CiderCon Chronicles

by SSCiderConOfficial

Chapter 19 : Happier Endings

CiderCon Chronicles

Chapter 19 : Happier Endings

"A happy ending is all about where you stop your story." -
Clever Quill, Author

Secret Ingredient...

It took several weeks to get used to the new name, and its many permutations. Some folks would use the whole thing, others abbreviated by calling him Si (like sigh), or S.I. (Ess Eye), Doc Gladstone even took to calling him "May'naise". It was, to say the least, an amusing transition.

Once he had, he realized what a difference it made. Having a pony name made him feel like a part of their community, and a part of their world, in a way he never had before. The pain and shame that he had been unconsciously holding on to until the night of the party was gone, and he moved forward into a life of complete freedom.

He continued to learn more about his unique shapeshifting abilities. He practiced and stretched the boundaries of what he thought was possible. No matter how much he practiced though, he could never completely emulate another creature. There was always something of himself in his transformations, and that was completely fine with him. He was proud of his skills, and proud of the things for which he used them.

His relationship with Bramley and Warm Welcome continued to flourish. He and Bramley loved each other like brothers. Warm Welcome delighted in her role as his "Mother", and lavished him with the same attention, affection, and affirmation that she showed Bramley.

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One day a few months later, he was out on an errand to Green Gardens' house, and was taking the shortcut through the woods. He came across a trio of blossoms that reminded him of Warm Welcome's Cutie Mark. He carefully picked them and placed them in his saddlebag. He continued on, and soon found himself on the lip of a gully. He carefully picked his way down to the bottom and was looking for an easy ascent on the opposite side before it struck him where he was.

This was the gully where it all began.

He hadn't been there since that day, but, even with all of the new spring growth, he recognized almost every detail.

"Of couse I recognize it," He said aloud to himself, "I thought I was going to die here."

He took the scene in, and remembered what happened that day. The life that he thought was coming to an end, was just beginning. It was fitting, he thought, that the first time he'd seen it was in the late fall. The gully then was as barren, and bleak, and seemingly bereft of life as he felt at the time.
He looked around the gully now, and he smiled from ear to ear.
The gully was alive, and vibrant, and growing.

His bleak winter was over, and his warm spring was just beginning.

He loved himself.

He loved, and was loved by, others.

He was home.

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THE END
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Comments

[Luster Wellwisher]

This was so sugary sweet I swear it gave me cavities!