The Great Lepidoptera

9,000 years BM-DE

I yawned, stretching all my limbs. I had an odd dream that after the time my ponies passed, the three races argued constantly. Then, the country froze up. They searched for a new one, and then they argued over it. It began to freeze, but three ponies, each from the different races, became friends, which got rid of the cold. The three races became friends, and they founded a place called Equestria.

My gaze wandered towards the horizon, where the sun had begun to set. Firefly will be wondering where I'm at, I thought. I spread my wings, and soared off towards Dream Castle. As I flew, I noticed something was...different. The air didn't smell the same. It seemed older, somehow. The landscape had also changed. I was beginning to panic. Just how long had I been asleep?! I sped up, hurrying towards the castle. I got there in no time-or at least, what was left of the castle. I spiraled down through the hole, landing in the ballroom. Vines covered everything. Drapery and furniture had rotted away. The only living things I sensed in the castle were insects and rodents. No ponies.

I wandered through the decrepit halls, memories flooding back. Some of my most recent memories were of this place, but it looked like the events took place ages ago. In one of the rooms, I spotted a glass case, which contained an ancient book. I recognized it as the journal I gave to Ember, the littlest pony. I smashed the glass and removed the book. I sat down on the floor and opened to the first page.

I don't know how long I sat there, reading about Ember's life. It spoke about love, loss, hardships, and joys. It spoke of my disappearance and various speculations of where I had gone. Even though there were various wild theories concerning my whereabouts, not once did she say that I had abandoned her and the other little ponies. She always thought I would return.

After reading the diary, I put it back in the case and stuck the glass back together with silk, in memorial to the most faithful little pony. I then decided to explore the world, see what things had changed.

I had just purchased some groceries and was weaving through the streets of Trotchester, back to my house. I had taken up residence in the small town several months back. A few ponies were still supspicious of me, but most of them accepted me as a part of everyday life. I earned my living as a weaver, making beautiful cloth out of my silk. I also would sing on the side. Turns out I have quite a lovely voice. I often spent my free time in the library, reading up the events I had missed.

This particular day seemed no different from any other, but I felt like something significant was going to happen. As I neared my home, I thought I heard rustling and faint voices in the alley, but I paid no heed to the sounds. Suddenly, something tackled me from behind, knocking me over. I dropped my things, heard the sounds rustling paper, and then hooves galloping off. When I looked up, everything I had

bought was gone. I spotted the end of a blue tail vanishing into an alley.

"Oh no you don't!" I snarled, giving chase. The thief was going to get a nice kick in the flank if I caught up to them. Which was surprisingly difficult. They obviously knew their way around Trotchester better than I did. The only reason I found them at all was because I saw a few strands of hair in a small hole in an old brick wall they had wiggled through. I leapt over the wall with ease and landed in front of culprit-or, should I say, culprits.

One of them was a unicorn filly with a bright pink mane. The other was a blue pegasus, who looked younger than her partner.

"Excuse me," I said coldly, glaring at the blue filly. "But I bought tho-"

"Yell at me," cut in the unicorn. "I told her to steal from you. I said that she needed to learn how to steal to survive. I take responsibility

for her actions." She hung her head, awaiting the sting of my wrath.

My glare softened at their predicament, but there was one question in the back of my mind. "Why aren't you two at the orphanage?"

The pegasus spoke this time. "They wouldn't take us in. It's overflowing as is." Her ears drooped. "We don't have anywhere to go."

I blinked, then uncurled my fists. What was wrong with me? I should've known that the only reason anybody/pony would take something that wasn't theirs would be if they really needed to. These fillies had no parents, no home. They weren't amoral, just desparate. Within a second of this realization, I made a crazy decision. But first...

"What are your names?" I asked.

"We don't have any," the older filly said. "We've just always called each other 'sister'. We don't even know if we're actually sisters!"

"Well, then," I responded, kneeling down to their eye level. The ponies shrank away, but I smiled warmly.

"We'll just have to change a few of those things."