Fifteen.
Reunions
The next two days were busy. The princesses had to return to their duties. Jakob was suddenly immersed in politics and had to be given a crash course on how to deal with nobles and politicians. He also had to go through an extensive list of potential candidates for an attaché. Almost all the candidates were unicorns, save for an earth pony or two. A palace intern was assigned to help him weed through the prospects. She was a young unicorn who went by the name of Misty Snowfield. Her coat was ocher with a two toned mane and tail like golden wheat and snow. She seemed eager to please, though Jakob’s presence had an intimidating effect on her. It seemed as though the interviews were going to take a while, which made the surly man surlier.
Nonetheless, a schedule was made and the intern went to work on lining up interviews. As the arrangements were made, this gave the man time to make an appointment for June to be assessed for magic. Despite his reservations about Twilight Sparkle and her obsessive compulsive behavior, he did take her suggestion for one Starlight Glimmer to conduct the inspection. She promised to be a knowledgeable mare who would respect June’s feelings and would be more than happy to have the stern and insistent father present for the testing.
So promised Princess Twilight Sparkle.
During those two days, father and daughter were able to spend some time in Canterlot. Since June’s clothes came directly from the capitol, it made sense to Jakob to go to the store and have a word with the owner. Misty went along as a guide, as she was a local. She was pleased to learn June was having her clothing made at Canterlot Carousel, and was happy to show Jakob where the shop was, that was how they started their day.
Later, the man was going to see a weaponsmith about a new sword.
The morning they were to depart, Jakob was checked over by the Court Physician. The man was declared healed and fit and the sling was removed. Grateful to have the full use of his left arm, the human thanked the pony. Dressing as he preferred, Jakob did try to find his nicest beige shirt and best white pants. They were going to be mingling with civilized ponies, and he wanted to look somewhat decent. June was again wearing one of her mother’s old shirts, but it looked like a simple blue dress that hung just above her knees. She could get away with it because June was absolutely adorable. Father and daughter both wore sandals. June did not like wearing them, preferring to go barefoot. She understood why she had to wear them and managed to be reasonable about it.
It had been many years since Jakob had last seen the owner of the clothing store. She was an old acquaintance, more a friend of Kaga. He did know it was the only shop that was happy to make unusual garments for a growing human girl. The man also ordered his own clothing from Canterlot Carousel, but only after stressing a need for functionality, durability, and comfort. Letters had been exchanged several times over the years, usually a reminder that June was a growing girl and her clothing needed to be something she could grow into. Correspondence had always been polite and cordial between Jakob and one Rarity Belle. When he had sent word ahead he was intending to visit her store, she replied with a desire to meet him and his daughter at a time that best suited them.
Rarity also happened to be a close friend of Rainbow Dash.
Misty was delighted at the idea of going to Canterlot Carousel. “Her clothing lines are affordable, fashionable, and fabulous!,” she gushed as they walked the bustling streets. “Lady Rarity is considered one of the most generous ponies in Canterlot and runs several charities for many noble causes!”
The walk was a bit of a distance, but the weather was pleasant and the altitude presented a cooling breeze under the warm sun. Misty Snowfield took the lead, with June and Jakob just behind her flanks. There were unmarked guards keeping an eye on the human and his daughter. Jakob knew there were four, and they would be blending in with the crowd. It was a sizable crowd; ponies going about their business. Most were pleasant towards each other, as ponies were herd animals. There were a few, notably those of wealth and sporting their finery who went about with their noses in the air. These tended to have hired help go before them and politely clear the way.
Some shops had ponies outside their doors, inviting potential customers inside with the promise of good deals and quality merchandise. It was easy to spot the more expensive stores; they lived on their reputation and did not need to have a pony ‘begging’ for business. Some had fancy signage while a few did not, as their location alone seemed to be their advertisement. The Canterlot Carousel was more of an upper-middle class establishment. This was what Misty explained to June. The girl found this fascinating. Jakob listened in to keep his mind off the sheer number of ponies around him.
“So, you’ve been ordering from Rarity for years?” Misty asked Jakob, her tone shy. Trying to hold a conversation with the human was awkward, since he spoke with short, gruff replies.
They passed a group of unicorns. Jakob had forgotten the city was almost entirely comprised of the horned tribe of ponies, over eighty percent last he remembered. Most of them were of marginal capabilities, usually some form of levitation and little else. This gaggle of horned ponies gawked at the towering human. The loud whispers followed.
“That’s him!”
“I thought he’d be taller.”
“He looks old!”
