//------------------------------// // What Makes a Parent - Ch. 4 // Story: Two Lives Becoming One // by manuccia //------------------------------// Crescent and Star trotted slowly towards the two ponies, each step was taken cautiously as they examined the mare and stallion. Stalwart and Sunny’s heads both held low in shame. Twilight’s parent heard a lot about Soarin’ biological parents through Soarin’, but they never expected to meet them. Crescent took a few steps ahead of his wife. “So, you’re Soarin’s parents…” Crescent said, unsure what to say. Stalwart’s head raised as his eyes met Crescent’s. “My wife might have given birth to him and he lived with us, but we were hardly his parents …” The former guard says. “But why try to seem now?” Star asked. She was curious, after what she heard about them. Her parents only came to see her because her daughter was Princess Celestia’s student. “Our punishment… we have to confront Soarin’… we had to tell him we changed… and beg for forgiveness…” Sunny spoke up, not bothering to look Star in the eye. “… I know we don’t deserve it… but I want my son…” Sunny started to sob as she recalled the horrible memories. She wished she could go back and change it, she would have loved her son, but it was too late. Stalwart wrapped her arms around his wife, gently trying to comfort her. “Why?” Crescent blurted out. “Why did you do it?” “You must have known what it was like back then. A Pegasus and a unicorn dating in Canterlot… we were afraid of being persecuted so we hid… but when I was getting promoted and we started getting invited to social events we couldn’t let the world know. Then… then Soarin’ was born… our little Pegasus colt. For a few years we were able to fool everypony. We were a happy unicorn family, but then Soarin’ got his cutie mark. “ “My whole regiment saw the colt tackle me and they stared. I knew how they would react, so I told them he wasn’t my son… but that didn’t stop their jokes about me and my pegasus son. I was so upset that day when I saw Soarin’ at home… I hit him and again… I blamed my day on him because I couldn’t accept responsibility… and I don’t know… I never stopped… we enjoyed our life and… we didn’t want it to end. We blamed Soarin’ for our problems… when… we would have been happier if we just took care of our colt…” “Nothing we did was justified… Soarin’ was an innocent colt…” Sunny added. Crescent sat and tried to process the information. He still couldn’t believe a pony could do that to their foal. He knew he could never do that. “I understand you need to see him, but… Soarin’ is like a son to me. Ever since he married my daughter… I can’t stop you from talking to him… but leave his family alone, got it.” Stalwart and his wife nod in response. “Can… you tell us about his family…” Sunny asked. For the remainder of the day, the Sparkles answered their questions. They told them about Soarin’ and Twilight met, how Crescent wasn’t very trusting and about how their family grew. The only things going through both Stalwart and Sunny’s minds were, how happy he is and how they could’ve have been a part of his life. *** The moon sat high in the sky and the halls of Canterlot castle were quiet, only the staccato clops of hooves echoed down the adorned halls, the sound emanating from the very hooves of Princess Celestia and her student. Since the incident with Soarin’ parents the solar Princess trotted with her faithful student in an attempt to explain to her why she wanted her husband’s parents to confront him, but it was not meant to happen the way it did as they trotted through the gardens and towards Twilight’s room; only stopping for Celestia to lower the sun. “My student… I apologize for how today’s events transpired. I did not mean for it happen as they did.” “I understand Princess… I mean Celestia… but… do they want to be forgiven…?” she asked. Her mentor told him that they had to ask for forgiveness, but did they want it. “That is a good question, both of them claim that they do not deserve it, but… his mother, Sunny Skies, wants to be… his father doesn’t…” Celestia explained as they neared Twilight’s suite. “Why?” “You must remember what Soarin’s father did to him… for the past years he has lived with that guilt and he feels he can’t say or do anything to erase the torment. They let their fear rule them… but know I just hope Dusk and Glida’ are ok.” Twilight nods and the ponies promptly entered Twilight’s room, and first noticed Soarin’ lying on his bed. He lifted his head as the door opened