Love From Loneliness

by Robobrony

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Morning arrived for Onyx. He was still wondering about the events of last night. Who was it that mysteriously appeared in his bed and spoke to him? How did she keep disappearing, and why, whenever he tried to see her? But what stuck out more in his mind was that question the pony asked. ‘Are you lonely?’ Why did she ask that, where did she go? So many questions buzzed in Onyx’s head. He did his best to just ignore it and chalked it up to just some weird dream he must have had. He went through his usual morning routine. Shower, comb mane, brush teeth, have breakfast. He was about to leave when he paused and remembered something, the necklace he bought the other day. He went back to his room and found it on his night stand where he left it.

Onyx eyed it at first, wondering if he should wear it. “Why not?” He finally said after a minute of thinking and placed it around his neck. With it settled against his barrel as it hung from its chain, it shimmered slightly. Onyx didn’t notice and went on his way.
Onyx left for work and opened his shop. His first customer was a unicorn mare of bright pink with a dark red mane and tail and beautiful green eyes with a smiling sunflower for a cutie mark. “Hello there, I’m looking for some flowers.” She said with a smile.

Onyx tried his best not to answer with a sarcastic tone. “You’ve come to the right place, this is a flower shop after all.”

The mare giggled at Onyx’s response. “I know that silly, I wouldn’t have come in here if I didn’t know that. I was wondering if you have any begonia’s, I’m looking to start a garden at home.”

“At the back of the store.” Onyx directed with a hoof.

“Thank you.” Said the mare before she made her way to the back of the store.

While she went through the many flowers and scrutinized them carefully, Onyx’s thoughts went back to last night again. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. ‘Are you lonely?’ The question replayed in his head. He shook his head vigorously to try and get it out of his mind. Onyx noticed the mare approaching his counter with a couple potted begonias in her magic aura. “Are you lonely?” She said on approach.

Onyx’s eyes shot open and looked to the mare. “Excuse me?” He asked.

“I said how much?” The mare said with a smile.

Onyx took a moment to register what may have happened. “Oh, uh, right, ten bits.” He finally responded.

“Thank you.” She said as she produced the requested amount. She took notice of Onyx’s necklace as it glinted in the light. “Oh my, that’s a nice necklace you have, where did you get it?”

“I bought it yesterday at the flea market.” Onyx stated. “Will that be all miss?”

“Oh, yes, thank you.” She said, her face slightly fallen. “So, your name is Onyx right?” The mare asked.

“It is, why?” Onyx asked with a raised brow.

“It’s just, you’re the only stallion florist in this town. That’s not exactly common.” The mare said. “My name’s Petal by the way.”

Onyx narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean.”

Petal shrank back slightly from Onyx’s glare. “Nothing bad, I just think it’s great there are some stallions not afraid to do something that most ponies would consider it more suitable for a mare than a stallion. I…don’t suppose you and I could get together sometime, maybe hang out and get to know each other?” She asked carefully with a small blush.

“Not interested.” Onyx stated plainly.

Petal’s face fell with her head slightly. “Oh, okay then, you already have a special somepony then?”

“No.” Onyx answered plainly again.

“Really?” Petal asked in disbelief. “How come?”

Onyx gave an annoyed look saying he was tired of the questioning. “Because I don’t need a special somepony in my life. I’m perfectly fine with the way things are in my life thank you very much. I’ll also thank you to stay out of my business.”

“I…I’m sorry, I…I was just….I’m sorry, you’re right, I shouldn’t have pried. I was just curious is all.” Petal said with a sorrowfull look. “I’ll just be going then, thank you again for the flowers.” With that, she turned and headed out. “I’ll be sure to come by more often though, you have a lot of wonderful flowers.” She offered with a smile.

“Thanks.” Onyx responded with a grunt. Petal finally left the store with her newly purchased flowers. Once she was gone, Onyx gave a tired sigh. “I don’t need a special somepony.” He said to himself. “So why did I buy this stupid necklace?” He gingerly took the necklace in his hoof and looked down at it. “Magic love charm, what a laugh. That stupid salespony really got to me.” The rest of the day was uneventful as customers came, bought flowers, and left.

