Mom and Dad won’t believe what I found.
As I stood in front of my bed, I stared at the creature I brought home. It lay on its side with its eyes closed. The only sign of life was the steady rise and fall of its chest. Parts of its fur were slightly caked with blood, though its wounds didn’t look too bad. I was going to have to clean up the cuts and scrapes on its body and change my bed sheets, not to mention explaining to Mom why her flowerbed was ruined. I let out a sigh. I couldn’t help but think this was all a dream, except it wasn’t.
Questions buzzed around in my head like an angry swarm of hornets. Where did it come from? Why did it land in my backyard? And more importantly, what exactly was it? What started as a normal day took a turn for the bizarre as this strange, horse-like creature stumbled into my life out of nowhere.
~~~~~~~
“Aw, why not?” I asked.
My mother looked down at me as she flipped an omelet. “No means no,” she said sternly.
I turned to my other potential supporter, who sat at the table reading a newspaper. “Dad?”
“Listen to your mother, Sunny,” he said, not looking up from his newspaper. He took a sip from his coffee. “Besides, owning a pet is a lot of responsibility. It isn’t all fun and games, you know.”
“But I can totally take care of a pet! I’ll make sure to clean it and feed it and whatever else I need to do. Okay, so I can’t have a dog. What about a cat? Or a chinchilla? Or a snake?”
“No snakes. And no pets,” said my mother. She set down the plates carrying our breakfast and let out a heavy sigh as soon as she sat down.
Dad put down the newspaper and gave Mom a worried look, placing a hand on her shoulder. “All right, hon?”
“Yeah, just a little tired.”
“Maybe you should go lie down. I’ll handle cleaning up breakfast.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”
Mom had gotten bigger around the tummy in the past few months. She also got tired easily, so Dad would always worry about her whenever she got that way. Dad and I helped around the house more often so she didn’t have to work so hard. Lately, she’s been acting strange. She would eat the weirdest things, like mustard-covered pickles, or ask Dad to buy a certain type of food from a certain store. Though this time, Mom’s craving wasn’t as weird as the other things she ate: she had a cheese omelet filled with spinach, mushroom, and bits of bacon and potatoes.
We dug into our breakfast. I sullenly poked and prodded my own omelet. I couldn’t believe Mom and Dad won’t let me have a pet. I was old enough. I’d like to think I was quite mature for being eleven years old. Why, just yesterday, I managed to cook breakfast without burning the kitchen down that time. Besides the burnt eggs, the burnt toast, and the burnt mess that was left at the stove, I’d say I did pretty well. My cooking just demanded a more acquired taste.
All I wanted was a cool pet to play with. It didn’t matter what it was. I’d even settle for a goldfish. Okay, maybe not a goldfish; I wasn’t that desperate yet. I’d rather have a pet that’s more interesting than a goldfish that sits in its own poop water. What am I supposed to do with a fish? Walk it? Anything else was fine, as long as it was interesting.
An idea hatched in my head. Maybe they’ll change their mind with a little bit of persuasion?
~~~~~~~
“Luna, you simply must go out more often.” An alicorn with fur as white as snow and a mane that seemed to billow in the summer breeze sauntered into the dark room. The curtains of the door to the balcony were parted, letting moonlight trickle inside and bathe everything in its path.
Princess Luna sat by a desk lit only by a candle. She turned away from the stack of papers that towered over her. “Sister, must thou— I mean, ‘you’, always say that? I’ll have you know that I have gone out and interacted with our subjects.”
Celestia rolled her eyes. “Nightmare Night was only one time. Going outside will be good for you, Luna. You’ll meet new ponies, finally get some exercise—”
“Art thou saying we are fat?” Luna cried indignantly.
Celestia shook her head, stifling her laughter with a hoof. “No, I mean you shouldn’t be cooped up in here all day. You should at least go out and make new friends.”
“Well, forgive me for trying to do my job as Princess of the Night while integrating back into society after a thousand years.”
