//------------------------------// // Always There // Story: The New Timeline // by Jongoji245 //------------------------------// Over at the library, Sunset Shimmer looked at the white rose, now joined by a few buds. After breathing in the air a little, she takes out her journal, looking outside to find Cosgrove walking about. Over the past three years, Cosgrove has improved quite well both emotionally and academically, but as Mother's Day is approaching, I worry whether or not he will make the decision to let go. And with Schnookums gone, he has felt a little empty. I remember you saying the teachings of Santayana, "those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it." But then again, "a fanatic redoubles his efforts while losing sight of his goal. I'm certain that throughout your life you had to make similar decisions." Over at the City of Canterlot, Princess Celestia walks over to her balcony ready to raise the sun. Before she does, she levitates her journal and begins to respond. "The circle of life is simple yet profound." - she wrote in the journal - "And that to me must surely be life's secret, my friend for life continues every day none of us can stop it from going on its way with each new generation one more circle is complete. It nurtures the young until they're fully grown and soon life brings them children of their own. The family of nature, each husband, and wife enhances the ever-widening circle of life. Celestia's subjects arose from their slumber and began their daily routine. The adults performed their talents given to them by their cutie marks, their children made their way to school. As it was just two days before Mother's Day, the fillies and colts were hard at work on making their cards for their mothers. There the usual difference, Cosgrove just sat there, looking at his given materials. Noticing this once more, Ms. Cheerilee walked to him. "It's okay if you don't want to make a card." Ms. Cheerilee grabbed the materials when a yellow hoof was placed on the desk. "I can make it at home..." Cosgrove said with a sniffle. As the end of the school bell rang, the students walked to their homes, Cosgrove slowly walking away from them. "You don't want to go to the arcade?" Asked Button Mash "I... just want to be alone..." Making his way back home, Cosgrove sat in front of Night Dancer's headstone, his mind in a familiar thought. Placing his hoof on the stone, the Hipparion rubbed it before closing his eyes. A memory flashed before his eyes. One time as a baby, he hopped about in a lion costume as he chased a rubber ball. At one point the baby Cosgrove jumps on the ball and bounces off. Fortunately, his mother caught him before he landed. "Looks like the Prince of the Jungle has been a little ambitious," - Cosgrove started to worry when his mother gave him a look - "and you know what happens when little lions get ambitious?" Before he could react, Night Dancer flipped the baby onto his back and began tickling him. The baby laughed as he tried to get away. A much older Cosgrove opened his eyes as a small tear dripped from his eyes. Stepping back, he noticed Loopty Hoop's reflection on the stone. The Mare sat to him and rubbed his shoulder. "I still miss her too." - She holds him in her arms - "It's okay, we don't have to celebrate Mother's Day." The Hipparion sniffled again before pushing her aside and trotting to the house. Lion Tamer just walked out of the restroom when he found his grandson fidgeting through his belongings, including a baby picture of him and Night Dancer. "Cosgrove, what's wrong?" "I'm sick of it!" - Cosgrove snapped - "I'm sick of having to worry about Mom. I want to let her go!" - He started tearing up - "But, but, I just want to know if she's okay for me to do this." Loopty Hoop walked up the stairs to find Lion Tamer embracing the weeping child. "Maybe she has..." - The two ponies turned to find Loopty Hoop walking behind them - "Maybe she sent you." Loopty Hoop wrote a list and gave it to Cosgrove before giving him an embrace. As he walked around the town, he pulled out the checklist. "Okay... First on the list is her favorite perfume." Just as he lowers the list, we see Cosgrove explore the fragrance store, fiddling bottle after bottle for the favored scent. At a first glance, he takes a double look, finding the bottle: Mint chocolate. Walking outside with the perfume in his saddlebag, the Hipparion made his next trip to the hardest part of his sidequest: Sugarcube Corner. When he stepped in, Pound Cake zoomed over him, his sister levitating after him, looping a figure eight in the air as they continued a dog fight. "Pound, Pumpkin!" - Pinkie Pie bounded up and down, trying to catch the two toddlers. Cosgrove chuckled as he walked up to the counter, where Mr. Cake waited. "Hello, Cosgrove." - the tall earth pony greeted - "What can I get you?" "Does this store have sourdough bread?" "Why yes, we do." "May I have a loaf?" - Walking to the back and coming to the counter