In Search Of A Family

Chapters

Prologue
The Decision
Preparations
Ice And Snow And Thirty Below
In The Flesh
Yakkity Yak
Well, They Are Kind Of Similar...
Mature, Yet Still A Child
The Eyes She Hasn't Got

Prologue

It's not often that Princess Celestia was required to make an official ruling on an adoption...

In fact, it had been centuries since the last time that this had happened, and that had been the first official case of inter-species adoption in the history of Equestria (there had been unofficial cases in the past, but that had been the first time it had been given a royal sanction, and set precedent for centuries to come). In all honesty, Princess Celestia had hoped that after that ruling, there would never be a question regarding the rights of adoption ever again. But today, given recent events, that centuries old precedent was being called into question...

The young crystal pony that stood before her in the throne room was... unremarkable, based solely on her appearance. She did not have a cutie mark, for one thing, seeming to be a late bloomer in that regard. For another, her color scheme was somewhat bland: her coat was pure white, and her mane and tail, both of which were unstyled, and more than a little flat and limp looking, were both pitch black. Her mud brown eyes completed the ensemble. Her "glow", the inner light that made Crystal Ponies shine, was surprisingly subdued, so that unless you were looking for it, you'd not even notice it. Overall, the impression that she gave to any who first saw her was of a pony who was completely unremarkable in any way.

Of course, appearances can be deceiving...

"So," Princess Celestia began, a little bit hesitant in regards to starting this particular conversation, "Let me make certain that I understand what you want, Miss Crawly..."

The filly, Creepy Crawly, looked the princess directly in the eye, stopping her mid-sentence. Luna had warned her sister about this: When angered, or even just annoyed, Creepy Crawly could give Fluttershy lessons on how to give a good stare. Eye contact with her could be incredibly unnerving if she was even slightly peeved, since she could give her glare an intensity that should, by all rights, be able to peel paint, curdle milk, or etch steel. Even Celestia, who had traded glares with Discord and King Sombra, had to admit it was more than a little bit unsettling, especially from a pony so young.

"What we want," Creepy Crawly said, in a voice that was surprisingly musical. She did have a lovely voice, when she spoke. Celestia idly wondered if she liked to sing. "All four of us are in agreement on this."

"Right, right," Celestia said. And she had to admit, the interviews that Luna had given of each member of this "family" had been sufficient to prove beyond all doubt that each of them was entering into this of their own free will. Under other circumstances, a small group of creatures deciding that they wanted to raise a pony would not have been frowned upon, even if that group was made up of three different species. But these particular creatures...

"Well," Celestia continued, having difficulty maintaining her chain of thought under the intensity of Creepy Crawly's glare, "You must admit, this isn't exactly something that happens very often. Inter-species adoption isn't banned, of course: I presided centuries ago over the hearing for the first time that a pony was officially adopted by a non-pony. While an unusual situation then, such adoptions are now much more common. This situation, however, is far more... unique." The princess looked behind Creepy Crawly, towards the prospective "sisters", then back towards filly. "Please understand, I don't mean any offense to you or the ones who wish to adopt you, but... the primary concern here is regarding your safety. Each of your... "sisters" are creatures that, well..." Celestia found herself struggling for a way to put this gently...

"The four of us traveled, on hoof, across Equestria for nearly one hundred days, before we came here to Canterlot," Creepy Crawly said, one eyebrow raised, as if she found Celestia's concern, or perhaps her discomfort, amusing. "Most of that trip was through unsettled wilderness. If any of them had wished me any sort of harm, they've had thousands of opportunities to do so during that time, at times and places where there would have been nopony to stop them. I admit, we all had a rocky start, but we've grown very close since then. While I can understand the reasons for the objections, they're moot. I'd be at greater risk of being harmed by a teddy bear than I would be by Whinny, Doomie, or Heddy."

Celestia paused for a moment before speaking. She'd been told that this filly had traveled quite some distance with her companions before coming to Canterlot, and they'd had plenty of adventures along the way, but that really doesn't give a true sense of the scale of the journey. But what could have happened along the way that would have caused these four to decide to form a family? Maybe it would be best to hear the whole story direct from the horse's mouth, so to speak, before she made a ruling about this...

"Well then," Celestia said, a smile forming across her face,"Why don't you tell me about your journey, and how you four met. It sounds like quite the story."

Creepy smiled cheerfully, the intensity of her glare suddenly gone, then said, "I'd be happy to, your majesty. I should warn you, though, it's a little bit long."

"Well, it all started when..."

The Decision

Creepy Crawly had never been the type to just sit around, waiting.

Which was why, after King Sombra had been defeated, she had, within one week, started going door to door. She would walk over to each house, tugging along her little red wagon, which held all of her prized possessions, including Theodora, her teddy bear, and knocked on each door in the city. When a door opened, she would repeat the same speech, every time.

"Hello, my name is Creepy Crawly. My parents were outside of the Crystal Empire when King Sombra flung the city forward in time a thousand years. I don't have anypony to look after me. Would you like to adopt me?"

The responses varied: Some said that they had their hooves full with the colts and/or fillies that they already had. Others stated that they weren't ready to be parents. A few said they could not afford to look after another little pony at this time. A few would have been willing, but were quite old. But it had always boiled down to one simple answer: No.

After three days, she had covered every house in the Crystal Empire, save one. Over the course of her trek, she had obtained, from sympathetic ponies, fifteen loaves of bread, forty seven cookies of various flavors, five slices of pie, three whole pies, twelve slices of cake, eight whole cakes, twenty four donuts, and an apple. Well, at least she wouldn't starve any time soon, although she may end up putting on a few pounds, and if she'd not gotten a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste from the local dentist, she would have had serious problems with tooth decay sooner rather than later...

But now, there was only one place left to check before she could say that she had tried everywhere in the Crystal Empire: the Crystal Palace itself. Creepy Crawly was... hesitant to go inside of that place. Not because she was afraid of the current residents, but because that was where King Sombra had lived during his reign of terror. Just looking at the place stirred up all kinds of bad memories.

After a moment, she decided that, as nice as Princess Cadance and Sir Shining Armor were, she couldn't bring herself to go asking them to adopt her, given that it would mean that she would have to live in the palace if they said yes. She had nightmares enough already just looking at the palace: she shuddered to think of what horrors would haunt her dreams if she had to live in it...

Besides, she reasoned, no doubt the princess and her hubby were quite busy right now, what with getting the Crystal Empire caught up with the modern age. It was unlikely that they would be able to give a new daughter the time she would deserve right now. And if they did give said daughter the time she deserved, it would only be at the cost of the time they should spend helping all the other ponies in the Crystal Empire. Creepy didn't want that on her conscience. But if that was the case, and there was nopony else able to take her in...

...Then she'd have to take her show on the road.

