“So who among you has begun any planning for such a large event?” the noble silver nymph asked as she sat in the living room. The violet drone that had accompanied her hadn’t stopped hugging Ledger, except to punch his shoulder with a hoof every now and then. The words ‘you sly drone’ usually accompanied those actions, and Ledger hadn’t once moved to stop his father. Better to let him get it all out of his system now.
“Well, Apple Family reunions are usually a big deal,” Cider remarked, remembering the last shindig in Ponyville. “We have a lot of family.”
“Yeah, like half of freaking Equestria,” Midnight commented.
“So the question becomes, do you want them knowing?” Ledger’s mother asked as she pulled out a scroll from her saddle-bags.
“Ah reckon ah’ll invite mah immediate family,” Cider agreed. “Plas a few others. Maybe Applejack an’ her kin. Cousin Brae an’ a couple of others.”
“So we’re deciding a guest list?” Midnight asked.
“And a venue, and catering, and who will officiate, and my boy needs to get you all rings,” the nymph began listing off, “Oh, and we mustn’t forget dresses. Hmm,” the Madame said as she began looking her list over. “Did I miss anything? Pony weddings are so different compared to how Changelings do these things...”
“Ah’m sure there’s more to it,” Cider replied. “To be honest, ah never saw mahself gettin’ hitched anytime soon, so ah never bothered really. Mah farm was mah life until a crazy bat and two bugs showed up to throw a wrench in it.”
“You’re welcome,” Midnight and Scope replied, taking a small bow. The Thestral rubbed her head and smiled sheepishly.
“Well, most ponies already know my hangups about weddings, so yeah... hmm, think we can plan an invasion? Chryssie is here after all.”
“While we could plan to have an invasion of changelings,” the Madame said with a cheeky smile. “I really doubt it would add to the proceedings.”
“Plus they’re a mess to clean up after,” the violet drone added.
“Don’t look at me, I don’t know anything about weddings, Pony or Changeling,” Scope waved a hoof when Midnight glanced her way. “Do you think those nymphs at the bar would know? They’ve been here a while?”
“Maybe,” Ledger said before looking at Twilight. “But I think we could do with a pony perspective.”
“Well, my friends and I did fix Cadence's wedding in a single afternoon. If the Apple family is involved, then that should get the catering covered. As far as entertainment goes, well Midnight’s mother is pretty big in the entertainment industry right? And I’m sure Rarity would love to handle the dresses.”
“Are you sure?” Midnight asked her. “I couldn’t ask to have everypony else do everything...”
“They will of course be paid for their efforts,” the noble said even as she began writing things down. “I would not dare imagine otherwise.”
“But, do we even have the money for this?” Midnight asked, looking at Cider. “I don’t know much, but I know that weddings are expensive.”
“I have more than a few savings under various names in Equestria I can pull on,” the Madame said with a smile. “And you’re already paying me back in the best possible way, dear.”
“I am?” Midnight blinked. “Well I mean, you’re a beautiful mare and all, and while I have entertained the thought. But I’m marrying your son and I just don’t think he’d appreciate me sleep—”
“You helped heal my son,” the nymph interrupted. “As well, you love him despite what I’m sure are not a small amount of flaws.”
“Owch,” Ledger said as he held a hoof over his chest. “Thanks, mom. Brutal honesty.”
“I try,” she said with that same smile. “But, as well, you’re carrying my grandfoal. I think I can stand to be a little generous if you’ve not eviscerated him for knocking you up yet.”
“Nah, not that moody yet,” Midnight said.
“We still need to arrange some precautions,” Twilight replied in a serious tone. “Your initial transformation happened a lot faster than normal, so we don’t know how feral you might become.”
“Well damn, when you put it like that,” Midnight winced.
“What sort of precautions are we talking about?” Ledger said as he turned to Twilight. The Alicorn sighed as she looked at him.
“Well... sometimes it’s nothing beyond a foul temper, maybe some hissing and biting...” She paused and decided that they should know. “Though, some old records showed that a Thestral stallion once went to strike his wife... she tore him apart...”
“...So avoid threatening Midnight, and get those maternity leave papers processed pronto,” Ledger summarized. “You might want to take Chryssie home soon, then, and we’ll put a hold on sparring.”
