Mother’s Day
By Skye Silverwing
Prolog: Heartache in the Night.
“Hush now, Quiet now, It’s time to lay your sleepy head,
Hush now, Quiet now, It’s time to go to bed,
Drifting off to sleep, Leave exciting day behind you,
Drifting off to sleep, Let the joy of dream land find you…”
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Fluttershy awoke, the lullaby still echoing softly in her head, and tears flowing down her face. She looked up at the Moon, hanging in the Night Sky, Stars Twinkling around it, framed in the window of her little hut. The Lullaby brought back the memories again. She turned into her Pillow, and sobbed softly, letting a deep desire come to the surface, she clung to the pillow and buried her face in it. “Momma.” She whispered.
Angel Bunny, Fluttershy’s most loyal pet, watched her cry, with his ears drooped, and a sorrowful expression. She always got like this on Mother’s Day, for as long as he had known her. The poor white rabbit could hardly stand to see the kind hearted Pegasus Pony in such a state.
He thought about it more and he realized that he was the only one that could do anything about it. Fluttershy put on such a brave face in front of the others. They could not be aware of how much missing her Mother hurt her.
Maybe they should.
Raising his head, Angel made the decision. Someone had to do something about this, and he was the only one that knew. Nodding to himself, the rabbit slipped out the pet door and headed for town. He needed a Pony that would understand her plight. He made all haste. There was only one answer.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Rainbow Dash awakened as she felt something bounce off her head. Cracking one eye, she surveyed the room. Seeing nothing, she rolled over, intending to go back to sleep. Then she felt something hit her again.
With an irritated frown on her face, she waited; eyes open, watching for whatever was assaulting her. She was rewarded a few moments later, when an acorn, falling straight through the roof of her cloud house, bounced off her head. Catching the offending seed, Rainbow flew out her window, intending to give whoever had been pelting her with these things a piece of her mind.
Outside, hovering above her home was a Bunny piloting a borrowed hot air balloon. Rainbow quickly recognized him as Fluttershy’s pet. “Angel?” The Rainbow-maned pony asked. “What are you doing out here, and why were you throwing nuts at me? Those things hurt.”
The rabbit pointed toward the ground and began to lower the balloon, signaling Rainbow to follow.
The Pegasus Pony followed curiously, wondering idly as she did how a bunny had learned to fly a hot air balloon.
Angel led Rainbow back to Fluttershy’s home and indicated the open window.
Rainbow looked inside and her heart broke. Inside, she saw her childhood friend crying into her pillow. She opened the door and stepped inside, a concerned look on her face.
Hearing the door, Fluttershy looked up and her tear-streaked eyes widened slightly. “Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?” she cried, trying ineffectively to hide the fact that she had been crying, too ashamed of her reasons to want the question asked.
Rainbow smiled softly at her friend and looked into her eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Fluttershy looked at the ground. “Nothing.” She said, “Nothing is wrong.”
Rainbow Dash knew a lie when she saw one. “Fluttershy,” she said, a little more firmly, “You and I go way back, and I know that you don’t cry like that unless there is something wrong. I… I just want to help.”
The sincerity in Rainbow’s voice made Fluttershy feel ashamed for lying to her. She sighed, and looked up at her. “It’s just…” she said, pausing as she struggled to put her feelings into words. “Tomorrow… Tomorrow is Mother’s Day.” She lowered her gaze, her pain obvious on her face. “I… I haven’t seen my Mother in six years… Not since I left.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened slightly as she ran the math. “Six years?” she asked, “Wasn’t six years ago when we all got our cutie marks?”
Fluttershy nodded. “When I fell from the Clouds during the Pegasus race, I discovered a whole new world.” She said sadly. “And… a way to escape.”
Rainbow looked at her friend with a deep curiosity. “Escape?” she asked. “Escape from what?”
Fluttershy hung her head. “I… I don’t want to talk about it.” She said, beginning to cry again.
Rainbow Dash nodded to herself, and wrapped her friend in warm hug, rocking her gently as Fluttershy cried herself to sleep.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Spike the Dragon stared out at the night Sky. He was thinking about it again, as he always did when Mother’s Day came around. The questions “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” loomed large in the Dragon’s head. Twilight was never able to answer the question of where the egg he had hatched from had come from; Where his mother was, or if she even knew that her egg had hatched.
