A Daughter and her Dragon

by Level Dasher

Chapter Fifty-Six - The Dotted Line

“Spike, this is exciting! It’s exactly what she’s worked for, and now it sounds like she’s going to achieve it! You should be happy!”

Laying on his pillows in his chamber with his head propped in his claws, Spike let out a sigh as he nodded. “I am, Twi. And I’m very proud of her.”

“Well you certainly don’t seem like it. You look like you’re down in the dumps instead of up on cloud nine,” Twilight responded, cocking a brow. “Besides, you’re the one that wanted her to get a job.”

“I know. She’s done everything I asked. Everything I wanted her to as a normal teenager. She’s technically had a job—not exactly a ‘normal’ one, but still—she’s making her own bits, she’s managing her time well, she’s been working on her own personal project on the side… It’s just… Well, I got used to having her around. Not only did she do everything I hoped, but I still got to see her over the course of the day. Knowing her, if and when she starts her own work, she probably won’t want to come back before five o’clock. We may not even see her for supper.”

Twilight crossed her forelegs. “Spike, it isn’t like she’s moving out. You’ll still see her in the evening at the very least. Just imagine that she’s going back to school. And staying afterwards for extracurriculars.”

“I guess. But she’s stayed home for what’s essentially a full school semester. It’s hard to break out of a routine after that long.”

“…You consider that long?” Twilight asked.

Scrunching his muzzle up at her, Spike just said, “Hush.”

Ж

Celestia walked out the rear entrance of the throne room, holding the door for Cotton. After a beat, she closed the door and turned to her niece with concern.

“Cotton, are you alright? You looked like you were… vibrating, for the last hour or so. Were you cold?”

Cotton’s eyes shifted back and forth before she silently shook her head. “No, I’m good. I’m just… uh… I’m… I-need-to-go-talk-to-Dad-kay-bye!” Then she zipped off in the direction of the main hall.

“Again?”

Ж

Several knocks in rapid succession preceded Twilight’s call of, “Come in!”

“Dusk Court, Aunt Twilight!” Cotton cried, her hooves a blur.

Twilight chuckled. “Cotton, they’re not arriving for another hour, and there isn’t anything you can do to speed up time. I know you’re excited, but you need to be patient.”

“But it’s so harrrrrrd!”

Her chuckle rising to a laugh, Twilight responded, “You sound like you’re twelve again! Is that really how you want to act when they get here? He might change his mind about letting a tween rent his store space.”

Cotton’s eyes widened, then she took a few deep breaths to settle herself. “You’re right. I need to chill. Can’t screw up my good impression.”

“That’s better,” Twilight said as she came around her desk. “Just relax. Don’t be nervous; you need to make sure you’re focused when you read over your contract with your landlord. Your father isn’t going to do that for you. With you, yes, but not for you.”

As they both exited the room, Cotton replied, “I know. It’s just… this is almost a done deal. Mr. Rate is such a cool landlord. Nothing like Dad says normal ones are like. I can’t imagine he’s gonna put anything weird in the contract, so like, I’m probably gonna own my own store in like, two hours!”

“Not ‘own,’ Cotton, you’re—”

“Renting, I know. I mean the business, not the space.”

Twilight nodded. “Okay, good.”

Groaning, Cotton asked, “So what can I do? I’m gonna go nuts if I have to just wait for an hour.”

Scratching her chin, Twilight answered, “Well, if you really want to show that you’ll make a good tenant…”

Ж

“Sir? Ma’am? Are you ready?”

Standing in front of Spike’s doors, Pro Rate and Sun Flower nodded, while Comet Tail held tight to his mother’s back as he worriedly glanced around at all the armed soldiers.

“Then behold, as he is known in the Crystal Empire, the Brave and Glor—”

“Bastion, don’t do that,” Spike said, his arms crossed as the door opened. “I’m not a tourist attraction.”

The guard chuckled. “Heh, sorry, Spike. Been a while since we’ve had new faces here for you.”

“Still. Now stay at your positions, and no funny stuff when our guests leave.”

“Yes, sir,” Bastion said with a smirk, still chuckling as he moved back to his station.

