Needless to say, the meeting between Applebloom's family and Coral Leaf's parents, went over very well!

The day after Twilight transported Chestnut Solace and Gentle Bounty back to their farm, Applebloom sent off her first letter to her future in-laws, thanking them for visiting, and (from one milkmare to another), thanking Gentle for her advice.

Meanwhile, Applejack was hard at work, getting the guest list prepared for the wedding. Now that she had a list of Coral's relations that his parents had given her, it was time to get everypony itemized, and alphabetized.

Once she had completed the list, she broke it down into several pieces. What followed, was a grueling couple of days, as the Apple family (along with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo when they stopped by), worked to complete their task. However, out of all the names on the guest list, one in particular was being saved for last: Coral's Aunt, Demure Prudence. The family had decided to wait, so that they could add their own little messages to her invite.

That moment came a few days later, as the family rested in the farm yard, with most lounging in chairs in chairs, and Coral resting his head against Applebloom's motherly bosom.

"Boy, ah never thought gettin' married would leave mah hand feelin' so stiff," the full filly said, flexing her fingers.

"Well, we still got Aunt Demure's invitation to do," replied Coral, rolling his shoulders against his 'big yellow pillow.' "Then, we can just sit back, and wait to see who's gonna show up. I sure hope Aunt Demure will."

For the rest of that day, everypony on the farm took the time to write a small letter to Demure, requesting her presence as a Guest of Honor, of the Groom and his parents.

As promised, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo wrote about their relationships with Rarity and Rainbow Dash, both noting how the support of their 'big sisters,' helped make them the ponies they were.

Applebloom's letter pointed out what she had learned from Applejack, as well as what she and her sister had learned from Gentle Bounty.

Coral's letter thanked his Aunt for helping make him the educated stallion he had become, and how he hoped she would be a part of his special day!

By the time everypony had finished their letter, the envelope with Demure's invitation in it was so full, that Coral was barely able to seal it shut.

The invitations were dropped off at the Ponyville Post Office the next day, leaving the Apples and Coral to focus on further preparations for the wedding.

Pinkie Pie took the opportunity to drop by later that day, with cake samples from Sugar Cube Corner. After several hours of sampling different cake flavors, Coral was pretty sure he didn't want to see another cake until the wedding.

Rarity also was stepping up her visits to the farm as well, armed with plenty of sketches, or swatches of cloth to show what she was designing for the Apples.

Coral had also become a guinea pig for her again, as she had recently found a firmer, form-fitting material during a small excursion to Manehattan.

Rarity's way of testing the material, was by making Coral several new pairs of underwear. Strange enough, they managed to keep his hard-on under control, without making him feel like his penis was being squeezed in a vise.

Rarity was pleased with the results, and explained that she was also working with some specialists, to create a hybrid of the material, that would be used for his formal pants.

"I know you must be proud of your stallionhood," she smiled, "but we definitely don't want you bursting your britches in front of everypony, now do we?"

"Nope," blushed Coral, imagining the scene in his head.

Of course, the one area of design-work that was off-limits to Coral's eyes, was Applebloom's wedding dress.

Rarity guarded the designs as if they were top-secret plans, showing them only to the bride-to-be, Applejack, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. All Coral had to go on, were the sounds of the girls squealing or gasping through the locked door of the barn, as he'd walk by another fitting session.

A few weeks later, the responses began pouring in!

Applejack put aside some time each day to go through them, checking off the information on her list, and also adding a name or two if a family member wanted to bring a friend or a guest.

Before long, the list was filled with her scribblings. As expected, not everypony could make it, but by the looks of things, Sweet Apple Acres was going to have a decent-sized roster of guests soon.

Naturally, Coral was eager to get a response back from his Aunt, but after a few weeks, her name on Applejack's list still held no indication of whether she would show up or not.

Coral tried to convince himself that he was worrying over nothing, but soon, there were less than three weeks to go until the big day, and still his Aunt's name on the list, remained untouched.

One evening, Applejack was getting herself some water, when she came across Coral lying on the couch in the living room, staring at the list.

"Hey there, Coral," she said, making him jump.

"Oh, hi Applejack," he replied. "Guess I was just concentrating hard. Hope we're gonna have enough chairs for everypony."

"I'm sure we will. I'm gonna have Pinkie also help me set up some tents fer the families to stay in. We got room here in the house and all, but not enough for most of our relatives and yours as well."

"Yeah, it's gonna be a bit crowded around here," he chuckled. "Say, where do you think Mom and Dad are gonna stay?"