He had never had the courage to bring the question up to Princess Celestia, and she was the only one that was likely to know.
Twilight Sparkle looked up from her book and sighed as she watched the Dragon watch the sky. She knew what was going through his mind. It was always the same. He wanted the answers to his questions, and she wanted to give them to him. If only she had answers to give. She had a few questions of her own about him, as a matter of fact.
Like how, though the entrance exam for Celestia’s School requires the hatching of one, she had never seen another Dragon with any of the students. Or why hatching a creature whose nature was generally unknown could be a part of the exam in the first place.
Nodding to herself, Twilight made a decision. “Spike,” she asked, “Would you like to come with me to Canterlot Tomorrow?”
The young Dragon looked at the Unicorn curiously. “Why?” he asked.
Twilight smiled at him. “I am going to see my Mom for Mother’s Day, and I am also going to Princess Celestia to talk to her about your mother.” She said, “I thought you would want to be there.”
Spike’s eyes widened and then teared up. “Really?” he asked, “Do you mean it?”
Twilight nodded and embraced him. “Absolutely.” She replied. “No mother should be without her child on Mother’s Day.
Spike hugged Twilight tightly. “Oh thank you, Twilight!” he cried, “This will be the best Mother’s Day ever!”
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
In a dark room above a pastry shop, a Pink Mare awoke with a start. There was a slight pinch in her left ankle, and a single hair was standing on end in her normally curly pink mane.
Pinkie Pie had seen these signs before, and her Pinkie Sense never failed her. Secrets would be revealed, a quest would be embarked upon, and her friends would learn things both happy and sad. Soon, many things would be different, and some things would never recover.
Pinkie sighed. Sometimes it wasn’t easy being her. She got up and went down to begin baking. By the end of this day, someone was going to need cheering up, someone would need her help, and someone was going to want to celebrate.
All in all, that meant a lot of parties. But hey, she was Pinkie Pie. That's what she does.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
A.N. A little short somber piece. I am not used to doing non-crossovers. I am going to see if I can get this story finished by Mother’s Day, but I implore you to tell me what you thought of it so far.
Also, if you are wondering why Applejack and Rarity did not put in an appearance, the reasons are that they simply did not have any reason to be active the night before Mother’s Day. Both will be active with their own rituals and such on the Day itself, but they are simply not center stage in this fiction.
Mother’s Day
By Skye Silverwing
Chapter 1: A Morning Visit.
Rainbow Dash dragged herself into SugarCube Corner, yawning widely. She had not slept well the previous night, as earthbound beds simply are not as soft as beds made of clouds, and she now had a wicked cramp in her right wing. She was glad that Fluttershy had slept better with her there, though. The other Pegasus still lay asleep when Rainbow had let herself out that morning, and she was glad for the chance to think.
Pinkie Pie was busy in the Kitchen, so Mrs. Cake brought Rainbow some doughnuts for breakfast, along with some nice hot coffee. Rainbow smile at the perceptiveness of the Cake matriarch, and went to chewing over her own thoughts.
Fluttershy’s state the previous night was not something that made Rainbow happy. It was clear to her that, whatever the reason for her friend’s choice to leave her home, she had come to truly and deeply miss her mother. It wasn’t as surprising to Rainbow as the fact that Fluttershy had not been home to see her family in six years. What could possibly keep the kind Pegasus from returning to the mother she longed for?
Rainbow was having a hard enough time understanding Fluttershy’s problem without the other Pegasus willfully denying it. Rainbows own mother had died in Foaling her, so it had just been her and her Dad growing up. She knew, however, that nothing could keep her from Cloudsdale on Father’s Day, so what could the driving force of her friend’s personal exile from her family be?
Rainbow gave a start when she realized that she was no longer alone at her table. “Pinkie Pie,” she said, “how long have you been there?”
The Pink Earth Pony just smiled back at her. “I have been here for a while.” She said with a slight giggle, “You seemed lost in thought, so I figured I would let you notice me in your own time.”
Rainbow smiled at her friend. “Sorry about that.” She said, “I just have a lot on my mind.”
Pinkie Pie gave her a knowing look. “Fluttershy?” she asked.
Rainbow gave the Pink Pony a Bewildered look. “How did you know?” she asked.
Pinkie Pie winked at her. “I didn’t.” She said, “But it was a really good guess.”