It wasn't impossible: She and her parents had attempted to flee the Crystal Empire while Sombra was distracted by the two princesses a thousand years ago. They had planned to escape the city, cross the frozen wastes, and seek aid for the Crystal Empire from other nations. Father had been high ranking guard in the Crystal Empire, and he'd had friends throughout Equestria who held rank in various military organizations: he'd planned on leading an army back to take the city from King Sombra. But while they had been fleeing, Creepy Crawly, weighed down by a heavy snow jacket, enough supplies to see her through the trip, and snow shoes, stumbled just before she had crossed the threshold that separated the city from the freezing weather beyond. She was certain that her parents, who had just crossed the threshold, would have turned back to try and retrieve her... but at that moment, King Sombra's curse threw the city a thousand years into the future... leaving Creepy Crawly minus a mother and father.

Still, she had all of the supplies needed to cross the frozen wastes, and the military-grade rations she'd had in her travel pack would last for years. Her parents had drilled her on the best route to take to make it into Equestria proper, just in case they were separated, so she wouldn't be at risk of getting lost. She'd also been taught everything she'd need to know about survival in the freezing cold, and where she might find shelter along the way. She could have taken the train, she supposed, but train tickets cost a lot of money, and she didn't trust those newfangled contraptions (well, they were new to her, anyways, since they hadn't existed a thousand years ago). But that meant crossing miles of unforgiving terrain that would be blanketed in snow and ice, and on hoof, that could take at least a week, maybe longer.

It wasn't impossible... Just really, really difficult.

Still, Creepy Crawly wasn't the type to shy away from a challenge, either. It was kind of late, though, so she decided that she'd best start in the morning, bright and early. It would be kind of silly if she made camp for the night and the warm, cozy Crystal Empire was still in sight. Tomorrow morning, she would go, in search of a family.

Preparations

Before going on a long journey, you should always make a checklist.

Well, that was what Creepy's mother had always said. It was very important, she would say, that before you left, you made certain that you had everything you needed. After all, if you forget something important, you'd have to turn right back around and get it, which is always embarassing. Worse, according to her father, depending on what you forget, you might put yourself in serious danger. More than one expedition ended in disaster because somepony forgot to bring something as simple as a spare wheel for a cart. Logistics, the management of vital resources, was critical, not just in the movement of armies, but in everyday life. Food, water, clothing, equipment, all of these would be the difference between failure and success.

Because of these lessons taught by her parents, Creepy Crawly was taking no chances with the resources she would need to survive the trip across the frozen wastes. Enough food and water for two weeks (just in case she was snowbound for a time and unable to travel), a fully charged warming stone (a magical item that had been included in every Equestrian soldier's kit a thousand years ago, it produced warmth without light or smoke, allowing a soldier to stay warm without giving away his position to the enemy. It could also be used as a campfire, or kept under your coat to help keep you warm while you walked), a map, a compass, snow goggles, snow shoes, a heavy coat, three thick blankets, a set of signal flares (little more than fancy fireworks, but vital if something went horribly, horribly wrong), her backpack, her little red wagon, spare wheels and axles for the wagon, a coin pouch, a spool of twine, a small bag of assorted knick-knacks, a few other minor necessities, and Theodora.

"Well, Theo," Creepy said to Theodora, looking over her supplies, "I think that should be everything. Once we get across the frozen wastes, I should be able to live off the land until we can find a town. From there, well, we will just have to see what happens. I doubt we'll starve."

Theodora didn't say anything. Sadly, her conversational skills were rather limited, given that she was a teddy bear. She was an excellent listener, though. Creepy's mother had stitched the bear herself, and had paid a unicorn to place several magical spells inside of her. She'd given the teddy bear to Creepy after she had taken care of the monster under her bed (and yes, a thousand years ago, there really were monsters under the bed), claiming that the bear would protect her from any monster, no matter how big or scary.

Sadly, all the teddy bears in the world couldn't do anything about King Sombra...

The two sat under an apple tree in the park, looking over their supplies, making certain that there wasn't anything missing. As Creepy looked over the assorted items, she munched on a couple of cookies. Theodora hadn't touched her dinner yet. She'd never had much of an appetite, even at the best of times.

"Well, Theo, if there's anything missing, I can't imagine what it might be," she said to the teddy bear, "If there is something, we'll have to make do." Theodora's only response was to fall over onto her side. "Yeah," Creepy said, yawning, "I agree. It's bed time. We'll need to get up early tomorrow: we've got a long trip ahead of us."

Creepy picked up the bear, then got ready for bed. Her heavy coat served as a pillow, two of the blankets underneath as bedding, one on top for a cover, and she was ready for the night. She sighed, then gave the bear a squeeze. From the bear came a feminine voice, which said, "I love you." A tear came to Creepy's eye as she whispered back, "I love you too, mommy..."

And beneath a starry sky, Creepy Crawly cried herself to sleep.

Ice And Snow And Thirty Below

Who in their right mind would put a city in the middle of an uninhabitable icy wasteland?

That question ran through Creepy Crawly's mind for the thousandth time that day as she dragged her wagon along. Supposedly, it had been considered a means of making the city safer: after all, any army that wanted to invade would have to deal with the long, bitterly cold trek to the city, but that meant that if anypony succeeded in taking the city from you, it would make it very difficult to take back. If the city had not been self-sustaining, it would have been a logistical nightmare keeping the populace supplied with food.

Regardless of the reason, Creepy had to deal with it. She had set out at dawn, as planned, and nopony had seen her leave the city. While she had hesitated momentarily before leaving, her hoofsteps were now determined, and she was marching along on the route that she and her parents had planned to take a thousand years ago.

By now, she reckoned that it was noon, or a little after, and the city was now far behind her. She had to continuously check her compass to make certain that she was headed in the right direction now, as visibility was starting to suffer slightly. The good news was, she figured that she was making better progress than expected, having passed several landmarks that were referenced on her map. The bad news was, the weather was taking a definite turn for the worst.

It seemed the blizzard of the century was forming around Creepy Crawly as she walked. While the weather around the Crystal Empire could be pretty bad, the snowstorm that was beginning to gather around her was rapidly becoming one of the worst she had ever seen. In fact, she thought to herself, it seemed unnaturally bad... or maybe supernaturally bad.

Almost as if triggered by that thought, she heard a sound from high above her. It sounded... almost like a whinny. She looked up, and saw something that nopony had seen for ages: A Windigo.

While most ponies believed that these creatures had been wiped out by the first Hearth's Fire caused by Clover the Clever, some scholars believed that since the Windigoes were ethereal creatures by nature, they could never truly be destroyed, and instead dwelt in the coldest, most forbidding places, to wait for the day when the fires of friendship went out, and they could once again attempt to bury the world in ice and snow.

Whether that was true or not, there was very definitely a Windigo flying around above Creepy Crawly, and it seemed to be controlling the storm that was gathering around her.

"Seriously?" asked Creepy, to nopony in particular. "You've got to be kidding. Nopony sees a Windigo anywhere for hundreds and hundreds of years, and now one just decides to appear for the sole purpose of ruining my day." She turned her head skyward, then shouted, "Hey, don't you have something better to do today other than snowing on a cute little filly!?!"

