Ugh, I knew I should've arrived in disguise... Midnight thought with a grumble as he walked alongside Ledger Seal, the Deputy Mayor of Coltson as she rambled on and on on the history and various points of interest of the community.
Earlier, he'd arrived at Coltson and touched down just outside the town in the Slipstream before making his way to Coltson Town Hall. Before disembarking the airship, he'd mentally juggled between going in disguised as a traveler or appearing as his royal princely self. As much as he preferred the former, he ultimately decided it would be better to mingle with the locals as himself and face whatever problem he'd been sent here to resolve with his own face.
Before he could even enter Town Hall however, he'd been confronted by an ecstatic Ledger Seal, an earth pony mare with a pencil yellow coat, graphite gray mane, and earth brown eyes, with a cutie-mark of an office file tray. She wore a mare's suit, colored ebony black, with a royal purple tie, and had a beauty spot below the corner of her left eye. Understandably excited, she'd gone on for a few agonizing minutes about what an honor it was to have an alicorn prince visit their quaint little hamlet while subtly mentioning how inconvenient it was (of Midnight, he knew she meant without saying so) to have no forewarning to give her time to prepare a proper welcome before she'd offered (insisted) on personally giving Midnight the grand tour, which of course meant indulging her bootlicking.
"... and in recent years, Coltson's population has steadily grown," Ledger continued to speak as she led Midnight around town, "As such, we are endeavoring to expand our domestic neighborhood and encouraging the locals to study abroad and return to open their own places of business. For example, while we have a train station, you probably noticed we lack an airfield or means of conducting air travel, Your Majesty.
"It is my hope and dream to build Coltson up to the heights of Manehatten or, dare I even say it, Canterlot, one day, in population and modernization."
"Oh, I don't know, Ledger Seal," Midnight looked around and smiled at the homey neighborhood. Aside from cobblestone roads, tiled roofs, electric lampposts, and a little more pony-drawn wagons, it very much reminded him of Ponyville. Then of course there were the locals, merchants selling their goods, weather ponies keeping the skies nice and orderly, everypony going about their business and being friendly.
"Bigger cities tend to have bigger problems, and I enjoy the more peaceful and friendlier towns of Equestria, like my home in Ponyville."
"Well, Sire, progress waits for nopony," Ledger said dismissively as they continued to walk, "and it doesn't change the fact that Coltson's population is growing by the year. Oh, speaking of..."
Midnight noticed the change in the mare's tone and saw she was looking ahead towards a unicorn stallion with a white coat dappled with black spots, a red mane, and his cutie-mark was a squirting hose. He was a big stallion, similar in build to Big Mac and Midnight's uncle Joe. The guy was levitating bags full of groceries and was making his way towards the same corner that Ledger and Midnight were approaching.
"Now, getting back to what I said about our population increasing, Your Majesty," Ledger said, talking rather loudly, to Midnight's confusion, "while in most cases, I feel it's not a problem, it's the likes of that stallion that have me concerned."
The stallion apparently heard Ledger and when he looked their way, he looked both annoyed but troubled. He levitated one of his grocery bags up to the side of his face, as though he were trying to hide, as he stood at the corner, waiting for the street to be clear of wagons.
"I... I'm not sure I follow," Midnight responded, wondering what kind of problem Ledger had with this stallion.
Ledger looked to the stallion out the corners of her eyes and snidely answered, talking loudly as she apparently wanted for him to hear, "Oh, you know, Highness, he's... one of those."
"Come again?" Midnight asked, his brows furrowing, but Ledger was too busy sneering at the stallion to notice.
"He's a Herder, Your Majesty," Ledger clarified.
"You mean, he's in a herd relationship?"
"Relationship? Ha! That miscreant is married with two wives, a foal with each!" Ledger harrumphed, "I swear, the very thought of it puts me off my tea. Herds... they're barbaric, lewd, and just plain terrible examples of respectable Equestrian citizens. I shudder to even think what that sort of upbringing can do to a foal."
