The song of love.

Chapter 21. Parents.

Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Rarity and Magnus' wife just sat in Rarity's couch. Sweetie was trying to calm herself by humming a song she knew. Scootaloo was barely staying awake. Apple Bloom was playing with her hooves. Rarity just sat in there, hoping that all of this could end as quickly as it started. She was getting more and more anxious for Soft to help her with her... "mare problems", as she called it. Meanwhile, Magnus' wife was in there, reading a magazine that Rarity lend her.

All of them just sat in there, silently. Hoping for Soft to get out of there, or seeing Magnus in a rampage, like last time.

Sweetie, though being serene, couldn't shake the idea that her father might be tearing Soft apart.The constant imagined sound of Soft screaming in pain echoed in her head.

Suddenly, a click came from the door of the kitchen. Pushing it open, Sweetie's father showed up. However, Sweetie wasn't expecting to see her father dragging Soft out of their house by his ear.

"Ow, ow, ow! Hey! Watch the ear! Watch the ear!" Soft whinnied while trying to walk at the same pace than Magnus.

"You and I have to talk about this... in private." Magnus said while heading to the door.

"Daddy!" Sweetie called for him in order to free Soft. However, Magnus just turned his head toward her, not stopping.

"No. This is a matter that I have to discuss with him IN PRIVATE. You, all of you, stay here." He said while passing through the door, still with Soft's ear tightly held. The last sound he made was the crashing door behind him.

Sweetie just stood in there, while the other mares watched intently for her next move. Suddenly, her cheeks reddened, while her muzzle twisted in an angry way.

"Agh! I can't believe it!" Sweetie said at the same time she started to trot around the room.

"Gah! Huh? What?" Scootaloo awoke in a rush to see why the yelling was for.

"Scootaloo! You didn't saw it?"

"<yaawwn>... see what?"

"My dad dragged mister Soft out of the house... and you just lay in there, sleeping!"

"Sweetie Belle!" Suddenly, Sweetie's mother shouted, gaining the attention of everypony in the room."Sweetie Belle. Stay calm and quiet. Be conscious that you father took out mister Soft to talk to him in private. But he just wants to talk."

"How do you know it, mom?"

"Because your father always search the best for you."

Sweetie just turned around and walked out of the room to think about what her mother told her.

What if she was right? What if her father REALLY wanted the best for her? What if the best for her was to be without Soft?

There was only one way to know it.

After a while, Sweetie's mother entered the kitchen to prepare something for them. After all, it was dining time, and her husband would return hungry after his talk with Soft. However, when she entered, she saw a small note in the refrigerator. Without reading it, she immediately knew what it said.

"... Oh, Sweetie Belle..."

Magnus dragged Soft toward the park, where nopony was in sight. Once they reached a bench, Magnus finally let go of Soft's ear, which he gratefully thanked.

"Ow. Thanks for finally letting go of my ear. I thought that you might tear it off." Soft said while massaging his ear.

"Yeah. Sorry for that. But I needed a quiet and secure place to discuss what just happened."

Suddenly, the calmness of Soft fell down upon hearing that phrase. Accepting the idea, Soft just shrugged and prepared for what was about to happen.

"Alright. Go ahead." Soft stated with a serious expression on his face.

"What happened to my daughter?"

"... Please, believe me when I tell you that I don't know."

"Of course you do! Sweetie Belle always tell you everything!"

"Well, of course I know how it happened, but what I mean are her REAL reasons! She just kept saying things about being a grownup so YOU could approve her relationship with me."

"You sure you didn't force her to do it?"

"Why would I?"

"YOU tell me!"

"... Sir. In my status as a honest stallion, I swear that I didn't force her to do such a thing. From my point of view, it was YOU the one who forced her to do what she did."

"... How dare you!"

"It was because of YOU that she wanted to do it! You forbid her something that she wanted and needed, and she took another way to get it!"

"You saying that it was MY fault?"

"Then, who else? I try to give her everything she needs when she needs it."

"Oh, yeah? Like what? Had you given her a roof? Food? Education? Everything a father give his daughter?"

