After a dangerous mission of barely escaping a destructive robot that activated once you removed a valuable crystal, Comedia definitely needed some R time. For once, she didn't cause any shenanigans on the Marauder in the time since she temporarily switched to being Tech's horse.
Comedia lay down peacefully, resting her weary head, Mona and Diamond laying against her sides to rest themselves.
But, Comedia wasn't without her adoptive father checking in on her at least once every hour.
Ding! Ding!
Make that every twenty minutes.
Comedia answered her phone.
"Hi, Daddy." said the young alicorn. "Yes, I'm fine. And yeah, you did wake me. Been up to anything since I've been with Tech?"
"I must confess, it is not quite as lively here without you." Ki-Adi chuckled.. "Grassi doesn't do nearly as much shaking when I bathe her the way you do. I never thought I would miss that mess."
Grassi was a very calm horse, and quite at home in the water. The only problem with her in the bathtub was that she never seemed to want to leave it, being a seapony and therefore accustomed to being in water. Being that she was also older than Comedia, she was also more mature. That wasn't to say Ki-Adi didn't want Comedia to come home soon. When it came to this project Garrett made everyone with a horse get involved in, it really went to show that you really don't know what you have until it's gone, even if it's temporary and you've only had that something for a short time.
Ever since Ki-Adi adopted Comedia, he thought he was ready to take on the role of parenting again. But, to be fair, his late wives had done more of the taking care of his late biological daughters than he did. So, it was no surprise he struggled with Comedia, and not because of teenage drama.
There were a lot of basic things he needed to do to take care of her. Feeding Comedia was easy; he was a vegetarian himself, so he didn't have to worry about accidentally feeding her meat or not being able to provide for her dietary needs. But, his gummy bear stash was definitely no longer safe with her around to sniff them out and gobble half of them up in a day. Grooming her was another story. Brushing her coat was easy, but Comedia's curly hair needed a special hairbrush. Fortunately, she could brush her own teeth and fluff her own feathers on her wings. But whenever Ki-Adi gave Comedia a bath, she always got goofy with the bubbles and always shook herself dry when she got out, and sometimes when she was still in the bath and ended up giving Master Mundi a bit of a bath too. But taking her to a vet was a real challenge. When Ki-Adi tried to take her to the vet for the first time, he ended up buried in dirty laundry, caught by his ponytail in a shrub, and tangled in a rope before getting her to go and get her shots.
But, all the hard work set aside, life with Comedia was more than interesting. Comedia was a ball of energy and always eager to start the day with her loving family. Every morning she would wake her father up by licking him like a dog, eager to have breakfast with him, and she had a way of sneaking her sense of humor into things. Comedia was really good at telling jokes; she had to be because Master Mundi was not made to laugh easily. He'd seen her make people laugh so hard, whatever they were drinking spurted out of their noses.
It didn't take having two brains in his head to see that, as rocky as the start was, having Comedia in his life was the best thing that could've ever happened to Ki-Adi Mundi. So, it was only natural that he would be protective of her, and be stern with Tech about taking her to school and making sure she had everything she needed when she needed it. He didn't let himself feel it, but deep down, he felt guilty about not being there to raise his kids when he had them, and he wasn't going to make the same mistake with Comedia.
"You sure nothing interesting has happened in my absence?" Comedia said. "Maybe you've met somebody new?"
Ki-Adi need the Force or a second brain to piece together what Comedia was asking him about.
"Comedia, we've been over this. You are the only lady love I need, and you will always be my special girl."
Comedia knew her father meant well, that he loved her, and he was happy with her, but she also knew as much as he tried to hide it, he was also lonely. Now that the Jedi were free to wed if they wished, he'd seriously decided he liked the thought of marriage purely for love, not merely because his species was endangered. But, the mere fact that his daughter was a horse made women think he must've hit his head or something. Comedia didn't take kindly to them criticizing the size of his head either, even if it did mean he literally got bigger headaches. But, she thought it was even worse that his love life was as good as non-existent all because of her species. She felt guilty for it all, but Ki-Adi told her it wasn't her fault, and that it just meant the women he'd been seeing so far just weren't the right one.
