Chapter 27
Dad stared at Pinch. “That was a lot more than I expected.”
“I am so proud of you!” Mom said and patted Pinch on the shoulder. “Getting a research position at your age is impressive. That it is with Princess Twilight is even more so.”
“Thanks,” Pinch said.
“I am also proud of you two,” Mom told Dinky and Piña. “He needed friends, and you two did not hesitate to accept and welcome him.”
“He’s a nice colt,” Dinky said, in a neutral tone. “It’s kind of hard not to like him.”
Dad’s ear flicked, and I wondered what he had picked up on. “So, beyond you girls and Rumble, does he have any other friends his age?” he asked Dinky.
“Noi,” Piña named. “She promised to keep an eye on him, while we’re gone.”
“Spike too,” Pinch said. “They’re good buddies now.”
The train slowed, and ponies stirred and stretched in their seats.
“Please remain seated until the train comes to a complete stop,” the conductor called. “Once the train is stopped at the station, you may gather your belongings.”
“Thanks for letting me sit with you,” Dinky said to Coco and me.
I gave her a smile. “You’re welcome.”
The train slowed to a halt and the sound of the engine releasing steam gave the unofficial signal that everypony could move again.
“We’re a smidgen early,” Turner said, looking at his watch.
“Mom, you’re going to have to let-” Amethyst stopped and smiled. “Girls come here,” she whispered and motioned for the trio of fillies to move towards her.
“Oh my, he’s precious,” Rarity said, after leaning in her seat.
“You’ve got to see this,” Coco said, and moved so I could see where Muffins was sitting.
Muffins had tucked Rumble against her side with a wing and he had gone to sleep leaning on her. He was half curled up so that only a portion of his head and one ear were visible from under Muffin’s wing.
“Poor little guy,” Thunderlane said. “I knew he was tired, but I didn’t think he was that tired.”
“Is he all right?” Piña asked, concerned.
“Mom told me he’s been sneaking in two a days,” Thunderlane said. “I think he’s been pushing himself so he could do more with you girls and Kevin.”
“We’re doing great, as it is,” Piña said. “I don’t want him to hurt himself.”
“Please tell him that, when you can,” Thunderlane said. “I’ve been trying to get him to tone his training down, but maybe if it came from another pony too it would sink in.”
“We’ll all tell him,” Dinky said.
Muffins gave Rumble a light shake with her wing. “Sweetie, we’re there.”
Rumble gave a slight groan and raised his head. He turned his face up toward Muffins and opened his eyes as if doing so were an effort.
Dinky giggled. “He’s still half asleep.”
Rumble’s eyes widened and he looked at Muffins’ wing and then back up to her. “Miss Muffins, I’m so sorry! I-”
Using her free hoof, Muffins booped Rumble on his nose. “No apologies. I enjoyed having somepony to snuggle, and you needed the rest.”
“Mom, you have to let him go,” Amethyst said.
Muffins smiled and shook her head. “We have to wait for the ponies at the front of the car to leave first.”
“Doesn’t look like he’s minding it much either,” Barrel said.
“She’s soft and warm,” Rumble said, blushing. He sank down, almost disappearing under Muffin’s wing. “Pin was right, she smells like muffins too.”
I laughed to the point I had to lean against the train car’s wall.
“Why are ponies always commenting on my wife’s scent?” Turner said, acting as if offended.
“Because Mom smells good,” Dinky said and hugged Muffins on her unoccupied side. She took an exaggerated sniff of Muffins’ shoulder. “She smells like the muffins she made for us for lunch, wind, and sunshine.”
“Pegasus smells,” Thunderlane said. “Well, the wind and sun smells are. The muffins are your mom’s special thing.”
After recovering from my laughing, and waiting for room to move, I helped the others unload our group’s luggage from the train car. We then unloaded the wedding supplies from one of the train’s business storage cars and moved them to the edge of the platform.
“It’s almost all dresses and Mom and Dad’s stuff,” Piña said, seeming confused at the pile of bags and suitcases. She looked to Rarity. “Won’t you need stuff to adjust Aunt Satin’s dress?”
“I will, but I didn’t need to bring too much,” Rarity said. “Remember, I have a store here in Canterlot.”
“We will need a cart,” Coco said and looked around the platform. “Is there a place we could rent one?”
“No need, darling,” Rarity said and waved at somepony further down the platform. “Sassy and I have this routine down to an art.”
“Hello everypony!” Sassy greeted, as she maneuvered a cart into one of the available spots on the loading side of the platform. “If you don’t mind, I’ll stay strapped in while you put everything in.”
“Rarity, since she’s your employee, tell Sassy to get her skinny flank out of that harness,” Barrel said. “This load weighs three times what she does with just the juice and wine.”
“I heard that!” Sassy said. “I’ll have you know my coltfriend likes my skinny flank!”
“Dear, let Barrel pull the cart,” Rarity said, maintaining a neutral expression, albeit with a slight smirk, as Barry and Barrel moved toward the cart.
While Barrel inspected the cart, Berry helped Sassy out of her harness.
Berry asked, “Will it hold everything?”
“The under-chassis looks solid. Watch it, while we’re loading, though,” Barrel said and stood back up. “We don’t know what this thing is rated for.”
“Why don’t we carry most of our luggage, just to be on the safe side?” I offered. I tapped my horn with a hoof. “I can carry stuff with my magic with no trouble.”
Coco cut off a giggle and gave me a look. She leaned close to my ear and whispered, “You’re good at carrying things on your back too.”
“What did you say?! I missed it!” Sassy trotted up to Coco. “It must have been something juicy to get him to blush like that.”
