> Color’s Spectrum’s Concerto
>  by CrackedInkWell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1st Movement:  Allegretto, misteriosa e commovente
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In truth, the artist, Color Spectrum, was nervous out of his wits. As to the following tradition, he will not see the groom until the ceremony a week from now. Although, he and Prince Harmonic had already planned out everything for the big day; although their parents were preparing their surprise honeymoon to who-knows-where; even though they’ve checked and rechecked the weather, the guest list, the catering, the clothing, music, and memorized the ceremony – the unicorn was having doubts. 

Not because he wondered if the violinist really loves him and vice-versa. Nor was it because he has any doubt that the ceremony will go off without a hitch, but rather, that he wondered what will happen after they say their “I do’s,” He wondered if marrying his fiancé was even a good idea, to begin with.

To keep his mind off of it, he resorted to painting what was outside of the window of his one-room studio/apartment. Since it was near the Canterlot Train Station, he had a view of Equestria to paint as the sun was slowly setting. He brushed the rolling hills and smooth valleys onto the canvas, trying to distract his concerns from his-

His painting was interrupted by three knocks on the door.

“Yes? Who is it?” Color called out, but there was no answer. “Hello?” he got up from his painting and walked over to the door to peer through the peephole to see that somepony was standing on the other side. After unlocking it and opening the door, he found, to his confusion, nopony was in the hallway. He stuck his head out and looked left to right to find that it was completely empty.

“Weird,” he said to himself as he closed the door. “Must be one of those salesponies or some-” that was as far as he got before he let out a surprised scream.

The towering creature stuck a long claw into his ear, “Well, hello to you too.” He said, “I knew I should have brought those earplugs on the way in.”

Color backed away until his flank slammed into the door, “H-How did you get in!”

“Oh please Color,” the Draconequus rolled his eyes, “If I was here to steal your soul, at least I would have made an appointment for that. But to answer the question, you opened the door so I slithered in.”

“So… you’re actually him, aren’t you? You’re Discord.”

“Yes, although I’m rather sorry about not meeting you or your fiancé sooner, the Author had me do some other things.”

“What?”

He waved his lion paw, “Oh never mind that. I came here to tell you two things. The first is that I’m sorry that I won’t make it to the wedding. You see, there’s a bit of a crisis that’s going on in Coltept and I’m needed there. So judging by how much trouble it is in, it sadly won’t leave me enough time to crash the party. Disappointing, I know, I always like to go to weddings to spice things up.”

“Um… okay? What’s the other?” 

“To put it simply, I’m here to help.”

Color blinked, “Sorry?”

“There’s no need of you apologizing.”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” the unicorn stepped forward. “You’re here to help me?” Discord nodded, “For what?”

The Draconequus turned around and spotted the unfinished painting by the window. “Well, there’s a rumor going around that my friends Fluttershy and Twilight have told me about. They say that you’re starting to have second thoughts about the wedding next week, am I right?”

Taking in a deep breath through his nose, Color Spectrum stepped forward, “What are you talking about? I’m not having second thoughts.”

“Not from what I’ve heard,” the thin creature craned his neck down towards the painting. “They say that you’re getting a little too stressed out. That the purple princess heard you debating with yourself if marrying Mr. Fiddle is even a good idea.”

“Of course I’m going to marry Harmonic,” the Artist went up to him. “We’ve committed to being doing this since June. He’s willing to go through it and so am I.”

“Are you sure?” Discord turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “How do I know that you won’t get cold hooves before the big moment? That you’ll scurry away to cry in the corner saying, ‘I can’t do this,’ when you’re at the altar?”

“Well…” Color trailed off, “Look, Discord, I-It’s not that I don’t want to; because, really, I do want this. It’s just-” he stopped himself too late.

The ex-God of Chaos raised his eyebrow even further up his face. “It’s just… what?”

“Never mind. Just… Just leave, I’m not done with the painting and-”

“Oh no you don’t,” Discord wiggled a claw at him; “you’re changing the subject. I can tell that there’s some seed of doubt that’s already taken root. Tell me right now, what is it?”

“You’re not going to leave, are you?” A defeated sigh escaped the artist.

He shook his head, “Not until you tell me, because I might have something to help you with your little predicament.”

The Artist sighed deeply and slowly walked towards the arched windows. “Look, I really do love Harmonic, with all my heart and all the other clichéd sayings about love along with it. I really want to wake up to him, fully knowing that he’s my husband. I want to share the rest of my life with him. But…” he looked out towards the setting orange sun blazing on the horizon. “But there is a problem that we haven’t talked about yet. The big elephant in the room as it were. I’m a mortal unicorn, and he’s an immortal alicorn. Which means, that one day, I will die and he’ll mourn for me.

“I know who Harmonic is and his past. He has a large heart, but… what will happen to him after I die? How would he cope with the fact for the second time in his life, he’ll lose somepony that he cares deeply about? I can’t bear the idea that I’ll end up breaking his heart because I can’t live as long as he does. If we get married, then I know I’m just a ticking time bomb for him to become miserable again. I don’t want that. But I’m at a loss at what to do.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m here then,” Discord reached down to where his hips were. He stretched out a pocket with one paw and stuffed his claw in. “As it so happens, I have the greatest cure for cold hooves that you ever saw. Now… Where did I put that thing again? No… No…” Curious, Color turned to him as some odd noises were coming from his new pocket. Sounds of china and glasses clanging, cardboard boxes being ripped, a lion roaring, but when he heard the sounds of a cabinet open and close, Discord exclaimed, “Ah-ha! Here it is!” From his pocket, he produced a silver skeleton key.

Now it was Color’s turn to raise an eyebrow, “A key? How is that supposed to help?”

“It’s quite simple, really,” Discord said, offering the thin key to him. “If you get to the point where you’re not sure if this marriage thing will work out, use this. All you have to do is jam it in any door that has a lock, turn it, and open the door, then you’ll know for sure if marrying your coltfriend is a good idea or not.”

Skeptical, Color took the key into his aura and examined it closely. “But what does this thing do exactly?”

“Uh-ah,” the Draconequus put a lion’s paw in his lips, “None of zhat! Doctor Discord vill not have you asking questions. It’s no good for your health, ja?”

“I’m being offered help from the Spirit of Chaos himself, how can I not-”

“I must go,” Discord turned around and headed towards the door. “Consider that as my early wedding present for you,” he said before closing the door behind him.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Color trotted over to open the door, only to find it empty once again. “How does he do that?”

_*_

It was the morning of the big day. The October leaves were reselling gently in the breeze in the cool morning of the wedding. But under the collar in front of a mirror, Color Spectrum was sweating.

“I know everything’s going to be fine dad,” he said with his dad and Rarity in the little apartment. The reason why Rarity was there at all was that she wanted to make sure that the suit she tailored for the unicorn was absolutely perfect. The Groom-to-be had on a golden vest that was over his white shirt and orange tie. The suit was the purest white, but the leaves on his cuffs and tailcoats were aged orange.

“And yet you’re sweating,” Golden pointed out. “Color, what’s wrong really?”

“Is it about the future darling?” Rarity asked as she snipped at a loose thread. Color looked at her in surprise.

“How did-”

“Color dear, this isn’t the first time I’ve made any clothing for either bride or groom. And most of the time, they start second-guessing themselves if they really want to spend the rest of one’s life with the other.”

“Well… I would be lying if I said no.”

Golden chuckled, “Son, this isn’t that uncommon as you think. Trust me; I was married once too you know.”

“Yeah, but…” Color trailed off. “But this time this is completely different.”

“How so dear?” Rarity asked as she reviewed her work for the last time.

“Look, it’s not that I don’t love ‘em or anything. Heck, that’s why we’re getting hitched anyway; I really do love him and all. It’s just that with him, well – I’m just worried.”

It didn’t take long for the other two ponies to figure out what he’s talking about. “It’s about Harmonic never dying isn’t it?” his father asked.

He nodded, “Do you really think this is even a good idea Dad? As an Alicorn, he can’t die, even if he tried. But for me, I’m practically programmed to be in a coffin in the future. Look, I’m not really worried about me as much as I’m scared about his well-being. I mean, we’re talking about a pony that lost his parents when he was seven. So how will he react when I’m gone?”

“Darling,” Rarity trimmed some of the stitch work of his suit. “I’m sure that if you actually talk to him, the two of you will come to terms with one another. I mean, look at Shining Armor and Cadence, they’re already married yet, they’ve already made peace.”

“I know. But this is different because one: those two are straight and they already have a kid. And two: I don’t think either of them has gone through what Harmonic has already suffered. I don’t want to be the cherry on top of all the stuff he has to put up with. How can he love again after I’m dead? How would he cope? How could he move on? How…?” Shutting his eyes tight, he shook his head and said, “I… I can’t do this.”

“Son?” his father asked.

“I’m sorry; I can’t do this to him.” He turned around and galloped into the bathroom and locked the door. Color sat down on the toilet, boxing his ears at the knocks and calls from his father and Rarity to come out of there. However, he wasn’t paying attention to anything. He was feeling like he was being crushed at the possibility of what this wedding will bring. 

“I need a way out,” he whispered as he looked around the tiny bathroom he noticed a particular drawer – the one where he put his wedding present from Discord.

In a moment of desperation, he opened the drawer, and with his magic picked up the silver key from it. Looking at the door in front of him, he was grateful that it was one of those antique doors that had a keyhole underneath the knob. Placing the key in, he turned the key until he heard a “click” from it, in which the noise that his Dad and Rarity were making ceased all at once.

Confused, he gently opened the door wide enough to step out from. Only, this added to his bewilderment. “Huh?” Color found himself walking into one of the hallways of Canterlot Castle. “What am I doing here for?” He was puzzled; behind him was his bathroom, yet in front, he was somehow inside the castle. Taking the key out from the door and putting in his white pockets, he closed the door and reopened it, only to see that his bathroom was replaced by a broom closet.

“Okay, this is getting weird.” He said glancing at his pocket, “I knew I shouldn’t keep this thing around.” Then Color heard the familiar sound of his fiancé’s violin coming down the hall. A quick look out the window, he not only realized what floor he was on but also noticed that there are several things about the view that was off. For one, the trees didn’t have any autumn leaves anymore, for these have lots of light green buds. The kind one would see in the spring.

As for the other, “Is it me, or has Canterlot gotten bigger?” Indeed, there were several buildings that he didn’t recognize. New towering structures, domes, arches, walls and roofs that he never has seen before. He looked over to where his apartment was supposed to be, only to find a park in its place.

Color Spectrum looked down towards his fiancé’s room, “I don’t care if it’s tradition or bad luck,” he said as he marched forward. “Something weird is going on and I want answers now.”

The Artist in his wedding suit went up to the double doors in which bear his beloved’s cutie mark and knocked.

“Door’s open,” Harmonic said from inside as the violin music continued to play.

Color turned the handle with his magic and went right inside. He noticed right away that all the furniture was rearranged and there were several pictures on the walls that the unicorn was certain that he’s never seen before. But in the center of the room, standing on his hind legs and in front of a music stand was Harmonic playing his violin.

“You’re home a little early,” the Alicorn commented as he gently set his violin down. “So did you pick up Joy from…” whatever Harmonic was about to say suddenly faded as he saw who entered the room as his eyes opened as wide as kitchen tables.

“Okay, questions:” Color said as he approached the stunned prince. “First of all, how come you’re not dressed yet? Where did my apartment building go? What happened to the autumn leaves?” He then paused as he looked into his fiancé’s face, “And why are you looking at me like that?”

Before the Artist could react, he was suddenly picked up by the throat and slammed against the wall. “Alright, who are you!” Harmonic demanded. “How did you get in here?”

“Harm, it’s me. Color,” he choked.

“No, you’re not! Look here, I don’t care what hive you’re from Changeling, and I don’t know if this is some sick joke of yours, but this ain’t funny!”

“I’m not a Changeling,” Color reached up at the aura around his neck in hopes to pry it open. “Seriously Harm let go, you’re hurting me.”

Harmonic narrowed his eyes and let him drop, gasping on the floor, “Who are you really?”

“Don’t you recognize me? Color Spectrum? Your fiancé?”