Celestia winced at Luna’s words. Old wounds of a distant memory reopened. It was her fault that Luna had been gone for so long, a guilt that would forever follow her. Things have changed in the past thousand years, so much that she knew Luna felt out of place in Equestria. Old friends had long since passed away. Governments laws have changed, some of them removed all together. No one even knew who Princess Luna was until her return from the moon. She was a relic of the past, buried and forgotten by the sands of time.
Before Celestia could utter an apology, she found Luna nuzzling her neck. When had Luna closed the distance between the two, she had no idea. She was at a loss for words. The warm touch of Luna’s muzzle brushed against her neck, a feeling she missed during those long, lonely years.
“How many times must I forgive you? I love you, and I always will. What happened between us is all in the past now.”
Moisture gathered in the corners of Celestia’s eyes, threatening to spill over. She wrapped Luna in a loving embrace and buried her face into Luna’s starry mane, tickling her nose with it. “I love you too.”
They stayed like this, wrapped in each other’s hooves. A couple seconds went by. A few more seconds passed. Seconds turned into a minute...
“Ahem! Celly, you can let go of me now.”
Celestia broke away, wiping her damp eyes. When she looked back at Luna, she found her smiling warmly, a smile she returned with her own.
“If it means that much to you, I’ll go out and meet our subjects more,” said Luna. “It is getting rather late now. You should go to bed. I’ll take over the night’s duty while you rest.”
A large yawn escaped Celestia’s lips as she tried to fight the tiredness in her eyes. “Goodnight, Luna. Don’t overwork yourself.”
“Yes, Celly. Goodnight.”
Just as Celestia was about to leave, she turned to look at Luna. "Oh, and don’t forget to attend the Night Court.”
“I will, Sister.”
Before Celestia took another step, she turned around. “Oh, and remember to eat a proper meal this time. Sweets do not make a healthy meal, and I know you’ve just discovered coffee, but you can only go so far without sleep.”
Luna rolled her eyes. “I will, Sister. I’m not a filly anymore, if you haven’t noticed.”
Celestia nodded her head. “Yes, I know you’re not a little filly. You’re not my little Woona anymore,” she cooed.
Luna could only groan at the mention of her little nickname. Even after a thousand years on the moon, Celestia hasn’t ceased to call her that. Just as Celestia reached the door, she stopped mid-step.
“Oh, and one more thing…”
She was cut off as she was scooted out the door with Luna now forcefully nudging her from behind. “Yes, yes, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Now go to bed, Sister.”
“Goodnight, Luna. I will see you at breakfast.”
With a flick of her horn, Luna shut the door. She trotted to her desk and let out a sigh as soon as she sat on her massive, comfy pillow. Finally, alone at last.
She picked up her quill in her magical grip and resumed signing and going over the stack of papers. As she worked, she mulled over what Celestia said. Make new friends? If only it was as easy it sounds.
Of course, she knew there were ponies still uneasy about her return to the throne, mostly coming from the haughty nobles, like Prince Blueblood. Just his very existence irked her to no end. How could a pony, as arrogant and conceited as he, be of royal blood? Though, there were still others that still feared her as Nightmare Moon, if the reactions she received when she first visited Ponyville during Nightmare Night were any indication. But in the end, things turned out all right. The residents of Ponyville eventually warmed up to her, and little foals came to her asking to be scared. It was a small step in her progress, but a step nonetheless.
As she reminisced her time in Ponyville, a grin crept its way onto her face. A new friend… Maybe it won’t be so bad?
Unknown to her, someone was watching from the balcony with a devious grin.
~~~~~~~
“Sunny, is there any reason why you’re being so nice today?”
I shook my head. “No. Why would you think that, Dad?”
“Hmm, no reason. I’ve just never seen you clean your room, let alone the house, unless you’re told to,” he said.
At the moment, I was cleaning the twelfth window in the house. I never realized that our house had so many windows, but I guess you don’t really notice these things until you start cleaning every single one of them. My arms were sore and aching, but it would be all worth it if it paid off. I chuckled nervously. “Can’t your daughter help around the house every once and a while?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I appreciate that you’re helping out, Sunny, but we can’t get a pet.”
“Why not?” I whined.
He sighed heavily. “Remember when I said you were getting a new sister?”
