//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Quietville, Equestria // Story: The Sun Never Sets on Equestria // by Y483 //------------------------------// Chapter 2: Quietville, Equestria Stepping off the train into the mid-afternoon sun, Charles, or Open Doors as he was to be known, breathed deeply the clean and open air that proliferated in the land he was in and was sorely lacked back on Earth. The breath of fresh air that he had been given was a cleansing force of the air back on Earth that he could still remember, air of smoke and smog and soot and gunpowder and blood and death and loss. Feeling a poke in his side, and he looked over to see Sunset, who, while seemingly fine in a cursory look with her smile, was shifting her weight between her left and right legs and glancing nervously at anyone that came close. Learning that the quiet town that Sunset had wanted to escape to was, instead, the home of a set of national heroes as well as the newest of the ruling class had been upsetting to her, to put it mildly. It had taken nearly the entirety of waiting for the first train out of the Crystal Empire (as they found out the name of the place they had been transported to) to calm her down from hysterics, which had been shown to be fast talking, rapid pacing, and frantic breathing. He sighed before giving a quick peck on her forehead and saying, “Calm down. We’ve heard that the princess isn’t here at the moment, so there’s nothing to worry about.” They had learned that the newest princess was partaking in a summit in the Crystal Empire with the other princesses, which only caused Sunset to want to leave even faster. Sunset took a calming breath, then another, before nodding her head. “I’m okay,” her voice warbled, betraying her actual thoughts. She cleared her throat before repeating herself, with more confidence. It was all an act, Charles knew, but he was putting on an act as well. After all, how else would he be so calm after being tossed into a world beyond his wildest dreams. Charles blinked a few times before standing noticeably straighter, saying, “I understand.” Sunset, understandably, was confused. “Understand what?” she asked. “I understand where we are,” he said, smiling. Before Sunset could ask another question, he continued. “We’re in Oz.” “Oz.” Sunset stated, her face falling to a neutral line. “Well, sure!” Charles continued, smile widening. “We got smiles and rainbows, and I’m sure that if we took that city we just left and painted it green, it would more or less be the Emerald City.” “We passed through a blizzard leaving the place.” “Oh, pish-posh,” he waved off. “Those are just details. Some finely laid track is a much better alternative to some yellow brick road.” “Still doesn’t explain the blizzard.” “Some details need to be left out for good storytelling,” Charles explained. “The blizzard is just one of them. Imagine if the four of them walked down the road, spotted a Ford parked on the side, and realized that they needed to take it or freeze to death!” He did a large roll of his eyes. “It would’ve ruined the whole movie, obviously!” “Right,” Sunset deadpanned. “Anything else you’d like to add?” “Well, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore. Ow!” he cried, rubbing the area near his shoulder where he just got slugged. “You need to stop hitting me so hard!” “I will once you stop being an idiot.” Despite her words, a small smile was upon her face. “You’re my idiot, though, and I like that. Now c’mon, I’ve gotta find a place to work, and we have to find a place to stay.” With that, she trotted off. “Oh, I’m an idiot all right,” Charles mumbled as he trotted off after her, smile remaining on his face. “But nonetheless, you are the one who forgot her worries.” The door creaked open, the bell connected to it ringing and alerting the mare who was neck-deep in paperwork that she had visitors. Peeking over the paper-made mountain of orders that she either needed to sign or toss, two ponies, a gray Earth Pony stallion and a yellow Unicorn mare, stood before her. Both had worn-looking saddlebags, the stallion had… something on his back, and both had begun to look her way. Parting the mountain to open up a small amount of desk-space, she gave her largest smile at the two approaching figures. “Hello,” she greeted the unknown pair. “Welcome to Ponyville’s Town Hall, I’m Mayor Mare. What can I do for you?” The two traded a quick look before the mare spoke up. “We’re looking to move here.” Mayor Mare’s eyes lit up. “Ah, you must be here with the edict!” she exclaimed. “I’m impressed, it’s only been up for a few days. How did you find out so fast.” A few seconds passed before the mare