“You’re not him,” he accused, “the Color I know has been long dead and buried. Everypony knows it! Now you tell me, who are you really?”

The unicorn’s eyes opened in shock, “What?”

“Hey! You’re the one that’s trespassing in my home; so I’m the one that’s asking the questions. So start talking before I call the guards!” 

An idea came to the painter, “If you don’t believe me, scan me then,” Color said. “I’m telling you the truth Harm! I’m not a Changeling, I really am Color Spectrum.”

The Prince still narrowed his eyes, but his horn flared, engulfing the unicorn’s body. As this happened, Color saw Harmonic’s expression changed as he scanned and rescanned him. From angry suspicion, his face morphed into disbelief. “No,” Harmonic shook his head as he dropped his magic. “No tha… That’s not possible.”

“Harm?” Color got back up on his hooves. “What’s going on?” He tried to reach a comforting hoof to him, but his fiancé stepped back.

“No… You’re not him… Y-You can’t be here. There’s just no way.”

“Harmonic, please talk to me. I’m really confused here, what’s going on?”

The Prince then gave him a stern look, “Answer me this, if you really are the Color that I know, tell me exactly the moment when we decided to become a couple.”

“Um… okay?” The Artist thought for a moment, “I remember that I came home to find that it was robbed so I asked to see you because I didn’t feel safe there. You offered me the bed while you slept on the couch. Before I went to sleep, you went outside with your violin. When you came back in, I asked you what that song was and where it came from. You told me that you learned from your parents, and you play it every night to remember them. While I was trying to comfort you as soon as you busted into tears, I had a thought about asking if you’d ever kissed anypony before. You said no, and I confessed that I hadn’t either. Shortly after, we shared our first… and second kiss in which I asked you to be my coltfriend. In which I became your consort for four, wonderful years.”

Color looked up at Harmonic, in which he saw tears welling up in his eyes. His fiancé went up to him and put a gentle hoof on his cheek. “Color? Are you really here?”

He nodded, “Yes, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” He looked up and down him for a moment, “Quick question: is it me, or have you grown a little tall- muph!” Then Harmonic kissed him, his forelegs wrapped around him as he pulled in for a deep kiss. For Color, this wasn’t your usual ‘hello there’ kind of a kiss. This one was the kind that one hadn’t seen their significant other for a really long time kind. But in the end, it was Color that had to break it up, “Harm, please! Save it for the honeymoon.”

The Prince blinked, “Honeymoon?”

“Well, yeah. You do know that today is the wedding… right?”

Harmonic gave only a blank stare.

“Please tell me you haven’t forgotten it.”

“Color, how exactly did you get here?”

“Oh,” the Artist stepped back, taking the key out of his pocket, he explained, “Discord came by to my apartment a week ago and said that if I ever get cold hooves, I should use this. Well, this morning I uh… may or may not have panicked. Although I’m not exactly sure what it did, the key did something alright.” He ended his explanation with a sheepish grin.

The Alicorn stood there, trying to process what he was hearing. “And… how old are you?”

Color gave a puzzled look, “What do ya mean how old? I’m twenty-one like you… Unless…” The Painter’s eyes widen, “Wait, Harm, how old are you?”

“Fifty-seven,” he answered.

“Give me a sec,” Color backed away even further, lifting his hoof as he drew numbers in the air. “Fifty-seven minus twenty-one…” he moved his hoof around until he came up with the answer, “Thirty-six! Harm! I’m thirty-six years into the future!”

“Color, listen to me,” Harm went around him to drape a foreleg over him. “This is just as big of a shock to me as it is to you.”

“Now there’s the understatement of the century,” he said when suddenly a thought came to Color’s head, “Harm, please be honest with me here. What did you say about me being… dead?”

Harmonic’s ears folded back, “…. Yes.” He confessed. “Some time ago, you… passed away.”

The Unicorn covered his mouth in shock. “Oh Celestia… You mean to say that… in the next forty some odd years… I’m gonna die?” He bowed his head, “Oh Harmonic, dear goddesses I… I knew it.”

“Sorry?”

Color slowly shook his head, his voice cracking. “I knew that this was a terrible, sadistic mistake to marry you when I knew that I was going to end up... Harm, I’m so sorry.” Harmonic rushed over, draping him with both of his wings tightly. “I knew I was going to hurt you.”

The Prince shushed him, gently stroking his mane. “Don’t say things like that. Don’t even think that marrying you made me unhappy. If anything, it was the most single, kindest act you’ve ever done for me.”

“But what about after?” he questioned. “With you losing your parents, and now with me… how can you ever be happy again, even if we were happy together? How can you not have a cold heart from it?”

Sighing, Harmonic answered, “Okay, I won’t lie to you, but yes, losing you was painful. It did take me quite some time to get over that grief, wishing that you would come back even if it was just for a moment. Yet, I’ve learned that there are ponies among the land of the living that prove that they are just as capable of making me happy again, just as you had.”

Color sniffed, “So… does this mean that you’re remarried?”

He nodded, “And I am a father too. As well as a grandfather with grandchildren, this was because on the day we were married, it was the day you’ve truly saved me. Because of you Color, generations now exist because of you.”

The unicorn laughed in amazement, “Grandchildren? When did this happen, aren’t you too young to be a grandpa?”

Harmonic smiled, “Now past husband, I don’t want to give away the surprise. But in all honesty, I’d never expected to… see you again, after for so long.”

Color then nuzzled the Prince’s neck, “I can only imagine. Still, I have so many questions.”

“I’ve no doubt,” he smiled, “but for now, can we just take this moment to appreciate this? It’s not every day that this sort of thing happens you know.”

“Just answer me this one question,” Color looked at him in the eye, “are you truly happy?”

“Do you need to ask?” Harmonic asked, kissing him on the tip of his nose. “By the way, feeling any better?”

“When you’ve found out that you’re already dead? Maybe a little,” It was then that the Artist leaned over as he noticed something in the room he didn’t notice before. By the bed, there was a red cello that leaned up against the wall. “Since when did you pick up the cello?”

“Huh?” the Prince of Inspiration looked over to the bed as well. “Uh, not exactly, it’s actually… my second husband’s.”

“Oh yeah,” Color’s ears folded back, “that’s right. The whole remarried thing…” He rubbed one foreleg with the other, “Celestia this is awkward.”

Harmonic laughed when he suddenly got an idea, “Would you like to meet him?”

“What?” he looked up surprised. “Harm, are you sure?”

“You’re not in any rush to getting back to our wedding day, no? After all, I certainly remember seeing you at the ceremony.”

“At least I’ve gained the courage to show up… eventually.” He smiled, “Now that you’ve gotten me curious. Do you want me to enter covered in flour and chains?”

Both stallions laughed at the idea. “Oh no, let’s do something a little more subtle than that,” the Alicorn grinned.

_*_

“Dad! We’re home!” a filly’s voice cried out as she trotted in with the Prince’s husband following behind. The light blue filly went up to her Alicorn father, in which he was prepared to receive a hug from her.

“Hey Joy, how was school?” Harmonic asked.

“Well,” Whole Note said. “We have some good nu-news today.”

“That being?” asked Harmonic.

“I got a ‘B+’ on my test!” the filly grinned.

“She’s improving,” Whole Note trotted up to them, before giving a quick kiss to his husband, “Anything interesting with you?”

“It’s been a slow day,” Harmonic shrugged. “Just some paperwork and violin practice. You know, the usual.”

“Well, I-I can say ta-that I had a productive day.” Note said, “Our Concerto is getting better at the Orchestra. Pitch is still an-unary that it isn’t perfect.”

“What else is new,” the Prince rolled his eyes before returning his attention to his daughter. “So Joy, I take it that you had a good day so far?”

“Yeah, it was good. Since my test has improved from the last one.”

“And who was it that said you didn’t need any tutoring?”

Joy narrowed her eyes, “I know dad, and you were right.”

Harmonic rubbed his hoof around his daughter’s braided mane. “But I take it that you’ve worked hard on your studies, and then I suppose this is a good enough excuse for a celebration.”

The filly’s eyes went wide open. “Does this mean we can have ice cream now?”

“It’s not even dinner time yet,” Note commented.

“But Daddy,” Joy whined, “you know how super hard I’ve worked for this.”

The Alicorn waved a hoof, “She has a point, Joy has studied harder this time, so we might as well reward her efforts for it.” His horn glowed to ring the bell for the kitchens. A moment later, a servant popped his head into the room, “Have some ice cream be brought up. You already know what kind. Oh, and be sure to have the new guy serve it up to the dining room.”

The servant nodded before disappearing behind the door.

“Let me put my things away,” Joy said before she too left the room. “I’ll be right back.”

Now alone together, Whole Note asked, “Are you sure you had a slow day, my Prince?”

Harmonic shrugged, “I’m afraid that there’s not much to talk about, my King,” he nuzzled his husband. “I’ve been studying applications of gifted students, do my share of paperwork, practice my solos, and planning ahead for our visit to Manehattan’s Opera House.”

“S-Speaking of wh-which,” the mint green pony went over to the couch and stretched his legs. “How prepared are you for the premiere? I’ve g-gu (bluah!) gotten, my parts memorized.”

“You’ve given me some very tricky technical, sometimes I wonder if you’re trying to write something so difficult.”

“Oh come on, they’re not that bad.”

“Say’s the guy whose inspiration came from Paganeighni.”

He snorted, “Oh whatever.” Note let his legs flop down to his sides, “So what’s this ab-bout a new guy in the sur-servant staff?”

Harmonic smirked, “Let’s say it’s a bit of a familiar surprise.”

“Okay, you’ve gotten me curious,” his husband craned his neck over. “Is it somepony we know?”

“You might say that,” the Alicorn mussed, flopping down on the couch. “It’s someone that I think you and Joy would be interested in meeting.”

“Who?”

“An old friend of mine that I don’t think either of you have met,” the Prince said mysteriously. “Don’t worry; I think the two of you will get along pretty well, especially since he’s going through a difficult time.”

“Is it serious?”

“Well… it is in a unique way. But it’s something that I can’t explain. Only he can do that.”

No matter how much he tried to press further on the matter, Whole Note just couldn’t get his husband to say who the new guy is. Eventually, their filly came in, ready to have their ice cream. The trio made their way down the richly decorated hallways until they came across their private dining room. Inside, with his back turned was a unicorn in uniform, dishing out the red dessert into glass goblets.

Their filly paused for a moment, “Hey, you’re not Silverware.”

“No,” said the unicorn. “I’m actually new here.”

“Oh,” Joy hopped into her red cushioned seat, “In that case, can I have mine with chocolate syrup with extra sprinkles please?”

“Of course Your Highness,” he glanced over his shoulder slightly, “Any preferred toppings for you, my Princes?”

“I-I’ll have mine with peanuts,” Whole Note said. “Harm like his plain.”

There was a nod as the stallion finished preparing the ice cream. Turning around with the three goblets in his blue aura, the Cellist took notice that the pony had a light brown coat, a pure white mane with blue eyes. He tilted his head as he placed the cups on the table, “Do I know you?”

Their server looked up, “Uh… I think you might. Only, I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“Odd,” he put his hoof to his chin, not noticing the widening grin on his husband’s face. “I could have sworn that I’ve seen your face somewhere before, except, I’m not exactly sure.”

“Same here,” the blue filly said. “I think I’ve seen your face in a book before.”

“Harmonic here said that you’re a friend of his,” Note said, “Is this true?”

The unicorn chuckled as he trotted over to the Alicorn, “Oh yes. You might say that the two of us were quite,” here he placed a kiss on his cheek, “very close.”

“Whoa there!” the green Earth Pony stood up, “What was that for?”

“Uh, Daddy?” Joy looked at Note, “What’s going on?”

“Now now,” the unicorn lifted a foreleg, “Before you start getting jealous, I just noticed that nopony here asked what my name was.”

Narrowing his brow, Note said, “Fine, who are you then?”

He then went up to him and shook his hoof, “Hello there, my name is Color Spectrum, and I’m Harmonic’s fiancé.”

Upon hearing that sentence and asked him to repeat it several times later, Whole Note’s jaw landed on the floor. Joy meanwhile looked up at her other dad in confusion, “Since when are you getting married again?”
> 2nd Movement: Largo con sentimento nostalgico ed emozionale
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time his senses came back online, Whole Note looked over to the Prince, getting up from his seat, he trotted over to his side. “Uh, husband of mine? Can we talk? Alone?”