“Never mind, please!” I said.
“You don’t have to worry about our stuff,” Turner said. “We’re staying with family just down the road.”
“Would you care to join us for dinner?” Mom asked.
“Thank you for the offer, but my cousin has our evening’s itinerary planned out,” Tuner told her.
Rarity looked at Turner with curiosity. “I don’t recall meeting your cousin.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised, since he doesn’t come to visit Ponyville all that often. He recalls you, though,” Turner said and smiled. “You made quite an impression on him at the Best Young Flyer competition.”
Rarity winced. “That was not one of my better moments.”
Dinky smiled at her. “I think Uncle Watch Spring had a crush on you for a bit after that, so don’t worry.”
“Oh,” Rarity said and blushed.
Sassy looked at Rarity and grinned. “What is about you that attracts pegasi?”
“I haven’t the faintest clue, but I don’t mind the attention,” Rarity said and gave a flirting look to Thunderlane. She turned and addressed all of us, “Back to our original subject, to save time, why don’t we split up for a bit?”
Dad nodded. “We’ll take Berry, and the girls to our place, so they can drop off their luggage. Everypony else can go with you to help unload. We will meet up at your shop and then we can head over to Satin’s.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Thunderlane said.
*****
I could feel Berry and Piña’s eyes on my back. They had been getting closer and closer to Dad and me, as we led the herd down the sidewalk.
I glanced over at Dad and gave him a smile as I slowed my steps. “The weather team has been doing wonderful work here.”
Matching my unhurried walk, Dad glanced upward. “They have. While they don’t have the flare and speed the Ponyville team does, they do a good job.”
I heard something akin to a growl come from Berry.
“Pin, if you and your father do not allow us to pick up the pace, I believe there are two ladies that will do horrible things to you both,” Mom warned us.
I glanced back at Piña, who gave me an irritated look.
“We’re not training yet, nopony has to run or be chased,” I joked.
“You might have to run pretty soon,” Berry said, sounding unamused.
“We’re almost there,” Dad assured. “Her place is just around the corner.”
We rounded the corner and approached Satin’s townhouse’s front door. Mom rang the doorbell and we waited.
Piña made an excited noise and hopped up and down in place.
“Sis, calm down,” Pinch said to Piña. “You can’t tackle Aunt Satin.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Piña said. “But I really want to see-” She stopped as the front door opened.
“Hello everypony,” Stormbreaker greeted.
“For your safety’s sake, step out of the doorway,” Mom warned Stormbreaker.
Stormbreaker looked towards Berry and Piña and nodded. “Gotcha, nesting mares incoming,” he said and moved to give the sisters room to enter.
“Thank you, Storm,” Berry said, as she led Piña into the townhouse.
“Hello, Mister Storm,” Piña said, as she went past him.
“Be glad Muffin’s wasn’t here too, or they would have just carried along you with them,” I told Stormbreaker, as he leaned back into the doorway.
“Come on in,” Stormbreaker invited us. “I think we have enough seats for everypony.”
A delighted squeal came from inside the townhouse.
“Sounds like they found her,” Barrel said and chuckled.
“They didn’t have to go far,” Stormbreaker said, and gestured for us to come in.
I stepped out of the way and the others into the townhouse, as a cascade of thoughts went through my mind.
Coco paused, halfway into the house, and looked back at me. She smiled and gave a soft giggle. “You’re thinking too much again.”
I shook my head to clear it, chuckled at myself, and nodded. “Is it strange that I’ve been looking forward to seeing her but, for some reason, I’m hesitant to step through the door?”
Dad poked his head into the doorway. “No, Son, I had the same reaction when Satin and you were born. I wanted to see you both, but there was a part of me that froze at the thought of the unknown and life changing things beyond the door.”
“I will use the same ultimatum with you I did with him on those occasions,” Mom said from just out of my line of sight. “Get your tail in here or I will have somepony drag you in.”
“I volunteer!” Barrel said from within the townhouse.
I laughed and followed Coco inside.
“There she is,” Mom said, nodding towards Coco, who was half on her side on an almost oversized cloud chair in the room's corner.
Piña was on her hind legs, her chest resting on the edge of the chair, with her forelegs reaching out as if to touch Satin’s gravid belly without quite doing so.
Berry was sitting at the edge of the chair, talking to Satin, both with grand smiles.
“She’s been the happiest I’ve seen her in a long time,” Mom said.
“She looks good,” I agreed.
“She looks beautiful,” Stormbreaker said.
Satin looked at Piña and giggled. “You can come up.”
“You sure?” Piña asked. “I don’t want to hurt you or the foal.”
“You won’t hurt either of us.” Satin used her magic to lift Piña onto the cloud chair.
Piña’s eyes remained on Satin’s belly. “How is the foal doing?”
“Very well,” Satin said with a grin. “Active enough to keep me guessing what parts of me will get poked next.”
Piña winced in sympathy. “That doesn’t sound fun.”
“It can get uncomfortable, but it’s not too bad, unless something tender gets prodded,” Satin said.
“How is your stomach doing?” Berry asked.
“Not too bad. I’ve had to cut down on the spicy food, and there have been some… unpleasant times, but compared to some mare’s I’ve talked to it hasn’t been all that bad.”
“She’s carrying a load that’s a bit too big for her, is what I’m afraid of,” Stormbreaker said.
“Storm, we’re both be fine,” Satin assured him. “The doctor-” Satin paused and then looked towards her belly. “Somepony’s awake.”
Piña drew in an excited breath and leaned close to Satin’s belly.
“Put your head on me,” Satin said. “Storm says he can feel the foal moving around sometimes.”
