//------------------------------// // Part 3: The Reunion // Story: Man's Best Friend // by Flutterpriest //------------------------------// Your numbed body stands weakly as he disappears with his yellow mare. The snow that gently falls around you melts in the trails of salty tears that run down your face. He's gone. He doesn't want you. He never really did. It was all just some... big lie. You collapse to your knees in the snow and gaze down at the bed of frozen crystals that coat the ground. The freezing cold sends stings through your body that would make anyone else stand up immediately, but you don't see the point. What is the point? You loved him and he didn't love you. You were loyal to him... but he wasn't even loyal to the one he really loves. Closing your eyes, you wonder if there is any way, any possible way, that you could have him again. To claim that wonderful smile for you and you alone. You could confront him... but what would he do? Deny it all? Call you a liar? While you want to believe that he would take you back and help you raise the child that you are carrying, the other part of you has to be realistic. He avoided you for almost a month. You tried so hard to find him... and found almost nothing. Yet here you are, almost feet away from him, and you can't bring yourself to confront him. Your paw moves to your belly, and you feel the gentle bump beginning to form. Are you really ready for this? Your body trembles, knowing the critical question that lies before you. Can you really do this all on your own? Knowing that you were betrayed? Can you love a child, despite never really knowing what love feels like? Your mind reels with the thought of Anon. You attempt to get to your feet. Moving to your bag, which sits in the snow a few feet away, you pick it up, letting your feet begin to guide you. You don't know where they are going to take you, but as long as it's anywhere but here. As long as it's far away from Anon. It's not healthy for you to think of him this much. It's not healthy that you love him this much. Unconditionally, at that. The curse of being a close relative to the household dog. All you want is for Anon to be happy, but how could you do that? The only thing that comes to your mind is to stay away. But how can you do that? How can you stay away from someone you love so much? Your mind carefully considers many options as you walk through the streets of Ponyville on Hearth's Warming Eve. Out of the corner of your downtrodden eyes, you watch as families walk through the town, happily caroling or taking presents to friends and relatives. You know when you go home, nobody will be there for you. Nobody will visit you. All that's left is the warm embrace of the covers of your bed, which have long since lost the alluring smell of your lover. Your bag feels like a sack of bricks in your arms as your eyes trace the road under your feet. Until finally, you stop. Looking up, you gain a full view of the building you've stopped in front of. The Ponyville General Health center. A nervous lump forms in your throat. Cider's words echo through your mind. "Nah. We thought we really wouldn't be good parents, so we decided not to." Another tear runs down your cheek as your place a paw to your stomach. Can you really be a good mother? Could you really take care of a little one all by yourself? You can barely take care of yourself as it is. Your breath stutters and you shiver in the cold, as you close your eyes and move to the door. The door opens easily, inviting you inside to an atmosphere of warm acceptance. "Hi there! Happy Hearth's warming Eve!" Says the mare behind the counter. You turn your attention to the kind mare with a white coat and long pink hair, wrapped in a bun. "How can I help you?" She asks in a warm, comforting tone. "I... uhm. I'm pregnant.... and I don't know what to do anymore." You tell the mare, trying to keep your breath regulated and voice calm. The mare nods her head and pulls out a few pieces of paper. "I understand sweetie. Don't be scared. Everything will be okay, I'll have a nurse be right with you." "O-okay." You stutter and sit down in the waiting area. You cover your eyes with your paws and draw long, shallow breaths. What are you doing Ruby? Is this what you really want? Sure, you won't have the baby anymore... but what will that make you? You still can't take care of yourself. It's not going to make you feel happier. All it does is fix a few of your many problems. The sound of four hooves, patting across carpet moves by you and sits next to you. A different cool, feminine voice speaks up and places a hoof on your back. "Everything okay, sweetheart?" "I-I don't know what I'm doing anymore." You say to the nameless mare. "I-I thought he was the one... and..." Your composure begins to slip as the self-depreciating thoughts begin again. "Shhh..." The mare comforts you, rubbing her hoof on your back. "It's okay... Everypony makes mistakes... That's why we are here to help." You shake your head. "It's more than that though... I've just... I've been so sad... for so long. A-and I never really had anyone to fall on before... a-and