“Right now?”

The green earth pony wrapped a foreleg around the alicorn, dragging him out of his seat, “Yes, now!”

Harmonic stumbled out of his seat as his husband dragged him across the room. But before they could make it to the doors, they heard their daughter speak up. “Daddy? Is Dad in trouble?”

Note looked over to her, “Probably not sweetie, it’s just that your Dad has some ex-explaining to do. Don’t worry, we’ll be right back.” Once they made it out into the hallway, the two of them sat down on a couch that was out of earshot of the dining room. “Harm, what’s going on?”

“Well, it’s sort of a long story.”

“Explain it anyway,” the mint green stallion folded his forelegs. “Because I really want to know what’s going on.”

And so, Harmonic explained to him what happened when Color had suddenly burst in their room. He told him that, yes, he did critically check and question the visitor to see if it was who he claimed to be. The Prince of Inspiration too explained what circumstances that Color came from, that he seemed to have panicked before the ceremony of their wedding. Once he told him what he knew, he added, “So that leads to why I wanted it to be a sort of surprise, because it seemed the best way of making an entrance.”

His spouse sighed, leaning back in his seat and rubbing his eyes, he asked: “So, just to confirm all of this, that stallion in the dining room with Joy r-r-right now really is Color Spek-Spectrum, only in this case he’s not exactly married to you yet?” Harmonic nodded. “So what exactly are we to do? Try to convince him in going back in time to make sure that he does marry you or what?”

“Well, to reassure him that everything is going to be alright with me. After all, he has an idea that he’s been dead for a while and he’s worried if marrying me was a mistake.”

Note took in another deep breath, “Okay… But can you do something for me jut-just to get some peace of mind?”

“Anything.”

“Could you get the guards to run a quick DNA test?” he requested. “Even if he looks and sound like him, it would be na-nice to be extra sure it’s really him. Deal?” Harmonic nodded, and he sighed in relief. “That’s… good to hear. If it turns out to be true, then I would be relieved that you wouldn’t-” But he quickly shut his mouth before he could say any more.

“That I wouldn’t, what?” the Violinist raised an eyebrow.

He shook his head, “Forget it.”

“No really, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Tell me. That I would what?”

Note’s ears folded back, “Well… When he kissed you on the cheek, for a moment I thought that…”

Then it clicked, “You thought I was cheating on you?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, “It was one of many thoughts,” he admitted. “At first I thought it was probably a past cou-coltfriend, or that you… took up Luna’s joke in starting a harm-harem behind my back.” The Cellist laughed uneasily but shook his head. “I’m really sorry for thinking that Harm, but for a moment back there, I was really confused and shocked that…”

“I scared you, didn’t I?” his husband nodded. “Oh Note,” he gave him a kiss on the nose. “I’m sorry for making you think this way; you do know that I would never-”

“Do anything without both of us ag-agreeing on it,” the Earth Pony nodded. “Yes, I know. But while we’re on the subject, can I ask you su-sob-st (blach!) something and that I need you to look at me in the eye when answering it?”

“Sure, what is it?”

Whole Note looked at his husband straight in the eye and inquired, “If it’s true that this is Color before the two of you got married in there – uh, did you… you know, got a little too intimate before it?”

“Oh…” Harmonic’s ears perked up, both ears, along with the rest of his head, took on a shade of red. “To be honest, that’s actually the first time anypony asked me that. Though to be straightforward with you, outside of kissing and yes, cuddling, that’s as far as we went until we got on board of the honeymoon train. At the time, while Color was certainly ready to, you know… please me. I on the other hoof wasn’t quite there yet at the time. However, I did promise that we get to do it once the whole ceremony and party were over. So in his timeline, we haven’t done anything as of yet.”

His green husband closed his eyes and nodded. “Okay, I believe you. But since he’s here and if the test confirms it, don’t you think we might want to get Script up here too? After all, he was raised by both of you, and that he saw his… passing, don’t you think we should give him a chance to see his other dad again?”

“Not that I’m against it, but I’m not sure though.” Harmonic’s spouse asked what he meant. “On the one hoof, given the time period, Color doesn’t have a clue that we’ve ended up adopting Script. Then again, he’s changed quite a good deal since then that, if he were to meet him now, that meeting the younger him would be unrecognizable.”

Then Note got an idea, “What if he doesn’t have to tell him what his name is? That w-w-we could let him see him under a false name, just to be on the safe side. That way, he can meet his other dad, and Color wouldn’t know any the wiser. Tell me, did your last husband say he was ready for foals when you got married?”

“No, he said that he wasn’t ready for something like that.”

“Well how about it? Why not we get everypony together from your mom to Aunt Lu, your son to Cadence over for dinner tonight?”

“You do remember that she and Flurry are in Trottingham, right? That, and Twilight is in a summit at the Higfish Hive.”

“Oh yeah. But anyway, we should try to get them over here tonight to have ourselves a bit of a family reunion. After all, if we’re going to convince him that marrying you is a good idea, at least we should introduce those that have been affected by him.”

Harmonic thought for a moment, “Alright. We should probably tell the staff that the family is coming over tonight. While we’re at it,” he looked over his shoulder before saying: “We should take down and cover Color’s last painting for his own good.”

_*_

“So…” Color trailed off while the filly called Joy scooped another mouthful of ice cream into her mouth. “How old are you again?”

“Eight.”

“Uh-huh,” the Artist nodded.

Another awkward silence, Color looked over to the door that Harmonic disappeared to. It’s been a good ten minutes since he last saw him. He started to wonder if he and his… fiancé had taken the joke a little too far.

“Are you really him?” the blue earth pony asked.

“Huh?”

“That you’re Color, the painter?”

“Yeah, I am.”

The filly looked up and down at the stallion sitting across from her. “Are you sure you’re not a changeling?”

Color sighed, “For the last time, no. I’m the real deal. I really am Color Spectrum, you’re dad along with several guards have already scanned me several times over (and done it again). Unless you want me to call in a guard to have me searched one more time.”

“Still, it’s kinda weird,” she said. “You really do look and sound like him when he was younger. I’ve seen the interviews you made when Dad was married to you. It’s like… all the pictures I’ve seen and heard the voice from those recordings, and now that you’re here – it makes it all too real.”

“I can imagine,” he looked down at his hooves, rotating them nervously before looking over to the door. “What do you think they’re saying?”

“I don’t know,” Joy shrugged. “I never really pay attention to grown-up things that much.”

Then a thought came the Artist’s mind, “How long have you been living with them?”

“Since I was born,” she replied before a melting scoop of red velvet entered her mouth. “They’ve been raising me since I was a baby.”

“Really?” Color blinked.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I can prove it, there’s a photo album that has every picture of me since I was born. From the scan thing that helps look into my mom’s belly to my last birthday par-”

“Wait, what was that?”

“Huh?”

“Did you say, your mom’s belly?” She nodded, “I thought I’ve already met your parents?”

“What are you- Oh!” Joy realized what he was asking. “Mom isn’t really married to my dads,” she clarified, “but I do get to see her a couple times a week. Well, not this week because she’s gone to see my other grandma in Manehattan.”

It didn’t take long for Color to put the pieces together, “So in other words, you have a… surrogate mother?”

“Well, yeah. I know that my family is a bit different from the other foals, like how most of them have a mom and only one dad. Most kids I know when I tell them about my family look at me funny, but it’s normal to me though.”

“Huh… I see,” the unicorn leaned back in his chair. “Do you like them being your parents?”

“You mean my two dads?” he nodded. “Uh-huh, them and my mom too –  I know that I’m not like most kids, but I have the best parents anypony could ask for! I never heard any of them fight, they wanted to know how my day was, they set some time to play with me. And yes, I know that most kids don’t live in a place like I do, but I’m not like those jerk face grownups that have spoiled brats, but my parents have taught me to be better than that. Besides, dad said he’s done it before.”

Color looked on at her, “What was that last part?”

She tilted her head, “That dad has done it before?”

The stallion took a moment to let it sink in, “You mean… that in… my future… me and your dad are going to raise a foal too?”

“Yeah?”

“Celestia!” he moaned, covering his eyes and setting his elbows on the table.

“Hey? What’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing, it’s that twenty-one year old me has just heard that sometime in my future, I’m going to be a dad, way before I can get the chance to get married to your dad.”

“So?”

He looked up at her, “I’m questioning if getting hitched to my coltfriend is even a good idea, and now I’ve just learned that I’m going to have a kid too! And, in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t know if I’m ready for either!” He got up and started pacing, “How did we get a foal in the first place? Was it by adoption? How long will this happen in my time? Am I ready to be a parent? What if I mess up? What if our kid is in jail? Or Banished? Or-”

“Hey!” Joy shouted, snapping Color’s attention, “Are you okay?”

He plopped down from where he stood and shook his head.

The little pony jumped off from her seat and went around to the stallion with raw nerves and put a hoof on his foreleg. 

“Look… can I call you grandpa?” she asked.

“Eh. Why not,” he answered. “Make me feel a whole lot older than I really am while you’re at it.”

She frowned, “I don’t know if this will work but, I think you were a good dad.”

“How’d you know?”

“Because my dad said that he’d learn from the best when it comes to family. I mean, I maybe am eight, but look how I turned out.”

“Yeah, probably from my failures of all the mistakes that I’m gonna-”

“Grandpa!” she flew up to him, “Do what I do. Breathe in,” they did so. “And breathe out.” They did this a couple of times until the Artist was a little more calmed down.

“You’ve learned that from either Princess Cadence or Twilight, haven’t you?” he asked.

“Both actually,” she told him. “Now, are you ready to listen?” He nodded, “Please believe me when I say this, but everything is going to be alright. I mean, my uncle says that you were a good dad to him.”

“You’re, uncle?” Color quickly shook his head, “Don’t answer that. Instead, since you’re here, I want to know one thing above all else.”

“Okay. What is it?”

The unicorn looked back at the door once more, “Tell me, is Harmonic, your dad, happy?”

Joy tilted her head, “Happy?”

“I mean… oh, how do I say this? Is your dad, Harmonic, ever sad all the time? Or does he get rather moody at all?”

“Uh… no? I’ve never seen Dad cry if that’s what you mean. He makes some stupid jokes and laughs at them, he and Daddy share kisses sometimes (which I think is gross). And I’ve never really seen Dad or Daddy really have a fight.”

Then the door finally opened, in walked in Harmonic and Note.

“Sorry for taking so long,” the Violinist said apologetically.

“No, it’s fine,” Color waved over to the blue filly, “I’ve been talking with your daughter.”

“Well, yes, ab-about that,” Whole Note chimed in. “Is it possible you would stay over for dinner in the garden?”

“Considering that I’m not exactly ready to go back as of yet, I guess so. Why?”

“Well,” Harmonic said, “We’ve talked it over, and we’ve decided that there’s someone that should be allowed to meet you. But before that, could we have a few strands of your mane first?”

_*_

“I wonder why grandpa asked us to come over for dinner.” Script’s daughter, the sixteen-year-old Cloud View inquired of her parents. “Didn’t we just eat with them a couple of weeks ago?”

“Is there something wrong with grandpa wanting to have dinner again?” her mother, Page Turner asked.

“Well… no. It’s just that I find it a bit odd is all. We only eat with either grandpa or gramps because it’s somepony’s birthday or a holiday. Plus, if they wanted to eat with us, they usually come to our house instead. What’s going on?”

Script Freeverse sighed, “Cloud, have you considered that maybe they’re inviting us over because they just wanted to?”

“Of course I have dad,” the teenage pegasus said. “But it’s just that neither of them has ever done this before. Don’t either of you think that this is a little weird?”

By now, the trio was walking over the drawbridge towards the palace in which they were given salutes by the guards.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Page told her.

“And if it isn’t?” Cloud questioned. “What if they want to tell us something really important?”

“Like what?” her father asked, “Cloudy, do you remember what we’ve learned about Ockham’s razor?”

The teen rolled her eyes and repeated, “That the simplest of explanations are often times the most likely reality.”