The Windigo's response was an amused sounding whinny, almost a laugh, which seemed to imply that it felt that snowing on a cute little filly was the absolute best possible use of its free time. It then whipped the blizzard into an even greater frenzy, to the point that it was now very difficult to see.

"Oh, so you think that's funny, do you?" Creepy asked, starting to feel a little bit hot under the collar, freezing blizzard or not. "Well, let's see how funny you think this is..." With that, she grabbed the first thing she could get a hoof on from her wagon, and threw it up into the air at the Windigo. She didn't realize that what she had thrown was Theodora until it was airborne.

Windigoes, as previously mentioned, are ethereal creatures, and as such, are normally untouched by physical objects. Even most forms of magic have only limited effectiveness against them. But they are creatures that are able to be affected by strong emotions, such as negative feelings like hate, which make them stronger, and positive emotions like love... which can harm them.

So, a hand-stitched teddy bear, specifically made by a loving mother, for her beloved daughter, hugged day and night by said daughter, and filled to bursting with all the love a heart can hold, would be quite solid to a Windigo. In fact, when it hit the Windigo, squarely in the face, it was the equivalent of getting hit with a brick. Worse, on impact, the bear exclaimed, in the previously mentioned mother's voice, "I love you," which made the damage it did to the Windigo ten, no, one hundred times worse. And that was not even the worst part...

Creepy's mother, also as previously mentioned, had a unicorn (and a rather powerful one, at that) put numerous spells upon the bear. Among those spells was what was called a "Binding" spell, a spell that had been intended as protection against those rare, but quite dangerous, ethereal creatures that might try to do harm to a small pony while asleep. One solid whack with the bear, and those creatures would be rendered solid, and much more easy to deal with (they were quite small, and easily stepped on). Such spells were intended for small, weaker creatures... but it seemed they worked pretty well on Windigoes, or at least, on injured ones.

The end result of all this was that, after getting hit in the face with the emotional equivalent of a freight train filled with orphans who were hugging puppies, the Windigo fell to the ground, hard and fast, and by the time it hit, the creature was solid enough for the impact to hurt.

In The Flesh

Creepy crept slowly up to the crater that the windigo had made on impact, Theodora at the ready in case the wraith should try anything. While she didn't understand what had just happened, she knew enough to be ready, just in case the windigo was just playing with her...

But instead of a windigo, what she saw took her breath away...

At the bottom of the crater was the single most beautiful mare that Creepy had ever seen. Her coat was a light blue, and her long, flowing mane and tail were both of the purest white. She was tall and slender, and her face one of such perfect beauty that she might have made Celestia and Luna envious. A long, needle sharp horn announced her to be a unicorn.

Without meaning to, Creepy gave a small gasp of awe, and immediately ducked down out of sight as the mare began to stir. After a few seconds, she risked taking a peek, to see what the mare was doing...

...And came face to face with a pair of eyes with all the beauty, and all the warmth, of a snowflake.

In a voice so musical that it made the heart ache, and yet so devoid of emotion that it chilled the blood, the unicorn asked, "What have you done to me?"

Startled, Creepy swung the bear with all of her might, striking the mare in the face. It was a solid blow, backed by all the strength her little body could muster. The bear hit with all the force of... a five year old pony swinging a teddy bear. The mare seemed totally unfazed this time. However, when Theodora exclaimed, 'I love you', the mare tensed, as if expecting something to happen. When it was clear that nothing would, she began feeling herself with her hooves, and after a moment, she whispered, "I'm... tangible." Looking at Creepy with emotionless eyes, the mare said, the slightest hint of surprise in her voice, the windigo said, "You... you've ponyfied me..."

"You are on a journey to find new parents?"

As she checked the compass to make certain of her bearings, Creepy said, "Yes. I've asked every... well, every pony that I can ask, and none of them are able to do so. Since that's the case, I decided to leave and find parents elsewhere." Certain that she was moving in the right direction, she put the compass away, thankful that the storm had died down...

The windigo, which Creepy had decided to dub 'Whinny', walked beside the young filly, her expression blank. After her initial surprise at finding herself solid, Whinny had seemed strangely... stoic about the entire thing. She'd taken the explanation of 'idunno' regarding her sudden change in state without argument or further questioning. However, when the filly began packing up and leaving, the windigo had stood by, watching, and when Creepy left, the windigo followed her, occasionally asking questions. Creepy had the feeling that, in all honesty, Whinny was still in shock, and had there been nopony to follow, might have just stood there at the bottom of that crater until she fully came to her senses... or until the end of time.

Creepy had thought about telling the windigo to get lost, but in all honesty, she couldn't bring herself to do so: The trip was going to be long, and it would not hurt to have somepony to talk to asides from Theodora. Besides, abandoning Whinny in the state she was in just left a bad taste in Creepy's mouth...

A thought coming to her mind, Creepy asked, "So, what were you doing way out here? I can't imagine that there is much hate to feed on in Equestria."

The windigo, her expression so blank that Creepy was beginning to wonder if the mare even knew what facial expressions were, responded with the same dull monotone as always, stating, "In a way, I am as you are: I had come to the Crystal Empire when the dark shadow had conquered your realm. I was an advanced scout for a larger herd that had sensed his power, and sought a taste of it. However, the dark king captured me, then erected a barrier to keep the rest of my kin out. When your city vanished, I did as well. When it returned, and the dark one was away, I was able to escape the prison which held me." After a moment, the windigo added, "Where my herd has gone, I do not know..." Was that a hint of worry in her voice, or was Creepy imagining things?

A little miffed, Creepy asked, "And you decided to pick on the first filly you saw?"

"Birds fly, fish swim, and windigos freeze things," Whinny said, her voice returning to the same dull monotone as before. "I could no more resist the urge to summon a storm than you could resist the urge to breathe."

"You seem to be resisting pretty well now," Creepy said, a little curious.

"I... do not feel that urge anymore," the windigo admitted, after a brief pause.

Before she could comment upon that, the filly noticed something up ahead. "Ah, there we are," she said, smiling. "The first resting place on our way." Gesturing towards a cave in the distance, she continued, "Merchant caravans on their way to and from the Crystal Empire would use caves like these to take shelter during the night. They're heated by magical hot springs created for that purpose. Even if there's been no trade in the last thousand years, the caves will still be here."

Whinny, looking at the cave in question, asked, "If nopony has been this way in a thousand years, then why is there a light coming from the cave?"

Yakkity Yak

There were certain rules when traveling, at least, there were back before Sombra and his temporal shenanigans. When you went down the merchant paths, you had to practice proper etiquette, and remembering certain codewords was vital if you wanted to keep from walking into a fight. One of the biggest rules of the road was the simplest: You did not walk up to a campsite unannounced. The only kind of individual who does that is someone intent on a robbery or other mischief. If you wanted to visit a camp, you had to first announce yourself a good distance off, then wait for a response. At least, that's what her father had taught her...

