Doorway side stories

by Java Joe

Home for the Holidays

Author's note: well this chapter went in a completely different direction than when I had planned it. Originally it was supposed to be nothing more than Twyla coming home for the holidays, Rick and Twilight being empty nesters and them having a Hearth's Night Eve together. Then I introduced Sterling so he needed to be added at some point then for some reason I had "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" on the mind so I had Twyla bring home a guest. I'm not 100% happy with the ending but I needed to complete this before being able to complete the others I've got.

In terms of timeline, this would take place some 14 years or so after the Epilogue in "Eris' Game". Twyla is in her final year at the magic academy which I've taken to be the equivalent of University and Sterling is still in the Equestrian equivalent of High School if that makes any sense.

"Twyla is coming back for Hearth's Warming Eve from the magic academy and she's bringing a guest, " Twilight said with a bit of a smile as she walked upstairs with a scroll. "She's not telling us who it is, but she did mention that they've been seeing each other for a while and she says it's serious."

"Where have I heard that before, " Rick grunted. Twyla had had several coltfriends during her time in Equestria, a lot of them were intimidated by the fact her parents were legendary. Rick never quite understood why he was famous in Equestria. Yes, he was single-handedly responsible for introducing coffee to the land. Yes, he had managed to finally grow the actual tree in Equestria meaning it was no longer necessary to import from Earth. And yes, he was the legendary "human" pony who "defeated Discord", "sired a dragon" and single-handedly saved Princess Celestia from an assassin but that didn't matter. All those legends of his exploits were simply stories that had been exaggerated from much simpler, less impressive stories but ponies loved them.

However, when some colts found out Twyla's lineage they were too scared to meet him. Maybe the fact that he told them he ate meat and inferred that Twyla also liked it didn't help matters either. In any case, she was bringing home a new colt for the holidays and Rick promised his wife that he would at least be nice to the young stallion.

"They're going to be sleeping in different rooms while they're here. Ponies don't know about contraception and I'm not having some young stud knock up my daughter in my house. What they do in Equestria is up to them. If they want to shack up in the library and sleep together there, that's their decision."

"I'm so glad you're taking this reasonably, " Twilight said with a note of sarcasm in her voice. "I seem to recall us sleeping together under my parent's roof and they didn't mind."

"Back then there was no way for me to get you pregnant. And besides I am being reasonable. No unprotected sex while on this side of the portal. And that goes double if she's in heat... do you know if she will be during that time?"

Twilight thought for a moment and said, "no, she shouldn't be due for another two months."

"And there we go. If she wants to have sex with her coltfriend she can do so in the library, " Rick said.

Two weeks later, right on time, Twyla came bursting up from the basement and greeted her parents warmly.

"Oh darling, I missed you so much!" Twilight gushed as she hugged and kissed her daughter. Rick was also happy to see his first born child once again and also hugged and kissed her when it was his turn.

"So where is your friend?" Twilight asked with a slightly suggestive smile.

"Getting dressed. I ordered some clothes from Rarity before we got here so we'd have stuff to wear." Twyla looked a little uncomfortable but came out and said, "okay, you know how you always told me how things in Equestria don't always work the same here on Earth? But because it's in Equestria it's okay?"

"What are you getting at? Twyla, you ought to know by now that you can tell us anything. We won't judge you. Look at Rarity and Spike, or AJ and Rainbow Dash or even me and your Mum, none of us are in what are 'traditional' relationships, " Rick said.

"Your father's right. I was a pony and he was a human when we first met and fell in love. Things took a turn for the better and we've never regretted it or looked back. So are you telling us that it's not a colt you brought back?"

"Yeah, let me go get them, " she walked down the stairs and soon she brought her friend up. It was another filly. "Mom, Dad, let me introduce you to Lunar Spell, my wife."

Needless to say this is not what Twilight and Rick were expecting but they rallied well enough and welcomed her to the house.

"Lunar Spell thanks you for this kind invitation and hopes to get to know you both better while she's here, " she said in a very odd but strangely familiar way.

Twyla took her by the hand and led her upstairs, "c'mon I'll show you the room and we can get unpacked, " she said taking her upstairs to her old room.

"She's married?" Rick asked.

"Yes. Our baby is married."

"To a filly?"

"Yes. She married a filly."

"She married a filly called Lunar Spell who refers to herself in the 3rd person?"

"Yes. She married a filly called Lunar Spell who refers to herself in the 3rd person."

"So I'm not dreaming and this isn't a nightmare?"

"No, you're very much awake but that's not the worst part."

"What is, " Rick asked dreading what she was going to say next.

"I believe she might be Trixie's daughter."

"The same Trixie?"

"The same Trixie."

"Do you think they went through the bonding ceremony?"

"I hope not, " Twilight said finally sitting down heavily in one of the chairs.

Rick sighed heavily not liking where this was going. "Check please, " he asked an imaginary waiter in a desperate attempt to leave. But as no waiter was forthcoming, he had to stay there and face reality.

