>It has been 5 years since Canterlot fell
>4 years since the pony prisoners were sold into slavery
>And it has been a little over three years since Twilight Velvet was sold to nice man who was brought to the clearing house by his two grown kids
>And Velvet is in fact very happy
>Her human is kind, loving, and attentive in ways that her husband hadn't been in years
>Their suburban home is comfortable
>Lots of appliances that are unheard of in Equestria
>Anon makes a comfortable living
>He's a widower with grown children of his own
>Kids that are happy he found Velvet and stopped drinking
>They welcome her into the family
>Life is lovely for Velvet and Anon
>They don't share a Master/slave relationship, but something more traditional
>More romantic
>Then the letters start arriving
>They are addressed to Anon always, letters pleading for the release of Velvet to her family
>At first, he ignores them
>He couldn't bear to lose Velvet
>Then, he starts asking little things, like if Velvet is happy with him
>She always assures him that she is, but quickly deduces that something is wrong
>Eventually Anon forgets to destroy one of the letters, and Velvet finds it
>She sternly warns off Twilight in a reply, and confronts Anon about it when he gets home from work
>He should have told her about this
>They should have handled this together
>She isn't going to leave him, and his fears are ridiculous

>Letters are now addressed to Velvet, begging her to come home
>News from Equestria and Earth is shared in every letter
>And, for a while, Velvet enjoys her letters with her daughter
>The first several months are just spent catching up
>They haven't been in contact in years, after all, and there's so much to share!
>But eventually Twily starts ramping up the guilt tripping
>And Velvets replies take longer and longer
>In the meantime, she begins to write to Shiny and Cadence
>Eventually stopping her correspondence with Twily entirely, in favor of her son
>He isn't trying to get her to leave her human husband for her old deadbeat stallion
>Shiny is more understanding, and keeps Twilight out of the loop

>Having heard nothing from her mother since a final, cross letter several months ago, Twilight orchestrates a trip to Earth
>The war is over, no more slaves are being taken (though none are being returned, either) and it is reasonably safe for her to do so
>Ostensibly she is going as part of a diplomatic mission to secure basic rights and protections for the ponies in bondage
>But really, she is going because one of the conferences takes place close to where Anon lives...with her mother
>Shiny and Cadence come along, and despite their best advice, Twilight insists on bringing Nightlight as well

>Meanwhile, Velvet is enjoying a pleasant midwestern Summer
>A big yard, with a large vegetable patch she started and ample flower beds keep her busy during the day
>There isn't much cleaning to do with only two of them in the house
>And Anon enjoys cooking alongside her
>It's a little thing, but it brings them together
>Nightlight never helped with housework
>The bum
>She's just bringing her tools in for the day when Anon comes home, half an hour early
>He's got a big smile on his face
>Coming inside, they sit at the table and Velvet pours some lemonade for them
>He hit 25 years with the company today
>His crew threw him a surprise party, and the owner came to present him with a watch and a hefty bonus
>It also means he has a fifth week of vacation time
>Time he thinks they should spend together somewhere
>They spend the evening contemplating the possibilities
>A Carribean Cruise
>A Resort in the South Pacific
>Maybe just tour Italy by train
>When she crawls into the sheets beside him that night, they couldn't be happier

>Months pass by, and the garden has been harvested, consumed and now lies cut down
>Anon promised that he'd rent a machine to till the remains into the soil this weekend
>It's crazy how humans have a machine for everything
>Opening the mail, Velvet sees a letter from her son
>Odd, she hasn't finished her reply to his last letter yet...
>Tearing it open, she finds a short note
>A warning
>They're coming to visit
>In two weeks
>A few days before they leave for Europe
>And they're bringing Nightlight!?
>Damn her daughter's persistence!
>Ugh

>Twilight Sparkle sits nervously in a van with her family
>Well, most of it
>There are empty boxes in the back for her mother's possessions
>She is confident that they will be full on the return trip
>Between her, her brother and her sister-in-law they have amassed a nice sum of money in the Buyback Fund
>Ten times what a pony normally sells for!
>But the tension inside the van is palpable
>Shiny and Cadence whisper to themselves occasionally, but otherwise haven't said anything
>And her dad just keeps staring at the floor, sweating in silence
>She just can't understand why her brother hasn't been more helpful
>Or Cadence
>She's the Princess of Love, for Celestia's sake!
>Why doesn't she do something!?
>Ugh
>Twilight Sparkle will just have to save the day again
>Oh good, they're here

>Inside the house, Twilight Velvet sits nervously against Anonymous
>She's been clinging to him like a life preserver all morning
>And she's been fretting about this meeting ever since she got the warning from Shiny
>A van turns onto the street, and slowly rolls down the block until it comes to a stop in front of their house.
>She races into the kitchen, followed slowly by Anon
>He finds her frantically triple-checking everything, and scoops her up into his arms
>Placing a kiss on her forehead, he squeezes her tight and tells her that everything is going to be okay
>Leaning against his chest, she sniffs out "I hope so."
>The doorbell rings

