In the middle of a large town, there stood a mansion of a home. It had tall white columns standing over thirty feet tall, made of pristine marble which had recently been polished to shine. Ornate windows covered the walls, decorated with old legends and stories depicted though colorful stained glass and framing. The walls had thin veils of Ivy climbing up, adding to its beauty. With the house being over three stories tall, it was easily one of the grandest structures around.
This is the house whose door a young grey coated stallion knocked upon.
Small sounds of shuffling hooves and footsteps came from inside as the stallion patiently waited on the doorstep. A simple brown cloak concealed his figure, showing only the ends of his muzzle and hooves.
A few moments later, a small -clink- sound was heard as the door unlocked, and proceeded to open.
An aged white mare with a purple and white mane poked her head out, looking to her visitor.
"Star Swirl?" she asked.
He gave a small nod in confirmation.
"Follow me." And she opened the door wider.
He walked inside, remember to keep his posture and manners in check. Now was not the time for a bad impression.
"Velvet," he said smiling, "may I just say how beautiful you're looking today?"
She gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, it's always nice to hear I haven't gotten my wrinkles yet."
"Wrinkles, you?" he said preposterously, "Why, I wouldn't dream of it!"
"This way." she said, chuckling.
She led him towards one of the many hallways glancing back to make sure he followed.
His mental smile grew a little wider. So far, so good.
While Night Light already knew and trusted Star Swirl, the same could not be said for Velvet. She knew him as a kind young stallion that specialized in magic, similar to her daughter. It wasn't often she joined in their conversations, and they'd had little opportunity to talk at other times.
Suffice to say, they were friendly acquaintances, and that was it. Regardless of how well they knew each other though, she would have no reason to think ill of him. Not if there was anything he could do about it.
So he bowed low and replied with, "As you wish, m'lady," proceeding to follow her as she continued laughing.
He followed her down a long hallway, taking note of the colorful windows he'd seen outside. They were situated every ten feet or so, giving the place a homely glow. The design was breathtaking; it was surprising how detailed they were. Individual leaves on trees, or expressions on a pony's face could easily be made out. The design of it all made him want to look everywhere at once. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to stop and study it.
However, something even more interesting caught his eye. Simple clay pots had been placed on a few sills, and then more, and more... In fact, they seemed to be getting more numerous the further they walked. They were filled to the brim with all different kinds of fresh flowers. Roses, Poppies, Daffodils, he even thought he spotted a Tiger Lily or two; something a bit rare to find around here. He idly wondered how they were obtained, and what poor soul had the daily routine of watering them.
Velvet spoke again, breaking him out of his stupor.
"Night Light is just at the top of these stairs."
They had reached the end of the hallway, and before him was a set of white stairs. Just as the mare has said.
"Will you be joining us?" he asked.
She turned to face him and quickly responded with, "Of course! I imagine whatever is so important it requires Night Lights attention, deserves my attention as well."
With a small bow, he replied. "Forgive me if i have offended. It was a simple inquiry."
Velvet paused for a moment, before letting out a small sigh. "Look, i'm sorry if i'm a bit snappy. Most stallions that come through here don't have a high opinion of mares.
He raised a quizzical eyebrow at this, but chose not to comment.
They stopped in front of a large oak door.
"Aha!" she exclaimed, "here we are."
Using her magic, she turned the door handle and walking inside, motioning for him to follow. "Come on in, I'm sure we have much to discuss."
Taking a deep breath, Star Swirl followed her in.
He was greeted by the sight of Night Light sitting at the end of a luxurious room, reading a book. Upon hearing the door open, he glanced up and saw them standing in the doorway.
With a smile spreading across his face, he got up and beckoned them to a chair.
"Star Swirl! Always a pleasure to see you." He reached to shake his hoof. "I trust your day has gone well?"
Taking the seat he was offered as well as returning the hoof shake, Star Swirl nodded an affirmative. "Yes, quite well indeed."
He took a moment the clear his throat. "And you?"
"Well, you know me!" Night Light responded with Gusto. "I have a good book, my chair by the fireplace, and of course..." -he motioned for Velvet to come over- "A lovely wife."
Following this statement, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. A light blush spread across her face as she returned the favor with a giggle.
Star Swirl couldn't help but chuckle at their antics.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "Speaking of lovely mares, how it Twilight doing?"
Night Light grinned. "Ever the charmer Star Swirl."
Inside his head, he whooped at his clever thinking. That's it, steer the conversation where you want it to go.
"To answer your question, she's been doing what she always does; studying."
A paused for a moment, tapping his chin. "Well... as much as she can with all those stallions bugging her anyway."
This statement earned him a confused look.
Velvet stepped forward. "You remember me saying earlier, that many stallions didn't have a high opinion of mares?"