“Being a Thestral sucks,” Midnight sulked. “I don’t wanna hurt anypony...”
“Welcome to my world,” Ledger said with a smirk. “Before meeting you, that was my attitude towards taking any emotions at all.”
“It’ll be alright,” Cider nodded. “And if worse comes to worse, we’ll use Scopey as a distraction~”
“Now Cider is taking digs at me?” the little nymph sighed. “Yup, Ledger is a terrible influence.”
“As are you three,” the disguised drone fired back. “Seriously, the first thing that happens once I’m normal enough to have sex is I get inundated by it. Part of it’s my fault for pursuing it, true, but it takes more than one to tango.”
“Hmm, have I not told you about some decent self-pleasure methods?” his dad asked innocently. Ledger sputtered, coughed, and studiously looked away from the drone sitting next to him.
Midnight and Scope erupted with laughter at that reaction. Cider just shook her head and disappeared to fetch everyone some drinks.
“Back to the topic of the wedding,” Twilight said a little too loudly, also sporting a rather intense blush. “I believe I know somepony that could officiate.”
“We already promised Luna she could,” Ledger said as he paid attention again. “I wouldn’t say no to anypony else showing up, but we did sort of tell her after Middy proposed.” Twilight’s fluffed up wings had settled down, and she looked at her list she’d been compiling, crossing out her name.
“Oh, okay.”
“So that leaves...a venue, and me getting some rings,” Ledger said aloud. The noble nymph nodded and rolled her scroll up before looking at Twilight.
“Unless you have anything to add?” she then questioned the lavender alicorn. She looked at her list and hummed.
“Well, I’m sure there’s a lot more to be done, but we have most of the major details down. I’m sure we’ll work out a suitable menu for the occasion. Hmm, and wedding gifts as well. As for a venue...”
She looked at him and smiled. “Unless you have other plans, you’re welcome to use my castle.”
“Hmm,” Ledger said as a memory surfaced. “Cider, didn’t you say we could use the orchard as well? Up to you where we go.”
“We could, but it is winter, so it might be a mite cold...”
“Fair point,” the stallion conceded to the Apple mare. “Oh, decorations as well. We’ll need those for the occasion.”
“I think we’re missing the most important detail,” Midnight asked. “Like an actual date.”
“Before you start going feral or showing,” the Madame pointed out. Midnight nodded and sighed.
“The other option is to wait until I’ve actually had the foal, plus, that would give Twilight enough to figure out where she fits in all of this.”
“That, is the more logical conclusion,” Twilight nodded.
The Madame had gone silent. Still, even, as she looked at the Princess. Meanwhile, the violet drone had started chuckling, low in his throat.
“Oh no,” Ledger said, eyes widening. “You just told them…”
“Told ‘em what?” Midnight asked. “It’s not like Bookworm could prepare the castle overnight.”
“Not that!” Ledger said, shaking his head. “You just told them that Twilight is trying to fit in in all of this! Which, translated, means-”
“That she’s dating your herd,” the Madame said with the widest of smiles. “Oh dear, you should have said something!” Meanwhile, Ledger’s dad was wholeheartedly laughing.
“Four mares! And one of them’s a Princess! That’s my colt!”
“Well...buck,” Midnight winced as Twilight prepared a quick exit if need be.
“Please don’t tell anypony just yet,” Twilight begged them. “We’re trying to keep this quiet for the time being.”
“That, I can do,” the Madame said with a nod. “Though, now I am torn. Do we marry the herd as it stands so that Midnight will have no trouble fitting into her dress and still have nice photos from the event - do write down that you’ll need a photographer - or do we wait so that you can find your place, if indeed you desire one with them?”
“I... don’t know yet,” Twilight said. “I like them well enough, but... being a Princess means that I have a lot of other commitments. I don’t know if I’ll be able to give them the time they need. If that because I’m a Princess, that fact might cause them unnecessary problems...”
“We’ve dealt with unnecessary problems before,” Ledger said without going into any detail. “And welcome to my world on the first part. I’m constantly afraid that I’ll go one day not giving them enough attention or appreciation for who they are and what they do for me. And that that one day will be enough to wreck everything.”
“I too once faced a similar fear,” the Madame said as she walked over to her son. “The fact that you care about that fact, that it still terrifies you, means you’re doing just fine. Believe me, you’ll know if you’re doing something wrong.”
