Author's Note

First, I'd like to thank you for taking some time and giving this fic a read. This was something that's been on my mind for a while, and so I wanted to put this up before I get back to working on my main projects. It was also a good way to take a little break from them as well as getting my creative gears into work.

I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading.

Chapter 1

The One Who is Always There

Chapter 1

“Ugh, that math test was exhausting,” Tank Top groaned with her face on the table. “Why am I even taking this class?”

“I’m surprised you’re doing your general math now instead of our first year,” Static Cling said while looking up from his textbook. “Why couldn’t you have gotten it finished during the first year to get it over with?”

“Because math sucks! I hardly even need this in my career field!”

“Well, there’s counting the calories you eat and burn off. That takes math,” Metal Frame pointed out while fixing his glasses. “Don’t worry though, we’re almost halfway through the term. After that, you won’t have to worry about it ever again.”

“Can’t either of you guys help me out with this? I’m not even sure if I did well on that test, and I don’t know if I can keep this up. Drizzle! You know how to keep calm in these situations. Give me something!”

I held up a finger while chewing part of my sandwich before swallowing. “If it’s math, I don’t think I can help you there. I don’t consider myself as a good tutor in that subject.”

This banter was pretty normal in our small circle. We’ve all stuck together through high school and agreed to attend the same community college to get a jumpstart on our careers soon afterwards. We were currently on our lunch, taking a break from our difficult courses of the Winter Term in our second year.

“Metal? Static?” Tank asked.

“I’m pretty booked.”

“Same,” they answered respectively. “What about Daisy Petals? She’s a teacher’s assistant in a high school math class, right?”

“I don’t want to mix schoolwork with our relationship. We barely have any spare time to go out these days, and I’d rather spend it with her.”

“At least you’re living together, right?” Static asked.

“Yeah, I’m thankful for that at least.”

“You’re lucky, you know,” Metal said. “Static and I don’t have a marefriend, you’ve been dating Daisy since last year, and Drizzle could get any mare he wants, yet somehow he’s still single.”

“Yeah, why is that? You were all popular with the mares in high school thanks to winning the swimming competitions for our team all those years, yet I’ve only seen you have one date with—”

“Psst! Dude! Check it out! Garnet’s coming this way!” Metal interrupted Static.

I looked up to my friend with a raised brow while I chewed my sandwich. I was going to swallow to say something before I was interrupted by a coquettish finger teasingly trailing across the skin/fur from my left to right shoulders.

“Hey guys~. What’s going on?” Garnet asked while taking the seat next to me.

“Oh, you know, just discussing boring stuff like math,” Metal answered while leaning back on his chair, desperately trying to look cool.

“And how much it sucks,” Tank added in.

“Oh I hear you. Statistics can be quite brutal at times in my case. What about you, Drizzle?”

“Eh. I think I pulled through all right,” I said with a shrug. “The toughest for me right now would be Chemistry.”

“You know, I could help you with your assignments if you want. I’m doing great with the class myself. I’m open this Sunday.”

“Sorry, I’ve got to work on that day.”

Garnet’s eyes widened a little and blinked a few. “Oh. Well, that’s fine. Another time then.”

Metal cleared his throat. “Actually, I’m—”

“Oh crap, I gotta get to my next class. I’ll see you guys later! Bye Drizzle!” Garnet exclaimed before dashing out of the cafeteria. Metal and I both groaned once she was out of sight.

“Why did you talk me into taking Garnet out to Senior Prom?” I asked him.

“I’m surprised you even tried to ask her out,” Tank said.

“I’m more surprised you’re not going out with her,” Metal said while pointing at me. “I mean come on! This is Garnet we’re talking about here! The hottest student that transferred from the Crystal Empire! I thought I did a good deed when I set you up with her!”

“And now she’s become the biggest stalker out of the many fans that bugged me from high school. I have to deal being with her in one or two classes each term because of you.” I slugged Metal on the arm.

“Ow! Okay, the stalking thing is creepy, I get it, but you gotta admit she’s hot. I mean did you not see that smokin’ hot body?”

“I’m not even going to answer that.”

“Still, how come you didn’t date anypony else? Are you shy? Or do you prefer colts?” Static asked.

“I was just really busy. I didn’t have any time for relationships.”

“Considering that you were on the high school swim team and working part-time, I don’t blame you,” Tank Top said. “You were also trying to help your mom out, right?”

“Yeah. I would’ve worked more hours, but she insisted that I focus more on my school life and apply for college. Swimming just happened to be the cheapest to pay fees and equipment for.”

“I just realized, isn’t Mother’s Day this Sunday?” Static asked.

“Yeah, that’s why I lied to Garnet about me working that day. It’s also Mom’s birthday, so I wanted to make this extra special for her.”

“Pft. Momma’s boy.”

“Shut up.” I slugged Metal again in the same spot.