“And what is that simplest explanation of grandpa Harmonic wanting us to come over for dinner?” When his daughter didn’t answer, he pressed on, “Well?”

One frustrated sigh later, she replied, “That he might just want to hang out with us.” Then she muttered under her breath, “Which doesn’t really prove anything.”

“What was that?” her mother asked.

“Nothing.”

“Ah, I was told that you’ve just arrived,” Before they could enter through the front door, they found the Prince of Inspiration standing there. He went up to them, giving each a nuzzle, “How are you doing son?”

“Great dad,” Script replied before moving onto his wife.

“You Page?”

“You know me, just keeping myself busy.”

Then the Prince moved onto his granddaughter, “And you Cloudy?”

“Hey grandpa,” she nuzzled back. “I’m doing okay.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” Harmonic smiled. “We’ll be having dinner in the garden tonight, if that’s alright with all of you, of course. Oh, Mom and Aunt Luna are coming too.”

“Really?” Script inquired as he and his family followed his dad through the palace. “What’s the occasion?”

“Uh…” the alicorn began but trailed off, giving his granddaughter all the reason to be suspicious.

“Hey grandpa,” Cloudy said, “Did something bad happen?”

“Huh?” Harmonic blinked, “Oh no! Nothing like that, I assure all of you. However, it is serious.”

This got the whole family’s attention.

“Harmonic?” Page questioned, “What happened?”

“Well… it’s…” the Prince’s wings flustered, “It’s kinda hard to explain. In fact, it’s something that I have to show you beforehoof – something that requires all of you to assist in a very important matter.”

Harmonic could sense that all three were giving him very confused looks. So once they reached the back of the palace where the windows extended to the Royal Gardens, he pointed a wing out. To which, they did.

“I don’t see anything out of the ordinary other than a table being set up,” Script’s wife said.

“No,” the Violinist shook his head. “Look again at who’s out there.”

They did.

“I see gramps setting the table and another pony setting up cushions,” the pegasus pointed out the window.

Harmonic shook his head, “Look harder. Who do you see?”

This time, Script concentrated on the other pony, “Why does that stallion look familiar?”

His father gave a sad look, “You mean you don’t recognize him?”

“Why? Is it one of your friends?”

The prince shook his head, “No. He was much closer than that, to both of us. Look again, does his face look familiar at all?”

He did, “Well not really. He’s just… wait?” Script’s eyes widen, “That cutie mark… that mane and coat…” the stallion shook his head. “No… that can’t be-”

“It is,” his father nodded. “Before you say anything, no, he’s not a Changeling. And yes, that out there, right now, is Pa. Color Spectrum, helping Note set up the table.”

To this, Script Freeverse gasped, “No.” Shaking his head, with tears forming from the corner of his eyes, “No dad, that’s… not possible! Pa’s not-” He looked at his father, “But he’s dead! We’ve both saw it happen!”

“Technically, it isn’t,” Harmonic rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, I know what you’re thinking, but as out of the blue as it is, that out there is your Pa. For Cloud, that’s your other grandfather out there.”

“Are you sure?” Page asked, still amazed the circumstance. “This isn’t someone that’s imitating to be him, is he?”

“He told me something that only he and I would know as a couple. Something that only the real Color would know, and he answered it correctly – plus, I had the guards run a quick DNA scan of him, just to be absolutely sure. Guess what? They’ve confirmed that it’s really him.”

All three ponies’ jaws hit the floor.

“But how!” Script demanded, “How’s that possible? I mean look at him! He doesn’t seem to age a day! If anything, he looks even younger then I remember.”

“Well before any of you jump to conclusions,” Harmonic raises a hoof. “Please, let me try to explain.”

However, his son didn’t listen to that part.

_*_

“So…” Color began, if not rather awkwardly. “About ten years?”

“Uh-huh,” the light green Cellist set a fork down next to one of the plates.

Another moment of silence, ever since Harmonic had left to get someone named “Written Word,” both stallions were left alone and, by the Prince’s request, had them set up the table. The reason, as far as they understood, was to get a little more acquainted or something along the lines of that. However, they found it rather difficult to start up a conversation.

“How long did you know him?”

“What?” Note asked, “What was that?”	

“I said, how long have you known Harmonic for?”

He tilted his head, “What ya mean?”

“I mean, how long have you known him, well, romantically?”

“Oh,” Note nodded as he set another fork down. “I wanna say… fit-fat- excuse me. Fifteen or fourteen years at least, but I’ve kinda known about him somewhat for a little longer than that.”

“Explain?”

“Well, I’ve heard about him since I was a colt. Heh, i-in fact, I remember seeing in the papers about you two gu-ge-getting married when I was quite young. But in a way, Harmonic has been my uh… role model.”

This got the Artist’s curiosity, “Oh? Harm was your role model? In what way?”

“Besides musically, of course, in which I’ve collected a few records of his. I’ve looked up to him cause… he indirectly helped me… come out.”

Color paused from putting the cushion near the table, “Really?”

Note nodded, “Yeah. I mean, you and Harm are really special in the history books. That being the first in Equestrian Road-Royalty, who are both males, to agree to marry each other without any political or financial motive, I remember the news of it was pretty big. And… rather inspiring for me.” After placing another fork down, he added, “I know that… when you’re from, that you haven’t exactly tied the knot yet. But for ponies like me, who growing up in Ponyville with no other gay colts his age, the idea that, an abused alicorn who was adopted and an artist who was overall ignored can fall in love… it gave me hope that I, a colt whose mind and sp-sp-speech was broken…  that I could be happy too.”

“Wow,” the unicorn painter said. “I had a hoof in that kind of impact? Only… I mean, really? All of that from a small wedding?”

“You know, it wasn’t just Harmonic you were saving on that day from thinking that he was an outcast. There’s a… an old gryphon proverb I’ve ha-her-heard before. ‘He who saves one life saves the world entire.’”

“What?” Color questioned, “But… I’m just a painter for crying out loud! I’m not a hero. I’m not even brave enough to go back to my time and say ‘I do’ to his face. From you, all I did was marry a prince!”

“Yes, that is true. Even if you don’t see yourself as a hero, you are one to me.”

Another moment of silence before Color spoke again.

“How did you meet him?”

“The orchestra… but, just to be clear, I didn’t go to him, he came to me first because I was too shy.” The musician looked up at the clouds overhead, grinning in nostalgia. “I didn’t even get the courage to go talk to him until he spotted me. At the… what was it? Oh yeah! ‘The Cherry on Top’. when he saw that I was sitting there all by myself when he suddenly came in and sat down next to me!

“From there, we started talking. He said that he got out from this really had-bad date and just wanted somepony to talk to because he’d seen me from rehearsal. I just couldn’t believe it really. But we talked a little about each other for a bit before he told me thanks for the cut-chut-chat. (Sorry.) And like that, he left. It wasn’t all love, at first sight, mind you, but I… developed a kind of crush on him.”

“So it grew from there?” he nodded. Color looked over to the castle door where his… fiancé had disappeared through. “Whole, can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure.”

“Do you feel jealous when Harm and I are in the same space together?”

Note looked up at him in surprise, “Huh?”

“Look, I completely understand, given the current situation. With me here, you might be thinking that I’ve come back from the dead to reclaim my fiancé or what have you. I don’t blame you for thinking that you might be the third wheel in all of this.”

“But last time I-I’ve checked, you’re not married yet.”

“You know what I mean.”

Whole Note took in a deep breath, “He is my husband, Color. The truth is, I love him too, just as much as you do. If he’s like the Harmonic you know, you know he would never do anything behind our backs without saying so. So when y-you pulled that prank back there… you scared me for a moment.”

Color’s ears folded back, “Oh… I’m sorry, it was only a joke, we didn’t-”

“I’ve already forgiven both of you,” he interrupted. “Just… please don’t do anything like that again.”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” the painter said as he went through all the motions of the promise. To this, Note blinked, “What, knowing Pinkie Pie, if I so much as though about breaking it, she probably come right back to haunt me.”

The cellist opened his mouth before closing it and shaking his head, “I’m not gonna ask.”

“I do have one more question to ask from you though,” Color said, “and please, I want you to answer me sincerely.”

“What’s that?”

Here, the Artist looked at Note in the eye, “Is Harmonic happy?”

With a puzzled look, he answered, “Of course he is. Look, I know that you’re a-aware that you’re no longer around, but he has gotten over his grief over you a l-long time ago. Truly. Sure he does miss you like his parents, but he doesn’t cry about it anymore. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s forgotten about you. I mean, he still holds on to some of your p-paints. Besides, we have our filly Joy, Celestia and Luna, not to mention that w-w-we’ve been composing together.” Note smiled and said, “I-If you want, we could play a new concerto for you. we composed it! If you like that is.”

Color shrugged, “Why not, I’m not exactly in a hurry to getting-”

“Wait! Come back!” The slamming of doors was heard in the gardens. Before Color Spectrum knew it, he was suddenly tackled by somepony at full force. 

The Artist screamed as he was tossed to the ground, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He quickly realized that a blue stallion with a red mane that was hugging and nuzzling him very tightly. “Huh? Wha?”

“I’ve missed you Pa,” the stranger sobbed. “It’s been so long.”

“Say what!” Color grabbed hold of the stranger, pulling him away from him. “What did you call me?”

The other stallion blinked, “Pa, it’s me. Your son?” he then gave a puzzled look, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

For the artist, his brain came to a screeching halt. Luckily, Harmonic came rushing in and lifted the other stallion off. His eyes darted between him and the one that claimed to be his son, “Uh… Harm? Who’s that?”

Before Script could open his mouth, he found that his father had muzzled him in his magic. “Mom and Aunt Lu will be here soon. If you excuse me, I need to have a quick word with this one.” 

Once Harmonic and the blue stallion were carried off behind a hedge, Color blinked… and blinked again – turning to Whole Note, he asked, “What in the name of sanity just happened?”
> 3rd Movement: Andante moderato, Bravura non troppo
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The alicorn quickly trotted over behind a hedge before releasing his son.

“Dad! What are you-”

“How much have you told him?” Harmonic demanded.

“I barely got a word out. All I said that I missed him; which I do by the way.”

The Prince breathed deeply, “Did you tell him your name?”

Script tilted his head, “No? Why?”

“Oh good,” he sighed in relief. “Now, if you had let me finish what I was about to tell you, then you would know that telling him your name will be useless and a bad idea because he doesn’t know you yet.”

“How come?”

“Because, thanks to Discord, he was able to jump way ahead into the future on the very day that we were getting married, that’s why. To put it all in a nutshell, Color had gotten scared at the last moment and used something that Discord gave him to jump into our timeline. So essentially, he has no idea that you’re going to be our son yet.”

Script piled at the last part.

“Please tell me you didn’t tell him that?”

“Well…” the writer began. “I somewhat did- but I didn’t tell him my name yet!”

“Oh…” Harmonic pressed his head against his hooves. “Okay… I think we can work with this. I’m trying to avoid a time paradox that Twilight has taught me from happening before he goes back. Since you haven’t said who you were yet, I think we can manage from here.”

“How? Erasing his mind of what happened in the last five minutes?”

“Not really. It’s actually very simple. Since I know you’ve changed quite a bit since we’ve adopted you, all we need to do is to have you undergo a different name. That way, when he goes back, and when we find you, he’ll be none the wiser.”

“A different name?” Script questioned, “Like what?”

“Written Word,” Harmonic smiled.

His son, however, raised an eyebrow, “Really? That’s the name I’m sticking with?”

“It won’t be for long. Hopefully, he’ll be here less than a day so we can sort this mess out. All we have to do is to convince him to marry… well, past me to give him peace of mind.”

“I get that dad,” Script looked over to the side, “But I still can’t get over the fact that… he’s here, it’s like he came back from the dead.”

“Just keep in mind,” Harmonic placed a hoof on his shoulder, “He doesn’t fully know who you are yet. I don’t want to do this, but it’s important that you keep quiet on how, where and when we’ve adopted you. As far as he knows, he just found out that he’s going to raise a colt soon.”

_*_

“So technically, you’re my other grandpa,” the young Pegasus asked.

Color moaned, his head already slumped on the table. While the Prince had dragged aside the pony claiming to be his son, two other ponies came out to the garden. Both of them pegasi mares, the older green one said that she was the wife of the stallion that tackled him while the sky blue teenager said to be their daughter.

