Crafting My Family

-- The Next Morning –

I awoke the next morning feeling quite miserable and hungry. When my senses finally caught up with me I realized that in the bottom of my vision, offset to the left of the center, was a row of ten, black, heart shaped impressions. What had truly caught my attention to this was the simple fact that the bar was moving in short waves, practically vibrating in place. The first heart shaped impression was half filled with a red pixelated heart and what looked like a short line in the middle of it, giving it an angry expression. On the right side of that was another bar made of ten hams, several of which were empty. Either this is convenient or very bad, as I am hungry and by the looks of it, pretty much dead.

Once again standing was difficult. This time it was the exhaustion, not the fact of appearing in whatever this world is. Making my way to the ledge carefully, as to not provoke any accidents, I looked around for anything that might stick out. Other than the crater fifteen blocks below me, there was noth-, oh what’s that. Just at the edge of my line of sight was what looked like a house made of stone and wood. All I knew is that I had to get there and fast or things might not end well for me. Taking the dirt I had and a few extras that had been torn up and flung with me I started to see if I could use it to get down. To my great surprise it not only was useful but sturdy, relatively safe, and with a flick of my hoof they attached to the wall too. In a couple of minutes I was back on level ground and trudging over to see if I could get help. Using the mental map I had made I was ‘fast’ approaching my goal. As it turns out it was a whole slew of buildings with farms and ponies scattered about doing the assuming usual things they must do. The biggest worry of mine was there standing in the center of this village, a giant metallic statue with long arms, short legs, built body, and what appeared to be some vines growing from it. None of that bothered me, it was the plain simple fact that it was roaming the paths and towards me. I didn’t see what happened next but I was told it went something like this.

As I had wandered into town, the Iron Golem, it’s called, picked up my distress signs and came over to protect me. When it had gotten there I had already collapsed and lost consciousness. As there were no enemies around it picked me up and took me over to a grey church like building made of cobblestone. From what I heard around town, the golem had hit the wall next to the door hard enough to shatter the block it had hit trying to get the owners attention. The owner opened the door and had levitated me inside thanking the golem who just nodded and went back to patrolling. Once inside I was inspected by the village priest, who also doubled as the village doctor as well, explaining why the golem had brought me here. I was then given a couple bowls of Mushroom Stew, by which were gently poured in my mouth. After which I was levitated onto her back and I had curled up into her fur for the warmth she provided, she took me to a separate room in the house and placed me in the guest bed at which point the mare had noticed as she was leaving that I was clutching for the warmth I had just briefly known. She tapped a hoof to her chin and went to a chest at the foot of the bed and opened it. From said chest she pulled out a little stuffed pony. It was a grey mare with a jet black mane and tail, her cutie mark was a purple treble cleft. Around her neck was a pink bow attached by white ribbon. With a little smile she placed it into my hooves which I quickly pulled close to me.

This time I awoke feeling refreshed, full, and healthy, but slightly confused as to why I was in a bed. As I sat up this maroon mare with a faded yellow mane and tail, and a big pair of blue glasses upon her muzzle entered the room. With a big smile she closed the gap and began to speak.

“Ahh good, you’re awake. Just in time for dawn too.” She said with huge relief. “Oh, I’m sorry my name is Care Taker. I am the village doctor, the uh, gentleman who brought you here’s name is Big Iron. I looked through the window close to the bed and saw him with one arm extended toward another pony with a rose in his hand. As the pony took the rose, they nuzzled his hand in a sign of gratitude. He just nodded and walked off once again. Looking back to the mare in front of me she had seen the whole event too. “He doesn’t do that often, but it is not uncommon. He does it to show he means the pony villagers no harm. Oh, in a bit we need to go somewhere” She said.

“Miss uh Taker was it?” She nodded softly. “What happened?”

“Well I’m not entirely sure, when you were brought here from wherever you came from, I had not seen anything that happened.”

“Oh, ok then.”

“So where did you come from little one?”

“I-uh-I, I don’t know, I woke up in the middle of the plains yesterday. I don’t remember anything before that, nothing.”

“Oh you poor thing, well I want to take you to somepony who can look after you while we search for your parents.”

“Couldn’t I just stay with you?” I asked.

“I’m sorry little uh, what was your name dear?”

“It’s uhhh, Lightstruck, I think.” I puzzled as I hopped off of the bed onto the wooden floor.

“Well I’m sorry Lightstruck but I can’t, I truly am. But I know a great pony that’d be more than happy to look after you. You’ll love her, promise. I leave my little filly with her when I have things to do or ponies to meet. Huh,” she looked between her fore legs to a little vivid purple pegasus filly that I hadn’t seen enter. Looking back at me she continued, “Speaking of little fillies this is Mystery Fix.”

The 'little filly' slowly approached me with a look of great curiosity. As she got to within a couple of hooves from me she lifted her forehoof. BOP, she poked me on the nose then immediately turned tail and ran back to her mother, looking back at me from her spot behind her mother’s front legs.

“Uh, hi,” I said with a bit of confusion as I continued to stare at her. For reasons unbeknownst to me we had locked eyes and I couldn’t look away.

“H-hi,” the filly said back, stuttering as she finally looked away.

“Hmm, she isn’t usually like this. Normally she takes forever just to walk into the same room as somepony new,” Care Taker stated with the same confusion as I had. “Mystery we’re going to Miss Fields’ house, do you want to come along?”

She shook her tail and replied, “Oh yes please!”

“I don’t know what has gotten into you today Mystery.”

“I have a new friend momma!”

“You barely even know her kitten, how do you know she’s going to be around that long?”

