//------------------------------// // A Slice of Life: Good Morning // Story: A Slice of Life: Journey // by Scarheart //------------------------------// He awoke in the aftermath of the rising sun, its rays playfully tugging at the sleep in his eyes until they fluttered open. Groaning, the former sleeper rubbed his eyes and blinked behind the shade provided by the palms of his hands. Blearily the just awakened creature yawned and gave his head a slight shake as if sleep was still clinging to his head and stubbornly would not let go. With his right hand, he felt at the empty spot next to him, patting futilely at the sheets and pillows, their occupant having long since risen before the crack of dawn.         Slowly, almost in a fashion of slow torture, he swung his legs out from under the covers and draped them over the side of the bed. They slid down until his feet touched the carpeted floor. The thick therapeutic sensation of the soft fabric against the soles of his feet was nothing compared to the perfect comfort he was threatening to leave. His toes flexed, clawing bluntly at the carpet before relaxing. The rising beast leaned forward, his fingers and palms gripping at the edge of his bed as he groaned again. Next to the bed was a nightstand. Upon the nightstand was a folded pair of glasses by the silent alarm clock. It was a memory of a time when he actually used them, before the wonders of magic had corrected his vision to near perfection. The alarm clock had been deliberately turned off. He knew who the culprit was.         His bladder informed him of a swelling urgency. With a grunt and a push of his arms, he was upright, taking a moment to find his legs while he rubbed his eyes again. A tremendous yawn was accompanied by a stretch and the popping of the spine. Slowly he plodded towards the bathroom, heeding a call of nature that simply could not be ignored. The human was taller than his wife, though her horn tip rose an inch or two above his noggin. He considered himself to be of average build, perhaps a little soft from living a comfortable life. Green-blue eyes blinked as he yawned again.         A shower followed, then shaving. In fifteen minutes, the man felt human again. The steamed-up mirror reflected the face of early middle age, complete with streaks of gray in his short red hair. Though he would have liked to have grown some facial hair on his chin, he knew his wife would frown upon it. She liked him clean shaven, though on weekends he was allowed to forgo shaving.         Unfortunately, it was only Tuesday.         Back to the bedroom the man went, busying himself with dressing. Opting for semi-formal attire, he went with khakis and a white button down short-sleeved shirt with his initials over lone pocket over his left breast. He kept his feet bare. It was summertime, so his feet really did not need to be covered. The ponies never seemed to mind it, though his toes often did draw stares.         The door creaked. It was a tall door, something the match the grandeur of the room. The alabaster wood was hewn from the forgotten and long passed nation, his wife had once told him. From the crack in the door was a small pair of hands holding it apart, yet not daring to allow the door to swing wider. Above those perfect little fingers were a pair of large magenta eyes brighter than the little expectant smile dancing with joy when she spied him. Her skin reminded him of her mother's, her devious little grin very much his. At six years old, the child was a delight to the man and brought joy and happiness it seemed wherever she went.         “Daddy!” The door flung open and a little girl rushed towards him, her arms wide and her pinkish red hair flying carelessly behind her. He saw her coming and broke into a grin, bending his waist and knees. With one deft movement, the child was swept up and she began to cover her father with kisses with her little pink bow-shaped mouth.         “Good morning, Sunshine,” he greeted her, weathering the storm of affection with the stoic face of an admiral riding his fleet through a typhoon and enjoying every minute of it. “Did you sleep well?”         She nodded as he shifted her to his left arm, easily hefting her tiny frame. With his right hand, he brushed strands of his daughter’s hair from her face. At the touch of his fingers, they shimmered like refracted light, imitating her mother’s magnificent mane. “Uh-huh!” Sunshine nodded again, wrapping her arms around her father’s neck. “I had a good dream.”         “Oh?” Daddy booped Daughter on the button at the end of her nose. “What kind of dream?” Out the bedroom he carried her and down the hall, in the direction of the dining room. “Was I in it?”         “Yes!” she said happily. Sunshine buried her head into Daddy’s neck and shoulder. “Auntie was there. She said I’m getting lots better at walking.”         “So, she’s teaching you already? You must be a very smart girl if your aunt is willing to show you important things like that. What else did she teach you?” They rounded the corner, passing by a maid dusting a large and very old vase. The man waved at her and smiled in greeting. Sunshine was more vocal about it. The mare smiled back and bowed slightly, tittering behind a hoof before going back to her duties.         Sunshine was full of sunshine. “She taught me the names of her stars! Polaris is my favorite! She says it was Mommy’s star when she was little.”         “Should I be jealous of Polaris?” asked Daddy, feigning shock and surprise. “Is he going to take my two most favorite girls from me?”         The girl laughed. “No, Daddy! That’s silly! Polaris is a girl!”         “I will protect my girls!” he declared manfully, puffing out his chest. It made his daughter laugh more, giggling as she hugged him. Sunshine loved giving hugs. She was a very affectionate little girl. “What was I doing in the dream?”         “You were singing with Mommy! You were hugging each other and laughing. You danced! I didn’t think you were a good dancer. Mommy loved dancing with you and then she grabbed me and we were all dancing together! Auntie watched and played the music we danced to. She was very happy for all of us. She told me she would dance with us soon!”         Father quirked an eyebrow at Daughter. “Oh? She did, did she?” He was blushing slightly. “How much of it did you understand?”         