It was a very quiet night at the home of Projector and his family, as most of the occupants had gone to bed. Except for one, a young earth pony stallion named Camera Flash. The young earth pony had a dark orangish-mane, coat, and tail, with hazel brown eyes and three tiny black freckles on his cheeks. His cutie mark was that of a camera about to take a shot. Camera paced back and forth across his room, unsure as to what he should do. How would his dad react? Would he kick him out? What if he disowned him? All these thoughts swam through Camera as he thought about the uncomfortable truth he was going to reveal. See, Camera was gay, a fact he himself did not fully realize until a few months ago. Oh sure, he saw the signs, had the feelings, tried dating mares but it never seemed to work, etc. It was during the last day of secondary school that he finally accepted the truth, and all that came with it. Stopping in front of the mirror, Camera looked into his reflections eyes and sighed softly. "Okay, here it goes. Dad, I'm gay", he said to his reflection, making sure his voice was steady and confident. He tried it again four more times before he felt ready to find his dad . Thankfully, it wouldn't be hard to find him, since he spent many evenings in his personal study. Opening the door to his room slowly as to not wake up his mother and baby sister, Camera stepped out into the hallway. The mansion was rather large, and may not seem like the home of a Applewood celebrity. In many ways, Camera noted, the home looked more like it belonged to a history professor. Many paintings and historical items hanged on the walls, most dating back to Ancient Neighan and even many items that were Spaneish in origins. Despite the darkness of the hallways, it did not take Camera long to find his dad's study, which could be easily seen from the light that showed underneath the door. Approaching the large wooden door, Camera took a deep breath and murmured, "well, here goes nothing".
He then knocked softly on the door three times before he heard a voice say, "come in". Opening the door, Camera found himself in a massive room, a fireplace burning its soft radiance in a far corner. The room had a very professorish feel about it, as the bookshelves barely reached the ceiling and many of the books were nonfiction, though some were classicals. Close to the fireplace sat a chair and in it, sat a yellow earth pony. He was wearing glasses as he read, with the book opened in the middle. This was Camera's father, the famed filmmaker who changed the industry forever. Projector looked up from his book, revealing his chocolate brown eyes, his well-trimmed beard, and yellow mane which reached halfway down his neck.
"Camera, what are you doing up this late? Today's your big day, ya know," Projector stated, his voice firm, yet gentle.
"I know, Dad, but I wanted to talk to you about something, something important", Camera replied. Pointing to another chair in front of him, Projector asked Camera to take a seat, which he obliged. "Now, tell me, what is it you wish to tell me", Projector asked, leaning forward.
Feeling nervous, Camera replied, "well, this is a kind of big deal and I only found out recently", Camera began.
Projector raised an eyebrow, but said, "yes, please continue".
"It's just, well- I don't know how to put this-" Camera fiddled with his hooves and looked down. He then lifted his head up and said in a shaky voice,"Dad, I'm sorry if I disappoint you, but, I'm gay". For what seemed like forever, silence filled the room, with the only sounds being the crackle of the fireplace and the beating of Camera's heart. " Oh no, is this what I feared the most", Camera thought to himself, a feeling of panic and dread coming over him.
"Are you sure", Projector asked. Taken aback by this question, Camera stammered, "y-yes".
Nodding with approval, Projector looked up at him and smiled. "So, you seeing any stallions", he asked playfully.
Camera's eyes widened in surprise and he blushed brightly. "D-DAD", he said.
Chuckling, Projector replied, "it's alright, Son, I don't mind if you're gay".
A feeling of relief, but also shock, came over Camera. "Y-you mean it", he asked.
"Of course", Projector replied, "what kind of a father would I be if I didn't accept my son for who he is".
Seeing the truth in what he was saying, Camera smiled. "Yeah, I guess that's true", he said.
Nodding, Projector said, "I just want you to know I would never judge you or make you feel bad for you are.
I don't care if you're gay, bi, trans, or whatever, as long as you're happy and not doing anything that will hurt ponies". Camera nodded and felt tears well up in his eyes. Projector hugged his son tightly and Camera, not expecting the hug, was a little hesitant before returning the embrace.
"I love you, Son", Projector said. "I love you too, Dad", Camera replied, smiling at his pops.
Projector returned the smile before his expression hardened a bit. "But you are NOT a disappointment, Camera. I'm very proud of you and please never say it again", Projector warned. Camera nodded in agreement.
His expression softening, Projector quietly stated, "now, you should get to bed. You have to be at the train at 10 AM". Camera hugged his dad once more and returned to his room, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Author's Note
Well, there's my first LGBT story. I hope all of you enjoyed it and I'm planning to do more stories about Camera Flash. I'd like to thank the author of the Brushed Away stories for being my inspiration to create Camera Flash and also, this was a personal story for me. I'm part of the LGBT community myself and I hope that if any of you are struggling, you can find your inner strength to carry on and don't let anyone berate you for your sexuality.
this is Camera Flash
