at the attention, but he did his best to keep calm as they trotted into the theater together. Shadow Staccato gave the ponies they passed polite nods and greetings as he led his family to the ticket booth line. He smiled as he turned to look back at Snowdrift. “While the rest of us get to our seats, perhaps you and your daughters should go see your wife before the performance. I’m sure she’s feeling nervous, and I have no doubt she’d appreciate a little encouragement before the show starts.” Snowdrift nodded. “Yeah, I’ll bet you’re right. We’ll go pay her a visit before the show.” Eventually they got through the line, and Snowdrift went with Sunny and Crystal while Silver and the rest of the Concerto family went to find their seats. The three of them had no issues heading backstage, being well-known by the crew, and they quickly came upon Sunrise’s dressing room. Snow knocked on the door. “Honey? Mind if we come in?” he called. The door opened, and Sunrise smiled at her husband and daughters. “Hello dear, hi girls,” she greeted them, stepping aside to let them in. She was dressed for the show, wearing a tight-fitting white top and a short white skirt, allowing her the freedom of movement she needed for the coming performance. “How are you feeling?” Snow asked. Sunrise looked pensive as she told her husband, “Excited, nervous, happy, sad, I don’t know…” She shrugged helplessly. “I’ve got so many emotions going through me right now. I always knew I’d retire someday, and now that the day’s here, I’m just feeling so mixed up.” “Everything changes after today,” Sunny reflected. “Guess you’ll have to take up a hobby, huh?” Sunrise snorted. “Dancing is my hobby, and my passion…” She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do after this…” “You can’t worry about that right now,” Sunny told her. “You have to keep a clear head if you want this performance to be a success!” “She’s right, Mom!” Crystal told her. “Focus on tonight, and don’t worry about tomorrow.” There was a knock at the door, and a voice called out, “Five minutes until showtime!” “Okay!” she replied, turning back to her family. “Well, you all need to get to your seats. The show’s about to start.” Snow nodded, and trotted up to wrap his forelegs around her. “Love you, Sunrise.” She smiled and held him close. “I love you too, Snow,” she replied, sharing a tender kiss with her husband. After that, Crystal trotted up and hugged her mother. “Good luck, Mom!” Sunrise chuckled and hugged her tight. “Thanks, sweetheart.” Crystal gave her mother a parting nuzzle before she trotted over to wait at the door with her father, leaving Sunny to give her mother a hug. “I know you’ll do great. Just think of it as a normal show.” “Got it,” Sunrise replied, and then watched as her family left to find their seats. A few minutes later, Sunny, Snowdrift, and Crystal sat with the rest of House Concerto, most of them excited to watch the show. Silver found himself extremely curious, as he had never seen a performance like this before, and he wondered what this contemporary dancing looked like. He found himself wondering what else he missed out on by focusing his whole life on study, and he felt a strong desire to find out. The curtains on the stage parted slightly as a light green unicorn mare trotted up to face the audience. “Good evening,” she greeted them. “I am Pirouette, owner and director of the Contemporary Canterlot Dance Company, and I welcome you to this historic performance. Years ago, Sunrise Serenade started her career as a soloist, and her talents allowed her to quickly rise up to lead dancer. It has been a privilege having her as part of this company, but like a seasonal flower wilting in the fall, the time has finally come for her to leave the stage forever.” There was a quiet murmuring among the crowd, but Pirouette continued. “Tonight, I am proud to present to you the final performance of one of the greatest dancers in the history of this company. I hope that you all enjoy the show.” With that, she trotted off the stage, and a few moments after that, the curtain parted as the orchestra began to play. - - - Snowdrift smiled as the performance began, watching his wife taking the lead for the last time. He loved to watch her dance, and even after all these years he was still in awe of her talent. She worked hard to earn her place at the top, and it showed with every graceful movement. As he watched his wife dance, he couldn’t help but think about how nice it would be to have her around all year round. Life in Ponyville was quite lonely at times, even with Starry Night helping him raise the girls; telegrams could only do so much