A Long Life

by pertelote345

Bedroom Antics

Chell

Why? Why did I sign up for this? I could have been a software developer, or an accountant, or a sewer maintenance technician, why in Equestria did I sign up to hang around with an earth pony that had spent her entire life moving from one terrible problem to the next?

Apple Jack's pain was palpable. She was so distraught I couldn't stay in the room... well, actually I could, but when Pinkie saw me throw up the first time I'd been exiled for my health.

So there I was, curled up with my gigantic husband on an insultingly cheery day, sipping iced coffee from a Starbucks travel mug while the rest of the team was organizing a search party.

"What on earth was she thinking...?" I muttered. "The girl was clearly hanging by a thread and AJ decides to open up with one of the most disturbing things that's ever happened to her..."

Spike snorted, laying his head down in the sun. I laid down against his warm scales. His calm was so rela...

I blinked. "Wait a minute, why are you up here? Shouldn't you be frantically searching for your mother?"

He rolled his eyes. "Please, I put a tracer spell on Twilight the second I saw her again. She's fine."

My eyes widened. "What?! Why didn't you let us all know that the second she left?!"

My husband narrowed his eyes. "If AJ's going to throw tantrums in front of emotionally traumatized friends, then she should suffer some bucking consequences..."

I gave him a stern look. "I see, so in order to teach her that lesson you decided to punish her in a way that punishes... I don't know, everyone else?"

Spike blinked. He poked his head over the side of the building and eyed the royal guard massing below. "I... I had not thought of that." His scales paled.

"Sweetie, could you...?"

I already had my phone out. "What's the address?"

#

Security Blanket

20 minutes earlier...

My fiance's tongue slid deep into my mouth and I held him tight, running my hoof through his gorgeous mane. This was really happening! This was really...!

"AGHHHH!"

A purple alicorn materialized above us and crashed into the bed.

We lept out, stunned.

The alicorn blinked.

For a moment we just stared at each other.

Finally my Fiance broke the silence.

"G-great Aunt Twilight?"

She blinked. "H-huh?" The girl was shaking, she had tears in her eyes and her mane was askew, not just from landing on our bed... something was wrong.

It was about at this point my training kicked in.

Being a therapist you hear a lot of different things, crazy things, illegal things, terrifying things... there's a lot of stuff to freak out about, and if we freak out our patients are sure to follow suit, which is the exact opposite of what we want them to do.

So we practice, spending an extreme amount of time learning to dull our natural sense of shock. It took me less than a second to get back in control and hold up my hooves.

"Princess Twilight correct? We'd heard your name on the news and were actually planning to visit... but I sense you didn't stop by for tea. Never the less, I could really use some." I turned to my Fiance. "Paul dear, could you be so kind as to brew up some chamomile for our guest? I sense she could use something soothing..."

Pauldron gave me a nervous smile that very clearly said. What the hay are you doing?

I shot him what I hoped was a more convincing one and said. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to catch up later. Right now I just want to make sure she's okay." Please dear god trust me on this, one wrong move and she'll snap.

He nodded, slowly backing away. "Okay then... I'll just get some tea... I guess... Holler if you need anything okay? Like seriously, anything..."

That said he left.

I turned to the princess, who was still looking a bit stunned.

I held out a hoof. "I'm Security Blanket by the way, nice to meet you."

She took my hoof and shook it. It was a bit stiff, but she tried to put a smile on. "Twilight... Nice to meet you."

I smiled. "The pleasure is all mine. It'll be a cold day in Tartarus when family isn't welcome in the the Sparkle residence... though I admit, generally we prefer it when our guests call ahead... or knock."

She blushed. "I am so, so sorry about that... I... I just sort of came here in a panic. I... I wasn't really thinking and this used to be my room... I mean, it hadn't been for a while, but..." She blinked, finally putting the pieces together. "Wait a minute? Family."

I nodded, blushing slightly. "You think the family would just sell off real estate in Canterlot? We're Sparkles too, a little bit further down the family tree, but yeah, we are family. I'm sorry we didn't come to visit you sooner, we just heard about you on the news and Pauldron and I are still in the process of planning a wedding so... Let's just say the logistics were complicated."

She smiled, it was a small smile, but genuine. "I... I had no idea I had more family! So, wait? You're Cadence and Shining's daughter?"

Oh boy, this is going to be tough... I shook my head. "I'm marrying in, actually. We're just the couple that ended up in the old house. Pauldron is your great, great grand nephew."

"Great great..." She sighed. "He's dead too isn't he?" There was a look on her face that I'd seen before... on Earth Ponies over a hundred.

Several extremely uncomfortable piece of the puzzle that was this girl clicked into place. I tried to imagine what it would be like if I lost 66% of the people I knew in a single day... I had to fight to repress a shudder.

I let out a breath. "I regret to say that the legendary Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire passed away at the age of 97 surrounded by his family. I... I hadn't been born yet, but I've heard a lot about him. In his long life he did an incredible number of amazing..."

My sugar coating didn't help. She started crying. I sat down on the bed next to her and covered her over with the comforter. "Shh... It's okay..." I grasped for something to say... "I promise you, you aren't alone. You still have family, and not everyone from... the time you came from is gone."

"But they are!" she sobbed. "They're not the same! And it's nuts, because they're so close to all the people I remembered... but... AJ would never do something like..."

I felt a tiny flame rising inside me. If that miserable old... I put my anger in a little box and put it away. There would be time to deal with that later. I put a hoof on the Princess' shoulder. "It's okay... can you tell me what happened?"

She explained, I kept my expression calm and caring, making sure not to show any shock. When she finished I put a hoof to my chin... I thought back to my practice, my other clients, my years of training... and In my expert opinion I had absolutely no clue what to say. So, I fell back on the Socratic method.

"So," I asked, "how do you want to proceed?"

She groaned. "I have no idea! What am I supposed to do in a world where all my friends are dead? I spent so long being alone, and when I saw them I knew I never wanted to lose them, but now they're all gone! Even the ones that I thought were still with me..."

Okay, time to take a risk... And help a hag... "Do you really think the old Apple Jack is gone?"

She gritted her teeth. "Of course she is! The old Apple Jack would never have done something like that! She never lost her cool... unless she felt really powerless like that time in Dodge... or really scared like that time with Apple Bloom..." The princess blinked. "Oh..."

I smiled, now to let her finish the job. "So, what do you think."

"She... she's not gone, she's just scared because..." She face hoofed. "She lost everyone too..."

I smiled, this time it was genuine. "I see your reputation for intelligence wasn't exaggerated."

She gave me a look.

I held up my hooves. "Sorry, just a little joke. So, are you going to forgive her?"

Twilight sighed. "Of course, I've forgiven way worse. Still it would be nice if she said-"

"I'M SORRY!!!"

The door burst open and the 200 year old CEO of the biggest company on the planet tackled the Princess of Equestria in a sobbing hug... on my bed.

Pauldron stood at the door, levitating a tray of tea and sandwiches and trying very hard to repress a twitch.

I very calmly, very professionally, picked up the tea tray and put it on a side table. Then I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me.

Then, and only then, did I allow myself to drag my fiance to a hotel.

Comments

[Da Fennec]

I doubt Twilight was thinking she teleported to the one place she instinctively knew. Instinct is an interesting thing generally its there to save us by reacting before we can really think.

[Da Fennec]

I was just re-reading this and noticed in the main body you called Pauldron Security Blanket's finance and they are planning a wedding. Then at the end you called him her husband