“He’s got a sourpuss face.”
“Is that his filly?”
They jumped as one when Jakob’s eyes fell upon them. Though his expression was more or less passive, he still rolled his shoulders and did a half grunt, half growl, “It is rude to stare.”
The unicorns shied away, tails tucked between their legs and ears splayed out flat. Apologies were mumbled and they discovered pressing engagements elsewhere.
“Father,” chided June, “be nice!”
“I am being nice,” Jakob grunted.
Misty whispered an aside to June, “Is the baron always like this?”
“Yeah. You get used to it!” the girl beamed.
“Oh dear.”
“I do not like crowds,” Jakob tossed over his shoulder in a voice that carried only to Misty’s ears.
“Crowds? There are barely twenty ponies on this street!” Jakob gave her a withering stare. The unicorn flinched, offering a nervous smile, “I-I’ll keep that in mind. I’d suggest some back alleys, but it would just delay us from arriving at the Carousel.”
“I will be fine,” the man stated. “Lead on.”
Their destination was reached within a half an hour. They passed a few restaurants that catered more towards tourists. The smell of food in the air was pleasant, interrupted by the occasional gust of wind. With the pleasant weather, many customers were enjoying their meals at tables set outside the establishments. There were few foals, as most were at school this time of day.
The double doors were open leading into the Canterlot Carousel. There were a few ponies inside perusing this year’s fashions. Pony clothing was arranged in the store to allow for an open floor while giving potential shoppers a good look at what was available along the walls. There were no racks stuffed with clothing. The ponyquins were arranged as displays, sporting the creative genius of one Rarity Belle. If there was something made by one of her employees, it was proudly displayed alongside hers. Everything was set so a pony could come in, find what she wanted, and have it tailor made to fit.
The world screeched to a halt when Jakob stepped into the establishment. A dozen pairs of mare eyes fell on him. Misty and June were in front of the man, noticed the sudden attention, and turned to look at Jakob. He had frozen under the door frame, sensing his presence was being judged as fight or flight instincts rippled through the patrons. One did not expect a towering male monkey-thing to waltz into a clothing store that catered to mares.
“It’s okay!” June sang, “he’s with me! I’m June and this is my father, Jakob. I’m getting new clothes and Father has to pay for it.” She wore a hug-winning smile.
“Oh!” cooed the patrons, and they went back to their shopping.
“Nice tact,” Jakob grumbled to his daughter.
“We almost had a stampede,” Misty whispered to him with a nervous smile. “Your appearance does not exactly scream ‘docile’.” Her ears splayed back, and she tucked her tail between her legs, “I’m sorry, that was a bit rude of me.”
“No,” he waved her off, “you are correct. I am not docile. I do not want to be here all day.” Jakob’s eyes had fallen over the lovely, frilly outfits designed for the fashion-minded mare and suppressed a shudder. It was hard to believe sturdy clothing came from an establishment like this.
A slender unicorn mare with a light blue coat and multi-colored mane of orange and yellows with purple accents trotted to them with a big smile. “Well bust my buttons, welcome to Canterlot Boutique! I’m Sassy Saddles, manager of Canterlot Carousel! You must be the Gray party,” she declared, her golden eyes sweeping over the trio. “Baron Jakob Gray, I presume? Daughter June Gray?”
“I am.”
“I’m Misty Snowfield,” Misty introduced herself, “the Palace asked that I act as a guide so the Baron and his daughter would not get lost.”
“How very kind of you!” Sassy smiled. “Baron Gray—”
“I prefer Jakob.”
“Pins and cushions, of course you do!” she was unbothered by his interruption. “Let’s go see Rarity. She’s been quite excited since she learned you would be coming today!”
Misty cleared her throat, “Might I ask where the little filly’s room is?”
“Back of the store left of the sales counter,” Sassy pointed with a hoof and her never ending smile. “Oh, come with me, all of you. Rarity is in the back.” The pair trotted off after the manager gave Jakob a wink.
The looks given to Jakob were still fearful, but at least the customers weren’t panicking. He still thought they would bolt if he made any sudden movement, so he kept his arms crossed over his chest and avoided making eye contact, fixating his eyes at the back of Sassy’s head. He also did not want to look at the clothes. They were far too feminine and colorful for his eyes and it made him feel uncomfortable. Again, he shuddered. He caught June grinning at him, herself overwhelmed at the experience, but for different reasons. Her excitement was palpable. The girl was enjoying herself and had an air of eager anticipation about her.
