On a lonely and dark street the only noises that echoed off the buildings that were packed side to side was the clacking of the chariot’s flight team hoofs and whinnying. A lavender mare hopped off- once again thanking them, as usual, and requesting they linger for bit longer. Twilight mouthed Silent’s father name, then muttered the building number to herself. It didn’t take long as there was only one light source coming out of the main window next to the door; assuming somepony was home. Twilight checked herself to the best of her abilities, then began to ascend the small staircase step by step.
Twilight’s voice was alike to Fluttershy for once, squeaking out, “Okay..Here I go,” swiftly picking up a hoof while balancing on other three,other three she proceeded to knock: loudly once followed by a few small raps. The lavender Unicorn’s ears perked up; small noises of cluttering and hoofsteps escaped the bottom crack of the door. It was too dark for to make out any discernible characteristics, but Twilight did see a silhouette approach the door. She straightened her posture and prepared herself to speak, but a raspy voice dashed her courage and made her waver slightly.
“Who the hay are you?” the voice demanded. “Why are you here at this time of night? If you are door to door salesmare, I’m going to kindly ask you to buck off and-
“Are you Mochaccino?” Twilight interrupted, anxious to get both herself and the stallion back to the hospital as quickly as possible. “I’m here to talk to you about S-”
“Wonderful, a bucking random mare that knows my name shows up at my door while it is still the middle of the night. I don’t have any reason to talk with you, now good-bye!”
The door became enclosed in a dark brown aura and promptly slammed itself shut in front of Twilight. Twilight, still on edge from the abrupt conversation, found herself blurting out, "I know your son!"
The door froze mere inches from Twilight's face, and slowly opened itself to reveal the innards of the building, with a very long ansty pause before the door was opened all the way.
“...Come in,” a cold voice called out to a lavender mare standing at entrance of wide open door, a dark brown aura encased the door when Twilight stepped through. A slam resounded throughout the room, then silence which was immediately broken with an inquiry shot by a stallion with - what Twilight could assume as it was still dark - an irritated look to him.
“Anything to drink? Coffee? Water? Or any “drinks” that tickles your fancy?”
Twilight quickly pondered about the offer, choosing quickly to push things along. “Coffee! Coffee would be fine, thank you,” replied the lavender mare as she trotted up to a couch in the living room. Her ears perked up and she became bit more nervous when the only response she received from him was a grunt among the cluttering of appliances in what Twilight assumed was a kitchen.
“It's brewing.” Twilight finally took in full features of stallion when he paced himself out of the kitchen. She could see slight resemblance to Silent, but this stallion was more rugged and donned a brown coat instead of Silent's bright white. The thing that hit Twilight over the head though, were the bright green eyes that bore into the scholar's soul and the unkempt green mane, just like Silent's. Something gained her attention briefly, it was a family photo on the wall just ahead of what Twilight assumed was a young and scarless Silent with Mochaccino. There was pulchritudinous mare with an snowy coat, tawny mane and tail sitting next to them. Amidst this she was giving a deprecating gaze- probably at the photographer. Twilight deduced that that must be his mother. “Now then..” Twilight snapped out of her meditating by a voice that demanded answers out of the mare.
Mochaccino went straight to the point, “You still haven't told me why you are here, how you found me or how you knew my name. More importantly, how do you know Silent?” A deep breath was enough to build up some courage before speaking with Silent's father; chafing her flank against the couch, trying to fight off the heavy and penetrating look that stallion had on her.
“I'm going to jump to the point, Mochaccino. Silent is in a hospital, moreover- ” Twilight was prepared to carry on to tell him what exactly have transpired very recently, but Mocha had his own ideas.
“Silent? Hmph, kicked him out of my house. Good riddance! He was nothing but trouble I tell you! And the hospital?” Mochaccino laughed. “What did Silent do this time? Alcohol poisoning, this would be his...fifth time? This is getting old. Wait! Wait, don't tell me- did he get into a bar brawl again or did Silent get in-” Mochaccino kept waving his hoof, gesturing every time he pointed out all the possibilities that his son could gotten himself into. Twilight found it odd how his own father deliberately avoided the term "son"; it was a testament of the odious relationship that they had for other.
Twilight could sense a hint of fluctuate in his cold, demeaning voice; pausing then she decided to interrupt him before he will regret saying some terrible things later on in his life.
