Alone Time

by Rose Quill

Family

Middy gave Rory a nudge with her elbow, jolting her younger sister into full wakefulness. “You realize it’s Mother’s turn, yeah?” she whispered.

I caught that. “Oh, no, little filly,” I said, brushing a lock of red hair behind an ear and turning off the recorder. “Everyone here -including the two of you - knows how your mom and I got together.”

“But it’s so cool to hear,” Aurora said, her pixie-like face earnest. “It’s like a fairy tale.”

“She has a point,” Twilight said, cleaning the lenses of her glasses. “It was fairly magical, in more ways than one.”

Traitor, I thought through the bond. She stuck her tongue out at me.

“Look, y’all have heard that story before, and we’re like to hear it again before we know it should you get a younger brother or sister someday,” AJ said. She had at some point retrieved her hat from her wife, Windvane asleep and leaning back against her. Bushel and Rhapsody were racing across the playground, the competitive nature of the two driving them to see who could cross the monkey bars faster.

Sonata tucked her phone away in her back pocket. “Well, that bites,” she said.

“What’s up?” Aria asked.

“Note can’t make it over,” she said, flopping into her seat. “Rehearsal is running long because Sapphire Shores keeps changing things. He says that the conductor is close to ripping his hair out.”

I reached over and patted her hand. “It’ll be ok, Nata,” I said. “It’s not like this will be the only picnic we’ll have.

“I know,” she said. “But I wanted to include him on this, and tell how we got together.”

“You still can, you know,” Adagio purred.

“Yeah, but it’s not as cool as you guys,” she said, twiddling her fingers. “He asked me when we went out to dinner on our anniversary. No great fanfare or anything.”

“Noteworthy is a fairly straightforward fellow,” Rarity said as Melody started to stir. “It’s very likely a stretch of his nature to have done anything more exotic.”

“True,” Sonata mumbled.

“And he is writing a short suite that the orchestra has agreed to play dedicated to you,” Twilight said. “Vinyl said that Octavia has been practicing it all week when we ran into them yesterday.”

She brightened up. “Yeah,” she said, giggling. “He’s pretty awesome like that, when you think about it.”

I checked the time and sighed. “Well, ladies and gents, I hate to cut this short but I do have a call with my agent to make and I need my notes in front of me at the time.” I glanced at Twilight. “Think you can wrangle the kids?”

Twilight smiled. “We’ll see you at home,” she said with a smile.

I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before heading over to my bike. I ran my hand along one of the rays of the sun painted on the fuel tank of the lovingly restored bike parked next to our minivan. It wasn’t quite a replica of my cutie mark so much that it was a mingling of my sun, Twilight’s star, and a vague representation of the hillside where the first time I kissed her had occurred. I straddled the bike and hit the electric start I had installed a few weeks ago and pulled my helmet on, waving to my family as I headed home.

I smiled as the wind whipped my ponytail around, the long leather binding keeping it from being loose enough to blow forward and obscure my sight. Pulling into the driveway of the two-story rancher that I called home, I saw a familiar face sitting on the porch.

“Well, this is a surprise,” I said, hugging Princess Twilight while juggling my keys and helmet. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She looked at me with the face that I had learned through the years married to her counterpart of barely contained excitement and nerves. She handed out a folded card, extremely elegant script flowing across it.

“You all are invited to my wedding!” she beamed. I caught sight of the ring on her finger as she withdrew her hand.

“Well,” I said. “that’s a bit of welcome news!” I said, hugging her again. I opened the door and led us inside. “But you didn’t just come through the portal to my house just to drop off a wedding invitation when Spike could have sent it.”

She giggled. “I wanted to ask you something face to face,” she said, the nerves flaring up again.

I stood there, silent, knowing she would continue when she had composed her thoughts.

“Would you be my maretron of honor?” she whispered.

I smiled, suddenly elated. “Of course, I will,” I said. “But why me, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“You’re one of my best friends, a fellow princess, and you’re married, so I can’t call you my mare of honor, now can I?” she joked. “Rarity agreed to by my mare of honor and to help plan the wedding with Fluttershy, who has Dash standing as her maretron.”

I nodded. “It would be an honor, Twilight,” I said. “Can you stay for dinner? I have some business to take care of in a few minutes but I know Middy and Rory would love to see their Aunt Sparky.”

She smiled. “I’ve got nothing but time, today, she said, sitting on the couch. “I just have to send a note back to the castle so Fluttershy doesn’t worry.”

I gestured at the shelves along the wall that held copies of my novels, Twilight’s research volumes, and the communication books.

“Help yourself,” I said, gathering my notes for my call. “When you’re done, help yourself to the kitchen, I’ll just be a few minutes. You’re family, after all.”

I loved my family. It was an odd family, but it was mine.

Who would have thought I’d have something like this back at the Fall Formal?

Comments

[Fangren]

Many of these pairings are not really ones that I ship, but still - sweetness all around, and a great ending sentiment.

[Rose Quill]

8133978

I enjoy playing against type. I'm the D&D player who builds a wizard that is six foot two and can bench press a small horse and a paladin that is five foot even and 145 in her armor.

Don't call her short. Seriously.

[MySisterBroughtMeHere]

I'd really like to know more about Sonata and Noteworthy.

[AJtheRaven]

Awwwwww. Cute;)

[BlackWater]

Adorbs. Especially so, since it's almost like looking backwards for me (in their ages).

[MixMassBasher]

These romantic tales were fantastic. The last one being my most favourite!

[Nira Lightshine]

10151833
Ahh thanks. I finally got around to reading this full series. I'm down to the last few now.

[Rose Quill]

10152185
As always, more is coming, Luna willing.

[Nira Lightshine]

10152432
Is that the complete cotinunity on that link?

[Rose Quill]

10152790
So far, yes.

[Nira Lightshine]

10152818
Is there a story about this that deals with the kids when they are born that I missed somehow?

[Rose Quill]

10152826
Middy's story will be the one I write after I finish Trials. It's part of Arc Three

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

“Look, y’all have heard that story before, and we’re like to hear it again before we know it should you get a younger brother or sister someday,” AJ said. She had at some point retrieved her hat from her wife, Windvane asleep and leaning back against her. Bushel and Rhapsody were racing across the playground, the competitive nature of the two driving them to see who could cross the monkey bars faster.

we'd like*

I reached over and patted her hand. “It’ll be ok, Nata,” I said. “It’s not like this will be the only picnic we’ll have.

A " is missing at the end of the sentence.

She smiled. “I’ve got nothing but time, today, she said, sitting on the couch. “I just have to send a note back to the castle so Fluttershy doesn’t worry.”

today,"*

Ngl, I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. Great work!

[Rose Quill]

11444724
Actually, “we’re like” is the proper usage there. It translates out as “we are likely” when put in English from farmgirl.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

11444758
Oh...