To the Dogs

Chapter 7: Regret
"T-that's how Papa lost his paw?!", squeaks Fluttershy frantically.

"Indeed it is, pumpkin.", returns the sickly unicorn. "I felt so guilty after doing that to him." Tears now filling his eyes.

"You only did what you had to, daddy.", says the meek pegasus as she wraps her gentle hooves around her father's neck. "Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry, my dear.", he mutters faintly. "I just miss your papa so much."

"There, there...", coos Fluttershy calmly. "He's still watching over us."

The unicorn gently closes his eyes, pointing his gaze towards the cold, wooden floor. A somber nuance of silence briefly shadows the room. The elderly pony inhales deeply, before continuing to release the ghosts of the past.

"I remember waking up that next morning..."

It was very foggy. The sun peaked over the mist, bathing the landscape in a deep, orange glow. The memories of the night before still clung desperately to my heart. I was afraid of what my poor companion would think of my evasive maneuver. Would he be angry? Would he be sad? The thoughts of such rejection from my only friend tormented my soul. Suddenly, I realized that he was nowhere in sight. My eyes darted around the cave, finding no trace of my dear canine friend.

"Oh Scrape...", I whimpered to myself. "I'm so sorry."

I began to sob to myself, burying my face into my quivering hooves. I had driven my only friend away from me. I was cold, crippled, and lonely in the Equestrian wilderness. At that moment, I gave up all thoughts of living. My life seemed meaningless. My heart felt empty. I had ruined the life of the only one who ever cared for me. I was not even fit to be a part of this world. I knew in my heart what had to be done.

I crawled slowly out of the cavern, eyes pulsating red from the salty tears I was producing. My mind began to wonder for a moment. How should I do it?, I thought to myself. Waiting for the train to come would take to long, and I had grown very impatient with existing. Plus, I wouldn't want to make life hard for the poor engineer pony driving it. My gaze turned to the cliff before me. Such a long way down, I thought to myself. Indeed, it was a stunningly long drop. On top of that, I was terrified of heights. Breathing a sigh of despair, I came to realize that this was the only way. I was going to miss the beauty in my beloved kingdom. Although I had chosen to take a darker path, I knew that I was leaving a blissful future behind. Without my mother or friend though, I saw not the point of continuing. I decided to jump.

I inhaled deeply, peering over the rocky ledge. In my mind, there was no going back. This was my new destiny. I was to fall into the shadow of the night. With one final look at the enchanting horizon in the distance, I pulled myself over the rugged edge. Celestia forgive me, I thought to myself as I closed my eyes one last time.

Seconds went by, as I expected to hit the ground at any moment. However, I never recalled falling to feel so stationary. Wondering why I was still alive, I flashed open my eyes. To my surprise, the ground had grown no closer to my body. Had time stopped? Was this some sort of divine intervention? I tilted my head to see what was keeping me from falling to my demise. It was then that I saw a familiar grey paw holding onto one of my lifeless back legs.

"I... I...", I mumbled aimlessly.

The burly mutt pulled me back to safety, cradling me in his warm, fuzzy arms. My tears dripped upon his thick coat. My mind was buzzing now with both relief and regret. I now had to explain to him why I was going to kill myself. I was so fearful that he would hate me for trying to take my own life. There was no easy way out of my predicament. I had to be completely honest.

"I'm... I'm so sorry...", I squeaked.

Unexpectedly, my face was met with a heartwarming nuzzle. "It is okay, little pony. You are safe now.", cooed my sweet savior.

His incomplete arm caught my eye, pushing me even more so into my sobbing fit. "Please forgive me.", I moaned.

At that moment, I heard the most beautiful thing that had ever graced my ears.

Hush now; Quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now; Quiet now
It's time to go to bed

Drifting off to sleep
Leave exciting days behind you
Drifting off to sleep
Let the joy of daylight find you

Hush now; Quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now; Quiet now
It's time to go to bed

My heartbeat slowed, as my nerves grew calm. I felt as if all the sorrow and pain which I carried before, had evaded me. I felt whole again.

"I love you, little Ebony.", he said, squeezing me tightly in his arms.

"I love you too, Scrape.", I beamed, as I returned the embrace.