“Sile- SILENT WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAIN ACCIDENT!” A booming yet feminine voice echoed around the room, then reticence. The only sound echoing through the newly silenced house was the monotonous drip of the coffee machine.
“I'm sorry, just had...to,” Twilight's lips were quivering, “Stop you before you said something that you would regret later on. He was in...” the mare drifted her voice repeating it for good measure. “A train accident.”
Mochaccino remained stoic. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but a knot in his throat blocked his bid to converse; he couldn't wrap his mind around what this mare before had had just said. The brown stallion's fatherly instinct, for first time in a long, time took over when Mochaccino's voice cracked as he replied. “Is he okay? Where is he? Is he fine? Is he alright? Where is Silent?!” The lavender mare receded while the brown stallion advanced towards her, slowly losing his nerves.
Taking a another quick breath to speak about to formulate her response but only got deterred when Mochaccino beseeches the mare before her, to let him to see his son- in spark of irony with the way how he have been acting just prior when he knelt down in begging position, his usual attitude ruffled because he lost his wife and that is one too much.
As the chariot flew through the air, sending wind that made Twilight's mane and tail whip back and forth as it rushed past, the lavender shot a concerned gaze at end of the chariot where a brown stallion sat with downcast but worried expression. With a brief moment of peace within the chariot, the magical protege thought back to how this entire chain of events began. It was after a quick correspondence between the personal protegè and her mentor; asking Princess Celestia to use her royal record-keepers to investigate Silent Dreamweaver's family records. After a few tense minutes of waiting, the sun princess replied very briefly with a short but detailed record of his family, focusing mostly on the deaf stallion's father: Mochaccino. Twilight quickly learnt his address within Balitmare, just short reach from the train station. When Twilight was about to leave, her friends tried to go with her for advocation, but she didn't want any of it. She wanted to face him alone, for herself and for Silent, so it was with reluctance that her friends accepted that Twilight went off on this mission alone.
A sound rose over and above the various rattlings that came with traveling by a chariot; it was a robust cry.
“Lady Twilight, we are almost to our arrival, inform your associate as well. After this trip, we are taking off for the night to head back to Canterlot. I apologize in advance.”
Twilight wiped her face, yawning as today's circumstances have been very taxing to her physical and mental fitness, so with a nimble nod at the Pegasus's flight team leader that she understood. Pacing herself toward back of the chariot then picked up a hoof, while balancing on all other three to tap on Mochaccino's shoulder to gain his attention, adopting a delicate voice to match the mood that hovered over two passengers of the chariot.
“Moch..Mochaccino. Wake up We're disembarking in few minutes.” As Twilight spoke, the brown stallion stirred out of his half-heartened stupor and set his sights on the lavender mare - ruminating about something.
Mochaccino looked up at Twilight, bearing an austere look in his eyes as he asked. “What are you to my son?”
The question caught Twilight off guard. Slightly taken aback - she had to steel herself to avoid expressing any emotion, it was too soon - she responded, “A friend, new friend actually. I met him a few days back at Ponyville.”
The stallion took a moment to ponder before responding, racking Twilight's nerves slightly. “Are you lying to me? Because it seems like you did more than a normal friend could have done with regards of my son's...” Mochaccino paused, wavering within his mind to find right word that wouldn't be so insulting. “...demeanor. You mean to tell that, after all this time, you still didn't give up on getting to know Silent, despite his faults? You even traveled all way from Ponyville to Hoofington to be there for him and now...” Mochaccino paused to take a breath before proceeding to voice what was on his mind, gesturing one of his hoof toward the Unicorn. “Now this? You went out of your way to find me, Silent's father? Why?"
Twilight rubbed her neck, nervous to answer straight away. “Well you see, when he came in-” Twilight began tip toeing in her explanation, but got “saved by the bell” when the team of Pegasus whinnied, tilting the chariot to do a quick turn - lining up to land on the street. Pulling to full standstill at front of the hospital, Twilight hopped off and thanked the fliers; their only response was proud whinny as they took off to the air with empty chariot trailing behind them.
Luckily the landing procedure put Mochaccino's mind off the subject at hoof. The father paused when Twilight began to trot toward the doors of Central Hoofington Hospital, knowing that he was only short distance from his son scared him; he wasn't sure if Silent even wanted to see him even though Twilight's intent was pure and true.
