Chronicles: Sally
Written by Xfiles90210
Prologue
“Look, sweetie! Ain’t she a beautiful, lil’ filly?” A female unicorn said to her beloved, special somepony, while she was holding a newborn filly with her hooves. “She looks so beautiful. Oh! She even has my eyes!” she spoke with enthusiasm, although being tired after being under a long laboring process, and giggled as she nuzzled her baby with motherly love.
“Indeed she is, my dear”, the male unicorn answered with equal enthusiasm and happiness as he was looking at such heart-warming scene, “she will surely achieve so many great things. I can see her now being a wonderful and powerful unicorn, like me, or like you”, he spoke and he laughed as he moved his hoof up and caressed his beloved marefriend’s mane.
“I know. Oh, how should we name ‘er, sweetheart? I was thinkin’ ‘bout giving her a nice, sweet name. A name that would represent something special, and pretty,” the mare said as she looked back at her coltfriend, speaking with the glimpse and tone of hope only a first-time mother would feel within.
As both speak, the newborn, a little unicorn filly, with navy blue coat, midnight blue eyes, indigo and purple amethyst colored short mane and tail, and white freckles on her cheeks, was looking around with curiosity, eyeing quickly at the white hospital’s roof, and at her parents. Then, when her mother nuzzled her, she sneezed, and then giggled as she paddled her legs a bit.
Her father looked at her reaction, and laughed quietly again. “It should be then a fitting name, a very wonderful name.” He then rubbed his chin a bit, thinking.
“How about we name her Sally, dear?” She spoke as she smiled. “It sounds neat, ‘n’ fun! Don’t ya think?” She said with happiness, and then giggled softly, soon looking back at her daughter, and caressing her mane.
His chuckle widened a bit, and nods. “I like it, dear. I like that name very much”, he then looked down at his newborn daughter, and said with a silly tone: “do ya wanna be named Sally, sweetie? Do ya?”
The newborn giggled again, and reached her small hoof to his nuzzle when he leaned closer, bopping it. Then, she smiled at him, much like if she understood his words, and reached her both hooves to him.
“She said yes, dear”, her mother said, and smiled at him with a loving glimpse. “Oh, I think she wants you to carry her.”
“Not a problem”, he replied as he wrapped his hooves tenderly around her, and carried her, “she is one active filly, sweetie. She reminds me of you so much.”
“She does?” She asked playfully and giggled, “it’s ‘cause I got a very, very lovin’ soon-to-be-husband coltfriend with me”, she held his hoof softly as she was speaking, “I’ve been so happy since we met, sweetie.”
He held back her hoof in a tender manner as he was cradling softly the newborn. He laughed briefly and quietly, and then said: “I know. You’re just so happy, so cheerful, so wonderful”. He looked back at the newborn, and noticed she yawned, her eyes being half-opened. He smiled, kissed her forehead and then looked back at his marefriend. “She’s falling asleep now. You should do too.”
“Okay”, she nodded and yawned much like the newborn did. Then, she closed her eyes, relaxing as she cuddled on the bed’s pillow. “G’night, my sweet Mort.”
“Good night, my dear Sarah”, he leaned closer and kissed her cheek, “sleep well, my pretty princess”, he lastly said before she fell asleep, and he looked back at the newborn. He smirked, and spoke in a low, quiet tone, “you will indeed do great things, and be wonderful... And powerful”, he laughed quietly again, but this time with a glimpse of evilness, and he headed over the door while still holding the newborn.
Author's Note
- Although this story has no relation at all with any of my previous stories, my characters (OCs) are based on several personalities from other video game/ comic / tv / movie / music characters.
- From now on, I will use the note feature to give you a brief guide on how the new characters' voices would sound like. Like, Mortem's voice is much like Nolan North's (Voice Actor - Dr. Richtofen from Call of Duty Zombies)
- And as for Sarah's voice, it's much like Malukah's (Singer)
The Orphanage - Chapter 1
Chapter I
Happy Smiles Orphanage, Hollow Shades.
It was a dark and quiet night in the small town, located among a forest and being close to the Foal Mountains, at the east part of Equestria. Like in other small towns where most ponies had a dedicated life of hard work, there were almost no ponies on the streets at such late hour.