That evening, Onyx went about his usual afternoon routine with reading the newspaper till it was dinner time, then went to get ready for bed. He placed his necklace on the nightstand next to his bed and lay on his side with his face toward his nightstand. He failed to notice his necklace shimmered with a white light for the briefest of moments. Then, the same event as last night began. Onyx felt a hoof over his shoulder. His eyes shot open and looked to his shoulder to see a black hoof laying over him. “Are you lonely?” The same feminine voice from the night before asked.

“Who are you, what do you want from me?” Onyx asked.

“Are you lonely?” The voice asked again.

“No, I’m not, now quit bothering me and go away for good.” Onyx said with annoyance.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” The voice asked. “If you stop lying to yourself, I’ll let you see me.”

“What?” Onyx asked. He sat up and looked to his side, only to see nothing there just like before. He closed his eyes and hung his head with a sigh as he placed a hoof to his forehead. “This is ridiculous, am I going crazy?” He asked himself. He turned his gaze to his night stand, specifically, his necklace. “I’ll bet it has something to do with that. This whole thing started when I bought that stupid thing. Tomorrow, I’m going back to that vendor to have a few words with him.” Onyx lay back down on his side and managed to get to sleep.

The next day, Onyx had just opened his shop when Petal came in again with a smile. “Good day Onyx, how are you this morning?”

“Hello Petal, I’m fine.” Onyx greeted flatly.

Petal gave a sheepish smile. “Onyx, about yesterday, I am sorry about all that.”

“Don’t worry about it, so what do you want this time?” Onyx asked.

“I was looking for petunias. Do you have any in stock?” Petal asked with a genuine smile.

“Why don’t you just buy all the flowers you want for this garden of yours all at once and save yourself the trouble of coming in here everyday?” Onyx asked with a hint of an annoyed glare.

“Then I wouldn’t get to see you every day.” Petal said.

“Why would you want to see me every day?” Onyx asked with a confused expression.

“Like I said, it’s a rare thing for a stallion to take up being a florist, especially one that does such a wonderful job taking care of flowers. I just find that endearing really.” Petal said as she looked to the side with a small blush.

Onyx cocked a brow at the statement. “Endearing?” He questioned. “Um, thanks…I guess.”

“You’re welcome.” Petal said with a grin. “So, the petunias?” She questioned.

“Right, um, this way.” Onyx came out from behind his counter and led Petal to the petunias. “Here they are.”

“Oh my, they look very nice.” Petal said. She leaned in and took a good whiff. “Mmm, they smell really nice too, I’ll take five please.” She levitated two pots, one had three, the other had two petunias in them. She and Onyx walked back up to the counter. “So Onyx, how did you discover your special talent, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Onyx began explaining as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I had to get a hobby doing something since my folks weren’t really all that attentive. I always thought flowers were pretty so I decided to take up gardening. As a young colt, I saved up a few bits from my allowance to get some flower seeds and planted them in the backyard. That was the start of my first garden. They were sunflowers. Simple, yet bright and pretty at the same time.”

“Not all that attentative?” Petal questioned. “What do you mean?”

“Bah, they were always too busy with their businesses to pay much attention to me.” Onyx said plainly. “No big deal really.”

“It is a big deal.” Petal insisted. “All parents should care about their foals and do what they can to make sure their happy growing up.”

“Hey, it’s no big deal. I turned out fine. Look at me, I’ve got my own business, my own house….alone….no friends…..” His voice slowly fell with each word. “And I’m perfectly fine.”

Petal gave a concerned look. “Onyx…you….”

She tried to say something but Onyx cut her off. “Anyway, that’ll be ten bits for the flowers.” He said as he came around his counter and stood behind it.

“Onyx, are you….” Petal tried again but Onyx cut her off.

“Ten bits.” Onyx said again.

Though he didn’t shout, he might as well have for it made Petal cringe back a bit with a raised hoof. “Oh, right, sorry, here.” She took out the bits with her magic and placed them on the counter. “Um, thank you Onyx, I hope you have a good day.”

Onyx paid no mind to Petal’s words and gave a grunt as he put the bits in his register.

“Okay, see you later.” She said hesitating at the door. She waited a moment for another reply, but none came. Onyx had his eyes on the register. She gave a small frown before leaving.

Onyx looked up just in time to see Petal’s tail exit his store. He gave a snort and tended to his flowers.

Another uneventful day passed for Onyx, it soon came time to close up shop. Once everything was in order and the shop clean, he locked everything up and took the bits from today’s earnings. Then left his shop, locked the door, and headed for the flea market to find the vendor that sold him the necklace.