After the family walked through the doors, Ravelin lightly whacked his partner with the flat of his spear’s head. “I told you not to do that.”

“Aw, come on, I told you he’d be cool about it. Not like he’s gonna throw me in the dungeon.”

“I will throw you in the dungeon, Bastion,” Spike’s voice rumbled from beyond the threshold.

“Sorry, Spike!” the guard called as he quickly shut the door behind them.

Pro Rate held in a snort as he and his wife approached a small oak table set up for them, his saddlebags upon his back. “I admit, that isn’t the kind of exchange I would have expected between royalty and their guard.”

“We have a history,” Spike replied simply.

Comet Tail climbed onto his mother’s head, and a grin spread across his muzzle as he looked up at the towering figure before them.

“Suh Spike da Dwagon!”

All three adults in the room chuckled as he leaned forward, then fell into his mother’s quickly outstretched hooves. “Indeed it is, Comet,” Sun Flower said, tickling him in the belly. “You saw Si— you saw Spike yesterday.”

“Now those are reflexes,” Spike said, raising his eyebrows and nodding his head. “And thank you; you made two saves in one.”

The mare nodded in return as she set the colt on the floor in front of her. “Yes, I developed them fairly quickly. He’s quite the climber.”

“I can see that. Ah, here she comes.”

Pro Rate and Sun Flower both turned and found Cotton entering the room, a smile on her face, and a silver platter with a dome balancing on her wing. “Sorry I’m late, everyone. I was a bit held up.”

Spike chuckled as she approached. “I think the silver platter is a bit much, sweetie.”

“We’re in Canterlot Castle. The kitchen doesn’t have anything else.”

“Fair enough.”

As Cotton placed the plate down on the table, Pro Rate raised a brow and commented, “We weren’t expecting refreshments. That’s very kind of you.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call them refreshments, per se,” she replied, a grin threatening to split her muzzle. “If this all works out, maybe we can call them the first part of my payment.” When Sun Flower looked at her husband and raised a brow, the stallion just looked back at her with a hoof covering the smile on his muzzle, then glanced down at his son. He motioned for the two of them to sit, doing so himself, then Cotton lifted the dome, revealing thirteen chocolate-chip cookies upon the platter. She couldn’t hold back the grin as she said, “A baker’s dozen, as promised.”

“COOKIES!” the colt cried, trying to climb up the table leg.

They all laughed as Cotton looked at Sun Flower and asked, “May I?” When the mare nodded, she picked up a cookie and gave it to the colt. “Here you go, Comet. You get to try one before the first batch out of the oven.”

The colt scrambled to grab the cookie from Cotton’s hoof, then sat on his haunches and quickly took a huge bite out of it, holding it in both hooves. After chewing for a moment, his eyes widened, then he fell onto his back with a small thump as they closed, a huge grin plastered on his face while he continued chewing slowly, clutching the cookie to his chest.

Cotton and Sun Flower both started giggling as the colt lay there unmoving, aside from his mouth. “They’re that good, huh?”

“One of my friends calls it ‘chocolate ecstasy,’ so I’d like to think so.”

Pro Rate’s eyebrows rose. “Well, if that’s a common response, I don’t think I could deny it.” He reached for a cookie and took his own bite, as did Sun Flower. Minus the falling and chest-clutching, they had the same reaction as their son. Swallowing before his wife, his eyes still closed, the stallion said, “I’ll lower your rent if we make it three dozen.”

Laughing, Cotton replied, “You don’t have to do that. I’ll make an extra dozen anyway.”

Spike shrugged. “Well, if he’s offering—”

“Stop it, Daddy.”

Ж

“…‘The parties, intending to be legally bound, have executed this agreement on the date first set forth above.’ Well, I don’t see anything other than what you and Cotton spoke of and what she ran by me. I must admit, Mr. Rate, you have to be one of the most honest landlords I’ve ever heard of, let alone met.”

“Thank you, Spike, I do try,” Pro Rate told him. “I may not have an official legal oath to swear to, but I always make sure my tenants know exactly what they’re signing up for. I’m no scam artist.”

Spike nodded. “And I’m certain all of them appreciate that.”

