Irony's Tale

Two weeks, two weeks of hell for an entire family, kids included. I can see the strain in Hannah and Dylan’s faces when we are sitting together. Dust is getting better. I can see definite improvement in her daily. Moon Shadow has let us know that full healing when it comes to the torture that mare has been subject to can take years. The good news, though, is she can be functional long before she’s fully healed. Moon has said that she will be counselling Dust for years after this. I look at the gray mare, she’s putting a happy face on everything, smiling and laughing with the rest of the family as we try to decompress from another stressful night.

A knock at the front door has Dylan leaping from his chair. He disappears towards the front door of the house. In only a few moments he’s back, two ponies are with him, one a light gray mare with a purple and white mane. The other is a light pink pegasus filly. I nod to the older mare. “Velvet.” I say softly.

She takes a hesitant step into the kitchen. “Am I interrupting anything?”

I glance at the others before answering. “No, of course not. Welcome!” I know my smile is fake, but it’s the best I can muster.

She sees right through my false cheer. “She’s not doing well, is she?”

I know who she’s talking about, at least I think so, but I frown in confusion. Does she really mean Dust?

She tilts her head slightly. “Lightning Dust, I know Dr. Ray has healed her body as best as possible.” She blinks a couple of times. “I’d still like to know how a human went to Equestria, and wasn’t turned back human when he came back through the portal.”

I raise a hand. “My fault, I was touching him while I was on two hooves. The theory is the magic that has me change forms interfered with the magic of the portal.”

Her eyebrows rise. “Interesting. The magic of that portal is ancient, that your magic can interact, and even interfere in the operation of the portal is quite surprising.” She blinks a few times. “Well, I came here for a specific purpose.” She gestures to the little foal standing before her. “This is Feather Pinch, I’ve been caring for her and two other foals since the opening of the portal.”

I frown. “Okay?”

“Feather was there, when you brought her back from the brink. I felt how much magic you were using. That was amazing. But we haven’t heard anything else. Mayor Mare has been tight lipped about Dust’s condition, and I know she hasn’t been back to work yet.”

I find myself sighing. “Yeah, she’s very much a work in progress. We have a long way to go with her.”

She smiles brightly. “Oh, good. Feather wants to help.”

I look down at the little pegasus. "She's a foal..."

Feather walks up and sits in front of me looking up, "You forgot to call be a blank flank too.” She looks down for a long moment before fixing me with an intense stare. “I had my wings plucked, I was hung by a leg from a fence post and left for dead. An example of what should happen to ponies. I was ready to die." Shaking her head, Feather looks directly into my eyes, "For months, every single day, I woke up wondering, what I did wrong, WHY I was treated like that, WHY humans did that to me. Was it punishment for something I had done as a human? Was it something I did wrong as a pony?"

Stomping a hoof with a clack on the tile, Feather huffs, "Ponies helped me get through that, as did some special humans. I'm still not past it, and I don't know if I ever really will be, but, this gives me a chance to return that kindness, that friendship, that magic, to another. Do you really want to stop that?"

I stand there for a long moment, looking at the vehemence in the filly’s eyes. My eyes dart to Velvet before I shift to two legs and kneel down, gathering her up. She emits almost a Fluttershy level squeak as I hug her tightly. I nuzzle her. “Sweetie, anything you can say could be a help for her. She’s really down right now.”

Velvet nods primly as Feather turns and walks slowly up the stairs.

***

As the two ponies make it to the bedroom door, Velvet pulls Feather close. “Okay, sweetie, as we’ve discussed, Dust is very fragile right now. Don’t bounce too much, just be there for her. You probably have a better read on how she’s feeling than most ponies. But you need to take it easy.”

Feather nods somberly. “Yes, mom.” She turns and looks at the door. Velvet’s horn lights briefly to open the door for the filly before closing it silently. Feather slips into the room and lays down beside Dust, "Hi Aunty."

Dust’s head had popped up anxiously at the opening of the door, but looks at the foal pressed tightly against her side. "I'm not your aunt." She whispers.

"Nope, you're my hero." Feather says snuggling up tightly against the larger mare, nuzzling Dust’s wing gently.

"Hero? Hah." Dust says with a huff before turning her head away.

"Nope, you are, you're so strong, brave, wise," Feather sighs, "Such a great flyer, everything I wish I could be."

Dust fights to keep the tears from leaking. "Yeah right."