I thought..." You cut yourself off before you say anything else. What did you think? That someone could come into your life and magically make things all better? That you would finally have someone who would love and comfort you? At that moment... the emotions stopped. Time seemed to stop. That was the moment that you lost all hope. You knew you were about to take away the life that was blooming inside of you and all you could think about was yourself. At first you thought there was simply no kindness in this world. That there was nobody in this world that looked out for others, but the answer hit you like a ton of bricks. You were the unkind one. You were the one that put your only love's relationship in possible jeopardy. You were the one who only looked out for themselves. You were the selfish one. "I-I shouldn't be here." You said lifelessly "I know sweetie... the first time is always the hardest..." The mare assured you. You removed the paws from your eyes, grabbed your bag, and stood up. There was only one option left. The one to finally put all your problems to rest. Without another word, you walked out, the mare calling to you and asking what you were doing. However, their words fell on deaf ears as your trance held you firmly in it's loving arms. You passed by the hardware store earlier. The should still be open, selling some wreaths and last minute gifts. All you need is some rope. Then it will all be over. Your feet carry you to the building, as your goal remained firmly planted in your mind. This was it. The only way to remove the unkindness from the world that left your life so scarred and broken. You always wondered why bad things always seemed to happen to you, but not to others. It was because you were the bad thing to happen. That's what the schooldogs told you. That you didn't belong. That's what your father told you. That you were an accident. That's what he's made you. A mistake. The tears stream down your frozen cheeks as you step into the store, not paying any attention to your surroundings. Your eyes are focused and resolute. Instantly, you walk down the isle and stop in front of the rope. Reaching down, you pick up a 25ft strand of rope from a hook. "Capable of holding over 200lbs of weight." That should do the job. All you need is a knot tying manual. "Uhm... Excuse me?" A quiet feminine voice asks beside you. You hear her words, but their meaning evades you. Instead you simply focus on the fate in your hands. This is how it all ends. "Excuse me... Miss?" The feminine voice asks again. "Are you okay? I saw you crying... and I wanted to see if you were okay." You look down at your warm green sweater, dotted with snowflakes and tear drops. Using a paw, you wipe your wet cheeks and shake your head. "I-I'm... I'm fine." You shakily sputter out. "You don't seem fine..." The voice persists. "And I'd feel a lot better if you put the rope back... unless you tell me what it's for." You turn to view your visitor and a new freezing cold fills your soul. A yellow pegasus stands before you, with long pink hair and three butterflies as her cutie mark. Her eyes are filled with concern and you get the feeling she isn't going to simply walk away if you tell her to. This mare seems to give off an air of genuine concern. You recognize who she is. She was standing next to Anon up on the stage. This mare is the one that he holds every night. This mare is the one that gets to look into his delicate green eyes and perfect smile. Yet, the mare seems to have some element to her that you haven't felt before. Something about her that feels new and unique. As if, this pony is the very embodiment of love and care. Of kindness. Do you tell her? Do you come clean and expose yourself? Do you tell her that you are full of her boyfriend's child? You stand frozen, staring at her. "Uhm... My n-name is Fluttershy." She stutters out. "I-I was with my husband outside and saw you crying... so I had to see if you were okay." You look down at your rope, then back to the mare. Voices scream at you in your head. 'Get out of here.' 'Tell her.' 'You will destroy her if you tell her.' 'Just go home and end your suffering.' The yellow mare shifts on her hooves and moves a step closer, shyly. "I-I don't think you are... I may be bad at knowing if someone is lying... but I can tell something is really wrong." She says in an attempt to assert herself. A few stray tears trickle from your eyes as you open your mouth to speak. "I'm... all alone... and I'm just... so sad." You try to say without losing your composure. Fluttershy takes a few steps closer to you and gently pulls the rope from your hands, and sets it back on the shelf. "Don't you have anyone to spend Hearth's Warming Eve with?" She asks warmly. You shake your head. "Not even family?" She asks curiously. Your breath releases and you shake your head. Fluttershy looks up and down your trembling form and smiles. It's as if the answer was obvious to her and that she knew all along why she followed you. "Then you should spend it with me." She says with a smile. A cold shiver runs down your spine. "My husband and I always have too