to soothe the pain of her absence, though he never told her that. He did his best to support Sunrise throughout the years, but he was glad that he’d never have to be alone ever again. - - - Crystal was happy to see that her mother wasn’t letting the situation get in the way of her performance. She and the other dancers were moving gracefully and with purpose, not a single step out of place, no nervousness to be seen on any of their faces as they did their routine. She couldn’t wait for her mother to retire, so they could play and talk and eat dinner together every single day. She had gotten used to her mother being gone through the summer and much of the fall seasons, but the thought of having her mother around all year long was exciting. - - - Sunny had mixed feelings as she watched the performance, beautiful as it was. She was happy that her mother was going to leave the stage on her terms, but she wouldn’t get much benefit from her mother being in Ponyville; Sunny was a grown mare, and the time for them to bond, the time for her to learn from her mother, had long since passed. She knew her father wouldn’t have to be lonely anymore, and her sister would have their mother around to raise her and support her through her teenage years, but there was little for her to take from her mother’s retirement. Still, she thought, it would be nice to have her around more often… - - - Sunrise Serenade pranced off the stage with her fellow dancers to allow one of the soloists to shine in the spotlight, and she smiled as she watched her longtime friend perform her routine. Graceful Dawn had taken over Sunrise’s soloist position when she was promoted to lead dancer, and she was one of several dancers who had been with the company for years. Sunrise had remained with the company long past the average age of retirement for contemporary dancers—young as that was—and her dedication had encouraged several other top members of the company—such as Graceful Dawn—to remain on stage with her. Once she announced her retirement, however, Dawn and several of their colleagues began to think about retiring as well. It was funny, in a way; while they were older than the usual dancers employed by other companies, their age and experience made them some of the best dancers of their time. They knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and the choreographer knew exactly what they were capable of and how to bring out their best. She couldn’t help but feel a small pang of guilt at the thought of their long careers; they stuck around because of her when they could have retired years ago. She couldn’t help but wonder how much they had missed out on because of their dedication to her, and what they might be doing with their lives if they weren’t still dancing. She had to block those thoughts out as Dawn’s solo came to an end, and she pranced back on stage with several other dancers to continue the performance. - - - Eventually, the performance ended, and Sunrise and the rest of her crew bowed before the audience as they received a standing ovation. She grinned as her husband tossed her a bouquet of roses, which she caught in midair, and she gave another bow. She then stepped forward, and motioned for everyone to quiet down so she could speak. “Being hired by this company was a dream come true, and every performance has been a joy,” she said when the crowd went silent. “For many years now, I have lived my dream of dancing on stage, but sadly that dream was not without cost; my career forced me to spend a lot of time away from my family.” She looked to her family, her beloved husband and their beautiful daughters who had supported her all those years, and she smiled. “Snowdrift, I can’t thank you enough for raising our girls when I was gone. I’m sure you must have felt so lonely at times, and I’m truly sorry about that. I promise that you’ll never be alone ever again.” She focused her attention on Sunny next. “Sunshine, you’re all grown up now, and I’ll bet in just a few years you’ll be raising a family of your own,” she said, glancing meaningfully at Silver Streak, who blushed in response. “I missed so much of your childhood, and I’m sorry about that too. I hope that in the coming months and years, we can make up for lost time.” Finally, she looked to her youngest, Crystal Waltz. “Little Crystal… You’re almost a teenager now, and you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. I’m so glad that I’ll get to be there to see where you go and what you do.” She then turned her attention to the audience as a whole. “As for the rest of you, I’d like to thank you all for your patronage throughout the years. I’ll