A Sparkle in the Sky

Celestia Solaris fixed her iPod that was clutched to her arm by a runners band as she ran down the dirt road. Once it was securely latched on, she pushed play and began listening to her favorite music.

She was surrounded by trees and woods as she ran her morning jog. She loved seeing the nature around her. It was her favorite time of the day. For she got to see the sunrise at exactly the same time everyday after she finished her jog. At exactly the same place.

She was halfway to her destination when her mind started to wander about the things life was making her think about nowadays.

Her job, and how she was quickly making it the top of her industry; Solar energy sciences. Her boss had just promoted her to lead engineer in the lab she was working in for four years now. Her salary was more than any of her classmates in high school now made, and it's what she worked for her whole life.

The only thing was that even though she had always been the smartest girl in school, and she finally achieved her goal, she still felt an empty spot in her heart.

She lived alone, with no family.

When she was in high school she couldn't wait to get out into the world and excel at her studies. Now she was finding lately that her efforts were rewarded, but at the same time she was so very lonely.

All her old school mates who still lived near the city had boyfriends, or husbands, or even big families. She wanted to make an effort to get out and know more people, but when she tried to make plans, the lab would suddenly hit a breakthrough and she had to fall off the grid for a while to work.

Of course, she could make friends with her fellow physicists, but they were just as socially awkward as her, or maybe even more. And most of the scientists in the lab resented her for being so young and making it so far in the science world. Every time a new discovery was made, and her name was in the papers, the scientists In her department would give her nasty glares or sore attitudes. Usually it didn't bother her. But now she was starting to get uncomfortable at her own job.

As she let out a heavy sigh of depression, Celestia quickly remembered why was she was even running in the first place. Of course, to see the sun rise. Today they were predicting a small solar flare to reach the earth and make it about thirty degrees hotter than it was supposed to be. This lifted her spirit slightly, and she  forgot about her own heart problems for a while.

Celestia reached the end of the trail that led into the large community park. This ended her run and she walked over to the bench she always sat at. Before she reached it, she saw a small lump sitting on the wooden bench. It had dark indigo hair, with a small pink streak, and purple arms.

It was a girl. Sleeping on the bench.

Celestia began to worry. She never saw anyone this early in the morning, and the child was alone.

Celestia took her earphones out and put her iPod in her pocket. She walked up to the sleeping girl and tentatively placed a hand on her back.

"Sweetie? Hello? Where are your parents ?"

The purple girl stirred and opened her large eyes. She looked up at Celestia.

The first thing Celestia felt was sadness. Pure sadness in the girls purple eyes.

This compelled Celestia to sit down next to her. The girl teared up and met Celestias gaze. Then the girl spoke, her voice hoarse.

"She ... Said she was coming for me."

………………

Twilight looked at the pretty woman sitting next to her.

Why was she still here, her mother should have come for her. Was the man still at their house?

"Um , are you alright?" Twilight blinked. The woman was talking to her again. "She should have come." Twilight blurted.

The woman looked confused."I'm sorry, who should have come?"

Twilight grabbed at her pajama pants, and twisted them in her hands. "Mommy." She whispered. "She told me to come here. If I'm correct, that was about three and a half hours ago, judging by the position of the sun and moon. And she isn't here. The terrible man could still be there, or she could even be looking for me."

Twilight felt a gentle hand touch her back.

At first, she seemed alarmed by the gesture from the stranger, but one look into the woman's beautiful magenta eyes told her everything she needed to know.

It was like looking at an angel.

She was white skinned, and had hair of many colors. It was flowy and thick, and almost sparkled. Her eyes shone in the early morning light giving off a gentle, motherly tenderness.

She was very tall, so just seeing the woman next to Twilight made her feel so small. But not in an intimidating way. It was in  a way that made Twilight feel safe.

"You are very smart, What's your name?" Twilight couldn't look away from the beautiful stranger.

"Twilight. A-are you real?"

Twilight reached out to touch the strangers face. The woman's eyes widened in surprise slightly, but she chuckled. She let Twilight rub her cheek.

"Yes, I believe so. My name is Celestia."

"Celestia..." Twilight heard the name but didn't believe it. This was too good to be true. Twilight thought, I must be dead...

"Celestia. Yes. How old are you darling?" Celestia went back to being concerned for Twilight.

Twilight appreciated it. She felt better knowing someone cared. Someone could help her.

"I'm eight.  I'm in the third grade, and I go to Canterlot elementary. The only thing is, I can't find my mom and I need help. There is a bad man at our house..."

………………..