“More or less… probably,” the Artist rubbed his head. “Celestia this is a lot to take in all at once.”

Whole note rubbed his back, “Hey now, y-you did agree to th-this, right? Harm said you wanted to meet the family.”

“I know… I know…” Color propped himself on his elbows, rubbing his eyes with his hooves. “As much as I know what’s coming, I’m still not prepared for any of this.”

“Who would be?” Page told him. “If what Harm says is true, then I can easily imagine that you must still be in shock. But at the moment, I’m just at loss at what to say as everypony else.”

“Here comes dinner,” Cloudy pointed to one of the garden entrances. Waiters and hoofcolts pushed carts of silver dome trays over to the table, carrying with them pitchers of ice water and candelabras. Not to say that as they set the trays down on the table; carefully positioning them in their place as not to touch the china that they didn’t notice Color. If anything, some of them were giving glances over at the living ghost that was sitting down next to Prince Wholenote before they stepped back from the table.

“Welcome back, Color Spectrum,” the artist nearly jumped out of his seat as he quickly turned his head around to face Princess Celestia and her sister. “It isn’t every day that we would get to be visited by a familiar face.”

“Your Majesties,” the unicorn got off from his pillow and bowed.

Luna gave a puzzled look, “Why are you bowing to us?”

“Like I said, sister, it’s complicated,” Celestia turned her attention back to Color. “Rise Mr. Spectrum, there’s no need of formality with us. You’re among family after all.”

“Hey, mom,” this time it was Harmonic that spoke. Color looked over to see him and the blue stallion coming towards him. The one that made the claim to be his son was looking at him with an apologetic look as he took a seat. “Glad you and Aunt Luna can come knowing how busy this week has been for the both of you.”

“Oh perish the thought Harm,” the Sun Princess over dramatically put her hoof to her forehead. “And miss out on having this special reunion? I wouldn’t miss this even with all the paperwork that needs to be done.”

“Likewise,” Luna nodded, “now let us sit down,” she looked over to Color, “We indeed have much to catch up on.”

After the three royals sat down and the servants removed the silver domes to reveal the salads, candied carrots, freshly baked pies, spied flowers, dinner rolls, mashed potatoes with gravy, and roasted oats. Once the food was passed around and each pony put whatever they wanted on their plates did Color turned to Harmonic to inquire a curiosity of his. “So what was that about?”

“Huh?”

“Well… him,” he pointed at Script. “Who is he really?”

Harmonic sighed, “Since he kinda introduced himself, although technically you haven’t really met him yet, this here is the stallion that you’ll be raising in the future. For the sake of the whole time paradox thing, we’ll just call him Written Word. And I assume that you’ve already met his family.”

Color looked between him and Script for a moment, “So I’m guessing your name isn’t really Written Word, is it?” the stallion shook his head. “Okay, I guess it makes sense why you’ve tackled me.”

“Sorry, Pa,” the Writer’s ears folded back in embarrassment. “I was so sure that I wouldn’t see you again after…”

The Artist sighed, “This is really awkward on so many levels.” His ears picked up Celestia trying to hold down a giggle, “What’s so funny?”

“Believe it or not,” the Sun Princess said as she levitated a roll. “This isn’t the first time that something like this had happened.”

“You can thank Discord for that,” Luna commented. “He made that one Hearth's Warming quite interesting when he temporarily brought Harmonic’s father back for a day.”

Color’s eyes widen, “He what!”

“It’s a long story,” Harmonic chimed in. “But the basics of that is I was able to make peace with him while letting him know that I was going to be alright. Only, unlike him, you don’t have much of a time limit as far as we know.”

His past fiancé looked at him, “Remind me to ask you about that because I would very much like to hear it.”

“So why are you here?” Cloudy finally asked. “I could take a while guess and say that it has something to do with Discord, right?” Color nodded, “But why did you come here?”

“I uh…” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Let’s say I’ve chickened out on a very important day.”

“What day was that?” Page inquired.

There was a minute before the tan unicorn responded, “Our wedding day.”

This got the family, including both Princesses attention, “You what?” Luna asked.

“Wait, please,” Harmonic unfolded his wings. “I know what all of you are thinking, but let me clarify why he’s here. Color wants to make sure if he had made the right decision in marrying me is all. Don’t let any of you be angry at him; he’s trying to make a very important decision.”

Script looked at Color in bewilderment, “Is this true?” to which, he nodded.

“Look, I’m sorry but I have enough on my mind as it is. First I wasn’t sure if Harm would be able to move on after I… you know. Now finding out that I’m going to raise you even though I don’t even know how well that turned out. I just have so many questions like… have I made that big of an impact on you ponies?”

“YES!” came a chorus of voices from around the table.

“E-Excuse me, Color,” Whole note spoke up. “But w-what is it exactly do you need t-to know? We’ve already told you that your marriage with Harm w-w-was happy, he got over your death, and you two were great f-f-fathers. So how much convincing do you need anyway?”

The Artist put his hooves over his eyes while resting his elbows on the table. “I don’t know… I really don’t know. I’m still so stressed about the wedding, and being in the future, and… knowing I’m gonna die soon…” He heard a clopping of hooves that went around the table before it stopped next to him before he felt a familiar wing resting on his back.

“Color, I’m sorry,” he heard Harmonic’s voice. “Is this too much?”

Another sigh escaped from his muzzle, “I don’t… It’s just that even seeing this, knowing what is going to happen, I still have some doubts.”

There was a very long pause at the table. After a while, Harmonic’s granddaughter put a hoof to her chin with a very thoughtful look on her face. “Excuse me,” she said, “but how exactly did you get here again?”

“Discord gave me a key,” Color replied.

“Does the key only work for you?” Now everypony at the table was looking at her and her father asked why. “I’m just thinking, that key had brought you here because you needed to, right?”

“Cloudy,” Page inquired, “Where are you going with this?”

“I just had a thought,” she said, “What if the answer you’re looking for isn’t in (what you consider to be) the future?”

Color blinked, “I’m confused.”

“Do you have the key with you?”

“Yeah, it’s in my pocket.”

“Can I see it?”

Almost immediately, alarm bells were going off in Harmonic’s head, “Cloudy, what are you purposing?” His granddaughter got out of her seat to whisper in his ear. “Absolutely not!”

“What?” the Artist asked.

“I was just-”

“No Cloudy,” the Prince interrupted, “That is a horrible idea.”

“What did she say?”

“Go back in time,” Cloudy quickly told him.

“That’s enough,” Harmonic said sternly. But it was already too late; the idea was already in Color’s head.

Getting out of his pillow and taking his uneaten dinner roll, Color turned to his future husband and said, “Harm, can I speak with you?” 

With a frustrated sigh, the two of them left the garden back into the palace. Closing the door behind him, Harmonic said, “Okay Color, why did you-” before he could say another word, the unicorn had taken out the key from his pocket and jammed it into the door they came through.

“Harmonic Trotivari Everfree,” his past husband announced, “Do you trust me?”

The alicorn, however, looked at him nervously, “Uh, Color, what are you doing?”

“Your granddaughter has reminded me of a question that I have been avoiding for months now. But I can’t confront this on my own.”

“What question?”

He looked at the violinist in the eye and asked, “Why am I marrying you, to begin with? I know you said that you have a troubled past, but Harm, if I really am the great happiness that you see me, I want to see what it was really like when you were at your worst. Harmonic, can you take me back to your darkest day so I can see it for myself?”

Harmonic, on the other hoof, was horrified, “Color, NO! There’s no way that-”

“I need to see!” Color snapped back at him. “If I’m going to put all doubts to rest, I need to see how much of an impact I had on you. Please. Let me see how you were before I knew you.”

For long several seconds, the Prince of Inspiration didn’t say anything. But finally, he responded, “I… I don’t know Color.” 

He felt a hoof on his shoulder, looking up to those sea blue eyes. The ones that had comforted him in the early days of their relationship stared straight into his, “Please Harm, I promise that I will be very careful with your past. I know what I’m asking of you is enormous, but please, let me see. Just to have a look and I’ll be back before you know it.”

Closing his eyes, the violinist nodded, “Only if you go in disguise.” After calling the servants to bring a  cloak with a hood to be brought to him, “You know what, I’m coming with you. If we’re going where I think we’re going to, I want to come to protect you.”

After two black cloaks were given to them and donning them on, Harmonic now faced the door in which the silver key was still jammed in. He slowly reached a hoof to touch it, but he didn’t turn it. “I’ll be right behind you,” he heard Color say. It took a tremendous amount of courage to turn the key in the lock and open the door.

On the other side, they felt a blast of a wintry wind come blowing through. Stepping through, the first thing they saw was a stone bridge and the back of a post with a sign on it. Color looked at the door they’ve come through to see they’ve come out of the back entrance of a grey house. Taking the key in his magic and putting it into his pocket, he closed the door behind him. Turning back around, he saw mountains and forests of pine trees that were covered in thick layers of snow.

“Are we back in Cermona?” he inquired.

Harmonic put his hood over his head as he walked over to look up at the sign and froze. “Worse…” Curious at his reaction, the artist trotted over to see what he was looking at. The sign had only two words that were carved into a plank of wood, “Frost River.” 

Color looked up at him in concern, “Harm, what happened here.”

“I was burned here,” he said softly as the wind continued to blow. “The villagers had beaten me, hacked my wings off before tying me to the stake.” 

“Didn’t you say once that you always come back someplace else after someone attempts to kill you, right?” Color asked as he pulled on his hood, “So where did you end up?”

Harmonic looked back at the frozen bridge, “If we are when I think we are, I believe that I ended up under there.” He took another look around to see that there was hardly anypony around. “Whatever you need to do, please hurry, I don’t want you to meet the villagers here. I’ll keep a watchful eye.”

The tan unicorn nodded, and he started heading towards the undersides of the bridge. As he did so, his ears picked up on someone crying. No. This wasn’t your simple cry out of sadness; rather, this was a pony that was bawling their eyes out from pain. Color cautiously neared the arch that connected the icy river while taking note that the older alicorn was walking over to the middle of it.

Peeking around the corner, Color froze for a moment at what he saw. There curled up with his back flatly against the curved stones was Harmonic, only a good deal younger. He was shivering since he did not have a cloak on. But what was alarming; however, were the gashes, burns, and bruises that nearly covered his whole body. they were slowly reversing themselves. Yet, this young Alicorn was crying as streams of tears flowed from his closed eyes.

Color Spectrum, for a very long moment, didn’t exactly know what to do. In all the years since he knew Harmonic the young adult, he never saw him this vulnerable. More than that, his heart shattered at how broken this Harmonic really was. Then, as quietly as he could, he gently walked up to the young alicorn, took off his cloak and placed it on him.

As soon as the cloak touched him, the young Harmonic’s eyes shot open and immediately the colt tried to dart out the way. However, he didn’t get too far.  Limpening poor young harmonic soon tripped on the icy ground. “Wait,” Color tried to reach out to him, but the colt was on his back, crawling backward towards the wall.

“G-Get away!” the colt cried. “Leave me alone!”

“Hey, hey,” the Artist cooed, “take it easy. You’re hurt.”

“Don’t touch me,” Harmonic hissed at him, but Color noticed that his eyes were like that of a frightened animal.

The unicorn didn’t move from his spot and sat down from where he was. “I’m not going to hurt you in any way. Somepony was crying and I found you here. What in Equestria happened to you?”

He sniffed. “N-Nothing,” the colt lied.

“Well…” Color tried to choose his words carefully, “Do you need any help?”

“Just go away.”

Seeing how this wasn’t going anywhere, Color then took out the dinner roll he brought with him. With his aura, he levitated it over to the shivering colt that looked at the piece of bread with suspicion. “You can have it,” he said. “I think you might need it more than I do.”

Snatching the roll, Harmonic tore it in two and inspected it carefully, went to go as far as to sniffing and just letting the tip of his tongue taste it as if he expected it to be poisoned. But when he was convinced that it had nothing in it did Harmonic scarfed it down. “Why did you do that?”

Color blinked, “Because you were hungry?”