Sassy Saddles led them to the back of the store and through a door. Jakob had to duck under it. There was still a sense of organization, things were orderly. There were clothing designs in various stages mounted on more ponyquins. Rolls of cloth were put up on shelves, coordinated by color and patterns. There were dozens of dressers and several work stations. A few mares were working, pausing to stare at the giant bipedal creature in their midst.
“Rarity? I’ve brought them!” Sassy called out. She had come to a stop at a door. A sign on it had ‘Manager’ written on it.
“Coming!” sang out a voice. The door opened, revealing a marshmallow white unicorn mare with impeccably arranged purple locks of mane and tail. A red pair of reading glasses were perched precariously on top of her snout. Sapphire blue eyes danced as she looked up at Jakob. “Darling! It’s been too long!”
Jakob gave a brief smile, “It is good to see you, Rarity.”
“Jakob,” she said sternly.
He gave her a questioning look.
“Hug. Now. Don’t think you can just show up at my store after so many years and not give me one, mister,” she glared at him.
Rolling his eyes, Jakob knelt and found himself being hugged by Generosity. He returned it in kind, a wistful smile forming for a moment and holding for a little longer. The hug broke and Rarity immediately turned her attention to June. Her eyes welled up.
“Oh, June, my dear, you’ve grown!” she gushed. “Let me have a look at you!”
“Hi,” June greeted, “are you one of Father’s friends?”
“I am! At least,” the mare gave Jakob a sly look, “I hope I still am.”
He gave her a flat look.
“I love you too, darling,” she said in good nature.
“I’ll get back on the floor,” Sassy announced. “Have fun catching up!”
“Thank you, Sassy, for bringing them back here.”
Misty coughed, “Well, I’ll be up front. I saw some dresses that caught my eye.” It had apparently been a quick trip to the little mare's room.
Sassy nudged her, “Well, let’s see what we can do about that, shall we?” The pair trotted off.
“Rainbow Dash was supposed to be here,” Rarity told Jakob. She was still fussing over June. “Good heavens, dear, why are you wearing a shirt far too big for you? Did you outgrow your clothing? This looks like something I designed and made for your mother. Why are you wearing your mother’s clothing? Where are yours? Jakob, why have you been neglecting your daughter’s clothing?”
“Dash?” Jakob perked up.
“Yes, she was in town promoting the Wonderbolts. She brought her daughters with her. They’re old enough to go with her on such venues now. Interesting promotion to prove you can have a family and be a Wonderbolt. Dashie was so very excited to show off how awesome her fillies are, as she likes to say,” Rarity was already taking mental measurements, her professionalism mixing with the small talk. “She married Soarin’ and Spitfire, since I’m fairly certain you had no idea. Our Rainbow Dash has become a career mare who takes being a mother very seriously. She’s grown a lot, Jakob. I think you’d be happy for her. I’m sure she’s excited to see you.”
“Soarin’?” Jakob furrowed his brow. “The stallion who likes to eat pie?”
“That’s the one!” Rarity chirped. “Oh, let’s see. I have your order for June’s new clothes, but honestly, what happened to her other clothes?”
“There was an accident,” Jakob began, rubbing the back of his head. “I do not know if it was intentional or not, but something was put into the washing machine. It burned her clothes.”
“What? How?”
“Our washing machine was down for repairs,” he went on. “We were using the machine of a friend in town. It caught fire. Everything in the machine was ruined.”
“Oh my! That’s terrible!” Rarity gave June a hug. “Don’t you worry, dear! I’ll have you new sets as soon as I can! This will not do!” —she paused, plucking at the sleeve of June’s shirt— “Very clever to use Kaga’s clothing.”
“Rainbow Dash?” she was reminded by Jakob.
“Oh! Yes, yes, she should have been here already. I wanted it to be a surprise. Dreadfully sorry, Jakob. I have no idea what could be keeping her,” she said with a perfectly straight face.
“Yeah, I have no idea where the most awesome pegasus in the world could be hiding,” a scratchy, feminine voice from behind Jakob announced, loud and proud.
As he was still kneeling, Jakob turned on his knee in time to be tackled by a colorful blur. Which was to say he caught a ball of powder blue fur and feathers sporting a prismatic mane and tail. It also appeared to be clothed in a suit of sorts.
“Dude!” Rainbow Dash cried, her wings flapping as her tail wagged with excitement. “Dude, where have you been?”
Jakob found himself hugging an old friend with a bit more emotion than he had anticipated. It was very good to see a familiar face and someone who had watched his back in the early years. They had never been anything past friends and over the years, they had drifted apart. There was guilt in losing touch with a friend, perhaps the only true friend Jakob had ever acknowledged.
