Searching of Answers

[DuMourne]

DuMourne had been sitting at the table along with Marifold Prancer for quite some time, neither of them knew what to say or whether to speak up first. The whole incident that happened that night was weighing heavily upon them. DuMourne didn't know whether to tell her straight away or to wait until he knew her better, there were many questions that he wanted to ask her specifically about her health and why she collapsed yesterday and almost died. No doubt Marifold wanted to ask him about the nightmare again and possibly what he saw. But did he want to tell her, would it be easier just to give her the cliff notes and spare the lengthy explanation about his past life that caused him to have a nightmare? There was so many questions that they could fire at each other the thought almost scared him.

After downing his second coffee much to his stomach's complaining, he looked at Marifold with a penetrating look, staring deep into her eyes as if searching for something.

"I'll break the ice then." He said with a smirk. "Tell me a bit about yourself Marifold. I wanna know where you're from and what you do."

[Marifold Prancer]

She chuckled, taking a sip from her coffee before setting it back on the table. Straight to business it was, then?

"Well...I was born in Stalliongrad to two Earth Ponies. My father is from Stalliongrad itself, my mother from Prance."

Suddenly her voice took on a deep, Stalliongrad accent. "And I can speak both languages and accents fluently." Her voice returned to normal. "And I've already picked up you're from Prance - your accent is a dead give away.

She stirred the cup idly. Maybe that's why she had such a fast attraction to him? Maybe the Prance blood running in both of them that drew them so close together.

Looking up, the Earth Pony gathered her thoughts again. "As far as jobs go...I'm a Chronicler. I record history as it happens - as such I...rely on publishing deals to go through in order to eat."

She smiled up at DuMourne. "Well - that's enough about me. Your turn, Mister Prance."

[DuMourne]

"Stalliongrad? Wow, you don't look like it though" He chuckled. "The attitude however is definitely from Stalliongrad"

DuMourne chuckled for a second, enjoying his own joke which Marifold probably didn't like. Somehow he was warming up to her, despite his logical brain telling him he shouldn't because it'd cause more heart break. Despite it, he continued rooted to the chair, sipping his coffee and idly humming as he thought about what to say next.

"Uhmmm.....Well you know I'm from Prance, the Gurches Center specifically. It's a pretty damn good place, couple of good fashion stores that i buy my formal wear from. Both my Parents are Earth ponies...My mother's Violetta and my father's Fushion. Lovely ponies, dad's a bit brash, always ending up hurting himself when performing." DuMourne continued.

Did he really just say that? After only one day he was telling the mare everything about him with even having to think twice. What was wrong with him today, was it the coffee?

"I work as a paramedic for Ponyville, you know, helping the injured and making sure they're in a fit state to be moved over to the hospital. It's how i managed to save your life...."

He looked down at his coffee.

"So ummm....I take it you have some questions for me?" He asked.

[Marifold Prancer]

Marifold remained silent for a long time, staring at her coffee. After a long time contemplating, she looked up at DuMourne.

"We both knew this question was coming," she began almost grimly, sighing "but that wasn't any ordinary nightmare."

She reached across the table and placed a hoof gingerly on his. "Look, I want to help. Maybe...talking about the nightmare will help you. Maybe sharing it will provide an outlet for all that negativity to flow out of."

She retracted her hoof, taking another sip of the coffee before looking up at the stallion again. "So what do you say? Do you want to talk about the nightmare?"

[DuMourne]

"The nightmare....I guess i can't hide it anymore." The Earth pony sighed, looking at Marifold.

He'd been hiding this from ponies for six months, nopony ever brought this up and the one or two who did he'd divert the subject to something else in the hopes that they'd forget at it for a while. Marifold unfortunately looked like the pony who'd continue to pester him until he snapped and went crazy or gave up and tell her. He knew he wouldn't win so he thought that he might as well. He placed a hoof on Marifold's cheeks, looking sad as he sighed.

