"Come on, dad," Baux called out to me as we trotted through the town, him getting ahead of me, "I want you to meet my special somepony!" I smiled at that word, knowing my son found somepony to have his first relationship with. He ran down the dirt road from our home and walked towards the town.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming," I said, picking up my pace as my son ran through the crowded streets. We managed to get out of the traffic jam of ponies and get off of the main road. I saw Baux walking towards a hill and on top of it, there was a cottage, a nice medium sized cottage. He ran up to the slope up to the front door and I could tell how eager he was.
Baux had told me that he finally found somepony he liked and they were going to have their first date today. He wouldn't tell me any details, who she was, what her name is, even who her parents are. He simply said "you'll find out, just come with me." I, being his father, decided to go and meet his new friend.
Baux knocked on the door with his hoof and backed up onto the welcome mat. I caught up and stood next to him, waiting for the door to open as well. He had a grin on his face and I could tell that whoever he met really meant a lot to him already
"You never told me who this filly is, Baux," I said, nudging him in the arm. Baux turned and looked at me.
"I told you, Dad, you'll find out soon enough," he said. His legs moved up and down impatiently as the door locks clicked and a colt opened the door. He was two shades of blue, his mane the darker shade. The pegasus had a rain cloud cutie mark and cold eyes.
"Hey, Baux," he said. I figured this must be the filly's brother. He caught sight of me and looked up. "Is this your dad?" he asked Baux, not breaking eye contact with me. Baux nodded his response and the blue colt opened the door wider. "Come on in," he welcomed us. Baux happily walked inside and I followed behind him.
The interior of the home was nice, warm and welcoming. It reminded me of the first time I came home to ponyville, the first time I saw my home. There was the aroma of food being cooked coming from the kitchen and a nice rustic lounge.
"What's your name?" I asked him.
"Rainer," he replied, walking into the living room and sitting on the couch. Baux followed and joined him on the couch. I looked around and suddenly heard someone rustling around in the kitchen nearby, then a voice.
"Rainer," the deep stallion voice called out," is he here?"
"Yeah, Dad," the deep blue colt replied, "both of them." The clattering in the kitchen stopped and a stallion's shadow moved closer to the living room.
"Good," I heard the familiar voice say, "I've been waiting for this for years." What does he mean years? Who is this guy? Why do I know his voice? The anticipation built as I saw his muzzle round the corner and his full body enter the lounge. There he stood, looking into my eyes. I immediately knew who he was backed up towards the front door.
"B-baux," I stuttered, "come on, we've got to go,"
"But Dad, I want to stay!" he protested. I didn't. I backed up more as the stallion walked closer to me. His cold, dead eyes hadn't changed a bit and his mane and coat seemed to have gotten even darker.
"Tagalong," he said lowly. I turned to Baux who was still sitting on the couch. "Sit down," he insisted. I stood there, not knowing what to do. I had to comply. I couldn't make it around him to get to my son anyhow. I sat down on the couch, not daring to break eye contact with him.
"Dad, do you know him?" Baux asked. I nodded slowly and watched as he sat next to Rainer. His cold gaze turned me back into a child; a fearful, lonely child. The horrible memories flooded back to my brain and I silently suffered once again. Dark Sky.
"I never thought I would see you again, Tagalong," he said. His voice was haunting and cruel. Even if he wasn't laughing at my pain, it was tormenting me by opening old wounds.
"Me either," I said quietly. Dark Sky, the bully who had ruined my childhood and made my life at the orphanage a living hell was now living down the street from me. Wonderful.
"Dad, how do you know him?" I heard Rainer ask. I hoped that he wouldn't tell the truth, just a clever lie you tell your children when they're young to protect them from the real world.
"We knew each other in Manehattan," he answered. He didn't lie, but he didn't tell the whole truth. "Why don't you and Baux go outside and play? Me and his father have some catching up to do," he said. Those words shook me. I was ready to cry, but not in front of my son. I didn't want to "catch up" with Dark Sky, whatever that entailed.
"Okay," Rainer replied. He and Baux got off the couch and ran outside. When they were gone and the door was shut, Dark Sky looked at me. I backed away from him as far as I could on the couch. He picked up on my fear and looked away.
"Listen, Tagalong," he started to say looking at the wall across from the couch, "I know you must be scared of me, but please don't be."
"Don't be? Why not? I don't know what you're going to do to me!" I shouted back. I was in complete panic mode and was about to jump through the window if it meant I could get away.
"Look, I changed a long time ago, I'm different now." he said calmly. I started to calm down a bit and tried to listen to him. "After you left, I changed."
"How?" I asked, "Somepony like you doesn't just change." He looked down to the floor and breathed calmly.
"I did, trust me. After you left, Ms. Carrie sent me away to a boot camp." he replied.
"So what? I bet you beat up everyone there too!" I shouted again. I was still scared, huddled against the arm of the couch.
"On the contrary, I was the one getting beaten up there," he said. I stopped. My brain stopped playing the old memory reels and I let go of the couch arm and focused on his words.
"Seriously?" I asked. He simply nodded.
"Compared to everyone else, I was the scrawny weakling. I was only thirteen and I was the youngest one there. Everyone else was in their late teens and I was just starting out." I stopped trying to hide and sat still, listening to him. "I was beaten every day, far worse then me and the others ever beat you. They were relentless and there was more than three. Most of the camp, even some of the drill sergeants would join in and beat me and the other recruits."
