Chapter 4: A mother’s worries
Berry Punch had difficulties to sleep after her beloved daughter vanished. Either she dreamed that Ruby was dead or wasn’t the foal she had born.
In the Night, she whimpered quietly while tossing, and turning in the bed.
“Mommy!” Ruby yelled scared.
“Mama’s coming!” Berry ran as fast as her legs could carry her.
She found herself in a ruin town, Ruby was laying on the ground, bleeding pretty badly from the chest.
“Ruby!” Berry yelled shocked at the state of her daughter.
“Oh… Mommy…Please help me…”
“Hold on! You’re going to be alright!” Berry pressed her hooves on the wound to stop the bleeding.
“I’m so cold…” Ruby got weaker.
“NO! Stay with me!” Berry panicked.
“I am…so sorry, mama…” The filly’s body went limp. Berry stared at her hooves, covered in blood and cried.
“Ruby…No…You’re the only thing I had left…”
The Mare awoke with a gasp, panting heavily, cold sweat on her face.
“R-ruby…” She buried her hooves in her face. “I miss you so much…”
She cried herself to sleep.
She didn’t know how long she had slept and didn’t care as she was very depressed.
Tears leaved her eyes at the fear that her daughter would die. Ruby was everything for her.
She stayed in the bed until it was 2PM in the afternoon. With a messy mane, she got slowly out of the bed.
I’ve sworn to never drink again to be a role model and a good example to my daughter. But now, it’s the only thing who could cheer me up.
She got a bottle of wine out of her wine cabinet and poured herself a glass.
After taking a sip, she sighed. Why do I deserve this? First my Husband, now my daughter. Oh, Ruby, I pray wherever you are, that you are save.
After she almost emptied the bottle, her friend Colgate walked in.
“Berry my friend, I know you’re worried about your daughter but drinking won’t help you.”
Berry sighed. “I know it’s just, I have nightmares that she dies and my gut tells me that she’s dead or really hurt. She is the only thing I have left after I lost my husband.”
“Berry, look at me!” Colgate sound serious but still polite and friendly.
“I know how worried you are about her but drowning it in Apple Cider won’t make it better. She’s like a sister to me. And she knows how much you care for her and that you will search for her. And you’re a good friend. So cheer up!” She hugged her.
“Have I ever told you how I met my husband?” Colgate shook her head. “Then, it’s time that I tell you.”
“Did you ever tell Ruby about her father?”
“No, it hit me really hard, it took me years to get over with. And I also should tell you how I got my Cutie Mark.”
Berry took a deep breath and counted to 10. “It happened all these years ago…”
Ruby was about her daughter’s age when she got her Cutie Mark. “Mommy, daddy, I got my Cutie Mark!” she exclaimed. It was a punch of grapes and a strawberry.
“We’re so proud of you! How did you get it?” Her mother asked.
“Well, I mixed grapes and strawberries and it appeared. A new punch I made.” She exclaimed blushing.
Her father took a sip. He smiled. “That’s delicious! I think you made a new punch we can sell!” He hugged her.
“Thank you, Daddy!”
When she was old enough to be on your own, Berry became a wine taster.
A new bar had opened in Ponyville. The name was Berry Pinch. Berry entered it.
“Hello and welcome in Berry Pinch, how can I serve you?” The bartender, a young unicorn with Pink coat and purple mane asked. He had green eyes.
“Hello, my name is Berry Punch, I’m a wine taster. As I saw this new bar, I thought I check it out.” She introduced herself.
“I recommend this red wine from 1920.” He poured her a glass. “My name is White Ruby.”
Berry tasted it and her eyes went wide. “That’s the best red wine I ever tasted!”
“Glad to hear it. My family is in the wine business for years and understands her job pretty well.”
“What a coincidence! My family too!” Berry exclaimed and looked at White’s Cutie Mark. He had mug of cider and a barrel as Cutie Mark.
It was still in the morning, so they talked how much they had in common.
As White opened his bar, Berry offered to help out. “Of course you can help.” He replied politely.
While the bar was new, it quickly became a popular place, thanks to Berry’s recommendations. “Thank you, Ms. Punch. Without you, I had never been so successful.”
“Please, Berry is just fine. And I must say, you’re a polite and handsome Stallion.”
