One Last Hearths Warming

by DakariKingMykan

Act 4: What a Father had to Do

ACT FOUR

Steel got a hold of himself after this shocking revelation.

“You… are Sun’s father?” he asked in disbelief.

Jangles nodded sadly, “Yes…” he then paused “I’m the one who left her to you and Bookcase thirty years ago in Canterlot.”

Steel still did not believe a word of it.

“It’s the truth.” insisted Jangles.

“Oh yeah?” sneered Steel “…Prove it.”

Jangles sighed softly, and explained, “Sun was found on your doorstep, a few days before Hearths Warming. She was wrapped up in the blanket you showed me at the donation drive.”

“So…? What does that prove?” asked Steel “You know all this because I told you it all.”

“There’s more…” said Jangles “When you found Sun as foal, there was a letter attached to the blanket, and it read this.”

He began to quote the letter from heart…

“Kind Ponies…

Please take care of my baby Sun Grin. Give her all the love, care, and things I just can’t provide for her.

I know that you are unable to have children of your own, and I feel that by doing this, I give my baby a good life, and I give you what you have always wanted.

Happy Hearths Warming: Broken-Hearted Father.”

Now Steel was convinced. He had quoted every word of the letter perfectly, but the only other people to ever know of the letter were himself, Bookcase and Sun. No one else had ever seen it, and the letter had long since been lost.

Jangles sat on the bench with his head hanging low.

Steel sat down next to him. “Why? Why would you give up your baby?”

Jangles knew he’d have to explain, even though it brought back very bad memories for him…

*Jangles POV*

I grew up in Canterlot with only my mother. My father had abandoned us a little after I was born; almost as if he wanted nothing to do with me, or my mom.

We got by as best we could. I even got a job delivering papers and selling flowers to help.

My school years weren’t fun either. The kids would always tease me. Steal my lunch, throw my books in the trash, and throw mud in my face. Some would even beat me up.

“No wonder your dad left you.” they would say.

“Maybe your mom should leave you too.”

“Fatherless Freak…!”

I tried never to let it get to me. I tried to show what a good student I was, what a hard worker I was, but to them I was always the “Fatherless Freak.” a loser, and they would continue to torment me and beat me up.

…I would often cry alone about it, but it wasn’t the pain that made me cry. It was the fact that I did nothing to deserve all this treatment. I never bullied them, I never offended anyone, and yet they hated me!

Why should a pony be hated and picked on simply because he has no father?

I didn’t have any friends. I couldn’t trust any-pony. So I pretty much just kept to myself as I got older.

I was lonely and miserable into my college days too, and I worked three jobs to help my mother who was sick by a bad disease. I did all I could to pay for her treatments.

Then…

…Then I met her-- Sun’s mother.

Her name was Sun Wing. She was the most beautiful mare I had ever seen-- golden yellow, with a beautiful white mane, as fluffy as a cloud.

She and I met after she had been dumped by her colt-friend. He didn’t want to be married to someone who wanted to be a Wonderbolt. She could either be a Wonderbolt, or his wife... not both.

She and I seemed to hit it off well, but… we had a little too much to drink, and one thing sort of lead to another.

*POV Pause*

He didn’t bother go into further detail, but Steel was shocked.

“…Obviously you went too far.”

Jangles nodded…

*POV resume*

…She got pregnant alright. We were both very surprised, and frightened at the same time.

I took immediate responsibility for my actions, and I vowed from then to take care of her and the baby-- just adding it to my already list of duties.

Sun Wing was flattered, and astounded that I was willing to give up more of my time for her.

We didn’t tell anyone about it, not even my mother-- she was sick enough and didn’t need any stress or excitement to make it worse. What would she think-- that her hard-working, well-meaning son got a mare pregnant in a drunken scene?!

I couldn’t even tell her about Sun Wing. All I did was continue to work to pay for her treatment, and for the pony that was carrying my baby.

…Not that it really mattered much anyway, because my mother soon died in the hospital. There was just nothing they could do for her, and you can bet…the loss devastated me.

Sun Wing was hurt for me as well.

“Don’t worry…” she told me “…I’m here for you.”

It was at that moment, I felt that though I had lost my mother, I still had love, and Sun Wing and I grew closer, and closer.

..Part of me felt deep down it was more because of the baby than anything legitimate, but more of me felt otherwise.

With my mother gone, and the baby on the way, I no longer had to work quite as hard, and left two of my jobs, settling to be an accountant at the Canterlot Bank.

I made good money, enough to support my changing life.

Sun Wing even promised to find work too, after the baby was born.

…She even suggested about getting married, so we would all be a loving family.

…I loved the idea.

Soon, the baby was born, and she was the most beautiful little filly I had ever laid eyes on.

We named her Sun Grin, partly after her mother, and partly because my face ached with smiles of joy.

We still didn’t have so much money for marriage though. Taking care of a baby and moving into a home was pretty draining, and Sun Wing went off to Cloudsdale to seek employment, and she left me to raise the baby.

We wrote to each other every day. She said that she missed us both, and asked about the baby, and she kept telling me she couldn’t wait to come home, and we’d get married, and everything would be just great.

…But it never happened!

A month before Hearths Warming, she wrote to me one last time.

She said it was over, and that she had become a full-fledged Wonderbolt, and she was getting married to one too; one that promised her a full and rich career, with fame and all the glory.