Mystery jumped up on her mother’s back with help from her tiny wings. She looked over to me for a couple of seconds before breaking into a huge smile. She then looked to her mother who was looking over her shoulder at the filly, “She’s going to be around a long while.”

“When you get like this even I don’t trust you, and I’m your mother. I’m starting to think you can see the future. First, you didn’t like your father before he, he passed. Then I hear you waiting for a new pony to move in before Molten Forge moved into town and now this.”

“Momma you’re silly, nopony can see the future. I’m just lucky I guess,” she said as she once again looked at me with those big, shallow lavender eyes.

“Uh huh, well we better go. We don’t want to waste too much time. Come on Lightstruck.”

After a brief trot down the gravel road I noticed that the village was right in the middle of a forest next to the mountains and the plains out in the distance. Maybe it was the ponies in the village but there didn’t seem to be a lot of trees in town maybe two or three in total. It kind of made sense since the village was made of wood, had to come from somewhere. Although there seemed to be more houses than this space cleared out would have supported. I was about to ask about it when Miss Taker answered for me.

“The trees were replanted from the saplings they drop; the area that was cut down was pretty large. I did most of the planting myself as I was pregnant with little Mystery at the time.”

“Oh, I was wondering about the quantity of wood used to be able to make this village. It looked too large to have only this area cleared,” I stated casually.

Once again I found myself under the stare of these two ponies. “Your parents must have been in construction,” Care Taker said as she shook her head. "Anyways, we're here, Miss Fields' house. You know when I think about it you kind of look like her."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You'll see," she grinned as she knocked on the door.

"Who is it," came a soft voice, almost as if it were fragile.

"Wheat, it's Care Taker. I have sort of a large sized favor to ask you."

"Well come on in," she said. "So what can I do for you."

At first sight I was floored, she had shoulder length light green mane that was shining in the light as well as a light brown, almost tan, coat. She had dark yellow eyes and a planting bed for a cutie mark. "Wow, you're pretty," I blurted stupidly.

She looked down at me having just noticed me. "Well thank you, and you are?"

"I'm Lightstruck."

"Well little pony, where are you from?"

"She doesn't seem to have any idea. Lightstruck said she woke up in the plains biome yesterday and nothing before that," Care Taker chimed in. "Before we fully go into that I want to go check on somethings and maybe figure out where she's from. Can you watch these little ponies while I'm gone?"

"Yeah sure, I guess. You won't be long will you?"

"No, it shouldn't take that long but at least a couple hours. But definitely not more than that."

"Ok, well go find out what you need to. They'll be here until you come back."

"Goodbye momma, come back soon."

"I will so be good for Miss Fields, ok? That goes for you too Lightstruck."

"Ok momma."

"Yes Miss Taker."

"So Lightstruck, she said you woke up in the plains biome. What happened from there, not beforehoof."

"Well I got some wooden and some apples. Then remember running from this weird looking stallion. He looked…dead," I said with a shiver.

"So you already met a zombie, you poor thing," she said with the tenderness of a mother with her foal.

"I ran until I couldn't run anymore, when I had reached a little mountainous area. That's when I had gotten blown up. The only thing I really remember is turning around after hearing a hissing. I saw this tall green thing with four feet at the bottom. Then I was flung into a rock ceiling. In the morning I walked to the first house I could see, which was yours appearently."

"Oh my poor little filly, If we find your parents we are going to teach them a thing or two, guaranteed. If we don't find them ... well we'll think of something. Till then you can stay with me, is that ok?"

"But I thought I was staying with Miss Taker?"

"Well she already has a little filly to watch after, and she's a doctor. Her day is pretty full, but my job doesnt require much time so i have a lot of time free to spend with you. It makes sense, which is one of the reasons she came to me."

"Oh," I sighed as my ears drooped.

"L-Lightstruck," Mystery hesitated, finally saying something. "L-Look momma gets really busy sometimes. Sh-she loves me very much I know but she still has trouble now and again even with me. But Miss fields is always there to help when she needs it. Miss fields is a really good pony, and I love her just a bit less than momma."

"I agree with Mystery Fix, she's busy a lot and I have room and time. You know, if you want."

I looked at Miss fields who had on a fragile smile as if praying silently that i just didn't hate her. I looked to Mystery Fix who was contentedly staring at me. It was unnerving to say the least, but if I was brought here by a doctor then it must be ok. I took a few tentative steps towards Miss fields before giving in wholeheartedly then going and nuzzling her foreleg. I heard her breath a small sigh of relief as I did so.

"Miss Fields, what does your cutie mark mean?" I questioned pointing to the planting bed on her flank.

"Oh, I'm a farmer. More in particular I work with wheat. But the cutie mark is for my talent, whenever I'm near wheat farms my emotions affect how they grow. If I'm happy they grow tall and quick, if I'm sad they don't do so well they start to wilt. But that's been a long time since I've been sad enough to cause that. Last time it happened the whole village was eating carrots and potatoes for a week," she explained.

"Awww, but what caused you to be that sad? If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't mind since I've come to terms with it years ago. One night a zombie knocked down the door to my parents house and got both of them. It took me a long time to get over the fact they were gone. Much longer than the week of food shortages I was causing. But her mother," she said pointing to Mystery, "She really helped me through it. She even did some research on how to bring a pony back from being a zombie."

"Wait, she found a way?"

A little startled by the sudden out burst, she started, "Yes she did, but there was a complication to the matter. My parents burned in the light as we tried to cure them."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Well don't be too sorry, at least now I know their suffering is over. So, on a lighter note who's hungry?" she said with a bright smile.