The Anthropologist

by Weavers of Dreams

-43- Bon Bon is Maternal

Slamming the door behind her, Bon Bon quickly set about whipping up a surefire cure for a upset foals. It involved a cushion, a blanket fresh from the dryer, a cup of hot chocolate with those little marshmallows, peanut butter crackers, a superhero comic book, and an affectionate hug. She made comforting sounds and even hummed softly, rocking from side-to-side unto his crying died down to light sniffles and hiccups.

"There-there," she cooed. "Calm down, Henry. Everything's okay."

"No it's n-not," Henry said, looking at the melting marshmallows in the hot chocolate. "Some people are dead, all because I messed up. I always mess up."

"That's just not true," the mare chided him as she nuzzled his mane. "Lyra said that they were alright, and I would trust her on that. She may be impish and rather immature, but she's an honest mare. I know you're out of your element, Henry, but you're not alone in this world. Plenty of ponies mess up, and sometimes it seems like a trend, but it's really not."

"I saw everyone's faces," he said, as if he hadn't heard her. "They were their friends. Now they'll all hate me."

Bon Bon gave him a gentle squeeze. "No one's going to hate you. You did nothing wrong."

"What does that even mean?" Henry sniffed loudly.

"What does what mean?"

"I'm always wrong," he muttered.

"That's statistically impossible," Bon sighed, rolling her eyes. "Now, I need you to cheer up. A very good friend of mine is counting on me to keep you from slipping into a dark funk, and I will not let her down. Now, I don't know what your home life was like, but, here, I will not let a child think so little of himself."

Henry let out a surprised squeak when he was turned around and his chin lifted so that they were nose-to-nose. He wilted a bit at the sight of the mare's scowl.

"You have value," she said firmly, surprising him. "Yes, you may have screwed up a few times. Everyone screws up. Sometimes it's bad, but that does not define you. They worst thing you did today was mistake Lyra for a stallion. Even that was more funny than it was wrong. Though we won't tell her that."

Henry tried to look away, but the mare was not going to have it.

"Don't you dare look away from me, young stall...er... colt...er... man." She placed two soft hooves on his cheeks, holding his head firmly in place. "I understand that your first day today has been a trial. Things were probably rushed a bit, which goes to show that we too are imperfect, Henry. Everything is going to be okay. No one hates you."

"B-but..."

"No 'buts', Henry," Bon Bon warned, letting her hooves drop down to the warm blanket. "We're going to take care of you until it's time to go home."

"What if I...?"

"Then we'll all help you pick up the pieces as they fall," she cut him off, a maternal smile beginning to form on her face. "Your value as a sapient being trumps any mistakes you could possibly ever make. Don't ever let me or anyone else catch you putting yourself down again. One of the worst things you can ever do is put a price on your own life. You surpass all things, from the ground you walk on, to the very stars in the heavens, for we shall conquer them all. Remember that, Henry. Because there are people who will attack your sense of self-worth, by telling you that you're no more than a speck of dust."

Henry sniffed. "Compared to a star I am."

Bon Bon's smile grew. "Perhaps, but a star is but a star. It never changes. But you can. Even now you're a completely different person than the one you were a second ago. A star dies, a person finds new ways to live. Even an animal only survives, but a person thrives. You are a person, Henry. No star in all the heavens combined could ever compare to you. Do you hear me?"

Rather than replying, Henry burst into new tears and hugged the mare for all he was worth.

"I'll take that as a yes," Bon Bon sighed happily as she returned the hug. They remained like that for a minute or two until she managed to ease his grip and convince him to enjoy his hot chocolate and crackers.

But the quietness wasn't meant to last.

"Mommy, I'm home. Auntie Lyra thayth everythingth alright. Brady and Jeththi are fine."

"Well," Bon Bon chuckled, "I suppose it's time you met my daughter, Twist. You're about the same age. I'm sure you'll get along just fine."

A look of horror spread across the colt's face. Which sported a hot chocolate mustache with a marshmallow stuck to his nose.