Onyx soon arrived at the place and began looking for the pony that sold him said necklace. He went to the spot where he remembered meeting the salespony and headed straight there. Upon arrival though, the lot was empty. There was no sign of anypony having been there. “What the hay? Did he leave?” Onyx asked himself. He turned to a vendor opposite where he was looking and went up to the mare. “Excuse me, what happened to the pony that was there?”

“What do you mean sir.” The mare asked.

“I mean not two days ago, there was a pony there that sold me a necklace. I want to know if he left and where he went.”

“I’m sorry sir but I don’t know. He must have already packed up and left some time ago.” The mare responded. “Could I interest you in some fresh fruit?” She ventured with a smile.

Onyx gave a heavy sigh. “No thanks.” He turned and left for home. “Great, so much for that.” He grumbled. Onyx soon returned home and practically tossed his saddlebags to the side. He took a seat on his couch and began reading the newspaper. He paused a moment on the first page after reading half of it and couldn’t help but notice something. Something he hadn’t noticed, or did but just didn’t care to, about his home. It was plain, just a couch, coffee table, another table set up in the kitchen with four chairs merely for cosmetic purposes and only one had seen uses. A round light green and dark green rug decorated the floor under his coffee table, and there was a small book shelf with a few books resting on it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, yet it all just seemed so…quiet. It had always been quiet, yet now, the silence of the house seemed more prominent then before.

Why is it just now Onyx was noticing all this. It had always been quiet in his home, always just him alone. It was how he liked it. It had always been just him for the longest time since he was a foal really. So why is he noticing all this now? His mind wandered back to the conversation he had with Petal earlier today, how he mentioned he had mostly been alone and never had any friends. He always had to mostly look out for himself. Sure his parents cooked for him whenever it was breakfast, lunch or dinner, but they were never really there. It was like their minds were elsewhere and ignored Onyx.

This seemed to transfer to when he was in school as well. Somehow, thinking about all this got him reminiscing on the past when he was in school. Onyx was always the odd foal out. He never had any friends in school, nor did he try to make them. Mostly it was because he was shy at the time, but it was also because he was afraid of them just ignoring him like his parents did.

Onyx shook his head to free himself from these memories. “Snap out of it.” He said to himself. “I don’t need friends. I don’t need a marefriend. I’m fine with my life.” He said again. After he said this, he looked around again and doubt seemed to paint itself on his face. His eyes looked sad. Onyx gave a sigh. He folded up his paper, went to fix dinner, ate, then went to his room to get ready for bed. He removed the necklace and, though he feels it may have been the cause of these strange happenings each night, he couldn’t help but place it on his night stand instead of just chucking it or hiding it away in hopes of being rid of this apparition that has been appearing.

He climbed into bed and lay on his side. This time, he waited. He wanted to go to sleep, but his mind told him to just wait. Wait for what though? For the pony mare that keeps appearing? Why? Onyx simply lay there on his side and waited. Eventually, after almost half an hour passed, she came. All he felt and could see was that same black hoof draping over his shoulder. “Are you lonely?” She asked as she always did when she first appeared.

Instead, Onyx replied with a few questions of his own. “Why do you keep coming back? What do you want from me?”

“For you to stop lying to yourself and accept the truth.” The mare responded. Tonight, her voice sounded soft, sweet and velvety to Onyx’s ears. “So, are you lonely?” She asked again.

Onyx hesitated a moment. He turned his gaze away from the hoof and looked at his bed. “No…I’m not. But…..could you….stay tonight anyway?” He found himself asking. “Please.”

A small giggle was heard. “All right, I’ll stay with you tonight.”

Onyx looked back up at the hoof. He slowly raised his right hoof to the mare’s. He felt this need to feel her for himself even though he could feel her hoof on his shoulder. His hoof shook as he drew closer to hers. When it was just an inch away, he paused and pulled it back, then gave a sigh. “Thank you.” Was all he said before closing his eyes. Somehow, having the mysterious mare with him helped him feel more at ease, comforted. He fell to a blissful sleep.

The next morning, Onyx awoke with a yawn. He sat up and looked to his side to see the mare gone. He found himself slightly saddened. Onyx shook the feeling off and went about his morning routine once again, only this time, not at his usual pace like he was weighed down. His mind was starting to doubt his resolve of this lonely life style. “Would I really be happier if I had friends…..or somepony to love?” He asked himself quietly.