“No, not just that,” he lifted his foreleg to move the cloak around. “Why did you give me these things? Those… ponies came at me with stones when they saw what a freak I am, but you gave me your cloak and some bread? Why?”

“Because you needed it as I said, I heard you crying and wondered if there was anything I can do to help.”

The young Harmonic eyed him with suspicion, “What do you want from me?”

“Nothing.”

“No bribe, no favors, anything?”

Color sighed, “No. Nothing of the sort, I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do. So tell me, what can I do to help you?”

Harmonic laughed in disbelief, “Because it’s the right thing? Ponies don’t help freaks like me, you must have seen that I’m a demon and…” he hesitated before shaking his head. “Look, mister, I don’t know who you are or where you’re from, but you can’t help me.”

“Why not?”

“Ponies shouldn’t help monsters… like me. Nopony cares to be friends with a freak like me. I’m hated by everyone that knows that I have wings and a horn. If they knew that you were helping a… worthless abomination like me, they would have you burned too.” Harmonic tried to get up but winced as he stood on his four hooves. “I need to get out of here, and so should you.”

Color on the other hoof was moved to tears. As uncomfortable as he was in the cold, he was never prepared for the misery he saw from the same pony he was about to marry just hours ago. He trotted to block the colt’s path, “Do you really believe in all of that?”

“Let me go,” Harmonic tried to get around him but he was blocked again.

“Do you really buy into all of that garbage?” Color questioned him. “Look, I don’t know what happened to you, but Alicorn or not, you’re not a freak, worthless, or an abomination. Never let anypony tell you otherwise.”

“Why not? It’s all true anyway.”

“No it isn’t,” the unicorn sat on his hunches again, “although you don’t see it, but believe it or not, you don’t deserve any of this. You don’t deserve to be beaten, or bruised, or starved or to be miserable. In fact, even without this,” he lit his horn to briefly lift the cloak – exposing Harmonic’s wings. “Do you know what I see?” Nervously taking a step back, the colt shook his head. “I see… a pony. That has the potential to overcome something so grim, so hopeless that he becomes an inspiration for those who are struggling. I don’t see a monster or a demon or a freak of nature, but a pony that is perfect in every single way that he is. I see great potential in that cutie mark of yours that would astonish the world over. Although it’s clear that you’re suffering in this grim situation, where it all seems that the entire world is against you for existing, just remember one thing.”

“What’s that?” the young Alicorn asked as he whipped his eyes.

Color smiled, “Remember that nothing lasts in this wicked world… not even our troubles. For all the bad that happens, it’s all temporary before the good comes in. Eventually, all the injustices and cruelties cannot stand forever. Besides,” he reached out a hoof to mess with young Harmonic’s mane, “everyone, including Alicorns, is entitled to some happiness as much as anyone.”

The colt sniffed, “You really think so?”

“I know so. And a word of advice, just because the world is cruel to you, that doesn’t mean that you have to become the monster that they see you as. So be kind to unkind ponies, it is they that they need it the most, this will be what separates you from the real monsters.”

Just as Color was getting up, the young Harmonic asked, “Who are you?”

“Somepony that’s passing by,” he gave a warm smile. “Also, before I leave, I want to say, thank you.”

The bruised Alicorn tilted his head in confusion, “For what?”

“Helping me make up my mind on a rather important decision,” as he started to walk out from under the bridge, he added while giving his cloak back. “And you can keep that, it’s really cold out here.”

Color Spectrum walked out underneath the bridge and back into the chilly wind, but the frozen air didn’t bother him. As he was walking towards the town, he heard the Prince come trotting over to him. “You know, you look familiar.” The Artist chuckled before Harmonic added, “I completely forgot how I got that cloak in the first place, but thanks for reminding me.”

“Let’s get back to your time,” the unicorn offered him the key. “I think after that visit, that I’ve made up my mind.”

“Yeah, tell me that once we get out of here,” they trotted back to the backdoor of the house they’ve come through. The Prince jammed in the key, turned it and opened the door to reveal the familiar hallways of the palace. After they’ve gone through and closed the door behind them, Harmonic looked out the window to see that his family was still dining out in the garden.

“Harm,” Color said, “I now have a reason to marry you.”

“You do?” the Violinist blinked.

“What I saw back there, was heart-wrenching. Harm, I had for a long time know that you had a terrible life before coming to Equestria, but never could I have imagined that you lived like that.” He went up to him to kiss him on the lips, “I didn’t think that you were that miserable. After seeing that, I now realize how much I must be in your life. And Harm, I am so sorry for getting cold hooves on our wedding day, here I thought that I would have made your life worse if I had married you and died. But to ditch you on such an important day would be worst. Now that I’ve seen what you went through. That and the fact that you’ve seemed to have moved on just further proves to me how big of an idiot I really am. Can you forgive me?”

Harmonic replied as he kissed back, “You know that I love you so much that I can forgive you for anything. It was true when we got married, and it’s true right now. Color, when you go back, you have a wonderful life ahead of you that’s full of surprises and twists. Though I wish those years we’ve spent were longer, they brought me so much joy all the same.”

Color looked over to the garden before inquiring, “Harm, if it’s not too much to ask, can I please stay for just a little while longer? I want to get to know of the family we’ve ended up creating, as well as to hear you and your husband play something as well.”

The Prince hummed, “Only on one condition: no matter what you hear and see, it all must go to your grave. You will never mention this to the past me, nor anyone else.”

“Ha! And how can I explain to your handsome, younger self that I got cold hooves and ended up in the future without making me sound like a lunatic?”

“Good thinking,” Harmonic smirked, “Now let’s get back to dinner. We still have a good deal to talk about.”
> 4th Movement: Adagio con Tenerezza
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Color blinked, and blinked again, “You have a friend that’s a Changeling?”

Joy nodded, “Yeah. Vicky is my best friend! she comes around a lot. She’ll be coming soon and we’re gonna have so much fun at the Tulip Festival and we are gonna play with all my toys and talk about all the fun things we do and eat lots of ice cream!”

The Artist looked at the Princesses with great astonishment, “So does that mean that the Changelings became good in my future?”

“Only by unusual circumstance,” Celestia said ominously. “I don’t want to give away the surprise on how this was accomplished, but yes, you will be seeing peace between us in your future.”

“Huh… I didn’t think that would ever happen, considering what happened at Cadence and Shining Armor’s wedding.”

“Well, to be fair,” Cloudy commented as she dug her fork into her slice of chocolate cake. “You lived at a time when everything was changing really fast. Course, there were a lot of threats here and there, and your time got to see the rise of many things that ponies in the past didn’t think were possible.”

“Given from what I’ve seen from Canterlot, I’m not that surprised,” the artist commented. They were finishing up dessert, but they had been talking for so long that at one point, both Princesses had to excuse themselves to lower the sun and raise the moon. Color, all the while, was gaining insight into his fiancé’s future family. He learned that Joy still hadn’t earned her cutie mark, has recently asked Harmonic if he could teach her to play the violin. Whole Note, while being a part-time prince, still holds a job at the Canterlot Philharmonic and composes with his husband. Color’s son had written books and a hoofful of plays while his wife is now the principal of a school. Their daughter Cloudy had taken up an interest in Philosophy. “But what about Princess Cadence and Shining Armor?” Color asked between bites, “Are they still around?”

The family looked at one another uneasily, “Last I’ve heard,” Page said, “She’s dating somepony since Shining Armor had passed away.”

“Oh… and how is she?”

“In a stable relationship, it looks like,” Cloudy’s mother smiled. “I think at this rate we might be looking at another wedding down the road – though I’d say that eight months dating is still a little too early to tell.”

“Okay,” Color took another bite of the cake, “what about Princess Twilight? Is she around too?”

Luna nodded, “As well as Sir Spike, yes. She still resides in her castle in Ponyville, but Spike has long become independent. Twilight has taken on a husband but her old dragon assistant is still in the dating field. I don’t know what else to tell you since we’ve pretty much caught you up on everything we’re willing to share.”

“Exc-cuse me, Color,” Whole Note began, “Is there something you wanted t-to do before you go back?”

It didn’t take the unicorn to think of an answer, “Didn’t you guys say that you want me to listen to a new concerto you wrote together?”

“Oh! That’s right,” Harmonic facehoofed, “I nearly have forgotten all about it – but I’ll tell you what, as soon as we get done eating this, we’ll go to the music room. Okay?”

Color told him that would be fine. After everypony had eaten their dessert, the alicorn prince told one of the servants to fetch their instruments. Soon after, the large family left the garden for the servants to clean up after them. The Royal Family started to make their way up towards the music room. Taking the lead, Harmonic was flanked on both sides with his current husband and his past fiancé. Every so often, the Violinist looked over to Color,  he noticed a  thoughtful look spread across his face.  It was the same kind of look whenever he was thinking about a painting, but all Harmonic could think was, ‘What are you up to?’

“So Note,” Page started as they walked casually behind them. “Is this concerto new?”

“Uh-huh,” the green Earth Pony nodded back to them. “You guys are g-g-getting to hear it being played for t-the first time. Of course, we don’t have the orchestra with us, but I think since Harm is here, that won’t be a problem. We’ve written it in the style of Fi-V-Vifilly s-so you’re in for a real tra-treat.”

“How long is it Grandpa Note?” Cloudy asked with a smirk on her lips.

The cellist sharply turned at her with a frown, “You’re never gonna let that down, are ya?”

“Nope,” she giggled.

Rolling his eyes, Whole Note replied, “It should be about ten minutes, give or t-take. Still, as excited as I am in showing you guys the cou-concerto, what do you all want to do afterward?”

“Well, I have to go to Night Court,” Luna replied first. “As much as I want to spend more time with Color, I’m afraid that after the mini-concert that I must leave.”

“Yeah,” Harmonic’s son agreed, “We’ve gotta get home ourselves, tomorrow is a school day for my wife and Cloudy.”

“If you’re all really going,” Color said at last, “Can I have a pencil and some paper?”

The Prince of Inspiration looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “Why?”

“Oh I just wanted to doodle a bit,” judging by that passive voice, Harmonic could instantly tell that the unicorn was planning something. 

“There’s some scratch paper in the room, so you can use that.” When the family reached the music room, they found the servants had already brought the couple’s violin and cello. In the middle of the room, there was a music stand that held the sheet music that the musicians were working on.

Meanwhile, Color sat down next to a table where there was a neat stack of blank paper waiting to be used. Picking up a pen, he took a moment to study the ponies in the room. In particular, at his future son, his wife, and daughter, along with Harmonic’s new husband and their daughter as they sat around the room waiting while the string instruments tuned. He took note of their facial features, their mane styles, and even their colors before he started sketching.

“Everypony ready?” Note asked as he lifted his bow over his red instrument.

Harmonic looked at the hoofwritten score for just a moment before looking up at Color. His past husband took a moment to glance up at them before he put his violin to his chin. Lighting up his horn, the alicorn encased his instrument in his golden aura. Using the notes on the page, he recreated the sound of a string orchestra and a harpsichord playing an upbeat melody without putting his bow on the strings. Out of the sound holes of the Trotivarious, a chorus of violins and violas were jumping around like a team of acrobats in a circus. All the while, Harmonic gently counted time with his bow for the first several seconds of the established theme before he put his bow to his instrument.

From there, the two stallions started a musical conversation. It was like listening to a game between the energetic violin and the calculating yet quick-thinking cello. Each note climbs and leapfrogs over the other like foals on a playground. From their bows that leap from one string to the next at lightning speed, the music they produced had plenty of childhood games that ran around, play tag, and from the trills, there was a good deal of laughter. It was as if the two musicians were trying to act much younger despite their actual ages.

While the first movement was playing out, the artist was hard at work to draw out as much and as fast as he could of his future relatives. He was paying attention to the shading, refining the features of their faces, their manes, cutie marks, size proportions to get them as accurately as possible on paper. Not to say that this didn’t go unnoticed, his future son saw what he was doing and quietly walked over next to him.

“Why are you drawing?”  He whispered.

“You know how it’s tradition to give your spouse-to-be a meaningful gift when you get married?”

“Of course I know… wait, why are you bringing this up?”

“Tell me, did Harmonic ever say what my gift to him was?”

