Sweet and Complete

by Blazewing

Family Matters (Part 1)

It was the day after Rarity and Applejack’s pondside picnic. The two had resolved to confess to their families first before anypony else. Technically, neither had broken this promise, as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the first to know, were family. Rarity was, therefore, to be found in her bedroom that day, pacing up and down, waiting for her parents to arrive, having asked Sweetie Belle to bring them round, under the innocent pretext of ‘big news’.

She stopped in front of her mirror, looking at her own nervous reflection. A hair was out of place, but she patted it back into place feverishly. A lot was riding on this meeting, and it did not do to look disheveled. She was confessing not only her relationship with Applejack, but the fact that she was even interested in mares. At least Applejack had come out to Granny Smith before this. She didn’t have to deal with a double bombshell...

She took a deep, steadying breath, her round middle shrinking, then puffing back out with it. In consequence with its larger size, there seemed to be even more butterflies dancing about in it than normally. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so anxious. The only time that came close, to her recollection, was awaiting the sure-to-be disastrous results of her first fashion show for Hoity Toity. The remembrance alone, of the unpleasant dresses she’d made and his blunt disapproval, shot a pang of apprehension through her insides, but it also seemed to stiffen her resolve. She straightened up, glaring at her own face. She refused to believe confessing to her family would be anything like that.

“Come now, Rarity. You can’t put this off any longer. They’re your parents. They’ll love you no matter who you are and who you are in love with. Besides, Mother and Father like Applejack very much. Father’s always inviting her to hoofball games, and she and Mother enjoy comparing notes on cooking. If they’ll accept anypony as my special somepony, it’ll be Applejack. Now, no more worries, and no more fuss. You’re going to give yourself pimples at this rate. Ugh, Celestia forbid…”

Opalescence prowled past, casting a half-grumpy, half-exasperated look at her panicky owner. Rarity, in her agitated state, didn’t even notice, but continued to pace up and down, now and again feeling her cheek, as though to check for an acne breakout.

The doorbell rang, and Rarity jumped, giving a very unladylike squeak as she did so. Opal flattened her ears at the noise and quickened her pace, determined to gain as much distance from Rarity as she could manage.

“They’re here!” said Rarity, breathlessly. “Alright, Rarity, compose yourself. They’re your family. They’re your family…”

Reciting this mantra to herself, she trotted briskly to the front door, though her legs felt like gelatin. She put on her most welcoming smile as she pulled the door open, and there, on the threshold, stood her parents and Sweetie Belle.

“Mother! Father! So glad you could come!” she said, her voice rather higher than normal in her attempts to stay calm and collected.

“Always glad to see our little girl!” said Hondo Flanks, pulling his eldest daughter into a strong, one-legged hug.

“How are ya, honey?” asked Cookie Crumbles, pecking Rarity on the cheek. “Been keepin’ well?”

“Very, thank you,” said Rarity. “Please, come in!”

Her parents trotted in, followed by Sweetie Belle. The little filly threw her sister a big smile, which Rarity returned, rather nervously, before following them into the kitchen. While she bustled about, serving coffee, Hondo and Cookie made themselves comfortable around the kitchen table, Sweetie Belle sitting right between them. She looked like she would burst, waiting for Rarity to finally spill the beans.

“Hey, Rarity, could you c’mere a second?” asked Hondo.

“Yes, Father?” asked Rarity, curiously.

Her father gripped her shoulders and eased her up so that she was standing on her hind legs. His eyes roved up and down, and she had a feeling she knew what it was about. Sure enough…

“Have you been getting bigger, princess? I wondered, but thought I wasn’t lookin’ properly. You’re gettin’ a bit of a belly, aren’tcha?”

Rarity sighed. Her father, despite being one of the friendliest stallions around, had always been rather blunt.

“Yes, I suppose I am,” said Rarity. “A few cartons of ice cream do that to a pony.”

“A few?” asked Sweetie Belle, snickering, but she shut up when Rarity shot her a sharp look.

“Ah, what’s a few extra pounds matter?” asked Hondo, putting a foreleg around Rarity’s withers. “You’re still my little Rarity, even if you’re not that little anymore.”

