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// 172. Partner Race. 
// Story: Short Shorts 
// by Coranth 
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... and then, Celestia told me a heart-wrenching story. She told me of humankind; of how they had created ponykind to be a sort of pet-partner-symbiotic race for them. Humans had marveled at and embraced what they had created--and they had adored us. "But then," Celestia whimpered softly as we lay on her bed together, her back turned to me, "your kind... went away. Humans disappeared. We don't know why. All I know is that," a sob escaped her, despite her best efforts to remain composed, "that one day, I woke up and... and humans were gone. My Master... my master was GONE!" That was that; Celestia couldn't control herself anymore. Old, old instincts - triggered by my presence - roared to the surface, and she whinnied, "M-a-a-a-a-a-ster!" she whinny-called, staring at something, someone only she could see. "M-a-a-a-a-a-ster!" Then, finally, she burst into tears.

Not knowing what to do - yet guided by something, perhaps the natural magic of the world - I moved to spoon her, holding, petting, stroking, caressing her softly, gently, all over. "Sssh," I soothed her, "Master's here, sweetie... Master's here... there, there..." Wordlessly, the big alicorn mare twisted in my grip, pulling me against her belly, tangling me up in hooves and wings, nuzzling my face over and over and over and over with tear-stained muzzle before she laid her head on my chest. Celestia wore herself out, cried herself to sleep with her catharsis, this release of her grief; not only hers, I suspected, but also that of her entire race. How long had she carried this hurt? How long had she been waiting for us - humankind - to return to our beloved ponies?

As Celestia slept, deeply, restfully - perhaps for the first time in years - her bedroom door opened, a soft, hesitant nicker reaching my ears as Luna entered the room, her eyes and face wet with tears; she'd heard her sister's tale. With the free hand that poor Celestia wasn't clutching to her with a forehoof, I waved the dark mare over. Without hesitation, Luna trotted over, hopped up on the bed and settled with us her body sagging with relief as she, too, sniffled then wept in silence; she wasn't going to be alone anymore... As more and more humans returned to Equestria, ponykind seemed to sense it and 'wake up,' if you will. The Little Ponies seemed happier, more content. Ponies 'functioned' better when we humans were with them; we in turn became a happier people, violence, crime, our unhappiness gradually dialling down... Ponies who'd been in asylums, or hospitals for years - suffering from depression and other maladies - suddenly left, seeking humans to attach to, and when they found one they began to become well; and it was the same for humankind, too.

Of course, things weren't perfect - nothing ever is - but we all worked damn hard to make it so, and as the years passed, man and ponykind flourished with their renewed symbiosis. Society for ponies didn't change much - ponies still worked their jobs and lived their lives as they always had - but there were, however, certain ponies who chose to become the 'pets' of humans, wanting nothing more than to be played with or just petted and adored. They, however, were extreme cases. As for Celestia, Luna, and I, though... when a maid came in to wake us all, I was the first to wake and upon doing so I ruffled the pony's mane and scratched her behind the ears for a moment; then, giggling and dancing away she gently woke Celestia and Luna. Once the two princesses were awake - Luna having switched to a diurnal clock - Celestia raised the sun, then I helped both princesses into their regalia before we made our way out of our shared bedchambers to begin a brand new day...