again with said loaf, Cosgrove paid the baker - "Thank you." "Have a nice day. Tell your grandparents I said hi." Rubbing the manes of the Cake Twins, Cosgrove walked out into the town square again when his ear flicked to the sound of multiple hoofbeats following him. He places a dew claw in one of the pockets, ready to pull a tarot card when he turned to find Sunset behind him. "Oh, it's you..." "You still miss her?" She asked "Yes, but I am going to take the first step." Cosgrove sniffled The orange Unicorn nodded as she embraced him. As he continued his trek, Sunset lowered her head and walked back to the library, sitting in front of the white rose once more. "I don't usually do this kind of thing." - Sunset sniffled - "Night Dancer, if only you could see him now. He has done everything beyond a colt his age would do. Even at the risk of his own life. But, he can't stop thinking about you. If you believe it is time for him to let go, send him a sign." Tears began to stream from her eyes as she held her head in her hooves and sobbed. From the top of the stairs, Twilight and Spike watched before the former nudged him away. As the evening rolled by, Cosgrove placed his materials in a metal canister before preparing to dig a small hole. Soon, two large shadows loomed over him. Turning around, it was his grandparents as they lay down next to him. "She would be so proud of you for making it this far." Said Loopty Hoop as she nuzzled him. "Is there anything we can do... before...?" Said Lion Tamer as he patted the container. The Hipparion looked at the stone in front of him before answering, "Can you sing her lullaby?" The two middle-aged Earth Ponies almost choked, rubbing their heads together. "When the sun went down, and ponies started sleeping," - Loopty Hoop sang - "If she heard a sound, like things are around her creeping. I would my tail around her, and tell her, 'Don't be scared.' And she knew that she was safe because I'm always there..." "When the storms would come" - Lion Tamer added in - "and things would seem so bad, she'd almost cried when she listened to her dad. I promised that the rain would pass, the day would soon be fair and she never was afraid because I'm always there." "Always there" - The two chorused - "someone you can count on to comfort you. Always there, like a great green valley you can come home to." Cosgrove picked up the canister and set it in the hole. "I remember now" - he added - "like it was yesterday." - he rubbed the uncovered earth over the hole - "She would hold me close, and then I hear her say, 'You know I'll never leave you, you can find me anywhere. In the morning light, the evening star, I'm always there.'" "Always there" - They all chorused - "someone you can count on to comfort you." - Lion Tamer and Loopty Hoop picked up their grandson - "Always there, like a great green valley you can come home to." From afar, Sunset watched as they entered their home before looking up at the night sky, seeing two stars in a similar configuration to Night Dancer's cutie mark. "Always there..." She finished before turning around to leave, just missing a sudden flash from the window. It's now Mother's Day once again. Every foal and their mother's celebrated the day as several pairs (or threes, depending on the family) walked about the schoolyard. In every Mother's Day, Apple Bloom had her niche filled with Granny Smith. Many would sit at the table, eat lunch, or would visit the playground. Several familiar faces turned to their familiar friend walking towards them. The most obvious difference being that his cheeks weren't stained with tears, and his eyes didn't look tired. He sat on a swing set, pushing forward with his tail. Rumble, Button, Pip and Featherweight walked up to him, their eyes widened. "What?" Asked Cosgrove. "You're..." - Featherweight pointed to his flank - "Cutie mark..." Hopping off the swing, Cosgrove looked at his flank. The void of yellow fur was filled with what appeared to be a red, abstract sabertooth cat at a first glance. The Crusaders walked up to him, hopping up and down. "You got your cutie mark, Cosgrove!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "What's your special talent?" Asked Scootaloo. It took him a while to realize it before Cosgrove looked up at the sky. "Letting her go..." The other children looked up at the sky with him, noticing a cloud in a shape of an Earth Pony. As the view descends down, we see a group of bipedal, mostly hairless mammals looking down at a similar stone. Most of them have similar cutie mark as Cosgrove. Five of them turned and leave when the yellow and violet boy placed a white rose on the ground before he turned as well. As he walked, the environment around him became much more lush as his clothed legs were replaced by scaly ones. The massive dinosaur stops over at a hill, looking at a cloud resembling that of a duckbilled dinosaur. With a guttural rumble, the Alamosaurus arches his neck back and bellows repeatedly.