Lost Muse

by David Silver

55 - Household

"Joke's on you, Mother." Libel smiled with confidence. "I already have started that."

Succinct sat up with surprise in her eyes, and a little of a happy smile. "Go on, finish the thought. What manner of household have you started?"

Color raised a hoof, suddenly getting it. "She has a groundskeeper with a green hoof. He's a complete genius when it comes to tending plants."

"That is a fine start." She nodded softly. "And it won't compete with the others. They'll be happy to know their jobs are not in jeopardy when you come."

Libel snorted at that. "You know, you can have more than one of a position, especially with... the number of manors the family owns."

"Speaking of that." Succinct leaned forward. "Promise me you'll consider a foal, just consider it, and I'd like you to move."

"Move?" She hiked a brow at her mother. "I told my boss to to take a hike when he told me the same. I like Canterlot."

"Fine then, take the Canterlot manor." She waved it away softly. "Take it and live in it. Breathe some new life into it as you write. Weave words in it, as a Word manor should be used for. Your groundskeeper will start earning their keep with an estate that large."

"Provided I consider a child."

"I only ask that you consider. I can't force you, you've made that quite clear, but I can ask that much." She took a slow and shaking breath. "It was one of the reasons I loathed your father so very much... When you came to me, Libel; when I held you in my arms... In that moment, it was so clear. I knew I loved you, and always would. I thought the same amount him. I thought everything made sense."

Color's ears sagged at the sad story. "Never." The two mares glanced at him. "I mean... I would never do that! I... can't even... why?! He's... stupid." He was blushing brightly, the looks he was getting from the two wordsmiths crippling in their intensity. "I'm not the writer," he squeaked. "But he is! Why would he throw so much away?"

Libel huffed softly. "He's not here to ask, and I'm not looking for the jerk. The one good thing he did was make me, and he couldn't even get that right."

"Libel!" She clopped the top of the table, scowling at her daughter. "Take that back."

"Why should I," fired back Libel, a scowl on her face and her fur raised. "I checked the records, Mother, and this condition certainly didn't come from your side of the family."

Succinct sighed tiredly, sinking into her seat. "He was young and stupid, much like I was at the time... He allowed himself to be distracted."

Color raised an ear at Succinct. "Wait, you know what happened then, besides him leaving?"

"He did leave me for another mare." She tilted her head faintly. "But not the way you would imagine. He never touched her, not that way."

Color slowly blinked, trying to process it. "So... why?" His face suddenly darkened. "If that's... alright to ask, Mom."

Libel clopped the table much as Succinct had earlier. "Stop stop stop! You told me he ran off with some mare he was making eyes with and that was that. What's this second chapter of the story from?"

"She was a younger thing..." Succinct shuffled in her chair. "I thought he had, practically vanished overnight. I learned the story later, when I was lucid enough to follow him." She smiled wryly. "When my daughter didn't need my constant attention..."

Libel turned her ears back. "What happened?"

"I had him found, of course." She lifted her shoulders. "What is the purpose of money if never spent? I found him, or what was left."

"Left?" Color perked an ear. "Is he... gone?"

"Very." Succinct pushed at her plate with her wings. "This is a miserable way to end dinner. Look, he followed some misty-eyed mare, got to know her. She was sick, very sick... They called him, he was the only pony she had, it seemed... He went running, didn't think to leave me a note, just gone..."

She poured herself some wine, filling a glass tall. "She needed a transplant, and he didn't even pause for breath. They had him under the knife, and he never came out the other end."

Libel wobbled in place, her neck refusing to hold her head on straight. "Dad... He... Why didn't you tell me this?"

"She's alive." She looked across the table to the staggered Libel. "The mare that stole my stupid husband away... The transplant worked, for her. She's healthy... has foals even... I met her once." She drew a thin breath. "She told me... he would talk about me. He told her... He... never wanted to leave me, that I made his world whole." She slammed down the glass. It shattered on impact, wine splashing on the table. "But he threw all that away, didn't he?"

Color squirmed, feeling numb and unsure what to say. "That..."

Her eyes focused on him. "Little Splash, you have a good heart. Are you looking for some desperate mare to die for?"

He paled, backing up so hard his chair fell over backwards, spilling him onto the floor.

"Mother! That was uncalled... for. I... need to think." She stepped down from her seat. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Tell you what?" Succinct frowned at Libel. "You were a filly. 'Your father didn't run away like I thought he did?' As if you'd understand what he did, or why he did it. The older you got, the more awkward it became. I almost wished it was an act of misplaced passion. A cheating husband is much easier to explain than one so kind he destroyed everything."

Color climbed to his hooves, horn magic setting the chair back where it had started. "That's... not what I had imagined."

Succinct glanced at Libel's retreating form before looking back to Color. "Imagine it, if you would, from my perspective. I had spent years loathing that stallion, thinking he discarded me for some... fling... I was convinced he had fallen to depravity of the worst kind, just to find out he was a damn fool of a hero? With a mare that could tell me with teary eyes how much she appreciated his noble sacrifice?"

"That had to be hard..." He turned one ear back, the other still on Succinct. "Do you... talk to her?"

