Tender Taps remembers something from years prior. One day in Twilight's castle, he had spotted Night Glider and Double Diamond in a room together, sharing a very intimate moment. From the brief glimpse he saw, Night Glider way laying against the bed while Double Diamond was on top, moving his hips against hers. He remembered the moans she made, how at peace she felt when the stallion physically pleasured her.
Tender Taps wasn't sure what this was at the time, but eventually he learned that this was what ponies called sex, an intimate activity done between two ponies who loved each other, usually at least.
He's been curious about it for years, but he's never actually done it himself, until his brief time with Sweetie Belle, where he got the experience he needed. That wasn't the highlight of his sexual activities however, such a moment wouldn't come until years later, when he met a mare who more than welcomed the chance.
It felt like a dream to Twilight, knowing that she would soon be married to such a loving and caring stallion like Tender Taps. She still remembers his days as a colt, such a kind hearted colt, a bit goofy but also very adorable.
She can't tell when she began to fall in love, she showed some interest years back when he had his crush. Of course she wouldn't act on it due to the fact that he was still too young and not yet matured, but she did often imagine what it would be like once he grew up a bit.
In the end, it was the anticipation that she valued the most, often guessing how he would turn out, and needless to say, she was not disappointed with the end result.
The night Tender Taps proposed to her was a magical moment for Twilight, one she could not replicate with her own magic. There was one thing that would totally complete that moment for her, and fortunately for the Princess, Tender Taps did not disappoint.
The two had made their way into Twilight's bedroom, while Spike was left in charge of the festivities, Tender Taps would take the time to make Twilight Sparkle his Princess and be her Prince.
Twilight laid in bed, her back against a pillow as Tender Taps went over her and started to kiss her, getting in deep with it. Such a thrilling sensation for Twilight, she's not used to bein on the receiving end of this type of affection, to experience it with a colt she admired so much was truly a blessing.
"Twilight.." Tender Taps nervously began.. "I...I want to do things with you, but only if you're alright with it."
"Daring, aren't you?" Twilight teased. "We're going to be married soon, I think you can take whatever risk you deem necessary, my sweet little Tappy."
Tender Taps gulped in worry, still somewhat nervous about what he wanted to do. "I promise it'll be worth your while Twilight."
"Go for it," Twilight said. "My body is yours for the night."
That was music to Tender Taps's ears, to be able to share such a bond with an amazing mare, one he's looked up to for a few years now. He was so grateful he was a full grown stallion now, because he was about to explore a different side to Twilight.
Tender Taps placed his hoof between Twilight's legs, gently rubbing her flower, trying to get her excited and ready. Twilight panted at the touch, feeling sensations running through her body, ones she normally does not feel.
Truthfully, Twilight was a bit nervous, she's never been with a stallion like this, so she knows it's going to feel a bit weird, and that it might hurt a bit, but she didn't care, she wanted this.
Once Tender Taps was ready, with himself feeling hard and Twilight being very moist, he positioned himself over her and placed his tip at her entrance.
"Twilight, I'm going to do it," Tender Taps said.
"I'm ready," Twilight reassured.
Tender Taps pushed in, separating Twilight's virgin walls, causing a gasp from the mare. "Oh Sweet Celestia!"
"More like, Sweet Twilight, since Celestia's no longer in power," Tender Taps joked, mostly to distract himself from this strange feeling. He really couldn't believe he just took Twilight's virginity, the same mare he loved and admired for years, now he gets to give her a pleasure no other stallion has or will give to her.
"Just...just continue on," Twilight said.
"Yes my Princess," Tender Taps said, rocking his hips. He had this under control, he's done this before, the only difference is that this time he knew what he was doing, and this time he could take the lead. To him, sex was like dancing, you just needed to find the right rhythm, and that's exactly what he found with Twilight.
"Oh Tappy..." Twilight moaned, a sound that was wonderous to his ears. He was causing her happiness, he was giving her pleasure, he was doing this for her and he loved it. Tender Taps increased his movements a bit, getting more of a reaction from his favorite Princess. "Oh Tappy!"
"Twilight..." Tender Taps leaned down, hugging her tightly, wanting to feel her body, wanting to bring her in for more. He desperately needed to feel more of her, to really feel like the bond is true.
"You're so good at this, you feel like a natural," Twilight said, hugging him close herself. "Tappy, we're going to be so happy together! We're going to live a long life together! We're going to have so many foals together! Do you look forward to that?"
"Yes, absolutely!" Tender Taps said. "I absolutely love this! I want more of this!"
"That makes me happy," Twilight said, sighing in relief as Tender Taps continued to thrust into her. "I can't wait to be a father to your babies Twilight."
"And I cant wait to be a mother to yours Tappy," Twilight said, feeling the pleasure. "Oh Tappy...I'm...I'm gonna cum!"
"Same here Twilight, I'm also gonna cum," Tender Taps said. "Wait, are you in heat?"
"No, so let me have it," Twilight said. "I want to feel it!"
Tender Taps went faster until he felt his load of seeds swarm into Twilight's insides, filling the mare with pleasure as she too had her burst, Tender Taps feeling his crotch area get wet.
"That...was amazing," Tender Taps said.
"It was," Twilight said. "That's a moment I'll never forget." She then leaned in to share a kiss with Tender Taps. "I love you."
"I love you too Twilight," Tender Taps said, laying over and falling asleep next to the mare he loved.
Fast forward to a week later, Tender Taps is coming back to the castle after a rigorous dance rehearsal. He had some shows on Bridleway to prepare for, and it was exhausting. Of course it was a dream for him to perform in front of such a large crowd and he was more than willing to put in the effort.
"Hey Tappy!" Twilight greeted, walking over to her fiancé.
"Hi Twilight," Tender Taps said, greeting her with a kiss.
"Another long day?" Twilight asked.
"It's worth it, it's pretty fun despite the hard work," Tender Taps said.
"I'm glad to hear, the best things in life are the ones you work toward, that's how I became a Princess after all," Twilight said. "Well, granted I didn't expect to be one, thinking about it, I don't think I thought much about my future as a foal, I was contempt with just doing research. I thought I found my dream job when I became a librarian but then came my Princess wings."
"From a librarian to a Princess, that's quite a promotion," Tender Taps joked.
"My point is that you knew what you wanted to do since you were a foal, and now you're achieving that goal," Twilight said, stroking his mane. "I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks Twilight, though being a performer is only one of my childhood goals though, my second one is about to become a reality very soon," Tender Taps said.
"And what would that second one be?" Twilight asked, already expecting what the answer will be.
"Getting married to you," Tender Taps said, blushing a lot as he did so. "That's a goal I didn't think would be possible."
"Well it's possible my sweet Tappy," Twilight said, going in for another kiss. "I'm so happy that I'm going to be married to such a sweet stallion."
"I'm happy I get to be with the very mare I looked up to as a foal," Tender Taps said. "You're still my idol Twilight, I will do everything I can to make you proud."
"Come now Tappy, once we get married, you won't be looking up to me, you'll be seeing me eye to eye," Twilight said. "Marriage is a partnership, think of me as your equal."
"Equal? But Twilight you're amazing, you're a brave Princess who's saved Equestria multiple times, you've fought dangerous enemies and always triumphed, and your a Princess," Tender Taps said. "The only thing I did was punch some log that pretended to be you. I'm pretty useless in battle, plus in the end I'm just a tap dancer, there's no way I can be your equal."
"All that aside, we're both still ponies, plus I think you're an amazing tap dancer, I mean that's something you can do that I can't," Twilight said. "I'm honestly not the best dancer."
"Come on, you're better than you think you are," Tender Taps said, taking her hoof. "Let's dance right now."
"Tappy, I'm not comfortable dancing, I'll mess up," Twilight said.
"It's about rhythm, just follow the beat," Tender Taps said, standing on his hindlegs while holding Twilight close. "Just take a few steps, one and two, one and-ow!"
Twilight had accidentally stepped on Tender Taps's foot. "Sorry Tappy, didn't see your hoof there."
"It's fine," Tender Taps said, holding back the pain. Really hard stomp. "Let's just try again." He resumed his dance steps. "One and two, one and-OW!"
Once again Twilight had stepped on him, "Ooh, was that the same hoof?"