With that in mind, Creepy called out, "Hello, the cave!"

As she waited for a response, the filly considered her options. The traveler's code (Well, they're more like guidelines, really) was pretty clear about this kind of situation: You did not go near a campsite if you didn't get a response. An unresponsive campsite, with the fire still lit, meant big time trouble, nine times out of ten. But the next cave would be a days walk down the line, and even with her supplies, Creepy did not relish the idea of sleeping out in the open. Even a friendly response, way out here, could be problematic: The railroads, from what Creepy understood, had made the old merchant caravans obsolete, so waystations like this one should have been long abandoned. That being said, why would anypony in their right mind be out here?

A few seconds after her call, the filly heard a tentative response. "Hello, is someone out there?" The voice was definitely feminine, and while no expert, Creepy would have guessed the speaker to be an adult mare, somewhere in either her late teens or early twenties.

Calling out again, Creepy answered, "Yes! Two weary travelers! Can we share your fire?"

The response was immediate, and surprisingly enthusiastic. "YES! YES, PLEASE COME IN!" There was something in that tone that worried Creepy. It was the kind of voice somepony might use if they were dangling off a cliff, and somepony had just offered to throw them a line...

Creepy looked up at Whinny. If the windigo thought that there was something strange about the mare's response, she kept it to herself. Looking back at the cave, Creepy called out, "We're coming in!"

Fifteen minutes later...

"I really cannot say how glad I am to see somepony," the 'pegasus' said, happily. "I've been stuck here for what seems like weeks now, ever since that fiasco at the Canterlot Wedding. I really couldn't tell you how I ended up here: One minute I was just minding my own business, and then everything went black. When I came to, I was on my back, out in the snow, just outside this cave. I had no idea where I was, or where I could go to find help. Honestly, I was beginning to wonder if the world had ended when I had passed out, and I was all alone. I mean, I know that's silly, but after weeks alone here in this cave, you'd be amazed at what you'd start thinking..."

She had introduced herself as Doomie. She had a dark grey coat, electric blue eyes, and a short mane and tail (The mane came down just to her chin, and her tail was about the same length) of the same color. In terms of appearance, she was... well, she was ordinary looking. Or at least, she would be, if it weren't for the fangs.

Creepy didn't have the heart to tell the changeling that she'd messed up her disguise, and that anypony who saw her would immediately be able to tell that she wasn't a real pony. The fangs, and visible lack of a cutie mark, were dead giveaways. Regardless, it was clear that, even if her story was part fabrication, she'd found herself well and truly stranded after what had happened in Canterlot, and had more or less given up hope of being rescued... and then Creepy and Whinny had appeared.

And she just kept talking, and talking... and talking. Creepy was beginning to wonder if changelings needed to breathe. Was Doomie a chatterbox, or had the fact that she had spent the last few weeks alone made it impossible for her not to talk, now that she had an audience? Either way, the fact that the changeling was practically gushing about how happy she was at having company made it impossible not to like her, at least a little bit...

Still, Creepy would need to figure out some way of letting Doomie know that the jig was up...

The three of them were seated in the cave around a warming stone. Doomie had indicated that somepony had left it here, and while it had been quite dusty, and completely drained of power, when she found it, a good soak in the hot springs had recharged it in a jiffy, so it was now able to put out some extra heat. While not strictly necessary in the already warm cave, the stone did provide light, and helped add to the heat that the springs generated, so that interior of the cave was pleasantly warm and toasty.

And Doomie rattled on and on...

"...and the things I saw out there. I would have sworn to having seen a windigo out there yesterday, but that's practically impossible: Windigos don't come to Equestria anymore. Oh! But where are my manners, I've just been blabbering on and on and on. Let me make you both some tea. I found a pack of tea leaves in the supply box I found at the back of the cave, and the preservation spell on that thing was still working, I think. I can't promise flavor, but at least it should be warm. Let me just... what?" Looking at Whinny, Doomie raised an eyebrow, confused at the windigo-turned-unicorn's constant, unblinking stare. It was clear that something was on Whinny's mind.

"Your fangs are showing," the windigo stated bluntly, the slightest ghost of a smile on her face.

Well, that was one way of breaking the bad news to her...

Well, They Are Kind Of Similar...

The expression that Doomie now wore would have been priceless, in almost any other situation. The look of stunned shock and disbelief would have been considered hilarious by anyone not currently trapped in a cave in the middle of nowhere with a potentially dangerous changeling. Sadly, Creepy Crawly was, in fact, in that cave, so she was more than a little terrified about what might happen next. She knew practically nothing about changelings, asides from the fact that a large number of them had attacked Canterlot recently...

Whinny, surprising both the filly and the changeling asked, "So, what is it like, being a vampire?"

Doomie began snickering, then after a moment, began laughing aloud, rolling on the floor and holding her sides. After a few moments, the changeling regained control of herself and said, "You know, that's the first time I've ever been asked that question. I'm guessing you don't know anything about changelings, then?"

Whinny, a slight look of confusion on her face, asked, "Whatlings?"

Creepy couldn't help it: She gave a little giggle-snort, then said, "Well, they're creatures that are a tiny bit like vampires. They just drink love instead of blood."

Whinny, now thoroughly confused, asked, "How is that even possible?"

Shrugging, the filly admitted, "I have no idea."

Giving the two ponies in front of her an appraising look, Doomie seemed to come to a decision. Her body briefly glowed bright green, and then she... changed. Where before there was a pony, now there stood a tall, bug-like quadraped with big, bright blue eyes, and gossamer blue wings. Her coat was replaced with a shiny black carapace, and her previously equine teeth were replaced with a set much sharper. In the space between one breath and the next, she had transformed from a pony into a changeling.

Her eyes wide, Creepy Crawly applauded and exclaimed, "Do that again!"

Whinny, an eyebrow raised with more expression than she'd ever shown before, added, "I admit, that is impressive."

Giggling, Doomie looked at the two ponies, both of whom seemed totally unphased by her sudden transformation. After a moment, she said, "You two obviously aren't normal... although I'm hardly one to talk. Well, since neither of you are freaking out right now, I take it you don't have a problem sharing a cave with a changeling?"

"Since I do not have any love for you to drink," Whinny stated, deadpan, "I doubt that you are any threat to me."

Creepy added, "I don't have a problem, as long as you behave yourself."

Letting out a breath that Creepy only now realized that the changeling had been holding, Doomie raised a hoof and said, "I will not harm a hair on either of your heads, I swear it." Smiling, she said, "So, since we'll be bunking together for now, why not tell me what you're doing way out here."

"So, you've set off on your own, to find a new family?"

The small party was still sitting around the warming stone, while Doomie kept her promise about making some hot tea. Whatever she may have looked like, the changeling knew how to brew, and as the water had prepared to boil, Creepy had given the changeling an brief rundown on recent events.