“I can,” Stormbreaker said. “Which makes me worry about your innards.”
Piña put her head against Satin’s belly with a delicate touch. Her eyes lit up and she smiled. “I can feel the foal move too!”
“Can you hear anything?” Pinch asked, from her spot at the edge of the cloud chair.
“Just gurgling,” Piña reported.
“Hearing a foal’s heartbeat can be tricky, even with the right spells,” Mom said, taking a seat on the couch. She looked at the coffee table in front of the couch and smiled. “I see you have been looking over the literature I gave you.”
“Yes, Mom, I have,” Satin replied in her diligent and somewhat annoyed daughter’s tone.
Pinch moved to examine the coffee table. “There are all kinds of schools here.” She looked towards Satin. “You still don’t know what the foal is?”
“Not yet,” Satin said. “We’ll know in about a month.”
“Any guess what it’s going to be?” Barrel asked. “Somehow, Berry knew with Pinch.”
Satin hesitated for a slight second, but then shook her head. She looked to Mom with an amused expression. “You can ask Mom about the odds, though. She did a whole write up on them. I think it’s still somewhere in the brochures.”
“Let me see.” Mom shuffled through the piles of brochures and pamphlets on the coffee table. “Here we are.” She held up a piece of paper and read, “The population of Equestria comprises approximately fifty eight percent earth ponies, nineteen percent pegasi, and twenty three percent unicorns.”
Rumble, who had taken a seat beside Pinch, looked towards Thunderlane. “I didn’t know we were the smallest group.”
“You might find this interesting then,” Mom said. “The sexes are split about fifty fifty in earth ponies. For unicorns, mares are sixty percent of the tribe and stallions forty percent. With pegasi, it is sixty two percent for mares and thirty eight percent for stallions.” She looked at the three male pegasi. “For this group, we seem to have a statistical anomaly with the number of pegasi stallions in the room.”
Rumble titled his head. “Something about those numbers seems off. In my class there are a lot more fillies than colts.”
Mom smiled and nodded. “You are observant and you are right. There are two fillies for every colt in your generation.”
Rumble seemed stunned by the news.
Sassy teased, “Sounds like you, Piña, and Noi were on the right path without even knowing it.”
“How could that happen?” Pinch asked.
“No pony can say, but such shifts have happened before,” Mom told her. “That is one reason the herding laws were never stricken from the books.”
“Rumble, you okay in there?” Thunderlane asked.
“I’m not sure,” Rumble said, as if haunted by his thoughts. “I just found out I’m an endangered species.”
Everypony in the room laughed.
“Think of it this way, Rumble,” Rarity said. “It also means that the pegasi in the room are the rarest of catches for us mares.”
Thunderlane and Stormbreaker puffed up with pride in almost the same display.
A clock chimed six in another room.
Rarity, Satin, and Storm Breaker shared conspirator’s glances, while I did my best to keep my expression under control.
Piña raised her head from Satin’s belly. “I saw that. What is going on?”
Somepony rang the doorbell.
“I’ll get it,” Stormbreaker said and moved towards the door.
“You know something,” Coco said, as I failed to suppress my smile.
Stormbreaker opened the door so we could not see who was standing outside and looked up. He whispered something to whoever was outside and nodded. He leaned around the edge of the door and asked us, “Does anyone here know an extra large unicorn stallion with a light red coat and pink mane?”
Coco looked toward Storm with an expression of disbelieving confusion. “Did you say a large, light red unicorn stallion?”
“He’s got blue eyes too, if that helps any,” Storm said, after glancing back at whoever was at the door.
“Filter?!” Coco said.
Stormbreaker opened the door for the guest, and a large unicorn stallion with a terracotta red coat and a pink mane walked in.
The stallion’s eyes went straight to Coco, and he grinned. “Hello, Sis!”
Coco rushed to the stallion and hugged him. “Filter! What are you doing here?!”
“We invited him,” Satin said in a breezy way, as Filter took Coco in a warm hug that lifted her off the floor.
Coco nuzzled Filter and told him, “I’m so glad to see you!”
“Time out!” Piña said. “Who is he and why is he hugging Coco like that?”
“This is my brother, Light Filter,” Coco said, as Filter lowered her back to the floor.
“No way,” Piña said, her ears pinning back in surprise.
Coco let go of Filter and looked at Piña with an amused grin. “What do you mean ‘no way?’ ”
“I believe she might have an easier time believing he’s your brother if he were more… Coco sized,” Rarity said. “I have to admit, the difference between you two is a bit to take in.”
“So now I’m a measure of size too?” Coco joked.
“You are soft,” Filter told Coco. “Did you get a new coat and mane shampoo?”
Coco blushed. “That’s part of it,” she said and glanced in my direction. She snapped her attention back to Filter and poked him in the chest with a hoof. “Forget about my coat for a moment. Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but what are you doing here?”
“You’ll have to ask your special somepony about that,” Filter said.
Coco looked back at me, “Pin?”
“It wasn’t just me,” I told Coco. “Satin and I are in the habit of writing again, and I mentioned that you had a brother in one of my letters. Satin wrote back for more details about him, but I didn’t have much to give her beyond he was a Royal Guard stationed here in Canterlot and I had the impression you and he hadn’t seen each other in a while.”
“I wanted to invite him over for when everpony got here, but we didn’t have his address,” Satin said. “Pin remembered that most of your mail still went to Rarity’s, so I wrote to her to see if she knew your brother’s address.”
“I didn’t.” Rarity smiled at Coco, as she turned towards her. “But, since I was asked about it, I might have taken the liberty of copying an address from a piece of mail that came to my boutique and sending it to a certain pair of sneaky siblings.”