Comedia thought it might be nice to have a mom again, but this time one who loved and cared about her. But that wouldn't be possible if her father couldn't find a decent woman. Since the Cerean seemed too afraid to go look for a girlfriend himself, Comedia decided to take matters into her own hooves, and she deduced Carmine's adoptive mother Ms. Susy would be a perfect match for him. She was single, she was kind, she was a single parent with a child of a different species than her, and she knew Ki-Adi had adopted Comedia as his own. Ki-Adi also needed help with coordination, that being proven as Comedia and he had tried to practice a father-daughter dance, only to keep falling down partially because Cereans were known for having poor coordination and back problems, but also because it's kinda hard to dance with a partner when one half walks on two legs and the other typically walks on four. It was perfect!
Except, before she could play matchmaker, she had to get home.
Comedia didn't know a lot about romance, despite that she and Remix had been together since just before Valentine's Day last year, at least not for grownups. She knew it had to be simple, not an immediate call for wedding bells. Comedia wasn't going to get crazy here. Even she knew romance took time.
So, she decided she would set up something simple for her father and Ms. Susy. But, she needed help. And she went to Carmine for assistance, except…
"I already told you, Comedia! I really don't think this is a good idea." Carmine said.
"Why? I've asked before, but is there something about my dad you don't like?"
"No! I respect Master Mundi just fine. He's a good guy once you get to know him. But, I don't think we should set him up with my mother."
"Again, why not?"
Carmine didn't want to say anything before, but he knew Comedia would have to know the real reason why he was hesitant to set his adoptive mother up on a date. He loved her so much, especially since his birth mom couldn't be around to take care of him, and she was the first loving mother he'd known since his grandmother died and Mrs. Kiran had to give him up when she and her husband had financial issues. He didn't want to see her get hurt.
"Carmine, please tell me." Comedia said. "Haven't you ever thought that your adoptive mother deserves to find someone special? Don't you want her to be happy too?"
"Marriage isn't always a key to happiness, you know. I've met people who did everything they could to get out of it, not that I ever would. Not all marriages work like mine or anyone in my family."
Comedia did understand that not all marriages were like the happy ones she'd seen so far. Her own parents were only married for status, and then they got divorced. Still, she believed there was a stallion for every mare and a mare for every stallion. And well, the biped version of that, but you get the gist.
"Carmine, what's the real reason you don't want Ms. Susy to date my dad?"
Truth be told, Carmine did once think his adoptive mother should get out there and meet a nice man. He didn't mind being raised by a single mother; he's spent the first thirteen years of his life being raised by one. However, he saw that his adoptive mother spent so much of her time either with him or working on lesson plans and dancing on her own. So, he asked her why she wasn't looking for a date. He knew at least a couple of the male faculty members at Melody Academy were single, looking for dates, and they were perfectly decent. Except, she told Carmine a reason that shocked him.
"My mom… she…. She was engaged once."
"Oh…." Comedia's eyes went wide. "Ouch."
Now Comedia began to understand more. Weddings were hard work, this she knew from watching and helping Qui-Gon and Shmi as well as Brenda and Mace prepare for their weddings. All kinds of things could go wrong while planning the wedding. The outfits might not fit because someone needed to lose a little weight, the florist could mess up the centerpieces, or the ring bearer could sneeze and lose the wedding rings and end up in a hilariously elaborate chase to get them back before it was time to give them (Kade was sure he was never going to live that incident down). But the worst possible thing to happen while planning a wedding, worse than all those issues combined, was the engagement being broken.
"It was a lot worse than you think." Carmine said. "She made it to the wedding day… but… her worst nightmare happened."
When Ms. Susy told Carmine what happened the day of her wedding, he couldn't believe it. It had begun like everything had been planned. Susy Lamura was so excited that day to marry her fiance, and her grandmother was happy she would live to see the day her precious flower would be married, or so she thought. It all started out so wonderfully too.
Thirty years ago….
Bells were ringing at the church as friends and family were gathered to witness and celebrate the marriage of Susan Lamura and her fiance Hector Lovay. The couple met in dance class, and the groom swept the bride off her feet the night he proposed to her.
Young Susan looked so beautiful as she looked at herself in the mirror in her late mother's wedding dress. It fit like a glove, and she wore lots of beautiful white flowers on her head tails to top them off.
"I'm so nervous!" Susy had said that day. "Has anyone seen Nicole?"