At the town’s orphanage, a place considered special as it took care of foals and fillies with no parents, either because they were abandoned, or nopony else could have taken care of them, the nursing chief was turning off the lights in the dormitories to let the children rest and have a good sleep. Her short silvery mane, her white coat and her cutie mark of a nurse’s cap with a red cross, was denoted by her mature age, and her years of experience at working in the orphanage.
After she made sure everypony was asleep, even tucking carefully a small filly after her cover almost fell off her bed; she heard a couple o knocks on the main door. Her ears perked up, and let out a sigh as she knows there’s a sign on the door marking clearly the schedule of adoption services. She walked out the dormitory, making sure her steps were silent, and walked downstairs. After she took her nurse cap, being completely white and clean regardless the years she’s been wearing it, and wore it, she walked over the entrance door and spoke loud enough to be heard outside: “We’re closed now. Come back tomorrow.”
She sat back as her ears were perked up and pointing at the door. After a moment of complete silence, she cocked her head a bit and raised an eyebrow, thinking it maybe was a prank, one with bad taste in her opinion, and stood up. “Listen, it’s not very polite to not to ans...” she couldn’t finish her sentence when she heard the soft cry of a baby. Losing no time, she opened the door, and she noticed something that unfortunately wasn’t new to her: an abandoned newborn in a basket, along with basic care items like a feeding bottle, or a small, soft wolf cub plushie. And also, there was a note, written with pink crayon.
She took the paper as she sighed again; knowing such incidents, although being rare to happen, never became less tough for her to try not to think about careless parents who never thought about the fate of somepony so small, so fragile, so exposed to the sometimes cruel nature. Then, she began to read it: “Dear new caretaker, take care of this newborn unicorn filly as my marefriend and I couldn’t. Her name is Sally, and don’t change her name.”
She frowned a bit as she set the letter back in the basket, thinking: “they don’t even ask politely”. But then, when she looked at the newborn, crying because she was hungry and her parents weren’t in sight, and the nurse stopped frowning. She smiled softly, and carefully picked up the basket, soon walking back into the building, and closing the door behind her.
“Don’t worry, little Sally”, she spoke tenderly to her as she set the basket on the entrance hall’s desk, and carried her softly in her arms; “you’re under good care here. I’ll ensure that”. She even giggled softly and cradled her slowly.
The newborn looked up at her, and seemed to calm down a bit as she stopped crying for a moment, and looked at the nurse’s eyes. Then, she looked up at the nurse’s cap, at the cross. But then, her little stomach growled, and she began to cry again.
“Shh, cutie”, the mature mare said softly, like whispering, and walked into a kitchen, “let’s feed you first, and then you’ll rest, okay?” She then walked over a table where she’s used to prepare the formulas for the youngest orphans, took a feeding bottle, and then she skillfully prepared one warm milk formula with haste. Then, she sat back, set the filly in a comfortable position in her arms, and finally began to feed her. The newborn quickly began to drink from it, and moved her small hooves on the bottle. Not long after, she stopped feeding when she fell asleep.
The nurse smiled softly at how adorable the navy blue newborn behaved, and stood up, setting the bottle down in the sink. Then, she began to walk out the kitchen to head over a dormitory. While doing so, she was patting her back so she’d burp and have no nuisances during the night. After she did, she set her down in a crib, where there was another newborn filly sleeping. She leaned back, standing beside the crib, and said softly, “Who could have had the heart to abandon such pretty and nice filly? But at least they left her in a good place, a warm place.” She moved her hoof to softly and briefly caress the newborn’s short mane, and then she turned around, walking over the door. “Good night, Sally”. She lastly said tenderly before walking out and closing the door behind her.
Author's Note
- The nurse lead's voice sounds much like Lee Meriwether's (Voice actress - Old Eva from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots)
The Orphanage - Chapter 2
Chapter II
Four years have passed since the incident happened, and the adopted newborns at that time were now at the filly stage of life. Although the orphanage didn’t look really different from the past, there have been subtle changes, like the building being bigger and more spacious, and even having a backyard for the fillies to play and explore. Also, the nurse lead, even though she had gotten older to the point of almost being an old mare, she was as energetic and active as she’s always been, never stopped taking care of the orphans. For her, the happiest moments of her life were when she saw the smiles of the foals and fillies when a caring couple adopted one; that was so meaningful to her that even the orphanage held its name to resemble such special moments.