Coco sniffed. “Thank you. I didn’t know if I would see him, with the way his schedule is and with the research I will be doing.”
“Sis, don’t cry,” Filter said and hugged her from behind. He lowered his chin to Coco’s head in a practiced way, and her expression to one of a sibling who was suffering her brother’s familiar antics. “I feel kind of bad coming to such a special event like this without knowing anypony, but I wanted to see you again, so here I am.”
“I have a feeling you’ll be getting to know us pretty well,” Dad said and gave me a look.
“You’re her younger brother, if I recall?” Rarity asked.
“He’s not her ‘little’ brother,” Sassy said.
Filter lifted his head from Coco’s. “You must be Sassy. Silent told me to tell you hello, if I saw a ‘pretty, taller, blue coated unicorn mare with a red mane’. ”
“You know Silent?” Sassy asked.
Filter nodded. “Since he’s part of the liaison program, he and I work together off and on making informational packets about the Lunar Guard for the Royal Guards and us for them. Their way of doing things is very different, so it helps cut down on confusion.”
Pinch giggled and then covered her hoof with her mouth.
Berry looked at her daughter. “Pinch, what was that about?”
“I was imagining Dinky’s reaction, had she been here and he was in his armor,” Pinch said.
Piña gave a snort. “You’re right. She would have had a fit or frozen in place.”
“If her meeting Shining Armor was any sign, she’d freeze up,” Barrel said.
Satin shifted, with a light grunt, and Berry’s, Piña’s, and Stormchaser’s eyes snapped to her.
Mom gave Satin a knowing smile. “Aiming for the kidneys this time?”
Satin nodded and shifted again. “Good ear.”
“I made that sound a lot carrying you and Pin.”
“Do you need to eat?” Stormbreaker asked Satin. “I know this is about the time you need to.”
“It’s all right, for right now, but I’ll need to soon.”
“What would you like?” I asked. “I could cook or trot and get something for everypony.”
“We’ve got dinner covered,” Stormbreaker said. “The main dish is keeping warm in the oven. I could use help serving, though.”
“She’s not serving anypony, including herself,” Berry said. She rubbed Satin’s shoulder with a hoof. “You stay right here, until we have everything ready for you, okay?”
Satin grinned. “I take it, that's an order.”
Barrel nodded. “Yep.”
“I’ll stay right beside her, Sis,” Piña said, as she settled down beside Satin. “If she needs anything, I’ll run and get it or get you.”
Filter looked back and forth between Berry and Piña. “Sis?”
Pinch raised her hoof. “I’m her daughter,” she explained, pointing her hoof to Berry. “Piña’s my aunt.”
“Ah, Piña, must have been a… blessing,” Filter said.
“She was,” Barrel said, earning him smiles from Berry and Piña both.
“Pin, Silk, Stormchaser, follow me,” Mom commanded and headed toward the kitchen. “We have a pregnant mare, guests, and foals to feed.”
“Yes, ma’am,” all three of us responded.
*****
Pinch sighed and shook her head. “We’ve lost Piña again,” she said, and nodded toward the couch, where Berry, Satin, Piña and Rumble were sitting.
Piña had fallen asleep against Satin’s side. Satin, not seeming to mind Piña leaning against her, had a foreleg wrapped around Piña’s shoulders to help her stay upright.
“She’s had a big day.” I looked at Pinch. “All of you foals had a big day. You trained this morning, then there was the trip, then we had to get everything where it needed to be, then the walk here. I’m surprised you’re awake.”
“She’s got something on her mind,” Dad said.
Pinch gave Dad a curious smile. “How do you do that?”
Dad grinned. “I watch ponies. Often, you can get more out of what they don’t say than their words, if you know what to look for.”
“What did you see with me?” she asked him.
“You asked Pin if you could braid his tail again, was the first sign something was going on. After you got started, it seemed like you wanted to occupy your hooves rather than talk to him. Then, while you focused on what you were doing, your mind did not seem to be devoted to the task.”
Pinch held up my braided tail to Coco. “It looks all right, though, doesn’t it?”
“It looks good,” Coco assured.
“What are you thinking about?” Dad asked.
Holding my tail with one hoof, Pinch stroked it like she was petting a cat out of nerves. “I’m not even sure anymore.”
Satin gave a light start, looked down, and put a hoof on her belly. “That’s not a comfortable thing for you tapdance on.”
“You okay?” Berry asked.
“Yes, but I need to make a quick dash,” Satin said, and glanced at Piña.
“Rumble!” Thunderlane half whispered, from across the room where he was sitting with Strormbreaker. He made a leaning motion with his hoof, and then a cupping motion with his wing.
Rumble nodded and then looked up at Satin. “I’ll take her.”
“Thanks,” Satin said and leaned Piña so Rumble could ease her to his side. “Sorry!” Satin said to the room and rushed towards the back of the townhouse.
“Poor dear,” Mom said.
Piña muttered something in her sleep and leaned against Rumble, pinning him against the couch’s armrest.
“Don’t forget the wing,” Stormbreaker reminded Rumbled and gave a light shake of his own wing.
Rumble, with a slight blush, wrapped a wing around Piña. Sliding his hip against the arm rest, Rumble adjusted how he was sitting so Piña and he could be comfortable. As soon as he did, Piña snuggled against him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
Barrel opened his mouth to say something, with an expression that suggested a strong teasing was coming, but Berry gave him a look, cutting him off before he could.
Dad leaned close to Pinch. “See the smile he’s trying to hide?” he whispered. “Rumble’s trying to not let it show, but he is enjoying being able to hold her. He’s fighting to not put his head on hers too. Watch how his eyes go to her face and his head tilts a touch.”