Meanwhile upstairs.

"Well, that went better than I had hoped, " Twyla said flopping down on her bed.

"What do you mean? They were perfectly cordial to Lunar Spell, " Lunar Spell said.

"Yeah, that's not necessarily a good thing." Twyla propped herself up on her elbows to look her wife in the face. "You see, my Dad is a pretty easy going guy and he cracks wise all the time. He didn't say a word that wasn't out of place. On the other hand he didn't actually object to you either. I mean my aunts Rainbow Dash and Applejack are married and they're two of my parents best friends."

"It doesn't matter. Lunar Spell is your wife, you are Lunar Spell's for as long as we both shall live, " leaning down she kissed Twyla full on the lips and Twyla responded in kind.

Pulling back slightly Lunar Spell said, "this feels so different than as a pony. These fingers especially are more sensitive, " she said admiring her fingers. Then she got a wicked gleam to her eyes and said, "oh the things Lunar Spell will do to you tonight when we're alone my little pony."

Later on at dinner, they all sat at the table, Sterling was out on a school trip and wouldn't be home until tomorrow so it was only the 4 of them.

"So Lunar Spell, tell me, would you by any chance know of a showmare named Trixie?" Rick asked. This brought a sharp look from Twilight and a bit of a gasp from the two fillies.

"Why yes! The Great and Powerful Trixie is Lunar Spell's dam! So the word of the Great and Powerful Trixie has reached even to this world. She will be pleased to know this."

"Yeah, about that? Only the 4 of us here at this table know about Trixie and for the most part she's not our favourite pony. We had dealings in the past with her and they weren't very pleasant. And the fact is that you speak like her referring to yourself in the 3rd person and referring to her by her stage name tells me that maybe she hasn't changed and what she said to us all those years ago was another lie."

"Rick please, not here, not now, " Twilight pleaded.

"I'm sorry Twi and I'm sorry Twyla but I really wish you had talked to us before or informed us of your relationship with Trixie Jr over here before you went and got married. I'm not disappointed that you married a mare, hell your Mum fillyfooled when she was younger and Dash and AJ are two of my best and closest friends in Equestria. I understand that these things happen and I understand that things in Equestria move differently than they do here. But what I'm having trouble with is your being with the daughter of the mare that raped Rainbow Dash's mind, broke your mother's heart and almost killed me, " Rick said in an almost matter of fact way.

Twyla and Lunar Spell both gasped on hearing this and Twilight was shooting daggers from her eyes at Rick but he would not be stopped.

"Yeah, you heard me right. Trixie was defeated by Twilight here when she woke up an Ursa Minor and couldn't stop it. Twilight managed to save the day and Trixie ran away. Months later she shows up at the library pretending to be sorry and your Mum bought it. Later they became fillyfriends or at least your Mum thought they were. That is until a few months after that she disappears taking a valuable book with her. Now, as much as I hate what she did she is directly responsible for the events that led to me and your mother meeting. So in a sense I'm grateful for that but here comes the really nasty part. Once Twi and I had started dating she shows up again thinking that Twilight would run back into her hooves, that of course didn't happen." Rick took a sip of his wine and continued.

"Well, we're in Canterlot celebrating the fact that your Aunt Cadance is going to have a foal when suddenly out of nowhere Rainbow Dash comes screaming in, breaking a window in the process, " Rick looked over and took Twilight's hand in his before saying the next part. "If I hadn't thrown myself over your mother to protect her, she might have died. Instead I spent the next several days in the hospital clinging to life. You've seen the scar on my side, " he said pointing to where the jagged scar was hidden under his shirt. "That's how I got it. Now Rainbow Dash would never have done something so batshit crazy unless Trixie used an ancient magic to try to control her. Your mother found out about this and challenged her. Trixie lost which allowed Discord to take over her body and effectively start to change Equestria once again. I was captured, tortured and generally used as a pawn to prevent your mother and the rest of the Elements of Harmony from attacking. Also for some reason Discord needed me to take over Equestria. Well your Mum and the fillies managed to defeat him with some assistance from myself and we thought it was over. Trixie apologised, went back to Mareseilles with Sunrunner who I am guessing is Lunar Spell's father and everypony was happy. Or so we thought." Rick took a deep breath because as hard as what he had told them was, the next part was even harder.

"So, life continued as usual. Your mother was pregnant and then you were born. It was the happiest moment of my life, my tiny little filly. You were so small and fragile that I was afraid to even hold you. But I was being silly and once you looked at me with those violet eyes, my heart exploded and my life would never be the same. We thought that everything was perfect until we tried to take you back to Equestria and the portal would not let you through. The Princesses determined that you had been possessed by Discord."

Both Twyla and Lunar Spell gasped at this and turned white. Rick's heart sank a bit when he noticed they both reached for each other at that point, maybe the next part might change that.

