//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 Worry of a family // Story: The Pinto of Ardennes // by Bronycommander //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Worry of a family “Mama! Tungsten!” Pip’s voice echoed in his mother’s ears. “I’m coming!” Nancy yelled as she was running through a snowy forest, following her child’s voice. She had to gasp in shock, seeing Pipsqueak crawling through the snow, leaving a bloody trail as his right foreleg was missing, like it had been blown off. “Help…” “I’m here, Pip!” Nancy tried to comfort him as she tried to stop the bleeding, praying he would make it as his eyes were half closed. “Mama…I…cold…” The colt’s voice sounded tired. “No! You gonna be alright!” His mother yelled desperate, not wanting to lose him. “Don't cry, mummy. I'll...I'll get better...I'll be...fine. I'll...” Her son managed to tell before succumbing to his injuries. “Pip…no…NO!” Nancy awoke with a gasp, panting heavily as cold sweat ran down her forehead. “My son…” She sobbed, buried her head into her hooves with tears, crying herself to sleep again. The mare didn’t care how much she had slept as a knock on the door entered her ears. “Please… leave me alone.” It opened regardless, revealing her lifelong foalhood companion, Blue Murder, having a cobalt blue and dark red mane, and her son Tungsten, who had the same coat color but a ginger/orange mane. The colt carried a breakfast board with tea and toast. “Nancy, we know it’s hard to cope with this, but please, eat something.” The colt said with worry. “Why? What did he do?” The mother of Pip asked in despair, not making eye contact. “Don’t blame yourself, it was an accident, Nancy.” Blue tried to comfort her. Nancy sighed. “I know I shouldn’t, it’s just….I don’t want to lose him. He’s everything for me after I lost my husband.” A knock on the front door interrupted them. As Nancy opened it, an earth pony stallion with bespectacled purple and white patch-patterned coat, a long messy mane of indigo and silver streaks and matching eyes, was standing in front of her. It was Purple Patch, expert in Pre-Alicorn Studies at the Royal Academy in Canterlot, being born in Trottingham, like Pip was. “Hello, Miss Nancy, can I come in? If my timing is inconvenient, I come back another time.” He asked politely. “Of course.” Once he joined them at a table, she asked with hope, “Have you found out anything new about my son?” With an uneasy expression, he told, “Yes, to be exactly what caused it. A company doing portal research against regulations…” After having investigated the source of the portal, Patch came to a company named Grey Ridge Research Facility, very close to Ponyville. He massaged his temples with one hoof and scowled as he spoke with the CEO. “So, Mr...Crabcake?” “Crabshead, CEO of Grey Ridge Research Facility.” The stallion corrected. “Fine...So let me fully understand this so-called plan...if it can so be called. Three glorious months ago, you and your employees got the marvelous idea to start experimenting with portals without notifying the Academy or even the Princess.” Patch pointed out, already annoyed. “Well, I have friends in the capital council so...” Crabshead couldn’t finish as Patch held a hoof up. “So, upon deciding on this course, you consulted neither the Order of Wayfarers, the Estudio Ultrasonic Guild or even the Hearthstone Monks, all three of which own the only available knowledge on portal creation and interdimensional teleportation.” “Y-y-you see...” The CEO stuttered nervously. “Then to cut costs on materials and deliveries, you built a hidden facility underneath the ground barely three miles from a populated area, one that houses not only a Princess but the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony among many other important figures of Equestria. Then instead of actually constructing protected and contained areas to practice the portal creation, you conducted the tests above ground where any unassuming individual could run into them!” The Earth pony yelled. “L-listen, we only...” “And to top it all off, owing to hiring interns and any actual experts in the field you have in this facility not only of mid-level knowledge and experience but also, as our investigators have informed me, having been expelled from the academy and possessed of criminal records for illegal or negligent research, all of which done to ensure the least possible detriment to your wallet...Owing to that...None of you took any notes...meaning that we have no way to immediately determine just where poor unfortunate Pipsqueak has ended up!” His eyes blazed as