Never Give Up.

This is the story of Marné. He was a very socially awkward earth pony colt, who lived in Ponyville. He had blue eyes, yellow mane, and orange with a slight sign of red, coat. He had a hard time making friends. And he was very shy. The main reason for this. Was the fact that he was bullied, every single day. He was bullied for being a blank-flank. And a lot more, too.

Everyday when he went to school, he was pushed around by everypony. He was told what to do, by all his Class”mates”. If he denied. He was punched. When he went home, he lay down on his bed, crying, and shouting, and just being mad at the world. That was his daily rutine. He wanted this to stop. He didn't like it, at all. No wonder. He was getting bullied, afterall.

One faithful day, though. He went to school. A new filly had joined their class. A unicorn. She had her cutiemark. It was a warm-looking heart. He kept staring at her. He thought she was awfully pretty. He was getting a crush on a filly, he just met.

Just staring at her Magenta eyes. Her blue mane with green stripes, and her green-ish coat. She had a mane-style similar to Twilight's. He was really in love.

In the break, he just sat there staring at her, while she was talking to the fillies, and colts in the class-room. She suddenly caught him staring, and he quickly turned his head away. He just wanted to stay out of the group of ponies surrounding her. He didn't want any trouble.

After the break, she went over, to sit beside him. He tried to keep himself, from glaring at her. When he suddenly felt a hoof on his shoulder. He looked to see who it was, it was her. He stared directly into those beautiful eyes, he felt his heart beating, faster and faster. He'd never felt this way before. He started blushing, and everything went dark. It was like time stood still, for a few moments. After around 20 seconds, she asked him

”Uhm. Are you ok? You've been staring for a while”

”Yeah. I'm fine. I was just admiring your eyes...” He said softly. Unsure of how she'd react to it

She just grinned, with a beautiful smile on her face, and said ”I'm Twinkle Heart, what's your name?” ”Ma-Marné.” He tried to speak clearly, but his voice kinda faded. ”I came over here, because I noticed, that you're always far away from the others in the class. Why is that?” She asked in concern. ”I have some problems in the class. I don't feel like talking about it, at school.” A tear fell from his eye. He quickly turned around and wiped the tear from his eye, and raised his hoof. Cherilee looked at him ”Yes, Marné?” She asked. ”Can I go to the bathroom please? I'll be quick!” He said trying to keep up a fake smile.

”Sure you can.” She replied with a gentle smile on her face.

He was at the bathroom. He sat on the toilet, and cried. He pounded his hoof against the wall, in shear frustration.

”Why can't I be like the others?! Why can't people just like me?! I know I'm the only blank-flank in class. But why does that have to make me so hated?!” He cried out, in the process of pounding the wall.

He went back to class. Everypony stared at him. All of them were making faces at him. Except for Twinkle Heart. She was smiling. He sat down on his chair again.

Twinkle just put a hoof on his back rubbing it back and forth, trying to comfort him.

He lightened up a bit. And he smiled at her.

His smiling face, suddenly turned in to a frown.

”I'm sorry I'm so different. I'm trying to be like the others, but I just can't.” He started crying again. To his luck. The bell rang.

As he walked home, he heard somepony run torwards him. He prepared for a punch. But all he got was a ”Wait up” The voice he heard, made him sigh in relief. It was Twinkle Heart.

”Do you have to go anywhere, or are you just walking home?” She asked, in curiousity.

”I'm just going home.” He replied with a half smile, half frown.

”Mind if I come with you?”

”No. If you want to hang out with the most hated pony, at school, then just come along.”

”Lighten up... I'll come with you, then.” She said with an assuring smile upon her face, which turned Marné's half smile, half frown, into a full-out smile.

On the way home, she asked him some questions.

”Why are you so down?”

”As I said. I'm having some problems, in the class.

”What kind of problems? You can tell me. Don't worry. You can trust me. I won't tell anypony” She said in concern, and assurance.

”I guess you can say, that I'm sort of bullied in the class. Everyday. I'm called names, I'm pushed around, and...” He let out a sigh, and started crying. ”Everypony. They all just punch me. They won't leave me alone.” She looked at him, in shear concern. She even slipped a tear. She never heard anything, so horrible.

”The only reason they didn't do anything, today. Is because you're new in class, and they brought all the attention on you.” The tears fell like a stream. But he also felt kinda reliefed, because he could finally get this horrible nightmare out, to somepony.

She grabbed him, and pulled him in for a comforting hug. He stopped crying, and hugged her back. He felt happy. Like everything had changed, somehow. Like nothing was able to break him down now. Until she loosened the grip, that is.

”Do you feel better, now?” She asked, with a smile, that told him Everything is gonna be fine.

”Yes. Thank you.” He sniffed. And they went to his place. They didn't say much on the way there, though. They just stared at eachother, a lot.

They were at his place.

”Hi mom! I'm home! I brought a friend, if that's alright” He yelled, as they stepped inside the house.

”Ok! Come out here, so I can see your new friend!” You could hear how happy she was, by the first word, when he told her, he had gotten a new friend.

