//------------------------------// // Part 1: Home Cooked Harmony // Story: As The Lily Grows // by D4ftP0ny //------------------------------// “You want me to do what?” Rarity’s voice was filled with incredulity and more than a hint of disdain as she turned to face her mother, her nose wrinkling as she squinted at the pink-coated unicorn. Her mother, Cookie Crumbles, rolled her eyes from the other side of the large kitchen and gave her head a shake. “Honestly, dear, your hearing seems to be getting worse the older you get!” she said with a smile as she peered into the oven that sat before her. “I swear I have to repeat myself more when you’re around these days than when you were a filly.” Rarity’s eyes narrowed indignantly, but before she could make a sharp retort about age Cookie sighed. “I said that if you’re so keen on us meeting this mystery mare of yours, then maybe you should just bring her over for dinner this weekend. I’d be more than happy to cook up a good old-fashioned meal for her!” Despite the warm, enticing scent of freshly baked apple pie wafting through the sunlit kitchen, Rarity felt as though she had just been offered a platter of dirty socks to sample. She wrinkled her nose and gave a small shake of her head. “W-well that’s certainly lovely of you to offer, Mother, but I-,” “Who’s comin’ over this weekend?” Rarity winced as her father, Hondo Flanks, shoved his brown-maned head into the kitchen with his customary squinty smile, his mustache twitching as he took a deep sniff of the kitchen. “Mmmmmmmmmmm, it smells wonderful in here, Cookie! Whatcha makin’?” “I told you before, sweetheart- I’m making apple pies today!” Cookie smiled up at her husband. “And Rarity’s marefriend is coming over this weekend to meet us! We’re going to have a nice big dinner for her.” Rarity’s eyes widened and she quickly raised a hoof and gave it a brisk shake. “Oh Mother, we never agreed to-,” “Oh that’ll be swell!” Hondo exclaimed as he stepped fully into the kitchen, his mustache twitching back and forth as he edged closer to the oven and Cookie. “It’ll be great to finally meet her, won’t it, Cookie?” He gave his daughter another squinty smile, his eyes pressed almost closed by the broadness of his grin. “But it’ll be like meeting her again, since Rarity here talks about her so much!” “Ooooh that’s very true, Hondo!” Cookie giggled behind her hoof as she checked the pie through the oven’s window once more. “Our Rarity can hardly stop talking about her, so it feels like we know her already!” To her chagrin Rarity felt her cheeks flush as her parents pointed out her tendency to bring up Octavia in everyday situations. Well, I can’t help it if she’s always near to my thoughts, the unicorn thought with a silent sniff. And that means that she’ll come up in conversation! Is that so wrong? “But it’ll be really great to meet her in person and the like,” her father continued as he edged towards the counter next to the oven, where a small group of three previously completed apple pies sat on a cooling rack. “After all, I haven’t had the chance ta’ tell her all about my college hoofball days!” Rarity’s eyes widened in horror. Oh dear Celestia no… To her credit, Cookie brought her head up away from the oven just long enough to arch a stern eyebrow at her husband. “Now Hondo,” she chided, “this’ll be our first time meeting the girl. Try not to get too carried away, okay? I’m sure the hoofball stories can wait until another time.” Hondo’s mustache seemed to deflate just a touch as his blue eyes widened in shock. “But… but Cookie…” The purple-haired mare reached out a hoof and patted her husband on the cheek. “Awww, chin up, big guy- there’s always Hearthswarming! That’s when you can really tell your stories!” Oh yes, he really can tell those stories… because he’s half tucked in to a barrel of cider, thought Rarity as her ears drooped towards her mane. Hearthswarming Eve is never complete without an hour of Father going on about the ‘good old days’ in college… “Well you’ve got me there,” Hondo said with a grin, his right hoof rising to rub the back of his neck. “Those were some good ol’ days, though, and I can’t wait ta’ tell her about ‘em!” He chuckled before dropping his hoof back to the floor. “But don’t you worry, Rarity,” he said as he turned his gaze to her, “I’ll save those stories for another time. I promise we’ll make her first visit here one that she’ll always remember!” “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” Rarity mumbled. “A-and anyway,” she said a bit louder, “I never said that-,” “Who’s coming to visit?” Rarity’s mouth clamped shut and she winced as the exuberant voice of her younger sister Sweetie Belle burst into the kitchen followed quickly by the filly herself, her white form bouncing into the space with a bright-eyed smile. “Is somepony going to be coming to visit this weekend?” Hondo grinned. “Well good morning Sweetie! What are you up to, sugar plum?” The small unicorn filly darted across the kitchen to nuzzle her father affectionately, her dual-tone mane mixing slightly as she rubbed her head against his chest. “Oh, not much right