Twilight nodded. She was toying with one idea. An incredibly stupid and rash idea, but it would solve all their current dilemmas. “And yeah, Ledger strikes me as the type to tell you if you’re screwing up.”
“Or take the screw-up as my responsibility to fix, or a statement that I need to do more, or…” Ledger looked at nothing in particular as fears played out in his mind’s eye. While he was zoning out, Joyful-Heart raised her hoof.
“Yes dear?” Wishful Hope said as he looked at the pink filly.
She blinked and looked at him. “What’s ‘Self Pleasure’?”
“Your dad will tell me when you need that sort of lesson,” the violet drone said, expertly deflecting the topic for now. So he hoped.
“Pfft, Dad’s a sticky mud,” she frowned and looked at her mother. “Mommy, can I learn it? Is it like getting the honey pot all to yourself?”
Midnight covered her mouth and bit her tongue, barely avoiding her usual reply to that sort of thing. The Madame merely smiled her enigmatic smile before drawing the pink filly close with her magic and hugging her.
“Oh dear sweet Joyful-Heart,” the silver nymph said as she cuddled her youngest daughter. “Never change.”
Joy frowned and looked at her. “But...I’m a Changeling, isn't that what we’re supposed to do?”
“She means never change who you are,” Ledger clarified. “Never lose your randomness or your upbeat nature.”
“If I did that, I’d turn into you,” Joyful poked out her tongue and Midnight blinked, before laughing her flank off.
“Oh burn,” she giggled.
“Ack,” Ledger said as he held a hoof to his chest again. “What is with my family insulting me today?”
“You make it too easy, son,” Wishful said as he gave his boy another punch to the shoulder.
Scope chuckled, before her horn glowed a pale green colour and she tilted her head. “Hmm? Oh, hey... yeah, I guess. I didn’t realise you’d learned it alrea- What? No way?! Details. Spill ‘em!”
“Well that’s a thing,” Ledger said as he looked at the small nymph, before turning back to his mother. She nodded and looked at Twilight.
“Your call, dear. Would you like more time, or do you think these four need to be married right now?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight said. “This is their decision really. They’re the ones getting married after all.”
“You’re a part of their lives, however small,” the nymph said softly. “I’m certain they would respect your wishes, if you made them known.”
“I just... I feel like I’m just stepping on everypony’s hooves,” She said. “You guys have been so good at dealing with me so far... Maybe I should just forget about it...”
Ledger heard her melancholy words and disentangled himself from his father, navigated the room, and stood in front of Twilight, staring into her eyes for all of a second.
And then he kissed her, trying to dispel such thoughts from her mind, even if it were only for a moment. Twilight blinked, surprised by the sudden gesture as Midnight sat down, pouting that he’d beaten her to it.
Once the sweet kiss broke, she smiled and hugged Ledger. “Hey, can I do something really, really stupid and selfish?”
“You can certainly ask,” he said as he returned the hug, reveling in the warmth, the affection.
“Can...” She gulped and took a breath. “Can I get married with you guys?”
“When you feel ready,” he said with a nod. “Who would I be to deny you that? When you feel comfortable enough to ask, to say you’d like to without pause or stutter...then I would be comfortable accepting.”
“I’m nervous!” she almost yelled. “Of course I’m going to pause or stutter. I’ve known you guys for like a week. I don’t know if this will work out. If you’ll hate me if it doesn’t.” Sparks shot from her horn as she got more annoyed.
“Why is love too bucking hard!?”
“It shouldn’t be something you force,” Wishful said, speaking about more than one topic. “But something that comes naturally. Something you enjoy and seek with all your heart.”
“And if you put your heart into it,” Ledger said with a smile as he drew back to look at Twilight’s face. “Then it will work out. And we could never hate you.”
“Alright then... I’ll wait,” Twilight sighed. She knew it was a foolish idea to just marry somepony out of the blue like that. Ledger nodded and looked at his mares before voicing his next sentiment.
“Then so will we,” he said aloud, gauging their reactions to his simple declaration. Midnight smiled and nodded, as did Cider.
Scope seemed to be too involved with a one-sided conversation and didn’t pay any attention at all. Ledger then smirked and leaned back into the hug before whispering to the Alicorn.