Ignoring all of the small noises around them, Mocha perked up when a crystal clear voice invaded his ears.
“Are you coming?”
___________________________________
A few hours have passed since Mochaccino walked into the lobby and was greeted by five mares plus a baby dragon, which naturally surprised him. Twilight then went into lecture mode, explaining everything that had occurred to Silent within this hospital. Including the messy details of when he learned, the hard way, that he couldn't use magic and could possibly never get it back. It disgusted Silent's father to no end; being unable to comprehend why he went through so many misfortunes in his life, although part of it was entirely Silent's blame due with his poor choices in life. It was also during this time that the party agreed that Silent and Mochaccino should have some time together as a family when he woke up, so for few hours he was all alone with his son just waiting for that moment.
Doctor Fleetheart stopped by after learning that his patient’s father is visiting; explaining to avoid the use of magic so his trauma didn't recur. It was also because of Silent's latest outburst that his doctor ordered that he is not to be given anything else but medicine via IV, and he was limited to hospital food only. Mochaccino chuckled lightly, thinking of how Silent will manage to go through this without his addiction of hard liquors. He figured that his son would crawl on his belly to get just one drop of liquor if it got bad enough.
___________________________________
It was morning, urban birds were chirping as the sun rose over the horizon, the ponies were stirred out of their dormancy across the city. The brown stallion gazed upon a reflection of himself in his cup of coffee, still waiting for that moment for him to fall out of dreamland’s control and for the talk that was long time overdue. Mochaccino got his answer when a white forehoof laced with two IV’s twitched, groans followed shortly after, but what broke Silent from the normal wake-cycle was a loud scream which exited his throat upon realizing who was sitting in front of him. All of his old feelings began to flare up, most of them ba,- but subsided when he realized that this pony was the very reason he was leaving Ponyville in the first place. A heart-wrenching silence declared its sovereignty over both father and son while both figured out what to say. Silent had worst of it because he knew that he had to own up to his mistakes and apologize like he originally planned, but he couldn't figure out if he should call him “father”, “dad” or “Mochaccino.”
The sunbeams, filtered by the dirt on the window, danced across the floor being interrupted by the occasional bird that flew by. The white and brown Unicorn had a stand-off, it was only Silent who broke it.
“Dad...” motioned the white Unicorn in the weakest hoofsign that Mochaccino has ever seen with his son. The father gently leaned over to his son, giving him a hug which made Silent break down; there was no need for a long talk or lecture for this moment. A single tear broke out of his unobstructed eye. The brown stallion backed off to give him some space, rubbing his worn hoofs and began to hoofsign in vain: he stuttered and stumbled so much that, if not for Mocha's experience with Silent at his worst, it would have been unreadable to even the most talented reader. Nevertheless it made Silent happy that this was very first step of repairing whatever of relationship that they had.
“How..are you...” Mochaccino kept pondering what sign it was for next word. Silent didn't waste anytime helping out his father with weak left hoof by showing how to say the word “doing”, waving his hoof in downward side to side motion. Mochaccino finished the sentence with his son's help.
“I won't lie...I'm not exactly okay, but you being...here helps a lot.” Silent looked at his father, repeating once the last of his sentence: “a lot”.
The brown stallion then offered his coffee to Silent, in defiance to what Doctor Fleetheart’s orders earlier.
“Did you br-” Silent groaned in small pain as some of pain killer wore off for a moment, but another drip from the pack hanging above him remedied it.
“Did you brew... it?” The deaf stallion fought off some of small throbbing pain everywhere on his body.
“No.”
The deaf stallion made a funny expression, then stuck out his tongue in disgust while shaking his head no. Silent denied the coffee because only his father's home-brew sated that itch in his throat. It is perfectly attributed to his father’s cutie mark: bag of ground coffee that was scattered around the cup of coffee with vapor coming out of it.
“Then I...don't want it,” the deaf Unicorn replied in hoofsign with a chuckle, which his father joined. Then a groan exited the stallion when a pain shot from his left hoof to the rest of the body and forced the Unicorn into silence until it died down. Mochaccino began to fret over his son, wondering what he was supposed to do but when he noticed Silent have settled down; right way he asked him.
“Son, can...we communicate on paper? Things...easier?” The brown stallion looked at his son with both of concern and reluctance; Silent thought for minute then nodded to his father that he was okay with it for now.