now, but the Crusaders and I are going to be heading out after lunch to try and get our cutie marks again.” Hondo’s grin broadened beneath his mustache. “Is that so? And what are you three fillies gonna try today, hmm?” “Well… that’s kind of up for debate,” Sweetie said with a sigh. “Scootaloo seems to think we should try high wire walking…” Rarity’s eyes widened, and on the other side of her father Cookie’s head shot back into view, her eyes as wide as Rarity’s as she held a pie aloft with her magic. “H-high wire walking?” she stammered, her horn sparking as the pie wavered in her magical grip. “That’s… that’s lovely, Sweetie Belle!” she managed after a moment, but Rarity could hear the torrents of concern in her mother’s voice even if Sweetie couldn’t. “But, um… will it be safe..?” Sweetie Belle’s ears drooped against her mane as her father sorted her dual colored mane back to where it belonged with a hoof. “No… Scootaloo thinks that putting the wire close to the ground ruins the challenge, and she thinks that a safety net would make us not try very hard to stay up there… so it probably wouldn’t be very safe at all.” Cookie’s pie slipped an inch or two towards the floor as her magic flickered, but after a quick breath Sweetie smiled happily and her ears perked back up. “BUT, I have an idea that I think will be much more interesting than walking on a high wire.” Unable to maintain her silence, Rarity chimed in. “And what, pray tell, is your idea?” “Investment banking!” Sweetie chirped, her eyes sparkling in the morning sunlight streaming in through the kitchen window. Rarity resisted the urge to snort, and instead satisfied herself with a subtle roll of her eyes. Only my little sister would think of something like that… “I’ve been reading a lot about it, and-,” “You have?” Cookie interrupted, her brow furrowed as she finally righted the pie she was levitating and moved it to the cooling rack with the other three pies. “And where have you been reading about… investment banking?” “At Twilight’s library! She’s got a huge book on it, and I started reading it one day when I was bored.” Sweetie raised a hoof and clenched it determinedly, her tiny brow knitting into a mask of purpose. “I know lots about it now, and I’m sure I can get the Crusaders to try that today instead of dumb ol’ high wire walking.” The small unicorn held her pose for a moment, but she quickly returned her hoof to the floor and turned her smile to Rarity. “But that’s later- right now I wanna know who’s coming to visit this weekend!” Rarity smiled benevolently at her little sister. “Oh Sweetie… never you mind about that, darling. Nopony is-,” “Rarity’s marefriend is comin’ ta visit,” Hondo chimed in as he scooted closer to the pies that sat on the cooling rack, his eyes locked onto their crispy crusts with greedy intensity. “She’s gonna come by and have a nice dinner with us!” Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened until Rarity was certain that they were going to pop right out of her head, and before Rarity could so much as breathe a word to contradict her father’s statement the filly leaped towards her, her green eyes bright and her ears standing straight up. “REALLY?! You mean… you mean Octavia is gonna come HERE?! For DINNER?! That’s so COOL!!” Sweetie’s bounced on her hooves so rapidly that she appeared to simply vibrate in place with her happiness. “I can’t believe it! I’ve been waiting SO LONG to meet her and now she’s coming HERE!” “Yes, it’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Cookie said as she swatted Hondo’s nose with a dish towel, driving him back away from the cooling pies. “I’m going to make a wonderful dinner for everyone, and we’re going to spend the evening getting to know your sister’s marefriend!” Hondo wrinkled his nose at his wife and turned to grin at his youngest daughter. “That’s right! And I’m sure we’ll all get ta’ take turns tellin’ all sorts of stories about you an’ about Rarity-,” Alarm bells suddenly rang in Rarity’s mind, and with a sharp intake of breath she waved her hoof rapidly in front of her. “Oh no no no-,” “Ooh! Ooh! Can the Crusaders come over that night?!” Sweetie Belle interjected, her excited tones washing over Rarity’s objections. “I’ve told them all about Octavia and I know they’d love to meet her! OH! Maybe we can put on a play or something for her!” “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, Sweetie Belle!” Cookie draped the towel over the rack next to their sink and gave the filly a bright smile. “Or maybe the three of you can sing for her! She’s a very musical pony, from what Rarity tells us, and I’m sure she’d just love that!” Rarity’s already uneasy smile slowly melted into a frown, and she felt her stomach start to clench. “Actually mother, I’d really rather we didn’t-,” “I’m sure we can sing something!” Sweetie chirped. “Apple Bloom and Scootaloo have been practicing really hard and we all sound really good together now, so I just KNOW Octavia’d love it!” “Sweetie Belle, honestly, I really don’t think-,” said Rarity a bit more firmly, but once again her words were swept away by another. “Well