answered. “Well, we were up in the Crystal Empire when the Princess Summit occured and overheard only snippets there. We had already decided that the Empire wasn’t a good fit for us and were open to new opportunities,” she finished with a smile. “Well, that’s wonderful and all, but do you understand what the edict entails?” Mayor Mare asked. The mare hesitated before shaking her head. “Well, with Twilight’s recent ascension, she decided to pass an edict for Ponyville. Specifically, it was made to attract some new residents that can help defend our town due to the increase in activity from the Everfree Forest.” “I suppose that that would be me,” the stallion muttered with a thick Trottingham accent, face stoic, voice barely heard, before nodding. “That would be my job, then,” he replied, volume increased. “Excellent,” Mayor Mare noted, finding the paperwork and missing the pained look that the mare sent the stallion. Placing it in front of the two, she continued, “All I need you to do is sign in the places where I tell you to, okay?” The mare confirmed with a nod, and lit up her horn to pick up the pen, signing where she was told. She giggled when she finished, setting the pen down. “My hoofwriting has not gotten any better over the years, it seems.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “The things I must go through to be in the medical field.” “Always have the worst hoofwriting, indeed,” Mayor Mare agreed. “Will you be looking for work at the hospital? Based on what you just said, and what your cutie mark is, that’s where I’m guessing you would work. I believe they have an opening for a nurse’s assistant, if that’s alright with you.” “That would be perfect,” the mare responded with a smile. “I appreciate your help.” “You’re welcome, Miss…” Mayor Mare trailed off, realizing that she had never actually asked for the names of Ponyville’s newest residents. “Sunny Days, and Open Doors is my-” she choked on her next words, cleared her throat, before finally concluding with, “-husband.” “Oh!” Mayor Mare exclaimed. “I thought there was something going on between you two, but I didn’t expect it to be so… advanced. After all, both of you seem rather young to be married.” Sunny, blushing, explained, “Well, we’re not actually married. We never got the paperwork done, but, well, we’re both willing to go the whole way on it.” Mayor Mare hesitated before nodding. “I understand,” she said. “If you don’t want to make a big deal of it, I can always do a private ceremony and sign the documents. Oh! Before you go.” She began to shuffle through one of the drawers before pulling out a pair of keys. “The keys to your new home. It’s already furnished, so you won’t have to worry about that. It’s on the outskirts, but is still within walking distance to the rest of the town.” Picking up the pair of keys in her magic and placing it into one of her saddlebags, Sunny smiled. “Thank you,” she said, before turning around and ushering Open out the door. Mayor Mare watched the young couple leave as the door closed behind them, before looking over at the mountain of paperwork that remained. She sighed before hunkering down and getting back to work. The trip back through the town was a short one. The market that Sunset and Charles walked through had delectable aromas, which only made their economic woes all the more disheartening. Pushing through and into the outskirts, the two were able to find the road which their house was upon. A minute later, the two were standing outside of the quaint two-story house, which was situated directly on the road with no yard to speak of, and was bordered by more houses of the same kind, stretching up and down the road. “Feels like some pictures of Europe I’d seen,” Charles commented as he looked up and down the street. “More specifically of Britain, especially after the syndies took over.” “Charles…” Sunset began, but was cut off by Charles. “I’m fine,” he stated. “Seriously, I’m fine. Just will need to not think about it for a bit.” He still looked up and down the street, lost in thought, until Sunset pushed him forward. “C’mon, we’ve got to see what the house is like.” Sunset approached the house, key ready, but paused before she put it in the door. “Something wrong?” Charles asked, sidling up to her. “I dunno. I just…” She trailed off for a few seconds before continuing. “This is it, isn’t it? We’re putting the final nail in the coffin on our old life. Our own house, and you have a job and I a job prospect, and no way to return to…” “No way to go home,” Charles picked up. “No way to fight for a king who doesn’t care. No way to needlessly die in an unjust war.” He was silent for a few moments before continuing. “No