Chapters A blue unicorn ran through the Equestrian night. He didn't know where he was going. All that mattered was that he found somewhere to go. Anywhere but one place in particular. He could never go there.
From time to time he looked back at the filly sleeping on his back. She was a purple unicorn, with a lavender mane. Sometimes she would wake up, crying like a newborn foal. Though she seemed like a foal, the unicorn knew that she would be a lot older in only a few days.
It wasn't long before he saw lights in the distance. He ran toward them, hoping for a town, or at least a house. Anywhere safe to leave the filly.
Anywhere but one place.
As he approached the town, he couldn't see a sign to tell him where he was. There were too few lights for him to recognize his surroundings.
The unicorn's worry eventually subsided. Stop worrying, he said to himself. I mean, what are the odds that out of every town in Equestria, I end up in Ponyville? He was so relaxed he didn't even think of using his horn as a light.
His instinct told him the filly would like the next house. He trusted his instinct. He could only hope the ponies living there would take her in. Treat her like one of their own. He smiled at the thought.
He placed the sleeping filly, wrapped in a blanket, on the front steps of the house. He stuck the note he wrote inside the blanket. After a moment, he added a second, smaller piece of paper, just to be safe. He rang the doorbell and left as soon as he could.
When he got far enough away, he started crying. He had stopped it. He had saved the world. And he hadn't had to harm the filly to do it. The other ponies had been wrong.
He continued out of the town until he saw a sign. He might as well know where he left her. Maybe he could come by sometimes. See how she was doing. The sign said, in large letters:
Now Leaving Ponyville Come Back Soon!
"No!" he said aloud. "No! No! NO! I had to bring her here! I just had to! Calm down. Calm down. There's still a small chance, so long as I didn't give her to-" he looked where he left the filly. The door she was in front of was attached to a tree. The Golden Oaks Library. As he watched, his mouth hanging open, a pony opened the door, read the note, and brought the filly into the library.
He had messed up. Everything he had been warned not to do, he had done. There was nothing he could do for now. He thought over all of the warnings he had been given and came up with one idea. The one thing he could try.
***********************************************************
It was a normal, uneventful night for Twilight Sparkle. She was unable to sleep, so instead she stayed up reading, and thinking about the events of the day.
It had started out a normal day. She was with her friends most of the day. Trying on dresses for Rarity. Being an audience for Rainbow Dash's latest trick. And then, lunch happened.
It was a normal lunch, all six of them, together. And then her brother showed up. He had decided to take an interest in her personal life, and set her up with a royal guard. And the worst part was that her friends agreed with him. Without even listening to her, the others agreed for her.
That dinner was maybe the most awkward time of her entire life. The way he talked to her was as if she had begged him for that dinner. It was terrible. She almost had to run out the door just to get it to end.
But she couldn't get mad at her friends for doing it. She agreed with them. At times like this, with Spike and Owliscious in Canterlot for a much-needed vacation, under the guise of work, and her other friends most likely asleep, she was lonely. It made her wish that she had some pony for times like these.
And then, she heard the doorbell ring. That's odd, she thought. Who would come by at this hour? She wasn't expecting any pony. She walked up to the door and looked through the small window to the side. She saw nothing. She opened the door, suspecting a prank. She looked around, seeing nothing.
And then she looked down. She stared, with a mix of emotions, at the unicorn filly sleeping on the steps. She saw a note in her blanket with her. She picked it up and began to read.
This filly is an orphan. She has no name. We received her anonymously not too long ago, but sadly have no room for her. We have left her to you in the hopes that you might take her in and raise her as your own. If you do, then may Celestia watch over you and guide and protect the two of you. If not, then we humbly beg for you to give her to a pony that will. She deserves a family that will. - The Church of Celestia
Twilight looked at the letter. She had never heard of the Church of Celestia. And why would they give the filly to her? She was just a mare. She'd be better off with an actual family.
But looking down at the sleeping filly, she started to realize how cold it was. She should bring her inside, shouldn't she? Just for the night. Then she could find a place for her in the morning. Picking the filly up in her aura, she walked back inside the library and closed the door.
Twilight looked for a place for the filly to sleep. Seeing nothing, she walked up the stairs and placed her on her bed as she began to stir. Twilight sighed. She had brought her in, and already had to deal with a screaming child. When the filly stopped, Twilight searched for something to do. Knowing she wasn't tired enough to sleep, she sat on the floor, opened a book, and began to read.
After a few pages, she noticed there was something sitting next to her. The filly had gotten up, and was now beside her reading the book with her.
Twilight began to flip the page she was on. "Eh!" the filly objected. Twilight stopped mid-flip and put the page back. The filly continued to scan the page. When she had finished, she pointed at the page and said "Ah!" Twilight flipped the page and the two began to read together.
Twilight was shocked. She was reading fast, much faster than a filly as young as she seemed should be reading. And she was actually reading. Twilight had read the book before, and had shown the exact emotions the filly was showing to the same parts she reacted to.
When they finished the book, the filly pointed at the pile of books nearest them. "More!"
Twilight looked at her in stunned silence. Wasn't she just making noises before? Since when could she say actual words? She has to be older than she looks , Twilight thought. That's the only logical explanation. "Not right now, little one. It's pretty late actually, we should get to sleep."
She pouted. Twilight moved her tail around the filly to guide her to the bed, and the her surprise the filly rubbed up against her. Twilight was frozen with a feeling she didn't recognize. It was like love. A special kind of love, like a filly has for her...her...
Twilight didn't want to even think that last word. This was just supposed to be for the night, right?
But was it? The way they got along, the way Twilight felt for the filly and she seemed to feel back. How the filly was interested in things Twilight liked. How close they felt to each other already. How similar the two looked. It was like they...
Twilight pushed that thought away. Why would the filly feel like this? As if on cue, she noticed second, smaller piece of paper still in the blanket and read it.
As a fair warning, she is very impressionable. She may treat the first mare to take an interest in her like her mother. She will mean it.
Why did she find this now? Now there was little chance the filly would leave. She tried to do a good deed, and now was stuck with a filly.
She put her annoyance aside and led the filly to the bed, lifting her onto it. She pulled the covers back, and the filly slipped into them. Twilight got in, and placed herself as far away from the filly as possible.
But try as she would, the filly moved to her until they were rubbing against one another. Twilight didn't want this, but she quickly became comfortable with it. Wasn't this what I wanted anyway? A pony to be close to? Company? Her annoyance faded and was replaced with pleasure.
And if that wasn't enough, the filly then said something that made Twilight's ears prick up, her hair stand on end, and her mind reel. "I love you, mommy."
Twilight heard that over and over again inside her head. It wasn't supposed to be like this! she thought. It was just for the night. I can't deal with this! I can't let her go now she said that and she can't stay here! What do I do? What do I say? I didn't want this!
But didn't she? She had been wanting company, now she had it. And the short time she had spent with the filly had made her feel a happiness she hadn't felt before. And why did she have to leave? She liked it here, Twilight could always get another bed for her, she could stay.
And Twilight knew, deep down, she had always wanted a daughter. What the filly said had just brought those feelings to the surface. Those words she didn't want to think about before, the filly made her want to. She could get used to this.
"I love you too," she said. She meant it. Hearing it made the filly push against her more, until she couldn't any more.
I guess that's that then. She was happy. She never would have thought this could happen. She had a daughter! All she needs is a name.
A light caught her eye. It wasn't a normal light, it was star light. And from where she was looking, it was like the light from the stars was all landing on the filly. Starlight. She mulled it over and over in her end. She liked it. She nudged the filly awake.
"How do you like the name Starlight?"
The filly looked at her, eyes full of confusion. "Whose is it?"
"Yours, if you want."
The filly looked up at her. "I like it mommy." She nuzzled Twilight. Twilight nuzzled back.
"Good night, Starlight. Sleep well."
Twilight hoped that this would have a happy ending. So many parts of her life hadn't, she hoped this would be one of he few that did. She wanted to be able to look back, years from now, and think, "That was the night my life changed forever. When I finally realized what I had been lacking for so long. When I met my daughter for the first time."
