Lovers under the moon

They eventually made it to the place where they'd been attacked by the Tartarus minotaur, it had leapt at them from who knows where, probably an old summon set to react to anything that walked nearby with a high power level, so the tall pony didn't noticed it until it was too late, it landed flipping their wagon over making it land upside down, so it was some good luck Heart had decided to walk for a bit instead of riding on the pitch black wagon, which was oddly enough made from black marble, a material the tall pony had always fancied.

With little effort the pony flipped the wagon onto its wheels, also crafted from the same material and with one swipe of his wings he cleaned it off, the odd marble brought back to its luster.

"Let's gather our things and be on our way, we still have a couple of days to go before we reach Manehatten and we need the supplies we got you back in Appleloosa so make sure you look for all your things," as he finished she just gave him a nod and began looking around, after a couple trips they'd gathered most of their belongings, he'd finished fast enough given that he had almost no belongings and all that was his it could levitate onto the wagon as soon as he spotted them, the young filly Heart was however having a hard time gathering her things, being that the tall pony wanted her to need almost nothing on their trip he stocked her with lots of things from food to some clothes and lots of toys, she ran back and forth looking for her belongings.

Heart had made some progress on her own before finally giving in to the tall pony's suggestion of being allowed to help so that they could leave faster.

With him levitating the things he could see they were just about done, "is that everything?" asked the pony setting down the last group of items into the wagon.

"I thinks so," said the filly checking over her things, "no wait, I still need to find Dusk," said the filly hopping of the wagon to look around.

"What?" said the tall pony, not knowing what the filly could have meant, "who's 'Dusk'?"

"My baby!" said Heart as she looked frantically for 'Dusk', "the one you gave me back in Appleloosa!" shouted the filly as she ran looking up on threes inside bushes and even under whatever rock she came across, some small tears on the sides of her eyes.

"What baby Heart?" asked the pony, not liking what little he'd gotten out Heart, "I never gave you a baby."

"Yes you did, you got her for me and I've been sleeping with her every night since, she's our first baby how could you forget?" said Heart now with actual tears rolling down her cheeks.

Oh she means that doll I got her, thought the pony to itself, she should have said so... wait what'd she just say?

Please not this nonsense again, thought the pony, "what do you mean our first baby?" said the pony as he walked after Heart, "I've told you to knock it off already," said the pony, a bit of annoyance in its voice, "if I'm letting the whole dad/mom thing slide i'ts one thing, but were nothing like a couple and will never be, I'm just keeping my last promise to your mom, and after this trip I'll find a way to return you to her, let her know it didn't work even though I did as she instructed, and then I'll be gone from both of your lives, so knock it off and get on the damn wagon!" finished the tall pony pointing its hoof towards the cart.

Heart dropped to her haunches, more tears began to form on her eyes, lots more than when she began looking for her doll, they began to drop form her face and onto the ground, at the sight of this the pony lowered its hoof and paid attention to the filly, Heart had now closed her big turquoise eyes which she'd taken after her mother, and had turned her head towards the floor as if to let the tears fall off with more ease, the tall pony then sat down next to her having realized his outburst all too late like it was his custom given his bad temper, he then proceeded to put its fore leg around the small frame of the filly and let her cry it out, as the filly felt him she leaned on him and tried to calm her sobs to small gasps before attempting to talk.

"Are  you *gasp* really going to leave me and *gasp* and Mama?" asked the filly, feeling far more sad to loose the pony than the fact that it had screamed at her, "just let me stay with you," pleaded the filly looking back up to the pony, "even if it means never seeing Dusk again just let me stay with you, we need to be together, just please, don't leave me!" Heart was now wailing onto the dark blue coat of the pony softly moving her head from left to right as if she was trying to nuzzle up to him.

"Look," said the pony, slow and steady so Heart would hear him, "last time I saw your mom she said she didn't want to be with me anymore, then she gave me you and said you were to be mine instead of her and made me promise to raise you to be by my side and that if it didn't work then she'd been wrong," said the pony, it's gaze now turned to the moon.

"Then why do you want to give me back?" asked Heart as she waited for the pony to look back at her, "aren't I yours?

Mama even told me so when she new you were coming to see her, she told me you were like a daddy to me and that I had to love you so you'd love me back."

The pony now turned its gaze to the floor still not looking at Heart, "that's the thing Heart, all your mom did was look at me and say 'Cross we can't be together anymore, we're just not meant like we thought, but this child however is more suited to be with someone like you, try raising her and you'll see, otherwise I'm wrong and there'll be neither anypony or anyone meant for you' then she turned around and sent me off using my full name which she never did," finished the pony recalling the echo of the last words he heard 'Farewell Black Cross.'

"But can't we try doing as she said?" asked the filly whom was no longer crying.

"Because you don't even know what you would be asking for Heart, your mother never explained properly, she just fed an idea to you and didn't offer you a choice, so I'll just...

I just don't know Heart, I can't seem to forget your mom, and what's more your a child, basically hers."

"Don't you think Mama loved you so she made me for you?" asked Heart, "I mean she said I'd grow up faster than I should to catch up to you"

"I know kiddo," said the Cross pulling Heart into a hug, "look forget it, our journey hasn't ended, who knows maybe you're right, let's get you your doll so we can get on out way."

Heart just beamed him a smile and returned the hug, "yeah lets look for our baby," she went off and after a while found the doll up a three branch, "Mom I found her!" Heart shouted, "she up there on that branch!"

As Cross got close to where she was he could see the doll and remembered it correctly, he'd gotten it for her in a small stand by the outskirts of Appleloosa, the vendor had a series of round plushies that resembled ponies, the on Heart had liked was a purple alicorn mare that had a darker shade of purple for a mane and had a little silver tiara on.

"Alright I'll get it," said Cross as his mane flowed aside and his horn and the doll began to be covered in his black aura.

"No," Heart interrupted him, "let me try," she pleaded jumping up and down.

"You sure you can handle it?" Cross asked tilting his head.

Heart just nodded fanatically.

"Fine just don't hurt yourself," said Cross allowing his magic to subside and got covered by his mane once more.

Heart brushed her mane down allowing her horn to show, then she concentrated on the doll as her horn began to glow red and so did the doll, slowly she began to lift it, as it lowered towards her, she lost her grip of it and somehow launched it, "Dusk!" she shouted as the doll flew, quickly Cross caught it and levitated it towards Heart, "thank you Mom, but I could have gotten her myself you know," she said as she hugged the doll to her chest.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just go OK?" said Cross as he walked towards the wagon, "we need to head on," he just finished giving Heart a light nudge.

"Yeah, lets!" Heart said with a huge smile as she trotted after Cross.