Nicole was her maid of honor, and her best friend from dance lessons since they were children.
"She said she needed to take care of some business," said one of the bridesmaids. "But don't worry. You've got all of us to make sure your day goes off without a hitch."
Susy and Hector hadn't seen each other all day because as everyone knows, it's traditionally bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding. But, Susy figured, who said it had to be bad luck? The wedding was minutes away. What could happen?
So, Susy decided to go and surprise her groom and give him a pre-wedding kiss. Except, when she got to Hector's dressing room, she found something she was not ready to see.
The moment she opened the door, she saw the maid of honor dress laying on the floor. And the second thing she saw was her maid of honor half naked and making out with the groom!
Susy dropped her bouquet and shrieked loudly enough to scare the two out of kissing.
"Hector! How could you?!" Susy said angrily.
"Susan, it's not what you think!"
"And you, Nicole… how could you do this to me?" Susy said.
Nicole, at first, seemed at a loss for words, but then she wiped any look of guilt away and said, "Come on, can you blame him for wanting all this?"
Susy was beyond angry. She punched her now ex-best friend right in the eye, and she yanked Hector's head tails and tangled them in a painful knot before literally tossing him to the curb. As good as it felt to humiliate the cheating groom and maid of dishonor, Susy could not stop herself from running off and crying.
Present Day….
"That day, she swore to herself she would never stand for anyone being stuck with a disloyal partner." Carmine said. "I guess when she saw how loyal I was to Caroline in high school, that was why she partnered us for every class."
Comedia was definitely speechless now. Ms. Susy had been cheated on by her fiance on her wedding day?! And with her maid of honor, no less. That was horrible, awful, terrible! No wonder Carmine was concerned. No bride deserved to face that kind of betrayal on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life.
Ms. Susy had her heart shattered by someone she thought was meant for her and would love her forever. She'd been denied her dream of marrying the man she loved and having a family. Well, not totally. Eventually, she did get to have a family of her own when a young boy ran from his foster family and became the then janitor Jakobi's assistant before winning a scholarship to Melody Academy where Susy worked, and while mentoring him she felt a strong bond with him that led her to make a decision that would change her life forever: to raise Carmine as her own son. But now, her son was terrified the same thing that happened with Hector would happen again. So, he never pushed for her to date anyone. He just let her live with her claim that her son was the only man she needed to love and care for.
"I had no idea." Comedia said. "I'm so sorry, Carmine."
"Of course you didn't know." Carmine sighed. "I just don't want to see her get hurt again."
Comedia nuzzled Carmine. She completely understood where he was coming from. Every time Ki-Adi brought home a new woman he'd met, the pattern was consistent. The two are happy together and Ki-Adi's then girlfriend would be excited to meet his daughter, but the moment she found out the daughter was a horse, she immediately dumped Ki-Adi, calling him a nutcase. Unlike Ms. Susy when she got dumped, Master Mundi had his kid to hug him and comfort him throughout the ordeal. Ki-Adi would sit down, and Comedia would lay her head in his lap and he would touch her curly mane, which would make him feel better and less alone.
Nevertheless, Comedia thought it couldn't hurt to try.
"Well, my dad isn't Hector. He would never treat anyone this way. Just because he had a polygamous marriage in the past doesn't mean he won't remain loyal to one woman now that he has the choice in when and who he marries." Comedia said. "I think both our parents need a little push back into the game."
Carmine gave Comedia a look.
"I'm scared of my dad being hurt too. But, he didn't give up before. I'm not giving up on him, and I don't think you should give up on your mom. Just one date. If it doesn't go well, I won't push you or Ms. Susy in again."
Carmine thought about it. Master Mundi and Ms. Susy did already know each other, that was a start. What could one date do? It's not like they were talking about getting them hitched. Carmine wasn't sure he wanted a stepfather. He had his biological parents, but he was happy with his adoptive mother too. Still, he wanted to help her achieve her dream of meeting her prince charming if he could.
"What were you thinking we'd set up for them?" Carmine finally asked Comedia.
Comedia showed Carmine a nice picnic table in the park that would be a nice simple place for Ki-Adi and Susy to have a date. The park was a nice place, and had few distractions so they could converse and get to know each other better. All they needed was a nice little something to keep things interesting.