Holding Theodora in her lap, Creepy nodded and said, "Yeah. I mean, everypony in the Crystal Empire is nice and all, but orphanages never really caught on before Sombra came around, so there's not really anyplace for me to stay, or anypony to look after me. So, I said to myself, 'Creepy, you have all those supplies that your parents gave you so that you could cross the frozen wastes, and daddy drilled the route into your head so many times that you could do it in your sleep, so why not take the initiative and go out and find a new family?'"

The teakettle began whistling, so Doomie, using a stick to lift it up by its handle. After a moment, she began pouring the brew into a set of cups. Her expression serious, the changeling said, "While that's very brave, it's a big, scary world out there, filled with monsters that eat little fillies like you." Doomie passed a cup Whinny, then another to Creepy. The young filly took a sip. As the changeling had said, it was not very flavorful, but it was certainly warm.

Holding up her bear, Creepy said, "I have Theodora to protect me."

WIth a small giggle, the changeling stated, "While I'd never dream of insulting such a mighty bear, I don't think she'd be up to the task of dealing with a real monster all by herself."

With a giggle of her own, the filly said, "She did a number on that windigo you saw earlier."

Rubbing her jaw, Whinny said, "Yes. Yes she did."

Chuckling, Doomie admitted, "Impressive." Her expression turning serious, she continued, "Still, it might be a good idea to turn around and head back to the Crystal Empire. I think you might have made a miscalculation when you scheduled your trip. When you and the Crystal Empire were sent forward in time, it was... what, high summer?" Creepy nodded in response, then the changeling continued. "You didn't come back at the same part of the year that you left on. By now, Autumn is already over, and the winter snows are probably already on their way. If you try to head south on hoof, you'll end up snowbound until spring... if you're lucky. If not, you'll end up a fillycicle. Either way, you'll never reach your destination."

Gasping in shock, Creepy realized that the changeling was right. There'd been a big announcement about it, shortly after the defeat of Sombra. The young filly had not really been paying attention, still too upset by the loss of her parents, so she'd not made note of it, but thinking back, she did remember that the guards were telling everypony in the city that they would need to adjust to the 'lost' season.

Clapping her hooves together, Doomie said, "But I have an idea: Since you've got your heart set on going out and finding new parents, I'll help you. There's a train station near the Crystal Empire, right?"

Creepy Crawly nodded and said, "Yes. I've never ridden, and I'd not really planned on using the train anytime soon, but there's a station." Celestia, forward thinking monarch that she was, had taken steps to install the station decades before the city's return, as a precaution: When the city came back, she'd need to get aid there in a hurry, and trains were amongst the fastest methods of travel in Equestria. "Even if I was inclined to ride, I didn't have the money to buy a ticket, and I've heard that kids need to have an adult with them if they want to ride."

A sunny smile (Well, sunny for a changeling, anyways) on her face, Doomie said, "I happen to qualify as an adult, so that will be no problem." Eyeing Whinny, the changeling added, "Although your friend here would also have that department covered. As for money, well..." Looking a little embarassed, she admitted, "I've had a lot of time to examine this cave, what with having nothing better to do, and I found something interesting."

With a beckoning gesture, she said, "Follow me."

"I'm thinking that, when this Sombra jerk played hopscotch with time and space, it messed things up for a merchant caravan that was on its way here," Doomie said, pushing aside a sizable rock that was set against a wall. "I'm thinking that, when the city vanished, they were forced to leave some cargo behind when they turned around and headed back to Equestria. They probably figured that when the city returned, they could just come right back, reclaim their loot, and pick right back up where they left off. They weren't banking on the city being gone a thousand years."

In a small alcove, perfectly concealed by the previously mentioned rock, was a chest. It was big, bound in iron, and had a very impressive lock on it. The changeling, with a smile and a flourish, opened the lock and revealed the contents of the chest. Creepy's eyes widened in shock, and she let out a gasp of awe...

A grin on her face, Doomie said, "You're not imagining things. Let me tell you exactly what you're looking at: Five sunstones, each the size of the legendary foal's hoof. Five moonstones, the same size. Both sets are flawless, as best I can tell, and have all the markings of a set made to be able to contain a master level enchantment. On top of that, there's an ingot of rhinegold, one of the best metals out there for making magical charms. The other, an ingot of mythril silver, which is famous for its ability to enhance defensive wards. That bolt of fabric? Whispersilk, one of the finest textiles ever produced, and famous for being the absolute best material for a cloak of invisibility. To top it off, a sack of assorted gemstones that you could easily exchange for bits anyplace in Equestria, although how much they're worth is anypony's guess. Whoever those merchants were, they were hauling some seriously impressive goods if they considered this to be 'dead weight'. A thousand years ago, this stuff was rare. Now? The last whisper spider was lost three centuries ago, meaning the species is officially extinct, so there's no more whispersilk being produced anywhere in the world. The last known veins for each of these metals and stones in Equestria were exhausted five hundred years ago, and anyplace else that still has them coming out of the ground is unwilling to export them. These babies are literally priceless now."

Whinny, an eyebrow raised, asked, "If these materials are so rare, how can you recognize them so readily?"

The changeling's cheeks flushed a bright blue as she admitted, "I'm only so-so in the looks department, as changelings go, and I've never had any physical skills worth boasting about. I'm even pitiful when it comes to disguises, as you've already seen. However, I'm no slouch when it comes to brains: Once I learn something, I remember it forever. I spent a few weeks hiding in a library once with nothing else to do but read. I picked up a lot of random knowledge during that time, including how to tell rhinegold and mythril silver from their mundane counterparts."

Creepy Crawly studied the contents of the chest, then noticed something that the changeling had not mentioned. "What's in the box?"

Looking at the small, black metal cube with neither hinge, lock, nor lid, Doomie admitted, "I have no clue. It's obviously magical, but there's no way of opening it that I can see. I considered banging it with a rock, but there's a good chance that the box is warded, and trying to break open a warded box by force is a quick way to lose a hoof. Still, the rest of it is good." With a snort, she added, "Of course, you'd have to take it all to Canterlot Palace to get it redeemed: I doubt that, asides from Celestia and Luna, there are that many jewelers or dressmakers out there who would recognize these beauties for what they are, or would be able to give you money equal to their value if they did."

The filly, curious, asked, "And you're offering me this stuff? Why?"

Doomie shrugged, then said, "Changelings don't have much use for money, sweetie. For you, this would be enough money to set you up for life in a palace, if you wanted. For me, it's just a bunch of pretty rocks and shiny metal, plus some soft cloth. I shouldn't need to tell you that love isn't something that money can buy." Chuckling, the changeling continued, "The only things I want are to be out of this stupid cave; to be someplace comfortable, warm, and safe; and to have a nice, strong, lasting supply of love to keep me going for the rest of my life. Sadly, you can only provide me with one of those three things, but after being stuck here for as long as I have, I'm more than willing to part with this chest if it gets me back to what you ponies call civilization." Smiling, the changeling added, "You take me with you back to the Crystal Empire, and we can ride the railways together to any city you like. From there, you can search the length and breadth of Equestria for new parents to look after you, and I can start working out where the rest of my kind ended up. We can ride together until we both find exactly what it is we're looking for.."

