The Great and Powerful Mission- a Genetic Research story

by peacevic

Chapter 3

Ch. 3

Standing by the grave, Lulamoon struggled to figure out what to say.

His son was gone. Lulamoon would never be able to see him grow up, would never smile as he watched the colt fumble and stammer and blush as he tried to ask a filly to be his special somepony. Would never get to explain hoofball or teach him how to pick a lock.

He would never again see the colt try to fly, fall, and try again, the little guy keeping a look of determination on his face the whole time. He would never chuckle as he cleaned tracked-in mud off the floor, or read him another silly story.

He couldn't say anything. He couldn't even breathe.

Why Prouesse? Why...?

Ingenue was a wreck. She hadn't even left her room since the funeral service. Why wouldn't she talk to him? Did she think it was his fault?

Was it his fault? Was there some sign, some symptom, that he missed? Could he have saved Prouesse?

He couldn't do this, couldn't take it. Not anymore. There was no way to bring his son back. There was no way to make his wife stop hating him. There was... nothing left for him here.

There was no point in him staying.

He hadn't performed since Prouesse's birth, but that didn't mean his heat was gone. He'd still been receiving invitations to perform. It'd be no problem for him to set up a show. He could go. He should go.

With him here, it would be harder for Ingenue to move on. Each day would be a constant reminder of what they'd lost. Leaving was the only choice. It was the right choice.

It was the easy choice.

Standing by the grave, Trixie wondered what she should say.

Ingenue had left her here, as any words the pegasus could have had been spoken long ago. Trixie was alone. She sat down nin front of the gravestone.

The date of death wasn't even a year before her birthday.

She took a deep breath, drawing on a stage trick her dad had taught her to settle her nerves. "When Trixie started, Trixie wanted to know if she had any more siblings like Apple Bloom... and it turns out the answer was yes. Trixie had a baby brother- wait, you'd be older than Trixie now."

"Why am I saying 'Trixie'?" She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts to line up. "You're family, right? And we're all alone. I should be able to say 'I'... But it doesn't really feel right. Maybe it's because Trixie never knew you."

Silence hung in the air for a while.

"Trixie was hoping to learn more about Dad, about why he did the things he did." She shrugged. "Maybe Trixie did. Maybe Trixie just doesn't understand it all the way yet. Dad was so kind, so strong... so broken. So mean. It's like there were two of him, the pony he showed to Trixie and the pony that others saw. Maybe I'll never get it."

Trixie stood again and placed a hoof on the gravestone. "I hope you're in a better place now, Big Brother. I hope Dad is happy."

Then she left.