way of telling my parents that I’m alive and well.” “Charles,” Sunset said, nuzzling his cheek. “C’mon, we’ve got a future for us here. A new beginning.” Charles, returning the nuzzle, agreed. “A new beginning.” With that, Sunset pulled away, inserted the key, and opened the door to their new home. The train doors opened, and Pinkie Pie shot out of it, her reasoning of ‘party emergency’ both not making sense to anypony and making complete sense to everypony at the same time. “Ah swear,” Applejack noted, stepping off the train, “Ah will never get used to that there mare. Do any o’ you know what she’s hankerin’ ‘bout?” “A new pony, obviously,” Rainbow Dash noted from above as she lazily flew from the cabin. “What else would cause Pinkie to run off like that? My only question is how long it’ll take her to set it up.” She snickered. “My bet is that it’ll be tonight.” “Even though it’s already around three in the afternoon?” Twilight asked. The look that Rainbow sent her way was enough to make her backtrack her thoughts as she shifted her saddlebags in discomfort. “Right, it’s Pinkie we’re talking about.” “Honestly, darling, I’m surprised that you even question it anymore,” Rarity noted, disembarking from the train and being followed by Spike, who was carrying her bags. “Celestia knows that that mare will do whatever she wants however she wants.” “I suppose,” Twilight sighed. “I just wonder who the party is for, and why she’s so enthusiastic about throwing this particular party.” “Maybe it’s somepony she knows?” Fluttershy spoke up, scarcely heard over the din of the station. “Or, um, just somepony who just really needs a party?” “I suppose you could be right, darling,” Rarity said, hoof to her chin. “Nonetheless, we will certainly find out at the party tonight. Ta-ta for now!” With that, she strutted off the platform into Ponyville proper, Spike doggedly following after her. Applejack snickered. “He’s still after her like a bee chasin’ a flower cart. You sure it’s a fine idea to not nip this in the bud, Twilight?” she asked. “For now, there’s no harm in letting it continue,” Twilight sighed. “Not to mention that Rarity likes his attention.” The group shared a good laugh at that, before saying their goodbyes and setting off towards their homes. Twilight was happy to see that nothing had befallen Ponyville in the week that they had been gone, and was more than glad to be in a familiar bed that night, snuggled up with a good book. Alas, there was a party that night, even though she hadn’t been invited to it yet, and she knew that she should be attending, just for Pinkie, if nothing else. Perhaps the party would help get her mind off the summit for a while. Twilight grimaced at that. The summit itself was, overall, fine, if a bit boring. It was a lot of talking, a lot of pleasantries, and not a single point of actual things that a princess should do. She didn’t even get to talk about her edict that she had created for Ponyville and try to gauge the other Princess’s reactions. And none of that was even concerning the object that hung over the entire summit: the mirror. Even with a week of surveying the destroyed artifact, nothing new had been discovered after the first night. By the time the magic-saturated space around the mirror faded, so had any way to trace whoever had been in the room either when the mirror was destroyed, or sometime before it did. And so, the only clues they had that anypony even was in the room was a small pool of blood and a tiny piece of iron that didn’t come from the mirror, both being leads with no information about where to go from there. Perhaps the blood sample she brought with her would hold something of value, but, at the moment, there was nothing that she could do. That, at the very least, was a tiny load off her chest. Approaching Golden Oak Library, Twilight knew that there would be a backlog of mail. Even so, she wasn’t dreading it at all, even without her trusted assistant. Every letter was a letter written to her, the newest Princess of Equestria. Nearly every letter was important, though she could live without the nearly exponential increase in junk mail that she was receiving. And so, when she opened her door, which was unlocked due to the space still being a public library, she was more than a little disheartened at the paltry pile that had been put on the place she had designated as her mailbox. The fact that most of them were probably junk mail did not help her mood in the slightest. Shrugging off her saddlebags for a second, she trotted over to the mail pile and began to look through it. Unsurprisingly, the topmost letter was the invitation to tonight’s party, the welcoming party of Sunny Days and Open Doors to Ponyville. Seemed like a fairly typical pair, and, hopefully, a pair that was fully willing to have a party thrown at their house. Twilight read on, and, when she got to the ‘party theme’ part, had a frown creasing her face. Why on Equus would the theme be ‘Crystal Empire?’ Not to mention the fact that the name ‘Sunny Days’ felt overly familiar to her for a reason that she couldn’t place. After a minute of thinking, Twilight waved the white flag on that particular thought process, chalking it up to ‘Pinkie being Pinkie,’ and moved on to the remaining letters. For the most part, Twilight was right in her fears; most of the letters were, in fact, junk mail. Subscriptions to magazines, weird wonder drugs, those sorts of things. The one exception, however, came at the end, which was a letter addressed from Mayor Mare at the Town Hall in an official capacity. Excited, she opened the letter and read through it, muttering all the while. “Dear Princess Twilight, it is with great pride that I tell you of the first ponies to arrive in Ponyville due to your edict.” Her voice increased in volume as she read. “I would put out their names, though you will probably already know it from Pinkie’s invitations. Hopefully you can talk to them then, they seem like a nice couple. I look forward to working with you soon. Sincerely, Mayor Mare.” Twilight was silent for a few moments, before the building tension in her throat burst out in a squeal of excitement, loud enough to be heard for a mile around. She began to hop around the library as Pinkie would, holding the letter close to her chest. “I can’t believe it!” she cried. “Something that I wrote into law, and it got used! Just as I hoped it would! My very first edict, and it was a success!” A thought passing through her mind made her stop her bouncing, eyes going wide. “I need to send a letter to Princess Celestia!” With that, she bounded up the stairs to her room, needing to find some paper, a quill, and some ink to write it. Sunset winced as she made her way out of the patient’s room, ears still ringing from the squeal that had pierced the air in the town scarcely a minute prior. She picked up the paper that hung outside the room, checked off a couple of boxes, and continued her way to the front of the small hospital. As she entered the reception room, she made her way behind the desk, dropping to her haunches as she wiped her brow of sweat. As she picked up the medicinal chart to check off more boxes, the other mare behind the desk giggled. “Was Mr. Bones pleasant to deal with?” Nurse Redheart asked, stifling another round of giggles. “Overall he was fine, until whoever shrieked did so,” Sunset sighed. “He spasmed a bit, and I had to calm him down before I could continue his limb motions. At least he took his medicine with no problem.” She took another look at the medicinal chart before asking, “Is there any more medicine that needs to be administered?” “Not here, no,” Redheart replied. “However, as we also act as the local pharmacy, we supply medicine to anypony who needs it. There was a recent order from the local guard for painkillers. Generally, they send somepony out to pick it up, but they’re apparently a bit busy. Luckily, I now have an assistant who can do these kinds of runs for me.” Redheart smiled, which turned into yet another giggle at Sunset’s scowl. “Oh, relax. I know that there’s something at the station that would make the trip worth your while. Or, should I say, somepony?” Redheart’s giggles turned into a full laugh at Sunset’s rapidly reddening face. “Shuddup,” Sunset murmured. “Just tell me where the medicine is and I’ll deliver it.” “It’s in the med closet, still packed from shipment,” Redheart replied, looking back at the records, grin still on her face. “Just standard pain medicine, so we don’t need anything but one extra signature.” “Good to hear,” Sunset tersely replied, getting back to her hooves to retrieve the intended items. Once found, she picked up the required paperwork as well stuffed everything into an extra pair of saddlebags and exited the building without another word. The instant she left, Redheart’s facial expression fell into a flat line before she picked up another sheet of paper, wrote a few notes, and then returned to the paperwork she was working on before. If there was a single word used to describe the feeling that Charles had, it was ‘content.’ In a few more words, it would be ‘content and bored.’ The guard wasn’t a very… well disciplined group, to put it lightly. With the exception of the head guard, an older gruff unicorn named Silver Shield, Charles wouldn’t be surprised if he was the most experienced member of the group, at least in actual combat experience. Silver had noted that his military experience was in the decades, and that was far more than the not even two decades that Charles had been alive. Even so, the ma- stallion was not the most strict of people whom he had worked under. He certainly wasn’t complaining. After all, complaining is what lost wars, or so he had been told multiple times. Charles snorted at that thought. He had complained to Sunset enough back on Earth to have lost both the singular war he was in, as well as every God-damned war in the Americas. Another snort, and Charles returned to thinking about his current situation, blocking out memories and thoughts of the past before they could take ahold of him. The others, of which there were very few, were a carefree bunch. Macintosh was one he had seen very little of, the hulking stallion being stuck on his family farm as the only able-bodied worker on it, at least until his sister got back in town. Even so, the one time he did get to meet Macintosh, the stallion was quiet and very laid-back, though Charles still had the feeling that Macintosh could rip him in half if so desired. Thunderlane was different. A pegasus, and the only one in the guard, he was the one that Charles had seen the most, seeing that he was also on the local weather team. The few times he had spoken with him had been filled with him lauding about anything of his, be it his physique, his position at his job, or his family. It was never as outright as bragging, per se, but he was certainly very proud of his position in life. If only Charles could say the same. The final pony of the group was not one that Charles was expecting. Bon Bon was a local candy maker, an earth pony, and, most importantly to Charles, a wom-mare. It wasn’t as if Charles had any issues with w-mares fighting, it was that, back on Earth, the only role that mares had on the battlefield was as medics, and a medic Bon Bon was not. Even if she was a medic, Sunset had proved that, even if one’s primary mission was healing, fighting was not out of the realm of possibility. Even so, Charles had the feeling that, at the end of the day, Bon Bon could break his back over one of her knees without even breaking a sweat. With this fact in mind, Charles had decided to keep his thoughts to himself, holding his value of his life over his pride as a m-stallion. This wasn’t even the crux of the problem that Charles had at the moment, though. At the end of the day, the main issue was that, out of every other member of the guard, Charles was the only one whose only job was with the guard. Sergeant Shield was the local blacksmith for the town, a job that only surprised Charles a little after seeing the town itself, Macintosh was always either selling his crop or on his farm when not at the post, Bon Bon was a candy maker, and, hell, Thunderlane was on the weather team! Not like those on Earth who would predict the weather, rather poorly as he had found, but ponies who would straight up control the weather! And here he was, sitting at a desk at the front of the guard post with nothing to do for the next hour, when both he and Sunset would get off shift and could enjoy the rest of the day together. When the singular door to the post opened, Charles immediately shot to attention. It wouldn’t be the first time that Captain Shield had come in just to berate check on him, as his ears had attested to the time that he’d been slacking when the captain decided to check in on his day off. His attention immediately evaporated, however, when Sunset, and not the captain, walked into the building, carrying a pair of bags across her back. Her face, stony and hard, softened when she saw him, an action that made his heart flutter. He furiously beat back the growing blush on his face as he reclined back into the chair. “Sunny,” he smiled. “It’s good to see you. What brings you in to my humble abode?” “Your humble abode?” Sunset replied, smirk on her face growing. “Since when did you own anything here?” “Does it matter?” The smile never left his face. “I’m the only one here, so I can call the shots.” “Is that so, Open?” came the voice that Charles did not want to hear at the moment. Instantly standing at attention, knocking the chair he was sitting on back in the process, Charles took note of his superior, Silver Shield, standing at the ajared door. “Sir!” Charles stood at attention, back straight, neck outstretched, head raised. Silver Shield chuckled a little before speaking once more. “I was just on my way here when I ran into this fine lady,” he stated, gesturing towards Sunset. “When she told me what she was doing, I happily lead her here to drop