Creepy rubbed at her chin, then said, after a moment's thought, said, "Okay. You've got a deal. But you have to promise that you'll behave yourself the entire time: I've heard about what happened in Canterlot, and if anypony finds out that I brought a changeling into the Crystal Empire, I'll be in so much trouble that they might decide to banish me to the moon."

Giggling, the changeling said, "I doubt that you could ever get in that much trouble, sweetheart, but I get your point." Raising a hoof up in the air, and placing the other over her heart, Doomie stated, formally, "I do hereby swear that, if you should take me with you to the Crystal Empire, not only shall I be on my very best behavior for the duration of our time together, but I shall also surrender all claims of ownership regarding this chest unto you." Extending a hoof, she asked, "Shake on it?"

Creepy Crawly took the hoof and shook it, stating, "Happy to have you aboard, Doomie."

Mature, Yet Still A Child

The rest of the evening went by quietly, for the most part. Doomie and Creepy chatted a little bit, about nothing of real consequence. Just small talk, the kind that a small child and a young adult might make when they first met. Whinny, meanwhile, seemed content to remain quiet and observe the two as they spoke. After the tea was gone, and Creepy had finished her evening meal (Iron rations, rather than the various cakes and pies she'd been given in the Crystal Empire. In no way were the rations tasty, but they were filling. It was said that a pony could travel three days on a single pack of iron rations, mainly because, after eating them once, you would walk any distance to get something other than the hard, tasteless biscuits that comprised the meal). Looking at the almost ethereally beautiful pony, Creepy made a decision.

Pulling out a small package from her little red wagon, the filly said, "Alright, I'm about ready to go to bed, but before we do, we'll need to brush out your mane and tail."

Whinny, clearly confused, asked, "Why?" While the former windigo had yet to express much in the way of emotion, she was well on her way to mastering confusion.

Giggling, Creepy said, "If you don't take good care of your hair, it'll get all tangled and ratty looking. Tangles and snarls can hurt, so it's best to prevent that from happening." Pulling a brush out of the pack she was holding, the filly said, "Now, lower your head down: I'll need to climb on your back to do this."

After a moment's hesitation, Whinny complied, and Creepy climbed up. Humming to herself, the young filly began working on getting the former windigo's mane into order. While still a little peeved about the whole 'Pestering an innocent filly by whipping up a blizzard' thing, Creepy had to admit that Whinny had magnificent hair...

Doomie, her expression neutral, asked, "So, where do you fit in?"

Whinny, whose neutral expression would have made Doomie's look like a manic grin in comparison, asked, "What do you mean?"

The changeling allowed a small grin, then said, "I mentioned, just a few minutes ago, that I pride myself on my mental acumen. I'm fully capable of putting two and two together, thank you very much. Creepy didn't mention you at all in her little explanation, and I imagine that if you were present in the Crystal Empire, and had some means of gainful employment, you'd have purchased a pair of train tickets, rather than risk traipsing through the wilderness with her." Chuckling, she added, "And in spite of walking through a blizzard with no winter-wear, you seem mysteriously healthy and well composed. An ordinary pony would have gotten quite ill in such conditions."

Whinny, still perfectly serene in that distant way of hers, asked, "Your point being?"

Her head cocked slightly to one side, Doomie said, "Obviously, you're no ordinary pony, and from what I can conclude, based off of Creepy's story, you're not really from the Crystal Empire, either. There are only a few magical creatures that would willingly venture out into the ice and snow, and nearly all of them are not native to Equestria, so I can mark those off of the list. There's one I do know that would be here, and I happened to see it outside of this cave not too long ago." Looking over Whinny's shoulder and giving Creepy a smile, the changeling continued, "And Creepy mentioned that her teddy bear did a number on that windigo, and you looked a little uncomfortable then, too. Is your jaw still sore?" Looking back at Whinny with eyes filled with distaste, the changeling said, "So, I can only conclude that you're a windigo." That last sentence was said in the same tone that one might have used when talking about cockroaches, or venomous spiders: Something disgusting that one would rather have had nothing to do with. Something you'd squish the moment you saw it, if you could...

Perfectly deadpan, Whinny said, "Had you simply asked, I could have saved you the trouble. Unlike some creatures, I do not deny what I am." The surprising emphasis that the windigo put into the words 'Unlike some creatures' put a rather accusatory barb into her statement. It seemed that the windigo had not appreciated Doomie's tone...

Shocked, Doomie asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Whinny, the ghost of a smile on her face, said, "I do not hide behind illusions. I look this way right now because I am stuck like this. You, on the other hoof, did not hesitate to hide, even from your rescuers. If we had not made it clear we saw through your deceptions, I wonder, would you have ever willingly let us see the real you? Or would you have spent the entire time deceiving us into thinking that you were an ordinary pony?" While she couldn't see it, Creepy could hear a nasty little smile in Whinny's voice as she added mockingly, "Or was that illusion there so that you can fool yourself into thinking that you fit in?"

The changeling was visibly stung by that last comment. Growling, Doomie retorted, "Well, unlike some creatures I could name, I don't go around picking on defenseless little fillies just because I can." That accusation was spit out with a nasty barb of its own, dripping with venom...

Whinny stiffened at that retort. It was obvious that Doomie's remark had struck home. It seemed that the windigo had grown a conscience recently, and it was currently pestering her about the fact that it thought that her actions earlier today were wrong. Regardless, that was a low blow. This needed to be stopped before somepony (Or somebuggy?) said something they couldn't take back... if it wasn't already too late for that...

Creepy had learned a lot of things from both of her parents. She'd learned the secret to being brave, and to carrying on even when she didn't want to, from her father. From her mother, she'd learned two incredibly useful tricks...

Her voice radically different from before, Creepy said, "Both of you cut that out right this second."

Both Doomie and Whinny stiffened at that. Chuckling on the inside, the filly couldn't help but be amused, even if she was frowning on the outside. It seemed that, no matter what kind of creature it was, no one could resist the power of the Mommy Voice.

It was a very difficult trick to accomplish, especially for a filly so young, but Creepy had, after feeling its power firsthoof, spent weeks perfecting the same tone that her mother had used when she was angry with either Creepy or her father. When mommy had used it, she could make even daddy, who was head and neck above her in height, and nearly twice her weight, cower. Its power was second only to Creepy's ultimate weapon...

The Mommy Stare.

Peeking past Whinny's shoulder, Creepy bestowed that stare upon Doomie, who visibly flinched upon making eye contact, and promptly looked at the ground, automatically ashamed, even if she was not sure why.

"That was not a very nice thing to say," Creepy said, still in full-on Mommy mode. "Whinny couldn't help what she was doing out there, it was just who she was then. I forgave her for that, so you had no right to talk to her that way, even if you're angry on my behalf. Now, say you're sorry."