he did a long pause. “Is there anything I have said that is not correct?” “...um...not all of them have criminal records...for illegal research anyway...” Crabshead was lost for words. Patch replied sarcastic, “Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me. Vice Squad wants to speak to your main shareholder. I certainly hope you've never left him with your foals...or anypony's foal for that matter!” Crabshead gulped, fearing what would come next. “Right. I shall be presenting your misdemeanors to the Princess in person...after we have located Pipsqueak. And if anything has happened to him, Mr. Crabshead, I swear to Laurelore and Remember I will have your genitals severed from your body and mounted above the doors of the Academy Portal Research Hall so that everypony knows what happens when somepony doesn't take this seriously!!!” Patch got up and bowed “I bid you good day.” Tungsten growled. “So this happened because of such an idiotic guy?” “Yes, but I’ll promise, I will not rest until we have found Pip. Shouldn’t take long due past experiences with Portal accidents.” The stallion had an honest expression. Nancy gave a weak smile. “I know to appreciate that, Patch.” “I don’t want to wake bad memories, Nancy, but actually, it was a brave act from Pip to save Dinky from the portal, like his father had saved you.” Blue Murder had regret in her voice as Nancy’s smile fell and the memories came back. “It’s alright. If it hadn’t been for Copperfield, I had never put my wild lifestyle aside…” Years ago, Nancy was in a criminal gang, having known her husband in here, as he was the leader of the gang. After they fell in love and had a wonderful evening, Nancy became pregnant. “What are we gonna do?” The mare asked desperate and clueless, not knowing how to continue this kind of life with a child on the way. Her lover nuzzled her. “Don’t worry, Nancy, we’ll think of something. You know, I only became a criminal at first for survival before doing it for profit. Maybe, it’s time to stop this and live a normal life. Leave our past behind. For our foal.” It kicked as he said those words, causing both to smile. “You are right. Together, we can do this.” To Nancy’s surprise, the other gang members were completely fine with that, wishing her a good future as mother. Blue Murder helped them to find a home, happy for Nancy to become a mother. The couple eventually married, happy to be together. “He was a criminal, but one with a good heart. It was a good idea to give up this life.” Blue commented. “Indeed. But…I will never forget this horrible day…” Nancy trembled as she remembered. One day, they went shopping, enjoying the warm weather. Copperfield kissed his wife. “You will be a wonderful mother.” “And you a wonderful father.” Suddenly, somepony grabbed them from behind, throwing them into a dark alleyway. “I don’t think so, Copperfield.” The stallion and mare struggled, seeing a unicorn stallion holding a knife. “Noggin, what’s the meaning of this?” Copperfield asked his former right hoof. “Simple. Without you, our gang fell apart. All because of your betrayal. I can’t tolerate that. You must pay. Maybe I should start with what caused your betrayal.” The unicorn said cold, holding the knife close to Nancy’s throat, who stared at it in fear. “Oh no, you don’t!” Her husband shouted in rage, breaking free and knocking the three ponies down. “Run! Save yourself!” He hadn’t to tell her this twice, she ran as fast as she could without looking back, towards Blue’s house which wasn’t far from here. There was a scream of pain and Noggin shouting, “Get her!” out of the alleyway. Upon seeing her friend’s house, Nancy frantically banged on the door. “Come on! Don’t tell me you’re not home!” “I’m coming, I’m coming!” Blue said as she opened the door, looking surprised at her friend. “What’s wrong?” She asked, her eyes went wide as she saw the three armed ponies, their eyes filled with thirst for blood. Blue Murder didn’t hesitate to push her friend in the house, taking a defensive stance as the attackers rushed at her. Despite being outnumbered, she easily disarmed the unicorn, twisting his arm, causing him to scream in pain as he dropped it, shoving him into his friends, knocking them out. “Are you hurt?” Blue Murder then asked her still shaken friend. “C-C-Co-Copperfield!” Nancy managed to yell, causing her foalhood friend to understand instantly. After calling the police, they made their way to the alleyway, finding the stallion lying in a puddle of blood, bleeding from his chest, barely alive. Paramedics brought him into the hospital, his wife was waiting