Script thought it over for a moment, “Technically, I don’t think you ever did, even after you guys got married. Even back then it was really unusual…” the stallion trailed off as he realized where his Pa was going with this. “Hold on, are you implying that you’re making the big gift right now?”

“Starting to,” Color replied.  “Don’t tell your father, but what I have in mind is going to be the most ambitious thing I’m ever gonna attempt. And knowing that I don’t have that much time to live, I have to begin immediately.”

His future son’s ears folded back, a look of sympathy was on the stallion’s face before he hugged his father to be. “Pa, just being Harmonic’s husband or my adopted father is a gift in and of itself. I’ve seen you two as role models for me because of how hard working and dedicated to your art you both were. Though I really do wish that you could have lived longer, you already have a great legacy that you’ve planted long ago. You don’t need to prove yourself in getting him a gift anyway, just being here is enough.”

“But I want to,” Color replied, “I don’t want it to be just for him, but for all of you as well. After all, it was my family that helped me make the biggest decision of my life, so what I’m planning on doing is the least I can do with how long I have left.” He gave a smile, “Besides if it’s true that I’m gonna be raising you, I guess I have much to learn before that day comes when we met.”

“Just to give you a heads up,” Script told him. “The pony you’ll be adopting is hardly like the one you’re talking to. If anything, I’ve changed so much over the years that you probably won’t recognize me at all. I had a completely different life before you and Harmonic came along, so it took me some time to become what I am now.”

At this, the unicorn took a moment from drawing and looked up at his future son. “Can you tell me one thing? Was I a good dad to you?”

Script smirked, “Spoilers.”

“Gee, thanks,” Color quietly deadpanned. “By the way, since I’m sketching out portraits, are there any other relatives that aren’t here?”

The Writer thought over carefully of his response. “Well… Apart from Cadence that isn’t here, along with Twilight and Spike, there is a cousin that’s a couple years younger than me. Little Flurry, we call her, she has a resemblance to Aunt Cadence.”

Color looked at him in surprise, “Really? Cadence and Shining are going to have a kid? I expect it sometime soon, right?” He nodded, “Oh good, I can’t wait to see the filly. How’s that unicorn now anyway?”

“…. Spoilers.”

The Artist looked at the stallion with a raised eyebrow, “Okay… Since I think this project is gonna take me a while, I guess I can just have to wait and see.”

“I assume you would,” Script commented, “You know. The last time I saw you when you were still alive, none of us had gotten the chance to give you a proper goodbye.”

Color paused once more at his future son, his ears folded back. “Oh…I see. Look, maybe if you have the time, I’ll take the time to listen. You can have your say, and I’ll hear every word you’ll speak. After all, that would be fair on your part, right?”

Script nuzzled him, “Thank you Pa.”

_*_

Whole Note sat on the step near the top of the grand staircase, watching Color speak to Script and his family by the door. In his hooves a small glass of ginger ale. He listened to them talk before his husband came up behind him. “I’ve already put Joy to bed. Are they still talking?”

The Cellist nodded, “I n-never knew that it would take somepony this long t-to say goodbye. Though, given the circumstance, I t-think it’s unders-standable.”

Harmonic took a seat next to the light green stallion, “Yeah, what a day, huh?”

“It’s like your dad coming back all over again. But I s-suppose that I’m thankful that I was able to meet him.”

“What do you think of him?”

“Color is a good stallion Harm. For a guy that’s still young, he’s much more mature than most stallions I know at his age. If he weren’t an Artist, I might h-had mistaken him for a th-therapist. He might have been made a good friend in an alternative universe.”

The couple looked up at Color where he and Script nodded before he hugged the family one at a time. Once they left, the tan unicorn came up to them. “Sorry about that, it took longer than I thought it did.”

“That’s okay,” the alicorn replied, “I was able to take care some last minute business before bed. So Color, are you ready to go back?”

“Actually,” his past husband replied before he was interrupted by a yawn. “I would like to have some sleep.” Just then, he realized something, “Wait, where am I going to sleep? My apartment has been replaced with a park, so… do you want me to sleep in a guest room or…”

Both Harmonic and Note looked at each other, “He’s got a point,” the Cellist observed, “how are we going to m-make this work? I mean, he’s technically your fiancé.”

“If you want,” Color interjected, “I can always sleep on a couch.”

“Oh no,” the Violinist shook his head. “If you’re going to stay for the night, let it be in a bed.”

“Harm,” Note asked a question that gave his husband pause. “What do you want?”

He looked between the two, “I… I want something that I’m not exactly sure if you would approve of,” Harmonic said, nodding to the green stallion.

“And that being?”

“Note, please understand that I’m going to suggest is completely innocent in nature. If Color is going to stay the night, then what I want is to sleep next to me… for one last time – in our room.”

“Oh…” Note blushed, looking over to Color who had the same expression. “L-L-Look, Mr. Spectrum, I-”

Color raised a hoof, “I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not entirely on board on having a three-way with Harmonic. After all, I’ve made a promise to the one I know, so it would be considering cheating in my book to do the deed before the honeymoon. If anything Whole, consider this as more of a… sleepover then anything else. Besides,” he yawned, “I don’t think I have enough energy for that sort of thing anyway tonight.”

“So then, gentlecolts,” Harmonic said as he spread open his wings, “Shall we?” They both nodded, leaning up against him, the alicorn draped his wings over the stallions as they made their way up towards his room. As expected, a fire was still going at the mantel, casting the spacious room flickering lights and shadow. Nearby it on a low table was a copper kettle and a couple of cups, “Care to interest you in some hot chocolate?” he asked Color.

His fiancé tilted his head in confusion, “Sorry?”

“It’s what he dra-drinks before going to bed,” Note explained. “Almost every night in fact, even on hot summer nights he would have a cup before getting to bed.”

“That’s new,” Color commented as Harmonic went to pour the smooth liquid into the cups. “In all the years we’ve dated, you’ve never done that. Even during those few times when we spend the night I never have seen you order hot cocoa before bed.”

“It’s a habit I’ve picked up after Note and I got married,” the violinist told him as he poured the other two cups. “Do you remember the Copper Pot Café? Well, although the place has been closed for a while now, I was able to get the recipe to make this stuff since I like it so much. What can I say; I’m addicted to it. You want some?” Harmonic explained holding an empty mug up in question.

With a shrug, the artist accepted and before long all three had a steamy cup in their hooves. They all of them sat on the couch facing the fireplace, watching the flames dance in the darkened room. Harmonic sat between the two stallions, enjoying this quiet moment in the warmth of the fire, the smooth cocoa, and the lovers of the past and present. For all the talking they’ve done that day, words were unnecessary as they listened to the crackle of burning wood.

Once the chocolate was drained from their cups, each stallion took their turn in the bathroom before retiring to bed. The blankets and sheets were pulled back and Harmonic scooched into the middle of the large bed. With Note laying on his left and Color to his right, the alicorn lit his horn to put out the fire and pulled the covers over them.

Facing over to Color first, Harmonic gave him a kiss, “Goodnight, my Prince-to-be,” the unicorn said. 

Then turning over to Note, he did the same thing to him, “Goodnight, my Prince.”

Embracing them both in his forelegs, the alicorn whispered to both of them, “Good night, my Kings.”

_*_

The next morning, standing in front of a mirror, Color Spectrum had his white wedding suite on once again. The gold vest shined over his spotless white shirt, and an orange tie. The suit was still the purest white, but the leaves on his cuffs and tail-coats were aged orange. Next to him, Harmonic was smiling, “You’re still as handsome as ever.” 

This got a nervous chuckle out of the unicorn. “Oh come on Harm, if I’m gotta get back to my time, I have to look my best.”

The alicorn levitated a brush over the suit to dust it off a bit, “are you still nervous about the ceremony?”

“In a way, yeah – but not as much as I was,” he sighed. “All I’m worried about now is that I might somehow mess something up. I know we’ve gone over the ceremony by walking over the same patch of grass a billion times, but I have an inkling  in the back of my mind that something is bound to go wrong.”

Harmonic rolled his eyes, “I was nervous too, and I can safely tell you that everything is going to be fine. Of course, the only downside is that there was a world-threatening crisis of the mole ponies-”

"The what!” Color snapped his attention at him in alarm.

“Kidding,” Harmonic chuckled, “Or am I?”

To this, the unicorn frowned, “Not funny.”

“But in all seriousness though, I never had been that happy when we were announced that we were married.” Taking the brush off, he looked into the mirror with a smile. “So Color, is there anything you like to say before we send you back?”

Color looked over himself, going through the mental checklist over his grooming. He already had a shower, teeth were brushed, breath was washed, mane and tail combed, the suit was dry-cleaned, buttons polished, and had a touch of expensive cologne that never overpowered the senses. Turning his head to the alicorn, he said, “There is one last… no, two questions that I have to ask.”

“Yes?”

“Now, please be honest with me when I ask this,” the unicorn took in a deep breath. “How will you remember me after I’m gone for good? And if this is the last time we see each other for you, will you remember me with the rest of eternity to consider?”

Harmonic placed his hooves underneath his chin to where he looked at him square in the eye. “Color, I can never, ever forget how big of an impact you’ve made. Even with all the years that I will face where I may enter a cycle of watching one husband after another grow old and pass away, you and Whole Note have taught me to appreciate each and every day I have with the ones I love. Even when all other memories about you fade, this, right here, is how I will always remember you. A wise and compassionate pony that had walked on a carpet of autumn leaves, forever young, forever beautiful in my eyes as the art he created. Do not cry for me, Your Highest and Glorious Majesty, I love you too much to be able to forget.”

“That was beautiful,” Color smiled, his eyes watering. “I’m so happy that I’m going to marry the very stallion that will look back on me that way.”

“I’m still happy that you were able to say ‘I do.’” The Prince gave him a long, lingering kiss before he hugged him. “I guess, this really is goodbye?”

“Afraid so, at least I can go to my grave with the thought that you’ll be happy in the end. I guess it only makes me think of the future that I will have with you. But don’t worry, I promise that I will dedicate my life to make your life  the happiest that I possibly can.”

“I know you will,” he smiled before letting him go. “You still have that key?”

Nodding, Color levitated the silver key out of his pocket. “You know Harm, I think it might be a good idea that I hide this.”

“What?”

“I mean, with something as powerful as a key that can open doorways through time, I don’t exactly want this to fall into the wrong hooves here. Nor wanting to expect throughout the rest of my life to see a future you to pop by giving me spoilers.”

Harmonic frowned but replied, “Okay, fair enough.”

The artist nodded. “So then, goodbye Harm. I wish your eternity, however long it is, to be filled with happiness.” Just as Color started to head his way towards the bathroom door of Harmonic’s room, he stopped as he realized something. “Oh, and one more thing, since I’m getting married today, and you haven’t received your marriage gift for all these years, I think it’s about time I give it to you. But tell me,” he stuck the key into the doorknob, “What’s today’s date?”

The Prince raised an eyebrow, “March 24th, why?” Before the Artist could answer, there was a knock on the door.

“Prince Harmonic,” a voice from one of the guards say, “Are you in there?”

“Yes, what do you want?”

“There’s a delivery for you.”

Confused, the alicorn went up to the double doors and opened it to find a Solar Guard there. “What delivery? I didn’t order anything.”

“But it’s addressed to you, Your Grace,” said the guard. “And it’s huge too, we had to place it in the ballroom.”

Craning his neck over, he saw Color wink at him before turning the key and saying, “Goodbye Harmonic,” and walking through before closing the door behind him. 

“Hold on for just a sec,” he said as he trotted over to the bathroom door, only to find it empty before returning his attention to the guard. “Who sent it? Where did it come from?”

_*_

When Color turned the key and opened the door, he saw that instead of the luxurious bathroom of the palace, it was the bathroom that he recognized was from his apartment. After bidding his future spouse farewell, he stepped right back in and closed the door behind him. Taking in a deep breath, the unicorn used the key on his side to jam into the doorknob and unlock it, to which he heard the voices of his father and Rarity calling out to him.

“Color, you’re really blowing this out of proportion,” Golden called out. “Come on son, unlock the door.”

“Darling, please come out, everything is going to be fine,” Rarity pleaded.

The unicorn unlocked the door and opened to two familiar faces in the doorway. “Sorry about that,” he said. “I just needed a moment.”