Mochaccino didn’t remember the last time that he had a real conversation with his son, so rather than divulge into their past problems now he sought to change the topic by redirecting it into another subject that was foremost in his mind.
What is that purple mare to you Silent? The brown stallion figured this was good enough to start off.
Snaking his way up on his bed, groaning as he instigated a magical charge to his horn to grab ahold of the pen, but nothing materialized once again. Silent chuckled sadly, this was his first attempt at magic since his accident yesterday. Using his left hoof to support himself, he grabbed the pen with his mouth and began writing in messy, but still comprehensible writing.
She's a friend, I don't know how else to describe it. the deaf Unicorn turned the note upside-down so he could read it. The pen quickly got encased in dark brown aura as he transcribed his thoughts.
Are you sure? I've only known her for few hours now, yet when she speaks of you I could see that spark in her eyes that shows how much she truly cares for you. The brown stallion carefully floated the paper back to him.
Mocha noticed that Silent’s writing became bit more emotional.
Yes, I know that she does have those...affections for me, but I chose to ignore it. That mare thinks she could hide it well enough, but it is as obvious as the light of day. Silent chortled at what he wrote.
Mochaccino heard enough, they may had problems that still needs to be ironing out, they may be just at first step of repairing his relationship, but ignoring a mare’s feelings outright? This won't do!
Silent quickly began to shut down his father with a weak but abrupt reply.
You won't understand at all dad, just some stupid horseshit.
Mochaccino had enough of this, angrily yanking the paper away from his son to speak his mind, writing quickly as he could.
Enlighten me, then! It's wrong to ignore a mare like that, when she’s poured her heart out to you; I don't care if she's said it outright or not!
Fatherly instincts took over as he bore a look that only a son or daughter would squirm around at; attempting to change the subject would have proven fruitless as Silent knew how stubborn his father was. Shifting around in his bed once again, fighting off the uncomfortable casts that he had on most of his body, his left eye radiated downhearted aura.
Pausing now and then with pen just hovering above the paper, his hoof shook in small tremors when memories of his past love life began to resurface.
Okay dad, you win. It is because I...
I’m afraid of love!
Mocha peered at Silent, wordlessly compelling his son to continue.
It was a couple years after...mom died and when it was beginning of my problems. I met this beautiful mare. I won't divulge into details of exactly happened, but we did everything together. We stargazed, drank, partied, got into trouble together, shared a bed...just everything that there is to do as Unicorns. Think back on whatever my mother did with you, we did.
Eventually we made it known to most ponies within our circle that we were lovers. We were happy; everything, it seemed, was finally looking up for myself and her.
Silent weakly slid the paper across the food table to his father, which he carefully read and came up with two quick questions.
What happened? And who was she?
The deaf stallion sighed, there was no avoiding it now, might as well tell his father.
Anyhow, one night I picked up a few liquors as a gift for her. We were planning to---get drunk and do whatever that we usually do. I walked up to her apartment; her door was unlocked, which was unusual. I thought that there was something wrong, so I snuck into her living quarters, checking if my first reaction was right. I opened the door and there she was... in the hoofs of my damned ex-best friend!.
They were just...bucking. I wanted to barge through that door and murder him at that very spot, but I never did. I could remember her looking up and seeing me through the crack of the door with atormented face when she realized that she betrayed our relationship. I won’t ever forget that scene for as long I live. I ran away when she threw him off, chased me for few blocks before I shook her off.
And before you ask: her name is Amber Blossom.
Silent couldn’t write any more. It was getting bit hard for him to go on, but a small part of him told himself that it felt somehow better. Mochaccino delicately picked up the paper, reading it over- remembering the maroon mare all too fondly, with the white highlights that contrasted her otherwise jet black mane, her yellow eyes that would’ve made any colts captivated. Coming over to his house, knocking on the door to ask for his son, back then Silent would be off drinking or partying somewhere. That was exactly that what he told her everytime she came over. She looked desperate, hurt even, but she never told him why she was looking for his son. Her shame wouldn’t have allowed her to.
I don’t think I’ve ever told you this because..well... you weren’t exactly around at home. Amber came over to our house a few times, the last time was month ago, asking for you, but I never knew why. Silent just nodded at his father for a brief reply, gesturing with his free hoof for the pen and paper back.