"No, it's different, but fine," Tender Taps shook off the pain. "And a one-oh boy!" Twilight had stepped on his tail and the two fell over. Tender Taps was seeing stars a moment before shaking it off. "Alright, maybe you do need a little, tiny bit of work."
"You don't have to sugar coat it, I know I need more work," Twilight said, standing up. "It's a shame really, I would love to dance on our wedding day, but it might be hard if I accidentally break your hoof in the process."
"It's fine, we don't have to dance, we can do something else," Tender Taps said, pulling himself up. "You're still way better at everything else you do, so I guess the talent had to be taken from somewhere."
"Still, I would like to have dancing in common with you, it's something special we could do together," Twilight said.
"Aw, don't worry about that," Tender Taps stroked her face gently. "You're more than enough for me. Like I said, marrying you is a childhood goal, you're making my dreams come true. How often does a kid get to marry his childhood crush? Especially one that's older than him."
"Don't put it that way!" Twilight scolded. "You're making me sound old."
"Sorry, but does it matter that much? I still love you, even if you become an old lady," Tender Taps said. "I mean in a few years, no one's gonna notice the age gap, you're not that much older than me anyway, it's only nine years, not like I'm marrying Celestia who's WAY older."
"Still, it's really weird to think about at times and I'd rather it not get brought up," Twilight said. "But, it might since my brother is probably going to give me an earful later."
"Your brother?" Tender Taps asked.
"He's coming by today, he knows I'm getting married to you, something tells me he's going to be unhappy since he always felt you were too young," Twilight said.
"I'm not young anymore though, I'm twenty years old after all," Tender Taps said.
"Yes, but you've been crushing on me since you were thirteen," Twilight said.
"Big deal, I'm not a little kid, I'm an adult now, we both are. If you want to marry me then that's your decision, mine too," Tender Taps said. "If I can still be in love with you into my adult years then it shows it's not some silly crush, I do have feelings for you. I mean I went through two other marefriends before I knew you were the one for me."
"He just thinks I'm naïve since I've never actually had a colt I liked before you," Twilight said. "I mean...I did briefly have a crush on Flash Sentry, and I think Sunset Shimmer had eyes for me. Then there's that mare from Manehattan."
"Huh? What mare?" Tender Taps asked.
Twilight shook her head, "It's nothing, just that sometime after I became Princess, Pinkie threw a party and invited some dance loving mares she met in Manehattan once, back when Rarity first opened a store there. Doesn't help that I had a bit too much wine."
"You drink?" Tender Taps asked.
"Not normally, which is why I felt so loopy after one glass," Twilight said. "I'm never doing that again. Doesn't help that I had to turn that girl down after I recovered, I think it broke her heart, I felt so bad."
"Well, maybe you can find her and work things out, but hey it's fine if you've been with somepony, I have too after all," Tender Taps said.
"At least I remember you, I still consider you my true first since I actually had a chance to enjoy it," Twilight said.
"That's flattering, and I consider you the better since well...my time with Sweetie Belle wasn't really that great..." Tender Taps said.
"Huh? What happened with Sweetie Belle?" Twilight asked.
Tender Taps began to blush, "I can't tell you about my...intimacy, it's embarrassing. Plus you're my fiancé."
"Right, sorry I asked, I guess it's not proper to discuss this, point is we both had sexual intimacy with others, but that's in the past, the intimacy you and I had is more romantic because we love each other," Twilight said.
"Yes, we do," Tender Taps said, then started blushing. "Wow, I can say that the two of us are sexually active, I mean not that I would brag but...wow, being like this with such a beautiful mare, I almost can't believe it, it's like a dream."
"We can go to my room really quickly and relive it, just to remind you that it's not a dream," Twilight said, seductively eyeing Tender Taps. "I'll even show you the dance I learned from that one mare, that much I can do."
"A chance to be with you, and see a potentially cute dance? I'd be a dimwit not to accept that," Tender Taps said as he went with Twilight into her room, the two reliving their experience from days prior once again.
Later on Shining Armor had arrived at the castle, joined by Cadance and Flurry Heart. Needless to say, the Prince did not seem too happy, something Cadance noticed.
"Shining Armor, you're not going to intimidate that boy are you? Remember he's going to be our brother-in-law," Cadance said.
"Don't remind me, I still can't believe Twiley accepted his proposal, I mean what does a kid like him know about romance?" Shining Armor asked.
"He's an adult just like you and me, and more importantly he's an adult like Twilight, it's a decision they both made and we should be more accepting of it," Cadance said.
"Hey for all I know she's just trying to get me back for not telling her about our marriage prior to her invitation," Shining Armor said.
"Oh for heaven's sake Shining Armor, that was forever ago," Cadance said. "Twilight is not going to hold a grudge for that long."
"Excuse me, I think I know how my own sister thinks," Shining Armor said.
"Daddy, Tender Taps is a nice and sweet colt, so of course Auntie Twilight fell in love, and age shouldn't matter when it comes to love," Flurry said.
"Great, now you've got Flurry thinking this nonsense," Shining Armor said.
"It's not nonsense, oh just give it a chance Shining Armor, it's not going to hurt you," Cadance said.
The stallion angrily grumbled to himself, "No but if things go wrong, I'm going to hurt Tender Taps."
"Shining Armor!" Cadance scolded.
The two made their way into Twilight's throne room, the mare nowhere to be found. Shining Armor turned his focus a few times, trying to locate his sister. "Twiley!? We're here!"
"Huh, where could she be? I thought she'd be here," Cadance said. "This is where we usually meet with her.
"Is she late?" Shining Armor asked in disbelief. "No she can't be, she's never late! Or if she is then it's usually something pretty bad!"
"Easy Shining Armor, even Twilight can lose track of time, she's probably really busy doing something," Cadance said.
Moments later the three could hear some giddy giggles. Coming in from the other side of the room where Twilight and Tender Taps, the two walking together rather closely, both of them blushing with almost messey manes.
"Well...she was doing something...or somepony," Shining Armor bitterly said.
"Don't use that phrasing in front of Flurry," Cadance scolded, then called to her sister-in-law. "Twilight!"
"Cadance?" Twilight noticed that Cadance, Shining Armor and Flurry Heart had arrived. "Ah! I completely lost track of time!"
"It's fine, we just got here so no worries," Cadance said.
"Right, no worries," Twilight nervously agreed.
"Uh Twilight," Tender Taps whispered. "Your mane's a little..."
Twilight quickly checked a nearby reflection, "Oh my..." It even occurred to her that she smelled a bit like her coltfriend, which is definitely going to raise a few questions. Twilight turned to her family. "I'll be right back, I have something to attend to quickly. Tappy will keep you company."
"I'll what now?" Tender Taps said.
Twilight turned to him, flashing her puppy eyes, "Please, I know it's awkward, just give me five minutes, I'll make it up to you."
Tender Taps let out a sigh, truth be told he also wanted to freshen up and cutting it this close wasn't the best idea obviously, but Twilight is much more worried about this than he was, and he did want his fiancé to be happy. "Please make it quick."
"I love you," Twilight kissed Tender Taps before poofing away.
The colt quickly brushed his hoof through his mane as he nervously approached the Crystal Rulers. "Hey, how are things going?"
"Just fine...you look a bit sweaty," Shining Armor said.
"R-right...I was just...moving to the rhythm?" Tender Taps said. This way he wasn't technically lying since there was definitely a rhythm involved.
"So you were doing your tap dancing?" Flurry asked.
"Yeah I was tapping something," Tender Taps nervously admitted, though had a hint of pride in his voice.
Shining Armor did not appreciate that innuendo very much, he could see through the colt's ruse, "Well then, seems like you and my sister have gotten pretty close."
"Y-yeah, we are engaged, I'm going to be your brother-in-law," Tender Taps said.
"Yes, the little colt from Ponyville is marrying my sister," Shining Armor said.
"I'm...not a colt, I'm a stallion," Tender Taps said. "I mean, don't I look like a stallion?"
"Barely," Shining Armor said. "You seem so small next to my sister."
"To be fair, Twilight is getting taller," Cadance pointed out.
"Still, how exactly did my sister fall in love with you?" Shining Armor asked.
Tender Taps grew worried, he wasn't exactly sure how to explain to Shining Armor how and why he got together with Twilight, even Tender Taps is still amazed she fell in love with him. "I...really can't say."