"So, I was thinking we set up a nice little basket here with a simple lunch for them. They could sit here together at the table and talk. And, if we're lucky, they may decide to walk together, which is extra romantic."
"Seems simple enough." Carmine shrugged. "But isn't your dad a vegetarian?"
"We'll work it out. I'll take care of the set up, you take care of the basket. And we each take care of getting our parents to come here. Are we doing this?"
Comedia put her hoof in, and Carmine placed his hand on her hood.
"Let's do it."
Two days later, Carmine began putting together a nice little picnic basket for his adoptive mother and Master Mundi. Mariposa helped make lots of tasty fruits and vegetables, and he talked to Obi-Wan, who talked to Peppermint, who talked to her friend Mocha, who got Carmine a great deal on the best chocolate candies on the market. He also made some little sandwiches too.
"There. Simple, yet delicious." Carmine said.
"Daddy, what's all that stuff for?" Lamenta asked. "Are you making a surprise for Mommy?"
"Not this time, Lamb. This is actually for a little something to help a couple of friends. But don't tell Granny Susy about this, okay?"
"Why?"
Lamenta touched her father's wrist, and immediately saw the truth. She couldn't believe it when she learned the truth that her adoptive grandmother was being set up with Master Mundi for a date.
"Why are you setting them up?"
"It was Comedia's idea." Carmine rolled his eyes. "I'll explain it to you more later. Right now, I got somewhere to be."
Meanwhile, Comedia was on her way to the park. She decided to look for a little extra something to make her father's date special. And she knew exactly what she wanted to get for him: Honeycrisp Oolong, his favorite tea. It was a sweet and relaxing kind of tea. Comedia had tried it herself when Ki-Adi gave her some to help her fall asleep. There was only one problem.
The shopkeeper checked all the shelves when Comedia entered the tea shop and asked for some Honeycrisp Oolong tea. But…
"I'm sorry, Miss. It looks like we're out of that flavor. We're expecting another shipment in…" the shopkeeper checked a manifest. "Two days."
"I can't wait that long. That's my father's favorite."
"Could I perhaps interest you in some cherry chamomile tea instead?"
"My dad doesn't like cherries. What else have you got?"
Comedia left the store disappointed. The store had lots of flavors, but none of them were good enough for her father. Some were too strong, others not strong enough. Some weren't sweet enough, others were too sweet. In other words, none of them would work.
"I can't believe this! How hard is it to find a tea that'll make a date wonderful?" Comedia said. "I know we can't always get what we want, but I would've thought becoming a princess would make getting at least things I need easier."
"Did I hear you say you need something, young mare?" asked a woman with a red hood on her head.
"Um… who are you?"
"Call me Miss Scarlett." said the woman. "I couldn't help overhearing you're in need of tea. My shop at the market holds a great variety, and I can get you a great deal."
Comedia probably should've been suspicious, but against her better judgment, she went with the woman to the market, where she indeed had a stand with bottles and boxes of various things.
"Tell me, what occasion is this tea you require for?" asked Ms. Scarlett. "A tea party? Gathering?"
"A romantic picnic date in the park. Someone very special to me is about to meet a special woman, but both of them have had nasty histories with romance in the past. I tried to get his favorite tea, but the shop was out. You wouldn't happen to have Honeycrisp Oolong, would you?"
"No. That, I do not hold at the moment. However, I have a tea I believe will interest you."
Ms. Scarlett took out a heart-shaped box that held some tea bags inside.
"This is thé des luxure, a tea with a taste that will have two drinkers falling in love in one sip." she explained. "Give this tea to your special ones. Drink together, they will, and soon they will be madly in love. A love potion of tea, if you will."
Comedia found that intriguing. The tea actually smelled nice too. It kinda smelled like peach blossoms. Ki-Adi liked peaches, so it would probably do just fine. This was a new experience for him, being set up on a date, so why not have a new tea to try with his date?
"How much?" Comedia said.
"Fifteen credits for a small pouch."
Comedia got some credits from her saddle bag and paid the lady, and she had herself a box of the special tea.
"Thank you, Ms. Scarlett. I hope my dad will like it."
"He's going to love it, and so will his lucky lady." Ms. Scarlett said. And she laughed as Comedia left. "You have no idea how much they will love each other as well."