Rainbow sighed. “It’s just… she misses her mom, but for some reason, she can’t go home to see her.” She admitted. “I… I can’t stand to see her hurting like that. I don’t know what to do.”
Pinkie smiled reassuringly. “You’re going to do what you can.” She said simply, “You always do, and in the end, I think she will thank you for it.”
Rainbow stared at Pinkie for a moment, and then nodded. “Thanks Pinkie.” She said, “Maybe I can find something in the Ponyville Archive.”
With that, the Rainbow-maned Pony flew out the door, in search of answers, leaving Pinkie Pie and half of her plate of doughnuts behind. Pinkie made short work of them.
A few minutes later, Rarity came in. The fashion-conscious Unicorn was wearing her raincoat, scarf, and sunglasses, which she wore whenever she did not want to be noticed. Of course, given the weather, it tended to draw even more attention, but it was mostly for the mare’s own embarrassment.
Pinkie knew exactly why, of course. “Hey Rarity.” She said, greeting her friend with a smile, “Spending the day with your mother today?”
Rarity winced. “Don’t remind me.” She said, “She decided that it would be fun to meet for brunch and then go shopping. Urgh… That woman’s fashion sense is even worse than Discord, and she loves to go through those nick-knack shops full of glass figurines and tacky stuffed animals. Urgh… I just want to get this day over with!”
Pinkie chuckled. “Maybe if you’re lucky she will invite you to her aerobics class again.” She said.
Rarity shuddered. “Perish the thought!” she said vehemently. “If I never have to hear the music from Hoofloose again, it will be too soon!”
Pinkie smiled at Rarity and giggled. “Okie Dokie Lokie!” she said, turning to retrieve a basket of confections. “I have to go cheer up some other friends now. See you later, Rarity.”
With that, the Pink Pony Bounded out the door.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
A somber wind blew over the Sweet Apple Acres that morning. Applejack and Big Macintosh both wore reserved looks and Granny Smith was moving even more slowly than usual. Applebloom, the least effected, was fully aware of why this was. Mother’s Day. It was one of the days that the Apple Family took to mourn the deaths of their parents; Granny Smith’s Son and Daughter-in-Law.
The four Apples filed out the door and went back into the depths of the sweet apple acres, walking through the apple trees until they came to a wide open area with a number of gravestones. They gathered around the two stones that stood newest, marked “Macintosh Apple Sr.” and “Apple Blossom”.
Applebloom could not remember her parents at all, having been born only a few weeks before their untimely deaths, but she knew the story. Mac and Blossom were on the first running of the Ponyville Express when the train had been the target of a coalition between the Pegasus supremacist terrorist group called Crimson Sky and the Unicorn supremacist group called Diamond Spire, and the Train had been destroyed along with everypony on it as part of a plan to subvert Earth Pony progress and weaken Celestia’s position.
The deaths of their parents had caused Applejack to decide to go and live with their relatives, the Oranges, in Manehattan, and forced Big Macintosh Jr. to take on the keeping of the farm.
It was said that shortly thereafter, the alliance between the two terrorist groups had broken down for some reason, and neither group dared stage attacks on their own with Celestia’s Royal guard cracking down on them.
As the four ponies stood quietly around the gravesite, and tears fell, they heard someone else approaching. Turning, the four of them saw Ponyville’s Mayor and Pinkie Pie coming. The usually excited and bombastic Pink pony wore a subdued expression as a sign of her respect for the seriousness of what was going on, and she carried with her the necessary materials for a quiet picnic brunch.
Applejack smiled at her friend, always thinking of others, that one.
The Mayor approached the graves and placed her hoof on the cold stone. “Apple Blossom… I miss you.” She whispered. The two of them had been the best of friends long before, and the Mayor still blamed herself for insisting that the new Train would be the best way for the Apples to take their wares to market in Canterlot.
After they finished paying their respects, the six ponies spread a picnic blanket under the trees and ate in companionable silence.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
The Ponyville Archive was in the basement of the Library. Rainbow Dash arrived at the huge tree to find her friends Twilight Sparkle and Spike preparing to depart. “You two are heading for Canterlot?” She asked.
Twilight nodded. “I am going to visit my parents, and then we are going to the castle to talk to the Princess and see if she can tell us anything about Spike’s mother.” She said.