"My sister is a Princess and the ruler of Equestria, can you handle the burden of being married to her?" Shining Armor asked.
"Y-yeah, I think so," Tender Taps replied.
"You think so?" Shining Armor said. "That isn't a very reassuring response."
"Shining Armor, why must you be so hard on Tender Taps?" Cadance asked. "He's known Twilight for years, he knows her role, yet he still proposed. I think he's ready to be married to her."
"I just don't know if he's the right guy truthfully," Shining Armor said. "Why are you in love with my sister anyway?"
"Well, she's nice, pretty, very thoughtful, and she believed in me," Tender Taps explained. "I mean it's hard not to fall in love with a girl like your sister, I've been crushing on her since I was a foal, honestly it was more than a crush, I really did love her, and I still do."
"His feelings are genuine Shining Armor," Cadance said. "I can sense it."
"Maybe so, but I need to know how genuine my sister's feelings are before I can be ok with this," Shining Armor said.
"Sir...with all due respect, your sister's a very smart girl, I think you should trust her on this decision," Tender Taps said, almost regretting it immediately when Shining Armor's gaze intensified.
"I'm aware of my sister's intelligence, it's her naïve nature I'm worried about," Shining Armor said. "My sister means the world to me, I don't want her making a mistake that could mess up her life."
"I will not allow that," Tender Taps said, trying to be firm. "I really do love Twilight and I am perfectly ready to make this work between us. Our love is real and that will motivate us to happiness."
"I want to believe you kid, I really do," Shining Armor said. "But I'm gonna need more than just your word."
"What do you want me to do then?" Tender Taps asked. "Just name it, anyway I can prove to you that Twilight and I belong together."
"I'm going to need to talk to Twilight first," Shining Armor said. "Once she gets back from her 'task'." Shining Armor leaned in close. "I know what you two were really doing, if you're just in this for 'that' then..."
"That is not my motivation, that is just a bonus and my way of physically expressing my love," Tender Taps said.
"It better be, my sister is not a means to satisfy your urges," Shining Armor said.
Cadance seemed very ashamed of her husband, she knows he's just protective of Twilight and wants what's best for her but he's letting that affect his mind in a negative way. She can tell Tender Taps is a very nice boy, and that he really does care for Twilight.
"Mommy..." Flurry said, getting Cadance's attention. "I'm bored."
"Just wait for Auntie Twilight dear, she'll have something fun I bet," Cadance said.
"I wanna go see Rumble," Flurry said.
"Flurry, Rumble's all the way in Ponyville," Cadance said.
"Can we go mommy? Please? If I'm away from home I'd like to go see him," Flurry said.
"Sorry dear but we can't make that detour right now," Cadance said.
"But mommy, we're Alicorns, we can just go teleport to him," Flurry said.
"Flurry please listen to your mother, we'll see Rumble later," Shining Armor said.
"Speaking of Rumble, he's going to try out for The Wonderbolts really soon, he'll definitely want you around to cheer him on," Tender Taps said.
"Wow really!?" Flurry asked. "Rumble's gonna join The Wonderbolts?"
"That'd be so nice, he is a very talented flyer, we'll definitely make time to see him," Cadance said.
"That reminds me, what's the situation with Cozy Glow?" Shining Armor asked.
"Well, from what Twilight told me, Rumble and Sweetie Belle are going to look after her for the time being," Tender Taps said. "They're going to help her raise her baby."
"I still can't believe she's going to have a baby, I wish I could have Rumble's baby," Flurry said.
"Please don't say that," Shining Armor pleaded. "You need to move on from Rumble, he's much older than you."
"Didn't stop Auntie Twilight from loving Tender Taps," Flurry pointed out.
Shining Armor glared at the boy, "Yet another reason this is all a bad idea."
"Oh come on sir, you can't mean to tell me that your daughter's crush on Rumble is a valid reason as to why I shouldn't marry Twilight!" Tender Taps said.
"Well it's obviously not having a good influence on her," Shining Armor said.
"I am not breaking up with Twilight just because of Flurry's crush on Rumble," Tender Taps said.
"What's this about breaking up?" came Twilight's voice as she re-entered the room. Needless to say, she did not look too pleased.
"Oh Twiley, you're back," Shining Armor said, looking and feeling awkward.
"Big Brother, you're not trying to convince my fiancé to dump me are you?" Twilight asked, her venomous tone striking fear into her brother, and slightly Tender Taps and Flurry, even if it's not aimed at them.
"Oh me? No, I would never," Shining Armor said.
Cadance rolled her eyes in annoyance, "You can't be serious."
"I don't know what's happening, but let me make one thing very clear," Twilight said. "I'm going to get married, and it will be to Tender Taps! Now I hope you can find it within yourself to come to accept that outcome, because it's happening whether you like it or not!"
Shining Armor cringed at his sister's tone. He readily sighed in defeat, knowing he can't change her mind, at least not at the moment, "Alright sis..."
"Please understand, I called you here because I wanted Tender Taps to bond with you," Twilight said. "He's going to become part of our family, so I want you to be closer."
"That's a very sweet gesture Twilight," Cadance said. "I would love to bond with Tender Taps more."
"I already did sort of, so can I go and see Rumble?" Flurry asked.
"Flurry!" Cadance scolded, then turned back to Twilight. "She's really eager to see Rumble."
"That's understandable, I know how much Flurry loves being around him," Twilight said. "I do want to pass by mom and dad's house first, and they do love seeing Flurry."
"Wait, your parents?" Tender Taps nervously asked. "You never mentioned your parents."
"Well of course I want you to meet my parents, you are going to be their son-in-law," Twilight said.
"Yeah but..." Tender Taps looked nervous. "What if your parents don't like me?"
"Don't be silly, who wouldn't like you?" Twilight asked, with Tender Taps gesturing to Shining Armor in a deadpanned way. "Fine, who with a working brain wouldn't like you?"
"Excuse me!?" Shining Armor shouted, clearly offended.
"Hey you're the one who said some not so friendly things to my fiancé!" Twilight retorted.
"Let's not argue anymore, I'd rather focus on this new decision that I'm going to go see your parents," Tender Taps said.
"You've met them before Tappy," Twilight reminded.
"Back when I was still pretty young, what if your parents don't like the fact that you're planning to marry a much younger stallion?" Tender Taps asked.
"First off, you are not that much younger than me, second I'm a grown mare, I can make my own choices in life," Twilight said.
"Still, it might get awkward," Tender Taps said.
"Oh come now, what's the worse that can happen?" Twilight said.
"Twilight, don't say that, it's like a jinx!" Tender Taps said.
Twilight chuckled a bit, "You're so weird, but that's a part of you that's so lovable."
"Grandma and grandpa are really nice Tappy, I think they'll like you, especially if you help give them more grandchildren," Flurry said.
"Let's not talk about the grandchildren just yet," Tender Taps nervously said. "I'd like to get married first."
"You can have grandchildren before getting married, that's what's happening to Rumble and Sweetie Belle, even if Cozy Glow is the one with the baby," Flurry said. "It's still weird how that works."
"You'll find out when you're older," Shining Armor said. "For now it's not anything for you to worry about."
"Well now that all this is settled, let's hurry on over to mom and dad's house," Twilight said.
Tender Taps reluctantly followed his fiancé and her family to the home of Twilight Velvet and Night Light. On the way there, he continued to dread the idea of meeting with Twilight's parents, not sure if they would be alright with her decision to marry him.
"Are you still worried about seeing my parents?" Twilight asked.
"I know they're nice but they're still your parents," Tender Taps said. "What if they don't like me enough to be happy for us?"
"Whether or not they're happy for me is irrelevant," Twilight said. "As I mentioned I'm an adult, they have to respect my choice."
"But still, it's your parents," Tender Taps said. "I don't want to cause any type of strain."
"You won't, you have to trust me on this," Twilight said.
"I..." Tender Taps sighed in defeat. "I trust you...but I'm still very nervous. I mean, the idea of your parents casting me aside is just...t-t-terrifying!"
"You're such a silly goofball," Twilight brought Tender Taps in for a kiss. "That's why I love you and I know for certain that my parents will accept the love between us."
"You're so confident, I wish I were like that," Tender Taps said.
"Take some notes then," Twilight said, winking playfully at her fiancé as she rang the doorbell.