The five mares looked down at the two ponies asleep in Twilight's bed, unsure of what to do. They had come to check on their friend after the disaster last night, and instead found a strange filly asleep next to her.
"What do you think should we do?" whispered Fluttershy.
"I simple have no idea, darling," Rarity replied. "Any pony else?"
"I vote we take it. Show of hooves." Rainbow Dash raised her hoof. She was the only one who did.
"Um, why, may I ask?" Rarity questioned.
"I don't know, but wouldn't it be better to have it and then decide what we could use it for later than to not have it in the first place?"
"I think we should throw a party for it," Pinkie Pie weighed in.
Rainbow sighed. "Pinkie, that's your answer to everything."
"If I could use it for everything, then wouldn't that make it a good idea?"
The confused mares turned to Applejack, her eyes locked on Twilight instead of the filly. "Ah think we should just wake 'em up, see what she has to say."
The mares looked at each other. "Why didn't any of us think of that?"
Applejack moved to wake Twilight up, but Rainbow intercepted her. "Wait a minute. This is the perfect time for the bet." She moved to the other side of the room and whispered, "A book is on fire."
The mares flew to the floor as Twilight flailed out of her bed and onto the nearest pile of books. Rainbow laughed. "What did I tell you?"
Applejack tossed her a bag of bits. "Why in Celestia's name did Ah ever agree to bet on that?"
Twilight stopped flailing and turned to face her friends. "Oh, hey girls! What's going on?"
As one, the five mares pointed at the filly on the bed. "Oh yeah. Starlight. You're not going to believe this, but-"
"She's your long-lost twin sister!" Pinkie cut in.
"Um, no?"
"Your long-lost daughter!"
"NO!"
Pinkie, rubbed her chin. "Ooh, I know. It's you from the future, come to warn us of a disaster. Does a giant cake fall on Ponyville? What flavor is it? Does it have sprinkles? Or is it two ca-"
"PINKIE!" Twilight shouted.
"Pinkie stopped her tangent. "What?" she asked calmly as ever.
Twilight sighed. "Just, could you please not do that? Now, before I was interrupted, I found her last night in front of my door. I was going to keep her just for the night, but then, we just made this connection, you know?"
"Mommy?" Starlight stirred in her bed, looking around for Twilight. She saw her and jumped out of the bed towards her. "Who are they?"
Rainbow stepped forward. "Well, I'm -"
"Rainbow Dash?"
The six mares gaped at Starlight. Rainbow faltered. "How did you know that?"
Undaunted, Starlight continued. "And you're Applejack, you're Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity." She looked pleased with herself. "Did I get them right, mommy?"
"Um..." Twilight couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Now I'm pretty sure there's a logical explanation for this," Rarity reasoned. "Twilight, didn't you say you talk in your sleep sometimes? Maybe she picked our names up from that."
"I think you're right." Twilight faked a smile. That may make sense, but she was unsure. This just added to the strange things Starlight was doing.
Rarity felt things were getting a little too awkward. "Well then, every pony knows each other. So, time for the big question. I don't know how to put this, darling, but, with her here, does this, um, change anything with us."
Twilight didn't think of that. "No, I don't think so. Everything's going to go on like normal, just with Starlight."
The others sighed with relief. "That sure is a load off," Applejack said, a relieved look on her face. "So, any pony got any plans?" The mares all looked at each other. Starlight had focused her attention on sleeping under an open book.
"I've got nothing," Twilight said. "How about you, Starlight? Is there anything you want to do?"
Starlight stuck her head out from underneath the book. "I'm hungry."
"All right, I'll find something for Starlight, you girls think of something to do." Twilight walked to the kitchen. "Why don't we take Starlight around town? If she's going to stay here, we might as well show her around."
"Not a bad idea," replied Applejack.
The mares could hear the sounds of Twilight rummaging through the kitchen, and took the opportunity to gather in a circle.
"Any pony else a little weirded out by that filly she's got?" Applejack asked.
"I think she's a spy," Rainbow suggested. "Seriously, she knew our names and who we were. What If she's supposed to spy on us disguised as a filly?"
"That's a little too overboard, Dash."
"I still want to know what kind of cake it is!" Pinkie shouted.
"Every pony, please!" Rarity commanded. The other mares turned to her. "Now, don't you think you're being a little jealous?"
"Jealous? Why would we be jealous?" Rainbow responded. "Twilight said nothing was going to change. We just think there's something odd going on with Starlight."
"But maybe you think there is. To me, she's just a filly. Whatever the two of them have, it's not going to distract from us. Besides, nothing that adorable could possibly be evil."
Applejack conceded. "Yeah, Ah guess you're right. How 'bout you, Rainbow?"
Rainbow wasn't so sure. "I see what you're getting at, but, It's just, I don't know. It's hard to explain."
"Girls!" Twilight exclaimed from the kitchen. "We've got a problem here!"
The five mares raced to Twilight, unsure of what they would find. They found Twilight, an angry look in her eyes, and a large amount of empty boxes. Starlight had been looking for food in an empty box and now had it stuck on her head.
"Would you care to explain where all the food went?" Twilight removed the box from Starlight's head.
Rainbow pointed at Starlight. Starlight pointed back.
"Rainbow, really? Do you know who you're pointing at?"
"So. Maybe she's just framing me and she actually did this."
"She's been with me since she's shown up. When could she have done this?"
"That's a good question. The kind of question I hope to answer as soon as you let me leave."
"Give it up. Did you eat my food?"
"Well, there's a chance, a good chance, that I may have."
"All of it?"
"I had a small dinner, give me a break!"
"Well this is just great! Change of plans. We're going shopping. And by 'we', I mean me, Starlight, and Rainbow Dash."
"What did I do?"
Twilight shot her a look.
"Oh, that. But what if I have plans?"
"Do you have plans?"
"Now that you mention it, yeah."
"What, exactly?"
"Well, there's, um, Wonderbolts, and, um, this pony, and no, I don't have plans." Rainbow gave up.
"Alright then." She walked to the door. Starlight followed. "Sorry girls, we'll have to show her around later. Coming, Dash?"
"I guess," Rainbow sighed as she followed.
"Ah guess Ah was wrong," Applejack said after they had left. "We shouldn't worry 'bout Starlight at all. It's Rainbow we've got to worry 'bout."
"Why?" Rarity asked.
"Didn't you notice that she went to the kitchen as soon as she saw Starlight? It was like she was stress-eating because of her. Like she's worried 'bout something that has to do with Starlight."
"What if it's not really about Starlight?" Rarity pondered. "What if it has something to do with Twilight?"
**************************************************************************
Rainbow wore a look of surprise when she looked at Twilight. She had managed to create a complete, in-depth shopping list while they were walking, and her time was probably a personal best. "I still don't know how you can do that."
Twilight put Starlight into the shopping cart. "Years of practice. Push the cart?"
"Sure. Are you sure she's young enough you need to put her there?"
Twilight was confused. "Honestly, I don't know. I mean, when I found her, she can do nothing but make noises, then a few minutes later, she's saying complete words." She took Starlight out and the three walked into the store.
"So you know nothing about her?"
"Basically, yes." They walked towards an aisle with cereal. Starlight ran into it and the mares followed.
"Maybe you should go to the hospital. They seem like they'd be able to help. They could probably figure out her age and all that medical stuff. That would be a start."
Starlight picked up a box of cereal. "Mommy let's get this. I know it has a lot of chocolate and stuff in it, but it has a prize inside! Prizes are healthy, right?"
"I don't know why I didn't think of that. It's not a bad idea."
When Twilight didn't answer her, Starlight threw the cereal into the cart and went to find something else.
Rainbow put it back. "So she goes from making noises, to talking, to trying to convince you to do something in less than a day. I think that's how lawyers are born."
The two of them followed Starlight into the next isle, where she was jumping up and down trying to reach a box on Twilight's list. "No!" she whined when Rainbow tried to get it. "Let me get it!"
Twilight sighed. "She can't reach it. Why would she think she can?"
"Let me handle this." Rainbow stuck her head down and nudged Starlight onto it, then raised it enough so Starlight could reach the box.
"Thanks Auntie Dash!"