>The house looks nice, Shiny observes as they pile out of the van.
>Indeed, there are lots of trees on a large lot, and they came just in time for the leaves to be in full autumn glory
>The home itself is large, her mom had said that her owner was a family man
>But his kids are all grown and gone now
>Making their way up the walk, Shiny rings the doorbell
>There's a pause, then the sound of hooves on hardwood floors
>Another pause
>When the door swings open, it isn't her mom, but a tall human in slacks and a polo shirt
>He glances down at her and the others with a smile, then steps aside as a purple and white blur leaps at Shiny.
>There are tears in her eyes as she latches onto him in a ferocious hug, releasing him only to scoop up Flurry and smother her in kisses.
>Another hug for Cadence, and she finally gets to Twilight
>Their hug starts off tense -their last couple of letters hadn't gone well- but soon relaxes into a warm and loving embrace
>It lingers for a long while, until Anon invites the group to come through the house to the back deck, where they've got lunch waiting
>Releasing her mother, Twilight nudges her towards her dad, who also gets a hug.
>Satisfied that things are moving along, Twilight heads inside.
>Only Shining Armor lingers long enough to see Nightlight go in for a kiss
>And to see Velvet turn her head so that it lands on her cheek before breaking away
>He follows his parents inside, closing the door behind him

>Velvet hands out plates as Anon ladles out tomato soup
>A stack of grilled cheese is soon distributed
>And excellent meal for a crisp Fall day
>And Anon seems to be going over well, much to Velvet's relief
>Shiny makes a real effort to get to know him, and vice versa, and their conversation is flowing nicely
>Velvet, for her part, is talking to Cadence, with flurry sitting in grandma's lap
>She knows though, that her daughter is coaching her ex-husband, trying to get him to talk to her
>But as long as she can avoid that, she will
>Eventually, Shining Armor and Anon get up to go look at a project in the garage.
>Nightlight is invited too, but declines, which seems to bother Shiny
>He tries again to get his dad to join them, but again the blue pony demurrs
>Mumbling something about avoiding the host, Shiny shakes his head, gives Twilight a look, and then follows Anon into the house
>As soon as the pair are gone, Twilight and Nightlight slide down to be directly across from Velvet and Cadence
>"So mom, we brought some boxes."
"Boxes of what?"
>"No they're empty. For you."
"Why in Equestria would I need empty boxes?"
>"To come back to Equestria." Nightlight answers hopefully
"But I'm not coming back." Velvet says calmly, making funny faces at Flurry and avoiding eye contact.
>"Mom please!" Twilight blurts out, earning a shush from Cadence
>Flurry looks over at her aunty, but grandma quickly redirects the child's attention
"No need to shout, Twilight."
>"But dear-"
"Don't call me that." Velvet cuts him off, lifting Flurry in her magic and handing her off to Cadence "You only ever called me that when you screwed up."

>"Mom, none of this is Dad's fault-"
"Of course it isn't. He wasn't even home when the humans came through our neighborhood. He was at work, like always."
>"I'm sorry I wasn't there when they came, Velvet. I really am. I know it doesn't make a difference now, but we can all go home and put this awful time behind us."
>"He only worked to provide for us, and now that we're grown up, I'm sure that will change-"
"You both were grown well before the war, and nothing changed. But something did change during the war." Velvet counters "I met a stallion, a human one, that worked to provide but then came home and helped with the cooking, supported my interests...Anon has treated me more like an equal than my Equestrian husband ever did!"