“Plus this gives you more time to get used to the idea...and act, of intimacy...your majesty.”
The tone the disguised drone had used to say the last two words was husky, as though they were in a bedroom at that very second. She blushed and pushed him away, frowning at him.
“Your son is a pervert,” she said to the Madame. Scope chuckled and looked up.
“He’s not the only one~ Huh? Oh fine, whatever. I highly doubt that they’d care... Alright, alright.”
“What did you expect, once he was back to what passes for normal?” his father questioned. “He can only fight his heritage for so long.”
“Hybrids aren’t uncommon,” the Madame clarified. “Ledger is actually split evenly between Silver and Violet, though his more...lusty side only came to be known after adolescence set in. It was a shame that he was scarred so badly during his time at the Hive of Courage. It deprived the world of what he could have been for so long.”
“Well, I got to coax both big and bigger Ledger out of their shells, so win/win?” Midnight giggled. “Ohh, I remember that night. Mmmm...”
“Combine the things he’s learned with his full nature,” the Madame continued, “And this was going to happen.”
“...I don’t know how to take this,” Ledger eventually admitted. “How do you just get used to the idea of having another part to yourself?”
Twilight fluffed her wings while Midnight stared at him with her red eyes.
“...Okay, point made,” the drone said with a sigh. “Still, it’s pretty weird.”
“There there,” Wishful said from his new position of next to the Madame. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to slake your lust with three mares.”
“Indeed, I don’t know how you’ll cope,” the nymph said dramatically.
“Four actually,” Midnight giggled, pointing at Twilight, who just blushed and waved a hoof.
“But I-we haven’t done anything like that yet!” she cried.
“Not for a lack of trying,” Ledger pitched in. Twilight just blushed harder as she felt a little light headed. Nooo, the rest of her body needed that blood. Go away Blush to end all Blushes.
“Oh yeah,” Scope smiled. “Your brother has yet another mare to add to his collection.. what, oh fine. One sec.”
“Dammit all Ledger. Do you intend to leave any mare single in Equestria!?” Critical’s voice came through.
“Oh hey sis, how’re things in the Empire?” Ledger said as he was looped into the conversation.
“You know, same old, same old,” Critical lied through her teeth. Ledger nodded and looked at the rest of the room before speaking aloud.
“Critical says Hi,” he told the room at large before refocusing on the mental conversation. “So did you find the artist I told you about?”
“How about you shut up?” she responded in kind.
“Fine, then I reserve the right to withhold any and all details about my love life,” he ‘said’ back, smirking as he had one up on his sister at last. Getting the better of her wasn’t easy, but fortunately he had a pretty big bargaining chip.
“Like I would tell you squat about my love life and who I share it with!” Critical yelled. The room was deadly quiet until the nymph spoke up.
“You put me on a general link didn’t you Scope?”
“...Yeah...”
“Mom’s there isn’t she?”
“...Yeah...”
“...Fuck.”
“Language, dear,” the Madame chided her elder daughter. “Now what’s this about a painter?”
“...Nothing?” There was a sound in the background, followed by a muffled squeak. “Ah, not now! Get off.” There was a reply of some sort, followed by another squeak as the nymph blushed so hard, the other’s in the link could feel it.
“Sounds like an awful lot of nothing,” Ledger observed aloud.
“Indeed, perhaps Wishful and I will make a stop in the Crystal Empire before we return home,” the Madame mused aloud.
“Oooh, nooo, you guys definitely shouldn’t do that. It’s ah... too cold. Yeah, cold. Brrr. Stay away from here!”
“I’ve been,” Ledger said aloud. “It’s fine when you get past the shield.”
“I swear, you had better not come here. Dammit! I said not now Palette!... aw buck.”
“Sis,” Ledger said simply. “You found him, didn’t you.”
“...yes. Fine, I admit it. I found him alright. And now I’m his muse and his lover... crap!”
“Expect a visit, young lady,” the Madame said as she glared at Scope’s horn like she could actually see Critical through it.
“Y’know, we’re taking a vacation. Dunno when we’ll be back. Bye now!” And like that, she was gone.
“Heheh, that was hilarious,” Scope giggled.
“I’m glad you think so,” the noble silver nymph groused. “Now I have to give this stallion the once-over for both myself and Inspired-Dream. Plus I have to have a talk with my daughter about the finer points of safe sex for someone with her disability, in case she somehow missed that talk.”