Pride overcame Rainbow as she lowered Starlight to the ground. "I'm an aunt! That's all I've ever wanted."
"What about the Wonderbolts?"
"Don't ruin this for me, Twilight!"
Twilight laughed. "I thought you and the others were all worried because of her. I mean, what with the secret conversation and all."
Rainbow was surprised. "You heard all that? Eh, but it doesn't matter. By the end, we were all fine with her. Well, they were."
"What about you?"
"Well, it's just, you said everything would be the same, but I don't know for sure if that included us. I mean, we've been getting closer than with the others, I just didn't know if that would change, what with her and all."
Twilight sighed. "Rainbow, what I said back there, I meant everything. Nothing's changing. At all."
Rainbow was relieved. "It's good to hear that. Really lets me enjoy having her more." The two turned to see Starlight struggle to reach another shelf.
Watching her struggle, Twilight realized something. "That's another thing. Can she use magic? Does she still have random outbursts of magic, not know any, or can she control her magic? It just makes more questions!"
"I'm pretty sure we'll find out sometime. It's nothing to worry about now."
"It feels like you're tempting fate by saying that."
"Relax, Twilight. She's fine. She's not going to do anything, right Starlight? Starlight?" Rainbow couldn't see her. "Ok, Twilight, you're right," Rainbow sighed. "One of these days, I don't know when, I'm going to learn to keep my mouth shut."
"Don't apologize, where is she?"
The two mares looked around. When Rainbow looked up, something caught her eye. "Twilight, you know those ceiling fans?"
"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Shouted Starlight, sitting on one of the spinning fan-blades.
"Did she levitate? How did she get up there?" Twilight shouted with a mix of anger, confusion, and worry.
"I don't know. Why would I know?"
"Can you get her down?"
"I'm on it!" Rainbow flew up to the fan. "Come on Starlight! Come to Auntie Dash!"
Starlight jumped off the fan onto Rainbow's head and slid down her back. As she was about to fall off of her, countless boxes were gripped in a purple aura and flew towards her, forming a slide-like figure. Starlight slid down it and into an empty shopping cart, which rolled out the door from her momentum.
"After her!" Twilight commanded, and the two mares ran out the door, followed by the shocked and worried stares of the ponies in the store, worried because of the boxes over their heads that were just then rediscovering gravity.
The mares caught up to the rolling shopping cart across the street. "We've got to get out of here," barked Twilight as she pulled Starlight out. "I'll deal with you later."
The three ran until they reached a park far enough away from the store that they wouldn't be disturbed and sat to catch their breath. Starlight immediately ran off, leaving Twilight with her head in her hooves. Rainbow walked to her friend, and put a comforting wing around her.
"I just don't know what to do, Rainbow." Twilight was on the verge of tears. "I feel something with her, I don't know exactly what but I do, yet I feel like I can't keep her. I can't handle her when she does things like that, and I don't know how to. I yelled at you for doing something I normally wouldn't care about. I'm just so confused. For once in my life, I don't know, and there's no way to know. There's no book that can really help me. I don't know any pony that's experienced what I'm experiencing and who I can turn to. I can't let her go, but I can't keep her." Twilight let all her tears out, leaning on Rainbow for comfort.
"It's all right, Twilight. If you can't find any pony, then that's what we're going to do. All six of us. I mean, there's got to be at least one somewhere, right?"
Twilight looked up through tear-soaked eyes. "You mean it?"
"You really care about her, and I'm not about to let you lose something you care about. What kind of a best friend would I be if I let that happen?"
Twilight stood up, smiling. "Thanks Rainbow. It means a lot to hear that. Now where is she? Starlight?" she called.
Her response was a loud, solid BONK! . Twilight and Rainbow ran towards the noise. They stumbled onto a small clearing which contained only an old shed, a blue unicorn, and, above him, Starlight holding a stick. When she saw them, she yelled, "I think I broke him, mommy!"
"Starlight, what did you do? Sir, are you alright? Sir?"
"I taste blue!" was the unicorn's response.
"Rainbow, what are you doing? Put that down!" Rainbow had, somehow, found an old shovel near the shed.
"I'm just taking precautions. What if he sends goons to attack us or something? If we just bury him out here, no pony needs to know."
"We're not killing any pony!"
"I hear moist!"
"Can't you hear him?" Twilight pleaded. "He could have a concussion or something. If you're so worried, then we just bring him to the hospital, say we found him like this, and leave."
"You won't do that. You're going to bring him there, leave all of your information, and wait there for him."
"Please, Rainbow. He did nothing wrong. Your overreacting would kill him."
Looking at Twilight, Rainbow came to her senses. "Fine, I guess I'm overreacting. You carry one end, I'll carry the other. Come on, Starlight!" The two lifted him onto their backs and headed to the hospital. Starlight followed behind them.
As they walked, the unicorn continued his ramblings. "Listen, bud," he said to Rainbow. "You know what we should do? We should just go, and start a business. With Blackjack. You know what, forget the business." He threw his head back laughing.
"This guy has some really great ideas, Twilight. I think we should listen."
"Rainbow, he has a concussion. You can't take him seriously."
"My bank PIN number, " he continued, "Is 42. Don't ask how I got it, just don't tell any pony. It's such a great number."
"You know what, I'm really glad we didn't bury him. What was the PIN again?"
"He said 42, Auntie Dash."
"Starlight, don't encourage her."
"It's too late, Twilight, she's my accomplice now. We just need to find his bank and then Bam! , we take it."
"Are we robbing banks now? I want in!"
The four laughed. "You know what?" Rainbow asked Twilight. "I think I'm getting used to him."
"Can we keep him mommy?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "We'll see."
"I still don't see why we need to be here."
"I told you, we should at least make sure he's alright. We did knock him unconscious."
"Starlight knocked him unconscious, not us."
"She was with us at the time and she didn't know what she was doing. She's one of us, and we're looking out for her."
Rainbow and Twilight were bickering in a waiting room in the Ponyville Hospital, waiting to find out about the pony Starlight had hit with a stick. Starlight was busy pocketing the candy on the nurse's desk.
The ponies stopped arguing when the office door opened and a brown unicorn walked out. Despite him wearing his stethoscope backwards and his clipboard having poorly drawn pictures on it instead of actual important papers, It was easy to tell that he was a doctor.
"How bad is it, Dr. Feelgood?" Twilight asked.
The unicorn looked at his clipboard like there was something medically important on it. "Well, I asked around, looked it up, and, after those didn't work, I asked him, and we both agree that he has a minor concussion."
Twilight facehoofed. "You asked someone with a concussion if they had a concussion?"
"Precisely."
"That doesn't seem like it would work."
Feelgood sighed. "Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. Sweet, innocent Twilight. Look at this business card. What does it tell you?"
Twilight looked at the card he showed her. "This says Bill Laurens, paralegal."
"Ah crap, wrong one! Here, this should be it." He held out another card.
"P.h.d, Feelgood, Dr. It tells me that you don't know what order to put your titles in."
"It says that I am a certified doctor. That means that I know what I'm doing, even if you don't think so. Who's that?" His eyes were focused on Starlight.
"That's Starlight. I took her in not too long ago."
Feelgood rubbed his chin. "Interesting."
"You'd better not be thinking of one of your crazy ideas. If you are, Rainbow will punch you." Rainbow was giving the doctor a dead stare, shaking her head, and punching one of her hooves with the other.
"What do you mean by crazy ideas? I have never thought of doing something crazy."
"What about the time you thought Rarity was a zombie?"
"In my defense, she looked pretty pale to me. But that's not what I was thinking of. It was more like, if you just found her, then shouldn't I check her out, make sure she's fine and all that personal information and such."
"I guess that makes sense. I was meaning to get that stuff done, but I didn't know when I should. Starlight? Can you go with the doctor for a minute?"
Starlight mumbled a reply through a mouth full of stolen candy and followed him.
Twilight slumped into her chair and breathed a sigh of relief. "I love her and all, but it feels so good to just have a moment to myself."
"True that," Rainbow agreed.
***************************************************
"Twilight, can you come in here?"
Twilight woke up when she heard Dr. Feelgood's call. Starlight had climbed into a chair next to her and closed her eyes. Rainbow was splayed out in another, snoring loudly.