"Anyway, Discord couldn't do much in your body because you were just a newborn foal, well he could influence people and he wound up casting his influence between us and your grandparents. This was of course before we knew what had happened. Your grandmother found out that you weren't completely human and that your Mum wasn't born human at all and wanted nothing to do with you or us but the next morning Twi and your Grandmother managed to patch things up. The reason of course was because Discord was so satisfied with the strife he had caused that he didn't bother to keep up the pretence at that point. Then we find out you were possessed, Luna helped in determining this, I offered myself to Discord for no other reason than to save you, he possesses me, there was a fight, the princesses help to bind him then he disappeared. We never found him again."

"But, everything worked out in the end, " Lunar Spell said. "You're both still alive and... my mother turned over a new leaf."

"Yeah, maybe so but because of what she did the lives of so many ponies have been changed. I almost died which means that Twyla might have grown up without a father and she might have become the new face of Discord. Rainbow Dash spent months in the hospital and in rehab recovering from her wounds incurred during her fight. Twilight here almost died in taking Trixie out. And to top it all off, my daughter tells me that she's married to Trixie's filly. How am I supposed to feel about all this? Answer me that."

Lunar Spell tried a few times to say something but nothing came out. Finally she got up from the table and walked stoically upstairs. Twyla, torn between the filly she loved and her family took a moment before running after her wife.

"That was a little harsh, " Twilight said to Rick without any trace of anger in her voice.

"Yeah, I know but it's just Trixie all over again. But now we're related to that showmare and that's not something that fills me with the warm fuzzies. On the other hand if it wasn't for her we'd have never met, Twyla wouldn't be here, Dash and AJ might not be married which means no Flame Flicker. I'm guessing part of me is still angry about what happened all those years ago."

"Rick, " Twilight said reaching over and taking her husband's hand in her own. "I know how you feel and quite honestly, I don't like it either. But Lunar Spell isn't her mother even if she talks like her. She's Twyla's wife and for better or worse she's our daughter in law now."

Rick leaned back and with one hand pinched the bridge of his nose while he closed his eyes. This was something that he did when he was upset or needed a moment to think about matters. He wasn't happy about this, it was simply too much information at once and he needed time to digest it all.

Twilight understood and though it pained her to do so, she had to speak to her daughter and daughter in law. Walking up the stairs, she heard Lunar Spell crying softly behind the door and Twyla comforting her as best she could. Steeling herself, Twilight knocked gently on the door and said, "honey? It's me. Can I come in?"

There was some hurried whispering, some rapid movement and the sound of clothes being thrown across the room. After an agonising few moments Twyla answered, "okay, you can come in now."

Twyla was seated on the bed next to Lunar Spell who's clothes looked like they had been hastily put on. They didn't appear to have been doing anything they shouldn't have, but Twilight guessed that maybe Lunar Spell just wasn't used to wearing clothes and got out of them the first chance she had. Both had red, slightly puffy eyes as if they'd been crying. There was no need for words, a mother always knows what's best for her child and she immediately went over to her daughter and hugged her. That was all that was needed and Twyla once again started to cry. This brought a fresh set of tears to Lunar Spell's eyes who also joined the hug. All these tears and female bonding only caused Twilight to also shed some tears, but not as much as the other two.

When the tears were done, Twilight looked at her daughter. "Oh my poor, sweet little filly. Your father's not angry with you or Lunar Spell, he's just... concerned with the events that took place. You come here with your new wife and didn't tell us you were even dating, then the fact that she's Trixie's daughter is a lot of information to digest. Your father will come around, it might take him some time. I mean he's only human. Even after all this time he still doesn't fully understand Equestrian society and that's okay. I don't understand a lot of human traits either but we still love each other very much, and he loves you very much and if Lunar Spell truly is your one special somepony then he will understand that as well."

"Thanks Mom, " Twyla said. "I think I should go talk to him." Twyla got up to leave, but Lunar Spell tried to hold her back. "It's okay, I won't be long, " she gave her wife a quick kiss then headed downstairs to talk to her father.

"As for you, why don't you start at the beginning and tell me how the two of you met and why you didn't feel it was necessary to tell us you were married?" Twilight asked her daughter-in-law.

Twyla walked down the stairs, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She found him sitting alone in the study, a glass of Irish whiskey by his side as he looked through some old photo albums of her when she was younger. "Daddy?" she called out and her heart and nerve almost broke when she saw the tears shimmering in his eyes. She stood there for a moment, unable to move until he put the book down and held out his arms to her. Sobbing slightly, she ran into his embrace, "I'm sorry, " she repeated over and over again.

"Shhhh. Don't cry, " Rick said, hugging her tight and gently stroking her hair like he did when she was just a child. He comforted her as best he could, then when she had calmed down he moved over a bit on the sofa to make room for her and she sat down next to him.

