As a young filly from Canterlot there was a lot of things to be afraid of. Growing up in one of the richest cities in the world put a lot of pressure on you. I had many fears when I was young, I was afraid of the dark, afraid of loud noises, but the one thing I was afraid of most was monsters. I had heard a lot of stories about monsters from old books that told about them but I'd never actually seen one– even though– it didn't stop me from being afraid of them. Monsters could hide anywhere and I had to be constantly vigilant, under the bed, in the closet, on the way to the bathroom, that one shadowy corner of my room.
My fears wouldn't go away, year after year they continuously got worse. Eventually it grew into night terrors, I would wake up in the middle of the night screaming from a nightmare. I knew my parents were getting tired of it because by now they stopped coming to my room. I felt alone, I felt like I needed something to comfort me. Fear was one thing that kept me awake at night, I was afraid to sleep because I was afraid of the dreams. After Cadence started foal-sitting me the nightmares stopped for a while. She was the one pony I could confide my fears of monsters in without hearing a sigh of annoyance, or get mocked for my ridiculous phobia.
After a few months the nightmares returned, it was a night that my parents were out on the town and I was being watched by Cadence. I still can't remember what the dream was but she came rushing into my room looking as terrified as I felt.
"What's the matter?" She gasped through her heavy breathing.
"I had a nightmare." I whimpered, feeling foolish.
"Awww, come here little one." She held me in a tight hug, I felt better immediately.
I told her about my constant fears of monsters, I told her that I couldn't sleep because of it. How the fears of the beasts I'd read about kept me up at night for years.
"How about this, tomorrow I'll bring you something special. It's a magical toy that can keep monsters away." She explained.
I sniffled a little. "Really?"
"Really." She assured.
"Thank you, Cadence. You're the best." I gave her a hug, and smiled.
"You're welcome little one, now get some rest. You have to train for your test that's coming up in a few weeks." She nudged me into bed.
I curled up and fell back to sleep.
Cadence gently shut the door behind her, of course she didn't have enough money to buy her a toy. She decided to make one out of whatever she could. Twilight's parents came home and relived her of her foal-sitting duties. She made her way to her room in the castle she shared with Princess Celestia.
She pulled together a few old grey blankets and cut up a simple pattern, and sewed them together. It wasn't the best stuffed toy she'd ever seen but it was a present from her so it would have sentimental value to the sweet little filly. She threaded through some brown yarn for hair and two mismatched buttons for eyes. Now she just had to stuff it. She walked over to the table where she used to study her magical spells and grabbed some old dusty cloths. As she did a dusty book fell off the table, spine down, on an open page.
Cadence trotted over to the book and peered at the open page. The title of the spell read "Animated Enchantment". It looked simple enough, the book said that it could make inanimate objects come to a life of there own. She thought it might help little Twilight love the toy more if she could actually talk to it. She looked at the spell for a minute and began casting it on the cloths. They glowed with magic and there was a puff of grey smoke as the spell finished.
Cadence stuffed the doll and sewed it up and looked at it. Yes it was absolutely hideous, but she wasn't exactly a seamstress. Besides Twilight would love it simply because it was a gift from her favorite foal-sitter. She finished patching it up and put it on her night stand for tomorrow. Then she climbed into bed to get some well deserved rest.
Cadence asleep, she had not noticed the moonlight shining directly on the doll she had made as it glowed under the shine. There was a low growl, as if from an animals stomach. The toy let out a heaved breath and stopped glowing.
Cadence prepared for her day as usual; she got up and brushed her mane, she glanced out the window to see Celestia raising the sun, she wondered still about the story of the mare in the moon she heard when she was just a filly.
The only thing that was different about today was the toy she had made for Twilight the night prior. Although she had enchanted it with an animation spell it had yet to move. Regardless of this she stuffed it into her saddlebag and continued on her way out of the castle to preform her royal duties. Cadence had been made a princess and Celestia had promised her that one day she would rule her own kingdom when the time came. She was still curious about her cutie mark, unlike most ponies she knew she had had hers ever since she could remember.
She began walking through the city of Canterlot to ensure that all early morning businesses were opening. The bakery the dry cleaners and even the bank. Everything was okay, not a single thing wrong with the day. She greeted a few of the faces she knew on her daily rounds and introduced herself to ones she didn't.
As afternoon made it's way around Cadence made her way to the Sparkle residence to see her favorite little filly. She knocked three times and Twilight Velvet answered.
"Oh hello there Cadence, do come in." She had a worried tone in her voice.
"Is everything alright?" Cadence asked.
"Oh you know, just the usual terrified Twilight." She sighed.
Cadence felt sorry for the poor mare, because of her daughters fears she wasn't getting enough sleep. And neither was her father.
"Well I promise it will get better by today." Cadence assured her.
Twilight ran into the room after the sound if her foal-sitters voice reached her.
"Cadence!" She happily shouted. "Did you bring the thing?"
"I sure did." Cadence assured her."
"I suppose my husband and I should go, lest we be late." Velvet called her husband and they left the home for their night on the town.
Cadence pulled the gift wrapped toy to the little filly, who ripped through it like a Cerberus with a bone. Twilight saw the terribly patched together toy and smiled, Cadence smiled back not with happiness but relief that the little filly liked the toy she had made for her.
Cadence explained how it worked while Velvet and her husband left for the night.