It was early afternoon when the foals and fillies were on the backyard as it was play and recreation time. Among the almost two dozen younglings, there were two peculiar fillies having lunch on one of the backyard’s benches, located against the building’s wall, beside the door, and spending time happy and cheerfully; they were Sally and a yellow earth filly, with orange-and-red mane, sky blue eyes, her muzzle and the tips of her hooves being slightly darkened, and having already the cutie mark of an opened fairytale book, depicting the pictures of the Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella; although the name given by her parents was never known, she’s known and named as Fairytale due to her cutie mark, and her love of fairytale books and adventures.
“Hey, Fairy!” The navy blue unicorn spoke with enthusiasm after taking a bite from her favorite pastry: a piece of chocolate cake, covered with melted chocolate, filled with blueberry jelly, and having strawberry flavored sprinkles. “Did’cha hear? Our friend Streamy finally got adopted yesterday! Ain’t that neat?” She giggles briefly and took a sip on her glass of vanilla flavored milk, a cheerful smile always being on her face.
“Oh, I didn’t know. I’m so glad for him”, the yellow filly answered also smiling. Although she seemed less expressive than her friend, she was very happy about him. “I’m sure he’ll have a real happy life, just like nanny tells us how it is like”.
“Aaand I got a hunch I’ll be next, ‘n’ also you!” Sally spoke with enthusiasm and pointed at her alicorn. “I’ve got a plan that’s guaranteed one hundred... no, one thousand percent!”
“Magic? But Sally,” her friend replied, showing friendly concern as she usually does, “you can’t control it. I mean, last time you tried to even levitate an apple, well...”
“Dun’ be worried, Fairy. It’s gonna be fine”, she moves a hoof on her shoulder and patted it briefly before leaning back and taking another bite at her cake.
Fairytale smiled and nodded. “I see. Well, I trust in you, Sally. I wish you the best. Oh, you could pay me a visit and tell me how it is”.
“Just as promis’d!” She giggled and nodded quickly with a very childish glimpse. Then, she finished her cake, followed by emptying her glass.
“Oh, careful, Sally. Tummyaches aren’t nice at all”.
“’Kay, Fairy. Y’know, it may be ‘cause a really nice ‘n’ carin’ pair of ponies wanna meet me, and surely adopt me!” Both fillies giggled along.
“You could also sing. Oh, we could sing. That’s what friends are for, right? To care and help each other”
Sally smiled brightly, but shook her head, her short mane whipping side to side. “No thanks, Fairy! Buut we can sing when we’re both adopt’d. That’d be so neat, ‘n’ fun, ‘n’ really awesome!”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea. Oh! Let’s make it a promise”, the yellow filly replied and reached her hoof to Sally. Her friend nodded, and both held hooves as they said at the same time:
“As fillies, ‘n’ gals, a promise will be kept no matter what. Or else, our mind, ‘n’ heart, will shrink really small.”
The unicorn filly giggled again as she let go off Fairytale’s hoof. Then, she looked over at the window into the orphanage and noticed the nurse was walking over the backyard’s door, along with a young couple of unicorn ponies.
“Oh, Fairy, look!” She spoke with great enthusiasm and a bright smile, “nanny’s comin’ over here, ‘n’ with my soon-t’-be-parents!”
The yellow filly looked back and smiled along with her friend. “They look so nice and caring, Sally. Lucky you,” she nudged her friend’s arm, “you will have a wonderful family”.
“Thanks, so ya will!” She hopped down the bench, and trotted over the door, soon standing across it, and then sitting back, showing her best, most adorable, and cutest smile.
“Good luck, gal”, Fairytale spoke as she looked over and sitting back, awaiting to see her friend being adopted. Soon after, they saw the door opening, and the three ponies walking out to the graveyard.
The nurse lead smiled at Sally’s attempt to make a good first impression, and looked back at the couple of unicorns. “Mister and Miss Star, this is Sally; the filly you want to meet and know more about”. She looked back at the filly, stepped aside a bit so the couple could have a clearer view of the filly, and she looked back at her. “Sally, sweetheart; say hello”.