They went out in the kitchen, and the mom let out a swift, and hard gasp, as she saw it was a filly.

”Hello. And who may you be?” She smiled tightly.

”I'm Twinkle Heart.” She said with a big smile on her face.

”Nice to meet you Twinkle Heart.” She grabbed her hoof, and pulled her in for a quick hug. And she let go again.

”We'll go to my room, mom.” He said. He still seemed kinda down. Because he weren't too sure, that anything was gonna happen between Twinkle and him.

”You have a kind mom.”

”Thanks. I love her more than anything.” He said.

She let out a slight grinn, and she asked her next question.

”Where's your father?”

”He.. Uh... He sort of passed away, a year after I was born.” He sniffed again.

”How did he die?” She looked at him, in shock.

”He got cancer in his bladder. It was discovered, too late.”

She looked over at his table, where she saw a picture of a full-grown stallion.

”Is that your father?” She pointed at the picture of the stallion.

”Yes. It is.” He smiled slightly.

”He looks very nice. He looks a lot like you.”

”Thank you.” He still looked kinda depressed.

”Do you have any video games, or something like that?” She asked him. His eyes turned big, in surprise of that question.

”Yes. I have a lot. I have a Haystation 3, with loads of games” He answered to the question, with a gigantic smile. He smiled as he never had before. The fact that somepony had the same interests as him. And even better was the fact, that it was a filly.

She smiled at him.

They went inside the living room, where the haystation was, under a Plasma TV.

”I have Ponyball Z. If you wanna play that?”

”I love Ponyball Z. Best series, and games ever made!” She yelled out.

Marné picked up the game, and put it in the console.

They started playing.

Twinkle levitated one of the controllers torwards her, with her magic. And Marné just picked the controller up, with his hooves.

They just sat there for hours. Talking and playing, and yelling at eachother, for beating one another, in the game. Of course. The yells were sarcastic.

Twinkle put down the controller, and said ”I think I have to go home. The wheels on the clock, are turning fast!” She said smiling, and laughing at her joke.

He smiled at her saying ”Ok. Fine. It's been fun. Wanna hang out at school tomorrow?”

”Of course I do!” she smiled at him, assuring him, that no one was gonna put a hoof on him, the next day.

They went out to the door, where she pulled him close, and kissed him on the lips. His eyes widened, in shear surprise again. And his mom went out in the hall-way, in confusion, of why she couldn't hear any goodbyes. She just stood there staring, as a tear fell from her eye. She was so happy.

After a minute, Twinkle let go of Marné.

He just kept staring at her, and she stared at him, both smiling widely.

She finally spoke out. ”Nice to meet you, Marné. See you tomorrow, ok?” She winked at him.

”Yes, see you!” He was all hyped up. He was happy, and he danced around like a psycho, after he had closed the door. He then stopped, and found his mom glaring, and smiling, and a tear fell from her eye, as she yelled ”I'm so happy for you, son! Come here! Give your mother a hug!”

He ran to her, and jumped into the air and hugged her tight.

It was late, and he had to go to bed. He couldn't fall asleep, though. He just lay there all night, thinking about Twinkle. He almost told himself, that he loves her. He finally fell asleep, and he dreamed about the day, he just had. He bascically relived it.

He woke up, again. He stepped out of bed, and was hyped to go to school! He went to the kitchen and got some breakfast. He kept singing all kinds of different songs. Love songs. His mom just laughed with him.

He went out the door, and yelled ”Bye, mom!” in the process of doing so.

On the way to school, he saw Twinkle Heart. She ran torwards him, and grabbed him again, and kissed him on the cheek. She blushed, and said ”Hey, Marné. What's up?!” She smiled widely at him, as she grabbed his hoof. ”Not much. Just going to school. Which I take it, you are, too?”

”Yes. I am!” Her smile turned wider.

They went to school, hoof in hoof. At school, everypony just glared. And whispered to eachother.

You could almost hear them say ”Is this real?!”

He just smiled to everypony, and he turned back to Twinkle, who stared at him.

She kissed him on the lips, infront of the whole class.

They then went to sit by their tables. As they sat there, she whispered something to him.

”Never give up, ok? I'll stay here with you, forever...” A few seconds passed by, and the words that came out of her now, changed his life. ”I love you.” She smiled at him, assuringly.

He was almost in shock, and all he could say was ”You too.” She kissed him again.

The day flew by. They were together all day. They kissed, and hugged. And people started talking to Marné. Telling him ”Good job” And so on. They tabbed him on the shoulder, and on the back. He was so happy!

He finally got his cutiemark. It was a piece of paper, with a feather-pen on top of it. He got it, after delivering an English essay. The essay was about bullying. And he had a lot of personal experience in that matter. So he wrote a lot. He had perfect grammar, and everything was perfect. So of course. He got A+.

Twinkle and him were still together, after school ended. He became a very famous Book Author.

His books were read by everypony. From child to adult.

Twinkle became a Kindergarten Teacher. And was pregnant with a little filly. She was 8½ month in.

