Equestria: Fantasy or Reality

by Mister E-Nonymous

Chapter 4: A Mother's Secret on Father's Day

Chapter 4: A Mother's Secret of Father's Day

---

(Jacob's Point of View)

It was Father's Day. I always wondered about who my dad was. I asked Mom what my dad was like, but she always told me that I don't really need to know anything about my father. All I get from her was that he was dumped when I was just a few cells. Meaning my Mom dumped him when she was pregnant with me. She then walked into the garage, got out the lawnmower, and started mowing the front yard.

Apple Bloom thought about trying to get me to drop it, and have some fun. So, she suggested playing hide and seek. So, that's what we did. I was it, and I counted to sixty, to give the girls enough time to find a hiding spot. When I finally reached sixty, I called out, "Ready or not, here I come!" I then started searching all over the house.

I started searching the room next to the front door. I looked all over the room, until I saw that the door wasn't all the way opened. I then pulled the door from the wall, and behind the door was Scootaloo.

"Found you," I said.

"Wow," said Scootaloo. "Guess I shouldn't hide behind doors anymore."

"Head on to the couch and wait there until this game is over," I said. I then walked out of the room, Scootaloo following me, and then she headed to the couch. I then headed towards the kitchen. I then heard the sound of a box of cereal falling in the pantry. I looked in the pantry and saw Apple Bloom. "Found you."

"Aw, man," said Apple Bloom. "Ah thought Ah'd be the best hider."

"Join Scootaloo on the couch," I said. "I'm gonna keep on the search." I then headed for the hallway. I started searching the room the four girls all share. When I went into the room, I looked under the beds. Nothing. Then I looked in the closet. Nothing. Then I looked in the bathroom, coming in from the hallway entrance. I then looked behind and saw Sweetie Belle behind the toilet. "Found you."

"Who else did you find?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Scootaloo and Apple Bloom," I said. "In that order."

"Well, as long as I'm in here, I should really go," said Sweetie Belle. "So, do you mind?"

"Sure," I said. "Wash your hands, then go to the couch when you're done." Sweetie Belle nodded, I left the bathroom, closed the door, and then I walked towards Mom's room. I looked all over the room. Then I went towards the closet. I thought I saw something in the closet. I stopped and saw Nyx, holding a shoe box, and looking inside it. "Nyx? What are you looking at?"

"I... I found this," said Nyx. "It seems to be some pictures of your mom when she was younger. And I also found this." Nyx pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to me. It seemed to be my birth certificate. The birth certificate had my first name, but my last name was of a different name. Peel.

"What?" I then looked at the names of the parents. The father was named Richie Grayson. But the mother's name was Penelope Peel.

"I... also found this... underneath the birth certificate," said Nyx, handing me another piece of paper. "It seems to be an adoption form."

"Adoption?" I asked, confused. "I'm adopted?"

"'Due to the unexpected death of Penelope Peel,'" Nyx read the papers, "'the child she gave birth to has been given custody to the woman who helped her out when she was pregnant, Katherine Malcolm. Since the father was unable to accept responsibility and wanted to have Penelope abort the child, he does not deserve to even be a father and all custody of the child will go to Katherine Malcolm.'" She then looked over at me and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I... I don't even know anymore..." I said.

"You want me to get your... well... apparently adopted mother?" asked Nyx.

I nodded. I was hoping that this was some kind of bad dream.

---

Nyx told Mom, or who I thought after nine years was my real mom, came in and was sad when I found that box. She and I sat down at the table while the girls watched from the couch.

"For nine years, I was afraid of telling you," she said. "I was afraid that you would be upset about this secret. But, now that you are, I have no choice but to tell you the truth." She then pulled out a picture of her and some girl she was with when she was younger. "This was a picture of me and your mom in 1983. This picture was taken a week after I met her."

"Did her family move in where you were?" I asked.

"No," she answered. "Penelope was lost from her family. We were hoping that her family would come and get her, but after two years... they never came. She stayed with my for a while. She had a knack for making a bunch of apple sweets. Your mom was a very talented girl."

"What was she like?" I asked.

"She was... smart... funny... and hard working," she said. "She loved working hard, growing some apples, and she even cleaned my dad's car whenever it got dirty. You would've loved her. Her cowgirl hat, her southern accent, and and I tried making your mom's apple pie as best as I could."

"She does sound nice," I said.

"Penelope was. A couple years later, we met Lauren. In fact, when the first generation of the My Little Pony show came up, Lauren, Penelope and I got hooked onto it. In fact, it was Penelope who gave Lauren the design idea of all of the ponies in that one My Little Pony Show you like. Friendship is Magic."

"Wow," I said.

"Wow indeed," she said. "We became a trio of best friends. Then one day we all left for college. Lauren studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts, and your mom and I studied in Miami. We've been best friends, no matter how far away we were. When we graduated, I became a tech programmer, and Penelope worked at a fresh market, selling fruits. She farms a lot and delivers the produce to Freshfields Farms. I was there when she was delivering some produce until she met... your father. Richie."

"What was he like?" I asked.

"He was... strong, loyal, and he always helped out with anyone in need. When the two of them started dating, they were happy. But then one day... their relationship... collapsed."

"What happened?" I asked.

"You happened," she said. "When he found out that Penelope was pregnant, he accused her of sleeping with another man. She told him that he was the father. He got angry. He wanted her to abort you. But she couldn't do that. She then ended her relation with him."