Tender Taps waited, feeling highly anxious as the door began to open, revealing the couple of Night Light and Twilight Velvet.
"Twilight, it's so nice to see you, how is it in the castle?" Velvet asked.
"Hi mom, I'm doing great, you should come by soon, we can have tea, or cake, whatever you prefer," Twilight said.
"Cake sounds good," Night Light said, then noticed his son and his family right behind Twilight. "Hey son, here with your lovely wife are ya? How's the empire?"
"Doing great, the ponies are happy," Shining Armor said.
"Shining Armor and I work hard to ensure the safety of The Crystal Ponies," Cadance said.
"That's nice, oh and you brought Flurry Heart too!" Velvet said.
"Hi grandma! Hi grandpa!" Flurry greeted. "I'm happy to see you!"
"And we're happy to see you ," Night Light said, walking over to rub his granddaughter's head. "Oh you've gotten so big! Soon you'll be my size."
"Well she is an Alicorn, she might outgrow us both," Velvet said. "She's going to grow into such a beautiful Princess."
"Thank you grandma," Flurry said.
"Well even if that happens, she'll always be our little granddaughter, just like Twilight and Shining Armor are still our little foals," Night Light said.
"Important foals, running two empires, to think we would have such high profile kids!" Velvet said. "Makes us so proud to see how far you two chased your ambitions!"
"Yeah they're both pretty great," Tender Taps said, finally attracting the attention of the two.
"Oh, sorry dear, we didn't notice you at first," Velvet said, squinting her eyes. "Uh, which one are you again?"
"Mom! That's Tender Taps! Remember!?" Twilight said.
"Oh yes, the little foal that you were so fond on," Velvet said. "My how he's gotten so big over the years."
"It's really nice to meet you Mrs. Velvet," Tender Taps said.
"Oh the Mrs. part isn't necessary dear, just call me Velvet," the mother of the boy's fiancé insisted.
"Uh right, sounds good," Tender Taps nervously said.
"So what brings you here dear?" Velvet asked. "Are you helping Twilight with something while Spike's away?"
"Where is Spike?" Shining Armor asked.
"He went to the Dragon Lands for a bit, he'll be back tomorrow," Twilight said. "But Tender Taps has another reason for why he's here."
"Well why don't you come inside and I'll whip you up something to eat," Velvet insisted.
"That sounds good ma'am, I really appreciate that," Tender Taps said.
"Velvet dear," the mare reminded. "Think of me as a friend, any friend of my daughter is a friend of mine."
"He's gonna be more than that, Shining Armor muttered.
"Shining Armor!" Cadance quietly scolded.
The two older ponies led their family and Tender Taps inside, the boy feeling even more nervous than before. While it seems like they're nice, their dialogue suggests that they still consider him to be something of a kid.
"It's so nice having a family reunion, I do enjoy our time together," Velvet said.
"I do as well, but there is a reason I wanted all of us to meet up together, I have a very important announcement to make," Twilight said.
"Ooh, an announcement? How exciting!" Velvet said.
"What type of announcement is it dear?" Night Light asked.
"Something really big, so you might want to brace yourselves," Twilight said.
"Really big huh? And here I thought the biggest thing you could have told us was that you would be taking over Equestria as it's new ruler," Velvet said.
"Now honey, prior to that we thought the biggest thing could have been that she became an Alicorn Princess," Night Light said. "There's always room in life for more surprises."
"Well this is bigger than both of those," Twilight. "Mom, Dad, I'm getting married!"
The look on the faces of the two parents told the story, neither one could believe their ears, hearing their daughter announce her engagement. Tender Taps could feel his heart racing, hoping that this goes over well with the two.
"Married!?" Velvet shouted in disbelief. "Honey, I...I don't know what to say!"
"Yeah, I mean...we didn't even know you were dating anypony," Night Light said. "Is it one of your friends? Is it Starlight? Or Sunburst?"
"No, but he is someone I've known for a long time, in fact he's closer than you think," Twilight said.
Tender Taps felt even more weird or awkward, knowing Twilight was about to announce him as her fiancé.
"Closer than we think?" Night Light asked. "Son, do you know who she's talking about?"
"Yeah, and wait until you see who she picked up," Shining Armor said, a hint of sass in his voice.
"Will you cut that out?" Cadance scolded, then turned to Night Light. "I assure you that this stallion is a very good fit for your daughter."
"Well, if you say so, I mean you are The Princess of Love," Velvet said. "Still, who could you be marrying Twilight?"
"Yes, no more suspense, please," Night Light said.
"I'm marrying...Tender Taps!" Twilight announced, gesturing to the colt.
Tender Taps nervously waved to the duo, "That's right...hehehe."
"You?" Velvet asked in surprise. "You're marrying our daughter Tender Taps?"
"Y-yeah, I am," the boy nervously replied.
"Well...um, I certainly didn't expect that," Night Light said, not sure how to react to this. "Well Twilight, seems like your choice of fiancé is...a bit younger than we expected."
There it was, the moment of potential objection from his would be in-laws. He knew this was a bad idea, and wished Twilight would have never considered this. Fortunately his worries were put to on hold courtesy of his fiancé.
"Age has nothing to do with our love dad," Twilight said. "Besides Tender Taps is an adult, he's not a little kid anymore."
"Yes but...are you sure you're alright with this?" Night Light asked.
"If I wasn't I wouldn't have agreed to marry him now would I?" Twilight rhetorically asked. "I know what my heart wants dad, and my heart wants Tender Taps." This of course filled Tender Taps with joy.
"But Twilight..." Night Light tried to protest, with Tender Taps's confidence plummeting back down.
"Do you not trust me? Do you not trust my instincts?" Twilight asked. "I know what I'm doing, I am the Princess of Friendship, I understand Friendship, and having a boyfriend isn't that different, it's just a different type of commitment but it requires trust, understanding and a proper judgement of character, and I think I've done a great job with those, wouldn't you agree?"
"She's right dear," Velvet said, surprising Tender Taps. "Twilight is a grown mare and she's a very good judge of character. Plus they are both adults, even if our daughter is a fair bit older. If this boy feels he's ready and Twilight trusts him with their future, I think we should give them a chance."
Night Light, despite some lingering doubts, did have to admit that his wife raised a good point. Twilight is a very bright and intelligent girl, if anyone knows what she's doing, it's Twilight. "Alright dear, as long as you're happy then that's all that matters to me."
"Well, I'm happy to hear that," Twilight said, bringing Tender Taps close to her. "Tappy and I are going to be very happy together."
"I know you are, I'm very happy for you dear," Velvet said.
"Yeah, he seems like a nice guy at least," Night Light said. "You sure know how to pick them dear."
"You're both really alright with this?" Shining Armor asked.
"Can you please stop questioning my fiancé's worth?" Twilight said, getting rather irritated.
"Hey you did the same to me back when I was getting married," Shining Armor reminded.
"That was because you were about to marry a Changeling Queen who at the time, wanted to steal all of your love for herself!" Twilight said.
"No fighting you two," Velvet scolded.
"But mom, he keeps questioning my choices in future husbands," Twilight said.
"Well Twiley can be really naïve on occasion," Shining Armor said.
"Excuse me!?" Twilight shouted in annoyance. "I am NOT naive!"
"Twilight! Shining Armor! That's enough from you two!" Velet ordered. "Now I am going to cook us some dinner, I expect you two to remain on your best behavior! Do you both understand!?"
"Yes mom..." both siblings dejectedly said.
"Good, now I'm going to prepare the food, is there anything you'd like Tender Taps?" Velvet asked.
"No preference ma'am," Tender Taps said.
"Oh dear, I told you that you don't have to be so formal, why soon you might start calling me 'mom'," Velvet said.
Shining Armor's eyes dilated a bit, "M...mom?"
"If that's what you want ma'...er, mom..." Tender Taps said.
"I think I can get used to you being my son-in-law," Velvet said. "So cute and well mannered, it does make me happy that my little Twiley is getting married, now we just have to wait for Spike."
"I don't think Spike's ready for anything like that yet," Twilight said. "He doesn't even have anypony he likes."
"What about Rarity?" Cadance asked.
"Well she got back together with Thunderlane, so that's not happening," Twilight said. "Plus she never seemed interested in him anyway, saw him more as a little brother."
"Well she had the sense not to go for a guy much younger than her," Shining Armor muttered.