Golden came up to him and wrapped him in a hug. “Color, I know how stressful this all is. But knowing you two, you can still make this work.”

“Dad,” his son gently pushed him off. “I know you’re right and… yeah, I’m really sorry about nearly walking away, I just needed some time to reflect. And you know what? I think everything is going to be okay.”

This took both Rarity and his father completely by surprise. “Really?” the tailor inquired, “Just a moment ago you said that you can’t do this because it may harm your fiancé and now you’re just fine with it?”

“I have to agree,” Golden commented, “This is rather sudden.”

“The point being,” Color stepped out of the bathroom, “is that I think I’m ready. I know what I said, but upon reflection, I came to realize that even though I’m mortal, Harm still needs me. It would be selfish of me to have helped him for four years only to suddenly ditch him when he needs me the most. So…” he took a deep breath before adding, “I think I’m ready to go.”
> 5th Movement: Allegro A piacere
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twenty-four hours later, the newlywed couple was on a beach in the Bahamares. They still couldn’t believe that this magic train was able to take them across the sea overnight to a deserted yet tranquil place as this. However, in the morning hours, a cool breeze brushed against their coats and the warm water lapped up against their hooves. Harmonic and Color took advantage of their stroll up and down the coastline.

“No matter how many times I get to see the ocean,” Harmonic commented, “It still amazes me how vast it all is with nothing but blue as far as the eye can see.”

“You know,” his new husband said. “I’ve never been to a beach in Equestria where the water isn’t ice cold. I mean, it feels like bathwater, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” the alicorn looked out over at the sea. “You know, we’ve got all day, so do you wanna take a swim?” he then gave a sly smile, “And maybe after lunch, since we’re secluded from the rest of the world on this beach, do you wanna continue where we’ve left off from last night?”

Color’s muzzle went completely red, “Oh… Well… either way, maybe I need to head back to the train to get some towels. You know, for the sand, drying and…”

His husband kissed him on the cheek. “Fair enough, if you wouldn’t mind I want to go hop into the sea for a bit.”

“Be right with you,” with that, the tan unicorn galloped back to the train, leaping back into the car they’ve spent the night in. He picked up a couple of white towels from the bathroom; however, before he headed back out, he spotted the white suit that he had worn the other day. He picked through his pockets until he pulled out what he was looking for. The silver skeleton key that Discord had given him. Tucking it into one of the towels, Color returned to the sandy beach where he caught a glimpse of his husband in the waves. Setting the rolls of towels down, he unrolled two of them, all the while keeping an eye on Harmonic, waiting for the right moment.

When his husband’s head was turned, he quickly took the key into his aura and tossed it as far as his magic would allow over the tumbling waters – letting the silver key fly until it disappeared beneath the waves.  “Hey,” Harmonic called out to him, “Are you coming in?”

Color trotted into the warm sea before he swam towards the alicorn that was bobbing up and down in the water. “You know,” the artist said as he drew close to his husband. “If the sea back home were this warm, then I probably would swim in it more often.”

“Tell me about it, this is way better than being in a pool.”

“Especially when Blueblood is nowhere around to lecture us about ‘proper swimming protocol,’ which means...” Color lifted his foreleg over the water and quickly brought it down to a splash.

Harmonic flinched as the water hit his face, soaking his mane making it fall straight down past his eyes. With a frown, he glared at his husband before it turning it into a wicked grin. Opening both of his wings and raising them straight up, he said, “Of course you know, this means war!” before smacking them down to create tidal waves over them both. However, for Color, this was exactly what he wanted as they splashed in the sea.

_*_

Several decades later, the Prince of Inspiration was galloping down the halls and gliding over staircases towards the Ball Room where Whole Note, their daughter, and several guards had gathered at the large but unusually flat crate that was leaning up against a few pillars. The huge wooden rectangle took up about the length of the room and about half of the wall. Facing them were the words that were painted on in a dull red color that read, “Fragile. This way up.”

“Dad,” Joy asked as Harmonic entered the room, “what’s this?”

“I’ve no idea,” said Harmonic as he approached the crate, “but I think I have a pretty good idea who it might be from.”

Whole Note raised an eyebrow, “What do ou-you mean?”

He didn’t answer as he turned to the guards who already had crowbars in their hooves, “Go ahead and open it up – but carefully.” So taking up the command, the guards set to work to loosen the rusty nails that were embedded along the edges. Cracks and groans from the lid were heard as it slowly came loose. Some of the old nails came falling out onto the marble floor before the lid opened up to give way to an avalanche of old straw. But when the lid was carefully put aside, did the alicorn gasped at the contents.

In the crate, stuffed underneath and above a bed of straw was a huge oil painting that was encompassed in a golden frame. Yet, it was what was on the canvas that amazed everypony in the room. The picture was that of the Royal Gardens on a spring day where the flowers were bright and the grass, trees, and hedges were sprouting in rich greens that took up most of the space. Near the center was a red and white checkerboard blanket that held a picnic spread of a variety of food. But what was the most remarkable was the ponies that were depicted onto the canvas.

It showed Harmonic, Note, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, Blueblood, Script, and Page sitting on the blanket, watching their young children, Joy, Flurry Heart and Cloudy at play. But was the most extraordinary thing about this painting, was who else was sitting next to Note and Harmonic. It was Color Spectrum.

A guard noticed something at the bottom of the painting, he walked up and brushed the hay aside, “Your Highness, there’s an envelope here.”

Harmonic lit his horn to take the yellowed envelope into his aura. It was addressed to him so he opened it up. “Dad,” he heard what Joy asked, “What does it say?”

“It says… My Dearest Harmonic,

“I want to first say that I’m sorry for not giving you your wedding present earlier. This painting has taken me several years considering how much time, materials and brushes I’ve used to create this painting before you. Yet, with all this time that has taken me to get everything just right, I’m very pleased with the result.  I’m sorry that out of all the artwork that I have created, that this would be the one that I have to keep it a secret from you when I was alive.

“This painting is a never-ending labor of love, I have spent fifteen years refining and redoing to get it just the way I wanted it. Sometimes I had to sneak out of the palace to a warehouse where I had spent my precious time painting this mammoth of a composition. I carefully applied every single color known to ponykind in the right places to paint the resemblance of everypony here from both sketches and memory. This, I give to you Harmonic, is my greatest masterpiece that won’t see the light of day until after I see you one last time.

“For this…” Harmonic paused as he reread something that made his voice sound hoarse. “For this is my vision of paradise when the day comes that I die. I hope that when the time comes, I would get to live what I have put on canvas. To spend eternity with you, and the families that will come after me and Whole Note. While I don’t know…” tears had formed in his eyes, “if I would get to see you on the other side, I’ve created this vision so that even in a painting… we’d get to be together for all time. 

“Thank you, for being a wonderful husband. And thank you, for being mine.

Forever yours, now and for all eternity with undying love… Color.”

Both Note and Joy went up to hug him as he wiped the tears away. “Dad, are you okay?”

With a sniff, Harmonic replied, “Yeah… It’s just that… I didn’t think that Color would have done something so incredible. I’m… I’m at loss for words.”

“I have one,” their daughter said as she looked at the painting, “Wow.”

“You got that right,” Note nodded, “What are we going to do with this?”

Harmonic looked at the painting again. “You know what I’ve just realized? The painting is mostly empty. I mean look at all the room with the grass. It seems odd that Color would have gone through all this trouble to paint all of this to make it so… vacant.”

“What if it's not supposed to be finished?” one of the guards spoke up. “Did Color Spectrum ever come back on his paintings to add something to them?”

“He…” the alicorn’s eyes widen, “He did. I know what this gift is for, it’s a never-ending family portrait! We’re supposed to add other ponies to the painting!” Harmonic held both of his hooves over his forehead laughing, “Oh that is clever!”

“We’ve got to show Grandma this,” Joy suggested.

“Yes, we should,” Note agreed. “Harm, where are we gonna put this thing? The painting is huge.”

Harmonic thought it over for a moment, “I think for painting this special, we’re gonna need a new building.”

_*_

The painting, which later came to be known as the “Royal Garden Portrait,” had found a permanent residence in a permanent building. Half carved out of the mountain that Canterlot was built on, along two-story building made out of marble, cast-iron and glass were constructed to house the Titanic painting. A building that was always be remained open to the public and kept under a watchful eye with guards by royal decree.

A decade after decade went by, with every new member of the Royal family being married in, adopted, or born into was added into that painting of eternal spring. Painters who were the most skilled at coming close to creating from Color Spectrum’s original style were hired to add new portraits to the painting. Slowly but surely the empty space of the garden was being populated by mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, cousins, nieces and nephews. Each time another member was added in, the painting became richer among the green grass that dominated the painting.

This was what the stallion, a charcoal black Pegasus with slick back indigo and blue mane was looking at as he leaned over the railings while an artist was at work adding him to the portrait.

“You know, I thought that I might find you here,” his ears perked up. Turning around he found his tall fiancé walking up to him.

“Can you blame me Harmonic?” the pegasus shrugged. “It isn’t every day that you get to see yourself immortalized on something like this.”

“For me, it gets rather dull in just a couple of decades,” the Prince said as he sat on his haunches next to the stallion. “However, it’s good to come back to this every so often and just be amazed by how much this family has grown.” He looked down at the Pegasus with a smile, “I’m just glad that you’re going to be part of it, Gavel. Though, I have to say that this would be the first time that I’ve taken a Judge as my husband.”

“Come on Harm, you know that I have to retire before the wedding,” the pegasus rolled his eyes. “You and I know that any minister or officer in the Justice Department can’t hold a position if they’re married to Royalty. It would make me look bias.”

“Yes, I know, I was there when mom had written it.” Harmonic chuckled as he nuzzled his fiancé. “Still, I’m looking forward to the wedding.”

“As am I,” Gavel gave a kind smile. “You know, sometimes I think that I must be the luckiest stallion in Equestria to have someone like yourself to be my special somepony. To think that I’m going to be you… I’m sorry but, how many husbands did you have again?”

Looking up at the painting before them, Harmonic thought it over, “Including those that have divorced me, this would make you my eighteenth spouse in my life so far.”

Gavel whistled, “Over these centuries, spanning so many lifetimes, it’s surprising that you and the Princesses still take on spouses and raising a family along with keeping up with Royal duties. Though, I have to ask, doesn’t it get rather depressing? I mean, you have to live forever to watch one husband die after another?”

Harmonic’s ears folded back, “I won’t lie to you, even after all these years, with the relationships I’ve developed with, that it’s still very hard to have somepony that I love to go to a place where I cannot follow. I do grieve, and miss them from time to time. However, I’ve learned early on from my first and second husbands that it’s not healthy for me to be stuck in the past that I have to move on. I’ve learned to appreciate every love that comes by and to hold onto it when they’re still here.” He smiled, “And when we’re married, I will do the same with you too. I will wake up every morning, appreciating that I have you here with me to make marvelous memories with.”

“Aw,” the Pegasus flew up to give him a quick kiss. “Then I guess I should put in the time to return the favor, Your Highness. Though, I can’t guarantee that I would be like all your other husbands in the past.”

“I don’t expect you to.” Harmonic leaned on the railing, glancing at the massive painting. “Each and every husband you see here were unique. No two of them were alike, many of them had a different opinion on a wide variety of subjects, yet, I loved each one just the same.”

The Pegasus Judge let his forelegs dangle on the railing. “You know, looking at this, it makes me wonder what the future holds for us. What sort of new foals that may become new additions to this never-ending art project.”

“I guess that was the genius of Color,” Harmonic commented, “He lay so much of the groundwork here because he was looking far into the future. I mean, this had started about ten centuries ago and yet, the garden is still not full. For now, there’s plenty of room for our loved ones.”

“Suppose there comes a day in which you can’t paint anymore? What would you do then?”

The Prince softly smiles as he answered simply, “Then I would commission to have a second painting to begin. But I think that won’t happen for a very long time. For now,” he turned back to Gavel, “Let’s enjoy life while we have it. Come back to the palace, we’re having a curry tonight.”

“You don’t have to tempt me with a free meal,” the Pegasus said as the two of them started to walk out of the building brushing against each other lovingly. “After all, you’ve already won me over.”