"I was talking to Twilight about that earlier. She claimed she's gonna whip up something nice for them, given Gentle can't move around too much. Makes more sense to bring the tent to her. You feelin' a little nervous bout the big day comin' up?"

"Well, yeah, a little. I mean, I'm finally gonna marry Applebloom, but...still..."

Applejack walked over to him, and saw his thumb, next to his Aunt's name.

"You really wanted her to come," she said, quietly.

"Not just for me," he said, turning to look at her. "But also for my Mom. The way she would talk about Aunt Demure, I I remember how sad she'd sound, talking about her big sister being so...distant. You know how I really missed Applebloom when I was separated from her? I swear, that's how my Mom feels about her sister."

"Ah can understand that," said Applejack, sitting down in a nearby chair. "I felt a little like that when Applebloom wouldn't speak to me after you left. Course, ah realized it was largely mah fault fer not listening."

"I just wish I could talk to my Aunt, and tell her how much I want her to be here for the big day."

The room was silent for a few moments, when Applejack suddenly snapped her fingers.

"Say," she said, turning to Coral. "You know what?"

"What?" he asked.

"Why don't we go n' pay your Aunt Demure a little visit...together?"

"Yer headin' off to Manehattan?" asked Granny Smith the next day, as Coral and Applejack readied their backpacks.

"Yep," said AJ. "Coral's Aunt hasn't sent her invite back yet, and we're gonna find out why."

After they had bid the family goodbye, Coral and AJ headed out to the barn, and explained their plan to Applebloom.

"Ah know this means a lot to you," she said, giving her fiance a large, 'squishy' hug. "I hope you can convince her to come. Thanks fer going with him, Applejack."

"Well, ah know how much Demure means to Coral and his family, sugarcube," she replied, giving her 'big little sister' a hug. "We got so many great relations, and I want to help Coral with one of his."

"Tell her 'hi' from me," waved Applebloom, as the two headed on their way, "and that ah really want to meet her in person!"

As Coral and Applejack headed through town towards the train station, they happened to come across Rarity, leaving her boutique for a quick lunch. When she questioned their backpacks, Applejack explained what they were doing.

"Oh, I do hope you're successful," she said, giving both AJ and Coral a hug, before her eyes shot open. "Oh-hoh-hoh, I think I have something that might help!"

Rarity rushed back to her boutique, and a few minutes later, returned to AJ and Coral, with a sealed envelope.

"Here," she said, handing it to Coral. "For your Aunt."

"Thanks," he said, taking the envelope. "What is it?"

"It's a personal note from me, to several different boutiques I frequent in Manehattan. If your Aunt decides to come, she can visit any of them, and they'll let her have any of their dresses free of charge to wear to the wedding! The boutiques in the letter know me, so they know I'll just reimburse them for the dress later."

"But, isn't that going to be expensive?" asked Coral.

"Oh-puh-kuh-poo, you are talking to the element of generosity, Coral dear," she smiled. "And besides, if it can help convince your Aunt to visit for your special day, consider it money well-spent."

"Thank you, Rarity," smiled Coral, giving her another hug. "I really appreciate this."

"Mmmm," she murmured pleasantly, feeling his firm bulge against her thighs.

Soon, the two were on their way, as the train headed east towards Manehattan.

As the train chugged along, Coral found himself eyeing the scenery. Just like when he had taken the trip from Galloping Gulch down to Ponyville, he was seeing more of Equestria for the first time. Soon, as the train approached a tall mountain, he found his eyes gazing up at a sight he had only seen and read about in his books: Canterlot.

"I didn't realize it was so high up," he noted, craning his neck to see what he could of the gold-and-white spires, reaching up to the sky.

"Yeah, it sure is a nice place to visit," said AJ. "Course, ah prefer Sweet Apple Acres m'self."

Pretty soon, the sight of the castle was replaced with darkness, as the train headed into a tunnel.

As the inner-lights of the cabin illuminated the passengers, Coral and Applejack began to talk a little about Manehattan.

Though Coral had read about the city in his books, Applejack told him a little about what she and her friends had encountered on their last trip to the vast metropolis.

"Ah gotta warn ya," she cautioned. "Manehattan moves a lot faster than Ponyville, or even Galloping Gulch. Try to take it easy, and let me know if you feel a little overwhelmed. Ah wanna make sure you return home in one piece, okay?"

"Got it," said Coral, as the train shot out of the tunnel, and sunlight streamed back into the cabin.

