//------------------------------// // My Father // Story: Following His Footsteps (Sequel to They'll Never Hear You) // by ianv64 //------------------------------// I remember my childhood quite well. I was raised by my dad, who is a famous author. He has one book that was a huge hit, jump starting his career. It was nice that my dad was around a lot, seeing as his work was being at home. My mother is an extremely nice mare. Her name is Fluttershy. She tells me her, and my dad had met as children, but were separated around 9 years old. She never told me how, or why at that point. I was too young. I never asked either, I just accepted it as it was. My dad loved to read my brother and I bed time stories. He wrote them, or made them up sometimes too. My favorite one was "Perseverance" Which was about finding yourself as you grow up. It always made me feel like one day, I'll be good at something. I'd love to be able to write like my dad. I loved his stories, and I thought, maybe he could teach me when I get a little older. .......... My mom came to pick up my brother and I from school early. She looked really worried. Her emotions were always obvious. Even a little filly like me could tell when she was scared, or hurt, or angry...She looked really anxious. "What's wrong mom?" I asked. Treble, my brother, didn't seem to care. He was like that though, care free. "Oh. Uh....nothing, honey, don't worry about it." She assured me. She was really scared of something, I just knew it, but she didn't tell me. "Where are we going then?" I asked another question. "We're going to the hospital, to see if Daddy is okay." She almost teared up. My stomach twisted. I was worried now too. "What's wrong with Daddy?" I asked, also sharing the worry. "I...I don't know..." She said, holding back a tear. We arrived to the hospital. We waited in the waiting room for about 10 minutes. Treble fell asleep in the chair. Does he even care about anything?" He's my twin brother, you think since we're twins, he'd care about something. The doctor came through a door. She asked if my mom could talk to him in private. "Stay here, okay?" She asked, stroking my mane. She walked off with the doctor, and went through the door to the offices. His just happen to be behind the check out desk, in the distance, where I could see my dad, and her through the glass. I looked, and spied on them. My mom had her hooves to her mouth, in anxiety, next to my dad. The doctor began to talk. Since it was behind glass, I couldn't hear anything. After the doctor said something, my dad looked down in disappointment, and my mom broke down in tears, and hugged my dad tightly, crying into his shoulders. He hugged back. Treble was still asleep. I didn't know what was going on, so I didn't wake him up, but whatever it was, I knew that is was bad. We got home that day, and everyone was silent. Treble didn't talk much anyway. Mom was staring at the wall, and dad just sat in his office, and locked the door. I was tired of being left in the dust. I needed to know. I trotted to his door, and knocked. "Daddy?" I said, through the door. "One moment." He unlocked the door, and opened it. "Yes?" He said in a neutral tone, trying to hide his feelings. "Can I come in?" He thought for a moment. "Yeah, come on in." He opened the door wider. I closed it after I stepped in. "Daddy, what's happening to you?" I asked with my ears down. "What do you mean?" He responded. "I saw you two in the office through the counter glass, and mommy was crying...What's wrong?" He sighed. "I guess you should know while I still have time." "What?..." I thought I knew what that meant. "Daddy is sick, honey. I...I don't know how long I'll be here...I might not get to see you grow up." He put it so blunt, and didn't sugarcoat any of it. "Why?..." I said tearing up, and sniffling. "Why won't you be here? Are you leaving? Won't you get better?" He looked away a few times "I wish I could get better honey, but It will get worse. I know you can't see what's wrong yet, but you will pretty soon...I hate to have to tell you so bluntly, and plain out, but that's just how it is." He wasn't tearing up, or crying. I don't know ow my dad can be so strong, and emotionless at this point. "Daddy..." I gave him a huge hug. He hugged back tightly. Days afterward, my dad began to lose his hair, and he became really skinny. He didn't eat, he looked so pale. His dark blue coat grew light, and ugly. It became hard for him to talk. The fateful day came. My mom picked me and Treble up from school again. This time, we went to see him. He was in a bed, strapped to a machine. It was a heart meter. "Daddy..." I said, crying, and running over to him. "Scarlet, Treble...Please, promise me one thing." He said "What is it?" We both asked. "Promise me, you'll take care, and be good to your mother" His eyes were closing. "Daddy!" I shouted. "promise.......me...." "I promise." Treble said. "I promise too!" I said. "I love you Fluttershy...Be...good...." I heard the meter go blank. Mommy broke down. She cried really hard. It was painful to watch. When mommy cried, I felt bad, no matter what it was about. It's hard to watch your mom cry. We all got close, and hugged each other. We got home that day. I didn't go to school, neither did Treble. We missed a whole week. Mom just sat there and cried. She frowned, and when the tears dried up, she would cry again eventually. She loved him so much. We all did. Equestrian readers from all over wrote to us, and felt sorry for us, hoping we'd be okay. I'll miss you Daddy....