off the medicine she was delivering and make sure the paperwork was in order. And what do I see? The one stallion who was tasked to keep an eye on things slacking off!” Charles winced, but before he could say anything to defend himself, Sunset piped up. “Don’t be too hard on him. I still need him to walk after his shift.” “And what for, if I may ask?” “Opinions,” was the answer that was given, before Sunset concluded with, “Now, if you’re done lambasting Open, I still need to complete the paperwork before heading back to the clinic. Can we finish that up, please?” “Certainly.” After Charles hoofed him a quill, he signed off on a couple of papers that Sunset had taken out. “That should do it,” Silver said, giving the final signature a little flourish. “Anything else?” “Just you needing to actually take the medicine.” She put the medicine down on the desk in front of Charles before looking him in the eyes, and a faint burst of magic causing a tug on one of his ears. “And I’ll be seeing you later. Don’t be too late.” With the tiniest of smirks on her face, she calmly walked out the door. Silence reigned for a few moments before Silver finally spoke up. “Open, you will tell me who in Maker’s name that mare was, and how she’s related to you.” “Sunny Days,” came Charles’ subordinated reply. “She’s the new nursing assistant to Nurse Redheart. She also happens to be my wife.” “Your wife?” Silver questioned. “I didn’t see a ring on her horn, nor have I seen a band on your foreleg.” At that question, Charles bit back a laugh, instead settling on a smirk. “What do you think she needs opinions on?” “I think it looks good on you.” A few hours on, as Celestia finally lowered the sun, Sunset and Charles were finally walking towards their home, two new golden bands adorning their bodies. Sunset’s was placed at the base of her horn, while Charles’ was clasped around his upper left foreleg. He gave said foreleg a little kick after Sunset’s comment. “I don’t disagree. It just feels weird, like it’s right up to my shoulder.” “That’s because it is,” came Sunset’s flat reply. “But I’d love to hear where else on your body you’d like it put. Have any ideas?” “Tail?” “And make it into a glorified hair tie? Not a good idea.” “Well, that’s all the ideas I have for the day. Don’t know how much more thinking I can do today.” “What, was choosing between silver and gold really that difficult of a choice for you?” Sunset teased. “It was. Both accentuate natural qualities of yours.” “Oh? And what would those be?” “Well, the silver would’ve shown the simplistic beauty in its reflection of you, while the gold is reminiscent of a beautiful sunset, warm and endearing to all who see it.” Sunset blushed at the praise that was being hoofed out. “Flatterer,” she mumbled. “The gold one was also cheaper. Ow!” Once again, Charles found himself rudding his shoulder from the punch he received. “You’re not supposed to talk about that part,” Sunset hissed into his ear. “What, that we have no money?” He deftly dodged out of the way of the next punch, and received a telekinetic slap to the face as his reward. “And we’re not supposed to talk about that, either.” “Message received,” Charles replied, idly rubbing his cheek where the slap connected, gait becoming an awkward trot in the process. “It does look good on you, though. Really.” “Yes, well, that was the point of this whole excursion,” Sunset muttered as the two finally approached their house. The house itself wasn’t much - the exterior was painted a painfully bland blue, and the door was accompanied by a finely-sized window. The lack of yard was no downside - both had admitted to the other that neither had a green hoof to speak of - though both had admitted over the past few days that it felt a little cramped on the inside. There were a total of five rooms in the whole structure: on the ground floor were the kitchen and living room with naught but a small counter separating the two, and the living room itself was large enough for nothing more than a couple of loveseats, a couch big enough for two, a coffee table and a bookcase, and the kitchen was even smaller. In the back of the living room were a doorway, leading to the simple bathroom that had a toilet, a sink, and a shower with little else, and the stairs to the second floor. The second floor seemed even smaller than the first, consisting of a small bedroom that had a single bed and two nightstands, and a small closet that could work as a guest bedroom if the need arose. It wasn’t much, both knew that, as both had lived in places of luxury, but neither cared, as neither had ever lived in someplace that was truly theirs. And so, as the two made their way into their