Sassy sighed. “Makes me want to go grab my special somepony.”
Dad sneaked a smile, as he watched Pinch’s reaction to Sassy’s words.
“Speaking of special someponies,” Satin said. “What is the plan for tomorrow? I know we mares are meeting up at Rarity’s to get ready, but what about the rest?”
“The school is closed tomorrow, but we have to get everything up and take it down in one day, because of another event scheduled for the next day, so it will not be a complicated set up at all,” Stormbreaker said. “There are going to be a few students and teachers around, though. They will be welcome to the ceremony or just come by to have some of the food, if they want. We are expecting some of our students to come, and Mom and Dad are coming, but beyond that not too many other ponies will be joining us tomorrow.”
Stormbreaker turned, as Satin came back into the room. “You okay?”
Satin nodded. “I just had some pressure on an uncomfortable spot.”
Berry grimaced in sympathy. “I remember those days. I learned where every bathroom in every store I went into was.”
“I feel kind of guilty I did that to you,” Pinch said, her ears falling a bit.
Berry waved Pinch’s words away with a hoof. “It’s just a part of the process. Being pregnant is wonderful in some ways, but it also comes with being uncomfortable and having to learn how to deal with some of the less pleasant aspects of it. I got you out of it, so I consider it more than worth it.”
Satin smiled at Rumble. “Did she wake up?”
Rumble shook his head.
“Good.” Satin got back in her spot on the couch. “You’re a good ‘training partner’.”
Rumble smiled. “Thanks.”
Satin looked to Stormbreaker. “What did I miss?”
“I was telling Sassy the plans for tomorrow is all.” Stormbreaker turned back to Sassy. “Those who want to help us set up can meet up here for breakfast before we go to the school to Lemon Hearts, Lyra, and a mare named Minuette.”
I smiled, hearing those names together again.
“By the way, Pin,” Satin said and looked toward me with a half bemused expression. “I was told by the Headmare to remind you that four should be on your best behavior while at the school.”
Pinch looked up at me. “Why would she ask Aunt Satin to tell you that?”
Sassy looked at me with intrigued curiosity. “I want to know why too.”
“I might have been involved with a couple of minor incidents at the school,” I admitted.
Satin and Mom gave me identical disbelieving looks, while Dad chuckled.
“They banned you from the school grounds for months for those ‘minor incidents’,” Satin deadpanned.
“I can’t recall if it was for three or four months, though,” Dad said, seeming to want to stir things up.
“Three for the first and four for the second,” Satin reminded him.
“That is right,” Mom acknowledged and gave Dad a look. “I also recall you having a blasé reaction to his actions then too.”
Dad shrugged. “I thought the Headmare was overreacting myself. Colts will be colts, especially when pretty mares lead them on. There wasn’t any lasting harm done, either time, and they made amends. Seems to me she’s still a bit of stickler with no sense of humor.”
Pinch leaned closer to me and whispered, “What did you do?!”
I couldn’t help but smile as I whispered back, “Which time?”
“Don’t you dare tell her about either,” Satin said, with a hint of a smile. “You’ll give her ideas.”
“How about all of those interested in helping set up meet up here in the morning at seven?” Stormbreaker said. He pointed a hoof toward the couch and grinned. “I believe some of us may need some rest for tomorrow.”
Rumble had fallen asleep with his head leaned against Piña’s, and she had turned to hold him in her forelegs as she slept.
“Rum-” Thunderlane started, but was cut off by a gesture from Satin.
“Let Stormbreaker get a picture of them for me, please,” Satin said.
Thunderlane grinned and nodded.
“I’ll make sure you get a copy,” Stormbreaker told him, before sneaking out of the room.
“Will you be able to join us tomorrow?” Satin asked Filter.
Filter shook his head. “I tried to get my schedule shifted, but it didn’t work out. Celestia and Luna both have events going on tomorrow, so the Royal Guard will be busy.”
Coco’s ears fell. “At least I got to see you tonight.”
“Sis, don’t be sad,” he said and hugged her. “I’ll have the nights off. Where are you going to be staying? We could meet up, if you can take a break for a little bit.”
“She’ll be staying at our place, after tonight,” Dad said. “Why don’t you walk with us, so you will know where it is?”
“Sounds great,” Filter said. “Thank you.”
Stormbreaker came back into the room and snapped pictures of Piña and Rumble. “These will bookend the pictures from today and dinner.”
“Piña, Rumble, we need to get going so Satin can rest for her big day tomorrow,” Berry said in a kind voice that was loud enough to stir Piña.
With a sleepy hum, Piña lifted her head and looked around.
“Did you have a nice nap?” Barrel teased.
Piña turned and looked at Rumble’s sleeping face as if surprised to see him. “What happened?”
“Satin needed to leave for a bit, and Rumble took you for her,” Barrel explained.
Piña glanced down at Rumble’s wing and blushed. “Oh.”
“I want to see how she wakes him up,” Sassy said. “Will it be with a nuzzle or a kiss?”
After giving Sassy a look, Piña put her mouth close to Rumble’s ear. “Rumble,” she whispered and gave him a light shake. “I think we’re getting ready to go.”
Rumble’s ear flicked.
As Rumble came awake and met eyes with her, Piña gave him a bashful smile. “Thanks for taking me for Aunt Sassy. I didn’t even know I had been moved.”
“That’s an interesting shade of red, Rumble,” Thunderlane said.
Sassy cupped her hooves around her mouth and whispered for the room to hear, “This is the part where one of you kisses the other.”
“We’re training partners, not special someponies,” Piña reminded Sassy. “Training partners don’t kiss.”