"I told you before that i lost somepony close to me a while ago....It was my sister. Six months ago she died because of me, i stood there while she died tear-struck and did nothing. I fled to Ponyville because of it, my parents don't know where i am. Ever since then, she plagues my dreams. Almost haunting me to the point where i can barely sleep. Last night was one of those dreams. I saw her chasing me through a wall of black smoke trying to get me. I don't blame her, i should have died instead but no, i had to survive. In truth...." he said, tears trickling down his face. "....I deserve all this. If i was twice the pony i am now, she would still be alive. But she isn't, she's gone."

DuMourne looked down at the table, doing his best not to break down into tears in front of Marifold.

"Now you know...."

[Marifold Prancer]

Without hesitation, without waiting, Marifold Prancer stood up and trotted next to DuMourne, sitting down next to him. She placed her hooves around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry..." she barely whispered, tears in her own eyes. "I'm so so sorry..."

She was on the verge of breaking down herself, taking every ounce of self-control to keep her emotions in check. All she did was gently pat DuMourne on the back, closing her own eyes as her hug tightened.

"It's going to be okay..." she whispered after a while. "And...I'm sure it wasn't your fault...no matter how much you believe it so..."

Deep down she wanted to ask what happened - how did his sister die, but the mare simply didn't have the heart to make him remember those memories. "If I could, I would fight your demons for you, DuMourne..."

After a long while, she slowly pulled away from him, looking teary-eyed at him. She offered a weak smile, trying to give him strength.

[DuMourne]

All this time he'd been trying his best not to cry in front of Marifold, even if telling her did tug at his heart strings, but as soon as the mare pulled him into a hug, it all went down the drain, and he found himself bursting out into tears as she embraced him. Wrapping his hooves around her, he wept on her shoulder, the tears being soaked by the mare's coat.

"I just....I can't live with myself anymore. I'm a coward....I let her die." He sobbed.

For a little while longer they embraced, until Marifold let go and see slowly calmed down, the crying fading a little as he rubbed his eye with a hoof. He'd been holding in his emotions for way too long and had managed to weigh down Marifold on the first day they met. He looked over to Marifold with red, puffy eyes.

"I'm sorry, you must hate me now..." He whispered. "....i didn't wish for this to happen this quickly..."

[Marifold Prancer]

She glared at DuMourne, almost dumbfounded by his statements. "Why...would I ever want to hate you?"

She sighed, placing a hoof lightly on his. "Look...whatever it was...I'm sure it's not your fault. Fear...can make ponies do the strangest things. I know - History is full of prime examples. Ponies doing irrational things when under pressure..."

She shook her head. "No - it can't be your fault. I'm sure your sister will - I'm sure she'd understand..."

Reaching across and bringing her coffee back to her side of the table, she took a sip before peering disdainfully at the now empty mug. Motioning for the waiter, she ordered a refill. "Look...I'm sure you'll tell me the full story when YOU'RE ready. For now...it's your turn. Any questions you want to ask me?"

[DuMourne]

DuMourne stared at Marifold for a second. "Q-Question?"

He'd actually forgotten that they had planned to ask questions in order to get to know each other more properly, which they had done easily before but had diverted to him crying like a foal over his dead sister. But she was right, maybe it wasn't his fault. But it still hurt thinking about it. Maybe another time he'll tell her the story, but for now he'd get himself sorted out and back to normal.

For a while, he looked at Marifold curiously, thinking of something to say. For a couple of minutes nothing came up, until he realised how they met and knew what to say. As the waiter refilled his coffee, he took a few sips to calm his nerve and inhaled.

"Marifold, your heart." He pointed to where her heart would be. "What's wrong with it?"

[Marifold Prancer]

She blinked a few times before pointing at her chest. "My heart...? Oh, my heart. Yeah, well...it's not much of a story."

She shifted slightly in her seat, clearing her throat as she prepared to tell her tale.

"Well...my parents knew about my condition since birth - which explained why I was always kept indoors...not that I minded. I found out about it when I broke curfew one day and joined the school's trackteam."

She sighed, chuckling slightly. "Suffice to say, I collapsed half-way and nearly died. It took every bit of my negotiation skills to convince my parents to let me stay in school and not get home-schooled."