“She did,” Wishful said with a nod. “Her dad never mentioned it to me, and I never went over it with her.”
“I did give her a morning after potion before she left,” Midnight admitted. “You know, just in case.”
“Pony-made?” the Madame questioned.
“General purpose. Dunno if it works on ‘ling’s though,” Midnight admitted. “I asked, but the pharmacist gave me a funny look.”
“That’s not ideal,” the Madame said with a sigh. “Changelings aren’t easy to treat with pony medicines. We’re close enough for some things, not enough for others. It might work, it might not. Our own alchemists devised a better version of the morning-after potion for those with her...disability.”
“If you have some, or at least know the recipe, I could send it to the Empire via Dragonfire mail,” Twilight replied. “Do Changeling’s have an estrus period like ponies? Or a more monthly thing like Thestrals and Griffons?”
“More of a yearly thing,” the noble nymph replied as she pulled out another scroll and began writing on it. “One week out of the year, when a nymph first becomes...receptive. She’ll start emitting pheromones like crazy, and nearby drones will...react. Until she gets pregnant, she’ll have one thing on her mind.”
“Getting pregnant,” Wishful said with a smile. “I remember that week.”
“I bet you do,” the silver nymph said with a dramatic eye-roll. “It’s not impossible for a nymph to become pregnant outside of the week, but if she has sex during that week, it’s almost guaranteed.”
“Interesting,” Twilight replied, writing all this down.
“That happens?” Scope asked. The Madame nodded, and Wishful replied for her.
“It was a wonderful week. She took time out of her schedule to just talk with me, let me know that we would do things at my pace...and one thing led to another, and another, and another…Eventually I didn’t mind the pheromones, and when that happened, ooh.” He hugged himself with his forelegs and shuddered. “I still have the most pleasant dreams about that week.”
“That sounds... interesting,” Midnight replied as Joyful tapped her mother’s shoulder.
“Is this some of that grown up talk? Oh! Am I growed up now? Can I learn all the secrets!?”
“Not yet, dear.” The noble replied, using her magic to stroke her daughter’s mane. “We’ll know when you are, and you likely will as well. I promise, when you’re ready, we’ll have that talk. We won’t put it off any longer than necessary.”
“Booo, fine,” she pouted. “Miss Midnight? Can we go visit Amy then? I’m bored!”
“Aright,” Midnight smiled. “I’m craving more ice-cream anyways. Let’s see if we can eat it all this time.”
“All the ice-cream?” Joyful gasped, releasing her deathgrip from her mother and buzzing over to Midnight. The Thestral nodded and the two headed out... likely about to cause a confectionary shortage.
“Well with them distracted,” Ledger said as he hugged Twilight again, this time from the side. “We’ll plan the wedding on our own, for Ponyville. We’ll have to tell the parents of Cider and Middy yet, but we can do that a bit closer to the date, I think.”
“That sounds acceptable,” the noble said before using her magic to bring Scope close and cuddle her. “You’ll send a message when the time’s set?”
“What have I said about hugs,” the nymph sighed. Well, she guessed it was her fate to be hugged. “And yeah, I can do that.”
“Perfect!” the larger nymph said before putting her in Cider’s grip. “Well in that case, I have a daughter to visit in the Empire before I head home. Remember Ledger, send word to me if you need help with financing this, and I’ll get some bits to you.”
“You don’t need to do that,” the drone said before sighing. “But if I know Scope, she’ll tell you anyways.”
“If it make you uncomfortable and awkward, count on it!” Scope giggled. “Kinda like you were after that hoofjob that Twilight—”
“And you don’t need to tell them that,” Ledger cut her off.
“Oooh, can’t we stay a little longer?” Wishful asked.
“You have a daughter to talk to before I become a grandmother, again,” the nymph said before passing her scroll over to the Princess in the room. “That’s the revisions that need to be done to a normal ‘Morning-after’ potion for it to be effective on a disabled changeling like Critical.”
Twilight looked over it and committed it to memory. “Okay, I’ll send this off right away.” She leaned over and gave Ledger a kiss on the cheek, before doing the same with Scope and Cider. “I’ll be back shortly. Ah, and it was also nice to meet you Miss Gossip. Mr. Wishful.”
