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Bunny was bored, standing outside a store Mom just had to visit. Just like the last four stores she’d just had to visit too.
Eh, at least it was a nice day. So she just sighed, and resigned herself to standing in the sunlight and trying not to yawn. Her mom had said she’d just be a couple of minutes….
Bunny stifled another yawn.
She’d not been sleeping well these past days. On top of school, she’d been awake, thinking about how to ask Mom about…
She closed her eyes, and willed the thoughts away. It never worked anyway.
She kept her eyes closed, and turned her face to the sun, concentrating on not locking her knees and just taking a nap.
…
“HEY, ARE YOU A DONKEY?”
The yell startled her awake, and she stumbled back a bit. Wait, no, just startled her, she definitely wasn’t sleeping.
While trying to convince herself of that, she looked down into bright green eyes with slitted pupils, a grin full of fangs and… a tiny body vibrating with excitement. Be calm, heart, it’s just a foal.
She took a deep breath and smiled back, albeit with less teeth.
“…Nope, sorry”, she said. “I’m just half donkey, on Mom’s side.”
Much to her surprise, the child’s grin managed to grow even bigger as their eyes sparkled.
“REALLY?? What’s the other half, are -”
“Duckling!” A grey pegasus rushed up to them, and fixed the foal with a stare. Once the foal looked sufficiently cowed, they turned to her. “My apologies ma’am, for my son’s bothering you.”
“But Daaaaad!” the colt whined in the way only foals who are certain they’re right and adults are just being stupid again can. “They’re half-half like me!” Turning to Bunny again. “I’m half Chiptorerasusus! An’ half pony, ‘cause dad’s a pony.”
The father was about to open his mouth again, when Bunny decided to interrupt.
“Wow, awesome! My dad was a pony too”, she turned to the stallion. “It’s fine, he’s not bothering me, really. I’m just waiting while Mom’s in the store, so I’ve nothing better to do anyway.”
While they were talking, another pony had approached and Bunny turned to look at them -based on their slitted green eyes and fangs, she felt fairly safe in her assumption it was the colt’s other parent.
“Thank you”, they said, voice surprisingly light and thin. They grinned at her. “But we’d like him to at least learn some manners, such as…” Turning to look pointedly at their son “…greeting and introducing oneself rather than yelling rude questions at strangers.”
“Oh”, the colt blushed. “I’m Zodiac! Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Bunny internally snorted at the notion of being ma’am-ed twice in one day -it’s not something the teenager was quite used to. “Dust Bunny”, she introduced herself, while the grey stallion revealed himself and his husband to be Lightning and North respectively.
“Why aren’t you with your Mom in the store?” the colt asked, after he finally could talk again with introductions made.
“Oh, most owners don’t allow Monster inside.”
There was a pause.
“YOU’VE A MONSTER? Where, where, can I see it?”
“Oh, no, that’s just his name” she grinned at the misunderstanding, and nudged her saddlebag. “But, sure! Come on Mo, pause the napping for a little bit.”
She felt Monster stir, and turned so Zodiac could see her other side -including the bleary-eyed skvader squished down into a saddlebag that strained at the seams. She winced as the bag ripped a little as Monster got out, tumbled down onto the ground, and plopped down to continue resting.
She let Zodiac pet Monster for a little bit, as she answered Lightning and North’s questions about the still half-asleep animal. She didn’t mind; skvaders were very rare to be kept as pets, so she was quite used to being asked about everything from what they eat to if they can be walked on a leash. She was a bit taken aback when Zodiac chimed in with a question if he’d taste more like bird or rabbit, but just told him she’d never eaten either and didn’t know.
Somehow the conversation then looped back around to her Mom and how both her and Zodiac were half-ponies.
“…was just excited, cause there’s almost only ponies in Canterlot. I don’t think I’ve seen a donkey here ever!”
“Hmm, you’re a bit right, there’s a lot of ponies here. But I know a lot of donkeys here too -and no, I don’t just mean my family -and there’s a bunch of other species from other countries too, since their embassies are here in the capital.”
“Yeah, Duckling, remember when I told you about my friend Gwen from when I was a kid? Her mom was an ambassador from Griffonstone. And in my secondary school I went to class with both a bull and a donkey”
North had been silent for a while, but at this he grinned and broke into the conversation. “And by ‘went to class with’ you mean-”
“You can’t just assume I dated every single person I knew as a teen!” Lightning quickly snapped and turned to North, who was still grinning. A staring match ensued, until Light huffed. “…fine, yes, I did date the bull, Copperhooves, in my first year.”
North just kept smiling. “And the donkey?”
“…I maaaaay have gone on a few dates with her in my last year, before I dropped out. Her name was-”
“DATE?!” Bunny had forgotten Zodiac as she was trying to figure out if the discussion between Lightning and North was embarrassing or funny. All three of them now turned to the colt, who looked absolutely distraught.
“But what about PAPA?!” tears were welling up in his eyes.
“…Ah. Nono, Duckling, that was befo-”
“H-how could you go on dates with somepony’s not Papa??”
“Duckling, it’s alright! I also dated people that wasn’t Dad before-”
The mutual confession of betrayal was too much, and Zodiac started full on crying. Monster, who’d up until this point had been perfectly happy in letting the small pony scritch his head, shied away from the noise and sudden wetness and jumped back into Bunny’s saddlebag. He only got his front in, and kicked her in the face as he tried to cram his back legs in there too. She snorted at him, and rubbed at her now sore nose with a hoof. Then slicked her ears back against the increasing volume of Zodiacs wailing questions.