"..." Soft just sighed in annoyance. "... I think we've finished this conversation."

"Of course not!" Magnus suddenly stepped in front of Soft, denying him from leaving. "What the hay were you thinking when you accepted to be her special pony?"

"I wanted to show her what a special pony is like!"

"In which way? The one where she would even kill herself for you?"

"Of course not!"

"In which way, then?"

"... in the way of a filly crush."

"... What?"

"... It's some kind of process that the mind uses. When little, foals tends to get infatuated by their mothers, as well as fillies get infatuated by their fathers. In extremely weird cases, the infatuation is with somepony else they admire, such as teachers, professors and other ponies."

"And what does that have to do with you?"

"... You don't listen to her."

"..." This time, it was Marcus' turn to keep silence.

"... When I first saw her, I felt sorry for her. A filly who couldn't run through the grass, secluded to her bed by the pains of her broken leg. That's the why I worked so hard for her. But she got it in a way I didn't thought she may. She got infatuated by me, even when I didn't wanted to. Therefore, I just played the game, in order to show her what a true coltfriend would be like. But... yesterday... things got out of control. Sweetie became an adult, and I found myself having feelings toward her... true feelings. I can feel them, but I can't accept them. Not until somethings change first. And the first one is her age. The second one... that is her parents' approval."

Magnus just stood in there, watching him with a neutral expression. Then, he turned around and walked a few steps away.

"... huh. Definitely, you're one curious pony. Not many stallions get concerned with being well with the mare's parents." Soft just looked to the ground and chuckled, smirking. "Where did you learned it? Your parents taught you?"

Suddenly, Soft's grin became a grimace.

"... No. They didn't."

"Oh. Not the parental ones?"

"No. They were great... but they weren't able to teach me that. They couldn't..."

Suddenly, Magnus' guessed what he meant by it. The look on his face changed to one of surprise.

"Oh. I'm... I'm sorry... I didn't meant to-"

"It's okay." Soft interrupted him. "I've got over it."

Magnus, though careful, seemed to fail over his curiosity.

"... How?"

"... I was eight."

My parents worked in a selling company. Sometimes, they got out of town to go to another city and sell their company's products. I stayed with my grandparents for the while.

When they got back, they always payed attention to me. They played with me, they aid me with my homework, we got out in picnics, and many other things.

... I loved them.

But then... *that** day happened. I was asleep when they got out, leaving me a delicious breakfast. Lettuce and apple salad. I still remember it like if it was yesterday. They got out in a sales trip toward Cloudsdale.*

As you can see, nopony who isn't a Pegasus can go there without a flying device. They had planned to go there in a hot air balloon. They wanted to come house early, so last thing they were worried about was the bad condition of the balloon they took.

As for me, I got up late in that day. When I saw my breakfast on the table, I knew why it was for. So I just ate it and got out to play with my friends.

... I still wish that I hadn't do it. When we got to the park, we could see a smoke cloud in the distance, as well as many ponies gathered in there. My friends and me got closer to inspect what was going on. When we got to the front of the line, we saw the remnants of the balloon still on fire. However, that didn't caught my attention. What really caught my attention was the two bodies they were taking out of the scene. One of the bodies' legs became visible, allowing me to see his cutie mark.

I was shocked... that was my dad's cutie mark! I instantly ran after them. Once I reached them, I uncovered totally the body, only to find my father's corpse... or what was left from it. Turning around, I saw the other body and ran toward it, uncovering it. All I can remember was the sudden sensation of dizziness sensation that assault me when I saw my mother's corpse.

As much as I wanted to deny it, there was no escape... my parents... my beloved parents... mom... dad...

...

...

...

... they were dead...

... they'd never come back with me...

Magnus just stood in there, listening carefully to Soft's story. Turning his head, he saw Soft looking to the ground. His hair hiding his eyes which, Magnus thought, would be soaked in tears. However, the darkness that his hair provided hid far too well his eyes.

"... I'm sorry."

Soft lifted his head, revealing a single tear rolling down on his muzzle.