…I never heard from her again.

*POV Pause*

Steel was nearly appalled beyond words.

“She just up and left you and the kid?!”

Jangles nodded, “First my father, and then she left me. Being a Wonderbolt was more important than her own kid.”

He continued with the story…

*POV Resume*

With all the plans down the drain, I was in serious trouble-- both me and Sun Grin.

The money flow was starting to dwindle, I couldn’t afford sitters or daycare for her, and I couldn’t bring the baby to work or leave her on her own.

I wanted to be a good father to Sun, but all the love and all the good intentions I had amounted to snuff. There was no way I’d be able to provide for the both of us.

I couldn’t let Sun suffer with me; not her! She didn’t deserve to suffer. She didn’t ask for all this to happen to her, she didn’t even ask to be born, or who her parents were.

It was then that I knew I’d have to give her up. I’d find her a family and give her a chance at a good life I just couldn’t give her.

I had no money to properly put her up for adoption or to get past all the legalities and stuff, but lucky for me I found the perfect couple to give her to…

…You and Bookcase.

You were both devastated. I could overhear you talking, that you just came from the hospital.

“I’m never going to have a baby, Steel!” sobbed Bookcase. “How will we ever have children? How will we ever have a family?”

“I don’t know. But I’m not giving up! We’ll find a way.”

I saw you both retreat to your home, and thought it was a nice place, and you both seemed like the right couple. A couple so desperate to have a child obviously had love to give.

…Then, that night, I did it!

I wrapped up the baby in the blanket, and attached the note to it.

Leaving my baby on that doorstep was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and it broke me more than any other devastation in the world… but I felt I was doing the right thing, for Sun’s sake, and for the two of you.

I managed to get away without any-pony seeing me, and the falling snow covered my tracks, and I saw you both take her in. Your faces ached with happy and thankful smiles like I had, and that you’d gotten your wish for a child-- like a Hearths Warming miracle.

Though I was still grieving, I knew Sun was safe, and she wouldn’t have to suffer the way I did.

Without her in my life, I was able to make money to support myself, and to help take my mind off the grievance, I packed up and moved to Ponyville, so I could let her live her life in peace.

*End of POV*


The remaining flashbacks were of a sad Jangles going through his life, wondering about his little girl, and a sad song played describing the difficulties that made him give her up.

When Love… is all you have
You don’t have much else to give
But it takes more…
Much more than love... to live

Love is strong, Love is neat
It can’t buy food that you eat
There’s things… love just can’t do.

Paying bills, and all that stuff,
Love is fine, but not enough
There’s things… love just can’t do.

Build a home, and stock it good
Love can make it all worthwhile
But it takes cash, as it should
Without this, you’ve no style.
And before you know it,
You’re out on the street
You’ve nothing to show it
But some rags and cold feet,
You realize you made a mistake,
And people suffer with you
It’s more than you take
Or give or even do….!

Love is still, what loves does,
Whatever is, whatever was
There’s things… love just can’t do.

The story was done…

Steel felt really sorry for Jangles. No pony deserved to be abandoned, and the way he gave up his baby and why he did it, it felt both honorable and heartbreaking.

“But then why the act?” he asked again. “Why did you pretend to be homeless and barge in on us like this?”

“Why else?” Jangles replied immediately. “…I just wanted to see my daughter. I wanted a chance to meet with her, and see what kind of pony she became after wondering about her all those years.

Now I see… I see she’s become a bright and beautiful mare. She’s smart, and caring… she works in the royal palace, she educates kids; she even has kids-- I… have grandchildren. I got to meet them, and form a bond with them.

All I wanted was one chance-- one time. That’s all I needed.

You raised her very well. You gave her the good life I wanted her to have, but could never give her myself. You’re a good father. You’re better than I ever could have been.”

Steel ultimately couldn’t argue, and from what he was just told he was willing to let Jangles off easy.

“You know… you should tell her.”

“No!” insisted Jangles “She mustn’t know who I really am.

What… I’m supposed to her... that her mother up and abandoned her?

That I lied to her just to get close to her?”

Steel looked Jangles straight in the eye, “Or maybe you could let her know the truth; that her father didn’t coldly abandon her, and that he did what he did for a reason. She deserves that much, and then she’ll lighten up about it.”

Jangles reflected on how Sun felt, but he still wasn’t sure if he could tell her… mainly because of something else that concerned him.

“I really don’t know if I can, or if I should.”

Steel sighed. “Well, okay. I won’t say anything to her, especially seeing as you should tell her.”

He turned to head back home, “But you should know this: In a way… you really did give her a good life. You gave my whole family a nice one, because you hardly ever thought for yourself.” He paused “…But I guess nobody’s perfect.”

Then he was gone leaving poor Jangles feeling upset, twisted, and alone.

Jangles felt he could do nothing more but go home. So he got up and began to walk down the road…

…When suddenly, “…Ack! Ohh-ooh-ohh..!!” that pain shot through him again, and it was most unbearable as he clutched his sides groaning and growling, until he keeled forward flat on the ground and passed out!

He just lay there on the cold ground as the snow sprinkled on him.

He would have frozen for certain had some pony not approached right then and there.

Author's Note:

In the words of Franklin P. Jones...

Love can't put groceries on the table
It can't pay Bills and Taxes
It can't put your kids through school
You certainly can't order a pizza and garlic bread with Love...