The rest of the day went on like usual. I had to deal with Garnet’s flirting again during my last class before I went to the public pool to work as a lifeguard. I enjoyed swimming immensely and I excelled at it, so after I graduated, I moved from my previous job at a twenty-four hour diner to this one. It pays well and I usually stay a few extra hours after the pool closes for clean-up and preparing the water for the next day. The late shifts from the past month and a half were especially needed, because I had big plans to make Mom’s birthday and Mother’s day the best she ever had, and hopefully the rest of her days the happiest she’s ever been. I would need the extra money to make this possible.

It was late when I got home, but the lights were on. Odd. She’s usually in bed by now. I opened the door and walked inside. “Mom? Are you still up?”

“I’m in here, sweetie,” she answered in a depressed tone.

I looked in living room for my mom, Vanilla Sweet, and my eyes widened a little. She was sitting on the couch with a spoon in one hand and a large tub of chocolate chip mint ice cream on the other, wearing her most comfortable, form-fitting set of pajamas: a gray tank top of thin cotton material with pink trimmings that hugged around her large chest—not wearing a bra underneath considering her walnut-sized nipples poking through—and matching boxer briefs that looked more like thin booty shorts from the way they were riding up her underside to where I could see some of her cutie mark, depicting a top-view of a yellow cake with vanilla frosting shaped into a heart (I know this because I could see it on her shoulders as well). The attire covered her buttermilk colored fur that coated her curvy, cello-shaped body frame while her yellow and white mane and tail were a little damp from her recent shower.

Oh boy. When she’s like this, you know something’s bothering her. Better see what’s up before I get any funny ideas. I hung my jacket on the coat rack next to the front door before I took a seat next to Mom, who was watching The Trotting Dead. “Are you feeling all right, Mom?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re in your comfort mode. You know as well as I do you don’t get into this unless you had a really bad day, or if we’re having our Late Movie Night. Last I checked, I don’t recall tonight being the latter.”

She sighed before she stabbed the spoon in the ice cream tub, set it aside, and leaned her head on my shoulder while her eyes were still on the screen. I could smell the faint scent of the strawberry shampoo she used on her mane. “I’m still trying to get over my last failed relationship.”

I furrowed my brow for a moment.

“I know you didn’t approve of him, but he was still very sweet. We had such good times together, too. I thought I was getting better moving on after we ended, but then I saw him happily dating another mare earlier today through the window at my shop.”

“If the two of you were happy, why did he break up with you?”

“He said it was because I wasn’t opening up to him enough, like I didn’t trust him. I don’t know why he’d think that, especially since we’ve only dated for two months. I thought I was starting to see a connection between us during that time, too.”

“… It’s not because of me, is it? I mean every time a stallion you’re seeing learns that you have a son, they soon break up with you or just stop seeing you at all.”

“Oh Drizzle, no.” Mom sat up, turned to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. “I would never blame you for something like that. If those stallions left because they don’t want to be a part of your life like I want them to, then it’s their loss for not wanting a son as amazing as you.” She smirked and emphasized her point by ruffling my mane.

“And those guys don’t know what they’re missing not having a beautiful, smart mare as their special somepony.” I sported a smirk of my own, before we shared a small chuckle.

“You’re so sweet.”

“Are you going to be all right for Sunday?”

“I’ll be fine. I don’t know what plans you have, but you didn’t have to go through all the trouble to prepare it all for me.”

“Pft. How could I not? It’s Mother’s Day and your birthday Sunday. I gotta go all out to show how much of an awesome mom you are in my life.”

“Don’t remind me. You attending your second year in college is bad enough to make me see how old I’m getting.”

“Hey, you still look young. You’d be surprised how many guys from the high school swim team say how hot you looked before I told them you were my mom, and compared from how you looked back then and how you look now? I don’t think you’ve changed that much.”

“Gee, that makes me feel so much better.” She rolled her eyes with a smile. “All right, now you get cleaned up and get to bed. You got class in the morning still, right?”

“Yeah yeah, I know. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll manage.”

“All right then.” We got up from the couch, hugged, and I gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Take it easy, Mom. I love you.”

“Good night, sweetie. I love you, too.”

I went to my room to get my change of clothes before going into one of the two bathrooms in our small home. I stripped down and looked at my bare form, marveling at the lean, whitish-blue body with a washboard stomach, a nice benefit from all of my time spent swimming. I flexed and showed off my muscles a little, along with my cutie mark of a cobalt blue butterfly with droplets of water around it—which signified my grace and form in the water as well as my best swimming style—before I ran a hand through my short yellow and purple mane. I looked down to the semi-erection that I had been trying to avoid pitching in front of my mom, I wrapped my hand around it and sighed.

“You went through so much to take care of me, Mom,” I muttered to myself. “If those lame exes wouldn’t do it, then I’ll do my best to make you the happiest mare in Equestria like you deserve to be. Just you wait and see.”