Twilight's ear twitched, somewhat hearing her brother's comment. This was becoming a real pain for her to constantly hear her brother knock on her choice of romance.
"Well Spike can find someone else, maybe that Dragon Lord girl?" Velvet said.
"Or Smolder," Cadance said. "She seems like a good choice."
"We'll let Spike worry about that when he's ready," Twilight said.
"Spike's a smart Dragon, he'll pick someone special," Tender Taps said.
"Exactly, I'm not too worried about Spike," Twilight said. "Plus he feels a few years away from being ready for a commitment like that."
"Twilight's right, but well be there when the time comes and Spike needs us," Cadance said.
"Exactly, that's what family does," Twilight said. "We're there to love and support each other for all of our decisions."
"A point well stated," Velvet said. "Well, I'm off, perhaps I'll make that dish you two loved growing up, just because I'm happy to see two of my children together again."
"You're in for a treat Tappy," Twilight said to her fiancé.
"I look forward to it," Tender Taps said, feeling a bit less nervous. Though he has to wonder if her parents really are accepting or just going along with it for now.
After dinner was over, Twilight and Shining Armor stuck around a bit more, eventually deciding on staying the night with their significant other. Though Cadance had a better idea for her daughter.
"Shining Armor, since we're staying the night, why don't we pop by Ponyville for a bit, Flurry really wants to see Rumble," Cadance said.
"She can see him tomorrow, why do you need to travel there right now?" Shining Armor asked. "The trains might not be running this late."
"First off, it's not that late, second I can just fly there," Cadance said. "Plus maybe she can spend the night over there so she's not so bored staying here."
"Come on, bored? She loves my parents," Shining Armor said.
"Seriously, I would feel better if she stayed in Ponyville for the night, I can feel tension here and I'd rather she not be around for it," Cadance said. "Your parents look very uneasy about Twilight's fiancé."
"They have a right to be, he's a kid!" Shining Armor said.
"Come on, so he's young, that doesn't mean he's a bad pick for Twilight," Cadance said.
"Does he even have a future? If Twilight was gonna get married you'd think she'd pick someone closer to her age, he's holding her back," Shining Armor said. "Suppose he's only marrying her because she's a Princess, thus he can live freely in the castle!"
"He has goals, maybe try talking to him, in fact all of us should," Cadance said. "Now I'm going to take Flurry Heart to see Rumble."
"You're taking Flurry to Rumble?" Twilight asked, coming into the room. "If you are just know that he's staying at Rarity's house now."
"Oh, he lives with her?" Cadance asked. "Well he did propose so maybe he just wants to be with Sweetie Belle."
"Not just that, it's also so he can be close to Cozy Glow, she's living there too now," Twilight said. "If you want to take Flurry over though, that's fine. Rarity won't mind, she loves Flurry."
"That's good," Cadance said. "Well I should be off then, while I'm away I hope you can resolve certain issues."
"I hope so too," Twilight said, slightly glaring at her brother.
As Cadance went to grab Flurry and bring her to Rumble's house, Twilight was left with her brother, her parents and her fiancé. The five remained in the living room of the house, Velvet passing around some drinks.
"So tell me Twilight, when did you and Tender Taps realize you were in love?" Velvet asked.
"That's a tough one, I've known Tender Taps for many years, though he was a foal when I met him," Twilight said. "I've always thought he was a nice foal though, very cute and endearing. But I guess when I saw how mature he got as he got older, I began to develop feelings for him, they came to fruition during the big battle for Equestria a few days ago."
"And how about you Tender Taps?" Night Light asked. "How long have you been interested in my daughter?"
"For about seven years, give or take," Tender Taps said. "I did develop a a crush on her when I was a colt but I realized that I really did love her when we fought together a few days ago."
"So you can fight dear?" Velvet asked.
"Not very well but I would do my best," Tender Taps said. "If Twilight needed help I'd risk my life to help her."
"I should hope that never has to happen though," Twilight said. "But I do appreciate the sentiment."
"Well he's at least Loyal, something your friend Rainbow Dash would be proud of," Velvet said.
"Honestly, he has all the qualities of the Elements of Harmony, he's Loyal to me and his friends, always has a smile, treats others with kindness, generously teaches others about dancing and he's very honest with his emotions," Twilight said. "I guess the Magic is the only thing he might not be able to do, though if his tap dancing counts then I'd say he has that covered too."
"Tap dancing? Magic?" Tender Taps asked.
"Well it is how you got your Cutie Mark isn't it?" Twilight said. "So in a way it could be your equivalent to Magic. I mean it would be unfair to limit Magic to literal magic since not every creature is capable of it, by that logic every creature would have to be friends with a Unicorn or a Changeling."
"Well that makes sense," Tender Taps said. "Still, back when it seemed like me, The Crusaders, Rumble and Dinky could have been the next Six heroes, Sweetie Belle and Dinky seemed like the most likely runner ups for Magic Element."
"I love both girls, but if I had to choose magic, it probably would have been Sweetie Belle, in both her actual magic and her talents," Twilight said. "Dinky's talented but she's more fitting for The Element of Laughter, since she's always in such a good mood. Apple Bloom would have had Loyalty since she always thinking of her friends, sometimes to a fault. Rumble would have had Kindness since he's always trying to be nice or trying to help somepony, or at least he was like that with Cozy Glow. Scootaloo would have gotten Honesty since she's always up front about her feelings and what she's thinking, even if she struggles but over time she just said how she felt."
"So, that leaves me with Generosity..." Tender Taps realized.
"That's fitting for you, you're always helping others in your own way, Sweetie Belle told me how you constantly kept her company when she missed Rumble, probably why you two ended up dating for a while," Twilight said.
"So you were dating Rarity's sister at one point," Shining Armor said. "Thought as much, I saw you two together a lot at one point."
"It was only for a year or so," Tender Taps said. "It was nice while it lasted but we just weren't compatible."
"Sometimes the experience can be a good thing though," Velvet said. "Any mistakes you make can be avoided in the future, and you can take the good qualities and improve on them."
"That's sound advice, thank you," Tender Taps said. "I do hope that whatever caused me and my past few marefriends to fail could help me be a better fiancé to Twilight."
"Marefriends?" Shining Armor asked. "As in plural?"
"...Yeah, I had more than one," Tender Taps sheepishly admitted.
"When were you gonna tell us this Twilight!?" Shining Armor asked.
"Did I need to?" Twilight asked. "So he had other girls he dated, what matters is that in the end, he chose me. I mean didn't you have more than one?"
"No! I only had Cadance," Shining Armor said. "And she only had me."
"That's nice but not all ponies marry their first choice, things don't work out that way," Twilight said. "Even Cadance would agree on that."
"She's right Shining Armor, lots of ponies have had their eyes on others, why back in the day I had my eye on another stallion before I met your father," Velvet said.
"You did!?" Twilight, Shining Armor and Night Light all said.
"Oh I never told you?" Velvet asked. "When I was young I met this handsome fellow with a rainbow colored mane, we almost hit it off but he had a different calling than I did. Luckily I met the stallion I would marry not too long after that, and things have been great in the world since I was blessed with three wonderful children and a happy marriage."
"Rainbow mane?" Twilight asked, that one detail sticking ,out to her. "Do you remember his name?"
"Uh...funny I'm drawing a blank, but I did see him the other day with Rainbow Dash, he and his wife giving her a pep talk," Velvet said.
"Oh Celestia..." Twilight realized a stunning fact. "My dad could have been Rainbow Dash's dad...she could have been my sister!"
"Heh, Rainbow Dash would love hearing about that," Tender Taps said. "Probably."
"My point is that love isn't always a straight line, sometimes it branches through different paths," Velvet said. "So don't be too hard on little Tender Taps alright?"
"Just making sure my potential, ugh, brother-in-law, doesn't break from his current branch, the one my sister represents," Shining Armor said.
"Tender Taps is beyond potential, he's coming, and in a few months time, he's going to be my husband," Twilight boasted. "Plus we're going to have kids, lots of them, so get ready to be called 'Uncle'."
"I still don't know if the Leader of Equestria should be getting married and having kids," Shining Armor said.
"Well I am!" Twilight said. "Now I suggest you get used to the fact, and stop being so mean, Tappy's a really nice guy and he's perfect for me."