Star Swirl nodded slowly.
"They all seem to think we don't exist for anything but them."
"From what I know of Night Light, I figured most of them never made it two steps withing your home." he huffed angrily.
"Yes, well..." she said rolling her eyes "all of them were suitors for my daughter, Twilight."
Star Swirl's eye twitched.
"...really?" he asked.
She continued. "Obviously, we turned them all down. But some can't seem to take no for an answer."
He winced. "I'm... sorry to hear that. It would explain why she's always being crowded by them."
Night Light gave a small cough. "Anyway," he said, sitting up in his chair. "Although I'm sure you'd love to hear more about this, I don't believe that's why you came."
Star Swirl paled as he realized; this was not how he planned to enter the conversation.
"Um actually..." he gave a nervous laugh, "it does have something to do with that."
Night Light narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? Have they been getting too aggressive?"
Star Swirl looked at him. "The stallions?" He asked, confused.
"Yes, the 'potential suitors' we were talking about. You just said it had something to do with them."
"Ohhhh," He breathed out. "Yes, it does in a sense. But not like that."
"Then what do you mean?" Night Light asked.
He clearing his throat.
Okay Star Swirl, you need to word this very carefully.
"You are aware that me and your daughter both study magic, correct?"
They nodded.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "And you are also aware that we see each other quite often."
Night Light scrunched his eyebrows. "I see you both practicing on the fields almost every day, but what does this have to do with her suitors?"
He gulped. "W-well, you see..."
Velvet face hoofed. "We'll never find out unless you stop beating around the bush." Her heard tilted back up to look Star Swirl in the eye.
He could feel himself starting to sweat.
She continued to star at him with an unwavering gaze. This, of course, did nothing for his nerves.
Oh, to Tartarus with this!
He shut his eyes and blurted, "I want to marry your daughter!"
"..."
He opened them again.
Now, both Night Light and Velvet were staring at him.
"What was that?" she asked quietly.
He took a deep breath and, "I would like to marry your daughter, Twilight Sparkle."
He looked to both of the min turn. Their expressions were unreadable.
The tension in the air threatened to suffocate him as he rapidly glanced back and forth between the two.
Darn it! He screamed in his head. I should have known I didn't have a chance!
Taking into account all of her potential suitors, he really shouldn't. He wasn't exceptionally wealthy, he certainly had enough to support her, but not with luxury. Not to mention he wasn't a noble, and held no titles. He wouldn't exactly be adding anything to their bloodline.
Despite all of this, he still vowed to try.
When a response finally came, however, it was not what he expected.
"Well it's about time!" Night Light merrily shouted.
Velvet looked at her husband in shock while Star Swirl fell backwards in his chair.
"What?!"
"Oh don't play dumb with me Star Swirl." He smirked.
Star Swirl quickly got back up, feeling his cheeks grow hot. "What do yo mean? I-I'm not sure I understand."
"To put is simply..." Night Light stated, then slowly gave him an evil grin. "I've seen the way you look at her."
By this point, his face was redder than an apple.
Night Light laughed.
Embarrassed, Star Swirl looked away and asked, "Is it that obvious?"
Struggling to keep his mirth in, he shook his head. "Not to the average pony, but as her father, I tend to watch for these things."
Velvet suddenly stepped in. "I have a question."
He grinned at her, likely already knowing what it was.
"What did you mean by, 'It's about time'?" She squinted her eyes.
"Nothing really," he said casually. "I just didn't expect it to take so long." He glanced over at Star Swirl, who looked ready to die.
"Wait a minute..." She pointed an accusing hoof at Night Light. "You knew about this, and didn't tell me?!"
He held up his hooves in defense. "Whoa, hold on a second. I didn't know when he would propose, just that he would.
Star Swirl raised his hoof, still blushing. "How, exactly, did you know this?" I only made the decision a week ago."
Night Light sighed, and looked him in the eye. "Son, if you've had a crush on the same mare for over a year, it's not a crush anymore."
He coughed and stared at the floor.
"Anyway," Night Light said, "Before I can give you an answer, I have a few questions."
Star Swirl sat up in his chair. "Of course."
"First, can you provide for her?"
He nodded. "I have been working with other scholars and magi to discover new theories on magic. I receive payment for my contribution, enough for us both to live comfortably."
Night Light grunted in approval. "That's good. Something you can continue even when you are aged."
"In addition to that," Star Swirl added, "I have a good amount saved up, to ensure everything starts off well."
"Alright, I can see you have that covered. We'll move on to the next question." He leaned forward a bit. "What are your plans for the future?"
Star Swirl opened his mouth to answer, but paused for a moment, thinking.