Celestia was mortified. This couldn't be right. How could a person so small and fragile have been through so much in her short life?

It was unfair, and cruel the way life was. Celestia  felt a pain deep inside herself.She was terrified for this little girl. And quite frankly, she was angry.

What kind of mother would sell herself to a stranger? Knowing she could be putting her own daughter at risk? Celestia wanted to help Twilight but how?

That's when Twilight began to plead to Celestia.

"Please, If you are the angel I've been praying for , help me. I need to find my mom. The police can arrest that man for hurting her and me, and we will be safe again."

Celestia looked into Twilights large violet eyes. She was so helpless...

Celestia stood up. She knew what she had to do.

" I am no angel, but I can certainly help you. Come, we need to get you to the Police Station."

Twilight followed Celestia, and reached her little purple hand into Celestia's large white one.

They walked through the woods and back to the path Celestia normally jogged to get to her home.

Finally, they reached her home, a two story house.  It was white with a fence surrounding the front lawn. Celestia quickly opened the fence and ran to her front door. She grabbed her car keys out of her purse she kept by the door, opened the garage and helped Twilight into her car.

Twilight was silent until they both were on the way to the police department. "I have a feeling mommy will be in trouble with the police." The little girl said solemnly.

Celestia cringed. Prostitution was illegal. If her mother was found out, she would go to jail for it. That was if the man who Twilight said attacked her hadn't hurt Twilight's mother already. They needed to hurry.

"Yes dear, she...she will be."

Twilight turned to Celestia.

"Celestia." The purple girl said in a serious tone." Don't tell them what she was doing with him. Please. I need my mommy, I don't have anyone else." Twilight's voice broke at the end of her sentence and she looked away from Celestia.

Celestia turned her gaze back to the road and sighed.

"I will try." She wanted to comfort the little girl but figured if she stayed silent, things could be left unsaid for a while and Twilight would have a few less things to worry about.

If only this world would be kind to this one child. Celestia thought to herself. Maybe I'd have more faith in humanity.

............,......................

Celestia opened the large dark door to the police station. Trailing behind her was Twilight Sparkle, the scared girl she promised to help.

She reached to hold Twilights hand but the girl was shaking from head to toe. Twilight's jaw clenched, and she looked like she would freeze in place. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked around her at the police officers.

Celestia leaned down to meet Twilights eye level and spoke softly, " I promise you you will be alright. I promise."

"Pinkie?" Twilight said in a small and shaky voice.

"Pinkie promise." Celestia brought her smallest finger and wrapped it around Twilights Pinkie finger which was sweating from being clamped shut. Twilight visibly calmed down, and her jaw relaxed. Her squeeze was deathly tight on Celestia's hand, however.

Celestia reached the receptionists' desk and spoke up.

" I'm here to alert the police department that someone may be seriously hurt, and that this little girl was attacked last night by a strange man in her home."

The receptionist looked at Twilight and frowned slightly." Wait a moment, I will get the chief down here for you."

Twilight buried her head in Celestia's shirt as they stood and waited for the head officer.

There was a quick phone call, and then the door by the receptionists' desk opened.

A tall dark man with a suit and tie walked in. His expression was solemn and he looked at Twilight in Celestia's arms.

"Is this Twilight Sparkle?"

Celestia feared the next words he said. But she nodded in response to the chief of police.

"I'm going to need the child to come with me please.We have been looking for her for hours."

         Celestia looked down at Twilight and then back up at the officer. Twilight shook her head, but Celestia took Twilights arms from her waist and tried to step away.

As soon as the officer put his hand out for Twilight to join him, she ran back to Celestia's side and buried her face again.

"Don't, please," Her muffled voice said.

Celestia  looked at the officer and said, "Do you think you could tell me?"

The officer put his hand down and sighed." I am sorry to say it like this, and if here is anything I can do to help, please, let me know. I just sent a team out to investigate Twilight's home. Late last night we got a call from a neighbor of the Sparkle household.” The officer stepped closer to Celestia and his voice dropped to a quiet and consoling tone.

"I'm afraid there was a terrible fight around the time Twilight went missing. It's your mother Twilight. She was... murdered."

Celestia froze. No, this couldn't be. Oh, her heart broke for Twilight Sparkle...

Twilight looked at Celestia, her face was pale. She was in shock, Celestia could tell. What do I say ? Celestia thought frantically. She could sense something  inside the little girl was going to explode any second once the news sunk in.

Her mouth moved to speak, but all the little girl did was shake her head.