"I'm just making sure you're making the right call, I'm doing this for you," Shining Armor said. "A good husband has to support his wife, and it sounds like he's just chasing a silly dream."
"What is he planning to be?" Night Light asked.
"He's going to be a professional performer, he's got the talent for it obviously, I mean what pony in their right mind is gonna say 'no' to somepony who's Cutie Mark is about performing?" Twilight said.
"That is a fair point," Velvet said.
"Plus I'm Princess of Equestria, I have all the 'support' I need, what I want is just someone to spend my life with, and Tender Taps is that pony who will do that," Twilight said, bringing Tender Taps in for a side hug. "I love him and he loves me, in the end that's all that matters. He 'supports' me with his love and encouragement, and conversly I will support him on his goal of becoming a successful Bridleway Performer."
"Bridleway?" Velvet asked.
"Yeah, I actually landed a role recently," Tender Taps said.
"Wow that's amazing, you have to get us some tickets," Velvet said.
"Of course, VIP for my family," Tender Taps said.
"He's the best," Twilight said, bringing Tender Taps in for a quick kiss. "The showman industry is going to skyrocket with you around."
"I just hope they like me for me and not just because of who I'm married to," Tender Taps said. "Otherwise I'll never know if I'm really talented or if it's because I have a different type of fame."
"You already have ponies who like you, if anything some might think I chose you as my husband because of your talents," Twilight said.
"You're being too nice, I mean you can have anyone, no one's gonna think you chose me because I'm a performer," Tender Taps said. "Sometimes I wonder why you even chose me at all."
"You know why, it's because you're special to me," Twilight said. "Since you were a foal you've-"
"I'm sorry but I have to cut you off," Shining Armor said, much to his sister's annoyance. "This is what seems so weird, that you found a sparking connection when he was a kid! How do you find that connection at such a young age?"
"If you let me finish I would have said he was adorable and supportive as a foal, now that he's a stallion I can see those positive traits remained and thus I knew he would be a pony I could start a life with," Twilight said. "Shining Armor, I'm sorry if it seems like I'm marrying a younger guy, I mean I don't think I'm that much older than Tender Taps, it's only nine years."
"Only? That's almost a decade!" Shining Armor said.
"I, don't, really, CARE!" Twilight emphasized that last part with a magical burst that nearly knocked everypony over. "Alright, Tender Taps is several years younger than me, maybe I did find him charming when he was just a teenager and I was barely an adult myself, but when he showed me his undying loyalty even to this day, when he showed me he still loved me, that it was not just some silly crush, but true enough that he stuck by me in a battle that could have ended our lives, that clicked with me that we were meant to be together!"
"Twilight honey, it's great that you're standing up for your fiancé but please try to calm yourself," Velvet insisted. "You and your brother never fight about anything, don't let this be one of the few things you argue over."
"Seems like the only time they are at odds is because of who the other chose for their life partner," Night Light noticed.
"That's actually kind of sweet in it's own way, they just want each other to marry the right pony," Velvet said.
"A good sibling looks out for the other," Night Light said.
"Very much true, you should both be happy in knowing that you have somepony looking out for you," Velvet said.
"I want to be happy about that, but I'd be even happier if Shining Armor would stop bugging me about it," Twilight said. "I mean, I know I bugged him about Cadance, but that was because I thought she was genuinely evil, and obviously Tender Taps isn't evil, he hasn't done anything to signify that."
"I'm not saying that he's evil Twiley," Shining Armor said. "I just want to be sure that he's even going to be a good husband for you."
"If I may say something," Tender Taps said, somewhat nervous but also determined to speak his mind.
"Of course dear, you may speak," Velvet said.
"Shining Armor, Twilight's parents," Tender Taps began. "I know you probably still see me as that kid who looked up to Twilight, who saw her as this really awesome pony, one that had a huge crush on her and wanted to be as great as her. Truth is, not much of that has change, I still look up to Twilight, I still want to be as great as she is, she's still my personal hero. I look up to Twilight because she's an amazing pony, because she's the type of pony that others should strive to be like, it's those qualities that made me fall in love with her, and it's the reason I want to marry her. Not because she's a Princess, not because she's another pretty face, but because she's amazing. I get to marry the pony I admire the most, the pony I look up to, my own personal hero. Not many can say that, but now I can, and it's not something I want to boast about, it's something I am eternally thankful for. Twilight's love is the most treasured thing in the world to me."
Velvet had wiped her eyes on a napkin upon hearing all that Tender Taps had to say about her daughter, "That was so lovely dear. I can tell you dearly love my little Twilight from the way you spoke. I'm so happy you two found each other, you're going to make a great husband for my daughter."
"I fully agree," Night Light said. "You may not be as much of a kid as I thought you were before, it takes a lot of confidence to admit what you just said. I can tell you're being sincere in your words, and if you can promise to be the best husband you can be to my daughter, then you have my full blessing."
"Thank you, both of you," Tender Taps said. "I promise to treat Twilight like the Princess she is, both literally and metaphorically."
"I really lucked out with you Tappy, to think that it almost didn't happen," Twilight said.
"Same here," Tender Taps said, nuzzling against his fiancé.
Shining Armor still had his doubts, but he wasn't going to press the subject. He just hoped that Twilight knew what she was doing with this relationship. He really needed to talk this out with Cadance, though knowing his wife, she would say they looked cute together.
A little later in Ponyville, Cadance had arrived at the Carousel Boutique with her daughter. "Ready to see Rumble Flurry dear?"
"I'm always ready to see Rumble mommy," Flurry Heart said.
"It's cute how much you like Rumble," Cadance said as she knocked on Rarity's door. "I hope you're not making Sweetie Belle too jealous though."
"Who me? Of course not," Flurry mischievously stated.
Rarity opened her door to see the mother-daughter Princess duo, "Cadance, what a nice surprise, oh and you brought Flurry Heart with you!"
"Hi Auntie Rarity, is Rumble here?" Flurry asked.
"Yes, he's right inside, I know he'll be thrilled to see you," Rarity said.
"Not as thrilled as I am going to see him," Flurry said, dashing inside to find her dream colt.
Cadance couldn't help but giggle at her daughter's eagerness. "Her admiration for Rumble remains one of the most adorable things that I've seen."
"It is rather cute, she really looks up to him," Rarity said, then turned back to Cadance. "I take it somepony told you about Rumble staying here."
"Twilight did, she told me that Rumble moved in with you after proposing to Sweetie Belle, and that Cozy Glow is also staying here," Cadance explained.
"That is indeed accurate," Rarity confirmed, leading Cadance inside, the two walking through the store. "They're going to save up for their own home soon, then they can start their lives together, and that begins with raising the baby Cozy Glow is carrying."
"I still find it amazing that Rumble got Cozy Glow pregnant, and she was stuck that way for many years," Cadance said. "I don't condone her actions but..."
"We know, if any of us knew about her being pregnant, we wouldn't have left her like that," Rarity said. "Her baby did nothing wrong after all."
"That and even I myself felt discomfort in knowing that happened to her, I mean as a mother myself, seeing a foal turned into stone like that...it just felt weird," Cadance said.
"Well it's not like she was harmless," Rarity commented. Truthfully she grew tired of these reasons as to why Cozy glow being turned into stone alongside Tirek, Chrysalis and The Dazzlings was a bad thing. She wasn't the only one who thought that, though Rainbow Dash is the only one who would vocally back up the decision. "Still, what's done is done and now we know that she's pregnant, and she isn't that bad to be around, she certainly hasn't caused trouble."
"Yes, but the reason why does concern me," Cadance said.
"How do you mean?" Rarity asked.
"My belief is that Cozy Glow put her evil ways aside because she's in love with Rumble, and is just trying to appease him for now," Cadance said. "But as reality sets in that she can no longer have him, it might mess with her head a bit. Plus given the fact that she is indeed pregnant, her emotions are likely to take many unusual turns. Being pregnant is one thing, to have the child of somepony who doesn't love you back, well that could be very detrimental to her reformation."
"Yes, you do make a very good point," Rarity said. "Honestly, now I'm not too sure if it would be a good idea for Cozy Glow to stay with Rumble and Sweetie Belle. Of course given that she's pregnant it would be cruel to keep her away since Rumble wants to care for the filly carrying his child."
