"Mr. Story. I'm actually pretty glad you're here. We're going to have to increase the frequency of your visits. Bru has been...distant. It's nothing we didn't expect, but I'm sure it'll help to have you around more." If was worried about the acceptance I'd get in a small town, that greeting set all my fears aside. Okay, most of my fears aside.
"I have no problem with that." I answered with a smile. I'd promised to visit Bruiser as often as possible. While it hurt that Bru was in enough pain to ask me to come around more often, it helped to know I could do something about it.
"Whindy Roads, this is Sogni DiVolare. Div, this is Bruiser's caseworker Whindy Roads." I said, introducing Div to the gray coated Pegasus mare.
Whindy shook Div's outstretched hoof lightly. I decided to get as much info as possible. "Whindy, how exactly has Bru been handling things?"
The pegasus sighed. "It's only been a few days since his family rejected him. He doesn't miss his father, from what I can tell. His relationship with his siblings wasn't good either. At best, the only positive was his mother. I think he misses her the most."
"We bumped into his father in town." Div offered with a tinge of the anger he still felt towards Bitter.
Whindy sized him up. "I take it you weren't exactly charmed by Mr. Tannin? Not surprised. They own a store around here. He's had more than his fair share of disagreements if you ask me."
She led us into the kitchen, overlooking the backyard. "Not to put too fine a point on it, but I'm keen on getting Bru out of Appleloosa. Normally we try to keep adoptions in the same city, but he'd be too likely to run into his father around town. Besides, our foster families are pretty full and our adopting applicants are looking for younger ponies."
Bruiser sat out on a swing, staring into the skyline.
"There are a few more hurdles. I'm fast-tracking your application but these things take time. We'll have him fostered to your parents at least by the end of the week if all else fails. We shouldn't have to; I do have some pull. Some ponies owe me a few favors."
"Whindy, I'm glad to have you on our side." I said, half-jokingly.
She smiled, but shook her head. "I'm on Bruiser's side. This is about what he needs. With everything he's told me about your trip to return him home, and with corroboration from Ms. Schedule, Braeburn, and the train company I made my decision. In short, I did my homework on you and Bruiser could be a lot worse off."
"Sounds like a ringing endorsement." Div said with a smirk.
"Sounds like I need to do my homework on another pony. Who are you, Sogni DiVolare?" Her pronunciation was perfect.
He raised his head, albeit with a smile. "I'm Life's friend since childhood. I'm a Royal Guard, serving in Princess Luna's House Guard."
"Life's friend? Is that all?" She asked me.
"We...haven't defined things recently, but he's more than just a friend." I answered.
Her skeptical look flicked between us. "You're going to need to define this. Define it quickly, because that colt out there won't likely understand 'more than just a friend.'" She left us to go talk to Bruiser.
"What am I to you?" Div asked.
I didn't face him right away. "We love each other. That means we're coltfriends at least, right?" I looked at him at the end of the sentence.
"I-uh. At least." Div answered, uncomfortable.
"What am I to you?" I asked, suddenly very interested in his odd reaction.
"Ly, I..." We were interrupted by a two tone brown streak. Bruiser barrelled into me with enough force to knock me off my rear legs and onto my rear. I would have bowled over had it not been for Div bracing me.
"Sorry, Mr. Story. I just got a little excited." Bruiser said as he looked up.
I hugged him close. "No worries, my little pony. I'm excited to see you too."
Bru squirmed, I let him go and stood up. His eyes were locked on Div. Bruiser pointed a hoof. "Who are you?"
Div grinned wickedly and straightened up. "Princess Luna's House Guard Private Sogni DiVolare reporting sah." He saluted.
Confused, Bru turned to me. "Who is this?"
I nudged Div with my shoulder and rolled my eyes. "This goof is Div. He's..." I looked up at Whindy, who raised her eyebrows questioningly. "He's my coltfriend."
Bru tilted his head. "Coltfriend? Like your best friend?"
I cleared my throat nervously. "That too, but we really care for each other."
Bru shook his head. "I don't get it." He looked at Whindy.
Div spoke up. "Some stallions like mares. They date and get married, right?" Bru nodded, turning to regard the blue earth pony. "Well, sometimes a stallion likes another stallion or a mare likes another mare. They date and can even get married too."
Bruiser's eyes widened. He turned to look at me. "You-you're a uh..." He blushed furiously. "Homo? But you're...nice. I thought homos were sick and weird."
Suddenly, Bitter's words came back to haunt me. 'Only a sick pervert would fit in with nightmares. I warned my children about weird, unnatural ponies like you. Most of them were smart enough to listen.' "Bruiser. I know Bitter taught you some things about ponies like Div..." Div snorted, so I added "...and me. But I want you to think for yourself."
"You should think about the pony who told you all that bad stuff about gays. Were they the kind of pony you could listen to or trust?" Div looked like he was about to say more, but I cut him off with a bump. Bruiser didn't need a big reminder about what kind of pony his father had been.
Bruiser's eyes filled with tears and he shook slightly. He looked down and shook his head.