much food for ourselves and normally have a quiet evening alone... but I can't bear to imagine you having to spend it all by yourself." She happily offers. "Won't you join us?" You shift on your feet and study the mare with the piercing feeling in your throat. "I-I dunno if that's a good idea..." You answer. Her innocent eyes look up at you with curiosity. "Why's that?" Fluttershy asks you. A million reasons flood through your head. The image of you with your body wrapped around her husband flashes in your head. Your stomach clenches as guilt begins to eat you alive from the inside. "I-I... I just..." Your mouth struggles with the right words. You should tell her. She deserves to know. Fluttershy reaches for your paw. "Please?" She asks gently. "I don't want you to have to feel so alone." Those were the words that drove the final nail in the coffin. Tears welled in your eyes and you closed them, submitting yourself to your fate. She has to be told. Someone you've never even met has shown you the most kindness you've experienced in your entire life. Anon has to know about the baby inside you. They both deserve to know. "Anon is at home right now, I told him to wait there because I was bringing home a surprise. Do you mind if we stop to pick up a cake my friend made?" She asks, pulling on your paw and leading you out of the store. "That's fine." You answer hollowly. You feel tired. Tired of feeling alone. Tired of carrying this secret from the world. Tired of being depressed. Yet, most of all, tired of feeling so tired. It's time for everything to change. The yellow pegasus pulls you through the silent streets of Ponyville as the gently falling snow paints a picture in your head that you will never forget. Being led by the paw by someone who is caring for you unconditionally, leading you away from the light and into her home. She doesn't even know how much you've hurt her. You wonder if you told her sorry now or before you see him again, if it would change the outcome. If you gave her some sort of preemptive warning, that maybe it won't hurt her so bad. Why would Anon do this to you? Why would he put you in this position? Why would he put her in this position? You stay quiet as you follow Anon's wife through Ponyville, unsure if you should stay quiet, or blurt out everything. Meanwhile, she relays to you all of the different foods she has prepared for a delightful dinner this evening and apologizes that she would have made a gift for you if she knew she would have a guest. All you can do is just follow her in a dazed trance. Your heart is clenched at the thought of seeing him again. Your mind races for the right way to tell him. The two of you step inside Sugarcube Corner, a well-kept bakery that you've never been in before, and the scent of fresh baked cookies fill your nose. It gives you flashbacks to your birthday as a pup, when your mom would make her special, homemade, gooey chocolate chip cookies. If there was one thing that Diamond Dog evolution did do right, it was make chocolate non-poisonous to your kind. You were able to have one after dinner as your present and you couldn't have asked for anything more. Every little treat was cooked with love and care. The store is mostly void of customers due to the holiday, but a pink pony stands behind the counter who enthusiastically waves to Fluttershy. You walk in a haze to the glass case and look over the delicately crafted treats. There were scones, muffins, cake, brownies, zebra bites, donuts and so many other baked goods that you neither had heard of before or could pronounce, but your eyes were set on a small row, front and center for the little fillies and colts to see. Standing proudly was a small row of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Their homey smell filled the room and all you could do was stare at them. It's not very often that you wanted to see someone from your past, but in that moment, you would have done anything to just get a hug from your Mom. "So what's with the Diamond Dog, Shy?" Pinkie asks in a hushed whisper. "I'm not sure... but she looked so sad Pinkie. I couldn't just leave her out in the cold. Plus she has nobody to spend Hearth's Warming Eve with." Fluttershy answers. "That's so sweet of you." Pinkie answers with a smile. "Hey! Miss! What's your name?!" She calls out to you. You turn to the overzealous curly haired pony, snapping out of your daze. "Uhm. Ruby. My name is Ruby." You answer, trying to add strength to your voice. You didn't do a very good job convincing yourself. The mare walks down the counter towards you and gives you a wide smile. "What would you like? It's on the house. Everypony deserves a gift on Hearth's Warming Eve!" She says happily. "N-no. It's fine." You stutter out. "I don't need anything, really." "No! I insist! Any friend of Fluttershy's is a friend of mine. Anything you want is on the house." Pinkie assures you with a wink. You look back down at the case. Why are these mares so insistent? How can they be so... kindhearted? You pause, knowing there is no real way out of this situation. "Uhm. A cookie?" You ask weakly. Pinkie leaps down to the