“You kissed him on the nose, when he gave you his flowers that night,” I pointed out.
“That was a special night, and we agreed to remain training partners too,” Piña said.
“But he was so sweet to you,” Pinch said. “He deserves a little something for letting you sleep on him and holding you with his wing.”
“I’ve seen Noi nuzzle him, and she’s his training partner,” Berry said. “Would that work?”
Piña nodded. “Thanks, Rumble,” she said, leaned in and gave him a nose to nose nuzzle.
“Poor colt can’t even talk,” Sassy teased.
Rumble unwrapped his wing from around Piña.
Piña gave him a squeeze, let him go, and then hopped off the couch.
“Coco, Pin, would you like to join us?” Mom said. “We have not seen you for a bit, and I would like to spend as much time with you as possible, before you return to Ponyville.”
“That sounds great,” Coco said.
Mom walked over to Satin and gave her a tender hug. “Sleep well.”
Satin returned the hug. “I will. You too.”
Dad stood, moved to the couch, and gave Satin a hug. “See you tomorrow.”
Stormbreaker opened the door, and those of us leaving all walked outside.
“See you in the morning, Storm,” Thunderlane said.
“Take care everypony and sleep well,” Storm said and closed the door behind us.
“Goodnight everypony,” Sassy said. “I have to head off in a different direction to get home.”
“Take care, darling,” Rarity said and hugged Satin.
“You too,” Sassy told Rarity and returned her hug. Letting go of Rarity, she looked to Rumble. “Make sure your brother behaves for her.”
Rumble grinned. “I’ll try.”
With a wave for all of us, Sassy walked down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from where we would be heading.
“Shall we lead the way, Dear?” Dad asked.
“We shall,” Mom said, as they went to the front of our group and led us away from Satin’s.
“Tonight was great,” Pinch said. She trotted forward so she walked at Dad’s side. “Is there anything we can do to help, in the morning?”
Piña and Rumble followed Pinch’s example and walked at Mom’s side. “Setting up for the festival was fun,” Piña said. “Being able to help set up for Aunt Satin’s wedding will be even better.”
“I am sure we could find a way for you to help, and we would appreciate it,” Mom told her. “While there will not be much to set up, we have a limited window to do so and every hoof will count.”
“You were right,” Filter said to Coco. “They’re a family.”
Berry smiled. “Coco’s one of us too, now.”
“So long as Pin doesn’t botch things,” Barrel said. “If he does, we’ll throw him out of the group and keep Coco.”
“I don’t plan on botching anything up, but I couldn’t blame you if you kept her instead of me if I did,” I told him.
“This is where we turn off,” Rarity announced, as our group approached a corner. “Goodnight everypony.”
“See you ponies tomorrow,” Thunderlane said, as he turned with Rarity and gave us a parting wave with a wing.
“Goodnight,” Piña told Rumble, as he moved from her side.
“See you in the morning,” he responded and gave her a smile.
After a small amount of time, Berry kidded, “I noticed none of the rest of us got a ‘goodnight’ from Rumble.”
“We didn’t sleep with him either,” Barrel said, with a grin.
“Dad!” Pinch said, aghast.
“Oak Barrel!” Berry said and gave him a smack to his shoulder. “Don’t joke about my little sister like that!”
“He’s right, though,” Dad said, looking over his shoulder at me with a smirk. “Things change between ponies after they’ve sleep together.”
Oh crab apples, he knows, which means Mom must have picked up on it too, I thought and felt my face flush.
Mom said nothing, but her glance in my direction all but confirmed my suspicions and added to my blush.
“You feeling all right there, Pin?” Barrel asked me with a look that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “You’re looking a little-”
“Leave poor Uncle Pin alone,” Piña said, her face still red. “He’s embarrassed for me.”
Barrel held up a concessionary hoof. “I’ll leave him alone. I don’t want to be in the dog house any more than I already am.”
As if looking backwards drew her attention towards him, Pinch slowed her pace and maneuvered so she could walk at Filter’s side. “What are you going to be doing tomorrow?”
“I’m not sure,” Filter told her. “We’re having to switch a lot of things around for tomorrow, so I’m not sure if I will be in the print shop or out on patrol.”
“If you were on patrol, do you know where you would be?” she asked.
“Nope. Since the changeling invasion, internal security has stepped up. If most of us on the lower rungs of command don’t know what we’re doing until the last minute there’s less of a chance for a security breach.”
“Oh.” Pinch said and plastered on a smile. “That makes sense.”
“Doesn’t that make planning hard?” Coco asked.
“It can, but it’s better than having a bug knock you over the head so it can take your place to start another invasion,” Filter said.
“I take it you don’t like changelings,” Piña said, doing a solid job of masking her apparent concern.
Filter chuckled. “It’s kind of hard to like a group that glues you to a wall for hours and tries to take over the kingdom.” He shrugged amiably. “I can’t say I hate them either, though. From what we’ve been told, their queen is the nasty one and who won’t let them negotiate for help. I can understand what most of the changelings have to be going through, so I can’t hold a grudge against them. If Coco and Mom and Dad were starving, I would do some pretty questionable things to make sure they got fed too.”
A good bit of the unease that seemed to have built up in Pinch left her.
Piña tilted her head. “You didn’t name anypony else but your family.”
“True,” Filter said. “Should I have?”
“You don’t have a special somepony?”
“Piña!” Pinch said through clenched teeth.
“She’s fine,” he told Pinch. He turned back to Piña. “I haven’t been as lucky as Coco, but I’m working on it. I have a mare I like, and I think she likes me too, but her father is a tough cookie and isn’t too keen on me yet.”