"All you have to do is put it where the monsters are and she'll scare them away." Cadence smiled to assure her.
"But what's her name?" Twilight asked curiously. "What do I call her?"
Cadence thought for a second. "Well she's really smart like you, so how about Smarty Pants."
"Smarty Pants," she repeated, "I like that idea."
"Why don't you go put Smarty pants in your room and we'll play outside on the swing." Cadence smiled as Twilight rushed up to her room and put the doll on her dresser.
Twilight shut her door behind her placing the doll on her bed 'Smarty Pants' the name the creator had christened her. She now belonged to the young one, this little filly named Twilight Sparkle. Smarty Pants felt her stomach pang as her stomach growled; demanding food! Smarty Pants shifted her eyes to the little filly.
Perhaps she could get me what I need. She thought to herself.
Twilight heard the rumbling and backed away, a little frightened.
Don't be afraid little filly, I mean you no harm. Twilight heard the voice echo in her ears but it didn't seem that the toy actually talked to her. Now I hear you're afraid of monsters right?
"Uh, yes?" Twilight said uncertain if the toy could understand her.
Well I could scare them away and in exchange you could feed me.
Twilight considered her proposition. "Well how can you scare them away, you don't seem very scary to me."
"Monsters are only scared of other monsters, I am a monster so if I protect you they won't come near you."
Twilight didn't understand it but she didn't see any loss in trying. "O.K. If you can keep the monsters away I'll give you as much food as you want." She agreed.
That night Twilight cuddled into bed as her mother wished her goodnight. She was a little worried that Smarty Pants wasn't going to be able to keep the monsters away but she reluctantly closed her eyes.
Sleep now young filly, I will keep the night safe for you. She whispered.
Twilight fell into a dream, Smarty Pants covered her horn with a magic of her own.
Unicorns absorb magic through their horn during sleep from the area surrounding them. From her position Smarty Pants could see a book under Twilight's bed that was giving off a particularly threatening aura. As long as the book remained Twilight's dreams would be haunted by the magic it resonated. The simple solution was to move the book, if the filly ever wasn't compliant, the book would be returned.
A few hours later Twilight woke feeling refreshed, her dream was amazing. It was of her in a vast never ending library full of books and encyclopedias. She jumped from her bed and gave Smarty Pants a big hug.
"It worked! It Worked, Smarty Pants it worked!" Twilight proclaimed. "I'll go to the kitchen and get you something."
Wait Twilight. Twilight paused hearing her friends plea. How much do you love me?
"Well seeing as you helped me keep me safe from the monsters I'd say a lot." She smiled.
Than you can understand that because I am a monster I don't eat normal foods. Smarty Pants continued.
"Well then what do you eat, gems? Like a dragon?"
No, Twilight. Something much more different than a dragon. You must keep this a secret, the only way to survive is for me to eat teeth.
"Teeth?" Twilight was a little thrown off by the request.
Yes, I need at least one. Please Twilight I am so hungry.
"Well I do have one coming loose." She said feeling the loose one with her tongue. "After breakfast O.K. I'll see if it loosens up and you can have it."
Remember, Twilight tell nopony.
She nodded and headed off for breakfast, this certainly was a strange thing for her but she had protected her from the monsters. Twilight sat down at the table while her mother placed a plate in front of her.
"Hey there short stack, any night mares?" Her brother Shining Armor poked playfully.
"No, actually. Thanks to my new friend that Cadence gave me." She smiled and held up Smarty Pants.
Shining Armor tried to hide his cackles, after all it was made by Cadence and he knew if he laughed in front of his sister than she'd surely find out about it. He walked out of the room and safely chuckled to himself about the ugly doll his sister had obtained. Meanwhile Twilight finished her breakfast and put her bowl in the sink. She went up to her room with Smarty Pants and proceeded to check her teeth. None of them were coming loose.
"I'm sorry Smarty Pants, I don't have any." She sadly confessed to her new favorite doll.
Twilight, how much do you love me?
"Well..."
Please Twilight I need a tooth, just one. I don't need them very often just every now and again, please.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to give you one, there's none loose." Twilight sighed disheartened that she could not help
There is one thing you can do.
"There is?" She said, perking up at the prospect of a solution.
All you have to do is expedite your tooth from falling out.
"You mean... pull out my tooth?" Twilight didn't like the idea.
It's the only way Twilight.
She didn't like the idea, but Smarty Pants did help her keep the monsters away. She nodded and went to her toy box. She pulled out a little toy train and angled it in line with one of her baby teeth.
"Here goes."
She smashed her face into the wooden train, which chipped and made her tooth come loose. She howled in pain and tried to hide her screams from her parents. She checked the tooth, it wasn't all the way out.
You'll have to pull it the rest of the way Twilight.
Her mouth still open and a tear in her eye she used her magic to get a firm grip on the tooth. She pulled as hard as she could and finally the tooth ripped from the root causing her to bleed. She grabbed a wash cloth and stuck it in her mouth to keep it from bleeding so much. She then levitated the bloody tooth to Smarty Pants and let her eat it. It seemed to just melt into her.
Thank you Twilight, I won't need another for a very long time.
Twilight smiled.
"Ash long ash mou're haffy." She said with the cloth still in her mouth.
The bleeding stopped after a few minutes and Twilight continued on with her day. Smarty Pants had been satisfied with her meal, a wonderful treat it was.