“It was fun meeting you as well,” the Madame said before her normal disguise started to shimmer into view. The drone nodded before resuming his usual glamour as well, and in a few seconds, a normal unicorn couple sat in the living room.
“But now we must be going, I imagine we have a train that we’ll be needing to reserve tickets for,” she said before standing up and walking over to Ledger, giving him a quick peck on the head. “Stay out of trouble, dear.”
“Yes mother,” he replied.
“I’ll be back to embarrass you in front of your fiancees later,” she teased, before wrapping herself and Wishful in a silver aura. A moment later, the two vanished. Twilight smiled and gave them a nod, before she headed out to the waypoint and teleported back to Ponyville.
“Sooo...” Scope said as the three sat in the living room. “How long until they realise they left Joyful behind?”
“Joy’s a smart, powerful filly,” Ledger said as he eyed Scope’s horn. “You could probably get in contact with Peaceful-Heart, her dad, and he’d be able to summon her home with their song. She’s...growing in whatever makes Pinks Pinks as time goes on.”
“That, is a terrifying thought,” Scope shuddered, glad that Amy and Joy were no longer chasing her around all the time. Maybe Ace was providing a decent distraction, since the Pink hadn’t come asking for a smile in a while. “But, still raises the point of what to do now. Hmm, threesome?”
“I’d prefer it if you two actually entertained one another,” Ledger said. “Assuming she agrees to the idea, I have a princess to slowly break in to the idea of physical intimacy. I still want to repay her for that hoofjob. It’d be hard enough to get her to agree to the idea in the first place, I think if we introduced the idea of more...”
“You want just two of us to distract Midnight?” Scope asked with a raised eyebrow. “Isn’t Joy doing that?”
“For how long until Peaceful calls her back himself?” Ledger fired back. “And if you can distract her, or distract each other if you don’t need to distract her, that’d be nice.”
“What if she gets to Twilight first?” Cider asked, crossing her forelegs. “You know what Middy’s like. And she’s quite adamant to do just that.”
“Which is why I’m going to take advantage of them being out on the town right now,” Ledger replied evenly. “Once Twilight gets back, I’ll put it to her as...hmm. ‘Advanced anatomy studies,’ with herself as the subject. Or any number of cheesy lines. Point being, I’ll not let Midnight get to her so easily.”
“Why do I get the feeling that this will not end well,” Cider sighed and Scope nodded.
“Yep... ten bits says that one of them ends up on the moon by this evening,” she said. “What happened to ‘going at her pace’?”
“I still will, but I will repay that favor. If she tells me to stop once I’ve started, then I will.” Ledger crossed his forelegs and huffed. “It’s really almost a crime. Somepony as beautiful as her, and nopony in her life to remind her of it in any way. And she feels like she’s still stepping on our hooves whenever she asks something. She needs to be shown that we care about her, and I intend to do that, no matter how long it takes.”
“Princess Twilight is all kinds of awkward, as adorable as it is,” Cider nodded. “Still, don’t push too hard Ledger.”
“Otherwise she’ll push back,” Ledger agreed with a sigh. “Why does romance have to be so hard?”
“Because it wouldn’t be worth it if it wasn’t?” Cider said. “Remember when we started? That was rough...”
“That had less to do with us, and more to do with…” the drone trailed off, not wanting to bring up that day. The day he’d killed a fellow ‘ling.
Hives, some nights he still heard him screaming in his nightmares.
“Oh, you forgot about the time she accused you of her being nothing but a source of food for you,” Scope reminded him. Ledger sighed and rolled his eyes.
“I think every changeling/pony relationship, no matter how casual, has had that conversation at some point if the ‘ling reveals themselves,” the drone replied dryly.
“Yeah well,” Scope sighed and rubbed the back of her head. That was dumb, bringing that up again.
It didn’t help that Midnight walked back in a while later, looking all depressed. Ledger, noticing a lack of a certain pink filly, took it upon himself to be her replacement cuddlebug for the time being.
“Joy had to go home, she was just, there one second and gone the next...” She also didn’t tell them that she’d caught the tail end of that conversation. Ledger nuzzled her comfortingly.