that’d be just about as fine a dinner as I could think of!” Hondo crowed, his mustache twitching with delight. “My two girls both home for dinner, meetin’ my future daughter-in-law AND a singin’ show?! No other stallion in Equestria has it so good!” “THAT’S QUITE ENOUGH!!” Rarity’s words, fueled by anger, embarrassment and frustration, flooded the warm kitchen and chased away every trace of the previous conversation. Hondo, Cookie and Sweetie all turned their eyes to Rarity, varying degrees of surprise written on their faces as their gazes met hers. The unicorn’s face was burning and she knew that she must be blushing terribly, but she would not be dissuaded. She let out a vexed sigh and gave her head a shake before speaking again. “That’s enough. This has gotten quite out of hand, and I shan’t stand here and let it go on any further. Mother?” She turned towards Cookie, Rarity’s ears drooping slightly as she tried her best not to growl at her mother. “I appreciate your offer, but I wasn’t searching for an invitation to dinner. I was simply telling you that Octavia has expressed a desire to meet you, father and Sweetie Belle, and that I was trying to decide how exactly to do that. Father,” she turned towards the stallion and didn’t try to restrain her frown, “I certainly do NOT want your first meeting with Octavia to be filled with rambling about your college days, thank you very much! She is a pony of refined high society and I’m certain she has no interest in hoofball.” Her eyes narrowed at him, and to her satisfaction the older stallion flinched at the sternness of her gaze. “No matter what venue we choose for this meeting, I would ask that you restrain yourself, if only for that night.” Now her eyes fell to Sweetie Belle, the poor filly staring up at her as if she’d suddenly turned into a hydra. “And Sweetie Belle…” Her words paused at her lips as a look of deep sadness began to build in Sweetie’s green eyes, and after a moment Rarity actually closed her mouth, took a deep breath and began again, more gently this time. “Sweetie, I’m afraid that I’m not sure I want to have Octavia come to our house for dinner, so any plans you might have had for…” She paused, her mind frantically going through every possible way to politely say ridiculous mess. “…for entertainment will have to be put on hold.” “But… why don’t you want her to come to dinner here?” asked Sweetie, her smooth brow furrowing as she frowned. “I mean, that’s what we do when we want to get to know a pony better, right? We’ve invited our friends over lots of times.” Rarity sighed quietly and nodded. “You’re right, we’ve invited our friends over- but Octavia is much, much more than a friend to me and her first impression of our family is very important.” Rarity turned and took the three steps to her left that separated her from the family’s refrigerator. “I want to make as good of an impression as we possibly can, and I’m afraid that having her over for a dinner- no matter how lovely it is, mother, and I’m certain that it would be- won’t be quite enough.” “Well… why not?” asked Cookie, her tone cool and her features composed. Rarity met her gaze evenly, but despite her collected exterior the unicorn felt her heart clench in her chest at her mother’s tone. That’s the same kind of tone she used when I told them I didn’t want to let them meet my first coltfriend… “It’s a wonderful way to get to know one another, and it’s very warm and personal. What could be wrong with having Octavia come here?” Rarity turned and paced away from the refrigerator, her hooves clopping softly against the tile floor. “Please don’t take it personally, mother… it’s just that-,” the unicorn sighed and her ears drooped against her mane, “…Octavia is half Neighponese. Most of her family still lives in Neighpon and Octavia is very much immersed in their culture. She uses their system of manners which is extensive and she lives by their etiquette which is strict and specific… and in Neighpon it is considered proper to take a pony out somewhere when you first meet them.” Rarity waved a hoof as she paced, her brow furrowed. “I-it’s all about showing them how highly you think of them, and inviting them to your home is considered all but rude because it’s the cheapest option one could take…” She turned and faced Cookie from across the table. “I’m aware that in Equestria it’s considered a mark of trust and hospitality to invite a pony into your home, but she simply does not do things that way and I’m worried that if we don’t do something grand she’ll think that you think less of her…” Now Cookie’s eyes softened, and after a moment of silence she moved past Hondo and Sweetie to stand next to Rarity. “Now dear,” she said with a smile, “I really don’t think you need to worry about all of that…” “But I do worry, mother!” Rarity took a step away from Cookie, her ears flattening themselves against her mane. “I worry that one of us will say something we shouldn’t, or do something that offends her, o-or make her feel underappreciated…” She fell silent, and several seconds passed before she exhaled sharply. “I don’t know… I sound like