“Hi, hi!” She spoke, showing great happiness and enthusiasm, and waved her hoof at them quickly. “Name’s Sally! Nice t’meet ya, Mister ‘n’ Miss Star!”
“Oh, darling”, the mare said with a refined accent and a warm smile as she looked back at her husband, “she is so pretty and adorable”.
“Indeed, she is, dear”, the stallion replied, and laid down to Sally’s height. “Sally, how old are you?”
“Nanny says I’m four!” The filly replied, her cheerfulness never seeming to decrease.
“So young and you already know proper manners? Tell me,” he stood up, keeping eye contact with Sally, “how much would you like to be educated to be a high class pony? How much would you like to be a member of the most exclusive elite?”
“Very!” She giggled even though she didn’t know what his words meant. She just wanted to be adopted by caring parents.
“See, darling?” The mare spoke after giggling delightfully and with elegancy. “She will be the daughter I sadly could never have”.
The stallion nodded at her and then looked at Sally. “I see. Say, little Sally, what are your talents? I have noticed you are still a blank flank.”
“Oh, my talents?” She rubbed her chin a bit, her face showing a glimpse of deep thought. Then, she smiled brightly and looked up at the couple. “Oh, I got a neat talent! Wanna see it, mister Star?”
“Please, call me father or dad if you would like to.” He smiled politely to her and nodded. “Please show us, Sally”.
“’kay, ‘kay!” She nodded quickly and shut her eyes tightly, focusing as much as she could to use her magic.
Meanwhile, Fairytale was listening carefully to the couple and her friend. When she noticed her bright smile, she gulped a bit and stood up, hoping deeply Sally wasn’t talking about a talent that she was told to keep hidden, and only the nurse lead and she knew about.
A few moments passed before the couple of ponies, the lead nurse, Fairytale and some other fillies, witnessed how a circle-shaped symbol, being big enough for a pony to step inside, began to glow beside the little navy blue unicorn filly. And then, the couple’s eyes widened as they saw a paw, rotten, dead and cold, came out from it. As the mare stepped back once, they saw how an undead timberwolf cub came out from the pentagram.
“Ta-dah!” Sally said with great pride and happiness after opening her eyes and looking back at the adult unicorns. “Ain’t that neat?” she said and giggled as she walked beside the undead and patted its head, much like if it was a pet. And as for the zombie, it was seemingly calmed, its eyes being distant and barely responsive, and also glowing with a faint light blue glow.
“I... that...” The mare just said, muttering, and then raised her hoof to her forehead, soon fainting dramatically on the colt’s arms.
“Oh, what ‘appen’d?” Sally asked as she took a step closer, seemingly concerned even though she was always behaving very childish. “’S she okay?” She spoke as she looked back at the stallion.
As a response, he took a step away from the filly while holding his marefriend. His fright had muted him, thus being impossible to him to say a single word. He was shaking in fear and was startled as the mere sight of an undead timberwolf right before him.
Fairytale noticed the whole scene, and as she muttered “oh, no” more than once, she noticed the couple being afraid of the undead and even of her best friend. What is worse, she was thinking, is that it’s not the first time it happens.
Meanwhile, the unicorn filly was still looking at the unicorn stallion, her tail swaying in happiness as she was thinking he would smile, say his wife just fainted because of joy, and finally tell her to come with them. However, the stallion looked at the lead nurse, who was being quiet and silent the whole time, and then he looked back at Sally.
“Oh, are ya okay, mister Star?” she asked politely and walked over to feel his arm, following the lead nurse’s motions she tends to do with a sick or ill orphan. When she walked far enough from the undead, three yards, it began to fade away just like i it was made of pixie dust.
“D... Don’t!” The stallion just stepped back from the filly again, and turned around. Then, he simply walked into the orphanage, his hooves still shaking in fear.
“Oh?” She sat back and looks back at the nurse lead. She smiled a bit at Sally, and followed the stallion into the orphanage. After she did, Sally trotted over the window, and stood on her hind legs to see what was going on. She saw how the stallion and the nurse mare were talking as he was heading quickly towards the entrance room, walking non-stop until walking out.