“She does that,” he said soothingly, before a thought struck him and caused him to shudder. “Oh Hives, if our foal is Pink…”
“That could be fun,” Midnight giggled. “Or given your heritage, it could be a Violet.”
“And there’s the happy Middy I was looking for,” Ledger said as he pecked the Thestral on the cheek. “Y’know, the others were just asking for a threesome…”
Midnight hummed, before Ledger felt her get a eureka moment, it wasn’t as potent as Twilight’s, but the rarity of it made it all the sweeter.
“Would you mind sharing?” he asked her gently.
“Well, you and I wanna help Twilight get... aclimatised to our herd right? Well, why don’t we work together~”
“Put on a little show for her, show her that the things we do are normal, safe, and oh-so-pleasing?” he questioned with a raised eyebrow. “That’s fine, but we’ll have to limit it for now. I don’t know if she’s one to watch in the first place, nor do I think she’ll be comfortable if we crowd her.”
“Hmm, true, but I’m very convincing,” Midnight cooed. Ledger nodded once.
“That you are,” he said before looking at Cider and Scope. “Hmm. Well, unless either of you are volunteering, I think Middy and I might need the room in a minute or two, once Twilight comes back…”
“Y’all are gonna try right now?” Cider blinked. “It’s the middle of the afternoon.”
“When has that ever been a concern of ours?” Ledger pointed out. “...I’ll make some casserole for dinner if you give us the room,” he eventually tried bribing the pair.
“Can’ ya’ll at least wait until tonight. Treat the mare to a nice meal?” Cider sighed. “Ah mean, show a little class Ledger.”
“Fine,” he said with an eye-roll. “I’ll cook, but Middy and I get the bedroom with Twilight tonight. Agreed?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Scope replied. “I haven’t had much alone time with Cider anyway. I have a few tricks I wanna show her.”
“I better get started, then,” Ledger said as he wandered into the kitchen, glad they’d restocked it recently. All the things he would need for a traditional ‘Ledger-dinner’ were on the list, and he began pulling things out of cabinets and drawers as he started preparing his casserole and a fried spinach appetizer…
Meanwhile, Twilight was on the verge of pulling her mane out. After all this time, the Yaks of Yakyakistan were coming to talk? Why now of all days?
And this was what she was afraid of, having to put Ledger, Midnight, Cider and Scope second to her duties as a Princess. She sat at the massive table, her head in her hooves as Pinkie rattled off details about the party she wanted to throw for the diplomats.
“Whatever is the matter darling?” Rarity asked her friend, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sure this meeting will go along swimmingly.”
“Yeah, its just...” Twilight frowned as she penned a message and placed a seal on it, one tied to her waypoint. The others were not going to like this.
“I still don’t know what you see in that Ledger guy,” Rainbow said as she flipped a page of the comic she was reading. “But, if he makes you happy, who are we to stop you.”
“Ah agree with Rainbow,” Applejack nodded. “Ah mean, Cider has a good head on ‘er shoulders. An’ ah reckon that Midnight mare, despite all her...”
“Eccentricities?” Rarity helped.
“Yeah, let’s go with that,” the earth mare nodded. “Ah reckon she’s alright.”
“I think it’s wonderful,” Fluttershy smiled. It didn’t help that Twilight got all cute and flustered whenever she spoke about them.
“Thanks girls,” Twilight smiled. “Oh, and once this diplomatic meeting is done, I have something to ask you all okay?”
The five mares shared a curious look with one another, and nodded.
As Ledger cooked, Midnight noticed a flash from outside and smiled, rushing out to greet their royal friend.
So when all she saw was a letter, the Thestral frowned as she picked it up and opened it. Her eyes scanned the page and she sighed, taking it inside and trotting into the kitchen.
“Hey, Ledger?”
“Mmm?” He replied.
Midnight sighed and cleared her throat.
'To my dearest. Ledger, Midnight, Cider and Scope.
Something has come up that requires my immediate attention, a group of very important delegates has decided on a visit and it is imperative that a good first impression be made.
So unfortunately, I will not be coming back tonight. I am truly sorry for this.
Also, while I hate to ask, could I leave Chrysalis in your care? These guests are quite... particular.
With my love.
Twilight Sparkle.'
“So essentially, no sexytimes with Twilight, look after the Queen, and Princess Sparkle is going to be busy,” Ledger hummed as he considered his cooking, before rolling with it and looking at the other room. “Scope, do you know a ‘return to sender’ spell?”