The stallion began to shake as he tempered his anger but refused to give Ledger the satisfaction, though Midnight could see it in the poor guy's eyes clear as day while Ledger kept looking snidely at the stallion with her nose up.
"Well, Ledger, herds might not be as common as they used to but they served a purpose in helping mares have stallions who love them and help them have foals," Midnight brought up.
"Exactly, Your Majesty. They served a purpose, past tense," Ledger stated firmly, "But as more colts have been born in the last few generations, thank Faust, herds have become obsolete and unnecessary. But some ponies, like Marshal Red there, cling to practices that no longer have any place in a modern, wholesome, civilized society."
Having heard more than enough, Midnight, wanting to put her in her place, smiled broadly at the deputy mayor.
“Please, define 'modern, wholesome, civilized society' without any of your choice words,” Midnight requested in his sweetest tone.
“Well, I...er....what that means is......uh....” Ledger Seal stammered around, failing to define the very words she used to scorn Marshal, who looked perplexed by this sudden change of events.
Midnight smiled again and stated, “I bid you adieu, Ms. Ledger Seal. Maybe, in another world, we'll meet again and you can come up with an explanation then.”
Ledger Seal "Huh?!"d in confusion as Midnight walked off to help Marshal with his grocery bags. Ledger Seal watched the pair walk away, her own ways now twisted up in knots. Once they had walked well out of earshot of the deputy mayor, Midnight looked to the stallion, who was now calmer.
"Feel better?"
"Y-yeah," Marshal answered hesitantly, a tad incredulous that an alicorn prince was helping him with his grocery bags, "I, uh... Not sure what I should say, except-"
"You don't have to thank me for anything," Midnight said kindly, "Honestly, the likes of Ledger Seal? I always take a guilty pleasure in knocking them down a peg or two."
Marshal couldn't help but chuckle in response, before saying, "Well, just the same, Your Highness, I'd like to thank you. Why don't you join me and my family for dinner at our place?"
"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude-" Midnight began but then he paused in thought as he then wondered, Or should I? Could this have something to do with whatever reason I'm here?
*GRUMBLE*
Midnight paused mid-step and so did Marshal, who gawked in surprise at Midnight's barrel, as it gave off another demanding growl, quivering with every rumble, causing Midnight to blush a bit, as he tried to calm his stomach down by rubbing it.
"But, if you're sure... I hope you don't mind the challenge of satisfying this hungry beast."
Both stallions had a laugh before Marshal said, "Oh trust me, the beast will be more than satisfied after my wife's cooking!"
Marshal lived in a two-story house that looked a little rundown and old yet gave off a welcoming feel. Before entering, Marshal said, "Uh, just so you know what to expect, I have two wives, a foal with each of them. My wife, Silk Slipper, is a stay-at-home mom while my other wife, Arabesque Armoire, owns her own antique store."
"And your foals?" asked Midnight.
"My colt and filly, a year apart in age," Marshal explained, "my boy's kinda excitable and his sister's more mellow. I'll let them introduce themselves."
Marshal lit up his horn, casting an unlocking spell on the door, and it swung open. Inside was a cozy living room with a phonograph playing lounge music, a comfy sofa, foal-sized beanbag chairs, and recliner chair, a teakwood coffee table, a TV with a VCR and a couple movie cassettes lying around, some old paintings hung on the walls along with crayon drawings clearly done by foals, and to the side was a staircase with a lit doorway at the foot of the stairs.
"Silky! I'm back!" Marshal called to that doorway, "Oh, and I brought a guest for dinner!"
"Okay, dear, but did you get the groceries?" answered back a soft and warm voice that was followed by the mare and Midngiht assumed this was Silk Slipper.
She was an earth pony mare with a candlelight yellow coat, a fawn brown mane with a pale orange highlight, warm and bright brown eyes, her cutie-mark was a thread and needle forming the outline of a heart, and she wore an apron that did nothing to hide that she was very pregnant. The moment her eyes fell upon Midnight, seeing his horns and wings, she gasped!
"P-P-P-Prince Midnight?!" Silk lifted her hoof to her mouth in shock.