Off in the distance, he could make out pony-made structures of steel and glass, that shone like hypnotic beacons, high in the sky. As the train crested another hill, he could feel a tinge of excitement, as the densely-packed city revealed itself. His eyes darted back-and-forth, trying to take it all in.

"Easy there, fella," smiled AJ, putting a hand on his knee. "Don't ferget why we came here."

Once they had disembarked, Coral and Applejack made their way out of Maneway Station, and up onto the busy streets.

Coral found his eyes drawn in every direction, as hundreds of ponies thundered around them. The streets were filled with numerous carriages, and even taxis with their yellow and black colors, seemed to be everywhere.

Fortunately, Applejack had her wits about her, and managed to flag down a cab. Soon, the two were on their way to Demure's place.

Coral continued to gawk in awe, notably at the tall, gleaming buildings that seemed to reach higher than Twilight Sparkle's castle.

"I wonder if Aunt Demure works in any of these buildings," he said aloud. "The views must be incredible."

Eventually, the cab brought the two to their destination, and Applejack and Coral soon found themselves at the front doors of a large apartment building. It's modern design of glass and steel, enveloped the two as they walked into the elaborately-tiled entryway, complete with a water fountain, gurgling away.

Coral went to the directory, and soon found his Aunt listed under the name "D Prudence." He pressed the button next to the name, but got no response. He tried a few more times, but still got no response.

"Maybe she's just out runnin' some errands," noted Applejack. "Ah bet if we wait around, we'll catch her on the way back inside."

"Sounds like a plan," smiled Coral, before a gurgle in his stomach caused him to blush.

"Hungry?" asked AJ.

"Uh-huh."

"Well, why don't you sit by the fountain and keep a lookout? I'll see if I can find us somethin' to eat close by."

Sometime later, both Coral and Applejack were chowing down on a few carrot dogs. Coral had never had a carrot served on a bun with ketchup and mustard before, but he had to admit, the ones that Applejack had gotten him, hit the spot.

While Applejack excused herself to sit in a chair further in the lobby, Coral decided to wait outside.

Even though the street was not as busy as the one in front of the station, he was quite interested watching what was going on around him. He saw business ponies rushing by with suitcases in hand, a family of ponies walking their dog, all sorts of things he had imagined that happened in a big city like this one.

As he turned to look down the street, he saw a light-yellow pony pushing a metal cart, filled with groceries. As he watched her, Coral couldn't help but feel she looked...familiar. Her light-green hair was shorter, and she was a bit thinner than he had last remembered, but next thing he knew, he was slowly walking towards her.

"Aunt Demure?" he called out, waving a hand in the air.

"Um, hello?" she responded, a look of confusion on her face. "Do I know you?"

"Aunt Demure, it's me, your nephew Coral."

This caused her to stop in place, as he walked up to her.

"Coral? Wh-what brings you here to Manehattan?"

"I came to talk to my favorite Aunt," he replied, coming up next to her, and giving her a hug. He could feel his bulge squish against her thighs, as a second later she winced suddenly, and slipped out of his embrace.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as she took a few cautious steps backward.

"N-nothing," she replied.

As he watched, she reached for her cart, but seemed to keep at least a foot away from his crotch.

"So, you, came to see me?" she asked casually, pushing the cart forward.

"Yep. And, I brought a friend along with me."

Pretty soon, Coral and Demure entered the lobby, where Coral quickly introduced his Aunt to Applejack.

"It's a pleasure to meetcha, Ms Prudence," smiled Applejack. "Coral here speaks very highly of you."

"He, he does?" asked Demure, a little surprised.

"Sure as sunshine. Have tah say, he seems pretty educated fer a stallion coming from Galloping Gulch. Uh, no offense."

"None taken," replied Demure. "So, I take it you two are in town for some sightseeing?"

"Actually, Demure," said AJ. "The only sight we came to see, and talk to, is you."

"M-me?" stuttered Demure. "Why me-oh dear, I better get this stuff up to my apartment. Don't want that vanilla oat swirl ice cream to get runny."

Demure wheeled her cart over to the elevator, and Coral and Applejack followed. However, they were surprised when she looked at them curiously.

"Oh, you, want to come up?" she asked.

The question struck Coral as a little odd, and he exchanged a questionable glance with Applejack.

"Um, yes?" he replied, as the elevator doors opened.

The ride up in the elevator was rather quiet, with Demure keeping some distance from her guests. Things continued to seem odd, as once the doors opened on the 16th floor, Demure bolted down the long hallway, and Coral and AJ found themselves speed-walking to catch up to her.