She walked into Feelgood's office. "Is there a problem?"
"No, not at all. I just want to talk to you about Starlight."
As he shuffled through his papers, Twilight noticed a pile on top of a chair. "What's that?"
The doctor looked where Twilight was pointing. "Oh, that. Starlight dropped that when she left. Must be all of the candy the nurse had. Looks like she was trying to smuggle it."
"Why would you think she's smuggling it? Maybe she just wanted to eat it?"
"Don't give her the benefit of the doubt on smuggling. That's how most smugglers are made." He handed her a piece of paper filled with notes. "That is all the standard clerical info. Age, height, weight, all that simple stuff. But there were some interesting things. Like when I asked her what she liked to do and she showed me a colored pie chart of how much of her day she does what. What kind of filly does something like that?"
Twilight was only half paying attention to the doctor. She scanned the paper until she found what she was the most curious about. "She's four years old?"
"She is. It's really not as surprising as you make it sound."
"It's a long story. I don't think you'd get it."
Feelgood glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, lucky for you, the hospital's near closing and I'm supposed to lock up. We've got time, If you want to talk."
**************************************************************
" ... She had knocked him unconscious, so we brought him here. That's it, that's the story." Twilight had spent probably an hour explaining the entire story of how she found Starlight to Dr. Feelgood. But what surprised her more than that was that he hadn't looked away or checked the time while she had talked. He had just stood there, listening and nodding.
"I have to say, it's a good story. But what I'm more interested in is why did you keep her? What made you feel this way towards her so quickly? It takes most parents years to actually feel about their children what took you an hour with Starlight. How could you do that?"
"I kept her because of how I felt, and I have no idea why I feel that way. It's just too confusing."
"It's supposed to be. It's love. It's confusing, it's strange, it's unexpected. Do you want to hear my theory?"
Twilight was skeptical. "I guess."
"My theory is that you wanted company so badly that when she showed up, you didn't want to let go. So you kept her, and when she called you mommy, you didn't want to disappoint her. So you dug deep down and you found those feelings that lie in so many ponies. The feeling of wanting to be a mother."
Twilight gaped. "How would you know something like that? You're a medical doctor who gets mares and stallions confused and doesn't believe in kidneys. How could you know this much about what I'm going through?"
He walked up to the far wall. "Do you see this diploma?"
"The one written in crayon?"
He smirked. "Good eye. Most ponies don't look close enough to notice. But that's not why I'm over here." He reached up and pulled down the diploma and crumpled it into a ball. "It's worthless. Meaningless. I can make a dozen more if I want. What's important is how I got it."
He jumped onto the doctor's desk and sat on it. "I had just graduated from college. I was up, late at night, wondering just what I was supposed to do with a BA in English. I had no money, no skills, just knowledge and a feeling. A feeling that I was actually supposed to amount to something. So I decided to go to medical school. A week later, I left. You know why? Because of a one night stand I had the night before I graduated college. She came to me, and told me that she was pregnant. I was so confused. I had no idea what to do. After a long conversation with my dad, a priest, some guys at a bar, and a clown at the county fair, I realized what I had to do. I left, made a fake diploma, changed my last name to Feelgood to seem more doctor-like, became a doctor here in Ponyville, and a year later, got married. And after years of struggling with a situation about as unexpected as yours, me and my wife had a long talk with a therapist and our parents. That was where we learned what I just explained to you. Why she wanted to keep the foal instead of giving him up. Why she came to me instead of never telling me."
He got off the desk and approached Twilight. "So maybe you are alone in this. Maybe you'll raise her yourself, with no pony's help. But I don't think so. I think you and your friends will keep her as one of your own. That you'll always remember that although few ponies have experienced what you are, plenty have done something similar, and at least a few of us are willing to help you. Because that bond you share is unlike what many ponies can ever feel. It's a bond that you can have only with a pony created just for you. Treasure it. Never forget it. Because no pony may ever feel something like it."
Twilight couldn't believe it. She didn't think there was a pony in Ponyville that did what she was doing, and yet here one was. "You actually did that?" He nodded. "You'll help me?"
"Other ponies helped me. It only makes sense I help you."
Feelgood didn't see what happened next coming. Twilight rushed at him and hugged him. "I can't believe it. It's too good to be true! Thanks doctor. It really means a lot that I can call you a friend."
Feelgood cracked a smile. "Don't mention it. But if you really want some help, I'm sending that unicorn you brought in home tomorrow. You should probably check in with him, he might be able to help you more than I can."
Twilight was puzzled as she pulled away. "How so?"
"Well, I learned a little about him. His name is Frost and he's in town to visit his daughter. Apparently, he met Starlight because they were in the park at the same time. He saw her and he says that she looks like his daughter from a distance, so he ran to her, startling her and causing her to hit him with a stick."
"What does that have to do with helping me again?"
"I was getting to that! He has a granddaughter."
"He has a granddaughter? But he looks so young to have one!"
"That's what I thought, but she's what links you two. His daughter's about your age and just found her at her door one night."
Twilight was speechless. "But, how? It's highly unlikely that some pony that had the same thing happen to her would be in the same town as me and I wouldn't notice."
"Would you like me to give you the actual statistics? I spent most of my week in medical school playing Blackjack."
"Not really."
"Suit yourself. And it's unlikely you would notice anyway. She moved here with her daughter and apparently, she sent him a letter that she couldn't meet him and was leaving for somewhere else."
That saddened her. "The poor pony. He came all this way to see her and she just leaves."
"So he'd probably appreciate you taking an interest. If you want to come by tomorrow, you can talk to him when I send him home."
Because nothing ever goes exactly as planned, Rainbow chose that time to rush into the office in a panic. "Twilight you need to come quick. It's Starlight!"
Twilight jumped up. "What's wrong?"
"I tried to stop her, but she went into that unicorn's room!"
Twilight just stared at her. "Really? That's what you panic about? Why don't you just go in there and get her?"
"Because I'm an aunt. We're like moms, but cooler. If I stop her, I risk losing that cool part."
Twilight sighed. "It's not the best excuse, but it'll do. Let's go. It's been nice talking, doctor. I'll hold you to your promise."
As she walked to the door, one more thought flashed through Feelgood's mind. "Oh, and Twilight? One last thing I just remembered. You don't need to tell any pony she's not yours. If they know, they'll know, but if they don't they'll think she's yours."
"How would that help?"
"It worked for my dad."
"Huh?"
"My dad was adopted. No pony outside and some inside of his family knew until after he had me. It helps a lot more than I can explain and it does nothing wrong."
Twilight mulled it over in her head. It was a good idea. "It sounds like a good idea. Thanks again!" She and Rainbow hurried to Frost's room.
When they were gone, Feelgood walked over to the long counter that held his medical papers and materials and looked at a small cup. In it was a DNA sample he had got from Starlight. Should I have told her? he thought. He shook his head. No, they'll be fine. It was probably an error anyway. I mean, how in Celestia's name could that happen?
There's only one thing left to do: forget everything that happened today, just like dad taught me. He pulled several bottles of cider from a drawer.
Good ol' dad!
****************************************************************
Twilight walked into Frost's room expecting the worst. Him dangling Starlight out the window. Starlight beating him with another stick.
What she found was nowhere near what she expected.
Starlight was hanging onto Frost's head, upside down so her head was balanced on his nose. Their eyes were locked on each other.
And then, without warning, Frost blew air into Starlight's eyes.
The filly fell onto the bed, wiping her eyes. "That wasn't fair! You cheated!"
"We never said no air. It's not cheating if it's not in the rules."
"Best two out of three?"
"You're on!"
"Ah-hem," Twilight interrupted. Even though she didn't want to interrupt Starlight enjoying herself, the sun was low enough already and she didn't want to be out any later than she had to..
The two ponies turned to her. "Hello!" Frost said. "I'm Frost. And you are?"
"Mommy!" Starlight ran to her.
"So you're the 'mommy' she kept talking about? You look a little young, though."
Twilight thought over what the doctor said to her. Just start accepting her as your own, Twilight. You can get his help even if you don't tell him. Say she's yours. She thought of something to say that wouldn't deny it but wouldn't be an outright lie. "Like your daughter?"