I nodded. “Yep, you and Mom told me that after you told me babies came from—“
“Yes, that…” he interrupted. “You see… we can’t get a new pet because your Mom and I will be too busy taking care of your sister, and taking care of a pet is just too much work. Then, there’s the safety of your sister since we don’t know how a pet will treat her.”
“I can train it! If I can teach Grandma to use the TV, then I can train a pet.”
"Sunny, your grandma and a pet animal are two completely different things.”
“But Dad—“
“Sunny.” He was now at eye level with me and had one hand on my shoulder. “We know you want a pet, but we just can’t. You have to think about all the responsibilities with taking care of an animal, like feeding them, cleaning them, cleaning up after them—“
“Yeah, I can do that!”
“Not to mention, the cost of taking care of an animal. We have to pay for the visits to the vet, the food, and if we get a dog or a cat, grooming. And just where can we keep an animal in this house, especially with a baby around? Where is it going to sleep?”
“I… I’ll find a way.” Dad was right. Those were a lot of responsibilities, some of them I hadn’t even thought of.
“Sorry, Sunny. But we can’t have a pet. Maybe in a few years we can.”
"But what if—“
“No means no, Sunny.”
So just like that, that was it? A big, fat “No” to my face? I felt sad, angry, disappointed, defeated. I was feeling all sorts of things, and happy was not one of them. I didn’t explode into a tantrum in front of him. Instead, I turned around and went up to my room to simmer down, though my steps were a little louder than usual.
Once inside the domain of my own bedroom, I shut the door behind me. “Can you believe it? He still said no.” I fell backwards onto my bed. “It’s ‘No this’ or ‘No that’. It’s just ‘No’, ‘No’, ‘No’!” I punched the pillow next to me. “What do you think I should do?”
All I got was silence for an answer from my collection of plush dolls and stuffed animals. “And this is why I need a pet…” I talk to my dolls and toys when I’m alone sometimes. Now if I had a dog or a cat, it wouldn’t be as awkward. I only wanted someone to lend an ear, someone to play with, someone to be there for me. I wanted a friend.
Sure, there were other kids in the neighborhood, but just because I know them, doesn’t mean I know them. It’s usually just “Hi” or “How are you?” with them, nothing much. By the end of the summer, I’m going to see them again, and it’ll be the same thing over and over again. Meanwhile, I sit at home, left alone to face childhood traumas while Mom and Dad worry about the stupid baby. When Mom and Dad come home with the baby, it’s going to be all about her—my new little sister.
While I stewed in my own frustration, I closed my eyes. I didn’t know how long I had them closed, but by the time I opened them, it was already dark. I must have dozed off there.
Looking at my clock, it was past my bedtime. I quickly went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and came back and changed into my pajamas. I slipped under the covers and made myself comfortable. Just as I was about to go to sleep, there was a rustling outside my window, followed by a dull crash. My eyes shot open, and I jumped out of bed, running straight towards the window.
I peeked through the curtains. With the little moonlight outside, I could barely make out the small hole in the crown of the tree in our yard. Piles of leaves, twigs, and broken branches littered the ground below. My eyes drifted towards Mom’s flowerbed, now a trail of wreckage. Mom’s white lilies were pulled out by the roots, torn from the earth, and buried in the clumps of dirt. The violence, the defilement, the horror—Mom was going to flip when she sees her prized garden in shambles. Within all the mess, a dark lump lay in the garden.
What's that? I couldn't exactly tell what the thing was. I went downstairs to the backyard to get a better look, tiptoeing past Mom and Dad’s bedroom.
I grabbed my sandals before sliding open the glass door to the backyard and stepping outside. I was greeted by the cool night air as it nipped at my bare skin and seeped through the thin fabric of my pajamas. I should have brought a jacket.
I walked towards the figure in the flowerbed, the grass brushing against my feet with each step. As I got closer, I noticed the feathers strewn all over the ground. They were long and sleek, and in the moonlight, they were dark blue. I picked one up and twirled it around in my hand. It was pretty to look at.
