Epilogue
A cheerful chuckle resounded across the office.
“It sounds like you’ve had a busy week!” Doctor Hugs said. “Is there anything else either of you would like to add before we continue?”
Fleur gazed into the cup and stirred the remaining sip’s worth of tea, pondering over the events of the past week.
Per the doctor’s request she had recounted pretty much everything there was to cover—the awkward first days spent around Chestnut, losing and finding her on the Promenade, the lessons in poise and pizzazz, up to yesterday’s grand event with its numerous, more or less successful encounters with the Canterlot Elite. A busy week indeed! Fancy Pants supplemented her story with various small steps of his own involving crosswords, adventure books, and elderly shopkeepers, but even with his help Fleur felt their report was lacking. Chestnut would know what details they missed but she was waiting outside for the time being, as it was apparently required on this stage of the evaluation session.
She put the cup away.
“Only that neither Nutsie nor I realized Fancy Pants was in the doorway all along.” She threw a glance at her husband. “How long have you been standing there, anyway?”
“I got upstairs just in time to witness one of the most heartwarming scenes I have ever seen. Chestnut’s beautiful dream, standing there when she called Fleur ‘Mom’ for the first time… it was an exceptional experience, to say the least. Oh, and don’t get me started on all the hugging and snuggling! I know I cried myself, there’s no denying that.”
Fleur murmured in agreement. “I have to admit I was rather surprised to see our acquaintances acting so supportive about our decision, especially after my outburst. I realize some of them weren’t completely honest, but since our little guest of honor was in demand for the rest of the evening I suppose in the end it turned out pretty well.”
Doctor Hugs joined his hooves in a loud clap.
“Splendid! I understand that you’re ready to finalize the adoption procedures, yes?” he said, to which the unicorns nodded. “Do you recognize the thestral filly named Chestnut as your adopted daughter? Will you do everything in your power to provide her with home and caring as her legal mother and father from here on out?”
A shiver of excitement went down Fleur’s spine. It was really happening!
“We certainly do!” she almost shouted.
“And we will,” Fancy Pants added. “I believe it’s safe to say we’ve learned a lot about ourselves from Chestnut. Perhaps our lives haven’t suddenly turned one hundred and eighty degrees because of her, but frankly, after the week we’ve spent together, I can no longer imagine her voice, her presence not accompanying us in our everyday routines.”
“I’m happy to hear that,” Doctor Hugs replied, for once not turning into a living smiley face but keeping a serious, yet nonetheless warm expression. “Just keep in mind that your unique relationship with Chestnut will be challenged in many ways in the days to come. But, from what I can see, you’re going to do just fine.” He shot his hoof at the mare. “Mrs. Fleur, when we met for the first time, you defined the word ‘mother’ as someone who gave birth to a child. I’m curious, did the trial period change anything regarding that?”
“But of course! I now understand that being a mother can be a matter of bond and not necessarily blood. It’s such a wonderful feeling, taking up this mantle, and even as an adopted one, I mean mother, it’s like…”
Her voice trailed off as she found herself struggling for the right words. She thought about her recently reshaped idea of motherhood. What it meant to her, how she felt in that role, why Chestnut was so important to her. Regrettably, the entire concept didn’t want to translate itself into words.
She smiled apologetically. “It’s difficult to explain. I’m sorry, doctor. You probably know by now that I’m not very good at talking about these things. But I do feel them.” She pointed at her chest. “Right here.”
The stallion chuckled. “It’s quite alright, madam, quite alright. I can definitely see a change in your views and I do believe it’s one for the better,” he said. “By the way, if you don’t know how to talk about your feelings you can always try writing them down first.”
“And who would read that, I wonder?”
“Only those with whom you’d share it or no one at all. My point is, you’ve collected quite a few beautiful moments already and there are many more yet to come. Might as well start keeping track of them.”
Fleur liked the sound of that. She had been preserving her accomplishments in photos, dresses, and magazine covers, but not in words. She never had a diary or a journal in which she would be writing down her day-to-day life. Perhaps it was a good time to set one up? It wasn’t on her retirement list of potential hobbies but she could probably squeeze it somewhere between amateur painting and playing checkers.
She shrugged. “You know what, doctor? I might give it a shot.”
Once again a beaming smile came to the stallion’s face. He stood up.
“If you don’t have any more questions at this point, I’d like you to wait outside,” he said. “Please ask Chestnut to come in. For this next part of the evaluation session I need to talk with the adoptee in private.”
As the unicorns reached the door and were about to leave the office, Fancy Pants turned around.
“Actually, there is one thing that’s been bugging me,” he admitted. “That questionnaire of yours, supposedly revealing the most appropriate choice? I doubt that a tried and tested scientific method would bring Chestnut specifically to us, so I’ll venture a guess and say that is not how it really works. Would I be wrong in my assumption?”