with her friend in the waiting room, being worried if he would make it. It seemed like hours until a doctor came out, having an expression of pity, making Nancy hope it was just a bad dream. “I'm sorry but we couldn't do anything else for him.” At this moment, Nancy stared for a moment, then broke out in tears, turning to her friend for a comforting hug, not able to believe her husband was gone. “I really don’t know what I had done without you, Blue Murder. Without you, I had probably died and Pip had never been born.” Nancy said with a grateful expression. “Where did you learn to fight so well? “It’s nothing, really. Just a self-defense course and experience in defending Tungsten against bullies.” Blue said with pride, causing her son to blush and look down in embarrassment. “He wasn't afraid. He wouldn't want you to be. Remember him and the sacrifice he made to save his foal.” Patch added as she thought back when Pip was born. Despite her loss, happiness soon overtook her as she had labor pains. “It hurts!” Nancy yelled, panting heavily, pushing and screaming louder that she ever thought she would in her life. Then, a very young cry greeted her ears. “Oh my…It’s a colt, Nancy.” Blue Murder picked him and gave him to her mother who cried tears of joy. “He’s tiny.” The mare with pale-brown coat looked at her son, he had a spiky, mahogany tail with matching mane and hazel eyes and patches of dark brown on a piebald coat. “Pipsqueak. Welcome to the world.” Nancy said with pride. Shortly after her son’s birth, she got shown her room, noticing an earth pony stallion with bespectacled purple and white patch-patterned coat, a long messy mane of indigo and silver streaks and matching eyes on the other bed, smiling upon seeing her. “Hello, Ms.” “Hello. I’m Nancy and this is my son Pipsqueak. I guess we will be roommates for a while. What’s your name?” She asked politely. “Name’s Purple Patch, and my congratulations for becoming a mother. I have only a few broken rips, so I should be out in a few days.” “How did that happen?” Slightly lowering his head in embarrassment, he replied, “Well, I was reading some books in the library as an enormous tome fell out of a bookshelf and landed on my chest.” With that, he told her how he wanted to study Pre-Alicorn Studies at the Royal Canterlot Academy, with the mare wishing him good luck. As time passed, Patch eventually graduated, earning Nancy’s congratulations. While he mostly was in Canterlot for his studies, and Blue Murder helped her to raise Pip, Patch tried regularly to visit them. He wasn’t the best with foals but whenever Blue Murder was busy or Nancy exhausted from work, he kept Pip busy with stories. To Nancy’s displease, it were pirate stories that interested her son the most, which were popular literature in Trottingham but it made him happy and that was what she was glad of. He also called Patch sometimes “Patchy”, after the eyepatches of pirates, although the stallion mentioned once it was also the nickname his mother had given him. It was also his suggestion that they should move to Ponyville, where things were quieter than in Trottingham. “I must thank all of you for all your help in raising Pip. I appreciate it.” Navy said to her friends. Patch waved a hoof. “That what friends are for. If I may suggest, catching some fresh air could help you feel better.” “Righto, couldn’t hurt.” Outside, the mare took a deep breath, then sighed. Everypony helped each other in the time of need, as such everypony that crossed her way told his condolences, which she thanked in return. During her walk, she took notice of Dinky and Tootsie chatting with their friends, looking with guilt at her. “Miss Nancy…” Dinky mumbled, “We are very sorry!” “It’s alright, it was an accident, you aren’t to blame.” The mare replied bluntly as she moved on. At first, she was not fond of Dinky, due being daughter of the Doctor and Derpy, having heard stories of the latter’s clumsiness. But eventually, she realized what a good friend the filly became to Pip after she got to know each other on the first Nightmare Night. And she also knew if her son hadn’t intervened, that Dinky, Tootsie or Ruby would have taken his fate, a fate she knew the fillies had already experienced. Frankly, she was a bit glad they hadn’t suffered it twice, or thrice as Dinky had unfortunately. I guess my son has inherited this trait from his father. The mare barely finished her thought, as she suddenly felt a stinging pain in her heart, her pupils went small. “Mommy…help…me…” Her legs started to wobbly, then gave out and she collapsed. “No…No! NO! Pipsqueak!!!”