"Hello, miss. I apologize for dropping in like this, but your husband invited me to have dinner with you and your family," Midnight said kindly.
"Oh my! Marshal!" Silk gave a somewhat exasperated look, "Look at me, I'm hardly presentable for royalty!"
"Oh stop your fussing," Marshal went over to give his wife a squeeze and a calming kiss before gazing warmly into her eyes, "You look lovely."
"And, if you don't mind my saying," Midnight added, "a mare doesn't quite glow as she does when she is fat with foal. How far along are you?"
"Oh, I... Well, I'm actually due next week," Silk replied with a blush.
"And what're you doing leaving your pregnant wife to take care of the house!" Midnight gave Marshal a teasing glare.
"Trust me, Midnight, as sweet and polite as my Silky is, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more stubborn mare," Marshal chuckled sheepishly, ignoring the pointed glare Silk Slipper gave him.
"That's just one of the reasons I married her. Oh! And you haven't met the kids yet. Where're they at, honey?"
"Playing out in the backyard," Silk answered, "Comfy wanted to help me, but I insisted she play with her brother."
"Well, I know you invited me as a dinner guest," Midnight offered, "but I would be happy to help prepare dinner. I actually like cooking."
"Are you sure?" Silk asked, "I mean, it just doesn't seem proper to-"
"I'm home!"
The front door had opened and in walked a pegasus mare with a dull copper-gold coat, a mane of oak brown with pine green streaks, her eyes were a deep maroon, and her cutie-mark was an open cash register on a countertop. She wore a paisley silk scarf around her neck, horn-rimmed glasses, and was carrying some kind of notebook with her wing as she threw her scarf onto a coatrack, and sighed with obvious frustration while rubbing the space between her eyes.
"Oh, Ara!" Marshal went over and gave her a hug but sensed her tension, "Long day?"
"Ugh, that- that...!" Ara seemed to hesitate before asking, "Are the kids present?"
"No, they're outside playing," Silk replied.
"Oh good," Ara took a breath before yelling, "That BITCH!!!"
"Ledger Seal?" sighed Marshal.
"More like Ledger STEAL away all my potential customers!" Ara vented as she distractedly gave Marshal a kiss.
"My family and personal life are no business of that bigot!" Ara continued to vent as she distractedly gave Silk a kiss too.
"But NOO-ooo, it's not enough she mocks our family, she has to dissuade our neighbors from coming into my store!" Marshal and Silk both realized how distracted Ara was when she gave Midnight a kiss too., causing the sapphire blue alicorn's face to turn a soft shade of purple from his confused blush.
"I swear, with Faust as my witness, I am going to turn the tables on that- Wait a minute...!" Ara paused as she realized she'd kissed three ponies, not two.
She slowly turned around, seeing her husband, her wife, and... an alicorn? Midnight gave her a hesitant wave, and Ara turned beat red and groaned, "Ugh, I did it again!"
"Again?" Midnight echoed.
"Uh- Midnight! Heh-heh, I would like to introduce you to my other wife, Arabesque Armoire," Marshal interjected, changing the subject. "We call her Ara for short- OW!"
"Why didn't you tell me we had royalty visiting?!" Ara snapped at Marshal, "What kind of impression have you been giving him?"
"Nothing, Ara!" Marshal insisted, hating whenever she talked down to him as though he were a teenager.
Chuckling nervously, Ara gave Midnight a forced smile, "You'll have to excuse him, Your Majesty! He can be quite a dunderhead."
"But he's our dunderhead, Ara," Silk interjected, causing Marshal to smile in a bittersweet way-
*GRRRROWWLL...*
Midnight blushed as his stomach complained yet again, and Silk gasped, "Oh my! You poor thing, clearly you're starving! Let's get dinner started."
"Not so fast there, Silky," Ara gave her a firm look. "It's bad enough that you're still working around the house when your due date isn't far off. I know I'm not gonna get you to stop cooking, but at the very least I'm going to help you."
"In the meantime," Marshal looked to Midnight, "you can meet the kids! I'm sure they'll be excited to meet you."