a blithering idiot, don’t I..?” “Well I wouldn’t say that,” Cookie muttered with a gentle smile. “Although if you’re asking my opinion I do think that you’re over-thinking this whole ordeal a bit.” “…maybe I am,” Rarity admitted, shaking her head slowly. “Maybe I am worrying about this unnecessarily… but it’s very important to me, she’s very important to me, and I just want everything to be perfect when she meets you.” The white unicorn raised her eyes and gave her mother a weak smile. “That’s not too much to ask, is it..?” Now Cookie smiled and a gentle laugh escaped her lips as she reached a hoof out and patted Rarity comfortingly on the shoulder. “It just might be asking too much, dear. After all, nopony is perfect- least of all your family. Right, Hondo?” Her left ear twitched, no doubt expecting his response to be quick and affirmative. What she received, however, was the sound of silence from the kitchen behind her, and after a moment Rarity shared a frown with her mother. “Hondo?” she asked again, and when silence once more answered her she turned towards the rest of the kitchen, dragging Rarity along with her. The sight that greeted them forced Rarity to physically stifle a laugh with a hoof to her lips. Standing at the other side of the large kitchen table was her father and sister, their faces as perfectly innocent as they could possibly make them… an innocence that was betrayed by the sticky apple pie filling and perfectly flaky crust particles that clung tenaciously to their white muzzles. Oh dear, Rarity thought as her eyes darted to her mother. That was probably not the best thing that they could have done… “Hondo…” Cookie hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “Did you eat one of my pies?” Silence filled the kitchen as Hondo’s eyes darted first to the left, then to the right as he tried desperately to think of something to say. It was a behavior that Rarity had noted in her father many years before and her observations had never been wrong: it was the face he made when he’d absolutely, positively, without a doubt one hundred percent messed up and was trying with all his might to find a way to talk his way out of it. After a moment his eyes darted to Sweetie Belle standing next to him, and just when it appeared that he was ready to speak Sweetie made her move. “Well… y-you just tell me what’s going on, okay Rarity?” she said as she sidled towards the door as nonchalantly as she could. “J-just say the word and the Cutie Mark Crusaders will perform whatever you’d like… okaygottagobye!” The small unicorn gave the group one last pie-covered smile before darting across the kitchen and out the door so quickly that Rarity had to blink to prove to her brain that Sweetie had moved at all. Next to the table Hondo broke out into a very visible sweat. “W-well, honey buns, I…” He gulped audibly as Cookie advanced on him slowly, her muzzle scrunching exponentially as she closed the distance between them. “I-I just couldn’t resist… th-they smelled so good, a-and..!” “Hondo Flanks, you get your hiney OUT of my kitchen right this INSTANT!” Cookie’s magic ignited and snatched the dish towel from its rack; a deft flick of Cookie’s horn brought the towel sailing to her side, and as Hondo turned to make a break for it himself the pink unicorn gave the towel a surprisingly expert twist then flicked it, the stinging blow aimed for the stallion’s retreating form. The tip of the towel snapped Hondo firmly across his backside with a loud snap that echoed in the kitchen and elicited a loud yelp from the stallion. Despite knowing that her father had earned that well-aimed snap on the rear Rarity winced in sympathy. If there is one thing you don’t want to earn from mother it is a towel snapping, she reflected. The normally jovial pink mare was uncannily accurate with a twisted dish towel, and as a filly Rarity had earned more than her fair share of snapped rumps when she had been caught trying to get into the cookie jar. “I’m sorry, Cookie!” the stallion called as he hurried off into the rest of the house. “If it’s any consolation, they’re delicious!” “It’s not, you pie-thief!” Cookie’s magic re-twisted the towel as she hurried after Hondo, but as she reached the door of the kitchen she paused and turned back to Rarity. “Oh, before I forget, Rarity…” The unicorn’s ears perked up and the sight of the towel held at the ready in her mother’s magic made her stand up just a bit straighter. “Y-yes, mother?” A gentle smile touched Cookie’s lips, and Rarity felt her muscles relax. “You should talk to Octavia about this. I know you’re concerned with how she’ll feel about us, but if she’s prepared to meet us she should help you choose how and where. If she really would feel more comfortable in a fancy restaurant then you know that we’ll do that… but I would love to have her come here. Promise me that you’ll talk to her about it?” “I…” Rarity watched Cookie for a moment before sighing quietly and nodding. “I promise I’ll talk to her, mother.” “Good. Now if you’ll excuse me..!” She turned and hurried out of the kitchen, her voice rising in the rest of the house as