"It's O.K.," Velvet said, "Take your time."
He looked to both of them, and took a deep breath. "Well... Obviously, I want to have children, and I have no doubt she feels the same." He fiddled with the edge of his cloak. "And as you already know Night Light, I also want to travel. It's always been my interest to see other pony cultures, and how they live."
"Yes," he nodded. "I remember you telling me this." A smile worked its way on his mouth. "However, I don't think you need to worry about that with Twilight."
Chuckling, Star Swirl responded, "No, I didn't think so. She might enjoy the learning experience even more than me."
"Aside from that," Night Light further inquired, "anymore plans?"
He shook his head. "Except for how I'd work to support us, not really. I guess I'd see where life took us."
"Fair enough."
Star Swirl was about to say something else, when Night Light spoke up.
"Now," he said slowly. "I only have one more question."
Just one? Oh, right. I guess he already knows everything else from our previous conversations.
"I need you to tell me why you like her."
Star Swirl gave him a shy smile. "For many reasons." His eyes wandered to the floor. She's beautiful, kind, smart..."
Night Light stopped him. "Any pony could say or be those things. I want to know what makes her different."
He though for a moment. "That's actually pretty easy to answer. It's the reason I first took a liking to her."
Night Light remained silent, gesturing for him to continue.
"When I said she was smart, I also meant wise. She doesn't just read the books and know the facts; she takes them to heart and uses them." He looked at the ceiling, as if remembering. "I don't think I could count how many times she's used the knowledge found in a book."
He looked back to Night Light. "But what stole my heart, was her determination. Despite mares not being allowed to learn from other magi, she's progressed far in her studies. If the law would allow it, she could become extremely skilled."
Night Light tapped his chin, pondering this.
"I'm convinced."
They both paused; Night Light had not been the one to say this. In unison, they looked over to Velvet.
She stood to the right of Night Light's chair, looking fairly confident in herself.
Star Swirl struggled for words. "Wait a second, what do you mean, 'you're convinced'?"
"Exactly what I said," she stated, "I'm convinced. You have my permission to marry my daughter."
Night Light just stared at her. "Forgive me for asking, but what made your decision so quickly? You don't even know him as well as I do."
She looked at him calmly. "Maybe I don't, but I have heard all about him from you. From the good things you've said, and the behavior I've seen, I trust that Twilight will be in good hooves."
She stood up a little straighter. "Now, I believe it is up to you on whether Star Swirl will marry her or not."
Night Light looked over to Star Swirl. "Ever since I noticed she caught your eye, I've been thinking long and hard about this. And this talk has confirmed my decision that..." he grinned, "you are the stallion I want to daughter to marry."
Star Swirl released a breath he didn't know he had been holding, a giant smile spreading across his face. "I have no idea how to tell you how grateful I am."
"I've got one." He wrapped a foreleg around his wife. "Take care of her for me."
Star Swirl saluted. "I will."
Velvet looked extremely happy, a joyful smile spread across her face.
"However, there is one favor I would like to ask, if that's alright." He said.
"Yes?" Night Light inquired.
"Would you allow me to be the one to tell her?"
Night Light raised an eyebrow. "You know she probably won't believe you, right?"
"Yes," Star Swirl nodded. "I know. But it wouldn't feel right if I didn't."
Night Light glanced over at Velvet, who slowly nodded her head. "If you're sure, then of course I will allow you."
He bowed his head. "Thank you."
"When do you plan on telling her?" Velvet asked.
"As soon as possible." He replied. "I'm hoping I can catch her on her way back from practicing today. In fact," He glanced at the clock on the wall. "She usually stops around this time. I should be going."
Night Light stood up, and went to shake hooves with Star Swirl. "Well, it's been a pleasure having you here."
Star Swirl nodded, accepting the hoof shake. "Yes, it has. I must thank you again for your decision."
They walked through the door, and towards the stairs.
"Oh, not at all. I'm positive you and Twilight will be happy together."
Velvet spoke up from behind them, "As am I."
Star Swirl turned his head to smile back at her, which happened to mean he couldn't see where he was going.
Suddenly, his hoof caught on the top stair, knocking him off balance. Star Swirl had two second to react before he went tumbling.
Sadly, it wasn't enough.
Down the stairs he went, banging against every step along the way. Down with the flower pot, down with the painting! A servant widened his eyes in surprise as a large grey lump of stallion came speeding towards him. The collided a fraction of a second later, sending them both careening down the staircase...
And landing at the bottom with a thud.
"Oomph!"
...
A few moment passed.
...
Groaning, Star Swirl looked up.
Velvet and Night Light stood on the top step, gaping at him with wide, worried expressions.
He put his head back down.
Well, he thought, there goes my good impression.