//------------------------------// // Child of Mine Part 1 // Story: Life in the Fast Lane // by TheAmazingMe //------------------------------// The sword came crashing down against mine with alarming speed. I barely had time to reinforce my magic to handle the force of the blow. I shot magical bursts of force at his hooves to back the attacker up. Unfortunately, I couldn't generate much force this way. Not only was I more interested in holding my own sword aloft to parry any parting blows this foe could swing but I wasn't good at purely magical attacks. My magical bolts struck empty space. Instead of backing up, my opponent leapt over them to swing at my head. It was a daring move and one I hadn't anticipated. Dropping to my barrel, his sword sailed overhead. Dropping my own weapon, I pulled his sword magically in the direction of the swing. It flew out of his mouth. He landed on the ground just to my right and I rolled to get away. Before I could get up, he aimed a series of bucks, forcing me to roll to avoid them. I hit the wood of the deck as he prepared a finishing blow. As his hooves went up, I rolled underneath him and stood, my horn aimed at his chest. He kicked his hind legs against the deck and rolled forward. My horn met empty air. I reared, unleashing a flurry of blows at my foe as he stood up. He reared as well, countering my hoofstrikes with his own. Knocking my hooves away, he seized the opening and shouldered into my chest with enough force to knock me onto my back. As the wind flew out of me, I felt him pin me to the ground by the shoulders. "Say it." Div said, his voice practically bursting with jubilation. It wasn't fair; even against a unicorn, he was trained to fight. I was an SGU nerd. "Never." I said bravely as I struggled against his hooves. He didn't budge. Div kissed me below my ear. I wriggled again but it was for naught. "Say it." "No!" I said, stubbornly. "Say it or I tickle you." His hooves slid over my ribcage and my body seized up in tension. I pinned my ears back and looked at him with eyes wide. "Mercy!" His will was strong. "Say it, Life." He insisted. "Fine! Earth ponies rule..." I trailed off, muttering the rest unintelligibly. He jiggled his hooves, eliciting a very un-stallionly squeak out of me. "Say all of it, Life." Eyes clouded in tears of mirth, I gave in. "Ah, ah! Agh. Earth ponies rule; unicorns drool." Finally, he let me up. "That's right! Now as the winner, I think I'm entitled to some breakfast. And take off the shirt." I hesitated, looking around us in case other neighbors were out and about. Div snorted. "May I remind you that outside of my armor, I rarely wear anything. Not to mention your shirt's all sweaty, dirty, and grass-stained now." "Fine." I took it in my magic and pulled it off. He stepped into my space again and I froze. His chest brushed against mine and a shiver ran through me. This kind of coat to coat contact was usually reserved for a more private setting. His breath teased around my ear as he nuzzled my cheek. I tapped his shoulder insistently. "We're in our backyard, Div. Not the bedroom." He stepped back a bit and leaned in to kiss me. Thinking quickly, I took my shirt and threw it in his face. "Blech. My mouth was open!" He protested. I sniffed. "Well, good." I turned to head inside, tail swishing. He avoided the assault. "Just because you had to eat some humble pie doesn't mean I need a bitter taste in my mouth." Div said with a chortle. As I opened the door with my magic, I shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. You want a real mouthful of bitter, just watch me make breakfast." He sighed as we walked in. "Oh, please tell me you're not trying one of your mother's recipes again." I shivered. "No, no. Nopony deserves that kind of punishment." Div showered and gathered his work things while I put breakfast together. If he ran a bit behind, we'd eat up in our bedroom's sitting room or the balcony. As it happened this morning, he was done just as I finished plating up our meal. Moving over to the large windows at the rear of the house, we sat down at our breakfast nook and enjoyed the food. I hadn't really appreciated how much my trim runner could eat and even then I suspected he snuck a second breakfast at some place between home and the castle grounds. I looked him over as he brushed crumbs off of his dress uniform. He'd signed up for some classes and, rather than bring up the honeymoon we never got to go on, I'd shrugged and put together a saving plan for a bigger vacation the next time we'd get a chance to make good on our plans. With a goodbye kiss at the door, Div was off to learn how to be a better guardspony. I walked back into the kitchen and looked out the window, sighing in contentment at the tranquil morning. As if silence was absolutely not allowed in our home, Bruiser came down the steps with all the grace and lightness of a herd of stampeding elephants. It reminded me to talk to dad about reinforcing the staircase, just to be safe. Still yawning, the colt sat himself down at the counter facing the kitchen. "Good morning to you too, bright-eyes." I said sweetly. With a sheepish grin, Bru replied. "I ain't bright-eyed nor bushy-tailed until I have breakfast." "Yes, yes. I got your breakfast right here." I said, miming a slow motion punch to his nose. As I did, I contorted my face into a parody of rage. Bru snorted, and merely bumped hooves with me. Turning around, I grabbed a bowl and started filling it with the oatmeal ready-made on the stove. "We have grapes, apples and bananas, too. Orange juice is in the pitcher next to you, help yourself." I