"No, nonono! " Twilight dropped to her knees. Her hands clenched at her own hair and she shook uncontrollably.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!"

……………….

Twilight couldn't see anymore. Her body was weak from malnutrition but it wasn't the only reason that her eyes went numb.

Her whole world came crashing down in that one sentence the Police officer said to her.

She was murdered. Murdered...murdered....

The words kept swimming inside of her body and her whole being until it made her limbs fail to support her, and she  slammed into the ground of the police office.

Life just kept throwing wave after wave of new things to make it a living hell. She couldn't take it any more. That evil man took everything from her. Everything.

Twilight laid there after she screamed. Everything in her body refused to move.

She couldn't cry. She couldn't yell. She lied there. Still. Her body wouldn't respond to her mind but she didnt mind. She was completely numb.

She heard Celestia's worried voice, the chief, the receptionist were all trying to get her attention but Twilight felt as if she were in another world.

Her mother was dead, and she couldn't do anything about it...

Twilight Velvet Sparkle wouldn't be coming for her.

Even though she promised.

...........................

Twilight woke up in a bed that was unfamiliar to her. She felt something taped to her arm but couldn't see it. Her eyes struggled to stay awake as she slowly lifted her head above the pillow she was resting on. She saw an IV  strapped to her arm.

So she was in a hospital bedroom. She figured as much since she fainted on the ground of the police station. The lights were dim, and the curtains drawn. She didn't recognize the hospital.

The memory of the police office came back to haunt Twilight. He had just told her... No.  Twilight didn't want to think about it. She clenched her eyes shut, she didn't want to remember. Don't remember ! Don't remember! She thought furiously.

But it plagued her mind. The screaming, the hitting. The man's hands touching her in places she didn't want to be touched in. The scars, the ones that would never heal began to burn in Twilight's heart in more ways than she could imagine. Twilight wished she hadn't run away to the park. She wished she never left her mother's side... She had sacrificed herself for Twilight. She should have never left her...

A hot tear fell down Twilight's cheek and she didn't wipe it. She stayed absolutely still. Her eyes were still shut,  arms down to her side. She wanted to box herself in like this forever.

She was alone again. Even the angel left. And that was what broke her heart the most. God had given up on Twilight and made the angel Celestia return to heaven.

All of a sudden, there was a rustle of noise and she felt a hand wipe away her tear. Her right eye twitched where the soft white hand touched her. Moving her head slowly to the right she saw Celestia looking at her with concern.

"You're awake, " Said the angels sweet voice.

"You're back," Twilight breathed." Why didn't  you go back to heaven?" Her voice sounded so crisp, because her throat hurt from screaming.

Celestia smiled." I told you, I'm not an angel Twilight."

Twilight’s eyes filled with tears. " Ok then. But did they catch the bad man?"

Celestia looked down. "They did... He's in custody now."

Twilight caught her breath." Oh. I’m so glad. Can they lock him away forever now?"

Celestia nodded and smiled. "Forever Twilight."

Twilight nodded and felt a piece of her heavy heart being lifted." At least mommy will be avenged."

Celestia moved closer to Twilight and held her hand. Twilight felt safe again. Through everything that happened, she felt safe.

" I know we met only five hours ago... But I feel like the past few hours have been life changing for me Twilight Sparkle. And for you as well. I only wish the best for you when they find you a new home."

Twilight's heart sank." A f- foster home?"

Celestia nodded." Yes...it will be for the best sweetie."

Celestia squeezed Twilight's hand for reassurance but Twilight shook her head.

"No. No I can't ! I can't go back to a foster home, I can't! "

Celestia tried to calm Twilight but she couldn't take it anymore.

"No, please! Do you know what those places are like? No! You don't. The foster home I went to while my mom went to jail once was horrible! Please don't let them send me there Celestia."

Twilight could feel her stomach churning. The memories of past foster homes and neglectful parents swum in her mind and threatened to consume her had a gentle hand not stopped her from worrying.

Celestia stroked Twilight's hair and comforted her.

" I suppose you could stay with me.."

Twilight froze." What?"

Celestia sighed." I know I just met you, but I feel like this was supposed to happen. This was meant to be, you know? I know it sounds far fetched but... I once lost my family too. I know what it feels like. Maybe you could stay with me until a new and better home comes along?"

Twilight couldn't stop herself from saying,"bwah, huh?"

" Oh, Twilight. " Celestia giggled." So, does that sound like a deal. Twilight nodded her head.

"Yes! Oh thank you, thank you so much." Her big purple eyes began to tear up, and again, her caretaker was there to dry them.