At this point, they were around 30 years old. And Twinkle Heart was ill a lot. One day. She felt really bad, though. She didn't get back to health again, so after a few days, she went to the Doctor. He checked her pulse. And took a blood test of her.

A few weeks later, she had gotten better, and was somewhat fresh to go to work.

When she came home, however, she saw an already-opened letter on the table. Saying ”To Twinkle Heart. From Nurse Redheart”

She picked up the letter, which said, she had gotten Lymph-Cancer.

She had been suffering from Lymph-Cancer, for around half a year.

She went into the bedroom, where she found Marné crying. He stared up at her, with red circles around his eyes. She slipped a tear, too. She lay down beside him, and grabbed hold of him.

”It's gonna be ok.” Twinkle Heart said, while crying, and sniffing all over the place ”I know it will.”

”I hope you're right...” Marné said, and sighed slightly.

They fell asleep in eachothers arms.

The next morning, they went to the Doctor, who told them, that she had an operation ready in a week.

The week flew by quickly, and they were very silent, and depressed, at home. She felt the water from the pregnancy running. Marné quickly called an ambulance, and told them what was up.

At the hospital she gave birth to a little filly. Who they called Twinkly. She had a little hair, which had the color black. She was brown-coated, and had purple eyes.

They were so happy, as they went home. There were 2 days left for the operation. The 2 days flew by so quick. They played with Twinkly all the time, and stayed home from work, aswell. But Twinkle Heart was starting to get ill. She just lay in the bed, all day, the last day before the operation. She threw up, and she was sweating.

They were now at the hospital. Twinkly was taken care of, by Marné's mother.

…

The operation had passed. And Nurse Redheart went out to Marné, as she almost cried. He looked at her in concern, as he almost started to cry, himself.

”She's not dead. But we're not able to cure her. She'll have to stay here, and we'll put her under Chemotherapy... You can come visit her, all you want.” He ran inside the room, where she was laying. She looked tired.

He grabbed her hoof.

”How are you feeling?” Marné said sniffing.

”I'm feeling alright for now.” She smiled at him, but had a hard time doing so ”I'm more concerned about you, though.” Her smile turned dark, and she started crying. ”Just don't do anything you'll regret, when I die, ok?” Her voice was soft, and silent ”Don't say that.” Marné started crying, as he looked into those big slightly magenta eyes. The color was slowly starting to drain, over time because of the illness. .

”I'm sorry, Marné. But you know they can't do anything, to cure me.”

Marné grabbed her tight, as the tears from his eyes, were sliding down her back.

Days flew by, of Marné visiting Twinkle at the hospital, and even bringing Twinkly some days.

3 weeks passed by, of him visiting her, everyday.

Nurse Redheart called him, and told him to come over, quick. She cried through the phone. He quickly called his mother, and told her, to take care of Twinkly for him.

He ran to the hospital, and when he was there, he ran torwards the room she lay in. The color fromm her eyes, had totally faded, and she looked very weak, and tired. He looked at the heart scanner, and saw, that it was beating very slow.

He went to her, and grabbed her hoof tight, as he said ”Don't worry. You'll be fine. I assure you! You'll be fine!” She just smiled slightly at him, and said ”No... Marné... I will not. The Doctors said, this is my last day.” Marné started crying, and grabbed her tighter, than he ever had. He could feel her grip loosen. He looked up at the heart scanner, and saw her heartbeat going slower and slower.

”No! Don't die! Don't die from me! Please!” The tears ran out of his eyes. He couldn't control his emotions. ”I can't live without you!...” His voice softened ”You-You made me who I am.. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here... If it wasn't for you... I... I...” He heard the meter saying one straight noise ”beeeeeeeeb” He broke down crying, holding Twinkle in his arms. Tears ran like a waterfall. ”Too soon... Too soon...” The nurses came in, and took her with them.

A year had passed. And there he was. Standing by her grave. He read a letter out loud to her.

Dear Twinkle.

I've got so much, that I want to tell you. If just I can get it out.

The years without you, have been hard. I haven't been able to smile the same way.

I've gone through it, though. But I can't find another mare. You were too special.

I miss you. But you're gone.

Twinkly has learned to talk a little. She often asks ”Daddy. Where is Mommy?” I just don't know what to tell her. I usually just tell her, that you're taking a long nap. I can't get myself to telling her, that you're gone, and that you'll never be with us again.

I just want you to know, Twinkle. Whatever happens in the future, if I meet somepony else. I will always think of you.

I will never forget you. I promise. I don't want to forget you. You're the one, who made me, who I am. And I'm forever thankful. I just wish, there was something I could do, to make you see. To make you come back to me.

Twinkle. I love you. And I always will. Your loving husband.

Marné.

He read the words inscribed on Twinkle's tombstone.

Never give up, Marné. Never give up.

He turned around, and walked away.

A few years passed. He met another one, and Twinkly started in school. But he had one rutine, that he never lost. Every month, he visited her grave, and gave her flowers, and told her, what had happened, the last month. He did that, 'till the day he died.

His grave was placed besides hers.

His tombstone also had special words inscribed.

I never gave up, Twinkle.

And Twinkly. I love you.

Don't you ever loose hope.