"I should be the one saying I'm sorry Twyla. This was a big surprise in more ways than one. I was expecting a coltfriend, one that I could maybe intimidate like I used to when you had started attracting colts. Then I find out it's a mare and then you're married. I'm sorry that you didn't feel you could tell me this sooner."

"Daddy, it's not like that. I still like stallions, but I love Lunar Spell, " Twyla protested.

"Then what is it? What happened?"

Twyla sighed. "Okay, I'll tell you how we met and why I didn't mention this until today. Four years ago when I started at the Magic Academy I discovered two things. The first being that I had some pretty big shoes to fill. Both you and Mom are famous over there. She's the greatest magic user of her generation, and you're the human that saved Celestia. When ponies found out I was the daughter of two living legends then all these expectations were put on me. Ponies immediately thought that I'd be super powerful and brave and stuck up to the point where they didn't want to get to know me. I wasn't Twyla Sparkle. I was the daughter of Princess Celestia's prize student and the human. Back in Ponyville, this wasn't a big deal. Ponies there knew you guys, but outside of Ponyville things were different. It didn't matter that I was as powerful as Mom and have been creating spells since I was just a filly, or that I too was human. I was always being compared to you two so I had to figure out a way to become my own pony. So I started spending less time in the library and started spending more time with colts and fillies my age. I... experimented with a herd and that's where I met Lunar Spell. She alone filled something in me that I never knew was missing and we left the herd but stayed together."

She sighed deeply and continued. "Then we went out to Maresailles for a weekend to visit her parents. Sunrunner is still working as a doctor and Trixie is the resident magician. Her job is to take care of the foals and she uses her magic to entertain, teach and generally try to make their time at the hospital better. But she never mentioned Discord or her place in what happened to you and Mom. I guess she's wanted to make up for the pain and misery that she caused by helping the young ones. She actually has changed for the best and she was more than happy to accept me as her daughter-in-law."

"And I'm guessing that our names never came up during this?"

"Remember, I was trying to forge a new identity so I kinda glossed over certain things. I said that Mom was originally from Canterlot and you were from way out of town. She didn't press the issue so I didn't volunteer anything more. Maybe she understood the need for privacy with her own past and everything. Then one night, back in Canterlot, Lunar Spell and I both got a little drunk on cider and pledged our love and commitment to each other under the stars. It was all very romantic."

"So you two never had an actual ceremony?"

"We don't need one. You and Mom never had a ceremony."

"Yeah but we did the civil ceremony at City Hall and got married there. We had our reasons for doing so, not the least of which was that she was here and human full time. We needed something legally binding if for nothing else than to legitimise her being here, " Rick said. "Twyla, I'm not angry with you I'm just a little disappointed and really surprised with all that's happened. I'm sure that Lunar Spell is a wonderful mare and I'm hoping that this is what you want out of life. If you can tell me honestly that this is what you want, I'll be more than happy to give you and her my blessing. But I don't want you to think that you need to hide things like this from me or your mother."

"Thank you Daddy, " Twyla said as she threw her arms around her father's neck and hugged him tight. "I love you, " she whispered in his ear.

"Love you too my little pony, " Rick responded. After a moment they disengaged, Rick smiled at his daughter and said, "so you still like stallions? I mean I don't want to push you or anything but I'd really like grandkids someday."

"You don't need to worry about that, both of us like stallions but we just don't want to get involved with one at least not now. So maybe we'll just get some available stallion to stud for us one day. Isn't that how Precious Gem was conceived? I mean a dragon and a pony can't have a foal, " Twyla said not realising that Rick had intimate knowledge of what that had entailed.

"So maybe you can ask Porter? You had such a crush on him when you were younger, " Rick teased his daughter.

"Daaad! Ick! That would be like doing it with my brother! I've known Porter my whole life and aren't we technically cousins or something?"

"Not by blood, and I'm just kidding. I know you two would never work in that way. I'm sure there are plenty of other stallions in Equestria that wouldn't mind going to stud for you. And if they get all needy after and want more, let me know and I'll put the fear of Celestia into them."

Twyla smiled knowing how much her father loved her and would do everything in his power for her. "Thank you Daddy, " she hugged him again which he returned happily.

"Well, I figure it's time that I be properly introduced to this wife of yours."

Twyla smiled and led her father upstairs to her room where she found Lunar Spell and Twilight hugging it out much like she had been hugging her father just moments before. Both Twilight and Lunar Spell looked a little worried when Rick showed up but that tension vanished when he took Lunar Spell's hands in his own and simply said, "welcome to the family. If I made you feel... uncomfortable or unwanted I'm sorry and it was only because I didn't understand what was going on. Twyla explained to me how it was you two came together and what it is you mean to each other."

"Thank you, Lunar Spell... I mean I understand why acted like you did. And as I mentioned to Twilight Sparkle, the mare you knew as Trixie then is not the same as she is now. She does still talk about herself in the 3rd person when she performs and I will admit that some of that rubbed off on me, but she's come a long way since what happened before. I like to think it's my father's influence on her and maybe even the love and commitment that you and Twilight Sparkle share."