He chuckled and genially prodded her protruding middle. Rarity’s mouth squirmed. She was resisting the urge to laugh; that had tickled.

“Daddy…” she half-whined, her cheeks reddening, as Sweetie Belle giggled.

“Aw, I’m just teasin’, pumpkin,” said Hondo. “It’s nothing to feel ashamed about.”

Rarity sighed, then managed a small smile.

“I know, Daddy. I’m not ashamed. Not any more, at any rate.”

“Atta girl. There’s no reason a mare has to be afraid of being a little heavy. ‘Let ponies be who they are’, that’s what I say. Why, when I met your mother-”

“Oh, Hondo,” said Cookie, rolling her eyes playfully. “I was always a little chubby for my age. Even before I got my cutie mark, I liked using my Easy-Cook Oven all the time, sharing what I made with my friends...and myself,” she added, with a chuckle. “You were a pretty hefty boy yourself.”

“It was muscle, Cookie, and still is,” retorted Hondo, loftily. “Ran in my pop’s side of the family. Ya can’t be a hoofball player without a little muscle.”

“‘Little’, right,” snorted Cookie, smirking. “You were the biggest colt in your class ever since 2nd grade.”

Rarity and Sweetie Belle both laughed. Hondo raised an eyebrow.

“At least I never got stuck in my bedroom window, trying to sneak back in after curfew.”

“Mother!” Rarity gasped. “You? Out after curfew?”

“No way!” said Sweetie Belle.

“Oh, you have to bring that old story up?” asked Cookie, not sounding the least bit abashed. “I was 18, and I thought my folks were being real sticks-in-the-mud, keeping me to a strict bedtime at that age. And unless my memory’s faulty,” she added, pointedly, to her husband, “I was out after curfew because you had invited me out for a nighttime walk.”

“Guilty as charged,” said Hondo, grinning.

“Besides, that window was tiny,” Cookie went on. “Even Fluttershy would have had trouble fittin’ through it, and you know how skinny that poor girl is. I got through it by myself in the end, though, so my folks never knew I was out.”

“Goodness, Mother, I had no idea what a daredevil you used to be,” said Rarity, admiringly.

“Me neither!” said Sweetie Belle. “Way to go, Mom!”

“It was worth it,” said Cookie, proudly, “to be with the stallion I loved.”

“Right back atcha, sweetie,” said Hondo, fondly.

Smiling tenderly at each other, the two leaned across the table and exchanged a quick kiss. Rarity felt a wave of warmth flow through her. As embarrassing as her parents could be, they really were two of the most loving, friendly ponies she knew, and was proud to be their daughter, deep down. Besides that, this little exchange of lighthearted ribbing, as well as the proof of their devotion to each other, gave her further reassurance of their open-mindedness in accepting Applejack as her marefriend.

It was now or never. She cleared her throat, and the two looked up.

“Mother, Father,” she said, “I have no doubt Sweetie Belle told you why I asked you here today.”

“She said you had some big news for us,” said Cookie.

“And I do,” said Rarity. “You see…”

She swallowed, then said,

“I...have finally found...my special somepony.”

She waited for their reaction on tenterhooks. Hondo and Cookie looked at each other in surprise, then at Rarity, and then at Sweetie Belle.

“It’s true!” she said, happily.

“Congratulations, Rarity!” said Cookie.

“That’s my girl!” said Hondo. “So who’s the lucky fella? Hang on...It’s not that Blueblood, is it?” he added, darkly. “I haven’t forgotten what you said about him when you went to the Gala. Using my daughter as a meat-shield for cake…If I ever get my hooves on that guy, I’ll-”

“Oh, no, no,” said Rarity, hastily. “Prince Blueblood and I have long put that little, *ahem* incident behind us. I met him again after we both had time to, er, ‘cool off’, and we managed to have a more civil conversation. I somewhat regret losing my temper like I did, to be honest.”

“He had it coming,” grunted Hondo. “He didn’t know how to treat a lady. It’s no wonder he’s still ‘Equestria’s most eligible bachelor’. It’s a miracle he even has any suitors still comin’ to call, after the way you gave him what for.”