If Frost were standing up, he would have taken a step back. "How did you know?"
"The doctor told me. He said she was about my age."
He relaxed. "I told him that much? Honestly, I don't remember a lot of what happened. Only that she -" he motioned to Starlight "- hit me. But it's all fine. Water under the bridge. It was an accident. But did you happen to find out when I'm being let out?"
"The doctor said tomorrow."
He sighed. "That's good. Real good." He turned his gaze to his hooves.
Twilight remembered what the doctor told her about his daughter. "You don't have anywhere to go, right?" He nodded. "Why don't you stay with us for a while?"
Frost and Rainbow were both surprised. "Are you thinking straight?" Rainbow burst out. "You don't even know him!"
"I really don't want to impose-" Frost began.
"Could you both just listen for a second?" Twilight almost yelled. The two ponies stopped talking and looked to her. "Thank you. Now Frost, it's not imposing. I've got plenty of room and I feel bad for putting you here. And Rainbow, I know I barely know him. But I just feel that he's alright, you know? But there's one condition. You can stay with us as long as you help me with Starlight. It's hard for me to raise her by myself, even though my friends help as much as they can. You have a granddaughter, maybe you can help."
Frost thought over her proposal. "I still think I'm imposing, but if you're willing to take me in, I'll definitely help you out. But if I'm going to stay with you, I might as well know your actual names."
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Rainbow Dash."
At the mention of her name, a strange look seemed to cross Frost's eyes. A look Twilight couldn't recognize. You're just seeing things, Twilight, she said to herself. It's nothing.
"Do you really know what you're doing?" Rainbow whispered to Twilight.
"I'll tell you later, I just don't want to explain it in front of him," she responded. Rainbow seemed to accept it for the time being.
Starlight was jumping up and down. "Yay! We get to keep him!"
Frost smirked. This was easier than he expected.
Meaningless Conversations
"Really, Frost, you don't need to do this. I can take care of it myself."
Frost pushed the couch into place in the library. "Like I said, it wouldn't feel right if I let you do this for me after letting me stay here. You've done enough."
"I still think I should get you a bed."
"This couch is fine. Besides, I'm just here until I can find somewhere to go. I don't want you to worry about something you won't need soon."
"You should stay a while, though. You're the first pony that wasn't one of my friends or a doctor that Starlight's been willing to talk to." Starlight herself was still asleep in the small bed normally reserved for Spike.
Frost looked at her and grinned. "Not a bad idea. Can't say I don't want to stay. You form a bond with a pony that gives you a concussion. But like I said, I don't want to stay here if I'm not helping in any way."
"Then why don't you?"
"How? Moving couches? If you want I can tell long, rambling stories that I claim to be about my life and change every time I tell them."
"What I tried to ask you about at the hospital. You have experience with fillies, don't you? I need some of that with Starlight."
"She's four years old, isn't she? I thought a pony as smart as you would have figured out how to deal with her by now."
Twilight gulped. She had already told him Starlight was hers. Now that he was starting to ask questions, her advice from Doctor Feelgood was falling apart. She didn't want to lie, but that advice still kept popping up like a voice inside her head. Why did harmless conversation always have to lead to things like this? "It's a long story."
"You want to talk about it?"
"Not really."
"Eh, might as well keep some of your secrets to yourself I guess. Mares, Bah! Don't want to tell strangers every single secret they have. Back in my day we made sure strangers knew everything about us. When we'd be home, how our backs were, even those strange itches you get that feel awkward to talk about."
Twilight sighed with relief because of his joking tone. "Sounds like too much information to me."
Frost mimicked an old stallion's voice. "Back in my day there was no such thing as too much information. Those were the good old days when neighbors from the next street over would break into your house while you were in your shower to tell you that they had just borrowed your lawnmower. Or when your mother would sneak into your house to wash your clothes and lay them out for you to wear tomorrow. You Young'uns today and your 'too much information'." He spat in a jar for good measure.
Twilight laughed. "I hope that jar wasn't mine."
"No, I brought it as part of my comic relief box. I've also got rubber chickens, a whoopee cushion, and the script from Monty Python and the Holy Grail ."
"I don't see how that last one is funny."
Frost pulled a skull from the comic relief box. Both his and the skull's jaws dropped. "Are you serious? I can't believe you mares sometimes. It's a miracle you don't die of boredom."
Twilight sighed. This was probably worse than him figuring out the truth about Starlight. "First my brother keeps annoying me about it now you. It's like every stallion in Equestria is out to get me to watch some movie I don't find funny."
"Then every stallion in Equestria has the right idea. I promise that by the time I leave, I'm going to get you to watch that movie."
Twilight face hoofed. "How did we get to talking about this?"
"Most ponies get that when they talk to me. Start talking about the weather and you get an in-depth discussion about economics. I can turn a serious conversation into an "I can burp louder than you" contest. It's like I'm a writer who doesn't understand what point he's trying to get across and wants to waste some space, so he just rambles on about some boring thing that's never going to matter any time soon."
"Well, we're not having a loudest burp-off if that's what you're getting at."
"Of course not. I'd win, not much competition." They shared a smile.
Frost sighed. "I'm glad we had this meaningless conversation. Maybe the most important moments in my life have been meaningless conversations. At least, some of the best have. But time for some serious talking." He walked up the stairs, followed closely by Twilight, and approached a box. "What is this?"
Twilight looked apprehensively at the box. "That may be, um, something I made."
"What's it do, then?" Frost pulled it out. It was a small box. Connected to it by a wire was a banana-shaped lump of plastic.
"Well, it's supposed to let two ponies talk to each other. I call it the P.H.O.N.E, or Pony Held Operating Node Enigma."
"Now that's what I'm talking about! Inventions, acronyms, random words, enigma. This is what I expected!"
"What do you mean by 'expected', exactly?"
Frost froze. Him and his big mouth! What do I do? Why does this always happen? He searched his mind for something to say. Luckily, there was one thing in it other than the word Damn. "Oh, it's just I'm used to it. Where I come from, most of the smart ponies are also inventors."
"Where are you from, exactly?"
"Oh, it's actually quite like Ponyville. Remarkably similar, actually."
"Does it have a name?"
Think of a name, think of a name. "Um, Germaneigh?"
"Is that a question?"
"No?" When prompted by a stern glare from Twilight, he added, "I mean, no. Sorry, I just always make answers sound like questions."
"Germaneigh?"
"The funny thing is, though, that even though I'm surrounded by inventions, I hate them. Even this P.H.O.N.E. thing. I'm so old-fashioned that I miss back when everything was harder."
"I'm going to regret asking you to help test it, then."
"Oh no, I'll help. I just won't like doing it. Speaking of helping, shouldn't you be doing something with Starlight waking up."
"How would you know if she's awake?"
"Because unless you have mutant rats or your friends are incredibly sneaky and have a tail fascination, she's pulling my tail."
Sure enough, when Twilight walked to behind Frost, she saw Starlight trying to pull his tail with her hooves. "Starlight, what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to keep it still."
"What do you mean?"
"His tail keeps moving, but he's not doing it. It's like he's nervous. Are you nervous, Uncle?"
The word uncle made Twilight twitch. She had been insisting on calling Frost that since they picked him up from the hospital, and even though Frost said it was alright, Twilight still felt something odd whenever Starlight said it.
"Why would I be?"
"Good point."
"See, Starlight, everything's alright," Twilight cut in. "Now, let's get you ready."
"For what?"
"Tomorrow we're going to Canterlot. There's a pony there I want you to see." Twilight led Starlight down the stairs, leaving Frost on the second floor, looking down on them.
What is it about her that draws them to her? Every pony she's met, stuck to her, ready to do whatever she wants. Unable to leave her.
Is this what he did that made her so dangerous?
When any other pony looked at her, all they saw was a perfectly normal filly. Maybe a bit odd, but then again, every pony was a bit eccentric. They weren't bothered by how she could speak a language over night. How she could go from a filly who just followed and only said "Mommy this" or "Mommy that" or would just make a noise for attention could develop a personality overnight. A filly who could tell when another was nervous.