North saw her, winced, and picked Zodiac up -sending her an apologetic look over his shoulder as he flew off. Light remained behind, trailing them with his eyes, before turning to Bunny and giving her a sheepish expression.
“So sorry about all this”, he rubbed his sore ears. “I swear, that colt’ll be a great singer someday with those lungs. Is… your nose alright?”
Bunny risked raising her ears slightly, and sighed in relief as the kid was far away enough to no longer be painful. “It’s no worry. I’ve been kicked a lot harder than that. Wasn’t Zodiac’s fault, Mo can get startled by pretty much anything.”
Light nodded, seeming grateful she wasn’t upset. “Well, thank you so much for letting Zodiac pet him. It was very nice to meet you both, but I think I need to go and help North calm him down now.”
He waved goodbye as he took off after the faint echoes of his family. Bunny waved back until he disappeared around a corner.
Just then, Mom finally came out of the store. Bunny whirled around to face her.
“There you are! You’ve been in there for ages!”
Mom blinked and looked at the clocktower, before giving Bunny an apologetic smile. “Sorry love, I guess it took longer than I thought it would. How about you pick a restaurant, and we have dinner out tonight to make it up to you?”
Bunny regarded her with narrowed eyes. “…bribe accepted.” And they started walking towards the restaurant district.
“I don’t think it counts as a bribe if it’s for something that already happened. Maybe reparations?”
The mystery of definitions kept them both quiet for a few steps, deep in thought.
“Anyway, I hope it wasn’t too boring?”
“Nah, I got to show Monster off to some people, met a Chiropterasus, maybe traumatised a kid…” she shrugged. “Kept me occupied”
“Traumati… Bunny!”
“It wasn’t my fault, really! He just found out that his dads used to date people that wasn’t each other, and it was apparently horrible”
Mom snorted, and turned to walk again. “…At least that’s one issue I didn’t have with you I guess”
“Not too late mom! Just gotta give me a step-parent first, and I can have as much angst over them as you’d like!” was the cheerful suggestion.
“Goodness, no, Bunny. The last person I dated was-”
“-my dad, and that’s only because you thought it was what you’re supposed to do.” Bunny finished in sudden monotone, looking away.
Mom gave Bunny a look. “Love, I’m just not interested in dating anyone.”
She paused when Bunny kept looking down.
“…I know it’s not… the same as your classmates with only one parent, but-”
“No, mom, that’s not it. I just…” Bunny hesitated; Mom never liked talking about… ”Was… was my dad even a good pony? If you didn’t actually want to date him.”
Mom stopped and looked at Bunny again. Bunny’s ears heated up as she realised they were in the middle of the street -maybe she shouldn’t have brought this up here. Mom didn’t say anything, just stared. Bunny waited on the “when you’re older” or “not right now” that her mom always went with when Bunny tried to bring up her dad. Instead, Mom turned away; but not before Bunny caught a glimpse of shame on her face? That couldn’t be right. Mom muttred something under her breath, before speaking up.
“…Bunny, your father was a very kind and funny colt. And maybe a bit too much of a flirt. It’s not that I didn’t like him, it’s that I don’t like dating people.” She looked back up, a sad expression on her face. Bunny quickly looked down instead. “…And I’m so sorry if I ever gave you the impression he wasn’t a good pony. And that I’ve avoided talking about him with you -” Mom took a shaky breath ”-you do deserve to know about him. Maybe… if you want… we can take the dinner to-go, and I can tell you a bit more?”
At this, Bunny finally met her eyes again, and realised Mom’s eyes were just as shiny as her own. “…yeah, I’d like that. …May-maybe you can tell me little on the way, too?”
Mom nodded, eyes soft. They started walking again, Bunny leaning against Mom a bit as the jenny gathered her thoughts.
“….How silly of me, I just realised that I can’t remember his full name? Everyone just called him “Strike”, but I do know he had a second name I’ve forgotten… “
“That’s okay, I can’t remember my friends in Primary’s full names either.”
Mom smiled and nuzzled her mane. “Thank you, but in this case it’s a bit more important that I know. I’m sorry, I’ll see if I can look it up later, if I can find that old year-book…”
Bunny looked at her expectantly.
“Anyway. Striker was in the same class as me. It was the last year and we were just a little while away from graduating when he asked me out -though, he disappeared before the actual graduation…”
Mom paused, and continued softly. “That’s why he’s not… I tried, I looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find him nor his family after I found out about you. And after a while, I… guess I…”
Bunny nudged Mom.
“Right. Later then. Where was I… Ah, as I said, he was a bit of a flirt. I think I was the only one in class he hadn’t gone on at least one date with at that point… but I said yes, because he was such a kind, charming and funny pony. A bit like you,” Mom smiled at Bunny. “I always did think you’ve gotten that from him, goodness knows it couldn’t have come from me”
“Mom!” Bunny bumped shoulders with Mom a bit, giggling.
“You’ve also gotten your colors from him, I think. Most pegasi are so colorful, but he was very drab; with a grey coat and a lighter grey-ish mane.”
Bunny stopped. “He was a pegasus? A grey pegasus?” She felt the wheels in her head start to turn. She’d always assumed her father had been an earth pony, since she was half earth pony, but…
“Yes? Oh, I haven’t even told you that before? Bunny, I’m so-”
Bunny held up a hoof, as her mind worked to connect the dots presented to her that day.
…
“…I could have been a half-pegasus, and been able to fly?!”
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