• Published 1st Dec 2011
  • 3,954 Views, 791 Comments

The Flutterheart Diaries - lilinuyasha



Even after Trey and Fluttershy marry, some things are still unknown.

  • ...
17
 791
 3,954

XXV: Suitable replacement.

“Right this way.”

The nurse led Trey, Chocolate, and Anacrusis through the hospital, passing through a set of double doors to the death zone.

“If you need me, I’ll be around.” she said, bowing her head. “I’m sorry.”

Chocolate Cherry looked at Trey, who urged her to go ahead. She stepped inside, carefully, examining the room. She’d only been to a hospital once before, where she saw her mother pass away. She’d harbored a bitter resentment and fear towards them ever since.

As she neared the bed her father was in, her heartbeat sped up. She wasn’t sure what to expect...or what she wanted to expect.

“Cherry?” a small, weak voice said. The grey, limp body of her father partially opened his eyes at her.

“Hey...Dad.” she said, shyly, out of arm range. She knew better than to stay in a certain radius of her dad.

“Hey, son.” he said, smiling. “How was the fair?”

“What?”

“He’s confused.” said Trey. Chocolate Cherry turned around to face him, tears forming in her eyes.

“A sign of alcohol poisoning is confusion. He probably won’t remember much.”

Chocolate Cherry bowed her head, a small splash of a tear hitting the ground.

“Oh, who’s your friend?” he asked, looking up at Trey.

“He’s...”

“I’m Trey. And you are?” he asked, nodding.

“I’m a comedian! Want to hear a joke?”

Chocolate Cherry’s tears started to dry up a bit as this unexpected, lighthearted banter from her father caught her offguard.

“Sure.” she said, starting to smile.

Trey bent down low, whispering in her ear, “Expect mood swings.”

Chocolate Cherry gave him a weird look, not understanding.

“So donkey and a mule walk into a bar...and there’s this painting on the wall...so the duck asks ‘Got any grapes?’ and the bartender says ‘Why the long face?’” he finished, cracking up into laughter. Trey clopped his hooves on the ground, showing support while Anacrusis and Chocolate Cherry raised an eyebrow, dumbfounded.

Chocolate’s dad looked over at them, seeing only Trey laughing (Albeit a clearly forced laugh) and started crying.

“You didn’t think it was funny...” he said, starting to break down into tears.

“No, it was, Dad!”

“GET OUT OF HERE!” he shouted at them.

Chocolate froze, unsure of if he would suddenly take back what he said in another mood swing. Trey patted her back, trotting out of the room. Just before he closed the door behind them, he heard him vomit, coughing.

“He didn’t remember me...”

“Chocolate...he probably doesn’t remember anything...I think he just remembers who you are...that’s it. Don’t take it personally...I’m sure he still loves you.”

“He never loved me.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I’m sure he loves you. The alcohol just covered that up.”

“Nopony ever loved me.” she said, bowing her head.

“I love you...” said Anacrusis, hugging her. Chocolate hugged him back, crying.

“And just know that our entire family loves you, too, Chocolate. Come on. He’s probably over it. At least you can say goodbye. Trust me on this one.”

“O...ok.” she managed to say, as they trotted back into the room.

“Oh, hey, son! I’m happy to see you came back!”

***

“...so the camel says to the elephant, ‘What hat?’”

The three burst out laughing, even though it made absolutely no sense. When he got volatile again, Trey took the time to let her know that even though he may not have given her much, even though he treated her badly, that everpony deserved to at least be happy before they died. Chocolate understood, taking his wisdom in, using it to the best of her ability.

“That joke made no sense!” Chocolate’s dad said, laughing even harder. “But you still laughed! I love you guys!”

Chocolate froze, a small smile coming across her face. She hadn’t heard her dad say that in years. And even though it was just him on his deathbed, loopy from whatever it was, just hearing him say that...made her years of torture bearable. Chocolate started tearing up again, out of happiness or sadness, she didn’t know.

“And she’s tearing up from laughing so hard! I love it! You’re a pretty awesome pony, you know that?”

Chocolate looked up at her dad, smiling. Uncontrollably and impulsively, she stood up on her legs, trying to hug him on the bed. He smiled, and hugged her back.

“I love you, Dad...”

“D’aw! I wish I was your dad. I would LOVE to have you for a son!” he said. She smiled at him, watching his eyelids start to flutter. They rolled into the back of his head and his body started shaking uncontrollably.

“NURSE!” shouted Trey, galloping into the hall. A team of nurses soon galloped in, restraining him. Chocolate, Trey, and Anacrusis waited out in the hall while a loud ruckus ensued inside.

“I can’t find a pulse!”

“We’re losing him!”

“Clear!”