row of cookies and her voice speeds to a near blur. "Well we have Snicker-doodle, Peanut Butter, Lemon, Sugar, Lemon Sugar, White Chocolate Nut, Nutty Nut, Monster, OOH- My favorite the Dragon! RAAWR!" Pinkie lists off, as if she rehearsed it in the mirror every morning for practice. "Um. Just a chocolate chip... would be nice." You answer. A certain warmth fills your chest as you remember your Mom pulling the hot tray out of the oven and setting the fresh baked treats to cool. "Really?!" Pinkie asks in shock. "Ookay! Normally everypony wants something a little more... I dunno... special, but here you go." You remember your mother setting a white plate on the table, with a fresh treat on the table and a tall glass of milk. Pinkie Pie dishes one onto one of the typical white porcelain plates and hands the plate to you from across the case. Taking the plate, you remember your mother planting a firm kiss on the top of your head and telling you how much she loved you. And that she was proud of you. A tear runs down your cheek. Pinkie looks from you to Fluttershy, wondering why such a simple gesture has left you so speechless. Taking the treat in your paw, you bring the warm treat to your lips. You can taste the love baked in with every little morsel. It tastes just like you remember. Carefully, you savor every single bite, as if it were the last cookie you would ever have the chance of enjoying. After you finish, you place the plate back on the counter to the expectant face of the party mare. "It was great... Thanks Miss..." "Pinkie Pie! But everypony just calls me Pinkie." She says happily. "I can't believe I haven't seen you around here before! I thought I knew everypony in Ponyville. Where do you live?" Pinkie asks. "Sorry Pinkie, but we probably shouldn't keep Nonny waiting." Fluttershy interjects as you look at the pink mare. "Oh! Right." Pinkie nods. "I need to close the shop too! It's nice meeting you, Ruby. Ohmygosh! We NEED to throw you a party!" She exclaims. You open your mouth to speak, but you find yourself being escorted out by the yellow pegasus. "Bye Bye, Fluttershy! Bye Bye, Ruby!" She calls as the bell to Sugarcube corner jingles. "Bye, Pinkie!" Fluttershy responds. "Thank you..." You mutter under your breath. The cold air brushes your cold fur as you follow Fluttershy on a path she knows dearly. The two of you begin to leave the town limits and nervousness settles into your stomach. You are going to see him. After such a long time, you will finally see him. Fluttershy holds her closed cake box in her saddle bag as you follow her closer and closer to the Everfree Forest. They don't live in the woods... do they? That would explain why you had such a hard time finding them. They didn't live in the town. A gentle snow covered cottage begins to materialize into existence as the two of you approach a small bridge over a frozen stream. "Here we are! Home sweet home." Fluttershy exclaims. "Wow." You mutter to yourself. This is where he lives. "I know it's not much, but I've lived here for such a long time... and it keeps me close to my animals. I'm like a mother to them." Fluttershy smiles. The word 'mother' grabs your attention and you turn your head to her. "Do you have a little one of your own?" You ask. You weren't sure if you really wanted to know the answer, but something in your heart compelled you to ask. Fluttershy smiles and looks up to you. "Not yet, but... well you will see tonight." She giggles. Your stomach drops. She's pregnant too. She has to be. Your eyes look down to the door as Fluttershy pulls out her key. "Fluttershy. Thank you... for everything, but I don't know if-" "Nonsense!" The element of kindness insists, "There's no way I'm going to let you be all alone on Hearth's Warming Eve." Fluttershy places the key inside of the lock and turns the lock slowly. A shiver runs through your veins. You feel like vomiting. The door opens slowly and the yellow pegasus steps inside the warm, lit cottage from the cold, darkening outside air. "I'm home! I brought you a surprise, honey!" Fluttershy calls to the house. "I brought a guest too!" That's when she turned to you and urged you inside. Taking a step onto the wooden floorboards, you closed the door tight behind you. This is it. Now or never. Tonight's the night the situation is laid to rest. That's when you heard his voice. The tender warm voice that only hours ago you were willing to wish away as imaginary. "A surprise? What could it possibly be?" He says as he walks down the stairs of the cottage. Your eyes remain transfixed on the door and you turn slowly to the source of his enchanting melody. Then, there he is, standing on the stairs, a white button down shirt and black dress slacks covering his masculine figure. "Anon, this is Ruby. I just met her a little bit ago and invited her to our Hearth's Warming Eve dinner." Fluttershy says to Anon. Anon stares at you, dumbfounded, as if he suddenly tasted pickles in his chocolate ice cream. "Ruby, this is Anon, my husband." Fluttershy says, completing her introduction with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Anon." You say to him.