Love has only been painful. So yes, I am afraid of love; afraid of being hurt again. You want to know why I refute Twilight’s feeling? Now you know. But you wanna know the worst part?
The father intently shook his head, few answers came to mind, but he waited patiently for the real answer which came after.
Sure, if I do find somepony someday, start up a relationship and go far as we want, then inevitable would happen.
What scares me the most is that if Amber just showed up one day and asked me to give her another chance, I’m afraid that I might would said 'yes', even after what she did to me. I don't know! So...confusing.
Mochaccino have learnt more about his son and his life in one hour of talking than last five years of grunts or simple signs within that household. The brown Unicorn's forehead furrowed in deep thought as he chose the simple approach in regards to this slew of information.
...You're stupid. Very stupid, Silent. Whatever you had with Amber is gone, and you maybe will never get it back. But love isn't planned or projected. True love just happens to us when we’re not searching for it; that’s what makes it so undefined. What I'm trying to say, my son, is give love a second chance, embrace it and you will see the truth. I don't care if I sound like a hypocrite now, but trust me. Just once, I ask you to trust me.
Silent gazed at the paper for a long time, chuckling at first at his father's last sentence rebuttal, but the chuckling subsided and a long exasperated sigh soon replaced it as Silent racked his brain in an attempt to find a true justification for his love life.
After few minutes of soul-searching, Silent opted to find one another time; right now... he wanted to change the subject.
Alright dad, I’ll try to trust you this time, but no promises.
Silent once again changed the subject, this time to learn what had been happening with his father since the split up.
So, whatever happ-
___________________________________
Meanwhile, just down the hall where father and son were continuing their heart to heart talk, the hospital's cafe was offering food to any waiters and/or doctors that were working today. Which was the main reason why Twilight chose to satiate her growling stomach here; eagerly heading to the counter to order. Unfortunately, the lavender mare's emotional state churned her stomach and made food hard to digest properly. It was with this in mind that made Twilight look through the assortment of foods being offered and choose the easiest pieces she could find. The perfect answer was right there: the scent of artichokes with a dash of garlic invaded her muzzle. It looked rich, smooth, and creamy; she just had to have this. With an order in her mind, Twilight started pulling the bits out of her saddlebags.
“Hello, how can I help you?” The cashier with strange nurse garb asked. Twilight didn’t take in much of features of the worker, but the deep voice told her that it was a stallion.
Twilight didn’t make a eye contact with the cashier, staring intently at the food just near her.
“Yes, I would like that bowl of Artichoke soup please. A cup of tea, coffee or water in that order as well. The cashier sighed then chuckled at the odd behavior that the Unicorn was displaying before him. Walking up with the soup carefully balanced on a tray, he poured the coffee and returned to the mare with the tray now filled.
“That would be 6 bits please.” Twilight quickly complied and cashed in her bits. Then, she merrily carried her dinner to an empty table. A large growl erupted from the studious mare's stomach, sending the mare looking in every direction, hoping that no pony had been able to hear it.
Twilight scanned the small, scarcely populated room, but didn't take notice to a rainbow-maned Pegasus and Earth Pony brandishing an old stetson hat arguing in a booth a few tables over.
“There’s our egghead.” Rainbow went ahead of Applejack, prodding Twilight from behind.
“Whatcha eating?” The cyan Pegasus planted her rump on a chair, spouting off before Twilight could formulate a response. “Can I have some? Man, I’m so hungry. You know flying all day and stuff does work up an appetite.”
“Rainbow Dash! Corsarn it, don’t get distracted; we aren’t here for food! Beside you didn’t do much of flying today!” Applejack tugged on the Pegasus’s tail. Twilight got a sneaking suspicion that two of her friends wasn’t here just to dilly dally around, what sealed the deal was Applejack sighing.
“Twilight, you know that all of us six will be always be your friend, no matter what happens. Rainbow Dash and mahself have been..debating with rest of the girls; some agree and some don’t.”
A pause, the silverware made a quiet clang as the Unicorn deactivated her magic to divulge her full attention.
“Mind you, ah’m saying this...it’s nothing bad. But it is about-”
Rainbow Dash spoke up. Applejack may be an honest pony, but when dealing with hard facts she had a tendency to dance around the subject.
“It’s about Silent, but more of about you...”
[Fucking.... DONE!] - Mr-Happy-Mii! :D
*inhales deeply* ...yay! - Morfy