house, they expected a similar evening to those that had come before, one of quiet where the two would bask in the others presence and, if they were feeling up to it, things could escalate further. What was most definitely not expected, however, was when the lights turned on, the walls were suddenly filled with streamers and banners and balloons, and half the town stood up from behind corners and chairs and the couch with a big “surprise!” Sunset Shimmer is a proud mare, she would be the first to tell you. She would also be the first to tell you that she definitely did not scream in terror from the loud noises, or sudden flash of light, and most certainly not from the impossibly-pink mare that had absolutely no concept of personal space. She was almost positive that the mare was trying to talk to her, though she would be damned if she would be asked to repeat what was said. She felt like backpedaling into the street, out towards the street and onto a train to another place so that she could just get away from--- Charles was there, whispering in her ear, preventing her from backing up further. The weight of his head rested upon hers as she instinctively pushed into the safety of the crook of his neck. Seconds passed before she was able to hear the sweet nothings that he was saying, and, with a incomplete breath and upon shaking hooves, was able to extract herself from the safety that he gave. Looking back over the party, it was clear that all attention was on her, and the room was deathly silent. She once was always wanting to be the center of attention, but now that she had it, all she wanted to do was slink away and hide. And so, she decided, she would. It took her a few more seconds before she finally found her voice again. “I think,” she whispered to Charles, shakily and taking time between fragments, “that I’m going to take a breather upstairs, and I’ll be back down in about half an hour.” The look that Charles gave was one that Sunset had seen from him countless times back on Earth, back in the Tartarus that they had met. I understand, it said without words, the nod only reinforcing its point. Without another word, she moved through the crowd towards the stairs in the back and up towards their room. Twenty minutes into the party, Twilight hadn’t been able to talk to the stallion of the pair that the party had been made for. She was only able to spot him from time to time, always talking to somepony that had come to the party, before she herself was torn away by somepony asking her a question. While she was looking around the party between ponies coming up to talk with her, she was able to see Applejack talking with the stallion that she herself wanted to talk to, and so made her way over to the two. Applejack was the first to spot her, and greeted her accordingly. “Well howdy, Twi’,” she began, drawl seemingly more intense than normal. “I hope that the party’s goin’ fine fer ya.” “It’s going just fine, thank you for asking,” she replied, deciding not to talk about the incessant questions that were levied her way in the past almost half-hour. “I just wanted to come over and talk to one of the ponies that this party was thrown for.” “Well, Open Doors here is a right-fine stallion, if Ah say so myself!” Applejack exclaimed, giving said stallion a firm pat on the back as she said so. Open Doors, being in the process of straightening himself out for one of the Princesses, was not expecting such an action, and stumbled sideways into another party-goer, with apologies from both sides flying profusely through the air afterwards. Applejack gave a wry smile before letting out another yawn. “‘S a shame that Ah won’t be able ta see the mare tonight. Train ride right tuckered me out, and Ah got a full day of apple-bucking tomorrow, so Ah’m gonna get back ta the farm ta get myself some shut-eye. Hope ya got a good night!” With a little wave, she waded her way through the crowd and out the front door, into the night. Twilight gave a wave back before turning back towards the stallion, who was just finishing up with his apologies. She gave a polite bow before saying, “Hello! My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His own face contorted into shock for a second before settling into an expression that seemed a little too common for him - a bit of a forced smile, but not too much and by no means a rude one, just one that she had seen a whole bunch with the nobles at her coronation. “Princess Twilight,” he began, voice soft and barely audible over the din, but loud enough that his Trottingham accent was able to get through to her. “It is a pleasure and an honor to meet you as well.” At that, he bowed deeply, almost touching