A Path Of Healing

The train came to a screeching halt at the Ponyville Train Station and among all the creatures getting on and off the train was a young earth pony stallion. His coat was a clean white as his mane was long and black with a streak of grey stretching through his locks. Dawning his flanks was a splash of ink in the shape of a heart. His eyes were so gold, they'd put the Rich family's fortune to shame.

He left the station, where he saw a pegasus mare looking through the crowd of creatures leaving the station. Her coat was a rich black with rainbow main and tail. Her cutie mark took the form of a rainbow-colored apple in front of a grew cloud with a lightning bolt coming from the apple. She saw Ink and smiled before she trotted over to him.

"Hey, Ink Heart," she greeted warmly.

"Hey, Zap Apple," he replied with a sigh. Zap's smiled faded before she pulled him into a hug.

"I can't say I know what you're going through, but I'm here to help," she assured him as he leaned into the hug.

"Thank you for all of this," he sighed. She pulled away from the hug and offered him a smile.

"C'mon! My mothers are eager to meet you!" He smiled softly; however, his face showed clear signs of lingering pain. "Let me help you with those!" She grabbed his saddlebags from his back in her teeth and began walking off. Ink Heart followed after her as she guided him through the town.

After a bit of a walk, they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, where they were greeted by four elderly ponies. Three mares and one stallion. The stallion was a large earth pony, his coat a bright red with faded orange mane and tail, and a large green apple dawning his flanks. Standing next to him was a pink unicorn mare with an equally faded purple mane and a cupcake for her cutie mark. Next to her was an orange earth pony mare with greying orange mane done in a bun and three bright red apples on her flanks. Finally, standing next to the orange mare, was a cyan-blue pegasus with a rainbow mane that also was fading due to age, and a try-colored lightning bolt striking from a cloud on her flanks. All four had welcoming smiles on their faces as they waited for Zap Apple to arrive with their guest.

Zap Apple stopped and put the saddlebags down before she turned to Ink Heart. "Heart, this is my family," she said as she pointed a hoof at the gathered ponies. "The first is my uncle, Big Macintosh, and his wife, Sugarbelle." The pink mare waved with a smile.

"Welcome!" She greeted him.

"Eeyup." Big Mac said with a smile.

"Uncle Mac is a stallion of few words," Zap clarified. "but, he's a real sweet apple!" Ink Heart waved at them with a soft smile. "Next is Momma Apple Jack!" The orange mare waved.

"Howdy!" She smiled at him. "Welcome to our humble home!"

"And to finally, Momma Rainbow Dash!" Zap concluded.

"Former captain of the Wonderbolts, Best Young Flyers champion, and most loyal pony in Ponyville!" Dash stated proudly and with enough energy to betray her age. Ink Heart could not help but smile at the elder mare's enthusiasm.

"Dash, don't ya think y've done enough bostin' in our youth?" Apple Jack asked with a smile of amusement.

"Are you kidding?" Dash retorted. "You can never bost enough when you're as awesome as me!" She stuck out her chest with pride, getting her wife to shake her head with a chuckle before she turned to Ink Heart and walked up to him with a serious look.

"Zap told us all about what y're goin' through," she said assuringly. "and ah can't tell ya how sorry ah am." Rainbow Dash landed beside her.

"I can speak through experience that things will get better," she added with a sincere look on her face. "I had a girlfriend who wasn't who I thought she was." Ink Heart looked at her eyes.

"How'd you make it through something like that?" He asked.

"She had her friends to turn to," Apple Jack piped up. Ink turned to Apple Jack.

"Some good that'll do me," he sighed, "I've been isolated for so long, I hardly have any friends, let alone someone I could turn to."

"Bullshit!" Rainbow Dash cried out.

"Rainbow! Language!" Apple Jack scorned her. "Honestly, ah thought you were past that!"

"I know, but it's true!" Dash countered. "You have Zap and us! We're your friends, and we'll be here for you whenever you need us." She grabbed his shoulders, getting him to look at her. "Don't ever think you're alone with us."

"Rainbow Dash is right," Sugarbelle piped up as she stepped forward. "My niece was eager to help you as soon as you told her about the breakup, and we were all happy to offer you someplace to stay."

"Eeyup," Big Mac added with a soft smile. Ink Heart looked between them all with tears in his golden eyes.

"Thank you," he said as his lip trembled. "Thank you all, so much." They all gathered around and pulled him into a warm, group hug. He welcomed their warmth as his tears began to stain his cheeks. After a minute of being the heart of the group hug, they all pulled away as they smiled at him.

"Now, let's get ya settled in," Apple Jack said. "The guest room is all set, and when y're ready, we can show you around town." Ink wiped the tears from his face and nodded. Zap grabbed his saddlebags and followed the group as they led him inside the farmhouse, which showed signs of recent remodeling.

"What are your plans now that you're here?" Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered next to Ink Heart.

"Rainbow, don't pry," Apple Jack countered.

"What? I'm just curious," Dash defended herself.

"No, it's okay," Ink Heart chimed in. "Well, I'd like to start transitioning," he began, getting Apple Jack to look back at him.

"If you had said that thirty years ago, Granny Smith might've had a few things to say about that."

"Granny Smith?" Ink asked.

"Our dearly departed grandmother," Zap answered with a smile, getting a look of confusion from the stallion.

"Wait, she died and you're not crying about the subject?"

"We've come to terms with the loss long ago," Apple Jack answered. "It was a hard loss, but she lived a good life. If it weren't for her, Ponyville wouldn't have existed."

"Wow!" Ink said in awe.

"We have many fond memories of Granny Smith," Rainbow said with a smile. "I'll never forget the time I had to spend with her and her friends. One of the best days of my life."

"There'll be plenty of time to share family stories once he's settled in, honey," Apple Jacked said with a smile.

Ink followed them into the house with a sense of relief. He had spent the last year living in pain from a hard breakup he felt he would never recover from but since his arrival at Sweet Apple Acres, he began to feel like his life was about to change for the better.