"None of that now. You agreed to call me Mom, " Twilight said with mock severity.

"Of course Mom, forgive me, " Lunar Spell said with a shy smile.

"I think we can all be forgiven for what's happened, " Rick said. "Now, since we didn't have a chance earlier how about dessert? I've got some spiced crème caramel in the fridge that would go to waste if nopony would eat them."

"Dad, you would never let something like that go to waste, " Twyla teased while gently patting her father's stomach.

"That's enough out of you, although from the size of your butt maybe you ought to lay off the cupcakes yourself, " Rick responded in kind.

"She can have all the desserts she wants, and I'll keep an eye on her flanks, " Lunar Spell said with a smile.

"Okay, I don't think I needed to hear that last part so why don't I forget it and just plate the dessert?" Rick said as he went downstairs.

Everypony came downstairs, reseated themselves at the dinner table while Rick brought out the slightly wobbly puddings covered in sweet liquid caramel.

"What is that flavour?" Twyla asked after her first bite. "I'm getting nutmeg, cinnamon... cloves and possibly ginger but there's something else there that's bringing it all together."

"Cardamom, " Rick answered. "I usually use it in some Indian type dishes but it works with the spices so I figured why not?"

The desserts were finished with complements given to the chef and they lingered for a while over coffee and liqueurs talking about the latest in Equestria as well as what was new in the lives of the children. But it wasn't long before Lunar Spell's eyes were getting heavy and they decided it was time for bed. There was a bit of an awkward silence before Rick simply said, "goodnight, and try to keep the noise down." A slow blush crept up the faces of both fillies as they shyly made their way up to Twyla's room and closed the door.

"That was very well done, " Twilight said to Rick.

"I think I ought to get my head examined. You do realise what's going to happen next don't you?"

"No what?" Twilight asked warily wondering where he was going with this.

"We're going to have to invite her parents over for dinner to meet them which means more vegetarian dishes, " Rick said with mock frustration.

Twilight smiled and took his hand in hers. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

Rick sighed heavily. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Okay, let's get this cleaned up and get to bed."

"I love it when you talk sexy like that, " Twilight said dryly.

"And why else would I say or do anything?" Rick responded with a playful smirk. It didn't take them long to clear the table and put everything in the dishwasher. Twilight noticed that he hesitated for a moment at the foot of the stairs before heading up. It was to his credit that he walked past Twyla's room without stopping, slowing down or making a sound.

As they lay in bed with Twilight snuggled up next to her husband, he asked, "I guess in a way this means she's all grown up isn't she? She's not a little girl anymore."

"You knew that already, " Twilight responded.

"Intellectually yes, but emotionally she's still my little pony and now she has a wife and a future with her and someday foals of her own. And that means that Sterling is just around the corner as well. In a few years he'll be the one bringing his new fillyfriend home to meet us and saying that they're getting married."

"I think we still have a few years left with him."

"Yeah, I guess we do, " Rick smiled and kissed his wife goodnight before they settled down and went to sleep.

The next day he awoke to the sound of female voices downstairs in the kitchen and the smell of... bacon? Smiling to himself he remembered that it was something that Twyla did when she came back home and she'd make some bacon to go with her breakfast. Her excuse was that she couldn't get it or eat it while in Equestria so she had to get her fix here whenever she could. It also gave him the excuse to have some without Twilight raising too much of a fuss.

"Morning Daddy!" Twyla called out happily as Rick entered the kitchen. "You're just in time, please have a seat, " she indicated to the kitchen table which had been set up with four place settings. Lunar Spell and Twilight were already seated and talking about one subject or another. He sat down on one of the chairs and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"So what's the occasion?" he asked when Twyla started piling the food on the table.

"Twyla wanted to make breakfast for everybody, although we could have done without the bacon, " Twilight said. Lunar Spell also looked a little uneasy with this. While she might have been aware of Twyla's human parentage and her omnivorous nature this was possibly the first time the reality of knowing she was a meat eater was truly driven home.

Once breakfast was done, they cleaned up and Twyla took Lunar Spell off to show her the farm and the surrounding countryside. Rick found Twilight by the window just looking at the two girls frolicking in the snow with a melancholy smile on her face. He walked up behind her and gently put his arms around her. She sighed and leaned against him while watching Twyla throw a snowball at her wife.

"You okay?" Rick asked.

She turned around until she was facing him and said, "I'm fine, " before giving him a kiss and burying her face in his chest.

Rick gently stroked her back as he held her and said, "I'm sure everything will turn out for the best. And hey, Sterling is coming home tonight. We'll finally be a family again."

The thought of both her children back home for Hearth's Warming Eve brought a smile to her face. While Sterling was still living at home, she cherished these times that both of them were once again back home with her and Rick. The house just seemed so... empty without them. She heard a shriek from outside only to see Lunar Spell using her magic to throw massive amounts of snow at Twyla who was currently running away with a smile on her face.