the floor with his muzzle, much to the abashment of Twilight. When the stallion finally did rise once more, he seemed to straighten out where he hadn’t before, now towering over her by a head where before he was only a smidge taller. “My name is Open Doors. Are you the one who passed the Town Defence Initiative?” “Um, er…” Twilight stammered for a few seconds, both due to needing to crane her neck to look the stallion in the eyes and not expecting the question in the first place. After a few seconds she shook out of her stupor and answered the question. “Yes! I mean, yes, that was me.” A smile graced his face. “Then you have my sincere gratitude, Princess. Without that initiative, my wife and I would’ve had a difficult time finding a place to settle.” Twilight tilted her head at that. “Oh? And why would that be?” The smile that Open Doors had been wearing faded from his face before he answered. “We’ve been moving for some time now, and have been strapped for bits the whole time. This has been the first place that we reached that both of us enjoyed and had employment opportunities for us. Before this were just odd jobs, enough for some food, a train ticket, and little else.” “Well then, I’m glad that you decided to make Ponyville home! But I have to ask, are you sure about your abilities when it comes to your… responsibilities as a guard? I-I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but you seem a bit…” she trailed off, only to have her question be picked up by Open. “Young?” He chuckled, and when he answered, his voice was hollow. “Trust me, I can fight. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to check on my wife.” With a small bow in her direction, he waded his way back through the crowd and up the stairs in the back. Twilight blinked once, twice as her mind processed what Open had said. When it finally did, the only thing she could say came out as a one word question. “Wife?” When Charles reached the bedroom, he entered cautiously and quietly, and was slightly disheartened by the sight of Sunset curled up in blankets, hidden from the world. He crept his way towards the bed and peeked at her, thankfully uncovered, face. She had gotten better at this since Charles had met her, but he could still tell when she was faking sleep. A little shallower breathing, face was still tense, and a few creases on her forehead were the only signs that she was still awake, and the fact that all those signs were present gave Charles all he needed to come to his conclusion. And so, without a word, he gave a little peck on her forehead - which got rid of the creases on said part and caused the corners of her mouth to upturn - before leaving once more for the party downstairs. Two hours passed, and the noises coming from downstairs quieting the over time, before finally disappearing altogether. Finally, noises came from the stairwell before the sounds of hoofsteps finally made its way to the outside of the door. Charles walked in, closed the door, took a few steps, and fell down next to Sunset. Before he could get a word out, Sunset whispered, “I’m sorry.” A few seconds passed before Charles responded. “What for?” “Not being there. Now everypony will talk about my reaction to the party.” “Don’t worry about it,” Charles calmly stated. “I already explained that you weren’t feeling well, something about picking up some disease from work. In other news, you have a day off tomorrow, Nurse Redheart’s orders.” The sigh that came from Sunset notified Charles that she was not entirely happy with him, even as she said, “Thanks,” afterwards. And so, as a last ditch effort to lift his spouse’s mood before she fell asleep, he cleared his throat and began to sing. There’s a yellow rose in Texas, that I am going to see, No other soldier knows her, no other only me, She cried so when I left her it like to broke my heart, And if I ever find her we never more will part! Almost instantly after he began singing, Sunset perked up and, by the time he finished the first verse, a bright blush crossed her features, only visible by the sliver of moonlight that snaked its way through a crack in the curtains. As he began to sing the second verse after a pause, she scooted up to his side, snuggling up against him. She’s the sweetest rose of color this soldier ever knew, Her eyes are bright like diamonds, they sparkle like the dew, You may talk about your Dearest May and sing of Rosa Lee, But the yellow rose of Texas is the only girl for me! Charles sang until the breathing of Sunset slowed to a crawl, and sang a bit longer because he felt like it. Before long, though, he fell asleep as well, curled up beside his wife, both embracing the other.