and turned his eyes to the enter ponies. Twilight first noticed the tear stains under his eyes and immediately galloped over to him, her mind replaying memories of one particular day; the day he told her about his abusive parents. “Soarin’…” Soarin’ lets his head rest on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry Twilight… I didn’t mean to yell at them… I wasn’t thinking… and now they are afraid of me…” the stallion sobbed. Twilight tried to comfort her husband as she gently nuzzled him. “I understand Soarin’… have you tried to talk to them?” “Yes… they would just hide from me… I am a horrible father…” Twilight climbed on the bed. “No you aren’t Soarin’… you are a great father…” Twilight says gently. “Sure you shouldn’t have yelled like that, but I can’t imagine what you thought when you saw your father like that… now come on. I’ll go get a fire started and we can talk to them tomorrow.” The former Wonderbolt nodded as he dug his muzzle into his wife's neck. Princess Celestia watched the interaction between the two ponies. Even now the love they shared was strong, but she felt guilty. She should have checked her room, if Dusk and Glida’ weren’t in there this wouldn’t have happened. ‘I have to fix this…’ she thought as she looked towards their door. ‘I’ll talk to them… it is the least I can do…’ the white alicorn trotted over to the door and quietly entered. She noticed the two bumps on the bed and slowly approached. “Dusk, Glida’,” she gently called out. “It’s Nana Tia…” The two pony shaped humps scurried a bit before two foal heads poked their heads up. Their eyes were red from tears. “Hi Nana Tia…” Dusk said sniffling. “What is wrong little ones?” She asked but was met by silence. “You can tell me…” the Princess said inching her head towards the foals. “Daddy is mad at us…” Dusk said. “Is he going to hurt us…?” Glida’ added with a sniffle. “No… your father loves you very much… he is very worried…” Celestia tried to reassure them. “Why did he yell?” Dusk asked. “He never yells…” “He was scared about your safety… he loves you very much.” Celestia wraps them in a hug. “Why don’t you go talk to him… it would make him happy…” Dusk and Glida’ looked down as they thought. “Are you sure he is not mad at us…?” Celestia nodded. Dusk and Glida’ slowly stood up from the bed, carefully climbed down from their plush bed and slowly trotted down the door. The door swung open and they peeked their heads into the main room. Their mom and dad were seated by the fireplace. ‘Why is daddy crying…?’ they both thought as they saw his tear glisten from the fire. Dusk took a breath and spoke up. “D-daddy…?” Soarin’s head quickly swung around. “Dusk… Glida’… is something wrong?” he asked with genuine concern, giving them a loving smile. The two foals immediately galloped over to the stallion and grabbed hold of his neck. “We love you daddy,” they said a few tears on their eyes. “Why are you crying?” Soarin’ wrapped his hooves around the two ponies. “I love you both very much… and I’m sorry for yelling at you. It wasn’t right of me. I want you to know I would never hurt you… I love you too much.” Dusk and Glida’ just sat in their father’s embrace. Glida’ pulled back and looked her dad in the eye. “Why did your dad hurt you?” she asked. ‘Oh Celestia… what do I say…’ Soarin’ takes a deep breath. “I never really knew why…” Dusk and Glida’ pulled out of their embrace and curled up next to their parents. They reveled in the warmth of the slow crackling fire and the comfort of their parents. Twilight’s head turned towards the small clock on the opposite wall. ‘It is past their bed time… but… I guess they can stay up a little longer. Considering what happened today…’ Twilight thought as she yawned. It was a long day for everypony. Twilight’s head slowly lowered until it made contact with her husband’s neck. “Good night Soarin’…” she mumbled. *** In the adjacent room, Princess Celestia sat in the open door way and watched the family. It warmed her heart to see her son and his foals. She quietly trotted closer to the family, so not to wake them. Soarin’ and Twilight were leaning into each other. Dusk was comfortably in the arms of his father and Glida’, her mother. She smiled at the tight knit family and an idea sprung in her head. She lower her horn and gently lifted the family with her magic and guided them to their bed, gently dropping them on the pillow like surface and covering them in warm blanket. “Good night…” Celestia said, before trotting out and down the halls of the castle.