"I would sooner die." Succinct put a forelock over her face a moment. "I do not wish her ill... I... she can live as happily as she pleases, but she took him from me. That fact remains true, even if it was... his choice. I have no desire to speak to her again."

Color put a hoof to his chest. He could feel his heart thundering and his head swimming. "Why are you... alright with me then? Aren't..."

"You just a sappy little stallion that could do the same thing again? Why yes you are." She let her hooves fall as she stepped down from the chair. "Clean this up."

"Yes, Ma'am." Miss Pot had slipped in quietly at some point and got to cleaning without asking questions.

Succinct circled the table towards Color. "I tried to arrange things for her, with stallions that would never do that. Each of them had enough love for themselves that they'd never agree to just... toss it away. I was trying to protect her, Little Splash. I was trying..."

Color nodded at Miss Pot, but his eyes were quick to snap back to Succinct. "But... you said yes?"

"It was say yes, or finish pushing her away, Little Splash." She raised a hoof to his cheek. "Poor thing..." She could feel him trembling at her touch. "All I ask is that you not forget what he did. Your life is not your own anymore. You belong to her."

He backed a hesitant step. "O-of course...I mean..." He shuffled in place, grasping desperately for words. "I love her."

"He loved me," she countered with a defeated sigh. "Too much love, not enough sense."

"Do you hate him?"

"If he were suddenly here, you mean?" She smiled lopsidedly. "Right in this room, arms wide as if back from some tortuously long trip. What would I do then?" She circled him slowly, tail lashing. "I'd cry, Color. Your mother would cry, but that is not happening. He made a decision, and then he was gone..."

"I'm sorry," he barely breathed out.

"Go to your princess."

He perked his ears at her, taking a wobbling step. "Um, sure, but... please..." He wasn't sure what he was begging for. He wasn't sure what he was trying to request. He gave up with a little sad huff and ran off to find Libel.

"All clean, Ma'am." Miss Pot had restored the table to pristine condition. "Shall I dispose of the remaining food?"

"Kindly."

Miss Pot hesitated a moment. "He... reminds you of him, doesn't he?"

"Not now, Miss Pot."

"Yes, Ma'am." Miss Pot got back to work, not troubling her employer again that evening.

---

Libel crashed onto the bed, burying her face into the pillow with a defeated groan. She beat on the soft material of the bed with inarticulate hooves, unable to get out the knot that she could feel within herself.

A soft knock interrupted her. "Go away," she ordered.

"No," defied the muffled voice of her boyfriend.

"Splashy..." She sat up, facing the door. "Ugh, come in if you have to."

He opened the door gently, a trick unicorns tended to master. "Libel... that was... a lot, I know that."

"Do you know that? I hope you never do, Splashy... I really hope you never ever do..." She flopped to the side, still facing him. "My father... everything I knew about him... a lie..." She laughed a choked noise. "And here I am... ready to hitch up with a stallion just like him. It's just like they say..."

"Was... he a unicorn?" Color closed the door gently behind himself. "Not that it matters. Libel, I still love you."

"Splashy..." She pat the bed gently. "Come up here and be quiet. I need some quiet and company right now."

With a soft thumping, he climbed up onto the bed and snuggled in with her. His presence broke through her barriers, and she felt the tears coming, refusing to be held back. She buried her face in his chest and let them come, holding to him as she quietly sobbed.

"I'll never leave you," he whispered. "They'll have to drag me away screaming, and I'll fight every inch of the way."

She paused her sniffles to glance up at him. "That is both romantic and dumb as hell, Splashy... Thank you."

He kissed the top of her head. "That's me." Romantic and dumb as hell, he felt that way at times. "Now, uh... is this your room?"

"It was," she sighed out.

"Wow." He tried to imagine a little filly Libel in such a bed so massive two grown ponies were easily sharing it. Her life was not his own. "It's nice..." His eyes wandered over the things still there. "Did she not... move a thing?"

"Not a thing." Libel sat up a little. "Oh, she added a few things." She pointed. "There's a copy of my diploma from graduation."

Color kissed the bottom of her chin. "Looking about half as sharp as the mare that earned it."

"Splashy..." She nipped at an ear, and the cuddling intensified. In grief, sometimes intense love was one way to work through it.

Author's Note:

Well, that was a reveal.

Comments

[Born-From-Black-Lightnin]

Why did you have to unload all the feel’s on us.

[Crazedgamer126]

Color climbed to his hooves, hor magic setting the chair back where it had started. "That's... not what I had imagined."

Do you mean, "his magic setting the chair back where it had started"

[David Silver]

9407304
I actually meant horn magic, fixed!

[Crazedgamer126]

9407307
Ah aight.

[TuxOKC]

Miss Word would have words with you;
to to take a hike

I thought the same amount him.

====
Just to absolutely clear, there are no half siblings?

[David Silver]

9407394
No one has mentioned any, and it seems unlikely?

[WARGAMES]

Its the GodMother the GodMother yeah

[artofwar77]

And now her behavior towards Libel and Color all makes sense.
So deliciously tragic yet cathartic.

Nicely done.