Marriage Issues
Ink Mage

A divorce.

My parents are having a divorce.

I always knew this day was going to come, given everything that's been going on all my life, but I still didn't think it would come so soon. Mom and Dad have never been this serious about their marriage issues before.

It started when I was just a little filly. Their fights, I mean. One day they were happy, cooing over my gurgles and occasional wing flaps, and the next they weren't, arguing endlessly about something as silly as who got to feed me the next day.

"I need my sleep too, you know," my mother used to say. "You didn't have her in your belly for eleven months, so that automatically gives me some kind of head up."

My father used to groan, banging his head on the table. "I know, but even I have to go to work tomorrow. You have maternal leave for the next few months."

"And for good reason! Next time you give birth to a foal, give me a call. I'm going to bed," my mother said back to him, while I silently watched, sucking on my pacifier.

I don't know exactly what caused the change in their relationship, but I can't help but wonder if it was because of me. Mom and Dad were such a happy couple at the time of their marriage. Why wouldn't they be, they were two of the most popular Wonderbolts on the team.

Mom told me stories of how she and Dad met. How she heroically saved him that day at the Best Young Flyer competition, doing her signature move- the spectacular Sonic Rainboom and winning first place. How she and Dad chatted for hours as her prize.

I've always been aware of my parents fame, and how it would inevitably have an affect on my life as I grew older.

My friends say fighting is a normal part of married life. And for the most part, I believe them. I still do, but even married couples like my parents have their limits.

I had one time asked my mother about my name. How did I end up getting such a revolting tag on my life that I could never remove? A name is what describes a pony. It's what their parents put on their child as a mark to uphold and live up to. Most of the time, it even helps with finding that one special talent and purpose in life that you so desperately crave.

So how in Equestria did I end up with Dariana Seashine?

"She's going to be a beauty," Rainbow Dash said, rubbing her belly anxiously as Soarin smiled from besides her. He rested his hoof on her abdomen and grinned.

"That she is... have you decided on a name yet?" he asked. Rainbow Dash shot him a sly grin, and nodded.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I have!" she said, "I was thinking something along the lines of Daring Dash."

Soarin snorted. "Daring Dash?! Are you serious?" he scoffed. Rainbow Dash's eyebrows furrowed.

"What? Do you have a problem with Daring Dash?" she asked, her frown deepening. Soarin scrunched his lips together, before nodding slowly.

"Can I ask how you came up with it?" he said in the most polite tone he could muster.

"Yeah, well, I put my name with my favorite fictional character's name together," Rainbow Dash said, crossing her hooves.

Soarin could only laugh. "Yep, I knew you were joking. Come on, Rainbow Dash, let's get serious with the names. The baby's due any week now," he said.

"I'm not kidding, Soarin!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. "I really think Daring Dash would be a suitable name for her!"

"No way!" Soarin said instantly, before quieting down. "Would you mind if I made a suggestion?" he asked sweetly. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but shrugged nonetheless.

"Yeah, whatever, go ahead," she said, looking away from him.

Soarin grinned triumphantly. "Great! I was thinking something like Ariana Seaswirl," he said proudly, puffing out his chest.

Rainbow Dash's eyebrows furrowed. "Ariana Seaswirl? Where in Equestria did you get a name like that from? What does 'Arianna' even mean?!" she exclaimed.

Soarin crossed his hooves. "Ariana was the name of my late great-grandmare, thank you very much. I happen to quite like the name," he said roughly.

"Well that's a load of crap!" Rainbow Dash said, her voice getting higher and higher each passing second. "Who names their daughter Ariana?! That sounds more like a name from the weird world Twilight always goes to!"

"Well maybe I like the name Ariana! It reminds me of her!" Soarin said, shooting his wife a glare.

"I honestly couldn't care less. We're naming her Daring Dash, and that's final," Rainbow Dash said, beginning to walk ahead of Soarin.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"What the hell is wrong with me?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Somehow, they had ended up with Dariana Seashine, a combination of the two names they had liked most. Mom and Dad still refuse to acknowledge it fully. Mom always calls me 'Dari' and Dad always calls me 'Ana', just to keep their pride.

A divorce just seems unreal. All my life I've lived under one roof, with my parents fighting constantly. They've always made up in the end though, even if their methods weren't as smooth as they could possibly be.

Hearing Mom and Dad's bickering has become a second nature to me. It's to be expected. That's why I rarely ever have friends over. I'm afraid they won't like me anymore once they realize what a nightmare I live in.

I don't have many friends... I never understood why. Was it because of my indirect fame? Were ponies too scared to approach me because of the mare who gave birth to me?

I remember one time when my first friend came over to my place... and then ran home crying because of my father's bad mood after fighting with my mother.

"So this is your house?" Pink Flamingo asked me, walking into the living room of our cloud mansion. I nodded happily, seating myself on one of the giant couches in the middle. I gestured for her to follow.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. Pink Flamingo nodded, getting out of her seat and turning to me.

"I'm a bit hungry," she admitted. I nodded, leading her into the kitchen where my mom was busy cutting vegetables and my dad drinking his coffee to the side.

Pink Flamingo instantly gasped, running up to Mom with an excited twinkle in her eyes.

"Oh my Celestia! You're Rainbow Dash! Wonderbolt, Element of Harmony, everything awesome!" she exclaimed. Rainbow Dash gave her an amused smile, and I heard my father snort.

"Yep, that's me. You must be the filly Dari's told me so much about," Mom said, earning another scoff from Dad. Pink Flamingo clapped excitedly, turning back to me.

"You told your mom about me, Dariana?!" she asked, "how nice of you!"