They found themselves five steps behind Demure, as she opened her apartment door, and disappeared inside with her cart. Coral and Applejack waited a few moments by the open doorway, before they stepped inside.

A small hallway led them into a living room, with several strange pieces of furniture. Along one wall were several bookcases, filled to bursting with all manner of books, and some pieces of paper scattered about.

As he looked around, Coral noticed a few family pictures on the walls. He recognized the black-and-white pictures as being those of his Mother's and Demure's parents. Going around the living room, he saw a few pictures of Demure, but strangely, there were no pictures of his Mom or Dad, or even him.

"I don't usually have visitors," called out Demure from the kitchen. "I'm afraid all I have to drink is tea. Would you like some?"

"That's fine, Auntie," called out Coral.

"Same goes fer me," said Applejack.

And so, a few minutes later, the three were sitting in Demure's living room, as a nearby clock ticked away.

"So," said Demure. "Why have you two come, all this way to see me? I'm nopony important."

"You are to Coral," replied Applejack. "And, to yer little sister, Gentle."

"G-gentle?" asked Demure. "You know...about Gentle?"

"Sure do. Ah went up to Galloping Gulch a few months back. Met her and yer brother-in-law, Chestnut Solace. Really nice lil' farm they got up there."

"Yes, I, remember it fondly," smiled Demure. "From my, 'younger days.' It belonged to our parents."

"It's still pretty much the same as you last saw it," chimed in Coral. "Nothing much changes up there...course, I'm due for a lil' change soon."

"You are?" asked Demure, her eyes darting down to his bulge, resting betweem his thighs. "Y-you mean yer-"

"Getting married," he smiled, not quite noticing her eyes shifting from his crotch to across the room. "That's why me and Applejack came to see you."

"Y'see Demure," said AJ. "Coral was a hired hand at my family's farm in Ponyville and, well, he and mah lil' sister, um, well, they grew to love each other very much."

"And the wedding's in three weeks, Auntie," continued Coral. "We've sent out invitations to as many relatives as we could. We sent you a pretty well-packed invitation, but haven't received a response from you."

"Well," said Demure, taking a sip from her teacup, "It just so happens, that I did get your invitation."

"Oh thank Celestia," sighed Applejack. "Ah wuz afraid it might have gotten lost in the mail, or not had enough postage on it."

"What about the reply?" asled Coral. "Did you send back the reply notice?"

"Well, no," replied Demure. "I...well, I just figured not responding would be information enough."

The response was met with silence for a few moments, before Applejack spoke. "Uh, come again?"

"I'd just, rather not attend," said Demure, taking a long sip from her teacup. "Hmm, I seem to need a refill. Anyone else want more?"

The young stallion and the honest Apple watched as Demure quickly headed into her kitchen. Applejack just stared after her, but Coral suddenly got to his hooves, and followed after her.

"Why don't you want to come, Aunt Demure?" he asked, as she prepared more tea.

"I, just don't want to go," she replied, not making eye contact.

"Please Aunt Demure, me and Applejack came all this way...won't you reconsider, for us? For my fiance, Applebloom? For your sister?"

*CLANG*

The metal tin fell from Demure's hands, and she quickly began scooping up tea leaves.

"Oh, I'm such a klutz," she said, tossing the leaves in the sink. "Guess I inherited that from your Grandfather."

Coral had been suspecting something for awhile now, but as he watched his Aunt busy herself in front of him, he found several words escaping from his lips.

"You just don't want to come...why not?"

"I just...I just don't," said replied. "Now, would you like some more tea-"

"That's not an answer, Demure," said Coral, his voice rising to an unsettling tone. "There's got to be a reason, and as your nephew, I deserve to know what that reason is."

"You know, maybe you should try some chamomile," she said, opening a nearby cupboard. "It'll calm you down-"

"I want an answer," said Coral, walking towards his Aunt, as out in the living room.

Her reaction to this was unlike anything Coral had ever seen. As he drew near, she jumped 3 feet away from him, as if he had been a giant spider!

"D-don't come any closer," she pleaded. "I, I touched you once, and I can only hope to Celestia that I don't catch it."

"Catch?" he asked. "Catch what?"

"W-whatever's affected you too," she said timidly, pointing to his bulging pants. "Gentle said, I had nothing to worry about, but, I guess she affected you too."

Those last words hung in the air between them, as Coral felt himself getting more upset.

"What the hay are you talking about!?" he asked. "My Mother didn't 'affect me.' I will admit I was, big, growing up in my preteens, but this...well, it came about because of my fiance, Applebloom."