she proclaimed Hondo’s hide forfeit in payment for her missing pie. Rarity gave her head a small shake as the sound of her parents running through the house echoed around her, and after a moment she let out a larger, more resigned sigh. “I suppose that’s my only option, isn’t it… ask Octavia whether she’d rather have a quiet, beautiful dinner at a fancy restaurant…” A sharp snap echoed throughout the house followed by a loud yelp from Hondo, and Rarity winced. “…or dinner here. I’m sorry, mother, but I think I know what she’s going to say…” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.” Rarity’s eyes widened and she inhaled sharply in surprise- an unfortunate thing to try and do when one is drinking tea. Her throat closed, her windpipe opened and part of the tea made an unpleasant journey into a part of the unicorn’s body that it should not, causing her eyes to widen even further as she quickly set her tea cup and saucer down onto the table with a clatter. Her eyes watered as she fought the urge to cough and spit her tea across the table at Octavia, who set her own cup down hastily at Rarity’s distress. The unicorn raised her left hoof at the gray earth pony and her right to her own muzzle, warring with her body’s natural responses until she was finally able to swallow the mouthful of tea that had almost choked her. As soon as her mouth was clear she brought her left hoof back to her mouth and coughed loudly, the earthy scent of the tea surging into her nostrils as a minute amount of the liquid found its way into her sinuses. She coughed raggedly as her eyes filled with tears, the tension of her body and her own embarrassment bringing a brilliant flush of heat to her cheeks. That was beautiful, Rarity… she thought as her coughing slowly subsided. Choke on your tea, why don’t you. “Are you all right, Rarity?” asked Octavia, her eyes full of concern as she leaned across the table, her own tea forgotten. “I’m sorry if something I said upset you…” “N-no, darling, please… i-it wasn’t that I’m upset…” Rarity gasped as she tried to regulate her breathing. “It’s just that…” Her magic grasped her tea cup and levitated it up to her lips as she paused to take a sip of the warm, soothing liquid. Gently, Rarity… gently now… The tea warmed the ragged edges of her throat and eased the discomfort enough that the unicorn felt like she could actually speak cohesively once more. “It’s just that… well, I truthfully didn’t expect you to like the idea one bit.” Octavia sat back as her brow furrowed into a frown. “And why would you think that? I did say that I wished to meet your family, did I not?” “Well yes, darling, but I thought you meant somewhere… you know… public.” Rarity winced as vivid images of taking Octavia into her parent’s modest home flashed through her mind. “I thought that with your Neighponese upbringing that you would feel more comfortable going to a restaurant to meet them for the first time, that’s all… that is to say…” The unicorn sighed and sat up straighter on her cushion, her right hoof rising to gesture around Octavia’s beautifully decorated home. “My parent’s home simply does enjoy your refined taste and… clean aesthetic vision.” “Clean aesthetic vision” was the best way to describe Octavia’s beautiful apartment in Canterlot’s upscale housing district. It was the kind of place that Rarity had only dreamed of living in, and despite the fact that Octavia did technically have neighbors all around her the unicorn never heard so much as a peep out of them. A very heavy Neighponese influence draped itself over the home, evident in all of Octavia’s furnishings: a low couch and chairs sat atop a polished hardwood floor in the main living space, clean lines dictated the warm neutral tones of the walls in every room, and delicate rice paper screens divided the larger space of the very open apartment design in strategic places, allowing a beautiful amount of diffused light to fill the home from the three large windows on the southernmost wall. Octavia’s appliances were all black, a color that perfectly matched the marble of her countertops and the polished wood of her low dining room table that sat close to the windows, surrounded by seating mats and cushions. It was, in Rarity’s opinion, the kind of home that every pony in Equestria should envy and attempt to emulate… and certainly a far cry from her parent’s own modest accommodations. “I mean… your apartment is beautiful, Octavia…” Rarity’s ears drooped as she allowed her hoof to fall back to her side. “You’re so used to living in beautiful surroundings in a beautiful city, a-and to invite you to my parent’s home, a large old house filled with trinkets and knick-knacks tucked away in simple little Ponyville… it seems so…” she let out a soft sigh. “…so beneath you.” Her gaze dropped to the tea that sat before her, and she felt her words retreat away from her mouth until Octavia’s gray hoof reached across the table and gently touched her own. “Rarity... you aren’t afraid that I will think less of them, less of you if I see where you grew up, are you?” Her words were as gentle as morning mist upon the