“Ah! I was wondering if you’d ask that!” Doctor Hugs replied. “You see, the truth is that no questionnaire, test, or any tool I have in that cabinet can determine if a couple will be compatible with a given child. Such a relationship is way too complex, it involved too many factors to be put into numbers and measured.” His smile didn’t wear off, but he chose his next words carefully. “I hope you’ll forgive this… misinformation on my part. Since Chestnut was the only choice I could recommend to a couple like you, the questionnaire was a way of ensuring you’d give her a chance.”
Fleur cocked her eyebrow. “The only choice? Why would that be?”
“Most of the kids here are much younger than Chestnut. They are still in a delicate process of shaping their individual personalities, and because of that they are extremely susceptible to outside influences or pressures,” the stallion said. “Now, you came to the Orphanarium with a well thought-out vision of you and your perfect child. Let’s say you chose to adopt a young filly who doesn’t even have her cutie mark. A blank slate, so to speak. Let’s say I recommended her. What do you think would happen?”
Fancy Pants wasn’t the only one who learned something about himself, and Fleur wasn’t going to fall for the shrink’s tricks this time, either. “I guess I’d impose my dreams and throw my ways on her instead of trying to bring her into my life,” she swiftly replied. “I see you point, doctor. If you were afraid that I would do that you inferred correctly, as much as I am now ashamed to admit it.”
“There is nothing worse for a growing child than a parent trying to set expectations where love and acceptance should take hold. Chestnut has, shall we say, just enough herself in her character, so if you’d tried to force changes onto her she would oppose them. I was hoping you’d learn to compromise instead, and I think I’m not disappointed.”
“You seem to be putting an awful lot of faith in others,” Fancy Pants said with a frown.
Doctor Hugs opened his forelegs in an innocent shrug.
“What would become of us ponies if we weren’t?”
Fleur smirked. Sunlit Hugs? More like Sneaky Hugs. Yet he was right nonetheless—it was too easy to imagine what she would do if she had been introduced to Chestnut right after crossing the threshold of the Orphanarium, without a test to pair her with the filly. She would laugh at the doctor and miss the greatest learning experience of her life.
Somewhat conflicted still and wondering what to think about ponies deceiving others for the greater good, Fleur and Fancy Pants walked out of the office and let Chestnut take their place. The filly only grinned at them, her fangs shining like the playful sparks dancing in her eyes.
“Hiya, Doc!” she cheerfully exclaimed.
When she closed the door behind her, Fleur instinctively headed towards the nearest wall.
“Oh dear. I’m so nervous! I have never been so nervous in my entire life! I’m not going to faint from that, am I?”
Fancy Pants checked on her but found nothing alarming about her state. She was shuffling her hooves in anticipation, beaming like a pony who had just unexpectedly won the mysterious prize at the Ponyville’s Fable Fair. He spotted traces of pride mixed with healthy consternation in her eyes, but those were to be expected.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Though I find the good doctor’s ethical stance a tad questionable, it’s nothing unusual that he needs to talk to Chestnut alone. After all, he’s been sheltering and educating her for quite some time now.”
“It’s so real right now. I suddenly feel so… so adult! We’re going to be parents!”
The stallion looked at her, amused. “In case you haven’t noticed, dear, we’ve been parents for the past week, and I daresay we performed admirably. I suggest we stay on course and just keep doing whatever we’ve been doing, only better.”
“Oui, you’re probably right.” She raised to the tips of her hooves and went for a kiss, but she got distracted halfway and her lips never reached the stallion’s cheek. She hurried to the window. “What’s that? Is it… is it snowing already?”
Down below in the street, a trio of unicorns wearing blue-white vests of the Weather Corps were casting their spells at a fluffy cloud hovering over their heads. With each surge of magic the cloud grew larger, and it soon exploded into tiny pieces of frozen water which fell down in their icy dance. Since it wasn’t exactly cold outside, a lot of them melted long before reaching the ground, but the show of swirling snowflakes sufficed to catch everyone’s attention. Some of the passers-by stopped in their rush and stuck out their tongues to celebrate the foretaste of winter, but those more grumpy ones were unwilling to make silly faces and instead began their endless tirade about the upcoming weather change.
Fancy Pants joined his wife, hoping to collect the kiss he was denied. “Hmm, I see a couple of enchanted clouds and—ah, it’s the Weather Corps, here to remind us to get some warm garments soon! But conjuring the snow here? That’s odd.”
“Do read the bulletin sometimes, husband. They need to warm up their weather spells some time before the season. Hearth’s Warming is less than a month away. You wouldn’t want the city spires not to be white by then, would you?”