"Y-your fiance...made you, bigger?" she asked, sounding scared. "Is she affected too?"

"Wh-I-eh-NO!!" cried out Coral, before calming the tone of his voice. "I'm sorry, it's just that...I think we need to have a talk, Auntie. Now, I'm just gonna go back out in the living room, and sit with Applejack, until you're finished getting your tea ready."

And with that, Coral resumed his seat on the couch, as Applejack just quietly looked at him, not saying a word about what she had heard coming from the kitchen.

5 minutes later, Demure, Coral, and Applejack were all back in the living room.

Coral took the opportunity to summarize his last few months with the Apples, as well as the realization that Applebloom was, like Gentle Bounty, a milkmare. However, being the polite nephew he was, Coral did not mention how he and Applebloom had come to this conclusion (let alone earned their cutie marks). He also provided some relief for Applejack, by not mentioning what she had done, following their 'growth spurt.'

"So," said Demure, "my sister isn't the only one?"

"Doesn't seem like it," replied Coral. "Makes me wonder, if there may be other milkmares across Equestria we don't know about."

"So," said Demure, turning her attention to Applejack, "how is your family, taking it?"

"Well, we're takin' it alright, ah s'pose," said AJ. "Course, it took a little time fer me to come around. Ah think Coral can definitely say, ah wuz a tad stubborn about accepting what was happening to Applebloom."

"I see," said Demure, taking another sip.

"Still, meetin' with your sister was quite an eye-opener. I have to admit that if it hadn't been for her and your brother-in-law, well, I don't think I would have become so open-minded."

"Speaking of Mom, Aunt Demure," interrupted Coral, suspiciously, "where are the pictures of her? I haven't seen one in the whole apartment."

"Oh, well I didn't want those old things cluttering up the place," she said, nervously. "You know pictures, they can take up a lot of, room in an apartment."

"Really?" he said, his eyes darting around the rather empty living room walls.

"Coral, what're you getting at?" asked Applejack.

"Just that it seems that the Aunt Demure whom I grew up loving and respecting...isn't the pony I thought she was."

"Coral," said Demure, "Please don't-"

"It's because of our size, isn't it?" he asked her. "You're afraid to be seen with your sister, or even get close to me, your nephew who cares about you a whole lot...just because I'm bigger than most stallions. Is that it?"

"Coral, please-"

"Demure Prudence, just answer the question: yes, or no?"

Silence permeated the room for a few minutes, before Demure quietly nodded her head.

"Wait a minute," said Applejack. "You mean to say, that you're ashamed of your sister, just because she's a...a milkmare?"

Once again, Demure said nothing, but just quietly nodded again.

Coral was about to say something, when Applejack laid a hand on his knee, and shook her head. Obeying her, Coral kept quiet, as he watched Applejack move over next to Demure.

"Demure," she began, "please don't take this the wrong way. Y'see, Coral spoke very highly of you, and from what I've seen of how he is, I believe that while his Mother gave him the care and attention he needed, you helped give him the knowledge he needed up in Galloping Gulch...but, fer being a rather bright pony...well, I hate to say this but, I think you need to learn a thing or two."

"Excuse me?" asked Demure, a tone of suspicion and curiosity in her voice.

"You seem to think what your sister and nephew have are bad things. Well you know what? You need to look past what they have, and what they 'really have.'"

"W-what do you mean, what they really have-"

"They, love you," said Applejack, looking directly into Demure's eyes. "When your little sister spoke about you, she told me and my family, how much you meant to her. She loves and respects you Demure, and most important of all...she misses you."

"R-really?" asked Demure, a glint of liquid appearing at the corner of her eyes.

"As sure as Celestia raises the sun. And ah I mean that, from one big sister to another. My Applebloom isn't so little no more, and ah will admit, when she suddenly grew as big as she is now, well...I think I felt just as you do. I couldn't work things out at that time, and...let's just say I made some mistakes. However, I learned from them, and I owe it to your family, and to Coral. They helped me realize that I was looking and thinking about some things the wrong way. And now, I'm gonna be the Best Mare at my sister's wedding, because of what I learned."

Demure found herself looking into Appejack's face, where her gaze was met with a small smile.

"She's right, Auntie," said Coral. "I swear, if Applejack hadn't learned what she knows now, I seriously doubt we'd be sitting here with you. And it's like she says, 'size doesn't matter.' Your sister may be big enough to live in a barn now, but that hasn't changed how she feels about you...and It probably never will. I mean, I got, well, 'this' between my legs, and while it did make me feel self-conscious, I met a number of ponies, who see me for 'who' I am, not 'what' I am."