coat, but in spite of the tenderness that filled each syllable Rarity winced, her ears drooping towards her violet mane. “…perhaps,” she conceded softly. “But I was also remembering what you said about Neighponese etiquette, and about how important it was to treat a pony as an honored guest by taking them out somewhere.” The honesty that filled her mind as she spoke was still a strange sensation to Rarity, despite having been with Octavia for six months. There had been a time not too long ago when the unicorn would never have been so direct, so blunt in revealing her reasons behind doing what she did. It seems as though Octavia is having quite an effect on me, she thought wryly. “That’s all, darling. I simply wanted you to feel important, honored… loved.” Silence wrapped itself around them in Octavia’s beautiful apartment, and it held the two mares gently in its warm embrace for several long moments before the earth pony broke it with one of her soft, breathy laughs. “Oh my sweet gem,” she said softly, her hoof stroking Rarity’s leg tenderly. “You needn’t worry about such things, because when I am with you… I always feel important and honored. And most of all,” Octavia whispered, her hoof squeezing Rarity’s leg ever so slightly, “you always make me feel loved no matter where we are or what we’re doing… my Rarity.” Rarity’s eyes rose from her tea cup as a now familiar tingle rose in her chest, a teasing, tickling sensation that made the mare feel giddy in her stomach. She knows very well what her laugh does to me… she thought as she met Octavia’s amethyst gaze, her heart pounding loudly in her ears as she curled her foreleg around Octavia’s. “My love…” The unicorn sighed and gave her head a slow shake as her apprehensions and uncertainties fell away in the presence of Octavia’s confidence, leaving behind only a feeling of embarrassment to fill the void. “…I’m sorry. I was just being silly again, wasn’t I?” She smiled sheepishly, and her ears folded slightly towards her head. “I seem to be doing a lot of that when it comes to us… always leaping at shadows, always trying to make certain things go off a certain way…” “You weren’t being silly,” interrupted Octavia with another squeeze on Rarity’s leg. “You were trying to make certain that when I met your parents it was in an environment that I was comfortable in… and an environment that you are comfortable in,” she added as her smile took on the all-knowing edge that Rarity had come to recognize in Octavia’s closely-guarded repertoire of expressions. “It is an admirable thing to do for the pony you love, but in our case it was unnecessary… so I suppose you could call it as such.” “Unnecessary?” Rarity’s ears perked up slightly. “How so?” “Well, you were trying to ensure that I would be comfortable when I met them, correct?” The earth pony smiled. “Well, I think I would be most comfortable meeting them at their home in Ponyville.” Even though it was the second time that the unicorn had heard Octavia say it she still had a hard time processing it. Her brow furrowed and she smiled half-heartedly as she gave her marefriend’s leg a gentle squeeze of her own. “Are you certain that’s what you want to do, Octavia?” she said quietly. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to do things my parent’s way just to make them more comfortable…” Now Octavia gave Rarity an alluring wink, her lips curved into the sly smile that Rarity had seen so much during their early courtship. “You forget one important thing about me, beloved: I’m half Equestrian.” The earth pony withdrew her hoof and stood up off of her mat, her silky gray coat shimmering in the sunlight as she moved around the table and sat down next to Rarity. Her coal-black tail pooled around the two mares as Octavia leaned close to Rarity and placed a delicate kiss onto the unicorn’s cheek, her breath tickling Rarity’s coat and causing goose bumps to rise all down her neck. Rarity gasped lightly as Octavia withdrew, and after a moment she turned to smile at the other mare. “And that means you look at the pony and not their manners,” she said. “Exactly.” Octavia looped her hoof through Rarity’s, pulling herself closer to the unicorn until she could lean her head against Rarity’s own. “And it also means that my opinion of you won’t change simply because I see your foalhood home,” she said softly. “Nothing could make me think less of you, koishī… ever.” The unicorn chuckled and nuzzled Octavia gently. “Don’t say that until you’ve met my family, chéri… you might think differently after our dinner there this weekend.” Now it was Octavia’s turn to chuckle, the sound causing Rarity’s heart to soar in her chest as she locked eyes with the other mare, sapphire and amethyst meeting in love and devotion. I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked to learn that this mare can surprise me, she thought with a smile, her hoof rising to caress Octavia’s cheek gently. The gray mare’s smile grew and she leaned into Rarity’s touch, her coat silky soft beneath the pad of Rarity’s hoof. There’s no hesitation in her… no confliction or uncertainty about going to a new place and meeting brand new ponies. Rarity’s smile grew, and after a moment she leaned forward to press her lips gently against Octavia’s own, her heart pounding in her ears. I suppose I’m not the only one who’s changed since we got together, she thought. The two of us are growing stronger… together. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “…and then I says to him, ‘Hey buddy, why don’cha take yer whole team an’ try ta’ stop me!’ Well, he didn’t like THAT very much, o’ course, so I had the whole varsity hoofball team from Manehatten trying ta’ stomp yours truly into the turf!” Hondo pounded his hoof onto the table dramatically, causing most of the silverware and drinking glasses on the large wooden surface to leap and dance. “I tell ya, I never moved so fast in all my life! They chased me and chased me down the field, but I was too fast for ‘em!” The stallion sat back in his chair and crossed his hooves over his chest, a smug smile on his mustachioed face. “In the end, I made Canterlot University history an’ showed those Manehatten snoots what real hoofball was!” Silence filled the room as Hondo finished his story, and Rarity couldn’t even be bothered to pull her forehead away from her hoof to look up at him as she leaned on the table, the curl of her mane blocking her irritated façade from view. I swear to Celestia I’m going to put a mute spell on him, she vowed silently. I’m going to put a mute spell on him that lasts for two weeks, so that perhaps he’ll remember what I say to him next time… She shifted and threw a glance at her mother across the circular table, who shrugged half-heartedly and offered her a smile of consolation over the empty plates and platters from the meal the group had shared. Rarity’s lips pursed into a pout and she let out a sigh. “Mother… I thought you were going to keep him from talking about his hoofball days,” she muttered sulkily as she pushed her empty plate away with a hoof. “Dinner was wonderful, but I’m afraid that father may be taking his duties as host a little too far…” Cookie giggled from the seat to Rarity’s right, her eyes sparkling with mirth as she nodded across the table. “Well, it looks like your marefriend doesn’t mind, sweetheart, so why not let your father have his moment in the sun, hmm?” Rarity sighed and cast a glance to Octavia, who sat at her left. The earth pony was watching Hondo with delight, her eyes bright and her smile warm as the stallion recounted a particularly hyperbolic story about winning a snow-choked hoofball game all on his own. The designer’s lips curved into a loving smile as she watched Octavia nod in response to something her father had said, her mane bouncing beautifully in the clean light of the dining room. “Yes… yes I suppose she is,” murmured Rarity after a moment, her hoof dropping back to the table with a soft clop. “Although how she’s finding any enjoyment in his stories I’ll never know…” “I think you’ve forgotten how exciting you thought they were when you first heard them, Rarity.” Cookie reached over and patted Rarity gently on the hoof, a content smile on her face. “And the fact that she can listen so raptly will no doubt win her a good hoof-full of points with Hondo, I can tell you that.” “She is dreadfully good at listening,” Rarity conceded with an exaggerated sigh. “And I suppose if father thinks better of her because of it I should simply count my blessings and ignore the awful stories themselves, hmm?” “That’d be my advice, sweetness.” Cookie’s eyes wandered from Rarity to Octavia, and after a moment she nodded ever so slightly before turning her gaze back to Rarity. “And listening to Hondo go on and on is a very good way to make a very good impression on your mother, as well,” she added with a grin. Rarity snickered and rolled her eyes. “Duly noted, mother…” Cookie chuckled along with her as Hondo made another grand gesture, his hooves high in the air as he mimicked a particular leaping catch that he could not have made if physics were still in play. “But while we’re on the topic… what do you think of her?” asked Rarity quietly. “You’ve been very quiet this evening, and I’m not quite certain how to take that from you.” To her relief, Cookie waved a hoof and grinned. “Oh I think she’s a treasure, Rarity!” she whispered. “The way you light up every time you look at her… the way the two of you talk and whisper to each other…” Cookie sighed wistfully. “It reminds me of what it was like when your father and I were first together… all sunshine and rainbows…” “And now it’s all hoofball stories and towel whippings?” Cookie arched an eyebrow at her, and in spite of her being a full-grown mare with a mind of her own Rarity still felt herself shrink ever so slightly beneath her mother’s withering gaze. “Not all of it, sassy-mouth,” Cookie said with a wrinkle of her muzzle. “But I think I see the same foundation between the two of you that Hondo and I have… love, respect, devotion… I mean, you make that trip to Canterlot twice a week, don’t you?” “Twice a week, every week,” said Rarity with a nod. “My ‘Octavia Days’, as it were.” “That’s devotion if I ever heard