Dusk

Dusk just stood in front of Soprano’s house, face frozen in complete shock. His…son? Did he hear her right?

“Are…are you serious?" he shakily asked, "M-my son?"

Soprano just smiled and nodded her head.

“Oh,” he said. “Oh, my gosh. I’m…I’m so sorry, Soprano, I didn’t-“

She put her hoof to his mouth to silence him. “Would you like to see him?”

“I’m sorry, I should probably go now…” He started backing up, but Soprano grabbed his hoof and stopped him.

“I insist,” she sternly said, pulling him to the door. “Now, you’ll have to be quiet. He’s napping.”

She quietly opened the door, and they walked in. The interior was just as he had remembered it. They walked to the door of the room that had been her parent’s, which he could only assume was a nursery now. Soprano opened the door to the dark room. It was decorated with playful, childish images painted onto the wall with thick curtains covering the window, giving peace to the small colt sleeping tranquilly in the small bed.

“Dusk, meet your son, Dusk.” It was obvious that the colt was the child of Dusk and Soprano; his coat was a soft blue, lighter than Dusk’s, with a dull red mane he got from his mother.

“Is he…really mine?” Dusk asked, hoping there had been some mistake.

“Of course,” she said. “Every day, he gets more and more like you. Just the other day, he professed his ‘forever love’ to a little filly. So cute!”

Dusk smiled and laughed quietly. He had to admit, that certainly sounded like him. “Should we go into the living room? We might wake him up.”

She giggled as they walked out of the room and closed the door silently. “It’s probably fine, he sleeps like a log. Guess where he got that from?”

"It must be from your side of the family," he joked. "Still think we should go."

They walked into the living room and sat next to each other at the table.

“So, Dusk,” Soprano said to break the awkward silence, “I can tell by your robes you’ve become a scholar. How’s that going?”

“Very nice, actually. I’m going on a journey to the Earth Ponies to study their way of life. I even have a filly I’m sweet on back at the monastery.”

“A filly!” she excitedly whispered. “Tell me about her.”

“I’d rather not. I mean, talking about the new filly I love to the pony was engaged to? Just seems strange.”

“Come on!” she said. “Tell me about her.”

“Well,” he said, rubbing his neck. “She’s also in the same monastery. I met her because she mentored me when I was trying to get in. She’s sweet and pretty, and even smarter than me. But enough about my new life, what have you been doing recently?”

She sighed and stared at the table. “Not much. I haven’t been played for money since you left. Been preoccupied with taking care of Dusk.”

“So tell me, how did your parents take it when they found out you were pregnant with my foal?”

“Well, my mother was understanding of the situation. I guess she just liked the idea of being a grandmother.”

“What about your father?” he joked. “He really hit the roof when he found us, so how did he react to that?”

“It’s an interesting story, really. After you left, I didn’t talk to anypony for months. I was just that depressed. He was the first pony I told after I found out. He looked me in the eye and said ‘Soprano, as much as I don’t want to admit it, that foal is my grandfoal. And you are my daughter. If I were to abandon you now, I would be a very lousy father.’”

“I guess that’s sentimental for him,” Dusk chuckled. “So, since you don’t have a job now, what are you doing for money? Do your parents still live here?”

She shook her head. “No, they moved out so I could have the house. They live with my uncle, about an hour’s walk into the country. We go to visit them sometimes.”

“So…Does this mean you have a special somepony that supports you two?” She smiled and nodded. “So, tell me about him! What’s he do?”

She smiled and twirled her mane. “Her.”

“What?” he nearly yelled.

“Her. I don’t know how, but…I became interested in mares.”

“Ohmygosh! You’re a…” he darted his head around, making sure nopony else could hear, “…a fillyfooler?”

She laughed silently at some sort of inside joke. “No, I was just pulling your leg. His name’s Fabrice and he makes horseshoes. He doesn’t make a lot of money, but it’s enough for us to survive on. I met him when I was later in my pregnancy, and he was very helpful and understanding. I guess one day, we just decided to get married.”

“Mommy?” came a small voice from the hallway. It was the younger Dusk, wearing a young foal’s nightrobe and dragging a small, stuffed dog behind him.

“Yes, sweetie?” she asked, standing up and walking to him.

“I’m scared.”

“Aww, it’s okay,” she said, dropping down to his height and hugging him. “Do you want me to tuck you in again?”

He slowly nodded, and Soprano levitated him onto her back. “Who’s that?” he asked, pointing at the older Dusk sitting at the table and smiling at the scene.