He chuckled, clearly enjoying the memory of hearing how his own daughter had made the snobbish Blueblood look like an idiot in front of Gala guests. Rarity rolled her eyes.

“So, your special somepony,” said Cookie. “Is it somepony we know?”

“Oh, yes,” said Rarity, smiling. “Quite well, actually.”

Cookie and Hondo exchanged looks of interest.

“Well, come on, princess, don’t leave us in suspense,” urged Hondo. “Who is it?”

Rarity took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. This was it. All it would take was that one, simple, beautiful word.

“...Applejack.”

There was a long, deep silence, during which Rarity watched her parents for their reaction, Sweetie Belle beaming. Hondo and Cookie merely stared. Both looked dazed, astounded.

“Applejack?” asked Cookie, finally.

Rarity swallowed. She wasn’t sure what was in her mother’s tone. Was it incredulity? Disbelief? Disappointment?...

“Yes,” she said. “My dear friend Applejack. You know her well. She and I...have been together for two weeks now.”

Hondo’s mouth had fallen open slightly, staring wide-eyed at his daughter. He was usually such a loud and talkative stallion, so his speechlessness was extremely unsettling for Rarity.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “That I appeared to have an interest in stallions alone. However, after my fallouts with Trend and Blueblood, I came to realize...that the pony I’ve been looking for wasn’t a stallion, and that she was closer than I’d ever imagined. I didn’t need some handsome, famous, stuck-up stallion to complete my life. I needed somepony sweet, down-to-earth, and understanding. I love Applejack, and she loves me. I only...I only hope you approve, Mother, Father, because I’m not afraid to tell you the truth.”

She looked from Cookie to Hondo, trying to read their expressions. For a moment, they simply stared, words seeming to fail. Rarity bit her lip. Despite what she’d said about not being afraid, she couldn’t stand this custard-thick silence. It felt like a bad omen. Sweetie Belle looked from her parents to her sister, eyes wide with expectation.

Then, Hondo broke into a loud, boisterous laugh. Rarity’s heart plummeted. Did he think this was all a joke?

“I knew it!” he boomed, slamming his hoof down on the table, making the coffee cups rattle in their saucers. “I always knew there was something special between those two! Didn’t I say that, Cookie? Didn’t I say I felt like they were more than just friends?”

“I thought so too,” said Cookie, smiling warmly. “Every time I see those two out with their friends, they always looked so darling together. Like peas in a pod, those two. I just can’t believe it! Oh, Rarity, this is wonderful!”

“Congrats again, pumpkin!” said Hondo. “I knew you’d find the right pony in the end.”

Now it was Rarity’s turn to stare, mouth agape, at her mother and father. Had she heard right? They actually approved of her relationship? They approved of her going out with Applejack? They’d had a feeling about her from so early on?

“So...So you don't-” she began.

“Don’t mind that you’re into mares?” asked Hondo. “Rarity, you’re our daughter. We would never think differently of you just because of who you love. You love Applejack, and your mother and I couldn’t be happier.”

“Absolutely,” said Cookie, nodding. “We’re very proud of you, sweetheart.”

Words couldn’t express Rarity’s gratitude and elation. Tears welled up in her sapphire-blue eyes, her lip trembling. Her vision of her smiling mother, father, and beaming little sister blurred behind the watery veil.

“Mother...Father...thank you!”

She lunged forward, throwing her hooves around their necks in a tight embrace, her tears mixing with her mascara as it ran down her cheeks. Her parents enclosed her in a two-way hug, and Sweetie Belle bounded over, snuggling against Rarity’s doughy belly. Different though the prim, elegant unicorn felt from her more easygoing and boisterous parents, she had never felt so close to them as she did right now, enveloped in the warmth and love that their blessing had filled her with.

Comments

[Hillbe]

It's not extra weight I'm carrying?
Well you wanted a family didn't ya?
But how?
Spiked punch? Sleep over? No!
yes?

pre05.deviantart.net/956a/th/pre/f/2015/245/2/6/first_born_by_hillbe-d986vyb.jpg
you know who's on diaper duty. . .full time!
yes.

[OmniFox]

Now if only Sweetie Belle have the same courage to tell Spike how much she loves him.