I bit my lower lip and looked at Div. He bumped my neck with his nose comfortingly. I turned back to Bruiser.
Whindy sat at Bruiser's side. "Bruiser. Has Life ever made you do something you're not comfortable with? Do I need to tell them to leave?"
Div tensed, I could feel the anger at her words. "Div, it's okay." I whispered.
His whispers came through gritted teeth. "How could she even ask that? As if you would ever..."
Bruiser looked at Whindy in outrage. "N-no! He lo-loves me! He took care of me, he doesn't care if I'm a crybaby or if I'm having a bad day. Nopony was ever so nice to me, not even my-my-my..." Bruiser broke down, unable to even begin to say his mother's name. Whindy held her hooves up, but Bruiser barrelled into me again, albeit softer this time.
"Bruiser, it's okay. If I make you feel uncomfortable, I can give you your space, buddy."
"No!" His shout was somewhat muffled into my fur. He pushed back enough to look me in the eyes. "My...dam. She never loved me like you do. She-she let...Him disown me. She only stopped my brothers when they made me bleed. She never stopped...Him when He punished me."
My heart nearly broke watching the colt struggle to even acknowledge his former family. The damage that these thoughtless ponies had inflicted on a sweet young soul was difficult to wrap my head around. My parents had been distant and controlling, but they'd never hurt me. It was going to be a hard road to trot when it comes to maintaining his trust.
His shaking grew stronger and I was starting to get concerned about him. "Bruiser, breathe, bud. It's okay..."
"It's not okay! I won't let anypony say anything bad about you." He turned around to face Whindy. "Life is the best pony in Equestria, even if he's a h-...I mean...even if he loves...another stallion." He squirmed out of my hooves and faced Div.
"Do you love him?" He asked forcefully.
Div raised an eyebrow, but answered seriously. "With my whole heart."
"Would you ever hurt him, or make him cry?" Bruiser took a step towards Div. Honestly, it was really something else having the colt stand up for me.
"Never on purpose. If I made him sad or hurt him, it would be like hurting myself."
"He's adopting me. What are you going to do about it?" I had to stuff a hoof in my mouth at the colt's direct approach. Bru stepped up to Div almost challengingly. Div looked down at the paint colt. The picture etched itself in my brain. A big Royal Guard, one of Luna's finest, getting stared down by an earth pony colt.
Div fought a smile of his own. "I trust Life's judgment. If he says he wants to adopt you, you must be a good colt. Besides, I'm adopted too."
Bruiser turned around, head tilted upward haughtily. He walked back to me and leaned against me until I put a foreleg around him. "He can stay." He said, looking up at me.
"I'm glad you approve." I said with a smile.
Div approached us and took out a small box. "I guess now's as good a time as any."
My eyes locked on the box. It couldn't be... But, how did Div have the time to get something like that on the way here. Unless...had he planned ahead?
"Life Story. We've known each other since we were foals but it was only when you weren't around that I fully realized how much you mean to me. I had to spend over six months away from you. I don't even want to imagine what spending the rest of my life without you would be like. The honor would be mine forever if you would give me your hoof, and your heart, in marriage." He opened the box, revealing a stunning hoof ring. The center was his cutie mark and mine in sapphire and ruby inlays, surrounded by a halo of diamonds all in a burnished, molten-looking gold.
"I told you not to make him cry!" Bruiser said as he once again extricated himself from my grasp.
"I don't think those are sad tears. I might have stunned him, though." Div said thoughtfully.
Bru stood on his hind legs and grasped my ear with his teeth. I was jerked back to reality, quite literally.
"Life, he's waiting." Bruiser said, impatiently. "You're supposed to say something."
I looped one hoof around Div and the other around Bru and pulled them both in tightly. "I will! Div, I love you so much!"
"Bruiser, you're sure you want to be part of our family?" Div asked jokingly as we separated.
"Keep him happy." Bru answered seriously.
"I intend to." Div answered, as he fitted the ring around my hoof.
As Div stood back up, I couldn't resist. I kissed him deeply and passionately. My ear flicked as Bruiser made a gagging noise. As I leaned back, I gazed over at Whindy patting Bru on the back.
"Get used to it, kid. This is what loving parents look like." Whindy said.
*
It ripped my heart in two to have to leave Bru, even if Whindy was an amazing pony. The colt started to warm up to Div by the time we had to go, but was still fairly distant. I resolved to use my too-seldom-exercised patience.
On our way back to town, Div stopped by the post to send a magical message to our parents. The cost made me balk, but he laid out the bits without flinching.
"Your father insisted on knowing as soon as possible." Div explained.
"Div, you don't think this is sudden? We only just allowed ourselves to say we love each other."
"You mean you only just allowed me to say I love you?"
"Semantics."
"Life is in the details."
"I'm right here in front of you, not lost in some details."
"Then don't worry about us rushing it. We've known each other since foalhood. I think that's long enough to get an idea of who I'm marrying."
Open looked a touch frazzled as we neared the inn. When she spotted us, she made a beeline straight towards me. "Life, we need to talk."