But when he saw her, he knew the truth. Everything she did. Everything she could do. Everything she was capable of.
Maybe this was it. Maybe this was why she was so dangerous. Maybe this was how she could destroy entire worlds.
But at moments like this, where all he could see was a loving mother taking care of her adopted filly, he didn't see that. This was one of those moments where there was no evil in sight. There was only love. And shame. Shame that this moment would be one of few. Shame that this moment couldn't happen without dooming the world itself.
He could see this filly, powerful enough to destroy the world, being stopped by a mare who didn't know what she was caring for, and the stallion who may have helped her cause it, with only a box of trash he found in several dumpsters that he found funny. He saw them stopping her.
He saw what would happen. It was a shame, that this bond, the likes of which may never happen again...
"What a shame."
"What's a shame?"
Frost had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed he was thinking aloud. "Oh, it's nothing, Twilight. It was just seeing you now reminded me of-"
"Your granddaughter. I know. I understand, Frost, I really do. But just think about it this way. When Celestia closes a door, she opens another one. If you had met them, you wouldn't be here."
"I guess you're right. I mean, this isn't the best door. Compared to the solid marble one, It's a shoddy little wood one. But sometimes, wood is better than marble. It's hard to see, but sometimes it is. And thanks. To overuse your analogy, If I hadn't found your door, I'd just be bumping into solid marble. And that's not good for my head."
Please, Celestia. I know I don't pray, but if you had been through what I have, you would have given up hope long ago. Just once, please, just once, let her be right. Open a door for them. Please. Or at least a window. All they need is a window. There has to be a way for them to stay together.
There has to be.
Author's Note
The chapter where I say that Monty Python exists in Equestria.
"Can you hear me now?" Twilight said into the P.H.O.N.E. When she got no response, she yelled, "Frost! Can you hear me now?"
"Of course I can hear you. I'm pretty sure every pony in town can. I'm expecting an angry mob to come at any minute to complain about the noise."
Twilight gritted her teeth. "I meant over the PHONE."
"Oh, that. No. I got nothing."
Twilight twisted a knob on the PHONE. "How about now?"
"Yes!" Frost nearly cheered.
"Did it work?" Twilight's heart fluttered.
"No! But the dip came out perfect. Come on down and get some!"
Twilight seethed. "You're making dip? You're supposed to be helping me test the PHONE!" As Twilight looked down onto the first floor, her anger grew when she saw that Frost wasn't paying attention to her invention. But what really pushed her over the edge was that not only was he ignoring it, he was sitting on it.
"Frost!!" she shouted loud enough to make all the crows in Ponyville fly away. This noise caused Frost to lose his grip on the dip, which fell out of his hoof and landed on the ground, miraculously unharmed. Frost himself fell onto a pile of books.
"Do you have a problem with cheese dip? You could have just said so."
"I don't have a problem with cheese dip! This has nothing to do with cheese dip! You were supposed to help me test the PHONE!"
"Twilight, I'm sorry. I told you I'm not really technology forward. I'm not too good at this testing thing." He noticed that Twilight was still shaking from anger. "Twilight, are you all right? You don't usually act like this."
Twilight collapsed. "I'm fine. It's just, you know, we've been working on this all week, and I was going to show it to the princess today, and this was going to be my first successful invention, and it just. Won't. Work." As she forcefully said those last three words, Frost sat on the couch and motioned her over. She sat down and leaned on him gratefully.
"Your first invention? You've never invented anything before?"
"I did invent a robot butler once."
Frost was interested. "Did it work?"
"It only worked for a day, and while it did it called every pony Wesley. I still don't know why." She chuckled at the memory.
"Do you feel better now that your calm?"
Twilight sat up. "I guess I do. Thanks, Frost, and I'm sorry. It's weird. Normally I don't get mad, I go crazy."
"Don't go crazy, Mommy."
The two ponies turned to see Starlight standing in the doorway. "Starlight, what are you doing here? I thought you were at Rarity's," Twilight asked.
"I was, but Aunt Rarity told me to come over and get you. She said they were heading to the train station."
Twilight's mind was reeling. "Right now? As in, right now right now? I still have things to do. The checklist is only halfway done."
"Never let it be said I didn't help you." Frost got down from the couch. "I thought you'd end up running late, so I packed a bag for you."
Twilight's hopes soared. "You did? Really Frost, what would I do without you?"
Frost grinned. "Don't mention it. Just, clean up those books. I think I got a paper cut on my back."
"It's a deal."
Twilight lifted the books off the ground in her aura as Frost went upstairs. Starlight, meanwhile, laid down on the couch.
Five minutes later, Frost came downstairs carrying a brown duffel bag. He stopped in his tracks when he looked downstairs. Twilight, her hair a mess, was rushing around the library like a mare possessed. Starlight was shaking on the couch, trying to use the cushions as protection.
"Twilight, are you okay?"
She didn't pay frost any attention. "Where is it? It must be here? I mean where else could it be? It's not like it could walk off, right? Hahaha." In almost a different voice, she added, "Come on Twilight, keep it together."
Her crazy voice replied, "But the clock is ticking Twilight. Clock. Is. Ticking! Hehhehheh hee!"
So this is what she meant by going crazy. "Are you okay Twilight?"
"I'm fine. I'm fine. Just fine. It's only the voices."
"Do they tell you to do anything? Like, kill your family, or pursue a film career?"
"It's not that kind of thing. There's a book missing, Frost. A book! I put them all back, and yet it's missing!" She was speaking erratically. She talked quickly,, but added a longer than necessary gap between phrases.
"Is it important?"
"Not really. I can't even remember what it's called. I don't think it was anything that actually mattered."
"Then why worry about it?"
Reason returned to Twilight. "Overreacting's kind of my thing. If you take it away, I'm just a scientist and princess's student who lives in a tree. Not that exciting."
"Better than mine. I'm just a lonely old stallion with nothing better to do than watch a filly, movies, and play poker in the mean time."
During this time, Starlight was growing bored of the grown-ups talking, and decided to take action. "Mooooommmmmmmmyyyyyyy, leeeeeet's gooooooo!" she said in a drawn-out way, and, with all her strength, grabbed Twilight's tail in her teeth and pulled.
"You heard her, Twilight. You're gonna be late."
"Are you sure you don't want to come?"
"I'm fine by myself. I'm a big colt, I know what I'm doing."
Twilight walked to the door, followed closely by Starlight. As she opened the door, a thought struck her. "Frost, why did you ask if the voices wanted me to pursue a film career."
Frost chuckled. "Oh yeah, that. I got the idea from my cousin Marty. He said he heard some voices that told him to move to Las Pegasus and make movies. Last I heard, he was pretty successful."
"Did he make anything I may have seen?"
His gaze deadened. "I'd hope not."
"Why? Are they bad?"
"Let's just say that if you've seen them, it would say a lot about the kind of pony you are."
"Oh. Oh! Oh! Ew!" Twilight tried to wipe that idea from her mind as she walked out.
But Starlight had one last thing to find out. "Bye, Uncle!" She walked out the door, but stopped before it closed when she didn't hear a reply. She tried again. "Goodbye, Uncle!" It was answered again by nothing. "Uncle, aren't you going to say goodbye?"
Frost didn't want to say anything, but he felt compelled to tell her. "I don't like goodbyes."
"Why not?"
"Well, it all goes back to my mom. She and my dad did some dangerous work and each day before they left, they wouldn't say goodbye to me. They said it was too hard, but there was another reason. My mother always said, 'If you don't say goodbye, then you're not really gone. You're just not there right now.'"
She replied with a puzzled frown. "I don't understand. If you're not there right now, then wouldn't you be gone?"
"It's, hard, to explain. But the idea is like that if you say goodbye, you're acknowledging that you're gone. But if you don't , then you could still be around somewhere, the other pony just can't see you right now."
"I think I get it. Let me try." She left.
Frost waited for a few minutes, then slapped himself in the face. She wasn't saying goodbye. He was influencing her again. But this was even worse. She could have remembered because of those words.
He had to hurry. He had to find another way.
He pulled a book out of the couch cushions. Until recently, that book had sat, unread and covered in dust, in the back of a shelf in its owner's library. She knew it was there, but had thought the book to be a waste of time and neglected it.