Rainbow nodded. “Is it okay for me to use the archives?” she asked, “I am looking up some information, and I need to find old issues of the Cloudsdale Press.”
Twilight nodded. “I don’t see any problem with it.” She said, “You can just lock up when you are done, okay?”
Rainbow nodded and headed down into the basement. She hoped she could find some reference to Fluttershy from around the last time she saw her before they had met again in Ponyville.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Twilight and Spike boarded the Train, and found a seat for the short trip between Ponyville and the Capital. As they got situated, Twilight thought about the train and how it related to her past.
Six years earlier, one of her brother’s first assignments as a member of the Royal Guard had been the investigation into the attack on the train. He had told her how the two monoculture obsessed terrorist groups had joined forces to attack what was, at the time, a great symbol of Earth Pony progress. He even confided in her that it had been part of a plot against the Princess herself.
Twilight was brought out of her thoughts by the sight of a pony boarding the train who was dressed unusually for the current weather. After a moment of scrutiny she realized who it was. “Rarity!” she called to her friend, “What are you doing here?”
Rarity turned toward her friend, but the pink furred pony that shared Rarity’s hair color spoke first. “Oh, you must be that Twilight Sparkle that Rarity is always talking about.” She said, “Are you headed to Canterlot for a shopping trip, too?”
Twilight smiled as she realized that this must be Rarity’s mother. “No, I am on my way to see my mother.” She replied, “She and my Dad still live in Canterlot, so I am headed there to see them.”
The elder Unicorn smiled. “Well aren’t you just a sweetie going all the way there to see your mom on her day.” She said, “My Rarie could learn a thing or two from a charming young pony like yourself. She wanted to take me shopping in Ponyville. But I said that I have her Father’s credit card and we could find much better stuff in Canterlot. I hear they have a whole row of nick-knack shops!”
Rarity winced. “Twilight,” she said plaintively, “I don’t suppose you have time to… I don’t know… come with us? Please?”
Rarity seemed desperate to be away from her mother, but Twilight knew her friend could endure it, and would likely be better for it. In any case, she had a full schedule today.
“Sorry Rarity.” She said, “I am not only going to see my parents, but I also have an audience with Princess Celestia to see if we can learn anything about Spike’s mother.” She gestured toward her dragon.
Rarity was about to start begging when her mother stepped up. “Well, that’s too bad, dear.” She said, “We’re gonna have such a fun shopping trip, but I guess it will just be me and Rarie.”
Rarity groaned.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
Fluttershy awoke late. She was almost surprised to wake to Rainbow Dash’s absence. It must have been a dream. She heaved a big sigh, and then gave a start when a card was suddenly thrust at her. She looked at Angel, who was offering the card, and smiled, accepting it. The picture on the card showed a crayon Fluttershy hugging many crayon animals. Inside were the words “Happy Mother’s Day” and several dozen paw prints, one representing each of the animals that she cared for.
Fluttershy smiled happily at the bunny. “Oh, thank-you angel.” She said, “You just made my day. And thank the others for me.”
Angel nodded, and produced a tray with a delicious looking breakfast in it. “Fluttershy smiled demurely. “For me?” she asked, the bunny giving her breakfast in bed was not something she was used to, but seeing as how he was being so nice, when he nodded affirmative, she happily accepted it.
As she was munching on a tasty piece of fruit, though, something caught her eye.
Wedged between the pillow and the mattress was a single light blue feather.
Fluttershy picked up the feather and looked at the bunny. “Angel,” she asked in a little bit of confusion. “Was Rainbow Dash here last night?”
Angel nodded affirmative, and then pantomimed him going to get the other Pegasus to comfort her.
Fluttershy looked at the feather curiously. “So it wasn’t a dream…” she said, “But… why wasn’t she still here when I woke up?” She pondered the feather in her hand and thought back to what she had told Rainbow the Previous night. As she thought about it, a horrible realization came into her mind.
Fluttershy paled. “Oh, no.” she said, and then she leapt from her bed and dashed out the door and took to wing, the blue feather slowly drifting down to the floor behind her.
.o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o. .o0o.
A.N. Anypony that can figure out the whole thing at this point in the story officially wins at the Internet. I am thinking it will be two more chapters before this is done. As always, I want to know what you think, so do kindly review.