The strange everyday life of a gravedigger
Introduction: A filly and a human
”Have a nice weekend, Jocke.” An old male voice called behind me.
I struggled with my biking gear and hopped on one leg when pulling my pants on. The man behind me was in his middle-age with spiky dark hair and thin beard. He was halfway out the door when he called to me. I smiled back to him.
“Likewise, Patric. See you next week.” I greeted and pulled my shirt on and packed my empty lunchbox in my bag.
The door closed and I shortly followed. Just as I was out I saw his red Volvo V70 back out and drive off. I locked the door to our dress-room and walked to my bike parked just outside the gates. I unlocked my bike and took a last look on the cemetery before going home for the week. With that, I took off, feeling the warm early summer-wind whipping me while riding the open road.
I’m Joakim. I work in the cemetery in Sweden. Full time and loving it. I’m one of three grave keepers, or grave digger… whatever tickles your fancy, and also the youngest with only 22 years. It’s a nice change from spending my time inside my apartment and play videogames. I’m also a gym-nut and, as many people on the internet seems to dislike; a brony, a fan of a show named My Little Pony.
But I care little of the web-life and the flame-wars. As long as I can do what I like I couldn’t care less. My girlfriend doesn’t mind, neither my friends nor co-workers. What little cared when about a year ago a portal between our world and Equestria, the home world of My Little Pony. After that, people came and went as well as the ponies inhabiting there.
As this news flooded worldwide people went nuts. That included the opposites that wanted our fandom dead: Anti-Bronies. Even with their behavior they started to relish in spending time with the ponies as well. Only a handful kept going with their insults and making unserious threats on the internet. I on occasion traveled there for a nice vacation or a break with my girlfriend. But on a trip back about half a year ago something threw my routine out the window.
What did I mean?
As I rounded the corner to my apartment it showed itself. Or more accurately: herself. A small unicorn filly with mint mane and mulberry coat sat on the green bench just outside my apartment port. Her blue bag just beside her. Immediately after spotting me her cute face lit up into the most adorable smile she could muster.
“Daddy!” she exclaimed and jumped down on the asphalt to catch up with me when I put my bike in the shed.
… Yeah, her calling me “dad”. Funny story.
It wasn’t months after the portal was opened when both worlds found out something worrying. After a person that wasn’t in the fandom had a sexual encounter with a mare in Equestria she became pregnant, disapproving the theory that humans and ponies in Equestria couldn’t conceive. Boy, did the Anti-Bronies and the news have a field day with that one. The offspring became a foal, oddly enough. Same thing happened with human women.
Put two and two together?
Yes. My girlfriend…
…
…
Is a human. Don’t worry. But her calling me “dad”. Let me tell you:
On one of my trips to Equestria I visited the orphanage from time to time to tell them about my job or funny grave jokes. Sometimes I give away some bits, the currency in Equestria, to them as charity. I double as helper on Sweet Apple Acres. After several visits there I came home to my apartment. The usual. However, one early morning when prepping for work I opened my door and to my surprise, this filly was sleeping just outside. The poor thing was sleeping soundly. It was 05:16 in the morning, mind you.
After deciding to either leave her there or placing her in my apartment I did the logical thing: I texted my boss and told him that I’d be late. Thank God for nice comrades.
With his text telling me it was fine and (that I accidently woke him up) I lifted her up, revealing a small bag of belongings. I took her into my apartment and placed her on my bed. After waking up, she was slightly scared but with assurances that I wasn’t going to hurt her, she explained that she liked me during my trips to the orphanage. It was more like she saw me as a potential parent. I ended up taking her to my job and hoped that my co-workers that took care of the candidates for confirmation and adult-child-groups would take care of her while I worked. Didn’t help much when I spotted her looking at me when I either cleaned the bushes or the graves… or the gravel roads.
Long story short, I adopted her. Her name is Aura. Bright Aura. She wore a bright smile when we walked through the apartment port.
“How was school?” I asked, slightly winded from my bike ride. It’s about 1.2 miles from home to work in European measure.
She beamed at this question.
“Yes! I learned a lot from class about levitation! Like how to lift a book and even lifting my bench!” she squeaked happily but at the last she wore a bit of a frown. “Even if I couldn’t lift it far from the ground.”
I smiled to her and unlocked the door but stopped to think.
“Aura, why not showing me what you’ve learned?” I asked and she looked at me in slight confusion. Those beautiful turquoise eyes together with her cute confused face made my heart melt. “Try to unlock the door.”
She pondered for a moment, then with a smile she nodded. Her horn lit up as she closed her eyes in concentration. The jingle of keys from her bags floated with her light-blue aura surrounding them as she levitated them to the keyhole. Her face scrunched up in deeper concentration when they slid in and turned.
The aura dissipated and I heard her pant. She looked up to me with a smile and like she was silently asking if I was proud. I was, in all honesty. Due to the lack of ponies in the vicinity there were not many to teach her. She had her books but they could only do so much. But the level of improvement she had done was amazing.
But maybe I’m taking this in too much. How about I tell you in detail while I make my filly some dinner. It all started that morning at work…