levitated a glass over next to the pitcher. "Just cinnamon and a little honey, right?" His mouth full of something, Bru gurgled out a response. Casting a look over my shoulder, he already had a half-eaten banana in one hoof and a glass of orange juice in the other. Blushing, he chewed and swallowed the rest of what was in his mouth and took a sip of juice. "Yes, please." He said finally. "That's better. I much prefer hearing your voice clearly." I glanced over at the parenting book I'd dug out of our luggage. I'd forgotten I had it; though to be fair, I'd gotten it at the second-hoof store in Appleloosa before the accident. Positive reinforcement was an oft-repeated ideal from what I'd read. "You can take your time." Returning to the counter with two bowls of oatmeal and silverware, I sat next to Bru and we dug in. After we finished, I turned my stool to face him. "We should talk about last night." Occupying himself with the orange juice, Bru didn't turn to face me. "Do we have to?" I smiled sympathetically. "We do. I can't say you'll feel better right away, but I can say that it won't get better if we don't start somewhere." Bruiser looked down into his glass. "I'm pretty messed up. It could take a long time. That's not fair to you or Div." I sighed and laid a hoof on his shoulder. "We won't leave you. I know it's hard to believe, but I'll show you how much Div and I are committed to keeping you in our family. If you need somepony to talk to, I'll make sure you get what you need." Bruiser downed the orange juice and turned to me. "I need somepony to talk to. It's not that I can't talk to you or Div, but..." He trailed off, his words failing him. I nodded. "I understand. If you're worried about how we'll react, or if you'll offend us, then having another pony you can talk to is important." He hugged me, nearly falling off his stool. I grabbed him magically and returned the embrace. "Thanks for understanding, dad." A slip of paper wrapped in my mother's magic zipped across the family room and went straight for my head. I managed to stave of its rather kamikaze antics by catching it in my own magical glow. With a lopsided grin, I looked at Bruiser. "Looks like my parents are here." *** "He looks happy enough." Dad said as we sat in the breakfast nook. From the windows, we watched mom and Bruiser play. "Looks can be deceiving." I said. He eyed me sidelong. "You've got a point. So, what are you going to do?" I shrugged. "Div's a royal guard. I'll head down to the guard complex and see about getting Bruiser signed up--" Dad faced me fully. "Life. I know you and Bruiser are of...limited means but--" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He meant well. "We're not that bad off, dad. But going through the royal guard--" "I know a pony. Went to school with him, actually." He said suddenly. I stopped and considered it. "Dad, I don't want to have to use your contacts if I can do something on my own." "I appreciate that, Life. But, in this case, I think Bruiser deserves the best care and I wouldn't be able to call myself a good grandfather if I didn't help." I smiled. This was the sweetest he'd ever been around me. I looked away, unsure. He was making such an effort, could I really just blow him off? "I don't know, dad. Money doesn't always get you the best of everything." Dad sighed. "You're pretty wise. Tell you what, go for one appointment and if it doesn't work out, you can always go to the guard." That seemed like a compromise I could live with. "Fair enough. When can we see this friend of yours?" *** Dr. Ascription's office was in the decidedly wealthier part of Canterlot. The waiting room was all done in dark wood and recessed lighting. It created a casual yet professional appearance that bordered on stereotypical. Then again, some stereotypes had a purpose. After a short wait, I was ushered in while Bruiser remained in the waiting room. I thought that odd, considering this wasn't about me. Or, at least, it shouldn't have been. "Mr. Story, I have a few...concerns." Willing down the feeling of unease, I shrugged. "Let's hear 'em." He leaned back in his chair and steepled his hooves. "Well, I hope you'll excuse me, but I couldn't help but recall from the papers that you were involved in an accident at Galloping Gorge. You were missing for a few days?" I didn't see what this had to do with anything, but I went along. "Well, yeah. I was alright though. Made it back safe and sounder than I had any right to be, given the situation." He eyed me seriously. "Have you spoken with somepony about this?" I shrugged. "No, I mean, why?" He waved a hoof. "Pardon the assumption, but it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that you'd have a few emotional issues after an event like that." I shrugged again, shifting in the cushiony chair. "It happened. I lived. I came home and picked up where I left off. I've got everything going well for me. I have a beautiful new home, a loving husband, and a good career." He looked down at his notebook. "And a son with emotional issues." I frowned. "Bruiser is an amazing colt. Better than I was at his age and with a lot more to complain about than I ever had. I love him. He could never be a burden to me." He looked over the bridge of his eyeglasses. "And your spouse..." "My husband." I corrected. He waved a hoof again. "My apologies. Your...husband feels the same way?" I was less than thrilled with his hesitation to use the word 'husband.' "Of course." "You answered that pretty quickly." He observed. "I have no doubt." I said, beginning to feel like I was the one under examination. This was not how I pictured