Doomie, abashed, muttered, "Sorry..."

Now staring hard enough into the back of Whinny's head that the windigo shuddered, almost as though she could feel it, Creepy said, "Whinny, just because you didn't like how she was talking does not give you the right to start throwing insults. Changelings change how they look, and they're not welcome in a lot of places. If she didn't feel comfortable greeting us au naturale, I find nothing wrong with putting on something she thought would be more acceptable. Now, say you're sorry."

Whinny said, after a moment's hesitation, "Sorry."

Creepy, a smile crossing her face, said, "Now, compliment each other." When both of them hesitated, the filly frowned, then said with even more Mommy than before, "Do it. Right now."

After a couple of seconds, Doomie said, "I really like your... mane."

Confusion coloring her tone, Whinny asked, "What do you like about it?"

Doomie took a deep breath, then sighed and said, "It's very lovely. It looks so perfectly silky and fine that... I'm envious. If I was able to have a mane, I'd wrestle a bear to have one that looked half as good as yours."

Whinny picked up a little bit of her mane, and seemed to examine it, as though noticing it for the first time. After a moment's pause, she said, "Thank you. And... I really like your wings."

Fluttering the wings in question, Doomie asked, "Really?"

Giving a small nod, Whinny said, "Yes. They're a very pleasant shade of blue. They go well with your eyes."

Blushing slightly, Doomie smiled, then said, "Thank you."

Giggling, Creepy said, "There. Now, let's try and get along a little better from now on, alright?"

"Yes, Creepy," the two said in unison.

Smiling at a job well done, both in getting the two of them to get along and in getting the windigo's mane and tail straightened out, Creepy said, "There we go, all done, mommy..."

...

Oh no, why did she have to go and let that slip out.

She must have let something show on her face, because Doomie's expression became gravely concerned. "Creepy, is something wrong?"

Creepy began to feel moisture on her cheeks as her self-control started breaking down. Sniffling, the emotions that she tried her hardest not to let herself feel began to come flooding back...

One thousand years. To just about anypony else, it's just a number, a length of time between two points in history. Even to the majority of the Crystal Empire, that was simply an arrangement of words describing the distance between when Sombra had sent their city away and when it came back. They never had to feel the real weight of it, every second of it...

But for Creepy, one thousand years was an impassable barrier, one that separated her from her family. A vast, impossible gulf that words could not fully express or describe... and that nothing could ever hope to bridge.

...She never even had the chance to say goodbye.

Tears were streaming down her face now, her lips quivered, and Creepy knew, without a doubt, that she had lost all control of herself.

She tried so hard to keep it bottled it. After all, as the only orphan in the Crystal Empire, she had to be strong. She had to be brave. And she had to do it all on her own because her parents were gone... and they were never coming back.

Never.

She'd never get tucked into bed again by a pair of tender, loving hooves. Never be sung to sleep with a sweet lullaby. Never be woken up by a soft kiss on her forehead...

"Creepy, calm down, talk to me, what's going on?"

Never hear her father tell one of his lame jokes. Never hear him reminisce about his service on foreign soil. Never hear him say how proud he was of his little girl...

"Creepy, please, I don't know what to do, I..."

Never brush out her mommy's mane, then have her own mane brushed in return...

"Whinny, what are you doing?"

Never get to laugh when her mommy stumbled over the third step on the staircase back at home, like she always did, because that one was just slightly taller than the others. Nevergettoseeherreflectioninherdaddy'sarmoraftershe'dhelpedhimpolishitallafternoon. Nevergettomakehermommyanddaddybreakfastinbedandsmilewhiletheyateiteventhoughsheknewitprobablytastedawful...

"This isn't the time to be playing with a teddy bear!"

Nevergettoneverfeelneverlaughneversmileneversaynevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevnevnevnevnevnevneneneneneneneneenenenennnnnnnnnnnnnn....

"I love you."

Creepy's head whipped up, and she stared at Whinny, holding Theodora as if she were the most important thing in the world and at the same time filled with poisonous scorpions. Steeling herself as if the bear might burst into flames, explode, or suddenly turn its head around and start spitting acid in her face, the windigo squeezed the bear again.

"I love you."

Extending her forelegs with a beckoning gesture, Creepy looked at Whinny imploringly.

Without hesitation, the windigo passed over the bear. Sniffling, Creepy buring her face into Theodora's soft fur, and squeezed the bear as tight as her forelegs could, sniffling and weeping the entire time.

And then... she felt a pair of forelegs pick her up, and set her in a lap. If the lap was hard, it made up for it by being warm. And then...

And then, impossibly, she heard her mommy's voice singing...

"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head..."

"That poor little filly..."

It had taken a little doing, but Creepy had fallen fast asleep. If there was ever a time that Doomie had felt glad to be a changeling, it was right now: After all, how many other creatures can perfectly imitate the sound of somepony's voice, after hearing it only once?

Doomie looked down at the sleeping filly, sorrow written plain upon her face. Changelings could not cry, due to having eyes built differently than other creatures. There were times when Doomie wish that was not so. She'd not felt the desire to cry in all the time she was stranded here, even when she had feared that she might meet her end out here, cold, hungry and alone. But here, now, seeing a little filly all alone and trying her best to be strong and brave, in spite of having more sorrow inside than any little heart should be forced to hold, the changeling knew that if she could cry, she'd start now and likely never stop.

Whinny, her expression as infuriatingly blank as ever, simply said, "Indeed."

She couldn't help it, Doomie supposed. Whinny was a windigo. Even if she felt things the same way Doomie or Creepy did, Whinny did not show it. Maybe she didn't know how...

"Tell me something," Doomie said, looking at the windigo with an expression she tried very hard to keep blank. "What are your plans for her?"

Serenely, Whinny simply said, "I plan on following her until either I figure out a way to change back to the way I was, or I change back on my own."

Her head cocked to one side, the changeling asked, "And if you never change back?"

The slightest twitch of her lips implied a smile as the windigo said, simply, "Then she will never be alone, will she?"

"No," Doomie said, a definite smile crossing her face, "No, I guess she won't." The absence of an expression, she supposed, did not mean an absence of emotion...

The Eyes She Hasn't Got

Creepy dreamed... and her dream was strange. She found herself standing in a dark forest, a full moon high in the sky. This was very strange. She suspected she was about to have a nightmare, but if she was, this was different from the ones she normally had. Most of her nightmares involved King Sombra coming and taking her parents away...

Even though she'd had that nightmare a dozen times before, and she'd just finished having a good, long cry, the thought of watching that all over again nearly made her burst into tears. Still, moment of weakness aside, she had to be strong. She had to be brave. She had to keep going, no matter how much she hurt inside...

Suddenly, she heard the sound of approaching hooves behind her. Whipping her head around to look behind her, Creepy saw what was, hooves down, the single strangest sight she had ever seen in her entire life.