"Yeah, why?" Scope asked him.
“If Twilight is going to be so busy that she can’t come back for dinner, I think dinner should come to her,” Ledger clarified as he stuck his casserole in the oven to bake at last. And while that baked, he had an appetizer of fried spinach to work on. “Can your spell do that?”
“I dunno... maybe?" Scope shrugged as she leaned into Cider's hug. "I guess it couldn't hurt to try."
The sound of a door opening and some muttering signalled that Chrysalis was back also. Ledger rolled his eyes, but added more spinach to the pile he was about to fry up. It always cooked down anyways. A little garlic and olive oil did wonders to make it more palatable for those that hated it. “Who wants to tell the news to Chryssie that we’re her new foalsitters for tonight?”
Midnight ran from the room and all three mares cried 'Not it.' Ledger just sighed as he went back to his frying. Tonight promised to be...intensive.
Eventually, the casserole finished baking. And with the serving of spinach kept to the side for the lavender alicorn as well, Twilight’s care package was all ready for her. Ledger penned a short reply on the other side of the scroll she’d used to contact them before putting it right next to the plate and nodding at Scope.
“Okay, it’s ready,” he said to the nymph. Scope nodded and with a flash of her horn, the meal was sent on its way.
"Hopefully its still edible when she gets it," Scope nodded.
"Any idea how long I'm stuck here?" Chrysalis asked with a mouthful of food.
“Until Twilight says otherwise,” Ledger said firmly. He was so not putting up with any more of her...antics at this juncture. He had enough on his plate, thank you very much.
"Oh relax," Chrysalis replied. "I don't really care, it gives me a break from that infuriating pink pony."
“Amen to that,” Ledger muttered. He too was glad he didn’t have to deal with too many Pinks at once. Get Amy, Joyful, and Pinkie together, and the world would end.
"I mean, is it genetic or something?" Chrysalis asked. "If you're pink coloured, then you're predispositioned to be utterly insane."
“That implies things about Pinkie and Pink Changelings,” Ledger warned the queen from following that line of thought.
"Pinkie isn't a Changeling," Chrysalis sighed. "She'd be far more predictable if she were..."
“But saying ‘it’s genetic’ implies that perhaps there’s a bit of shared ancestry,” the drone warned. “And down the road of trying to understand anything pink lies madness.”
"Even Twilight won't touch that," the queen laughed as Scope shuddered.
"Oh sweet Hives. The two of you are bonding?"
“...Is that what this is?” Ledger questioned with a raised eyebrow. “I thought we were simply exchanging barbs with them not being about each other for once.”
"Aww, Levvy made a friend," Midnight cooed. "Well I think its nice."
“I suppose it wasn’t impossible, just highly improbable,” the drone conceded before finally eating his own serving of casserole.
Chrysalis looked at the family, before getting up and heading upstairs. "I'm going to bed," she simply said and vanished. Ledger snickered and cleared his mouth of his bite of dinner before snarking on the situation.
“Y’know, for a Changeling, the race that needs positive emotions of others to live, she’s remarkably uncomfortable around the idea of making friends.”
“Well, given how nymphs are raised," Midnight replied. "I think I'll take a shower and head to bed myself." She gave Ledger a peck on the cheek and headed upstairs. He hummed happily as he took the last bite of his dinner, glad to be eating it at last. Though, he of course did not stop watching her flank as she left.
"You're still a perv," Scope chuckled as she cuddled with Cider. "Also, I'm still stealing this one tonight."
“Fair enough,” Ledger said once his mouth was clear. Walking over and giving both of them a peck, he looked around the room at the dirty dishes strewn everywhere and sighed. “One more task before I sleep, I suppose. There usually is.”
"Go and join Middy in the shower," Cider replied. "Scopey and I will take care of this." The two each gave him a deep kiss, though Scopey also groped him a little~
“Suppose I can,” Ledger agreed. “See you two lovely mares later then.” With that, he was off to the bedroom.
Several sets of blue eyes peered at the homestead that that they’d been told to watch, one offering a slight head tilt.
“This the place?”
“Yes. And she’s there as well.”
“Are they all in place?”
“It was too easy… they’ll never even see it coming…”