When they pulled apart, Jakob could see Rainbow Dash was in her Class A Wonderbolt dress military uniform. It was the sort of garb worn when not performing. It made the pegasus look very professional. Tucked under a wing was a Wonderbolts cap. A proud grin was on her face.
“Yeah, I’m still awesome,” she strutted in place. Two little balls of adorable pegasi fluff poked out from behind her legs, staring up at the man. “These are my daughters, Danger Dash and Daring Dash. They’re a little shy, but that’s okay. They’ll see you’re not a bad guy.” The two fillies looked like her mother, with slight variations. One had a darker coat while the other had shocks of reds and greens in hers.
“You herded,” Jakob stated bluntly.
“Yep!” she grinned. “The Wonderbolts were like family to me after I got out of my newbie year. So, I decided I was going to make some of them an actual part of my family. Started dating Soarin’. Had to ask permission from Spitfire at first. She’d been eyeballing me a while and wanted me to earn it, like I earned my place on the Wonderbolts. I mean, she pushed me. Heck, Soarin’ pushed me. I wanted to earn it, ya know? I made sure no favorites were played. If I didn’t earn it, I didn’t want it.” Rainbow Dash was growling her words by the end.
Rarity cleared her throat, “Well, there was a bit of drama that could have been avoided. Turns out the Wonderbolts are all either related or married to each other in one way or another. It’s not exactly publicly known, mostly because a lot of ponies would think there’s a lot of favoritism going on.”
“It’s also one of the reasons it’s so hard to get in,” Rainbow added. As she spoke, she was trying to coax her daughters out with her wings. “C’mon kiddos, say hello to my friend Jakob!” The mare grinned at June, “I know you’ve heard this a lot, but you got big! I mean, you were so tiny when I last saw you! In case you didn’t know, I’m Rainbow Dash, fastest pegasus in Equestria!”
One of the fillies waved nervously at June and Jakob. “Um, hi.” Her sister shrank behind Rainbow’s tail.
“Oh, you’re both so cute!” the girl gushed at the foals. “Father talks about you sometimes,” June said to Rainbow with a grin. “I think I know more about you than I do my own mother.”
“Hey! Kaga was pretty cool,” Rainbow laughed. “She was a good friend. She cheated at cards, though. I hated that.”
“And yet you kept playing with her,” Rarity tittered behind a hoof.
“Whatever, Rares.”
The two fillies hiding behind their mother were sniffing the air cautiously. Jakob had gone very still, watching his daughter as she knelt to make herself small and nonthreatening.
“So,” Rainbow drew out the word, “what’s the plan for today? I know we’re gonna go do something, right?”
“Well,” Rarity watched June hold a hand out to the fillies, beckoning her fingers at them, “I was going to just make sure of June’s order for clothing, then I was thinking we could have lunch. My treat, of course. There is so much to catch up on! I am so thrilled to see Jakob again, after all these years! However,” she arched a brow at the man, “I do recall less of a dour look beneath that beard.”
“I need a new sword,” Jakob told Rainbow, ignoring Rarity. She gave him a small pout.
Curious, the rainbow maned mare asked, “Why?”
“I broke it on the head of a minotaur. The metal was flawed.” There was a shrug and the man clucked his tongue.
“Dude,” Rainbow shook her head, “the last place you want to whack a minotaur is his head.”
“How dreadful! Why would you do such a thing?” Rarity demanded.
“The minotaur is fine,” sighed the human, his eyes on June.
The girl had shifted herself to a cross-legged position on the floor. One of the fillies had discovered the wonders of scratches behind the ears. Seeing the look of bliss on her sister’s face, the second Dash filly moved out from behind her mother. Looking at Rainbow, she hesitated, not sure of herself.
“You snooze, you lose!” Rainbow told her. “Human fingers are totally the best thing for giving scratches, Danger. Hey, Rares,” she grinned broadly, “remember when Kaga used to go around and randomly give us ear scratches whenever we got together? She absolutely loved it!”
“I will neither confirm nor deny my addiction to human fingers,” the white unicorn said sternly, but with a twinkle in her eye. “Do you remember what was even better than ear scratches?”
“Belly rubs!” the two mares cried in unison.
Jakob growled, “I am not giving either of you belly rubs! You,” he pointed at Rainbow Dash, “once told me belly rubs were not ‘cool’.”
