A day had passed.
Color Blotch charged through the hospital doors, galloping gleefully to the registry desk.
Lightning Dash, Derpy, and Clover trotted after him slowly, their faces comparatively grim.
"We're here to visit 'Color Flourish'," Blotch said, smiling brightly at the milky-blue pony sitting at the desk.
"Room one nineteen," she responded, summoning a nurse to guide Color Blotch and his company down the hallway.
"Try to keep quiet," the nurse whispered. "She's resting right now."
The door opened, and the quartet shuffled in silently, positioning themselves in different seats throughout the white, sterile-smelling hospital room.
Derpy sat next to Clover in the far corner of the room, sulking and trying to hide her face with her wings. Clover watched the vaguely familiar green unicorn lying in the hospital bed with curiosity. Color Blotch sat himself down directly next to the bed and rested his head on his mother's hoof. Lightning Dash sat in a chair across from Color Flourish, his hooves in his lap and his concerned, gloomy eyes trained on Flourish's empty closed ones.
Color Flourish awoke to the soft touch of a furry dark-blue muzzle against hers, and the sight of two bright red-orange eyes gleaming happily into her own dark aquamarine irises.
"Hey, Blotchy," Color Flourish mumbled with a smile.
Color Blotch lunged playfully at his mother with an attack hug, squeezing a hearty "oof" out of Flourish's mouth.
"Hey, just because I'm awake doesn't mean you're allowed to knock me out again," Color Flourish said, grinning widely now.
Color Blotch looked at his mother lovingly.
"I'm so glad you're awake!"
"Me too, kiddo!"
Color Flourish suddenly grabbed Blotch in a headlock.
"Come here, you."
Color Blotch giggled as Flourish ruffled his hair with her hoof.
The sound of a familiar soft chuckle perked Color Flourish's ears up. She'd know that voice anywhere. Her head shot upwards and her smile quickly faded.
There sat the tall, black stallion that she loved so dearly with all her heart. The same stallion that had left her in the dust all those years ago.
"Wha- What are you doing here?" Color Flourish asked in as gentle of a tone as she could muster. The pain in her voice was clearly evident.
"Dad brought you here," Color Blotch answered. "A paint can fell on your head at the studio and you went unconscious."
"W- Wait, you- Color Dash Blotch! What did I tell you about talking to your father?!" Color Flourish suddenly scolded.
"I know, I know, I'm not supposed to talk to him, but I really wanted to meet him! Please, momma, I… I just had to call on him for help!"
Color Flourish let out a loud agitated sigh.
"I'm sorry. It's not your fault. It's my fault for keeping the two of you a secret from each other for so long."
Lightning Dash got up from his seat.
"Should I leave?"
"No! No, please stay."
It was the first time Lightning Dash and Color Flourish had talked to each other in years.
"Lightning, there are many things I probably should have told you a long time ago," Color Flourish began, closing her eyes and hanging her head.
"Maybe you could start by explaining why we have a son," Lightning Dash said, trying to hide the anger building up within him.
"The conception of our son was not your fault. It was mine."
"...What?"
"About fourteen years ago, I was painting a picture of, well... you. I was using my magic to try to mix blue and purple paints to get the beautiful indigo color of your mane. That particular day, I was feeling especially strong about you. My emotions became too strong, and they overpowered my mixing spell. By complete accident, I mixed not paints, but our very souls and personalities. And this little colt," Color Flourish placed her hoof on Color Blotch's head, "was the result."
Lightning Dash was speechless. The room remained quiet.
Suddenly, Derpy bolted out of her chair and screamed at Color Flourish.
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!! YOU RUINED MY LIGHTNING'S LIFE, AND YOU RUINED THIS FAMILY!!!"
Every strand of fur on Derpy's face was sopping wet and dripping with tears.
"Please, Mrs. Hooves! I had no intention of doing such a thing!"
Color Flourish herself looked on the verge of crying.
"Derpy, honey, please calm down!"
Lightning Dash rushed out of his seat and wrapped his wing around her.
"Hey, it's okay, nothing is ruined. I told you we were going to work this out, and we're going to do just that," He whispered gently.
A nurse came barging into the room loudly.
"Is everything alright in here? I heard yelling."
"We're fine..." Color Flourish whimpered, sobbing into Color Blotch's mane.
Color Blotch was also crying, mostly out of fear.
The nurse turned her attention immediately to the extremely sorrowful-looking gray pegasus crying loudly into her husband's chest.
"Are you alright ma'am?"
"Ye- Yes..." Derpy squeaked.
"Should I escort your visitors out?" the nurse asked, now turning to Color Flourish.
"Yes please... I will allow my son to stay," Color Flourish said shakily, holding Color Blotch tightly.
Lightning Dash took one more concerned glance at Color Flourish before stepping out the door with Clover at his side.
The door slammed loudly.
Color Flourish hugged Color Blotch tightly and sobbed even harder.
"I'm sorry momma. I should have just gotten somepony else for help like I was supposed to," Color Blotch sniffed.
"Oh, sweetie, don't apologize. It's not your fault. It never was.
It was my fault since the beginning."