"Well, I-" Midnight had actually wanted to help cook but he could see that things appeared settled, "All right, but if something comes up let us know. Oh, and please just call me Midnight."
Marshal led Midnight to the backdoor, and opened it to reveal a spacious backyard with some toys askew, and then he saw the foals. The colt was a pegasus, with a coat red like his father's mane while his own mane was golden with a green highlight. The filly was white dappled soft brown with a mane of earth brown with a highlight as golden as wheat. They were a little younger than the Cutie-Mark Crusaders and neither had their cutie-marks yet, though the colt was a little bigger than his sister as he was playing patty-cake with the filly, making her happy.
"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's mare!" the filly sang.
"Bake me a cake with loving care," the colt added.
"Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with a B", the filly continued.
"And put it in the oven for Sissy and me!" the colt finished, giggling as his little sis gave him a sweet hug, which he returned warmly, causing the two stallions to stifle their awe's before Marshal cleared his throat.
"Red! Comfy! C'mon over here, we have a guest," Marshal called, and the foals squealed with delight to see-
"DAD'S HOME!!" they shouted as they hurried over and tackled their father, the three of them falling into a pile of laughs and hugs and kisses, Midnight standing by as he smiled at the beauty of the moment.
"Dad, I played hoofball at school today! I kicked the ball reallly hard that it flew past the goal post!" the colt proudly reported.
"That's my boy, tough and great, like yer dad, c'mere!" Marshal growled playfully as he gave his boy a noogie, making him laugh while trying to escape his father's hold. When they were done, Marshal looked to his daughter and asked, "Whudda `bout you, sweetheart? Anything fun happen at school today?"
"Missus Cotta gave us arts n' crafts!" the filly smiled so brightly, "I painted a picture of you, Daddy, and both our mommies, and Big brother, and me! It's hanging on the fridge in the kitchen!"
"That sounds wonderful, baby," Marshal pulled his little filly into a big hug, "After dinner, I wanna look at that picture! Oh, by the way, kids, we have a guest!"
Marshal gestured towards Midnight and the kids finally took notice of him , and so Midnight sat down on his haunches and gave them a friendly smile, "Hi, my name's Midnight. What're yours?"
"Hey, my name's Redstreak!" the colt flared his little wings and puffed his chest out, "I'm eight years old and one day, I'm gonna be big and strong, just like my dad!"
Midnight smiled and felt a pain in his heart, as Redstreak's words reminded him of a little unicorn colt he used to be, a long time ago. He looked from Redstreak to his sister, who was shyly ducking behind her father, who gave a soft chuckle before whispering, "C'mon, sweetie, be brave."
The filly nervously stepped out from behind Marshal, but found it hard to look up at and meet the eyes of the big blue stranger.
"Uh... I'm... Comfy Quilt."
"That's such a pretty name," Midnight spoke softly and gently as he slowly got down on his belly so he'd be closer to Comfy's eye level. "I bet when you grow up, you'll be a very beautiful pony."
Comfy couldn't help but crack a smile when the backdoor opened and Ara called out, "Alright, everypony! C'mon inside, we're about to start dinner."
"YAY!!" Redstreak hurried inside while Marshal levitated Comfy onto his back.
"Prepare yourself for a culinary cornucopia, Midnight!"
Dinner was wonderful. Silk and Ara had prepared spaghetti and wheatballs with garlic bread and salad, and had included Colt Cola for the foals, herbal tea for the mares, while Marshal had insisted on sharing his favorite brand of booze with Midnight. Although he didn't normally drink, Midnight consented after Marshal assured him it was light liquor. The atmosphere around the dinner table was warm, felt safe, and there were laughs and smiles all around. Once or twice the dinner conversation steered towards Ledger Seal and the problems she was causing for them but they immediately steered away from those topics, not wanting the kids to hear and worry.
And Midnight? At this dinner table, in this house, he didn't see "barbaric, lewd, and just plain terrible examples of respectable Equestrian citizens". He saw a family. A truly loving, close, and wonderful family, that was soon to grow just a little bigger.