"As smart as she is, sometimes that mare makes some really boneheaded mistakes. Thinking this book is a waste of time, Ha! Right now, this book could hold the key to saving the world. And all the others."
But a question lingered in his mind. Why did he tell her about Marty? He knew she'd never heard of him.
And it may have just compromised his cover story.
Outside the library, Starlight mulled a new idea over and over in her head. It was a strange idea. Pretty hard to understand as well. But she liked it.
It was decided. No goodbyes. Plus, it did make her feel better when she left Uncle.
It made her feel like he could be anywhere nearby.
**************************************************************
Canterlot at night was lit up like a shining beacon. A beacon which seemed to attract ponies the world over.
That was Starlight's thinking as soon as she saw the city. Once Twilight pointed out the glowing speck in the distance as their destination, it had been her only focus. She felt inexplicably drawn to it, like it was calling out to her.
Up close, it was like nothing she had ever seen. The buildings reached up farther than the small, two-story houses in Ponyville. Ponies were running back and forth in crowds. Ponies in armor stood watch everywhere. Fountains, statues, and open-air cafes lined every street.
For a pony who, an hour before, thought the entire world was limited to a small town with about a hundred ponies, Starlight took this overload of information quite well.
"Is she all right?" Rarity asked worriedly.
Twilight was puzzled. "Starlight, why are you curled up in a ball?"
"It's just too much." Starlight rolled, trying to come to grips with her situation.
"It's just shock is all," Applejack diagnosed. "Happened to me when Ah went ta Manehatten. She'll be fine, she just needs time."
In contrast to the city, the train station was deserted. While outside ponies ran around in throngs, inside there was only a sleeping purple dragon and a black unicorn stallion reading a newspaper next to him.
However, due to events that will soon be explained, the last one doesn't really count.
As the train's door opened, the dragon, who had been waiting a week for this moment, slept on, completely ignorant of the ponies' arrival.
"Spike?" Twilight prodded the unconscious dragon. "Spike?"
"Little guy must've been waiting forever for us," Applejack thought aloud.
Starlight decided to apply her own special brand of dragon-awake to the problem. "Mister Dragon-guy, are you awake?"
Spike shifted in his sleep. "Just five more minutes, Twilight."
"Come on Mister Dragon, please?"
Spike sighed. "Well, you did say please." He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Hey, what's every pony doing here? And who's that?" He pointed at Starlight.
"This is Starlight," Twilight answered. "It's a long story."
"Oh, I understand." Spike's face darkened. "I understand completely. She's my replacement, isn't she? You just couldn't stand to not have old Spike around, huh? So you went out and found something almost as adorable as me for your new assistant. No offense."
"None taken, Mister adorable dragon-guy."
Twilight only sighed. "Spike, she's not replacing you."
"Ah-ha, I knew it! She's not replacing me, she's replacing my replacement! You just couldn't deal with-"
"Spike!" Twilight had enough. After actually understanding how much Spike hurt when he thought she didn't need him, she didn't want him to go on thinking like that. "What would make you think I'm replacing you?"
"I was here for over a week."
"I sent you here for a vacation."
"The perfect cover!"
"Mister Dragon, did you eat any gems today?" Starlight asked out of nowhere
"Huh?" Twilight and the others responded.
"I don't think so. Why?"
"If baby dragons don't eat gems for a day, then they don't think straight."
"What?" Twilight and the others couldn't think of anything else to say.
"I guess that makes sense. I'm sorry Twilight, I guess I'm just hungry is all."
"But, Starlight, how did you know that?"
"Uncle told me these stories about him learning things about a baby dragon. He knows lots about baby dragons."
No pony noticed the black unicorn's ears twitch.
"How is that possible? Not even Fluttershy knows anything about dragons. How could he?"
"I don't know. He just knows a lot of stuff."
Questions were reeling through Twilight's mind. How? Why? What? What else does he know? But luckily, the group's voice of reason had something to say.
"Twilight," Rarity moved to stand next to her friend. "I know you have a lot of questions, but we have somewhere we have to go. And besides, she can't answer any of those questions. You can ask Frost himself when we get back."
Reason pushed the questions out of Twilight's mind. "I guess you're right. Come on every pony, we've got a palace to go to."
Spike still had a question. "But, Twilight, if she's not your assistant, then why is she here?"
"Like I said Spike, it's a long story. It's easier if I tell you and Princess Celestia at the same time."
As they left, a white Pegasus entered the station. She walked up to the bench Spike had left and sat down next to the stallion.
"Excuse me," she began to ask the stallion. "Do you know-" She stopped talking once she turned.
There was no pony there.
She glanced over the entire station. Nothing. She was the only pony there.
How is that possible? she thought. No pony could leave the station that quickly.
Then where was he?
*************************************************************
"...And that was everything that happened in the past week. In detail." Twilight switched off the presentation.
Celestia was doing her best to stay awake. Spike and the others hadn't tried nearly as hard. Starlight had been brought to a room so she wouldn't hear what happened the night she met Twilight. The rest thought of her as the lucky one.
"That was very, interesting, Twilight." Celestia stifled a yawn. "But was the slideshow necessary?"
"Visual aids make everything better."
"But how and why did you take pictures of everything?"
"I didn't. Most of them I had Starlight draw pictures for."
"That explains the stick-ponies, why all the buildings are castles, the randomly placed rainbows, and the fact that you look like you're made out of candy. But what exactly does the adult-film making cousin Marty have to do with anything?"
"I don't exactly know."
"Then why did he have ten slides dedicated to him?"
"Because I plan to dedicate a large part of Part Two on him."
"There's a Part Two?" Celestia tried as hard as she could not to bury her face in her hoof. She recomposed herself instead. "I think that's enough information for today. Let's all just sleep. Guards, could you take Twilight's friends to their rooms?"
The guards walked over to the sleeping ponies. One of them prodded Rainbow. She slapped his hoof away and rolled over. "We're going to need the forklift!" the guard shouted. Another ran off through the hallway.
Twilight wasn't ready to leave. "But, Princess, didn't you want me to come here to tell me something?"
Celestia jolted up to her hooves. "Oh, yes. I need you for something." She yawned. "Let's make this quick. I assume you are familiar with Ignis's Aura."
"I know that it's a massive wave of magic that travels through space and hits our world every thousand years or so. It's named after Ignis, a unicorn who was so gifted in fire magic that he created fireworks. And it's returning over a month from now."
Celestia nodded. "That's everything all but a few ponies know. There's something else. It's extremely dangerous."
"How dangerous?"
"Enough to destroy this world."
Fear overcame Twilight. "Is there anything we can do?"
"There is one thing." Celestia descended the stairs from her throne. "When the aura approaches, it will increase every pony's magical abilities extraordinarily. It will increase our abilities enough so that if the four most powerful ponies in Equestria can create a magical barrier at the same time, we can protect the world from the Aura."
"And you want me to be one of them?"
Celestia nodded. "With me, Luna, and Cadence. If you are up to it, that is."
Twilight was overcome with mixed emotions. Could she do it? Of course she could try, but what if she failed? It was too much pressure!
"I-I don't know."
"I understand. When you have an answer for me, just send a message."
"No, it's not that I don't want to. I'm honored to be asked and all, I just don't think I can."
"I wouldn't ask you if I didn't know you could. But you don't have to be ready now. If you want, you have over a month to hone your skills until you feel that you are up to it."
Twilight thought it over. It seemed reasonable. And it was a chance to prove herself to the Princess. "I'll do it."
Celestia beamed. "I knew you would, Twilight. Now go. You must be tired."
She was right. The impact of what the Princess had asked her to do made her far more tired then the lateness ever could.
Twilight walked out of the throne room and past the guard that had been sent to get the forklift. "Princess, we have a problem," he announced when he entered. "When I asked Blaze for the forklift, he gave me these." He held up some forks.
Celestia's face connected with her hoof. "Sometimes I wonder about him."
"And when I told him I said forklift , he gave me this pair of tongs and said, 'Well, if you're too high and mighty to hold the fork, then I guess you can use this to lift it.'"