“We could vouch for you,” Coco said.
Filter shook his head. “Thanks, but I don’t think that would work with him.”
“Is there anything we could do?” Piña asked.
“I’m not sure.” He grinned. “I might have one idea. Do you and your family like curry?”
Piña’s ears went akimbo. “What’s curry?”
Filter gasped in over-acted shock. “What’s curry?! It’s the best food ever! It can be spicy or sweet, thick or almost like a sauce. You can put it over rice, or vegetables, or just about anything.” He sighed and got a love struck expression. “And she makes the best curry in Equestria.”
“See girls,” Berry said. “The way to a stallion’s heart is through their stomachs.”
Coco bumped shoulders with me. “Works pretty well on mares too.”
“Here we are,” Dad announced and pointed a hoof, as we approached Mom and Dad’s house.
“Thanks for showing me where you live,” Filter told Dad, as Coco, he, and I stopped on the sidewalk. “I may come by and borrow Coco for a night or two, if that would be all right.”
“You are welcome any time,” Mom said.
“Goodnight,” Pinch said and waved, as Dad led their group toward the house.
“Goodnight,” we responded together.
As the others walked on, Filter turned to Coco, “You two don’t have to walk home with me. It’s a bit out of the way from here, and you two will have a lot to do tomorrow.”
“Of course, I’ll walk with you,” Coco told him. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“The walk would do me good,” I told Filter, when he looked in my direction. “I have so many things running through my head right now I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I tried.”
“If you two are sure, I would enjoy the company,” Filter said and motioned with his chin. “This way.”
I moved so Coco and Filter could walk side by side.
“How is the business going?” Filter asked me.
“Very well, thanks to Coco,” I told him. “I think she’s the primary draw of the shop now.”
“Pin’s exaggerating,” Coco said.
“I am not.” I grinned at Filter. “Since she wore one of her dresses to the celebration for Twilight, There have been several mares who were wanting Coco to design them a dress come into the shop with the impression that it was hers. I’ve had to explain to several ponies that the reason for all the displays having stallion’s attire is because the shop is technically mine, but Coco works there.”
“Wow, Sis, that’s impressive,” Filter said. He seemed to think for a moment and then asked, “What do you mean “technically mine?’ ”
“I might own the shop, but I consider it Coco’s too,” I told him.
“You’re sweet, but I’m your employee, not a business partner,” Coco reminded me in a gentle tone.
“You’re much more than that to me,” I responded, before I thought about Filter being on Coco’s other side. As she blushed, and I realized what I had done, I looked toward Filter. “Sorry, I shouldn’t-”
Filter laughed. “Don’t apologize! It’s great to see her special somepony appreciate her.”
Coco tensed, but her smile remained in place.
“Speaking of special someponies, what is the deal with Piña and Rumble?” Filter asked. “They have moments where it looks like their together, but then they claim they’re only practice partners.”
I smiled. “Piña and Rumble don’t want to catch it at school for being special someponies, so they came up with a deal to just call each other training partners.”
“Is their entire training group like that, or is it just them?”
“They have another ‘training partner’ named Noi, who is the sister of Berry’s best friend Golden Harvest.”
“Ah. Now I know why they were talking about somepony named Noi a lot.”
“The others just train with them, as far as I know.”
The three of us walked together and made comfortable small talk. When we reached Filter’s apartment building, he stopped and pointed to a window on the upper floor. “That one is mine. It’s number fortytwo.”
“Filter, I’m so glad to see you again,” Coco said and hugged him.
“It’s been good to see you too.” He hugged her back and nuzzled the top of her head. “I’m glad to see you’re yourself and happy again.”
Something in his tone made my ears fall a touch. He sounded like he was feeling echoes of past worries.
“I am happy,” she said and looked up to him.
Filter smiled at me. “Thank you for taking care of her. After what Suri did to her, we were so worried.”
Coco reached up and tapped him on the nose. “Filter, it wasn’t that bad. I needed some time, another steady job, and-”
He cut her off by hugging her again and stroking her back in a comforting motion. “You were crushed. You tried to be brave, like you are now, and not let it show, but we could tell, and it tore us up. Suri never appreciated you, even with how hard you worked for her and all the affection you showed her.”
Unseen by Filter, Coco’s eyes widened in panic. Without moving her head, she looked toward me with her eyes, and I felt sick at how upset she seemed.
“You might not be happy with me saying this, but I’m glad things didn’t work out between you too,” Filter told her. “You weren’t the Coco we love, when you were with her.”
Coco slipped into acting through her part of the conversation. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m back to my old self, I have a job, and I’m cared for.”
“He loves you,” Filter said, lifting his head and looking at me.
“I cherish her,” I said, keeping my voice natural so my worry did not come through. Thanks for those lessons, Coco, I thought her way.
“I can tell.” Filter let Coco go. “She’s written to me about all the things you’ve done for her, and how you’ve treated her. I can tell your family and your friends care about her too.” He snorted. “We never even saw Suri’s family or another friend of hers.”
“Let’s not talk about her anymore,” Coco said, her mask still in place.
“I’m sorry,” Filter said and his ears drooped. “I can tell I upset you a bit, but-”
Coco reached up and tapped him on the nose. “It’s fine, but let’s not end a wonderful evening on a sour note by even thinking about her.”
“You’re right.” His ears perked up a little. “I would ask you two up, but I know how busy you will be tomorrow.”
“Let’s meet up again,” I said. “We will be in Canterlot for four more days. I’m sure we can figure out a time to get together, or for just you two to get together, if you would like.”