"Do you remember when we were that young?" Twilight asked wistfully.

"When you were that young Twyla was already 4 years old. Before then however, I remember chasing you all over Equestria, walking side by side in the forest while the autumn leaves fell around us, sitting in a dark field watching the stars, lying awake at night just holding each other and talking until dawn. Yeah, those were good times, " Rick leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Those were good times, but we never played like that, " Twilight said.

"That's because you always had your nose in a book. But we did play, we had some fun and I wouldn't have changed it for the world."

Lunar Spell had finally dumped her snow on Twyla who fell to the ground giggling like a child. Lunar Spell fell on top of her, also giggling. They embraced then rolled around in the snow for a moment before coming back inside to warm up.

"Looks like you two had fun, " Rick said with Twilight still in his arms.

"Very much, thank you. This is all so magical, " Lunar Spell answered, her eyes shining with joy. "Winter in Canterlot is such a boring and dull affair. Thank you once again for letting me stay here for the holidays."

"Think nothing of it dear, you're family. Now if you'll excuse me I have a library to take care of, " Twilight said. She gave Rick a soft kiss on the lips goodbye then kissed her daughter and daughter-in-law on the cheek before going downstairs and making her way to Equestria.

"I don't know what you two have planned for the rest of the day, but your brother is coming home tonight from his school trip and that means I've got a dinner to plan. So you girls are on your own for lunch but I'll see you later when it's time for dinner." Rick wandered off to the kitchen to see what they had and what he could work with which left the girls to do what they wanted for the rest of the day.

"So, was there anything you wanted to see or do while you were here?" Twyla asked her wife.

"You mentioned 'movies' and how they were a kind of 'magical book' on a screen. Could we see one of those?"

"Sure, you're going to love this, " Twyla said taking Lunar Spell by the hand and leading her downstairs to the media room where the big screen projector and DVDs were kept. Long ago they had gotten rid of the TV as TV technology had advanced and had gotten bigger and bigger, they had reached a point where it was impossible to bring one downstairs so they opted for a high end projector and a screen. It wasn't the perfect solution but it did allow for a truly big picture. Twyla went to one of the cupboards in the side, pulled out some treats and lay them on the table along with some cans of soda. When Lunar Spell looked at her with a quizzical expression Twyla simply said, "it's all part of the movie experience, " quoting something her father used to say all the time when she was younger.

Choosing a movie, they snuggled on the couch, enjoyed their treats and got lost in the magic.

Rick currently had his head in the fridge and was looking to see what they had. Lunar Spell was from Mareseilles so she was okay with seafood so maybe as a welcome to the family type deal he could do a seafood menu for tonight. That meant a trip to the market but he had to check to see what else they currently had. As he was looking, he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes and a familiar voice call out, "guess who?"

He smiled and said, "I'm hoping you're a sexy little lavender unicorn, " before turning around and seeing it was in fact Twilight. "Well, close enough, " he said before giving her a kiss. "So what brings you back here so soon?"

"I got a message via Spike that Sterling is bringing a friend home for the holidays. He said specifically not to worry as she has no problem with eating seafood or fish. So we need to set an extra place."

"Great, another unicorn in the house. Why can't my ungrateful children bring home a nice earth pony once in a while? It's discrimination I tells ya'!" Rick said with mock outrage.

"How do you know it's a unicorn?" Twilight asked.

"C'mon, the last 4 fillies he's brought home have been unicorns. Before that he had a thing for pegasi and only once has he ever even considered going out with an earth pony. My own son, ashamed of his proud earth pony heritage."

Twilight just looked at Rick like he had lost his mind. "You do realise that you have no earth pony heritage of which to speak right?"

"Don't try to confuse me with your fancy unicorn talk. We may be simple farmers and tillers of the soil but we know that you eggheads in your ivory towers and look down on us. Don't try to deny that you were slumming when you went out with me in an attempt to make your parents mad."

Twilight just looked at Rick as he rambled on about how maligned the earth pony was and how they were at the bottom of the heap due to their lack of magic or wings but one day they'd rise up against their unicorn and pegasus oppressors. "Are you done?" she finally asked when he had seemingly run out of things to say.

Rick thought for a moment. Opened his mouth as if to say something else then started laughing before saying, "okay that was fun."

"Yes Mr. Funnyman, you were very funny. And it's a good thing you're still cute as hell otherwise I'd kick that cute butt of yours, " Twilight said with a smile before kissing him.

"Yeah, I love you too babe. So an extra place for dinner for Sterling's new fillyfriend and she likes seafood which works perfectly for what I want to do tonight."

"And what's that?" Twilight asked eagerly.