Her heart beat faster as she couldn’t help but feel love and kissed him on his lips which he returned.
“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership.”
“So that’s how you meet him. I can still remember your wedding was.” Colgate smiled at the memories. She was Berry’s foalhood friend and they were bests friends ever since.
“Yes, it was wonderful. But I will never forget this one night…”
After a wonderful night, Berry got pregnant. The time passed fast.
“You’re going to be a wonderful mother.” White kissed her.
“And you’re a wonderful father.”
White nuzzled her belly, causing the foal to kick.
They lived upstairs above the bar. They went to bed, snuggling with smiles.
But that night, they awoke as they sniffed something.
“Smoke!” White exclaimed. “We have to get out!”
They coughed from the smoke but made it downstairs. The exit was blocked by the flames.
“We’re trapped!” Berry yelled in shock.
“Not on my watch!” White tried to use a teleportation spell, but he couldn’t concentrate with all the smoke he was inhaling.
He coughed. “I can’t cast it on both of us! But at least I can safe you and our foal…”
“What!?” Before Berry could precede this, White lit up his horn.
“Promise me, you take care of your foal.” He teleported her out.
“WHITE!” Berry yelled as he never came out and the house collapsed. “NO!!!!”
The fire department and police were quick on the scene. Colgate saw also what happened.
“Berry! Oh my gosh, are you alright?” She hugged the mare who was still in shock.
“My…my husband is still in there!” Berry shouted in tears.
“Don’ worry ma’am, we will find him!” a firefighter said to her as they started their work.
A younger Nurse Redheart and Doctor Stable took Berry to the hospital to make sure she was fine.
At the fire was under control, Winona ran to the debris followed by Big Mac who shouted, “Winona! Stop!”
She sniffed on the ground and began to dig. She barked as a pink hoof came to the semblance. The fire fighters got him out of the ruble. White was hurt pretty badly but still alive. His horn was still glowing, a shield around him.
“Get him to the hospital!”
Thanks to her husband, Berry and her foal were unharmed. She waited outside with Colgate at the OP, worried if her husband would make it.
Nurse Redheart joined them. “His condition is critical. It’s a miracle he survived. A bar fell on him, knocking him out. But as unicorns have a natural survival instinct that kicks in when in serious danger, he could survive. Even knocked out, his horn casted a shield spell, that protected him from the flames. But he got severe internal bleeding.” She explained.
Suddenly the doors opened and Doctor Stable walked out. “I'm sorry but we couldn't do anything else for him.”
Berry broke out in tears and hugged Colgate for comfort.
Yet there was something beautiful. After the funeral, Berry had labor pains and she got into the hospital. Shortly after in the evening, her water broke.
Redheart was holding her hoof, Colgate was also by Berry's side.
She gasped heavily. “I never thought it would be that painful!”
“It’s over soon. Push!” Redheart ordered.
Berry screamed in pain louder than ever before in her life. Then she heard crying.
“My goodness…” Colgate gently picked up the newborn foal, tears of joy in her eyes.
“Congratulations, it’s a filly.” Nurse Redheart also cried in happiness. Colgate handled the filly over to the happy mother.
“It’s a unicorn like her father and has my colors mixed with his.” She looked with tears of joy and a smile at her baby. It had green eyes.
“What’s her name?” Colgate asked wiping a tear out of her eye.
“Ruby. Ruby Pinch. As honor to her deceased father and his bar.” She said still happy. Even with the insurance, it will take some time to build a new home.”
“You can live with me, Berry.” Colgate offered.
“Thank you.”
A police officer walked in. “Ms. Punch?”
“Yes?” she looked at him.
“We found the reason the fire broke out. It was arson. It appears you husband had a difficult time with somepony who lighted your house as revenge. We believe that he is also after you.”
Berry’s expression became worried. “B-but you’re protecting us, right?”
“Of course, until the suspect is arrested.”
“Don’t worry Berry, you’re safe here. We got guards.” As she said that, a medium build earth stallion with brown coat, black mane and brown eyes walked in. As Cutie Mark he had a cigar and a glass of scotch on top of some books. He was wearing a blue shirt with tie and a belt.
“Hello Ms. Punch, I’m Dust Dunes and I will guarantee you and your daughter’s safety. Who’s a cute filly? You are! Yes you are!” He ruffled her mane and she giggled.