“I sure do,” Cotton said, looking up from the contract in front of her. “Thanks for going over all the little details again. That was really helpful.”

“You’re welcome. Besides, what kind of example would I be setting for my son if I was a liar and a cheat?”

Spike smiled. “From one father to another, that’s a wonderful mindset.”

“Thank you.” Pro Rate glanced at his wife, who was still staring at the giant sheets of parchment in Spike’s claw. “Are you alright, honey?”

Shaking herself out of a daze, Sun Flower replied, “My apologies. I’m just still in awe of your methods, Spike.”

“Oh, yes,” Spike chuckled, blowing a tiny flame out the side of his mouth. “Most ponies are the first time they see it. But think about it— could I really sign something that size?” he asked, pointing at the copy of the contract on the table Cotton had been given to read.

The mare shook her head as she chuckled in return. “I suppose not.”

“Well, as long as I can get a copy that’s pony-sized, I have no complaints,” Pro Rate said.

“You will, don’t worry. Anyway, Cotton?”

Cotton looked up at him and simply replied, “Yeah?”

His copy of the contract in one claw, and the other tucked under his wing, Spike said, “Everything is in order and I have no objections. If you want to sign this, I will as well.”

Holding in her true emotion, Cotton took a deep breath, then nodded and responded, “Great! Could I have a quill?”

“Hold on, sweetie. Let me sign first while I still have it this size. We can hold onto that copy.” Spike pointed at the contract on the table before he reached up to his desk behind him and picked up his giant phoenix feather quill.

After cocking a brow, Pro Rate shrugged before he took the regular-sized contract and flipped through the pages. “So, there are a few pages that require signatures. First was page twelve…”

“Yes, I remember.”

The stallion nodded. “Great. Then all you have to do is, as the expression goes, sign on the dotted line. Well, lines.”

Spike chuckled. “Yes, I’ve used that phrase a few times myself when I’ve lent out scrolls from the Archives.” After signing four pages, he held up the whole of his copy of the contract. “One moment.” He took a deep breath, then blew his fire over the numerous pages and let them wisp away out his door. He smirked as he watched Sun Flower’s and Comet Tail’s eyes widen again. After a minute, he covered his muzzle with a claw; there was a low rumble before he took the re-sized copy of the contract from his muzzle and placed it on the table. “There you go, sweetie. Your turn.” After thumping his chest with a fist, he added, “Whoo, it’s a lot easier getting those back at normal size.”

With a slight tremble in her hoof, Cotton flipped through the contract and signed the proper pages herself, then pushed the sheaf of parchment back across the table to Pro Rate. After patting the top of the papers, the stallion smiled and held out his hoof. “Well, as I said the other day, it’s a pleasure to have you aboard, Cotton.”

Shaking his hoof, Cotton replied, “It’s… all mine, Mister Rate.”

“Well, now that this has been finalized, you can begin renovation immediately.” Lighting his horn as he put his copy of the contract in his saddlebag, Pro Rate lifted a single silver key up and out, allowing it to hover over the table. Cotton put up her hoof, and he placed the key into her frog. “If you have any questions or need any help, just let me know.”

Cotton stared at the key for a moment, then looked up and responded, “I will. Thank you.” Then she looked back at her hoof.

Spike smirked as he looked at Pro Rate and asked, “Would you mind if Ravelin escorts the three of you to the castle’s exit?”

Shaking his head, the stallion answered, “Not at all.” First looking at Sun Flower, then glancing down at his son—who drooled as he stared at the plate that still held multiple cookies—he pointed at the platter and raised his brows as he added, “May we take those home?”

Silently staring at her hoof, Cotton just nodded her head.

“It sounds like they were part of a payment to you, so of course,” Spike answered for her. “Just bring the platter down and ask for one of the cooks to put them in a bag for you. Actually—” He put a claw to his muzzle and called, “Ravelin! Bring our guests and their refreshments downstairs for me, please!”

The guard opened the door and gave a salute as he peered through. “Yes, Spike!” Looking to the landlord and his family, Ravelin beckoned to them and said, “Come with me, please. I’ll grab those.” As the three followed his instructions, he lifted the platter and dome from across the room, then guided them all out and closed the door behind them.