"I don't suggest that either, my only suggestion is that you keep a close watch over Cozy Glow, make sure she doesn't show signs of reverting back to her evil tendencies."
"Alright, I'll do my best, though once they do move to their own home, that might be harder to do," Rarity said.
"I mean it's going to take them a while so by then we'll know for sure if Cozy Glow can keep her desires under control," Cadance said. "I do want to have faith that she can be a better pony."
"As do I dear," Rarity said. "I guess now's as good a time as any to resume our role as proper Friendship Leaders, and show Cozy Glow the right steps in maintaining a non-troubling lifestyle, for the sake of her, the child she's carrying, Rumble and especially my dear little sister."
In the other room, Flurry had found Rumble and had wrapped him in a hug, "I missed you so much!"
"You saw me a couple of days ago Flurry," Rumble said, flattered by the affection nonetheless.
"Yeah but I don't like going too long without seeing you, or any of my friends, but especially you," Flurry said, hugging tighter.
Sweetie Belle giggled at the sight of this little filly hugging her fiancé, "All these years and she's still all over you. I should be jealous but by this point I'm almost too used to it."
"You'd think I'd be used to it by now," Rumble said, remembering his various adventures with the other fillies in Ponyville. It's amazing to him that they're all even still friends with him even though he's been getting around.
"I hear you're getting married Rumble," Flurry said, some disappointment in her voice. "Really thought I would be the filly you'd end up marrying."
"Sorry, any other time it could have been you, but I fell in love with Sweetie Belle first," Rumble said. "Plus you need somepony your own age."
"Tender Taps is marrying Auntie Twilight, and she's much older than him," Flurry said. "Then again, my daddy does think it's weird."
"Weird? How?" Rumble asked.
Flurry took a step off, "I'm not sure, he just keeps saying that Auntie Twilight should be with an older pony, not some kid. Even though Tappy's not a kid, not anymore at least."
Rumble pitied his friend, sounds like he was gonna have a hard time with this marriage. Sweetie Belle also pitied Tender Taps, she thinks it's great that the stallion she once dated is marrying his childhood crush, just like she is with Rumble. Granted Twilight was older than Tender Taps, by this point Sweetie Belle believes the age gap should be a bit less noticeable.
"What's this I hear about Tender Taps?" Cozy Glow asked, coming into the room. "Oh, Flurry's here, sorry I missed you, I was in the bathroom."
"Hi Cozy!" Flurry rushed in to hug her other friend. "Is it true you're gonna be a mommy?"
"Yes it's true," Cozy said, returning the hug. "I'm having a baby."
Flurry whispered into her friend's ear, "But who's gonna be the daddy? Rumble's marrying Sweetie Belle, can he marry you too?"
Cozy Glow wasn't sure how to answer, now she was curious, "Uh...I don't know, but I can find out."
"If he can, then I want to marry him too," Flurry said. "All three of us can share him."
"I won't say 'no' to that, I like Sweetie Belle and you're my favorite filly," Cozy Glow said.
Rumble couldn't hear the two well since they were talking in hushed tone, but he could swear he heard 'marry you too'. He just hopes his ears are just playing tricks on him.
Flurry Heart broke away from the hug, "Still, I can't wait to see your baby, how's your belly?"
"It's fine," Cozy rubbed her stomach. "Baby just started growing so I don't really feel anything."
"Maybe I can try to hear it, can I?" Flurry asked.
"Uh, I don't see why not, sure," Cozy Glow trotted over to the bed and laid down on the middle, resting her upper body on a pillow. "Come on up Flurry."
The little Princess wasted no time climbing on the bed, then laid her head over Cozy's belly, trying to listen for any sign of the baby. "Hm, I don't hear anything." Flurry pressed her head a little more, careful enough not to risk hurting Cozy Glow.
"That's kind of cute," Sweetie Belle said, gushing at the sight of Flurry resting on Cozy's belly. Rumble agreed, the two looked really cute together.
Cozy Glow felt a bit warm inside, something about Flurry being this close made her feel happy. She's always loved being with Flurry Heart, it felt like forever since the two were this close, and this time around, Flurry was bigger, so there was more love to feel Instinctively she began to hug the filly resting on her belly, "Hear anything yet?"
"No...guess it is too early right now," Flurry Heart said. "Though your belly's kind of warm and fuzzy, if it feels this nice outside, it must feel great inside, your baby's gonna be nice and snug."
"I hope so," Cozy said. "But if you say that my baby will be happy, then I want to believe you."
Flurry started yawning, "I'm kind of comfy here, I still don't hear anything, but can I stay here a bit? Your fur is really soft."
"Of course, I don't mind," Cozy said, blushing a bit. "It feels nice being hugged like this, stay as long as you want."
"I feel nice too, I bet when you become a mommy, your baby's gonna want to feel this close to you too," Flurry Heart said, yawning a bit. "When your baby's born, I want to foalsit for it."
"Oh good, I already have a foalsitter if I need one," Cozy said, somewhat playfully. "Thanks Flurry, you're the sweetest. I wish I could keep you all to myself sometimes."
"Heh, just like Sonata would say," Flurry said.
"This is too cute," Sweetie Belle again gushed. "I'm joining."
"Joining? How?" Rumble asked. His question was answered when he saw his fiancé climb into bed with the two fillies, resting to the left of Cozy Glow's side and hugging the filly.
"Sorry but I wanted to be part of this, you two are adorable," Sweetie Belle said.
"It's fine, it's really nice," Cozy Glow said, nuzzling against Sweetie Belle.
"Join us Rumble," Flurry said. "There's room for you too."
"Uh...is that really alright?" Rumble asked. "I mean you all look pretty happy already."
"We'd be happier if you came," Flurry said.
"Yeah, it doesn't bother me if that's what you're concerned about, plus Cozy's right side is a little empty," Sweetie Belle said.
"If you're really alright with that," Rumble said, trotting over to the other side of the bed, hopping on so he can lay down next to Cozy Glow.
This brought back pleasant memories for the filly, being this close to her true love. Of course it wasn't the complete same, having her best friend and romantic rival on one side, and her other friend and somewhat rival resting on her belly. Still, Cozy loved this feeling of being surrounded by ponies she cared about.
Rumble wasn't sure what to make of this, he didn't mind too much but being this close to Cozy Glow just made him remember how she got pregnant in the first place, their own previous love story, back when he considered Cozy Glow to be his true love, though Sweetie Belle definitely outshone that.
"Here we are, all together," Rumble said, placing his arm around Flurry's head, resting his head near Cozy Glow. "Me, Cozy, Flurry, Sweetie Belle, and the baby. All five of us happy together."
"One big happy family," Sweetie Belle said.
"It's...really nice...feeling part of a family," Cozy Glow said. "I...I love you, all four of you. You mean a lot to me, even my baby who isn't even born yet."
"We love you too," Sweetie Belle said.
Cozy Glow kissed Sweetie Belle on the cheek, then turned to Rumble and kissed him on the forehead. "That's my way of saying thanks."
"Aw, I want a kiss now," Flurry said.
"Of course," Rumble said, turning his attention to the filly. "On the cheek though."
"I don't want one from you actually, I want one from Cozy Glow," Flurry said. "She kissed you two, I want one now."
"Of course," Cozy brought Flurry up to kiss her. Though as she was going for her cheek, Flurry turned her head, the two meeting in a mutual kiss that lasted a couple of seconds. "Did...you just turn your head!?"
"Uh-huh," Flurry scooted down, resting her head back on Cozy Glow's belly. "I figured you could use a kiss like that, it's my way of showing that I love you, and I really think you need that love again."
"Aw, Flurry Heart really loves you Cozy Glow," Sweetie Belle said.
"Welcome to the club," Rumble joked. "Hope you're not too weirded out."
"No I don't mind, it was really cute," Cozy Glow said. "Cute as I am, even I'm no match for Flurry Heart. But that's fine with me, at least the cutest filly loves me, that's all I care about."
"Two cute fillies love you," Rumble said. "But I'm lucky to have three to care about."
"You're too sweet," Sweetie Belle leaned in for a kiss of her own to Rumble, the two going back to laying on Cozy Glow's sides. "I can stay like this for a good long time."
"Me too," Rumble said, resting near his friends.