She yawned and fell asleep in Berry’s arms. “I think it is time to leave.” Redheart said quietly.
“Yeah *Yawn* see you tomorrow.” Colgate said goodbye and left.
Berry also fell asleep, smiling. “I will protect you from all harm, Ruby.” She whispered in her ear, happy to be a mother.
The floor was dark, only the light cones of Dust’s flashlight illuminated it as he did his rounds. Every time he was at Berry’s room, he looked after her it to make sure everything was alright.
“2-5 to control, reporting in. Nothing's out of the ordinary.” He said into his radio.
While doing another round, he used the coffee dispenser. “No nightshift without coffee.” He whistled while patrolling
Unknown to the staff, somepony managed to sneak in.
Berry woke up as she heard a strange noise. The door was open and she spotted a shadow.
Before she could react, the shadow rushed to her and pinned her down, a knife close to her throat, a hoof on her mouth. “Scream and you’re dead.”
However, this had awoken Ruby, she started to cry.
Dust was drinking his coffee as he heard Ruby crying, causing him to spit it out. “Maldita sea!” He trotted to Berry’s room, his baton ready.
“FREEZE!” His flashlight pointed at the intruder. An Earth pony with green eyes but his head was covered by a Mask, the rest by a black suit.
“Stay back or she’s dead!” the pony threatened but overlooked the infant whose horn lighted up.
“What the?” He asked as the knife was levitated out of his hoof, dropped on the floor, and the intruder was thrown to the ground too, away from the scared mare.
The intruder got up and rushed at the guard, but Dusk blocked his attack and knocked him out with the baton. “That’s the best you came up with? Give me a break.” He cuffed the intruder and sounded the alarm. “2-5 reporting in, we got a situation. Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. Shh, calm down, shh…” Berry rocked Ruby until she was asleep again.
By the noise, Redheart and Doctor Stable checked her.
The police arrived quickly and took the intruder away.
Berry heard that her attacker died on the way as the transport had crashed but that way, he couldn’t harm her or her daughter.
Dusk got transferred shortly after the incident to a facility in the south near Appleloosa. She thanked him but he said that he only did his job. She tried to stay in contact with him, but eventually it broke away due his job.
Berry lived with Colgate together who helped her to raise Ruby well. The dentist was like a sister to her and the young filly got taught how important dental care was.
“Colgate, thank you for always being here for me… for us...”
“Anytime. You should catch some fresh air.”
“Yeah, I should.”
As she took a walk, everypony greeted her and expressed his condolences. She thanked them in return. That was what she liked so much about Ponyville. Everypony helped each other, no matter what.
As Sugarcube Corner was in sight, Ruby’s best friends Dinky, Noi, Tootsie Flute, and the CMC greeted her.
“Hello, Berry! We sorry to hear what happened to Ruby!” They all exclaimed.
“Hello, girls. I know what a good friend my daughter is too you.” After that, Berry decided to go into Sugarcube Corner. It was built where the bar once was.
The mare couldn’t complain, the bakery and confectionery as popular as the bar once was and she liked it too.
Inside, Pinkie Pie greeted her. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, how can I serve you, Berry?”
“A cupcake, please.”
“One Cheer up Cupcake, It’s on the house. I’m really sorry about your daughter.” Pinkie had a sad tone, showing her condulences and concern.
“Thank you.” Berry let out a sigh. “I’m just so worried.”
“Pinkie.”
“Pie.”
Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake came out of the back.
“Hey, you two.” Pinkie rubbed their bellies, causing them to giggle. Berry let out a weak smile, as it remembered her when Ruby was a baby and she did the same.
Pumpkin Cake lighted her horn up, a heart formed above her head, her brother formed a heart in flight. “See, even they want to cheer you up. Guess they learned something from me despite their young age.” Pinkie smiled proudly.
Without warning, she twitched, her hair deflated and her color became grayish pink.
“No…something very sad happened…”She looked down at the ground.
Berry felt a stinging pain in her heart, her pupils went small.
“Oh… Mother… Please help me…” echoed in her head.
She collapsed on the floor, crying her heart out.
“No…NO! No! WAAAHH RUBY!!! SHE’s DEAD!!”