“Sounds great.” He said and raised back up to standing. “Tomorrow night might not work, with all the excitement, but we’ll fit something in.” He grinned and hugged Coco one more time. “I’ve missed being able to do this.”
She smiled a genuine smile and hugged him back. “I’ve missed you too.”
Filter released her and turned towards the apartment building. “You two better get going, or I’m going to get all sappy and ruin my reputation as a tough Royal Guard.”
Coco and I waved at him and watched until he went into the building.
“Ready to head back?” I asked her.
Coco nodded.
Coco’s act had vanished, and I could sense the tension build up in her as we took the first few steps back up the street.
“Coco, are you-”
“That’s not the way I wanted you to find out,” she said, cutting me off as if the pressure not to say something had been too much. “It’s the wrong time too,” she added, sounding like she might cry.
“There’s a little park about a block up and over, if I remember right,” I told her. “Let’s go there and sit down and talk.”
Coco nodded. “Okay.”
I moved a little closer to her and took her tail with mine.
She took in a sharp breath, as if fighting not to cry, and leaned against me.
We made our way to the park. As I remembered, there were no signs posted with a closing time. We made our way to the nearest bench and sat down.
“Before we get started,” I said and hugged her. “I want to tell you whatever has gotten you like this is not worth it.”
“Did you know?” She sniffed. “About me and Suri?”
“I suspected- No, that’s not the right word, ‘suspected’ makes it sound like I think you did something wrong, which you haven’t.” I gave her ear a nuzzle. “I thought you two had been more involved than just working together.”
“Why?” She asked. “I thought I didn’t let it show.”
“You didn’t, but as I got to know you, there were little things that tipped me off. Your personality and what little I had heard about Suri’s didn’t fit together well enough for you to have stayed around her just for a job. That you didn’t talk about her at all was another sign. After what you said about liking mares the other night, things clicked, and I was all but sure you two had to have been an item for you to put up with all she did.”
“You don’t care if I was with her?” Coco asked, looking up at me.
“The only pony I care about who was involved in your previous relationship is you.”
Coco gave me a kiss and smiled her wonderful smile.
“Why were you so worried about me knowing?”
She sighed in self-exasperation. “I’m not sure. I guess there’s been some part of me that’s been scared you would think you were a rebound, or that I went from job to job sleeping with my employers.”
“Coco, anypony who is around you for any length of time at all can tell you are not that kind of mare.” I gave her a curious look. “How did you two meet, anyway? You two don’t seem like you would be in the same circles.”
“Do you remember when I mentioned that I was part of a shared workshop?”
“Ah, you met there.”
“When I signed up for the workshop, she had established a good client list and was about to open her own store. I must have caught her eye somehow. She took time to talk to me and give me tips and then she asked me out to lunch a few times.” Coco’s smile weakened. “I liked her, and she picked up on it. She asked if I would like to be special someponies with her, and, not too long after that, she offered me a job.” Her ears fell and her smile evaporated. “For a little bit, things were fine, but it didn’t take long for her real personality to show, and it all went downhill from there.”
“She used you.” I swallowed and then asked, “Have I ever made you feel like...”
“Never,” Coco said in a way that assured me she meant it.
“Good,” I whispered in relief. I tilted my head, as a thought occurred to me. “What did you mean, when you said ‘this isn’t the right time’?”
“I didn’t want there to be tension between us before the wedding and after.”
I snorted a laugh. “I don’t care who you’ve dated. If you don’t want to talk about your previous special someponies we don’t have to. We’re adults, we’ve both had special someponies, and we’ve moved on from them.”
“I’d rather we not talk about them, but I will if you ask about them or if we need to.”
“Then I won’t ask because, as far as I’m concerned, we don’t.”
I was glad to see the playful spark in Coco’s eyes when she asked, “Would you talk to me about yours, if I asked?”
“I would.” I gave an overdone sigh of concern. “In fact, we may need to talk about one of them, since you will probably meet her tomorrow.”
Coco giggled. “Okay.” Smiling, she sat up as if bracing her herself. “Go ahead. I won’t get upset, no matter who it is or what you tell me.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, in a mock serious tone.
“You didn’t bat an eye about Siri, I can do the same for whoever you dated.”
“Lemon Hearts.”
Coco tilted her head. “Lemon Hearts? That doesn’t make sense. She lives in Canterlot. Berry and Rarity both have told me you hadn’t dated in years until I came to Ponyville.”
“I was head over hooves for her,” I told Coco in my best confessional tone. “She was a pretty filly with a lovely voice and sweet personality who didn’t mind me hanging around with her and her friends.”
By the change in her expression, I could tell Coco had caught on to my game. “A pretty filly?”
“We had milkshakes together and everything,” I told her, echoing Hearts’ words. I hung my head in feigned shame. “We even kissed once or twice.”
Coco laughed and hugged me. “I don’t think there will be a problem at all.”
I hugged her back and nuzzled her mane. “I hoped you would feel that way.”
Coco lifted her head and bumped her nose to mine. “We should head back. I don’t want Satin or Storm to worry about us.”
I chuckled. “Knowing them, they’re coming up with things to tease us with.”
“Then we shouldn’t give them too much time to come up with anything,” she said.
I got off the bench and offered my hoof to Coco. After she stepped down, I let her hoof rest in mine and studied how they fit together. If we had met a few months earlier, there might have been a combined wedding, I thought to myself.
“Pin?” Coco ducked her head into my line of sight.
“Sorry. My mind drifted a bit.” I lifted her hoof and kissed it.
“It looked like it went someplace nice,” Coco teased.
“I was thinking about you, so it was.”
Coco gave me a quick kiss on the nose, and we started back towards Satin’s.