Oblivious to the real situation because of her innocence, the filly smiled, thinking he just headed out to come back a bit later with a package or something similar to take her, just as other couples have had done with the orphans she has seen and met. While she was smiling brightly, she turned around and trotted back to her friend.
“Well, what did they say?” Fairytale asked, hiding her true opinions. “Will they come back?”
“Yup!” she nodded quickly and giggled. “Just as plann’d, Fairy! Oh, t’was soo nice even my new mommy fainted!”
The yellow filly smiled a bit, knowing the true reason. She never had the heart to tell her the truth, as she thought it would hurt her friend’s feelings that her talent was highly feared and disliked. “Indeedy. It was surely a show, Sally. You did a nice job”.
“Oh, just nice?”
Fairytale giggled. “okay, okay. The best I’ve seen”.
“Neat!” She giggled along and nodded. Then, her ears perked up at the sound of the door opening.
“Alright, little ponies”, the lead nurse said as other nurses walked out along her, “it’s almost 6 o’clock, and the board game night will begin. After she said so, the foals and fillies smiled and began to gather around. The nurses were present to help the youngest orphans, picking them up and walking back with the crowd of orphans. Fairytale and Sally didn’t lose time, and they also joined the rest.
They walked back into the building, and the nurse lead locked the door to keep the foals safe from walking out; she knows well about the odd phenomena concerning the magic and flight skill outbursts toddlers have. After that, she and the other nurses led the crowd into a recreation room: a room upholstered with soft carpet, and with toys and safe furniture all over it. Although it wasn’t as big as the garden, it was certainly the biggest room in the building.
“Come on, Sally!” Fairytale said with happiness as she walked over a table, being small enough for four foals to sit around and having a picture of the tale Pinocchio. However, unlike other times, her unicorn friend didn’t follow her.
“Wait up, Fairy!” She smiled at her, her heart still being full with joy. “I’m gonna wait for my new parents! It’d be meanie of me if they walked in, and didn’t find me!” She giggled and then trotted over the only window that led to the outside. Then, she stood on her hind hooves, and placed her front hooves on the base of it, looking out and eyeing around actively.
The other filly looked over at her and sighed softly and a bit sadly as she looked down at the table, focusing on the picture. She then looked back at a nurse who stood beside her, holding her favorite fairytale book, and placed it down on the table.
“Something wrong, cutie?” the young nurse spoke with a friendly tone at the little filly and sat back across her. “You seem a bit saddened. Come on; tell auntie Tenny what’s troubling you.”
“Well, it’s my friend Sally”, she answered and looked back at the young deep purple nurse, “she’s over there, waiting for the unicorns to come back”.
“Oh... she used her talent again, right?” The filly nodded, and the nurse sighed a bit. “Well, they may not mind that. I’m sure there’s a couple out there who won’t mind such thing. Raising the dead surely can’t scare literally everypony in Equestria.”
“I wanna think the same, but... what if the right parents never come here?”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they will”, she remarked with an assuring smile and stood up, “now, do you want to play with your friends, Fairytale? There’s still one free spot for the game snakes and ladders.
“Thanks, auntie Tenny. I’ll be there in a minute”. The mare nodded at her words, ruffled her mane briefly, and then walked to check on the other foals and fillies.
Meanwhile, the dark blue filly was looking out the window, her mind racing in thoughts and fantasies about being part of a loving daughter. She giggled briefly as she was talking to herself. “I’m sure they just went t’get me a present. Oh, could be a toy or a bowtie... but bowties seem a bit silly. Oh, it’d be a teddy bear, or maybe a doll, or maybe a board game, or maybe a...” she gasped as she suddenly saw two silhouettes walking close to the orphanage’s entrance. “Oh, here they come! Wait... Oh, ‘s not them”, she giggled, “silly me, just a false alarm.”
Time passed by as the young ponies were playing, and Sally was waiting. Then, the Sun was starting to set and the nurses were about to take the foals to the dormitories.