this would go. "When you were missing, what was your spouse focused on the most?" He asked. I raked my brain. What was going on? "Finding me, I suppose." I said, after some confusion. "Not taking care of Bruiser?" He said, looking down to make a note. I lifted my chin. "Hey, he wanted to make sure I at least got a proper burial. He knew it would be important to Bruiser and my parents." "It's my advice that I see all of you. We can work around schedules..." He drifted off, looking through a few papers on his desk. That seemed just a touch odd. He hadn't even seen Bruiser yet. "Why see all of us?" He looked up as if he hadn't expected any questions. "I want to get as clear a picture of the colt's home life as possible. Sometimes foals aren't always reliable sources of information." I worked my jaw and then spoke. "Bruiser wouldn't lie. He's here because he wants help." He waved dismissively with a hoof. "I didn't say he would. Like I said, I just need as clear a picture of his home life with two stallions to see..." No way I could let that go. "What does him living with two stallions have to do with anything?" He didn't look up. "Please don't take offense. It's just that the bulk of research into subjects like this show that the best, most ideal situation for any foal to grow up in is in a traditional home. While I understand that you two love him just like any other parent, your kind of home situation can lead to unintended consequences as the colt has no maternal bond with which to interact. Such a situation can lead to confusion and result in inappropriate behaviors." Furrowing my eyebrows, I protested his assumption. "You haven't even spoken to him yet." He looked up blandly. "One does not go into any situation unprepared. Speaking of which, if you have access, I would like the contact information for Bruiser's biological parents so--" "No." I said, decisively. His gaze focused on me. "Excuse me?" "You will not be speaking to...those ponies." He tilted his head and leaned forward. "Try to be rational, Mr. Story, I--" I cut him off. This was completely rational. "Nothing good could come from them having any contact with him. Not after what they've done." He set both hooves down on his desk. "Ponies make mistakes, Mr. Story. If there is any chance to salvage the relationship, if even only in an advisory capacity, I'd recommend--" I stood. "I recommend you stay away from me and my family." He crossed his forelimbs. "There's no need to get defensive, Mr. Story." I snorted. "You call my family un-ideal. You want me to get Bruiser back into contact with the emotionally abusive ponies who threw him out in the first place and--" His eyebrows rose. "Ah! Well, then. If they've broken off relations with him, it would indeed be difficult to re-establish any connection. More's the pity really. Was he showing signs of instability in that home as well?" 'Showing signs of instability?' Oh for the love of Celestia! How could he act like he knew Bru without even talking to the foal. This had to be the most biased piece of pony flesh I'd ever met in Canterlot. I managed my coldest tone. "Thank you for your time. We're done speaking." This riled him. Dr. Ascription stood. "Mr. Story! You have been the most uncooperative pony I've had to deal with!" "And you've insulted my family too many times to count!" I shot back. He snorted. "If we're being honest, Mr. Story, I'm taking this case on because your father is an important friend of mine. You could try being a little more respectful. It's obvious that if your family was the ideal situation for this colt you wouldn't be here." I stepped up to his desk and pointed in his face. "Well, how's this then? You can respectfully go to tartarus and take your crackpot, outdated notions of ideal families with you." *** "I'm sorry. I had no idea." Dad said as I walked back downstairs. Bruiser hadn't really spoken to me after the visit to the psychologist. He went to bed as soon as dad came in. I patted his shoulder. "It's fine, dad. It wasn't your fault." "I hope Bruiser will forgive me as easily." He said, looking upstairs. "Still. It shouldn't've happened. I haven't heard such biased thinking in many years." He sat back and sighed. "'Ideal families,' huh? I know we weren't one for you." He walked to the couch in the family room and sat, dejectedly. I walked into the family room. "Dad, no, you and mom--" He looked up at me. "Life. Don't try and save my reputation now. I put business ahead of family long ago." I sighed uneasily and sat next to him. "You weren't the Tannins, though." He smiled ruefully. "Yeah, guess they weren't exactly ideal either. This notion that foals can only grow up one perfect way is completely antithetical to the one uniting principle of ponies: we're all different. No two ponies learn things in exactly the same way. Ponies witnessing the same event will remember it differently. So why would having the same 'nuclear family' solve all the mental and emotional ills of our society? It's completely reductive; it's like trying to solve a myriad of problems with one answer when there are too many variables." I shrugged. Hard to argue with that. He stood and shook himself. "Well, hopefully the royal guard has more...open minded ponies at their disposal. I need to go through my friends and figure out which ones are really worth keeping around after all. I'm truly sorry, Life, I didn't mean to put you through any of that." I stood and hugged him. It was a little awkward still, but I put all of my feeling into it. "I know, dad. It's okay. You were just trying to help and you couldn't've expected this to happen."