Waiting for Hope

~Two weeks later~

“Can we have dinner at the Manehatten diner?” Saphire asked, while running alongside her brand new parental guardian, Lucky Bits.

“Of course Saphire, I know how much you love the diners.” Lucky Bits said, happily hugging Saphire.

“Thanks Lucky,” she said, hugging him back and running towards the diner, Lucky following closely behind her.

After trotting inside of the diner and being lead to a table, the pair ordered two hay sandwiches with a large order of hay fries on the side.

“Hey Lucky, how long do you think it’ll take to get our food this time?” she asked with curiosity.

“Well, in two weeks we’ve become their best customers, so... I wanna say about five minutes.” he replied.

The wait was, just as he guessed, five minutes.

“Wow Lucky! How’d you know it would take them five minutes!?” she asked excitedly.

“I didn’t. It’s just my talent. I’m lucky, thats why I am an investment counselor.”

“I still don’t understand what that means Lucky.” she says confusedly.

“I’ve told you several times, it means I tell people how to invest extra bits they have.” he explained, exasperated.

“So, it means you tell people how to spend their money?” She raises an eyebrow.

“In a way, yes.” he says, taking a bite out of his hay sandwhich.

“That’s pretty cool!” she replied cheerfully.

“Yup.” he simply acknowledged.

After the food was eaten and Lucky paid the bill, they trotted back to his two story home with Saphire resting on his back. At the house, he set her down and told her to get ready for bed.

“It's time for bed Saphire, you need to brush your teeth, put your pajamas on and crawl in.”

“Ok!" She runs upstairs.

“Hey, what did I tell you about running on the stairs, Saphire?” He said, chuckling to himself a bit. He rolls his eyes and sits down with the local newspaper: The Ponyville Gazet.

“Sorry Lucky, I forgot!” she said, stopping in her tracks and climbing up the stairs slowly.

Saphire made her way into the restroom and brushed her teeth cheerfully. Once she finished, she trotted to her room and grabbed her PJs. They were simple blue pajamas, same color as her. She then trotted down the stairs and sat on Lucky’s lap.

“Can you read me a story Lucky?” she asked.

“Sure.” Lucky sets down the newspaper and takes her up to her room. “So, what do you want me to read you tonight?”

“How about the 'The Colt Who Cried Timberwolf'?” Saphire holds up the book.

“Sure.” He said picking up the book, and starting to read it. “Long ago, young colts helped in the village by watching the sheep.  While stallions and mares in the village did the other work, the colts would take all of the sheep from the entire village up to the mountainside to eat the sweet grass.  The colt watching the sheep was given a special horn with directions to only blow the horn if danger was nearby.

One of the younger colts got tired of watching the sheep and lambs run around and decided to play a trick on everypony.  He blew on the horn in his hoof and shouted, "Timberwolf! Timberwolf! The Timberwolf is after the sheep!"

The stallions and mares of the village came galloping up the hill to help the colt chase the timberwolf away.  When they got to the top of the hill, there was no timberwolf. There was only the face of a young colt who laughed at the angry villagers.

"Don't cry 'Timberwolf'," said the villagers. "if there is no Timberwolf!" The angry stallions left and went back down the hill.

Later, the colt again blew the horn he had been given and for the second time yelled, "Timberwolf! Timberwolf! The timberwolf is after the sheep!" Again, he watched the stallions gallop up the hill to help him chase the Timberwolf away.

When the villagers saw that the alarm was not real, they angrily said, "Save your alarm for when there is really something wrong! Don't cry 'Timberwolf' when there is NO Timberwolf!"

The colt just smiled and watched them go grumbling down the hill once more.

Later, he saw a REAL timberwolf coming closely prowling about his flock.  He leaped to his hooves.  "Timberwolf! Timberwolf!" he cried as loudly as he could.

The villagers thought he was trying to fool them again.  They did not come.

Later that night, everyone wondered why the shepherd colt hadn't returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find him crying.

"There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I yelled, "Timberwolf!" Why didn't anyone come?"

"We'll help you look for the lost sheep in the morning," they said.  "Nopony believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!" he finished."

Lucky closes the book, and smiles at his filly.

“Thats why you do not tell a lie Saphire.”

“'Cause nopony will believe you when you tell the truth,” she yawns.

“That’s right. Now it’s time for bed.” He tucks her in with a warm smile. He leans over and gives a kiss on the forehead. “Goodnight Saphire.”

Yawning again, Saphire muttered the one sentence every foster parent wanted to hear. “Goodnight, dad. I love you.”

She falls asleep.