“Dude, human fingers are like magic!” Rainbow ruffled her feathers and gave a happy shudder. “I don’t deny what I like, Jakob.”
June perked up at this snippet of information, “When did you give ponies belly rubs, Father?”
His eyes widened, mouth hanging open for a pause. Snapping it shut, he gave his daughter a stern glare. “I do not know what you are talking about.”
“Denial is the first step,” Rarity demurred. “June, dear, it would appear the fillies have become quite taken with you! Now, before the cuddling gets out of hoof, I should like to confirm my measurements and design with your growth in mind. That is the primary reason why you are here, is it not?”
June nodded.
“Very well, then! There is a couch over there. I can have one of the associates prepare some tea while I see to June’s measurements. As soon as I get what I need, we’ll do lunch. Does that sound agreeable to everypony?” Rarity adjusted her reading glasses. “Rainbow, do your girls need snacks while you wait? It won’t be long, I promise.”
“Nah, they’ll be fine,” Rainbow waved her off. “Besides, they’re gonna get curious about Jakob and they’ll find out there’s nothing to be afraid of. The guy is legit, girls, I promise!”
Rarity, satisfied with her friend’s answer, herded June into a fitting room. “Don’t go anywhere, darlings! This won’t take but a moment!” she reminded before closing the door behind her.
“He’s scary, Mommy,” whimpered Daring Dash. “He’s big and grumpy.”
“Eh,” the mare huffed with a grin, “you get used to it. Jakob’s one of those guys that are way more than what you see on the outside. I’m not gonna force you if you don’t wanna. Do you understand?”
Jakob, too big for pony furniture, sat on the floor with his back to the wall. Rainbow tossed him a couple of throw pillows from the couch as she leapt up and made herself comfortable. Her foals followed, scrambling to jump up next to her. Little wings flapped and rumps wriggled in their efforts. Their mother kept an eye on them, grinning with amusement. The human watched this, approving. Motherhood suited his friend.
“So,” Rainbow began once she was sure her foals were settled, “heard something down the pipe that a human, a changeling queen, and a unicorn with a busted horn took down some baddies and rescued a couple of ponies. Is that true and is that the reason why you busted your sword?”
“How do you know this?” Jakob queried, folding his hands together.
“Jakob, I’m military. I’m nosy. I like to know what my friends are up to. I’ve got the clearance to be a part of the need to know crowd. You did good,” she nodded at him. “Wished I could have seen you kick some flank!”
“Kick flank!” cheered Danger.
“That’s right!” Rainbow cheered her daughter.
“No bubblegum?” asked Daring.
“You saw Princess Cadence?” Rainbow asked.
“We had a discussion,” Jakob mentioned.
An earth pony mare entered with a tea tray. She served Jakob and Rainbow with a nervous smile, her gaze constantly going to the human. Again, Jakob made no sudden movements and did not make direct eye contact. Ponies could be easy to spook. He accepted his tea with a thank-you. Rainbow was holding back laughter as she watched.
“Man,” she began after the pony left, “it’s hilarious watching you go into your non-aggressive stance. It’s like you’re so scared to start a stampede.”
“Vanhoover,” Jakob reminded her with a low growl.
“Oh, yeah,” she laughed sheepishly. “Vanhoover. Forgot about that.” Changing the subject, she ventured, “So, June looks like she’s a good kid. Kinda surprised with the kind of dad she’s got.”
“I like to think I have done the best I can.” The man cast his gaze over the fillies. They were both staring at him, more with curiosity now than fear, “I am surprised you would be a mother.”
“Dude, that’s life,” she said with a toothy grin. “If you would have asked me before these two came along, I would have told you having foals would have been the worst thing ever. Now? Couldn’t imagine my life without them. They’re my girls and they’re my pride and joy. I’m pretty sure June is the same for you, am I right?”
Jakob gave her a smile. “Yes. She is.”
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If I can see the smoke from my neighbor's chimney, the area has gotten crowded.
Good to see more ponies, we're slowly catching up with the entire cast.
I liked the names Rainbow gave to her kids and learning she enjoys ear scratches and belly rubs. xD
Rainbow admitting she likes belly rubs (and ear scratches) shows she has matured ... now will she admit to spa treatments ??
good job keep it up and welcome back
FWIW, this is the best depiction of an older Rainbow Dash I've seen. You've managed to keep her personality while smoothing away her more negative traits. You've also managed to convey her history with Jakob in a more engaging fashion than with Cadence.
Calling it right now Missy is part of the EE
Best chapter fic review is 11/10 gg no re.