"I'll talk to him tomorrow. Right now, I think we should all just sleep. You don't need the forklift anyway."
"We don't need it, but it's more fun that way."
She sighed. "Just carry them, please."
Begrudgingly, the guards lifted the mares onto their backs. The one with the forks grumbled, "Why did I join the royal guard if I can't use a forklift?" They all left the throne room.
Celestia herself went down a different hall to her private room. It seemed like that day had gone on forever. Now all she could think of was her nice, soft-
Her ear twitched.
She heard a sound from below. A soft sound that most ponies couldn't hear. Unfortunately, she had trained herself to hear it.
With a sigh, she ran as fast as she could to the dungeon.
****************************************************************
Maybe one of the most annoying things in existence is secret government technology. Like when you create a box you can keep ice in while your government has a massive refrigerator/freezer that runs on coconut milk. Or when you build a pulley-based elevator and your government's been using one that can go 500ft/second while playing the top hits of today. In Equestria, that problem exists with Twilight's PHONE.
No pony knows exactly how the multiverse communicator came to be in the first place. There are those who believe that it was sent as a gift from a parallel universe. There are others who believe that it's the handiwork of Equestria's most notable inventor, Bergholt Stuttley "Bloody Stupid" Johnson. Though the shoddy speakers and it's ability to cause a nuclear meltdown in thirty seconds flat point to Johnson's work, the evidence that he doesn't even exist casts doubt on that theory.
In short, the communicator consisted of a large mass of solid magic surrounded by various wires and gadgets. Through this magic a pony could talk to a pony from a parallel universe by changing the frequency. However, since the voices would be distorted and hard to understand, it was much easier to write a message, which would be translated to the other universe and written on a piece of paper there.
It was nothing short of remarkable. And impossible.
The sound that drew Celestia was the sound of a message coming in. She arrived to see Luna, in the middle of her shift, focused entirely on the message that was printing.
"Any new messages?" Celestia asked.
Luna nodded, still focused on the paper. "Two, but neither for us. Just mass messages."
Celestia looked at two pieces of paper in front of the machine. Sephiroth Malachai is awakening, read one. Beware the devil's dance, read the other. "Are you sure these have nothing to do with us?"
"Well, I don't understand the devil one. And Sephiroth, well, he's been dead a thousand years. There's no way he can come back. Aha, it is finished!"
The two sisters looked at the piece of paper.
Paradox is coming for the Catalyst.
There was a knot in Celestia's stomach. "Are you sure this has something to do with us?"
"It was just for us. It has to."
"I don't understand it. Do you?"
"No, but I'm sure we can find out. It's still my shift, I'll just ask around."
Celestia sighed. "That's good to hear. I'm just nervous. Twilight brought this filly her, and she said-"
"I heard."
"You did? How?"
"I found the frequency for our world and managed to listen in on your conversation. I have to say, it is odd."
"And what she said about the Church of Celestia. What if they are here?"
"Maybe they're the catalyst?"
"It's possible, but I have a different idea."
"The filly?"
Celestia nodded. "She showed up the night the machine malfunctioned. I think that's enough to warrant keeping an eye on her."
Luna nodded. "But I'm more concerned about the Church. If they're here, who knows what they're planning?"
Celestia was grim. "That Is true. But why now? What with the Church, the filly, the Aura, It's like the universe just wants us to worry."
Luna yawned. "Well, sister, you should probably get some rest. I have everything under control here."
Celestia nodded. "Thank you, Luna. I'll be back in the morning for my shift." As she left, she turned around. "Oh, and Luna. Could you do me a favor and talk with Blaze for me? He's being too literal again, and you're the only pony he listens to."
Luna rolled her eyes. "Oh, Blaze. Don't worry, I'll handle him." With Luna's reassurance, Celestia left.
After Celestia left, Luna waited until she was certain Celestia was gone, and walked through another door which led to another hallway.
After a minute, when the third pony in the room was sure he was alone, he left the shadows and went over to the Communicator and started a message.
Designate: Frost
Looking for universe with no pony named Twilight Sparkle. Please respond with universe coordinates.
"Just what do you think you are doing?"
Frost turned around to find himself face to face with Princess Luna. Holding a fireplace poker.
"You know, I don't normally answer questions to ponies holding weapons."
Luna looked downcast. "My apologies. I was aware that this would be the easiest way to get information." She dropped the poker.
Frost sighed with relief. "That's all right. Now, what do want to know?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, if you must know, I was lost, so I followed the sound of voices and came here."
"I know why you're here in this room, Frost, and that's not it. I want to know why you're in this universe. You and that filly."
Frost turned white. "How do you know that?"
"It was night when you got here, yes? I was watching."
"Of course you were. But even if I tell you everything, there's no way you'll believe it."
"I saw you appear out of thin air from a different universe. I'll believe what I can."
"Fine, but I'm going to need you to promise me that you won't tell this to any pony. Not Celestia and especially not Twilight."
"If it's that important, then why would you trust me with it? I'm not even threatening you."
"Because, the Luna in my universe helped a pony in my situation. And if you're anything like her, and I know you are, you'll keep my secret."
"All right then. I promise that if I tell a soul, I will forfeit my crown. Now, start from the beginning."
"In my story, there are a lot of beginnings."
"Which universe are you from?"
"4242DB Gamma."
Luna paled. "We lost contact with that universe the night you appeared!"
"Exactly. And this is the story of why."
*********************************************************************
Luna could only stare as Frost finished his story. "So, do you believe it?"
What Luna had just learned swam through her head like a fish swimming from a shark. "That's-that's not possible!"
"Exactly! Yet it is."
"You have to tell Twilight!"
"No, I can't. Because if I do, she probably won't believe me and get rid of me. And even if she does, it will strengthen Paradox immensely if she knew."
"And if he gets stronger, then he wouldn't need her to help him."
"Exactly!"
"But, why do you stay with her?"
"Because it was something I was told before I came here. I was told that as long as I'm around, Paradox wouldn't dare make his move. And then once Twilight stops the Aura, I can leave and no pony will have to worry about him."
"And the message?"
"A failsafe in case Paradox doesn't leave with the Aura. So I can bring Starlight to a different world and get rid of him once and for all."
"I don't know why, Frost, but I believe you. But I am worried. Do you think you can do this?"
"Of course. But you must make sure never to tell a soul anything I told you. Don't even hint. You and I have never met or even seen each other. Anything you say otherwise could cause massive amounts of damage to this world and strengthen Paradox."
"I will, Frost. Like I promised. But there is still one question you didn't answer. Why did you use the Church of Celestia as your cover?"
"They're a small church where I come from, I thought this world would have them too. Why?"
"The other universes talk about them often. I don't know exactly what, but they do some pretty terrible things."
Frost was shaken. "I never knew that. They had always seemed nice, had an orphanage, worked endlessly for charity. After everything I've been through, that may still be the most surprising thing."
"Really?"
"It comes very close." Frost seemed to relax. "Thank you, Luna. After keeping all that to myself for so long, it feels so good to tell another pony."
"You're welcome Frost. And thank you for what you're doing. If you ever need help, just call. But before you leave, let me fix this one mistake you made." She walked over to the machine and added another part to the message.
Return only at a time within four hours before or after time of receiving.
Frost looked thankfully at Luna. "I really am glad you found me out. I didn't even think of that."
"I'm always happy to help, Frost. You should probably get going."
"Yeah, I probably should. There aren't many trains running at this time of night. Thanks again!"
Luna watched him leave and then slumped into her chair. Maybe she was crazy. Maybe she had been waiting for some multiverse-encompassing event to come around for so long that she believed the first crazy pony who came around talking about one.
No, this was definitely real. She just knew it.
And she was the only pony who knew.
Frost was right. Just a minute of not being able to tell any pony was stressing her out big time.
"What have I gotten myself into?" She landed her face hard on the table.
"And it hasn't even started yet!"
Author's Note
The chapter where I make some references, foreshadow basically everything, confuse people with all this random technology talk, basically beg for attention in the author's note, and finally talk about the plot (barely).
I mean seriously, it's been five chapters. It's like JJ Abrams writes this fic! (Reference # approx. 23)