I gave her a weak smile.

"Alright alright, meet and greet is over, go to your room, Ana, and take your friend with you," Dad cut in. I nodded, grabbing Pink Flamingo's hoof and leading her upstairs.

I only caught the first few seconds of the fight that was undoubtedly about to start.

"Can't you at least try being a little less full of yourself?" my dad had said.

"She was a fan of mine! I just wanted to make her happy!" Mom said back to him.

"You didn't do anything but admit how amazing you are," Dad said. Mom scoffed.

"Oh please, you're just jealous that she didn't bother casting you a single look," she said.

I heard a loud THUD as I closed the door to my room tightly shut behind me.

A divorce would be like giving up. Giving up a once beautiful marriage that now ceases to exist.

I'm not even sure my parents would be happy with the outcome of this. And all the added work with me would be too much for me to handle... my parents would have to share me. Not that either of them would care much.

It still would hurt though.

The door to the house opened and Mom and Dad stormed in with scarlet faces. I looked up from the book I was reading, watching in fear as my Dad threw a piece of glass from a broken vase into the trashcan.

Mom shot a deadly look at Dad, tears stinged her eyes. "How could you do this to me...?" she whispered, throwing her coat off her shoulders. Dad smacked a hoof onto his face.

"Oh so now it's my fault?! You think it's my bloody fault that she came onto me?!" he shouted, continuously slapping himself as he gritted his teeth in anger.

Mom took deep breaths as she looked him dead in the eye. I remember her menacing tone and my fear as I started to slowly exit the room.

"No, it's your damn fault that you never said anything. Maybe a 'back the hell off' would have done the trick," she yelled at him. Dad raised his eyebrows.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you think I wanted that?!" he shouted back to her.

"Well, you could have fooled me!" Mom said.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I quietly exited the room. I never looked back, because I know whenever my parents fight, there's no stopping them.

It just happens.

That was about six years ago... I was only nine at the time. Even a nine year old can understand what they were talking about though. Mom and Dad didn't speak to each other for weeks after that horrible incident... the fact that it had happened on their wedding anniversary only made the whole ordeal more sad.

Mom and Dad have always been a little shaky throughout their entire relationship. I remember Dad telling me about their wedding day... how Mom had failed to come up with loving wedding vows, while he had written an entire page for her.

I know he meant no harm... but their honeymoon was suddenly a lot less romantic after that. Or at least, it probably was. Mom still refuses to tell me anything about their 'weekend in paradise'.

All my life I've lived under the expectation of running around and doing the housework whenever Mom 'doesn't feel up to it' after a fight with Dad. Which usually means I cook dinner every night.

Dad has grown accustomed to my meals... but sometimes I think he's doing it just to get a rile out of my mom.

Like tonight, when he had purposely commented on the salad I had made for everypony exactly when Mom came out of the bedroom, her eyes still puffy from the tears that must have spilled out only a few hours ago.

Parents are supposed to love each other. Husbands and wives are supposed to love each other... Mom and Dad are supposed to love each other. They aren't supposed to get a divorce... my entire life and family would be torn to shreds if they got one... everything I ever knew about myself and them would be put to the test... and I don't know if I'm ready for that.

I'm supposed to be a big girl.

I'm supposed to be a big girl.

"You're pathetic!"

"I'm pathetic?! You're the pathetic one!"

"How did I ever love you?!"

"I'd like to ask myself the same question!"

Mom and Dad aren't the perfect couple. I get that.

They insult each other left and right... they don't bother thinking about what the other might say or feel when they fire the continuous threats and nasty words from their mouths.

I've always been taught not to curse. But watching them go at it every singe minute of my life makes me pretty darn close to exploding.

I just want a normal life again!

I don't want to have to hide from my family every time they bicker and argue!

"I don't understand what's the hard about being the second name down on the list! Just because you're Rainbow Freaking Dash, doesn't mean you get some special privilege!"

"Oh?! Says the stallion who got himself right on the front page."

"So?! You don't have to be jealous of everything!!"

"I'm not jealous!"

"Yeah, like hell you aren't."

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

They fight over the silliest of things... they tell lies to each other just to start a fight! It's like they get enjoyment out of it or something...

I don't know what I'm supposed to do. They're always going at at... I can't do this anymore.

I can't do it.

I just can't.

I can't stop crying myself to sleep every night.

"Dariana, dear... we need to talk to you about something," my mom said, coming into my room followed closely behind by Dad. I immediately looked up. It seemed like the very first time she had ever called me by my name. My real name. Not some silly shortcut just to get my father angry.

"What is it, Mom?" I asked, putting away the homework I was working on. Mom and Dad exchanged a glance, before my dad spoke up, coming closer to me and dropping down to his knees.

"Your mother and I have come to a decision. Something that we think will benefit all of us," he said.

I looked between them, shooting them both a calculating glare.

"Yeah?" I said. Mom came up besides Dad, looking me straight in the eye.

"We're having a divorce."

Even though it was just a few days ago... I still remember how I felt once those words escaped my mother's lips. I remember looking helplessly at them both, my ears drooping as the news sunk in.

I remember the pain and anger boiling up inside me. I remember feeling like I was just slapped right on my cheek. I remember falling down back to the ground, tears threatening to escape my eyes.

But you know what? Now that I think about it... maybe this is what I've always wanted...

What I've always needed.

My parents might finally be happy again after all of this is over... maybe that's what I want. To see my mom's face light up with a smile again, to see my dad grin and joke around at the breakfast table like he used to do. To see them laughing again.

Yeah... I know now. I understand.

Maybe this divorce will be the best thing for all of us.

Author's Note