Demure just sat in silence for some time, not saying a word. The only sound, was the ticking of the nearby clock, and the distant sound of traffic outside. Finally, she spoke:

"I'll...I'll think about it."

"Auntie," said Coral, "Can you just give us a yes or no? It'd really make us feel better, if we had an answer."

"Coral," she said, looking him in the eye. "I know you're getting married soon, but, I need time on this. Time to think. Surely you can understand that."

Coral gave a long sigh, realizing that what he had hoped would be an easy resolution, hadn't turned out as he had hoped. He tapped his fingers together for a bit, before passing Rarity's envelope to his Aunt.

"It's from a good friend of ours," he said. "She's the one who helped make me these pants, and made some clothes for Applebloom, and Mom. That note of hers in there will get you a dress from a few boutiques around here, if you do decide to come."

A few moments later, Demure was seeing her guests to the door, though bringing up the rear of the procession, and still keeping a bit of distance between her and her nephew.

"Ah hope you do consider coming," said Applejack, giving her a hug.

"We'll see," said Demure, as she turned to Coral.

"Bye, Auntie," he said, giving her a hug, though leaning out a bit, so his crotch wasn't squishing against her knees. He could feel her wince a bit, but she was holding herself together better than she had the first time he had hugged her. "In case you can't make it, this is an extra-big hug from Applebloom and me."

Demure then watched the two walk down the hallway. They gave her a polite wave, before disappearing into the waiting elevator car. As she closed the front door, she walked back into her apartment, and headed over to a nearby desk drawer.

Opening it, she removed the envelope, containing the wedding invitation, and letters from Coral and his friends. She placed it on the coffee table, next to the envelope from Rarity.

Next, she went to her room, and opened her closet. Stacked among a number of dresses, were several photo albums. Taking one down, she carried it into the living room, placing it next to the envelope.

Opening the album she began flipping through it's pages. Soon, she found herself looking at a picture from her childhood home. On a familiar-looking porch-swing, sat two little fillies, happily smiling at the camera, holding hands.

"Oh, Gentle," she sighed.

Author's Notes:

I know I know, this probably wasn't a very 'big' chapter like some of you were thinking, but to me, in the context of the overall story, it covers another side of Coral's family, we have not seen yet, and, it gives us a chance to put Coral and Applejack together, before the big day.

Demure was somewhat of an enigma as I wrote out her character in previous chapters. I wanted to show that she seemed 'practical,' and that she seems to possess a nervousness about...'bigness.' One has to wonder, if Gentle Bounty and Chestnut Solace had taken her offer to house Coral and have him study in Manehattan, and his cock and balls swelled as they did in his early teens, would she have been accepting of this, or shied away from him (Something to think about).

A few weeks ago, I went to New York City, to attend the New York City Comic Con for the first time. This was also the first time I spent almost 4 full days in Manhattan, and tried to wrap my brain around the feeling, and insert it into this story (though I spared Coral smelling the constant burning and meat smell that seemed to be everywhere as I walked the streets!). New York is very much a place where things are constantly moving, and we got a taste of that here.

I did struggle with story length, but I think what we have here, is enough to see that Coral's Aunt has changed from the last time he saw her. In truth, I based her a little on an Uncle of mine, who became somewhat reclusive from the rest of our family in California. Much like Coral having fond memories of his Aunt, I too thought highly of my Uncle growing up, but in his later years, his withdrawing into the world of lethargy and Fox News, definitely turned me off a bit. He rarely ever went to family functions (didn't even come to my Grandma's 90th Birthday Party in 2010!). However, he surprised many of us, when he showed up for the wedding of my cousin's daughter in 2016 (he didn't stay for the reception, but even I was surprised to see him sitting next to my other Uncle on my Mom's side).

Originally, I had considered having Coral pointed out for his massive bulge, maybe a few ponies in Manehattan making fun of him, but the more I thought of it, the more it felt ridiculous to do so. I believe I was also trying to go for the angle of Moondancer's storyline from the MLP series, but we leave the resolution up in the air, to see if we'll get a happy ending or not.

I will give this little tidbit: We're almost at the end of the tunnel with The Expansive Romance of Applebloom and Coral Leaf. Hard to believe that I posted my first chapter almost a year ago, at the end of this month! I'm going to try and work to get the next chapter finished, and prepared for the 1-year anniversary! Toodles!