After his disastrous attempt at reconciliation with Wind Flash, Lightning Bolt never thought he’d come face-to-face with anyone from her family again. Yet here he was, nearly 30 years later, just outside a funeral home with both her and her mother.
 
Discovery had just died. They had lost a loving husband and father. This wasn’t the time to talk about…what happened. Especially not with Wind Flash, who refused to even make eye contact with Lightning. But this was a funeral, and the least Lightning could do was offer his condolences to the mourning widow.
 
He approached the elderly mare, taking note of the mascara running down her cheeks as he chose his words carefully.
 
“Hello. I come to offer my condolences. I’m sorry for your loss.”
 
Lightning tried his best to keep his cool in what was his first real conversation with her in weeks, instead focusing on the coffin before them.
 
Primrose was clearly devastated. And Lightning could see why; Discovery was the love of a lifetime and it was clear from the way he would talk about her that neither had loved another pony more. She was clearly trying her best to stay strong, but Lightning had been through enough tragedy of his own to know she was hurting. Yet surprisingly, a soft smile grew on her face upon seeing him
 
“Thank you, Monsieur Bolt,” She said with a shaky, cracked voice. both from old age and her intense period of mourning.
 
Lightning was surprised she gave such a positive response, even it was short. He nodded softly towards the coffin.
 
“He was a great stallion. You were lucky to have him.”
 
She smiled sadly and lightly nodded in agreement, but then her smile slowly faded into oblivion as a eerie silence settled. It was quite heavy and awkward for both of them, considering their history together.
 
There were a million things Lightning could say to her. A million ways he could make awkward small talk and avoid what was really on both of their minds. But it was eating away at him and he couldn’t take it anymore.
 
“Look, uh…” he stammered, “I’m sorry. For…everything I did.”
 
He could instantly tell that Primrose was taken aback greatly by this. Talking about this? Now? Of course she’d be surprised. Her eyes darted towards Wind Flash, her daughter with Lightning, and then to Brilliant Rose, her daughter with the stallion in the casket.
 
“I acknowledge your apology, but you do understand nothing you can say can repair more than 30 years of abandonment. Wind had no father for years but my own. You’ve lost your chance to make amends. but…I will listen.”
 
“I know there’s nothing I can do to make it right,” Lightning admitted. “What I did is inexcusable. You and Wind Flash…you both have every right to be mad. But not a single day has gone by where I haven’t regretted it. I understand why you wouldn’t want to, but…” he drew a shaky breath, “All I ask for is your forgiveness.”
 
Of course she would have no sympathy for him. She had been on the receiving end of many years alone because of his actions; there was nothing that could justify this. They both knew this. How could he ever make up for caring more about himself than their defenseless foal?
 
“I don’t forgive you, and that should be enough. You will not get the closure you are looking for, what you did was unforgivable.”
 
The stallion lowered his head in shame at the harsh truth, but she was not done.
 
“Although, I give you my understanding.”
 
Lightning was taken aback. “Y…you do?”
 
“Of course I understand. We were both children. It does not make it any better, but I wholeheartedly get where you were coming from. You were scared and a little dimwitted, water under the bridge. I’ll let it go, but I do not forgive. Understood?”
 
Lightning couldn’t help but tear up a little. He wasn’t forgiven, but she understood enough to look him in the eye and finally give him that peace of mind. It wasn’t the closure he’d wanted, but it was enough for him. He was more relieved than he ever thought he’d be.
 
“I understand, Primrose. T…thank you.”
 
To his surprise, Primrose reached out for his hoof. Looking up through his own teary eyes, he saw her smiling, genuinely, with mascara once again running down her own cheeks. Her cold demeanor had finally broken and here they were, connecting pony-to-pony. Finally able to put their past behind them in the only way they could.
 
“Thank you too, Lightning.”