“A bird?” Whatever crashed in the backyard must have been a bird, judging by the feathers, but I had never seen a bird with feathers like these before. It must have been one of those rare birds that I’ve seen on the animal channel, and there was probably one sitting in the garden, still hurt from the crash landing.
My attention shifted to the lump lying in the garden. This bird was huge! No kidding, it was almost as big as me, maybe bigger! That kind of explained why it did so much damage to Mom’s flowers. The bird lay curled up with one of its massive wings splayed out and covering its face. I started feeling queasy at the thought of it being dead until I saw it stir. The bird let out a pained neigh when it moved. Wait, neigh?
When I got a better look at the ‘bird’, I noticed the two pair of hooves and the fur that covered its body. It had a mane and tail that seemed to move on its own as it rippled in the still air, and there were little sparkles in them like tiny stars twinkling. I slowly stepped closer towards the head, being careful not to scare the poor thing. I crouched down and peeked under its wing. There was a muzzle attached to its face. It had its ears folded back and its eyes closed. Oh, and it also had a horn on top of its head.
Pinch me now. I must be dreaming. From the cold feeling of the air and the itching on my feet from the grass, it probably wasn’t a dream, even though it was starting to feel like one. Also, there was a sore lack of cakes in this dream.
So apparently, this wasn’t a bird. It was a horned horse-bird thing. I was pretty sure there was a name for it, one that was better than “horned horse-bird thing”. It also made me wonder how a horse and a bird could be the parent of this horse-bird. I forced my current thoughts to the back of my mind and focused on the hurt animal in front of me.
“Hello? Are you awake, Mister…?” I took a quick glance under its tail. “Whoops! I mean, Miss Bird-Horse? I have to find something else to call you.” I took another look at the animal. There were a couple things I noticed, like the sparkling black necklace with a picture of the moon around her neck and the mark on her butt to match it. I sensed some kind of theme going on here. “You know what? I’ll just call you, Moon, for now, but we are definitely going to get you a better name later.”
The horse didn’t move and didn’t seem to hear me. Her eyes were still closed. I had to help her. How am I going to move her? I looked around the yard for something to help me. I spotted my old, red wagon, its paint now dulled to a light pink. “Don’t go anywhere, Moony. I’ll be right back.” I didn’t think she would move since she was hurt. I just wanted to let her know that I wasn’t going to leave her like this.
I pulled the squeaky wagon behind Moon. I had to be really careful so that I don’t hurt her. I slowly placed two hands on her midsection. When she didn’t show any sign of pain, I wrapped my arms around her and tried to lift her.
“Moon, why are you so heavy?” I grunted. I barely got her bottom half onto the wagon. But now, Moon was sitting uncomfortably with her upper half still on the ground. I placed my arms under her forelegs and lifted the rest of her onto the ill-suited form of transportation. I was able to get most of her onto it, except some of her legs, wings, and head dangled at the sides of the wagon. She was really big.
As I was about to pull the wagon, my foot kicked something hard. I looked down and found a dark metal thing that was shaped like a ring, except the ring was broken at one side. I picked it up and held it in my hands. It was glossy and had ridges at one end. “A headband? No, wait. A crown?” What was a crown doing on the ground? Did it belong to the horse?
There was still the matter of taking care of Moon first before I could start asking questions. I wore the crown on my head so that my hands were free and began pulling the wagon towards the door. The only sounds were the squeaking of the rusty wheels, the scraping of hooves being dragged on the ground, and my own heavy breathing as I tried to pull Moon across the lawn.
As soon as we reached the door, I slipped off my sandals and stepped inside. Now how do I get her upstairs? I wasn’t going to leave her in the living room. Mom and Dad might kick her out. If Mom and Dad couldn’t let me have a pet, then I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t let me keep a horse-bird thing inside. I checked on Moon. She didn’t seem to be in pain, but she wasn’t conscious either.
Another idea came to me as I thought about how I was going to get Moon to my room. I went to the linen closet and grabbed the largest towel. When I returned, I found Moon lying outside the door on the wagon, just as I had left her. I laid the towel on the ground and spread it out in front of the door. “Okay, here we go,” I whispered to myself.