"Well seafood obviously. We can start with some steamed mussels or clams with white wine and lots of garlic. Then some pan-fried trout or something similar with a crispy skin and this is followed by a lemon meringue pie for dessert. I tried to think of a way to incorporate fish into the dessert but I don't think it would work."

"Good call on that one. So do you need anything from me before I head back?"

"I can think of a couple things, but you probably need to get back to work so I'll just wait until we're alone tonight, " he said with a lecherous grin.

"Horndog, " Twilight said as she kissed him.

"Egghead, " Rick responded, kissing her back.

"Earth Pony, " Twilight whispered giving him a longer and more sensual kiss.

"Brainiac, " Rick whispered and responded in kind.

"Farmer, " Twilight breathed as she pressed herself into him.

"Horn Head, " Rick growled as he reached inside her robe and grabbed hold of her butt.

"Barbarian, " Twilight sighed as she ran her hands over him.

"Dirty. Sexy. Filly, " Rick breathed as he punctuated each word with a kiss to her lips, throat and shoulder in that order.

"I can give you ten minutes, " Twilight said huskily.

"Gimme fifteen."

"Done, let's go, " she said taking him by the hand and leading him upstairs to the bedroom.

Fourteen minutes later, Twilight was fixing her hair in the mirror.

"You still owe me a minute, " Rick said while lazing in bed.

"I'll give it to you tonight, some of us need to get back to work. Later, " she gave him a quick kiss goodbye and made her way back to the library.

Rick smiled, gave a happy little sigh then got dressed and started to prepare what he needed to do for dinner tonight. He walked downstairs to the media room where the two fillies were watching "E.T." and poked his head in. "I'm heading out to the market to pick up a few things, you're welcome to come with if you want to see what a supermarket on Earth looks like, " he said looking directly at Lunar Spell. "Or you two can sit here and continue watching movies and doing whatever."

"Would we go in the 'car'?" Lunar Spell asked, her face coming alight.

"Of course, I don't feel like walking for an hour there and back in the snow just to get groceries, " Rick said. Lunar Spell squealed with happiness and clapped her hands together. Twyla just shrugged and paused the movie. "I guess that settles that, you two get dressed and I'll meet you out front."

A few moments later they came outside, Lunar Spell almost giddy with anticipation at riding in an actual car. She had heard about these strange motorised carriages from Twyla and as eager to try one out. They got in, got buckled up and were on their way.

The trip out there was fascinating to Lunar Spell, having never travelled like this before and she marvelled at everything including how Rick drove the vehicle. When they got to the supermarket, she was even more amazed. Never before had she seen such a big place that sold all types of food. She practically dragged Twyla around by the hand trying to see everything she could while Rick picked up what they needed for tonight. Twyla wisely kept her away from the butcher section especially considering that horse meat was something that they sold.

But like all things, the trip to the supermarket was short lived and they needed to come back home. Lunar Spell kept up a running commentary about how amazing this world was and how Equestria was really missing out on cars, movies and supermarkets.

"If you feel that way, maybe Twyla can take you to the mall at some point, " Rick said casually.

"What is 'the mall'?"

"Thanks Dad, " Twyla said dryly. She turned to look at her wife and said, "the mall is possibly one of the greatest things ever created. Imagine the supermarket we just went to. Now imagine maybe 20 or 30 of those in size, but with different stores inside selling different things. Some sell clothes, some sell food, some sell electronics, some sell books and the list goes on. We can go there tomorrow if you want."

"Yes! I'd love to see The Mall. Oh thank you again for asking me to me spend time with you and your family this Hearth's Warming Eve, " Lunar Spell threw her arms around Twyla and hugged her tight. Twyla just smiled and said, "you! Eyes on the road!" to her father who was looking at the scene in the rear view mirror.

"Yes dear, " Rick deadpanned.

Hours later, dinner was being prepared, the table had been set with an extra place setting and all that remained was for Sterling and his guest to arrive. It was 6pm, right on the nose when they finally showed up.

"Hey, that smells good!" Sterling said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hey you!" Rick said as he caught his son in a rough bear hug. "So where's your hot new fillyfriend?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"Uhmm... yeah about that... " Sterling said a little sheepishly and absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck. "Fillyfriend doesn't quite... fit."

"Please don't tell me it's another colt. One surprise this holiday is enough, " Rick said.

"Nonono! She's definitely a she, don't worry about that, but what do you mean another surprise?"

"It's your sister, long story but she married another filly and we just found out about it when they showed up. But if it's a she, then why not call her your fillyfriend? You didn't get married or bond with her or something like that?"

"Dad! No! It's just..." he trailed off at that point as they heard a rough female voice complain loudly as she stomped up the stairs.

"Dammit! Why do we have to wear these stupid things Silver? Celestia's tits! This is uncomfortable, I feel like I'm gonna suffocate in this getup!" she continued to swear and curse as she came up the stairs then stopped when she saw that Sterling wasn't alone.

"Oh hey, I'm guessin' you're his old man?" the young woman with a shock of white hair said to Rick.