it.” Cookie reached out with her hoof and gave Rarity’s hoof a squeeze, her eyes shining with pride. “Treat her right, sweetheart, and you’ll have a partner who’ll be there with you always.” Rarity felt her heart swell with relief at the happiness she saw in her mother’s gaze, and before she could stop herself she lurched over and wrapped her front legs around Cookie’s upper half, squeezing her as tightly as she could from a seated position. “Thank you, mother,” she whispered as her throat threatened to close up. “I… I was hoping you’d like her.” Cookie’s hoof patted her gently on the back. “Any pony who makes you this happy is a good pony in my book,” she whispered in return. “But a pony who makes you happy and can deal with Hondo’s stories is a keeper, no doubts about that.” “Hey you two, what’s goin’ on over there?” Hondo’s voice rang out loudly across the dinner table, and after one final squeeze Cookie released Rarity and both mares sat upright once more. “You two’re missin’ the best part of the story!” “Oh?” Rarity raised a hoof and wiped her eyes delicately before clearing her throat in an attempt to keep the sentiment from her voice. “A-and what story would that be, daddy?” “Well only my best and brightest moment at Canterlot University!” he proclaimed proudly, puffing his chest out as far as he could. “The finest moment of my hoofball career!” Cookie winked at Rarity. “Like the girl said, Hondo- which one?” Rarity giggled as her father gave Cookie his best scowl, and after a moment of silence Octavia cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the other three ponies in the room. The earth pony shifted in her seat so that she could better look at each of the unicorns in turn before speaking, her hooves folded neatly on the table in front of her. “Please excuse me, but I wanted to take this moment to thank you for inviting me over,” she said with a slight inclination of her head. “Thank you very much for the opportunity to visit your home.” “It was our pleasure entirely, Octavia,” Cookie said with a happy smile. “We were terribly excited to meet you, after all, and if it gave me an excuse to cook a great big meal then so much the better!” “I’ll say,” agreed Hondo with a grin. “It’s just too bad Sweetie Belle’s not here tonight- she loves ta’ help me tell my best story, and it really does work better with a smaller pony ta’ play the part of the hoofball!” Octavia giggled charmingly, and Rarity felt her heart melt at the sound of pure mirth from the pony she loved. “That would be a sight to see, to be sure,” Octavia agreed after her giggles had subsided. “And, if I might ask, where is Sweetie Belle tonight? I was hoping to get to meet her, as well.” “Oh, did I forget to tell you?” Rarity reached out and patted Octavia’s hoof. “Sweetie decided to spend tonight with her little friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but we’re going to see her tomorrow. We’re staying at the Boutique after all, so my dear little sister will be more than able to find us. I’m certain we’ll think of something fun for the three of us to do!” “Sweetie was so excited to meet you, Octavia, I thought for sure she would just burst with excitement before tonight,” Cookie confided before shrugging and shaking her head. “Then two days ago all of that excitement flip-flopped and became nervousness, and that was when she brought up this whole sleepover idea.” She gave Octavia a comforting, motherly smile. “Don’t you worry your head about it, though- our daughters sometimes get a little too worked up over small things, but they always come out clearer on the other side.” Rarity turned and gave her mother an indignant glare, her muzzle scrunched up and her brow furrowed. “MOTHER,” she grumbled, but before she could berate Cookie for implying such a thing Octavia’s hoof curled around hers and gave it a squeeze, drawing the unicorn’s gaze back to the earth pony. “I would do well to remember that, I suppose,” the gray mare said, her small, secretive smile teasing Rarity’s heartstrings. “After all, I plan on being with your daughter for a very long time.” “Then you’d better get used to drama,” Hondo said with an exasperated sigh. “Whew, dear Celestia the drama of the mares in this family-,” Two dinner rolls, each glowing a slightly different shade of blue, lifted from the plate that they occupied in the middle of the table and hurled themselves at Hondo’s face; one impaled itself perfectly on his long horn and the other imbedded itself flawlessly into his half open mouth, plugging it up so quickly that his eyes bulged wide. “That’s enough out of you,” Cookie and Rarity said in unison. Octavia’s eyes widened at the sudden roll attack, but after a long moment of silence she giggled once again. “I believe I will be just fine,” she said with a loving smile at Rarity. “My mother is no stranger to drama, and I think I just might be immune to it.” Rarity winked at her. “Well, life with me might just put that to the test, darling.” “A test I take willingly, koishī,” replied the gray mare. She leaned over and kissed Rarity’s cheek delicately. “A test I take willingly.”