/nmp/ - You and your mare

>You used to be so full of doubt
>Never confident, always hesitant
>You had no idea what you wanted from life
>Or what life wanted from you, for that matter
>Failed projects, educations pursued and abandoned
>All around you were happy couples, but the dating scene was everything but kind to you
>And as the end of your twenties approached on the horizon, all you really had was a shitty job that gave you a shitty roof above your head

>Spare time? Barely, your job was chronically understaffed
>When you weren't breaking your body on menial labor you played the same old videogames that ceased being fun a decade ago
>Sometimes you would get drunk in your tiny apartment, and sit in the window and just stare at the sky, for hours upon hours
>You would never admit it to anyone, not ever, but you would wish upon the stars for something else
>Something better
>Something to look forward to, that wasn't just 40 more years of work and then death

>When someone asked you what you thought of your life, you would always dodge the question
>Mask your pain with ironic humor, or say something overly cynical
>It never failed to get a laugh
>Better that than having people worry about you

>But to yourself you couldn't lie
>And the answer was always the same
>Your life sucked, and you had neither the willpower nor the tools to fix it

>That all changed one day

>You had no idea when you walked into your home, groceries in hand, that it was the most important day of your life

>A small, pink envelope sat on your doormat

>Even now, years down the road, you shudder when you imagine what could had been
>What if you'd just thrown it away?
>Or put it in the ever increasing pile of junkmail in the closet?
>Or what, god forbid, if you had read it, and dismissed its content?

>Fortunately, you did neither of those things
>You read it, and then you read it again
>And then a third time, just to be sure

>Admittedly, you were never the believing kinda person, so honestly you thought it was some sort of prank
>But something inside you told you otherwise
>A nagging feeling that you really, REALLY should do what the letter told you to do
>So you did

>You signed the dotted line, and took one more look at the picture that was included
>Female, clearly
>Long brown hair, big eyes, a few freckles
>And a big smile on her non-humanoid face
>Even though the writer described themself as "ponies", she was quite different from the horses you knew
>Admittedly a bit alien-looking, but not in a bad way
>...she was cute
>Like, really cute

>You placed the photo back in the envelope, and put it beneath your pillow
>Not knowing what to thing about the whole ordeal, you went to bed early

__________________________________

>The next few weeks of your life you can only discribe as a whirlwind of emotions and discoveries
>Ranging between the panic and fear of being awoken in the middle of the night by a small horse dressed in tactical combat gear, to the mindboggling awe from seeing Canterlot the first time, you truly went through every single possible emotion a human can feel

>The trip between dimensions filled you with a dread so deep and black you thought it would swallow you whole
>The week of medical tests and chrash courses in the Equestrian language and way of living left you confused and drained
>More than once you questioned your own sanity, convinced that you had completely lost all of the marbles
>A few days in you woke up in the middle of the night, fully certain that everything around you was but a hallucination, and you were really locked up in some mental ward
>It took the kind nurse-mares almost an hour to snap you out of it

>It was definitely a tumultuous time for you, and you even started to doubt if it was all worth it


>And then you finally got to meet her for the first time
>Your match
>Your reason for coming here
>Your mare

>You were both so awkward
>So afraid of making a mistake, to fuck up the most important moment of your lifes
>It took a little while, but once you got started, you never stopped

>You talked all the way to the train station, and through the entire journey to her home
>Before you knew it, it was long past midnight, and you still sat in her couch, just talking and laughing

>She offered her bed to you
>Not wanting to take things too fast, you optioned for the couch
>As the night slowly turned to day, and laid awake and pondered just were life had taken you
>Your old life felt a million miles away
>And the future was now filled with possibilities and excitement, instead of monotony and pain

>It would take the two of you three days of ever-decreasing awkwardness until you hugged for the first time
>Five days until your first kiss
>And after a week, you held her close as you slept together

_________________________________

>This was all a long time ago
>And yet it feels like yesterday
>A few years ago you couldn't even imagined where you would be today
>How happy you are
>How blessed you are

>Your reminiscing is abruptly halted by movement beside you
>Your wife stirs beneath the covers
>The morning light hits her right in the face, and she shifts towards you to escape it
>You put one arm around her and slowly pull her into a hug
>Her pregnant belly, still just barely noticable, touches yours
>With a pleased sigh she burrows her muzzle in your neck, still half asleep

>Softly brushing away a stray lock of hair from her face, you look at your wife
>She really is the most beautiful mare in the world

>You took a huge gamble, leaving everything behind for a chance at love, for a chance at a decent life
>And you got it all, and more

>Hugging your mare tight, you once again think through all the choices and events that occured, and where you are today
>And as the sun slowly rises outside and a new day of endless possibilities begins, you come to the same conclusion as always

>You could not be happier