I sat up, looking at him as he dug around in his memories, piecing together the worst parts he could find. "We beat you for a year, year and a half? I was beaten for about four," I was at a loss for words. Half of me wanted to pity him, being able to relate to his suffering, then the other half reminded me that he's the reason I suffered.
"That camp changed me," he said, looking up and at me, "it changed who I was. I regret what I did to you all those years ago and I take the boot camp experience as punishment for putting you through that all those years ago." He put his hooves on his head as he relived his memories. "I'm sorry, Tagalong, for everything. I hope you can somehow forgive me for that."
My mind raced with anger at this point. He asked for forgiveness after all he did? No, no way. I stood up and rage fueled my actions. My hoof went to hit his face, but my logical side stepped in and I stopped myself sort of a few inches. When I opened my eyes, he had his eyes closed, ready to be hit. I sat back down, my hooves shaking as they had a mind of their own.
"Why didn't you hit me? You deserve revenge shots," he said calmly. I put my face in my hooves took shallow breaths.
"I have more self control than to just start wailing on you, Dark," I replied. He looked at me as I shook and I looked back. "I can't accept your apology," I said. His eyes jumped as the words left my mouth.
"Why not?" he asked.
"After what you did to me? After all the agony you put me through just for fun? No way, I can't accept your apology." His eyes lowered and he spoke softly.
"Okay," he said lowly, "I understand. Could we at least try to get along together? You know, for our kids' sake?" He asked. I nodded my head in agreement then replayed his sentence in my head.
"What do you mean "for our kids' sake"?" I asked. Something didn't seem right with that sentence, something I was missing.
"You know, our kids. Now that they'll be spending an awful lot of time together, it'll seem weird that their dads hate each other." I was still missing something, it was right in front of my face and I couldn't see it.
"Why are they going to spend more time together? Baux's here for Rainer's sister, not Rainer," I replied.
"Rainer doesn't have a sister, Tagalong," Dark Sky said, "It's just him and his brother Lux."
"Then who's his special somepony?" I asked. Dark Sky chuckled and patted my shoulder.
"Boy, you're thick. He didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?" I asked impatiently. He pointed out the window to Baux and Rainer. Baux had his arm around Rainer's shoulder and they were sitting very close to each other and had their heads against each others. Then it hit me like a train. "He's here for... Rainer?" Dark Sky nodded. I put it together after a few seconds. My son was a colt-cuddler and I didn't even know. I saw him out of the window and I remained silent.
"That's what I meant," Dark Sky said, interrupting the silence of the room, "they want to be a couple and I don't want my past to stand in the way of my son being happy." I turned around to him after hearing the care and compassion in his voice. It didn't match his cold, dark eyes. I let out a sigh and made up my mind.
"Okay, I'll try to get along with you... for the kids," I said. Dark Sky nodded and held out his hoof. I hesitantly extended mine and we shook. He patted me on the back and we stood up. I exited the home and walked outside into the light breeze. I saw my son and his new friend and the only thought I had was "why didn't he tell me sooner?" I sat next to them and looked at the scene. Their home was on a hill and you could see most of the town below. I looked around, rubbed the grass with my hoof and sighed.
"What is it, Dad?" Baux asked, turning to face me. I looked at him with a smile as I remembered why this hill was important.
"This hill," I said, "it's the hill that your Aunt Scootaloo took me to when I first came here." I remembered back to my childhood again; to the good times I had. "She told me that everything in my past would be unimportant, that I could move on and have a better life." I chuckled a little, "I guess no one truly escapes their past."
"What do you mean, Dad?" he asked me. He moved his arm off of Rainer and turned to face me completely. Rainer moved next to him and also looked at me. I saw his eyes, cold just like his fathers.
"Nothing," I lied. My son didn't need to know that his special somepony's dad was my old bully. "So, Baux," I started, "You and Rainer... are you dating?" Baux nervously looked me in my eyes as he spoke
"Y-yeah," he stuttered, "I should have told you sooner, huh?"
"No, it's okay," I told him, patting his back. He smiled and gave me a hug. "I wish you had told me you were a colt-cuddler first," I said. He blushed and looked away.
"I didn't know how you'd react, I thought you would be disappointed in me," he said. I gave him a tight hug and he looked back up to me.
"Baux, I could never be disappointed in you for anything, even being a colt-cuddler. Why would I deny you happiness?" Rainer hugged him and I rustled his mane. "I think you two will make a nice couple."
"Thanks, Dad," he said. Rainer and Baux stood up on the grass. "We're going to go, Dad," Baux said, arm around Rainer, "we've got plans." I stood up as well and patted his mane. It was soft and fluffy just like his mother's mane.
"Okay," I said, "try not to get into too much trouble. And if anypony gives you any problems, come and tell us."
"Okay, Dad, thanks," he said as he walked off with Rainer. The two playfully bumped one another as they walked side by side. Rainer had his wing around Baux and they looked happy together. I heard the grass crush under Dark Sky's hooves as he walked over to see the boys off. "As long as they're happy," I said. Dark Sky nodded.
"That's all I want for him, to have a better life than me." That was a very selfless thing for anypony, especially Dark Sky to say. I looked at him and then back to the kids. They were nearly out of sight. Rainer looked so much like Dark Sky as a colt. "They'll be fine," Dark Sky said, "they'll be perfectly fine together." I smiled a little and nodded.
"I know." Today was an interesting day, to say the least.