Rick, to his credit, didn't get angry at her words but also didn't immediately jump into sarcasm mode. "I'm his father yes, and might I ask who you are?"

"The name's Glenda, " she said offering her hand and squeezing quite hard when they shook.

"Glenda? I don't think I've heard of a pony in Ponyville by that name."

"That's because she's a griffon, " Sterling looked a little uneasy when he said that.

"That ain't a problem is it?" Glenda asked with a bit of a challenge in her voice.

"Not specifically no, " Rick said with a resigned smile. "I just ask that you keep the noise level down especially if we're trying to sleep." He turned to his son and said, "I'm counting on you to be responsible about this if not she's sleeping in the guest room okay?" Sterling gave a bashful smile at this and led Glenda upstairs to his room. "We're eating in 20 minutes, don't make me come up to get you, " Rick shouted up the stairs as the youngsters went to drop off their bags.

Dinner went off without a hitch. Glenda, while rough around the edges, was polite enough and didn't seem to want to cause trouble. She also seemed very attached to Sterling.

"So, where did you two meet?" Twilight asked.

The two looked at each other before Glenda said, "we kinda met when we were both volunteerin' for S.A.F.E. That's Species Acceptance For Equestria. Some ponies and others don't like it when two different species kinda get together ya know? So we, uh.. try to raise awareness and stuff that different species can co-exist and even have a relationship. And one day one of the members introduces me to Silver here, we hung out, he told me of his world, I told him of mine and then we kinda hooked up."

"It actually was Precious Gem who introduced us. She's the representative for S.A.F.E. in Ponyville. She knew that Glenda liked ponies and... I had my eye on her for a while so..., " Sterling blushed a bit unable to finish what he was saying.

"You are so cute when you blush Silver!" Glenda said which only caused Sterling to blush even more. "It's times like this that I could just eat you up."

"Yes! Another carnivore in the house which means more bacon tomorrow morning. And who's up for burgers tomorrow?" Rick said enthusiastically.

"Darling you know you need to watch your cholesterol, the doctor said so. I let you have some this morning because it was a special occasion, but you can't go about and do this every day, " Twilight chided her husband.

"But it's bacon. Natures perfect food. And how many times a year do I actually get to enjoy it? We eat vegetarian dishes most nights, seafood occasionally and it's rare that I get any meat."

"No bacon, I need you healthy for a long time. And Twyla, no sneaking bacon onto his plate when I'm not looking. I know you two are always in cahoots."

Twilight missed the silent signal that passed between Twyla and her father, or if she did see it she didn't make any kind of comment but the gesture was unmistakeable. She would make sure that her father got his bacon tomorrow morning.

"Well, on that note since everypony, and griffon, has finished let's have our dessert in front of the fire for a proper Hearth's Warming Eve, " Twilight said. The table was cleared, they all gathered in the family room in front of the fireplace to share the warmth of not only the fire but the holiday and how they might all be from different worlds and different species they were bound together by the bonds of love.

Comments

[Aziraphael]

Oh man, if Sterling's letter hadn't specifically said "she" I was totally expecting him to bring home a colt, just for the lulz .

I approve of this chapter. And the only problem I had with the ending was that Rick didn't make a carnivore joke about Glenda's last line.

[Java Joe]

1644038
I actually considered him bringing home a colt originally as just a friend but Rick thinking that his son had actually turned colt-cuddler. There'd be a scene where he has the "talk" with him, in a sense mirroring what he did with Twyla only to find out that they're just friends and his parents were away for Hearth's Warming Eve which is why he invited him. But I figured that would be too much so I changed it to a female that he was currently seeing.

The choices were originally an earth pony and Rick would be so happy that his son did so that he's immediately welcomming her and pushing for them to get married before Twilight reining him in. But I figured a better idea would be a non-pony so either a dragon or griffon and since we already have Rarity and Spike in this story we might as well have a completely different species all together. The implication was that Glenda was in fact Gilda's daughter but that never came up and I felt the co-incidence factor would simply be too much.

And yes, I missed a line there but as I said I needed to get this out. I might come back later on and fix certain things about this but we'll have to see considering I still have the Hearts & Hooves chapter to complete as well as how Sterling and Glenda actually met.

[Genesis1212]

Wow this chapter was a very entertaining read! This chapter was so worth the wait I had to go through (I'm on a road trip if I didn't tell you already) sterling with a griffin I soooo approve of this you seriously don't see to many griffins falling in love with ponies unless its dash and gilda and I had a feeling you got glenda from gilda it was pretty obvious xF
Not to mention I love glendas personality she my kinda woman >w<

Twyla with a filly? Married? And trixies daughter no doubt! Both parents concent along with both lovers? I approve of this as well GREAT chapter on to the next!

[Jack Number Fifteen]

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"
Doctor Who?

[Zninja94]

I guessed that it was a griffin when Sterling said that seafood was ok.