Anacrusis and Chocolate sat on the floor, as Chocolate hugged him tightly. Trey stood outside the door, listening in, a large, depressing mood coming over him. He already had a funeral to go to tomorrow...this looked like another one. This was the worst weekend ever.

“Why don’t you two go to the waiting room?” he said to them. Chocolate, eyes red with tears, galloped down the hall, as Anacrusis chased after her. Trey watched them, tears forming in his eyes. He may not have remembered anything about his life, but telling Chocolate he’d love to have her as a son, even though she was a filly, must have presented some conflicting emotions. That was probably the nicest thing he’d said to Chocolate in years. Yet...he still didn’t remember who she was...

“Sir?”

Trey snapped out of it, looking at the nurse beside him.

***

“Where’s Chocolate?” asked Trey.

“She’s outside...she didn’t want to cry in here.” said Anacrusis.

“I need to break the news to her. She’ll want you to be there as well.”

Anacrusis nodded and led his dad to where Chocolate was, huddled against a corner on the outside of the hospital, head down low, trying to stifle her tears. She looked up at Trey when she saw his hooves. He didn’t even need to speak...the look on his face told her everything. Anacrusis went beside her, leaning against her, letting her know that he was there for her. He laid his head on her neck, nuzzling her in affection. Chocolate bawled.

“Just come home when you’re ready.” said Trey. “I’m so sorry, Chocolate.”

She raised her head slightly, trying to decide whether she wanted to look at him or not.

“Thank you...” she managed to squeak, before bursting into tears once again. Trey turned around and trotted back to the cottage, making a quick stop at an acquaintance’s house.

***

Derpy cried loudly as they lowered the casket 6 feet down. The casket was covered in flowers donated generously by Lilly and the other flower ponies. In fact, the entire funeral was covered by the Ponyville community. Fluttershy sat beside Derpy, holding her hoof, while Trey sat beside Fluttershy, trying to stifle back his own tears.

“Dinky was a great filly.” said Cheerilee. “She will be missed by all. I don’t know why she was taken to heaven when she was, but...I can only believe that she’s in a better place now.” she finished, slowly trotting away from the hole. They began pouring dirt over it, and Derpy lost herself, nearly burrowing her head into the dirt, sobbing away, making mud below her face.

“Derpy...” began Fluttershy.

Derpy didn’t look, not hearing her over her own grief.

“Derpy, if there’s anything we can do to help...don’t hesitate to let us know.”

Derpy nodded her head slowly.

“Come on...let’s get you home.” said Trey, extending his hoof to help her up.

***

Trey, Fluttershy, and the kids sat with Chocolate Cherry at her father’s funeral. They were the only ponies that showed up, save for Bishop, the church leader, and the ponies lowering the casket. Trey and Fluttershy essentially had to fund most of it themselves. Trey didn’t know enough about her father to have a solid opinion on him, but whether he liked him or not, he still knew that everypony deserved a proper burial.

“Mr. Trey?”

Trey looked down to see Chocolate staring up at him with her light brown eyes, red from crying.

“Yes, Cherry?”

“Does this mean...you’re my daddy now?”

Trey froze for a sec, unsure how to respond. Everypony else in the family looked over at him. Anacrusis and Flutterwing loved her. Of course they wanted her to be their sister. However, Trey and Fluttershy simply couldn’t afford another child. His mind raged on with how to respond...and what to do...

“We’ll see.” he said, winking at her, patting her on the back.

***

“Who is it?” asked Cherry, as she, Trey, and Anacrusis trotted through Ponyville. It had been a week since the funeral, and Cherry was trying to adjust to life with Anacrusis and his family. Trey carried a batch of chocolate muffins, with a cherry on top.

“My dad said it’s a secret.”

“But...why the muffins?”

“You’ll see.” said Trey.

Trey stopped at a house near the middle of Ponyville, fairly close to Sugarcube Corner. He knocked on the door, waiting.

“Here.” he said, giving Chocolate the muffins. “You’ll need these.”

“Why?”

No sooner than she asked her question the door opened, revealing Derpy, looking at Trey and Chocolate at the same time.

“Oh...is this her?” she asked, doing her best to smile.

“I guess these are for you.” said Chocolate, handing her the muffins, smiling. Derpy wiped a tear from her eye and jumped forward, hugging Cherry tight.

“Does this mean I won’t see you again?” she asked, looking over at Trey.

“Visit any time. Both of you.” he said. She let go of Derpy and hugged Anacrusis, giving him a kiss on the lips, a thank you for all the support he’d given her recently. She let go and hugged Trey, as he patted her back. She then let go, smiling at the both of them, before grabbing the muffins off the ground, heading into the house with Derpy.

“We should get to know each other. You seem nice.” said Derpy. Trey saw Chocolate hug her as he watched the door close behind the two.