After watching the door close, Spike smiled and looked down at Cotton, who still sat silent, staring at the silver key in her hoof. He put his claws on his hips as he chuckled internally.

Three… two… one…

A massive grin split Cotton’s muzzle as she thrust her hoof upward and cried, “YES!”

Author's Note:

I think right now, Comet Tail and Bastion & Ravelin are my favorite characters to write.

---

Cast List

Comments

[mustangdrew4]

Ah yeah! It's a done deal now. Wonder what she's going to name it? If any thing she should definitely sell her chocolate chip cookies as "Chocolate Ecstacy". It sets them apart.

Thanks for the read. I look forward to the next chapter.

[lazyreader19]

Yay for Cotton

[DarkDMan]

Another great chapter! Hope this story stays on this family filled, light hearted fun fest all the way to the end!

Really love this family! Both of them!

[twidash1993]

Comet is so adorable!

[Mr Swanky Hat]

10015403
Bug you in a “Chekov’s gun” kinda way?

[PropMaster]

I gotta admit. There was a war, a major character got killed, and literally nothing has come if it. What about Steady's mom, or Gilda? It's just bizarre to leave all the threads dangling. It's fine to move on, but there hasn't been closure to move on from. I guess I'm disappointed. The return to slice of life is nice, but overall the whole arc with the war is... Strange and unresolved. I'd have rather Steady just disappeared, but the insistence on killing him off made me think there was a point, but instead it's just a dangling thread. I don't understand why it all happened at all when it seems, in the long run, to have been sort of pointless? I expected resolution by this point but it's sort of clear that it's just being moved on from and returning to slice of life. It needs resolution, in my opinion, but it's been pushed away by this point, so I'm just left going "why did that happen at all?".

[Level Dasher]

10022584
I generally try to avoid responding to comments like this with anything more than "Questions will be answered in time"—if I do at all—for fear of spoiling anything. But I guess I can try adding something else. Putting this in spoilers for that reason.
I think one of the issues is that because of the huge gaps in publication periods—and I bet this happens to plenty of authors—people assume that I don't know where the story is headed, and that I'm just making it up as I go because I have to figure out what's coming next. I'm not— I have an outline. I'm sure you know what it's like when you have the story in your head but you can't immediately get the words on the page.
One of the other reasons for those gaps is because I don't publish chapters without having my editor look through them—he's very good at prettying up my wording—and because he has a full life with two young kids and a job in the navy, he's sometimes hard to get a hold of, so my chapters can get backed up (see here—I'm even further along than that now, and you'll be getting 57 this week before I have to break again). That's why some of those chapter 'clusters' aren't particularly long— I can only get so many hours with him at a time. And I preferably don't want to edit up to a random point and then just stop in the middle of it; I try to go up to chapters where I feel it could be appropriate to have a bit of a gap between them.
And like you said, this is primarily a Slice of Life story, so there's gonna be some fluff (okay, maybe a lot), but there are reasons for them.
TL;DR— Please be patient. The threads won't be dangling forever.

[PropMaster]

10022888
That's all fair, I understand publishing gaps. I don't mean to seem to accuse you of not having a plan, I just figured that you built all of that stuff up for a good reason, but the fact that the threads have been left dangling for such a long time is... frustrating? Speaking as a fellow author, I don't mean to tell you how to write your story. Everybody's got their own method. Thanks for the reply at all, frankly, I just felt the need to ask the question because it felt like it was left unresolved for... a very long time. Some allusions, certainly, but there's been nothing said about it for many chapters, now, with this dip back into the slice-of-life (Which, by the way, has been delightful).

[Yutah123]

Oh no.

I caught up.

No more chapters for me to read.

[Level Dasher]

10024215
You'll get one more on Thursday, but then yes, it's gonna be a while. After that wait, though... be prepared.

[FiredragonX]

This is one of (if not)the cutest chapter to date!

[TheGreatEater]

10030662
Beyond a doubt.

10021996
Chekov's Sledgehammer? Still it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

10023438
This is exactly how I feel (including the SoL comment.)

[Love able chaos]

Congratulations cotton.