>Cadence releases a long hushing noise, eliciting an apology from Velvet
>Nightlight is staring at the ground again, tears forming, while Twilight just stares at her mother in shock 
>Silence hangs over the table for a solid minute
>Nightlight starts to sniffle, and it snaps Twilight out of her stupor
>"Mom, you can't mean that. He owns you, you can never be his equal on Earth. Come back to Equestria with us, I'm sure Dad will do better." she pleads "In fact, I will work with Shiny and Cadence to make sure that he does better."
>"That's not how Love works, unfortunately." Cadence objects "I can feel that Nightlight still cares for Velvet, but not nearly so much as she cares for Anonymous. And his love for her is just as strong."
>"Cadence, no! You can't mean that!"
>"I didn't do this, Twilight. I am just reading the atmosphere. It's my special talent, after all." she continues "In fact, it reminds me of that lovely couple your friend Pinkie used to work for-"
>"No no no no no...this can't be happening!"
>"V-velvet -Love!- please c-come home with us. Please!" Nightlight cries "I'm s-so sorry th-that you felt neg...neglected. I'll do better! I-I-I promiiiiiise!"
>"Is this a bad time?" Anon asks, suddenly in the door with a grimacing Shining Armor.
>Nightlight immediately goes silent, save for the occasional sniffle, as the two rejoin the group
>Cadence announces that she's going to put Flurry down for a nap, as her husband takes a seat at the table
>Anon sits down next to Velvet and, sensing that she's upset, gently rests a hand on her leg
>The contact relaxes Velvet, but shocks Twi
>"So mom, Anon told me that you really like his corvette"
"Oh, yes! The wind in my mane, the freedom of travelling with nowhere to be, just spending time together as a couple...that car is wonderful."
>"I think I'm going to try to do something similar with Cady. Just book a surprise visit to random towns in the Empire. It sounds official, looks official...but really it will let us get away from the palace for a weekend."
"What will you do with Flurry?"
>"We have a list of sitters, or we can just take her with us and make it a family trip."
"That sounds lovely, Shiny. Is this going to be a surprise?"
>"The first one, probably, yeah."
"I won't say anything then."
>"Thanks, mom."
>"Do you have a first destination in mind?" Anon asks innocently
>"Are we just going to ignore what just happened!?" Twilight suddenly interjects
>"What?" Shiny asks
"Yes" Velvet answers, placing her hoof on Anon's hand
>Nightlight gets up from the table and goes inside the house.
>"I'm sorry Anon, but Mom, you can't be serious about staying!"
"I am serious." Velvet retorts as Anon squeezes her hoof in his hand

>"I can't believe this!" Twilight screams "You can't just leave Dad for-for a human!
"But I am. I already told you, I was a free mare in Equestria and treated like some kind of...domestic servant paid in a lackluster monthly date. Here I am a slave, but I haven't once felt like one since Anon took me in."
>"Bought you, mom. Since he bought you."
"Okay, yes, since he bought me at the auction house. With his son and daughter there with him. Sober for all of a week. For the first time since his wife passed." she inhales sharply "A son and daughter who have accepted me much more readily than you have accepted Anon."
>"Because you are filling a void. I still have a dad!"
>"Twily, I told you this was how it was going to go." Shiny chimes in. "This is also why she doesn't write to you anymore. Can't you just let her be happy?"
>"NOT WITH A HUMAN!" she shouts, standing up. "I am coming back at the end of the week when the conference is over, Mother. And you are coming with us, end of discussion!"
>Twilight storms through the house, leaving the door open behind her.
>"I'm sorry, Velvet." Anon says, moving his arm to wrap around her withers. "This is all because of me."
"N-no, no it's not..."
>"She's right Anon, you seem like a good guy who really cares about my mom." Shiny agrees "I told Twilight that before we came, but she insisted that mom couldn't be happy with a human, and just needed to see her family again to realize that."
"And-and she's w-wrong" Velvet chokes out. 
>"Well, I hope you and Cadence come to visit." Anon says, unsure of what to do. "You two have been a delight to have over, and I know that 'grandma' here will want to see Flurry"
>At 'grandma' he shakes Velvet a little, and she lifts her head.
"Yes, yes that would be lovely. Please come and see me once in a while, Shiny."
>"I think we can do that." Cadence says, standing in the doorway. "But right now, I think it's time to leave. Twilight and Nightlight are in the van already, and I heard the driver start it up."
>"Okay, do you need help with Flurry?"
>"She's already buckled in."
>Everyone gets up, and Cadence gives Velvet a hug, while Anon shakes Shiny's hoof.
>While Velvet wraps her son in a long embrace, Anon leans over to Cadence.
>"Is is actually possible for you to visit once a year?"
>"Absolutely."
>"Would it be possible for us to visit you?"
>"I think so. I'll look into it."
>"So maybe twice a year we'll get to see you." Anon sighs in small relief "I think Velvet would really like that."
>"We would like that too." Cadence agrees "And I think, eventually, Twilight will come around."
>"Sorry about that."
>"It isn't anypony's fault but hers."
>That evening, Velvet crawls up against Anon in bed and cries. 
>He holds her, and she cries
>In the morning, while she is still sound asleep, Anon gets up and makes breakfast
>He brings it up to her in bed, and slowly rouses her and makes her eat despite her protests
>And then he holds her as she cries some more
>Once she's calmed down, he repeats what Cadence told him
>The prospect of seeing them at least once a year seems to help
>But she remembers Twilight's ultimatum
"She's a princess, Anon. What if she forces me to come with her?"
>"Well Velvet, I think Cadence would stop her. Isn't she also a princess?"
"She is."
>"And the other thing is, well, I doubt that Twilight is going to follow us to Rome."
"Oh Celestia, I nearly forgot!"
>"That's why I need you to stop crying and get out of bed. We need to pack."
"Of course. Let's get started...Love."