“Just aaany minute”, Sally was whispering, her hope never decreasing or fading away, as she was looking out the window. From time to time, she checked back on the wall clock. “Mmh, what could be takin’ ‘em so long?” She wondered as she looked back at the window. “They should be here by now, like other mommies ‘n’ daddies do. Maybe they had an inconvenience... or maybe... or maybe they’re still choosing the bowtie’s color”. The little dark blue filly was whispering, trying to be still cheered up as she was waiting. Her mind was never ready to accept the reality of the situation.
“Sally”, she hears from behind her; it was the young nurse, “come on, you need to take dinner, brush your teeth and go to bed”. As usual, she was speaking with a soft tone to her, like she does for the young orphans.
“Oh, but... What if they come back and I’m not here? What if they don’t adopt me when they don’ see me waitin’?” She spoke a bit quickly as she looked back at the nurse and then back at the window.
The nurse walked closer, and placed her hoof on her shoulder. “You shouldn’t be up late, Sally. Come on, I’ll tell you a tale, what do you say?”
The filly stayed silent for a minute or two, always looking at the same spot: the orphanage’s entrance gates. And then, suddenly, she spoke with a glimpse of sorrow. “They’re not comin’ back, are they?” She slowly looked back at the nurse, her eyes wetting quickly. “They’re not gonna adopt me, right?”
The nurse stood silent for a moment, and then she picked up the small filly, holding her on her arms. “Sally, you know there will be another day, and other caring ponies.”
“But... It’s been a hundred parents now”, the filly answered as she buried her head on the nurse’s chest, “it’s like... They don’t like me.”
“That’s really silly to think, filly. Of course you’ll be adopted like your friends were”, the young mare spoke with a soft and calm tone, “you just need to be patient.”
“...I’m afraid I’d never be adopted”, the filly spoke as she hugged the nurse’s chest while warm tears were being formed on her eyes, “I wanna be adopted. I wanna be happy. I wanna be a daughter... Somepony’s daughter... I wanna know how does it feel t’be one.” She clenched her little hooves a bit, staying silent for a moment as she felt a knot in her throat.
“Shh, shh. It’s okay, Sally. Let it out,” the mare spoke and kissed the filly’s forehead tenderly, next to her alicorn, and cradled her a bit, “life isn’t always a bowl of cherries”.
The filly looked up at her, her little face and eyes wet with her warm tears of true sorrow. She sniffed once, and tried her best to smile. “But can it be a bowl of choco drops?”
“Of course, sweetie!” They both giggled briefly. “Life can be anything you wanna to. You just need patience and perseverance.”
“But... what if it takes years?”
“Well,” she smiled warmly at her, “you do like to be in here, filly, with your friends”.
“I do”, the filly smiled a bit wider and nodded, “like Fairy, or nanny, or you, or every-non-meanie-pony”.
“That’s the spirit, little filly,” the nurse spoke with enthusiasm and gently put the filly down and took her hoof tenderly, “now, it’s time to have dinner, take a bath and go to sleep, okay?”
“’kay!” The filly held her hoof tenderly, still shaking a bit due to her emotional breakdown. Then, both ponies headed back to the dining hall, being spacious enough to hold all the orphans.
The yellow filly looked over and, while smiling softly, she waved at the nurse and the small unicorn who just entered. “Over here!”
“Fairy!” Sally spoke, being enthusiast again, and trotted over, soon wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close for a hug.
“Sowwy for worryin’ ya. I promise I won’t do it ever, ever, ever again!”
Fairytale giggles and nodded. “It’s okay, don’t worry. Oh, and look!” She pointed over at the table, where there was a slice of chocolate cake. “I made sure you’d get your favourite, Sally”.
“Yum! Thanks, gal!” They both giggled and, after breaking the hug, they took a seat at the table, soon beginning to eat. The yellow earth filly smiled upon at her friend’s happiness as she has grown a great and unbreakable friendly bond with her. Soon after, they finished their meals and went to bed to sleep and get over the sorrow the little unicorn just went through, but was destined to go through it constantly.
Author's Note
- Sally's voice is much like Julia Volkova's (Singer - t.A.T.u.)
- Fairytale's voice is much like Lena Katina's (Singer - t.A.T.u.)
- The nurse's voice is much like Nika Futterman (Voice Actress - Raging Raven from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots)