A quizzical and adorable look adorned the girl’s face. “Um,” she said, scrunching her brows thoughtfully, “I might get a little brother or sister that I can play with?” Sunshine was not very sure as she blinked at her daddy. "Auntie said everything was going to be wonderful." “Oh, really?” A worried frog chirped from his throat. “Would you like to have a little brother or sister to play with?” If possible, she beamed brighter. “Daddy, I would love to have a brother or a sister!” They arrived at the dining room. It was not the formal one they used to entertain important visitors, but the one set aside for family meals. Two mares, one as white as snow and the other the color of a moonlit night, were already at the table, chatting with each other and giggling as mares were oft doing. The alicorns looked up when they heard father and daughter enter. “Mommy! I got Daddy, just like you asked!” Sunshine called out. Daddy put her down and she ran around the table, throwing her arms around the graceful neck of her mother. “Well so you have!” she proclaimed with a laugh, wrapping a wing around the girl. “I can’t deny my favorite girls.” The man heard his name as Luna greeted him warmly. “Sit and eat. Your breakfast is getting cold.” “Yes, dear,” came the glum reply. It was difficult to believe since the man was shuffling his feet and grinning slyly. He bent over and whispered into the princess’s ear, “What have you been telling my daughter in her dreams?” he asked before taking a light nibble at her ear. The princess puffed her feathers at the contact. “Why, the truth,” said the mare, grinning at her sister. “Celestia has been hounding at me for years to give in and marry you. You know I have only not interfered with your marriage because of that taboo of yours.” She in turn kissed the human lightly on the lips and hummed happily as she nuzzled his cheek. The father and husband straightened himself up, giving a leering look at the larger princess. “It took fifteen years of her giving me those doleful eyes and quivering bottom lip before I caved.” He swept an arm grandly...almost accusingly at the white alicorn. Celestia flicked her tail in mock indignation. “A wife must make sure her husband is happy,” she reminded him, lifting her nose to the air and sniffing. The human moved quickly, a hand trailing affectionately from Luna before the other reached out and trailed into Celestia's mane. She gave a happy sigh as his fingers worked their magic. There was a twinkle in her eye as he cozied up to her. The other arm casually draped itself over her withers and pulled her close. “Besides, it is not uncommon for a herd to consist of sisters and their stallion.” "I'm a lucky guy, Celestia. I don't know what my life would be like without you, Sunshine, and Luna." "Oh, I would imagine you would have sought out that horrid changeling queen..." Luna shivered. "Chrysalis isn't that bad." Luna huffed her disagreement. "Never mind that," she said, wanting to drop the subject. "Eat." A chaste kiss to Celestia and a ruffling of Sunshine’s hair later, the human was at his seat and applying pepper to his scrambled eggs. There was the sounds of a happy family digging in to their food. It did not last long before the man cleared his throat and gave Luna a wry smile. "She still gets under your skin after all these years?" The blue alicorn gave him a flat stare as she sipped her orange juice. She petulantly stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry. “So,” he began as he sipped his coffee. “About that dance, Luna. Is there something you would like to share with the rest of us that you’ve already shared with Sunshine?” The devilish grin on his face only widened when Luna blushed furiously. Celestia quirked an eyebrow as she sipped her own cup of coffee. “Oh?” she prompted. “Ah, well,” Luna fidgeted, staring at her half empty plate. “You know how my sister put me up to proposing to you, yes? After courting you for the past seven years? Because she said you were worth it and more? After everything she—” The princess was mindful of Sunshine. "—told me in detail of your most attentive ministrations?" “I don’t know about that,” murmured the man to himself, flushing as his smile faded. He blinked, a speculative look drifting over him as he stared up at the chandelier hanging over the table. “Half the nobility could tell you exactly what they think I’m worth and it’s not exactly rating above a cesspool.” “The other half thinks highly of you," reminded Celestia pointedly as she rolled her eyes. “Lulu, never you mind him. Go on, please.” “Thank you, sister, I believe I will.” The Princess of the Night cleared her throat and regathered her thoughts. The man's self depreciation had thrown her off. “The night I proposed to you, you said yes and what we did afterwards. Do you remember that?” Coughing uncomfortably, the human found himself slumping his shoulders as a moment of guilt overcame him. Guilt mixed with a happiness he was not sure he should be feeling. “I do,” he admitted, not breaking eye contact with the indigo mare. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Mindful of Sunshine, Luna turned to Celestia to support. Her sister smiled and gave her an encouraging nod, flinging out a wing to offer a gentle push towards the human. There was love here. Love between family. “You’re pregnant?” squealed Sunshine, her eyes having gone round. She was a very perceptive little girl. The adults stared at her. Then at each other. Luna was sheepish. The man was in a state of shock. Celestia was beaming her happiness. “Yes. Yes I am,” admitted Luna demurely. "Lulu! I'm so happy for you!" Celestia's joy washed over everyone as she immediately went over and nuzzled her sister. Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, the suddenly expectant father fell out of his seat with a thud. “Daddy!” “Oh, he’s fine, dear. He did that when he found out I was going to have you.” “Did he have the same smile on his face?” “Yes, I believe he did. Now finish your breakfast. We have an announcement to make. The nobles are going to have kittens.” “I like kittens!” “So do I, my little sunshine. So do I. Luna?” “Yes, sister?” “You might want to move up the wedding day to before you have the foal. Appearances, of course.” Both mares wore evil grins. There were noble stallions out there who were going to be gnashing their teeth and tearing at their manes. “Of course! A most reasonable suggestion. I’ll let Pinkie Pie know.”