This was Heaven to Cozy Glow, adjusting to life after putting aside her villain tendencies was a process, but having good friends like this made the effort worth it. Now she can feel a little more at ease, the filly hoping that this could be her motivation to put aside her romantic feelings for Rumble and just accept his Friendship.
Sometime later when Cadance came into the room with Rarity to get Flurry, she saw that the four ponies had fell asleep together. "How adorable."
Rarity had come in, also beholding the sight, "That's sweet, they seem really comfortable together."
"I was going to take Flurry home but...she seems so happy, I don't know if I can take her away from that," Cadance said.
"You can leave her here overnight if you want, I can even set up a room for you if you want to stay," Rarity offered.
"Thanks but I do need to get home, though I don't mind leaving Flurry here for the night, I can come back for her tomorrow," Cadance said. "I just have to let Shining Armor know, assuming he's going to be in a better mood when I go to see him."
"Honestly, to be very blunt, if he's not happy then it's on him, he should be more worried about Twilight's happiness," Rarity said. "Tender Taps is a nice stallion, he's great for Twilight. Sweetie Belle can vouch, they did briefly date after all. As for the age, well it's not really that big of a difference, it's just similar to my age difference with Sweetie Belle, and I don't think I'm that much older than her, by this point most ponies can't tell the difference."
"I hope I can get that through to him," Cadance said. "Thanks Rarity, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Anytime dear," Rarity said, bidding farewell to her friend.
Back at the home of Twilight's parents, Shining Armor was waiting on his wife and daughter to come back. As he sat he found himself in the presence of his little sister.
"It's late, are you really going back home?" Twilight asked.
"It's because it's late I should get back soon, I told my guards we'd be back tonight," Shining Armor said. "It shouldn't be too bad."
"If it's too much trouble, you're always welcome in my castle, or you can even ask mom and dad if you can stay here, whichever works," Twilight said.
"I'll be fine Twiley, it's not that late," Shining Armor insisted. "Sure it'll be dark by the time we get home but it wouldn't be the first time."
"I can even teleport you if you want, assuming Cadance can't just do it herself," Twilight said. "I know it takes a lot of magic but given the hour-"
"Twiley, we're fine, you don't need to worry so much," Shining Armor insisted.
"It's in my nature," Twilight said.
"Yeah, you're a very caring pony, something that's always been so admirable about you," Shining Armor said. "Something your fiancé will be lucky to be on the receiving end of."
"That's the first time you've mentioned Tappy in positive light," Twilight said. "Are you coming to accept my choice?"
"It's gonna take a while, I mean, I know you love him and I can tell he loves you too, he's always looked up to you but I still feel like the age thing is...it just feels odd knowing you're engaged to a pony that you met when he was a child," Shining Armor said.
"I understand that it sounds like a weird concept, that me as an adult would seemingly wait for a foal to grow up before I married him, but at the same time, just the fact that his crush on me grew into full on love, I just found that admirable," Twilight said. "I mean, some ponies change from children to adults, like Rumbe, when he was a young he was really nice, shy and polite, now he's a bit more...well he's not bad but he's way more confident. Tappy didn't change much from foal to adult, not that he's childish, more like he's got the politeness of a foal but the maturity of an adult, that's what makes him so appealing to me."
"You really put a lot of thought into this," Shining Armor commented. "I can tell you really feel confident about this stallion."
"It's the most confident that I've felt about almost anything," Twilight said. "I know he's the right one for me, I can feel it in my gut. Call it my intuition."
"Intuition? Wow, you must really be confident then," Shining Armor said. "Funny, I remember when you were young and you treated every decision like the fate of the world depended on it, you were so worried about every little thing. Now you're about to get married and you're handling that so well, a lot better than being a Princess or Ruler of Equestria."
"Is it fair to compare my engagement to either of those tasks?" Twilight asked.
"I mean, it's still a commitment regardless," Shining Armor said. "When I was getting married, honestly I was a wreck, I think I was more nervous about that than being a guard."
"You seemed fine to me," Twilight said.
"Well yeah, I had to compose myself, a Captain needs to set an example," Shining Armor said. "Plus I was somewhat hypnotized."
"Right, can't forget that," Twilight said. "But don't get me wrong, I am nervous about the wedding too, I'm going to be spending my life with somepony, but it's somepony that I know I love and care about. All I ask is that you please give Tappy a chance, and you'll see he's the stallion for me."
Shining Armor did had to admit, his little sister was much more confident than even he could have imagined she could be. She knew what she wanted and was gonna go for it. As a good big brother, he had to support her decision, even if it was hard for him to accept that she was growing up.
"I'll give him a chance, but if he messes up, then I'll mess him up," Shining Armor warned.
"Eh, better than nothing, and I have confidence that he'll make everypony proud," Twilight said.
"I hope so," Shining Armor said.
Time passed by, Cadance had come back, letting Shining Armor know that Flurry would be staying at Rarity's house overnight. The father of the little princess seemed fine with it, even if a bit unexpected, but the two returned back to the Crystal Empire while Twilight returned to her castle with Tender Taps.
The laid in bed together, ready to call it a night after an eventful day for the both of them. Tender Taps finally got to meet Twilight's family, the only thing left was introducing her to his family, but he'll worry about that later. He had no doubts they'll love Twilight, especially considering that she's their Princess. He did need to make sure he please her family though.
"How are you feeling?" Twilight asked. "You're not shaken up from earlier are you?"
"No I'm fine, though I am worried about our future together," Tender Taps admitted.
"There's nothing to worry about, my parents will grow to like you, if they haven't already," Twilight said. "My brother might take some time, he's a bit stubborn, but when he sees just how compatible we are, he'll start to change his mind."
"How long will that take?" Tender Taps asked.
"I'm not sure, just be patient and things will work out," Twilight said. "Nothing is going to change the fact that we're engaged and that we'll be married in a matter of months."
"Yeah, we will..." Tender Taps said, realizing the situation yet again. "I still can't believe we're getting married, I get to be with my childhood crush."
"Believe it, your kindness won me over," Twilight said. "Be proud of that."
"Oh I am, really, I'm just still in disbelief," Tender Taps said. "I just never expected my dreams to come true like this."
Twilight scooted over closer to her fiancé, "Marrying me must really mean a lot to you."
"Of course," Tender Taps nuzzled his fiancé, "Twilight, I think you're amazing, the best Pony in Equestria. You are my Princess, the pony I admire the most. For you to let me be your husband...honestly I feel like that title is too good for me."
"Don't say that, I want you to be my husband," Twilight said. "I want us to live happily together, and to raise a family. One day, you're going to be the father to my children, keep that in mind too, I know the concept excites you."
"It does, a lot," Tender Taps said.
"If you're worried because I'm Princess of Equestria, then don't be," Twilight said. "I'm still a mare and I still want somepony to love and return that love. I don't think myself superior to you, so please don't feel inferior around me. Get used to looking at me as an equal, that's what I want our marriage to be, an equal partnership. When we're married, I'm not your Princess, I'm your wife, please treat me as you would treat a wife, not as you would treat a princess. I know it sounds tough but that is what I want."
"Twilight, you're more than just my Princess though," Tender Taps said. Leaning in he rested is head on her stomach, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're my hero, I look up to you, I want to be as great as you. I know you want me to be an equal but I just can't see myself as that."
"Tappy..." Twilight gently rubbed his mane.
"I still want to marry you because I really love you, I just need time getting used to being the equal you want me to be, and I promise to work on that but..." Tender Taps nuzzled against er more. "I still need time."
"I'll give you all the time you need my dear little Tappy," Twilight said. Though it did just dawn on her that the way she's talking isn't helping much. "I'll do my best to help too."
"Thanks, I love you," Tender Taps said.
"I love you too Tappy," Twilight said, then used her magic to lift him up higher, planting a kiss on him, which he graciously returned. She then laid her fiancé on the bed, as she crawled over him, grinning down mischievously. "Though, since you're insistent on being so submissively, maybe we can use that for a little fun."
"What kind of fun?" Tender Taps nervously asked.
"I have a few ideas, I read them in some very detailed books," Twilight said. "Hope you're ready Tappy."
Tender Taps nervously gulped, however he was just as excited about this. "My body is yours my Princess, please do what you will."
"Huh, I actually like the sound of that, alright Tappy, I'll grant your wish," Twilight said, using her magic to completely shut the door, close the curtains and darkened the room. "You're all mine...hehehe."