He shook his head. “It’s just that I thought they would be practicing only near schools and kindergartens. You know, to get the children excited about the winter.”
An audible rumble came from the office. Fleur turned around.
“You were saying?”
The door opened with a mighty slam. Chestnut blasted outside, made a few spins in search for Fleur and Fancy Pants, then dashed towards the window. “Mom! Dad! Have you seen that? It’s snowing already! How cool is that?” She crouched by them and upon sweeping the floor with her mane she jumped to the ceiling. “We’re going to build the biggest snowpony ever!”
“Aw, Nutsie…”
Overwhelmed with emotions Fleur slumped to the floor, welcoming Chestnut in a tight grip. Fancy Pants did his best to maintain his posture and just ruffled the exuberant filly’s forelock, but when she and Fleur reached out and pulled him into their hug he had no choice but to capitulate. He fell to his knees and joined the chorus of laughs that reverberated across the corridor, receiving a big kiss from his wife soon after. That, together with the filly snuggling between them and enfolding them with her wings sealed the deal—they were now Chestnut’s parents, and she was their daughter.
And so the family lasted in that blissful embrace, oblivious to the world around them.
Doctor Hugs let out a satisfied sigh as he headed back to his office.
“I’ll bring the papers.”
Hello there! Thank you for reading my story. I am no longer writing pony fiction, but if you want to support my current creative endeavor, check out my content on Twitch! 
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Ten out of ten. hope you make a sequel!
bravo, bravo, a very good story, hope to see any sequel soon
YAY< I wub happy endings!
i always find that i enjoy these types of stories the most. good work and i hope you write something soon.
And a happy ending to a happy story. More of these should exist; stories with a focus on heartwarming slices of life, minus the dark/tragic tags.
My heart fell as soon as I saw that you had marked this story as complete. Your author's notes at the bottom of this chapter are hinting at another story, so what's the dealio? You gonna keep writing this? Because things are only beginning to start in my eyes.
Well, that was quite an enjoyable ending to the adoption arc.
Will the rest of the story be posted with this story, or will it be a separate story?
I want more of this story. it's way too cute to end now. Ah, well, must be patient
SEQUEL NOW OR ELSE I WILL PUT YOU INTO THE WORLD OF DARK SOULS 2
Um. Not ominous, definitely not ominous. Huggers have a hard time being ominous. Oblivious maybe?
Welp, now that that's all sorted, sequel ho!
sequel pls?
As with all stories I read, I waited to Like/Dislike this story till it was marked complete. In a way it pains me to change the number of Likes on this story from 900 to 901 (finding such perfectly round numbers pleasing) however I couldn't not Like this story for all the tea in Canterlot.
Thank you for this beautiful work, I eagerly await more.
If I didn't say it before-- I love the picture of Chestnut. Makes you wanna run up and give her a tummy rub :D
Ended rather quickly I expected it to carry on beyond the adoption but I suppose that's what sequels are for.
Please make a sequel? I mean its nice if you leave it as it is, but we really want to see Chestnut and her new family deal with the long-term problems of having an adopted child... including the fanatic racism.... the first arguments... the... i'm not your real daughter.... etc.
Sequel. Right now.
Thank you for thanking me, man, but I have to step back to the shadows and let you have all of the glory. You rightfully deserve it.
What you created is a believable, natural and beautifully done tale. I have to say I was waiting impatiently for every chapter, trying to guess what weird shenanigans we shall experience this time. And you never let me, or any of us, down. I applaud you and I hope to see more about Chestnut in the future, as well as more from you in general.
Keep up the good work and stay Great and Powerful.
I haven't enjoyed a slice of life story this much in awhile. Can't wait to see what you write next!
Wat?
You can't turn in a straight line!
I think.
no more
we need more Nutsie
sertiously though, GREAT job on the story. I am many others obviously have enjoyed reading it
Adoption is a goooooooo!
What a great story.
If you do wrote another arc, I'd suggest just going ahead and making it a separate story (assuming I'm not misreading the author's notes, that is).
So...incredibly...adorable....
Ok this is a very sweet story. There isn't enough Fleur Dis Lee and Fancy Pants stories out there. I would love to see this continue, maybe have Rarity bring Sweetie Bell up one time. I can see Sweetie and Chessnut becoming good friends.
If you do do another arc, I am so there.
As for this story, it was a pleasure to read from the very beginning. In fact, I may just go back and read it again.
You are now partially responsible for slowing updates on my own stories. Congrates!
This was absolutely beautiful
Maybe there could be a sequel where Fleur legitimately gets pregnant, finally
But seriously, a story where Fancy Pants and Fleur are actually able to have a blood child, the family adjusting to it, especially Chestnut gaining a younger sibling, that makes for a good sequel 
can't wait for the next story
Congrats! Such a lovely story, while I'm sad to see it finished since it means there wont be anymore to read unless you do a sequel, it was such a lovely Fancy Pants and Fleur family story that I am okay with that.