A horse was approaching. It didn't have a head. That didn't seem to bother it in the slightest, as it was moving at a full gallop. Creepy could not help but marvel at the absurdity of it: How could it see where it was going without eyes? Shouldn't it just randomly bump into things? Where did it keep its brain? Did it even have one?

Creepy was so caught up in her confusion that she did not realize that the headless horse was set on a collision course with her until it was too late to dodge...

One thousand years ago...

"Creepy, did I ever tell you how I made Theodora?"

Held in her mommy's lap, Creepy looked up and smiled, but didn't say a word. The little filly of three loved to hear this story, so she didn't want to say anything that might stop her mommy from telling it.

To just about any pony in the world, Lovely Day would have been considered 'country-mare pretty'. Not a spectacular beauty like Celestia or Luna, nor like any mare of the nobility or the royalty, but certainly pleasant on the eyes...

But to Creepy Crawly, she was the nicest, prettiest, most wonderfullest pony in the whole entire world.

"Well," Lovely began, smiling, "when I was getting ready to have you, I thought to myself, every little girl needs a friend to watch over her and protect her from all the bad things in the world. While mommies can do that, most of the time, a mommy can't be everywhere. So, I decided to make you a little friend."

Creepy Crawly cuddled the teddy bear in question, smiling, then nodded, indicating that mommy could continue.

With a small laugh, Lovely continued, "I found some nice fabric from an old dress that my grandmother had worn when she was a little filly. It was of the finest velvet, and I knew of no better fabric I could find in all the world to start with. I very carefully took it apart, then kissed it together into a little bear." She then gave a little kiss to both the bear and to her beloved daughter, eliciting a fit of giggles from Creepy. Theodora, ever the stoic, said nothing.

Smiling, the mare continued, "I then stuffed her with all the love I had in my heart for you. Of course, it was tough to squeeze all of that in, but I was determined. But somehow, impossible as that sounds, there was still some room left over... so I went to see Mister Swirly. You remember Mister Swirly, don't you?"

Every little colt and filly in the Crystal Empire knew Mister Swirly. He was the nice wizard who came every year to the Crystal Fair, and cast spells to awe and amaze everypony in the city. Creepy had met him once, and he'd let her tug on his beard...

"I said to Mister Swirly, 'I'm making a teddy bear for my little girl when she's born. I want it to be the best bear any mother ever made for her daughter. I've stuffed her with love, but what else can I do for her?" Smiling, Lovely took on a deeper, gruffer voice and said, "'Well,' Mister Swirly said, 'All the love in the world isn't worth much without a heart to hold it in.' Mister Swirly then took a piece of crystal about the size of your little hoof, and made a little heart for Theodora out of it. He then placed three very special magic spells inside of it."

Tapping a hoof against the tip of her daughter's nose, Lovely continued, "The first one was one that would give Theodora the power to protect you against all the scary monsters in the world. If a big mean monster ever comes after you, you can just swat him once with your little bear, and that monster will suddenly become as weak as a kitten. You can then squish them like a bug, shoo them out the front door, or keep them in a little jar." Creepy giggled at that last one. She'd actually done that for a week, before finally taking pity on the little creature, and let it go...

"The second," Lovely said, smiling, "gave Theodora the ability to speak. You see, I may not always be around, what with work and all, when you might be feeling sad or alone, but if you hug Theodora, she'll be able to remind you of how much I love you."

Creepy giggled, then squeezed Theodora, causing the bear to exclaim, 'I love you'. Theodora might not have been talkative, but she always knew exactly what to say.

Kissing her daughter atop her head, Lovely finished, saying, "And the third is a spell that will connect the two of you together. If you're ever lonely or afraid, all you have to do is think of Theodora, and she'll be there for you."

Creepy smiled, and picked up Theodora. Dream or real, she was always near. Swinging her hoof around with all her might, Creepy brought her teddy bear around in a powerful strike, connecting with the headless horse's face... except that it didn't have one...

Regardless, the bear struck something, and the Headless Horse went flying, as if she'd been struck by a battering ram at full speed. When it came to ground, it landed in a tangle of limbs. It struggled to rise on unsteady legs, but eventually succeeded. After it had found its hooves, it sat, and then.... just stayed there, its shoulders shaking...

A thousand years ago...

"How are you so brave, daddy?"

Gallant Guardian, Creepy's father, smiled down at her little girl, after having shooed away the monster spider that the little filly had found in her room. Like many fillies, Creepy was a little bit scared of spiders when she was four...

There were bigger stallions in the guard, and there were stronger stallions in the guard, but as far as Creepy Crawly was concerned, the stallion who could shoo out the scary, ugly, nasty spiders that sometimes found their way into her room was the bravest knight ever.

"Well, little lady, I'll tell you a secret: There's no such thing as a scary monster." At his daughter's disbelieving expression, her father laughed and said, "Well, it's true: Any creature, no matter how big, no matter how ugly, no matter how strange, has a heart. It is no different that you or I. They feel happy, angry, or sad, just like anypony does... and you're not scared of other ponies, are you?" Creepy shook her head, and her father continued, "They might look big, or scary, or mean on the outside, but inside, they are no different from you or me. Tickle them, and they'll laugh. Hug them, and they'll smile. Hurt them, and they'll cry... and no one likes being hurt."

Creepy, looking up at her father, her eyes wide, asked, "How can you be sure?"

With another chuckle, he said, "When in doubt, look them in the eyes: When you look any creature in the eyes, you can see their true heart, no matter how strange they may be."

Clutching Theodora close, she asked, "What if they don't got eyes?"

With a big, booming laugh, Gallant said, "Then look them in the eyes they haven't got!"

Creepy looked into the space where the Headless Horse would have its head, if it had one, and into the eyes it didn't have... and saw that it did, in fact, have a head... and it was crying.

Big, soulful blue eyes, currently gushing tears like twin waterfalls, were seated in a face that, if not flawless, was definitely pretty, and framed by a golden blonde mane that, if not as long, flowing, or luxorious as Whinny's might have been, seemed more... real. Whinny might have been ethereally beautiful, but this pony's beauty was much more down to earth, somewhere between 'country-mare pretty' and 'noble beauty'. Her coat was a light tan color. She was definitely bigger than the average pony, but she wasn't scary anymore, now that Creepy could see her face.

Sadly, one of the mare's cheeks was badly swollen, apparently from Theodora's impact. It seemed impossible that a teddy bear could do that kind of damage, but given what had happened to Whinny, she supposed that different rules might apply where that bear was concerned...

Feeling bad, Creepy walked over to the weeping pony, and gave her a hug. After a moment, she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

The filly suddenly found herself swept up into a big, warm hug, as the nightmare exclaimed, "It's okay, I forgive you!" After a few warm, comfortable seconds, the pony turned Creepy around, then held her at foreleg's length. Smiling as bright as the sun, she said, "My name's Heddy! What's your name?"

"Ummmm... Creepy Crawly?" This... this was weird... Really, really weird...