“He’s just an old friend of mommy’s,” she lied, smiling.

As Soprano and her son walked into the nursery, Dusk immediately ran out, nearly knocking his chair down in the process. He breathed a deep sigh of both relief and exhaustion as he got into the market, away from Soprano’s house. All he wanted was to get away. Some goods caught his eye from a small market stand; he wasn’t paying attention to what they were, the only thing he wanted was to push those memories out of his mind. Chills ran throughout his whole body when he thought back to his son.

A pony with a bright red coat walked next to him and started looking at the cart of wares. “It can be hard, I know. But you must not forget your past. It is a part of who you are.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, turning to the pony, “Do I know you?”

“That’s the question,” she asked. “Do you?”

“Okay,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “Can you just speak normally?”

The pony just smiled and rubbed Dusk’s mane. “Come on, you’re a smart pony. Who am I?” she asked excitedly.

“You’re…” his eyes shot wide open, “Massasoit.”

“Close. I don’t even exist.”

“So,” he laughed, “Does this mean I’ve finally gone bonkers?”

“If that’s how you want to see it, sure,” she joked. “But ask yourself. Why am I here now?”

“Well,” he turned around and stared at the sky, lost in his mind, “I think I know why. Is it-“

“Buddy?” a voice cut him off mid-thought. When he turned around, Massasoit was gone, and a stallion was standing in her place. “You okay? There ain’t nopony else here, who you talking to?”

“Oh,” he blushed. “Nopony. I was just thinking out loud.”

“Whatever,” the stallion replied skeptically, rolling his eyes. “That pony needs a checkup from the neck-up,” he grumbled while he walked away.

Reality flushed back to Dusk, prompting him to sprint back throughout the village. When he reached Soprano’s house, he banged on the door hastily.

“Come on,” he begged the door, “Please open up.”

Sure enough, it swung open, and Soprano was standing in the doorway. “Dusk?” she asked. “Where did you go?”

“I’m sorry,” he gushed, “I tried to exit your life again. I saw your…our son and I just felt terrible for everything I did to you. You had such a great life, and I ruined it by impregnating you and leaving you on your own. You might forgive me for that, but I can’t.”

“Well,” her voice drooped and became somber, “I’m sorry, but if you want to come back into my life, you can’t. Even if it might not be the life I dreamed of when we were seeing each other, times have changed. I love where I am now! I have a beautiful son and a nice, loving husband. I just…” she was starting to cry, “I can’t take you back. Things have changed.”

“That’s not it,” he replied, now starting to cry a little himself. He pulled her in close and whispered into her ear for a minute.

“That’s so sweet, Dusk!” she exclaimed when he was done speaking.

“I know,” he said, blushing. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Well,” he craned his neck to look over her shoulder, into the dark house. “Don’t tell Dusk about his real father.”

“What?” she half-yelled, “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he nervously wiped some stray hairs out of his face, “I didn’t exactly have a father growing up. And let me tell you, it can be pretty hard at times. Dusk has a father, and even if it’s not his real one, it’s a father nonetheless. I feel awful for ruining your life, there’s no need to tell him about the scumbag that got his mother pregnant and just left her in her greatest hour of dependency and vulnerability.”

“Dusk!” she demanded, “Stop beating yourself up over this! I told you, it’s fine! You didn’t know I was pregnant when you left, not even I did! It’s completely understandable why you did what you did. You were one of the best stallions a mare could ever ask for, don’t act like you’re some horrible pony because you made one mistake!”

“I can see where this is going,” he said, breathing a melancholy sigh. “I’m glad you still think highly of me, but I’m just afraid I can’t forgive myself for my actions.”

Soprano looked depressed as she turned her head to the ground. “Well, I don’t know what you want to do. I mean, I have a family now, and you’ve got a filly of your own. It appears as though we’ve both moved on.”

“Well, I…” Dusk could feel his heart moving its way down his body. “I guess this is goodbye?”

She sighed in response. “I guess it is. Just, promise me one thing. Never let that other mare go.”

“Really?” he laughed. “Of all the things you could say, you give me advice in love?”

She started to realize how silly her request sounded. “I just know that our lives aren’t exactly how we envisioned them a few years ago. I’d say that they’re both good lives, but we both managed to get lucky. If this happens again, one of you might not come out okay. I’m just concerned for you and her.”

“Okay,” he replied smiling. “I guess we’ll have to meet each other some time in the future?”

“I’d like that,” she replied, smiling faintly and walking back into the house. As the door closed, Dusk walked away, his spirits considerably higher than when he came.