"So, is that why you never wanted to talk about my dad?" I asked.

"Yes. He wasn't even wanting to help her through the pregnancy. She tried working through the pregnancy, but she was told to go home. But she needed her job so she could stay in her home. So, I let her stay with me. In the upstairs apartment."

"Wait," I said. "She lived upstairs?"

"Yes," she said. "I let her move upstairs. I took care of her, got her food, baby supplies, and I was there to help her if she was sick. But then... your day came. Her water broke, and I rushed her to the hospital. But when we got there, the doctors discovered something."

---

The Day Jacob was Born

(Third Person Point of View)

It was at the hospital. Penelope was in the maternity ward with a bunch of doctors, and Kathy. The doctors were all surrounding Penelope as she was in pain.

"Alright, Miss Peel, you have to remain calm," said one of the doctors.

"Ah can't be calm!" shouted Penelope. "Ah'm in huge pain here! Gaaah!" She held her stomach during the contraction. "Oh, Ah'm gonna kill Richie for doing this to me!"

"Uh, ma'am," said a nurse. "I don't think you'll be able to do that. I just did a scan, and it seems that your last contraction has opened some blood vessels in your stomach. I don't think you're going to make it."

"What?!" shouted Penelope. She then looked at her stomach, then she turned her head towards Kathy and said, "Kathy. Come here."

Kathy walked over to her and held her hand. Kathy then asked, "What is it, Penelope?"

"If... If Ah don't make it... promise me... promise me you'll take care of my baby," Penelope said losing some breath.

"Doctor," said a nurse. "Her heart rate is dropping."

"We mustn't let that happen," said the doctor.

Kathy was sad to know that her best friend was dying. She tightened her grip and said, "I promise, Penelope. I promise I'll take care of the baby. You're my best friend. I never break a promise to my best friend. GAAAAH!!"

"Here comes the baby," said the doctor. "Here it comes." Then nothing but the sound of the heart rate came. Then the beeping stopped and then the sound of a baby crying came up. "It's a boy. Nurse, get the baby cleaned up."

The nurse took the baby and cleaned him up. She then took the baby to Penelope. Penelope took her and held her baby for a moment. She smiled down at him and said, "Hello... Jacob..." She was nodding off. And then the sound of a never ending beep was going off. The baby was crying, knowing that his mother was dead. Kathy grabbed the baby, and held him as he cried.

"Miss? What is your name?" the doctor asked Kathy.

"Katherine Malcolm," she said. "But I prefer Kathy."

"Well, Kathy," said the doctor. "I want you to keep that promise, you're going to need some papers signed. From now on, you're the boy's mother."

"But doctor," said the nurse. "What about the boy's father?"

"Nurse," Kathy said. "Richie, the boy's father, didn't even want the child. He wanted her to give up the child."

"Well, I guess that settles that," said the doctor. "Make sure you keep him healthy. You might not be the boy's biological mother, but take care of him like he was your own."

"I will, doctor," said Kathy. "I will."

---

Present...

(Jacob's Point of View)

I was stunned of how my biological mother died. I couldn't believe how it happened. I killed my own mother.

"Your mother was a very good person," Mom said. "I'm just... a sorry substitute."

I thought about it hard. But then I remembered all of the things she did for me. Then I said, "No. You're not."

"What?" Mom asked me.

"She might have given birth to me," I said, "but that doesn't mean you're a sorry substitute. You kept the promise for nine years. I wouldn't be any more grateful for what you did. Thank you, Mom."

I hugged her. I could feel tears from her eyes falling on top of my head.

"Aaaaaawww!" came the voices of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Nyx.

"Eeeeeww!!" said Scootaloo.

"C'mon, Scoot," said Apple Bloom. "Jacob is happy to have someone who raised them and that someone kept a promise from his ma. Don't be so cruel."

Mom then stood up and asked, "Would you like to see the apartment upstairs? I haven't been up there in nine years."

"Sure," I said.

We then headed through the garage, and headed for the door that was by the garage door. Mom unlocked it, and inside was a staircase. We went up the stairs, and there was the upstairs apartment. It was completely dusty.

"This is the upstairs apartment?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Wow," said Scootaloo. "This place is really dirty."

"I know my sister Rarity would freak out if she saw this must dust," said Sweetie Belle. "She would be all like, 'Ah! So much dust! There shouldn't be this must dust!'"

"Yeah, I guess your sister wouldn't appreciate this much dust," said Mom. "How about we get this place cleaned up tomorrow? I'll order in some pizza and we'll have to be really busy."

"Hey," said Scootaloo. "I bet if we clean this up, we could be..."

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS APARTMENT CLEANERS!! YAY!!" shouted the four girls. Mom and I chuckled at their chant.

"I don't think it's possible to get a Cutie Mark when you're human," I said. "Besides, I already know what your talents are. All four of you."

"What is it?! What is it?!" the four girls chanted.

"You'll have to figure that out all on your own," I said. "You'll find out what your talents are."

"Aww!" said the four girls.

"I love it when they do that," I said. "Makes them sound cute."

"I can see why," said Mom. "Alright, everyone. Let's head on downstairs. We're all going to be busy tomorrow."

Then we all headed back downstairs. We had to be ready to clean up the upstairs apartment tomorrow.

Author's Note:

So, Kathy didn't give birth to Jacob, but she raised him as he was her own child.

"Family isn't whose blood you carry. It's who you love and who loves you."
-Jackie Chan (The Spy Next Door)