Marifold rubbed her temples slightly. "And...It's progressive. The more I leave it, the worse it gets...I'm currently saving up for some major surgery in Canterlot but if I can't get it in the next two years, well, then...I die young."

Marifold shrugged. "Not that it really bothers me. I mean - there's no point letting life drag you down, just shrug it off and worry about it when it comes, right?"

The mare offered a weak chuckle before suddenly remembering something. "Oh! And don't forget the pills! Loooots of meds I need to take."

[DuMourne]

"D-Die?" He gasped, eyes widening.

Marifold dying? It sounded surreal. Her heart could actually kill her if she did something wrong. She told him about the operation but it didn't calm him down. What if she didn't get the treatment though, she'd die soon and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Just the thought of it made him cringe.

"N-no! B-but you can't die. Not now, i only just met you. Please, i can't lose another friend, i won't be able to take it." He pleaded.

Unknowingly, his feelings for her were coming out, making him look stupid but he had justifications. Six months ago he'd lost his sister and had never truly gotten over it. Having Marifold talk about how she could die made it even worse for him.

"But what if i help pay for the operation, give you a few bits towards it so you get better?" He asked randomly.

[Marifold Prancer]

For a few, awkward moments, she blinked at DuMourne as she gave him a blank stare. Slowly, the light of what he was actually saying formed in Marifold's head.

"Die...?" she said blankly, before giving a half-hearted chuckle. "Oh, DuMourne, you worry too much. I'm not saying I'll DIE in two years....I'm saying if I don't get the operation in two years then they can't perform it at all! If I play my cards right, I can still live a long and relatively healthy life."

She sighed, a wistful smile touching her lips. "All things considered, that is."

A slight blush brushed across her cheeks as she looked at the stallion. "ALthough...your concern for me is touching." She leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, DuMourne."

[DuMourne]

"oh....Good." he said, a small smile on his face as Marifold reassured him. "For a second i thought you'd be gone in two years."

He blushed as Marifold kissed him, smiling at her but unable to think of how to react. There were a few things he could do, but none of them in his mind would lead him to not being slapped. Instead he stirred his coffee idly while he looked at his half eaten food.

"I guess i'm concerned because i see you as a friend Marifold. Call it my personality or whatever but i care a lot about my friends. And, well, the thing with my sister makes living with ponies passing away is extremely hard for me." He sighed.

He took another sip of his coffee, his blush still on his cheeks as his ears twitched randomly.

"But, you know, if there's anything you need me to do....I guess you could just ask." He scratched his mane. "And before you ask i don't do dishes....."

[Marifold Prancer]

The mare pouted, giving him the puppy-dog-eyes look. "Aww, but that was the first thing on my list!"

She chuckled before taking another sip of coffee she looked back at DuMourne. "Well - for now there's nothing I really need except a place to stay. But the inn has gracefully allowed me to pay my fee once I get the money. Which...should be within the week?"

Marifold heaved a strained sigh. Money had been...tight - and she had already run up a two week bill in the inn which she was due to pay sooner rather than later. "I was hoping studying the Elements of Harmony would've been...easier - and more lucrative than what it's turning out to be."

The mare took another look at her coffee before downing it in one gulp. Placing the empty mug on the table, she motioned for the waiter to take it away.

"Time are tough - what can I say?" she said, offering a weak smile.

[DuMourne]

"Oh don't give me that look." He chuckled, looking at the face Marifold was pulling.

He let out a stifled yawn, stretching his forelegs to wake them up properly since they were acting stiff. The coffee was helping him to wake up he could feel it as the tiredness left his eyes.

"Yeah, life is tough. But hey." He nudged her leg. "You've got to be optimistic, you're still alive, you're still eating and you've got somepony taking care of you. What more could you want, a pink cake with your name on it?" He joked.

After he'd finished his cup of coffee, he grabbed a slice of bread and began to chew on it, the soft middle easily tearing off. He didn't even need butter, the fresh bread was good enough for him. He smiled at Marifold.

"As of the Elements thing, couldn't you talk to that filly who lives in the library? I've heard she holds one of the elements or something." He suggested.

"You never know, that could help.Unless you've already asked her."