"... It's okay. It isn't like if i hadn't told that story more than once, actually."

Magnus just nodded and turned to the sky, taking his time to think about his next question.

"... And... how did you got over? I mean, I knew many ponies who didn't ever got over with somepony else death."

"... Don't know. I suppose that this thing have much to do with it." He said, pointing at his cutie mark.

"How is that?"

"... Well..."

some days after the balloon accident, I got out in a... walk. Actually, I was planning to... suicide. But... when I was passing through the park, I saw this filly in the park. Who knows why she was in there alone. Thing is... she cut a leg with a stone while running. She was crying. I tried to ignore it, but something deep within me told me to help her. I approached, asked her name, took her to my house and put a band-aid on her cut. Once she was calmed, I walked her to her home. Turning around, she smiled at me before entering her house. I couldn't deny that I felt... good. I even dare to say happy.

Dad told me that being selfless was the key for a happy life. And then, I realized that suicide was so self-centered. What kind of torments would I bring upon my grandparents? How would Mom and Dad take that their son wanted to do it?

Suddenly, I remembered how I felt by helping that filly. And then, I realized it. I would never allow somepony to suffer like I did. Not If I could avoid it.

Then, I turned to my home and saw something in my flank that caught my attention... a heart in top of a pillow. It was then that I understood that it really was my talent: to help others in pain.

... To help others in pain, so that mine were healed.

"... I suppose that is how I got over it. Helping others kept my mind busy. So busy, that I didn't even have time to think about it. I just kinda... let it go. And never chased after it."

Soft kept looking to the ground, reflexing about his own story. Magnus, by his part, didn't said a thing. It was something that he couldn't believe. This pony in front of him was a good pony indeed... the kind of one he always wanted for his daughters.

Suddenly, an idea popped on his mind. What if he actually marry Sweetie Belle when she was of age? She would be happy. And he would never betray her.

He just stayed in there, watching the nocturnal sky. He was thinking deeply in what he would do next.

Soft, by his part, remained in there with his eyes closed, enjoying the soft breeze that blew in there. He felt lighter, like if a huge burden had been taken off of him. Suddenly, an idea popped in his mind, making him to grin.

"Hey, mister Magnus?"

"Yes?" Magnus turned toward him.

"What would you say if I changed Sweetie's mental age?"

"... What?"

Suddenly, seeing that Soft started to chuckle at his reaction, he smirked and started chuckling, too. To keep up with him, an answer came to him.

"... What would I do?..." He posed in a thoughtful way for a moment before turning to him and grinning at him. "I'd say that I'd have to kill you."

Soft just grinned while keeping up with him.

"Would you?" He said in a challenging tone.

"Of course!" Magnus said while standing on his four, suddenly posing in a fighting way. "Here I come!"

"NOOO!"

Both of them turned around to search for the third voice in there. Suddenly, they saw a blur of white hiding in a bush near of them. Soft just rolled his eyes at the guess of who it was.

Magnus, by his part, just moved his head in a disapproving way.

"She's one unstoppable filly." He said at the time that he went to the bush, being followed by Soft.

Moving some branches, they saw Sweetie Belle in there, watching them intently.

"Uhh... hi?" Sweetie said, trying to fake her biggest smile.

"... I think it's time to get back home."

"Yes, daddy."

Just as they were about to enter, Magnus pointed to her daughter to the door. Sweetie obeyed, entering quietly through the door. Then, he turned toward Soft.

"So..." He said to pick up Soft's interest. "... you want to wait 'till she's older. Right?" Soft just nodded. "Alright, then... Let me say this. It would be a proud for me if you courted my daughter and teach her how a good coltfriend is."

With that Magnus entered through the door, leaving out Soft with his thoughts.

Soft just smiled. That went better than expected, just as Rarity said. Then, he entered through the door, suddenly entering in a cheery dinner, where everypony ate their dinner and talked about things that made them happy, such as Sweetie Belle telling about how her father accepted her relationship.

Soft smiled. He definitely could get used to it.