admit, I still love to dance, and some part of me will always miss being up here on stage, but it’s time for me to finally step down.” She chuckled softly, and told them, “I know more than a few of you have been whispering about my age lately, and you’re right; I’ve continued to perform long after most other dancers would retire.” She turned to look back at her fellow dancers, and her longtime friends, receiving warm smiles and nods from them. She looked back at the audience, and said, “I’ve had a long and successful career, and after some thought, I decided that it was best to end it on my terms; I’d rather be standing before you here tonight after a successful performance than to stagger offstage due to a crippling injury, which is a risk that would only grow were I to continue dancing.” “And so, I leave you tonight with only one request,” she told the audience. “Nimble Step, my understudy and the mare who will replace me, is going to have some big horseshoes to fill. I know Pirouette and Sure Step will guide her and teach her all she needs to know to be great, but it won’t happen overnight. So please, give her a fair chance, and let her come into her own.” She smiled, and added, “I promise you won’t be disappointed.” With that said, she gave one final bow, and the audience applauded her and her company as the curtain fell on her long career. They all went backstage, where Graceful Dawn and her other old friends grinned and gave her a group hug. Sunrise smiled as she held them close, her dearest friends throughout her career. “It’s the end of an era,” said Grace as they pulled apart. Legato, the unicorn stallion soloist who performed many duets with Sunrise throughout the years, grinned at that. “I know, right? Can’t believe this was the last time we’ll all perform together.” Sunrise smiled sheepishly as it all hit her at once. “It feels almost unreal… I-is it bad that I feel kind of scared?” The third mare of their little group, a pegasus named Gentle Breeze, shook her head in response. “No, of course not! It’s a big change in your life, and now the future is unknown.” Legato chuckled, and said, “I know one thing for sure; all our understudies must be excited to be promoted.” Sunrise blinked at that. “…Wait, what do you mean ‘all our understudies,’ Legato?” she asked, looking curiously to the stallion, who smiled sheepishly at her. She looked to her other friends, who grinned in response, and her jaw dropped. “You mean you’re all retiring too?!” “That’s right!” Grace answered. At her friend’s confused gaze, she explained, “You said it yourself; we’ve all been at this for a lot longer than most, and it’s time for us to retire before we break.” “Besides,” said Breeze, “we’ve stuck around this long because of you, and we don’t want to keep performing without you. We’re in this together, and we’re leaving together.” “It’s time for us to step aside, and let a new generation shine in the spotlight,” said Legato. “The younger dancers in this company deserve a chance to show off their skills, and we’ve been standing in their way long enough.” Sunrise looked between her friends, her brow furrowed in confusion. “But… Why didn’t you tell me before this? Why didn’t Pirouette tell me?” “We asked her not to,” said Grace. “This was your show, and our longtime patrons are more interested in you leaving than they are us. On top of that, we figured you were under enough stress already with your last performance, and we didn’t want to distract you.” “We made sure our families were here to watch, though,” said Breeze. “They got to see our final performance, just as your family did. Speaking of, I’m sure all our families are waiting for us, and we should go see them.” Sunrise felt tears welling up, and she hugged her friends tightly. “I promise to keep in touch with you all. I won’t let our friendship end with this performance.” Legato laughed as he hugged his friends. “I should hope not!” = = = = = = = = = = Eventually, after talking backstage with several well-wishers—including her longtime coworkers—and getting out of her outfit, Sunrise left the theater with her family, and they all boarded their carriages and headed home. “How are you feeling, my dear?” Shadow asked his daughter. She smiled, and told him, “Tired, but happy, and relieved as well. I’ll admit, part of me worried that I’d cripple myself halfway through the show, after being careful for all these years. Fortunately, I made it through just fine.” “I’m certainly glad for that,” Rose replied. “What are your plans now that you’ve retired?” Silver asked. Sunrise grinned, and told him, “I honestly have no idea! I’ve been so worried about making