I grabbed her by the chest and pulled, gently setting her on the towel and making sure her wings were comfortably at her side. With Moon lying on the towel, I held the corners of one end and began pulling her towards the stairs. She slid with ease across the wooden floor. Though, the stairs proved to be another challenge.
Left with no other choice, I decided to drag her upstairs. Once more, I wrapped my arms around her torso and carried her a couple steps up, her hind legs dragging behind, before setting her down. It was a good thing the stairs and the second floor were carpeted; wooden stairs probably wouldn’t be comfortable for her. I repeated the same process of lugging her up the stairs towards my room a few steps at a time before pausing to catch my breath. I had to be extra careful around Mom and Dad’s room. It would have been really bad if I got busted at this point after painstakingly carrying Moon.
Finally, I reached my room. I turned on the lights and made one final heave before placing Moon on my bed, resting her head on a pillow. I took off the crown and set it on my desk. Looking back at Moon, she looked even prettier in the light, despite the bits of dirt stuck on her fur and the scrapes and scratches that covered her body. Wow… Mom and Dad won’t believe what I found. I let out a sigh and shook my head out of my stupor. I still had to take care of her wounds.
I tiptoed down the hall to the bathroom where we kept the medical stuff. I didn’t know what to take, so I took everything that seemed useful—a box of bandages, some ointment, some sort of cream, scissors, tweezers, gauze, a handful of cotton swabs, anything I could get my hands on. By the time I got back to my room, I was doing a one-girl balancing act with everything I was carrying. I dropped them in a pile on my desk next to the crown.
What else do I need to do? Wait, gotta clean the cuts first. I left my room again to grab a washcloth from the linen closet, pick up the towel from downstairs, and get a washbowl from the bathroom. I filled the bowl with warm water and walked back to my room. Moon hadn’t moved since I left her.
I placed the towel beside her before setting down the washbowl. I didn’t want to explain to Mom why my bed was wet or have her getting the wrong idea about me. That would be embarrassing, especially at my age. I soaked the washcloth and squeezed the excess water out. I held the damp cloth near one of her cuts on her chest.
“Moon, I’m going to start now, okay? I’ll be very gentle,” I said softly.
I slowly dabbed the shallow cuts and the area around it, getting her fur wet in the process. The wet cloth wiped away the bits of dirt and dried blood that clung to her fur. I constantly brushed the hairs of her fur away from the wounds before squeezing out a dab of antibiotic cream onto it. It was a tedious process done in silence—the only sound coming from my breathing and Moon’s. By the time I was done, she was looking better already for a horse that crashed in my backyard.
I put away everything back to its rightful place, throwing the dirty linen into the washing machine and dumping the bowl of dirty water. When I came back to my room, I sat on the edge of my bed next to her. The only thing I could do now was wait for her to wake up. My eyes trailed towards the necklace around her neck, to the mark on her rear, and finally down towards the weird sparkling horseshoes she wore.
Why would a horse-bird thing wear something like this? Ugh, horse-bird sounds stupid. What the heck are you? I glanced at the horn on her head. Oh wait, I remember now. You’re a unicorn! But if you have wings, wouldn’t that make you a pegasus? I wracked my brain at trying to find a name to describe the unicorn-pegasus. Unicorn and pegasus? A unisus? A pegacorn? A unipegacornasus? My brain hurt from thinking. Whatever she was, I was going to take care of her until she gets better, even if it meant hiding her from Mom and Dad.
A yawn escaped my lips. It was way past my bedtime. My mind was set on sleeping, but there was one problem: Moon was in my bed. I could probably squeeze in next to her. With no other place to sleep, I took the pillow next to Moon, shuffled close to her, and pulled the comforter over us. I just hoped she wouldn’t kick me when she woke up.
I gently stroked her wavy mane and petted her head. "Goodnight Moon.”
I settled into my own spot on the bed and closed my eyes. It wasn’t very hard to fall asleep as I was out like a light in seconds, my head filled with thoughts of sweets and pastries and unipegacornasuses and cake.
Author's Note
Playing around with ideas here