So a rousing round of applause to you for a job well done.
4078953
I wholeheartedly second this.
so-well I can't say ends-so here begins a new chapter in the lives of the greatest Canterlot family. Let's hope we see more in the future.
Beautiful. Let there be more.
A beautiful end to a beautiful story. I can't wait for more/a sequel.
Oh dear, was there lighting in the background and dark foreboding as well to herald in the Evil Empress Nutsie the Energetic's terrifying reign over the Canterlot social scene before she conquered the world?
I think the word you wanted was oblivious.
It was glorious, and now I have Do You Want to Build a Snowman stuck in my head. Confound you.
I enjoyed this arc, and I hope that you continue the story of Chestnut in the future.
Squeeee yaaay happy adorable family <33 and I to hope to see the next shenanigans of chesnut and her parents.
Thank you, it's about time for a happy ending I am so tired of dark, gore, sad fics, I could scream. But that seems to be the thing right now. Oh well.
Really wish you would write more about Nutsie, Fleur and Fancy Pants, perhaps when she meets Rarity ? Good work, thanks again.
B.D.
I wish I could like this twice. Awesome story, very touching. 10/10
Beautiful ending!
On the probable next story arc that you are going to do... Will it be done in an entirely new story or will you just remove the 'complete' tag and continue writing in this one?
Ya know... I find it really difficult to put into words of how this story affected me... Stories like these, the ones that change you, are very rare... Im sure that youve gotten this alot, but thanks for the story... It helped me.
Hmm. I wonder if any of the elite snobs will make a foolish decision that adopting is the new "in" thing and end up in a bad situation. We need a sequel... besides, how will we know if it's two zebras or a zebra and a changeling?
This was a really great and well put together story full of great moments of emotion, love, and happiness... Thanks.
Ten out of ten, saved to read again and again. Well done. :D
Great story. I loved everything about it. 100/10 for a score. I also have moved this story to my top 5 favorite compleated stories. I hope you make a sequel.
Please make a sequel! This was the bestest read ever!
That was a great story, Thank you.
You used ominous at the end their. I think you meant oblivious, but who cares story was still pretty awesome. Thank you for writing it, and sharing it with the rest of us.
Poll: in case of writing more about Chestnut and her parents, should I create a new story or add chapters to the existing one?
4078613 4079151 4080337
Omnious. Argh! Of all the stupid mistakes I could make, I had to make one in the very end. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
4078559 4078562 4078573
Thank you guys, I'm happy to hear that you've enjoyed it!
4078584 4078607 4078623
Regarding the sequel, it obviously won't come around anytime soon, but I could use your opinion (check the poll at the top of this post). I'm mainly asking that because I don't know what's the general consensus in such cases.
4078628
Round numbers are pleasing, indeed! But thank you for making the green bar going over nine hundreeeeed~
4078640
It was planned as a simple adoption arc from the very beginning and I honestly didn't expect it to grow in numbers as it did, but I'm glad that you want to read more of my writing!
4080581
It depends.
Is this going to be one continuous story, or will there likely be side stories attached to the continuity?
If the former, expand here.
If the latter, post a new story, with side stories also separate...and blog each new story connected to this tagging this one.
Happy end~!
Now, a righteous dream rose
the dawn of a new life in sight.
Let these ones ever soar
and never once release their grasp on mutual love!
Excellent work, dear Author. May awaital bear fruit.
Poll: in case of writing more about Chestnut and her parents, should I create a new story or add chapters to the existing one?
4078578
I think that [Dark] and [Tragedy] touches are also important in writing, but I know what you mean. There's nothing like that warm and fuzzy feeling inside after reading a hearwarming story about ponies!
4078575
Oh, I most certainly will! After a short break I'll probably go to some other projects to take my mind off OLAC and regenerate my slice of life-y writing capabilities.
4078610 4078647 4078649
Regarding the sequel: not anytime soon, but definitely someday! In the meantime, would you kindly suggest the way it should be delivered? (the poll question at the top of this post)
4078841
I think that Chestnut could become good friends with just about anyone! Also, the way I see it, Sweetie Belle would be much older than Chestnut in this setting, as it's set some time in the future. That's not a problem, of course, but it wouldn't be filly and filly shenanigans, more like filly and young mare taking first steps of her singing career or something.
4079403
Well, she has to thank Rarity for the scarf one day, right? I should also mention that Rarity wasn't in the original drafts of this story, but I'm glad I could write her.
4080651 Make more stories. This one's wrapped up nicely.