sure my last show went well that I didn’t think beyond that.” Snow chuckled and wrapped a foreleg around her. “You don’t need to worry about that for right now, dearest. You’ve got all the time in the world to figure out what you want to do with your newfound freedom.” “I suppose you’re right,” she agreed, leaning into her husband as she smiled at her family and Silver. “I think, for right now, my focus is going to be on spending time with my family; playing with Crystal in the park, going shopping with Sunny, and as for you, Snow, well…” She chuckled and nuzzled into his shoulder. “That’s not the sort of thing we need to be talking about in front of everyone.” = = = = = = = = = = A glass of champagne floated in Silver’s magic as he stood by the fireplace in Concerto Manor’s large living room. After they got home, Shadow Staccato ordered the chef to prepare a feast, as well as a bottle of their finest champagne to celebrate his daughter’s retirement. They had a toast, and everyone congratulated Sunrise on a long and successful career before they started talking amongst themselves. This left Silver alone to his thoughts as he gazed at the roaring fire, thoughts that were becoming consumed by the opulence he was surrounded by. Once again, he was confronted by one simple truth; Sunshine Sonata, the love of his life, was a royal belonging to a wealthy family, while he was merely a peasant. What does she see in me? he wondered. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had nothing to offer her. If she wanted, she could live here in Canterlot, being waited on by servants and eating the finest cuisine while mingling with other high-society ponies. He glanced at his glass of champagne and grimaced. This bottle of champagne probably costs more than all the sculptures I just sent to Fillydelphia, he thought to himself, and I can’t stand the taste of it. His vision grew blurry as tears welled up in his eyes, and he sniffled. She deserves better than me… Sunny heard him sniffle, and she turned away from the conversation her mother and aunt were having to look toward her lover. “Silver?” she whispered as she trotted over to him. She saw him grimace when he noticed her, and he turned away to rub at his eyes. “Silver, what’s wrong?” “Nuh-nothing,” he lied, refusing to meet her gaze as his eyes glistened with more tears. “Don’t you lie to me,” she told him, her hoof reaching up to gently guide his face back to hers. Slowly, his eyes met hers again, and she caressed his cheek as she asked him again, “What’s wrong?” He opened his mouth, and struggled to speak through the lump in his throat. “I… I don’t deserve you…” Her brow furrowed as she asked him, “What are you talking about, sweetheart?” Silver blinked away his tears, unaware that everyone’s attention was turned to them, and told her, “You’re… You’re a royal… w-with a mansion, and servants, a-and more than that, you’re just so… so perfect.” He sniffled, and swallowed down that persistent lump in his throat. “And I’m just a lonely bookworm… A w-wannabe wizard from Fillydelphia wh-who didn’t know about friendship un-until I met you…” Tears streamed down his cheeks as he told her, “Y-you deserve a p-prince, not… n-not…” He finally lost his composure, and started sobbing into her shoulder as she held him close. He felt so worthless, so unworthy of her love, and the pain was overwhelming. Sunny nuzzled Silver gently as she held him, and she felt tears welling in her own eyes as she heard the pain in his sobs. “Oh, Silver, you’re a wonderful stallion, and you shouldn’t think so little of yourself. You say I deserve a prince, but the truth is that I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” His sobbing grew quieter, though he continued to weep into her shoulder, and she continued to comfort him. “You’re looking at this mansion and all this wealth like it’s mine, and that’s just not true. I may have been born into nobility, but I’m really just a small-town mare at heart.” She smiled, and told him, “Despite my royal heritage, I’m still just a normal mare from Ponyville.” Sunrise stepped forward to comfort him. “I know all of this can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to belittle yourself in comparison. As a matter of fact, Snowdrift had to deal with the same issues you’re having.” “She’s right, Silver,” Snowdrift said as he stepped forward, causing the unicorn to look up at the elder stallion. “Sunrise told me about her family and her lifestyle when we started dating, but it was a whole other thing when I came to meet her parents.” He chuckled and shook his head as he thought back to that day. “At least you have the benefit of being a city-slicker; I was just a country bumpkin who happened to fall in love with a beautiful Royal, and the minute I saw this place, I felt like I was way out of my league.” “I felt the same way,” said Sunny’s aunt, Morning Dew. “I was born and raised in Canterlot, so I had some idea of the royal lifestyle, but when I started actually dating a member of the nobility, I still felt inadequate.” She smiled and said to him, “Why don’t the three of us just sit here and talk for a while, hm? I promise it’ll make you feel better.” Silver looked between the two, and nodded. “I-I’d like that…” He pulled away from Sunny, unable to look her in the eye after his emotional outburst. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Silver. Don’t ever forget that.” With that, she and the rest of the family gave the three of them space to talk privately. Sunny went to pour herself more champagne, and her mother followed along, knowing her daughter would need someone to talk to. Sunny took a long sip from her glass, and her mother’s intuition was proven correct as she told the older mare, “This is exactly why I didn’t tell him about our family when we first started dating…” “I’m sure your father and aunt will set him straight,” Sunrise replied, glancing back at the trio. “I sure hope so,” said Sunny. “I’d hate for Silver to leave me just because he thinks I deserve better.” Sunrise smiled and shook her head. “I don’t think you need to worry about that, dear. He loves you far too much to let you go, even if he thinks he’s beneath you.” Sunny let out a long sigh. “Do you think our foals will have to go through this too?” she wondered. She then noticed her mother’s wide-eyed stare, and a small smile growing on her muzzle, and she quickly added, “N-not that I’m pregnant or anything!” Sunrise couldn’t help but chuckle. “He really is the one for you, isn’t he?” Her daughter smiled, and gave a small nod. “I’d like to think he is, yeah…” = = = = = = = = = = Dinner that night was a grand feast, and everyone talked and laughed and ate the many delicious foods prepared by the house chef. Silver felt better after his talk with Sunny’s father and aunt, and while he was pretty quiet throughout the meal, he could at least enjoy himself. Crimson Crescendo and his wife had to leave early to get back home to their foals, but the rest continued celebrating deep into the night. Eventually, everyone grew weary as the night went on, and both Shadow and Rosebud invited Sunrise and her family to stay the night at the manor. And so, Silver found himself in a guest room with Sunny as the two of them were getting out of their clothes before bed. While they had a private moment, Silver decided it was time to talk. “I’m sorry for causing a scene earlier,” he apologized. “I just…” “Silver, it’s okay,” she replied, cutting him off. “I know this is a lot to take in. Did the talk with my Dad help?” He nodded as he loosened his tie. “He understood how I was feeling, and he told me something important, something that I almost forgot.” Her ears perked up at that. “Oh? What did he say?” Silver smiled at Sunny, and told her, “He told me that you wouldn’t be dating me if you didn’t love me.” She smiled and nodded. “That is very true, so don’t worry about not being good enough, okay?” “I won’t,” he promised. As Sunny worked her way out of her dress, she told him, “You want to know one of the reasons I love you so much?” He smiled sheepishly and nodded. “Almost every day, you put your dreams on hold to help me live mine. I doubt a prince would let me keep running the shop, let alone help me out.” She grinned, and added, “Not to mention, they certainly wouldn’t wear that sexy outfit all day.” Silver blushed and smirked. “You really like seeing me wearing that uniform, huh?” “You have no idea,” she replied with a grin. “Honestly, when I’m waiting for the chocolates to harden, I usually spend the time looking down the hallway to stare at your cute plot.” His blush deepened. “I-I thought you liked keeping the door open so we could talk…” Sunny snickered at him. “Oh, sweetheart, that’s just a bonus.” “W-we should get to bed,” he stammered. “It’s pretty late, and I’m feeling exhausted!” She could barely stifle her giggling as she watched him climb into bed, and she climbed in after to snuggle up to him. She nuzzled under his chin, and felt his forelegs wrap around her, and as she got comfy she felt exhaustion coming on. “Goodnight, Silver. I love you.” Silver kissed her forehead and held her close. “I love you too. Sweet dreams, Sunny.” And so, the two drifted off to sleep together, the end of a long and memorable day in Canterlot.