Looking down, Feather sighs softly. "My life as a human wasn't the best, I never had a lot, I worked in some places I wish I never did, then when I became a pony... I felt I was being punished for everything that I had done at a human." She huffs, getting Dust to look at her.

The haunted look on the filly’s face chills the older mare, "Wh... what?" Dust says softly.

“I worked at a horse slaughterhouse, for domestic animal foods, and export." Feather shakes her head slowly, "Can you imagine, day in and day out, putting down old horses, looking so much like how I look now? Looking into their eyes, knowing their lives were about to be ended…by me? It was the only place hiring but still.” She suppresses a small sob. “When I changed, all I could think of was, Now I'm like them. Then those humans got me, laughing, they plucked my wings. They hurt me, they left me to die.” Looking up with tears in her eyes feather smiles, "It was because of you, Lightning Dust. You, that I made it through."

Dust pulls her head back quickly, blinking.

"Knowing you were out there, strong and free, knowing we had a Wonderbolt still on Earth. Dash was gone, back to Equestria to save the world again. But you were here, giving the ponies a safe place to live. A community, a home, the magic of Equestria on this world. All because you were working for the ponies, living up to the oath you made as a Wonderbolt. And maybe someday I could be one of them, be a Wonderbolt. Be like... you."
"But why?"

"Because sometimes, we all need heroes," Feather says and lays her head against Dust. "We need somepony to look up to and have faith in. You are mine. You've always been."

"What about Twilight Velvet?"

"Velvet’s my mom, she's the best mom ever, the only mom I can remember, I can’t remember much from Equestria. She's the most powerful unicorn in the world, at least to me. But she’s a lousy flyer." Feather says with a small grin. "Good at falling though, she falls like a pro."

Dust curls up with a huff, "Just so tired."

"I know, I just wanted to spend days in the dark. Sleep everything away and not even eat." Feather sighs, and snuggles tighter, "I should bring you some food later, maybe sing you some songs, that can always help."

"I just want to be alone."

Feather sighs, "Me to." Curling into a ball against Dust she snuggles up, "Lets rest alone, together."

***

Twilight Velvet has been sitting outside the main bedroom, her horn lit and her phone in front of her, keeping track of the time after Feather had gone in. She wasn’t going to violate their privacy by listening in, but she could hear the little filly’s voice as she talked to Dust. After about twenty minutes, she’s noted absolute silence from the bedroom. She checks the package on her back before opening the door softly, someone has definitely oiled the hinges, the door opens silently. She steps into the bedroom, and as she suspected, Dust is asleep, Feather curled up next to her. She smiles gently, looking at the adorableness before her. Okay, stage one is complete. Now on to stage two. She leaps lightly onto the bed as she pulls open the package she’s been balancing on her back.

She’d gotten a blanket from Mindy, freshly laundered. She brings it up and rubs it against each side. “Too many scents would be confusing.” She murmurs softly as she folds it diagonally to form a large triangle, then she folds it a couple more times to get it to the right size. She steps around Dust and lies down next to the pegasus mare. She leans her body against Dust before folding the large triangle over Dust. She lays there for a long moment, letting her body heat and the warmth trapped by the blanket soak into Dust. After a few minutes, Dust sighs and relaxes, getting a smile from her. “Works every time.” She murmurs, reaching her head over and nibbling gently on the turquoise mare’s ear gently and nuzzling the top of her head. She closes her eyes, keeping her attention completely on Dust as she relaxes next to her, letting Dust know of her presence gently.

“What are you…?” Come’s a quiet voice. Velvet opens her eyes and sees a gray unicorn with a multitone blue mane sitting there, confusion painted on her face.

She keeps her voice to a whisper. “She’s a pegasus, Moon. How do you think pegasi moms comfort their fillies?”

Moon Shadow’s eyes widen. “That’s the most relaxed that I’ve seen her in weeks.” She closes her eyes and Velvet’s eyebrows rise as the sitting pony seems to fall asleep while sitting up. It’s only seconds before her eyes snap open. “A normal dream.” She says in wonder. “She needs that more than you could ever know.” She looks at the triangle of blanket over Dust. “Like a wing?”

Velvet nods. “Exactly, and I’m keeping it warm, just like a wing holding a little filly.”

Moon blinks a few times. “I will leave you be.” With a soft pop, she’s disappears.

Velvet shakes her head smiling, "That mare seriously needs a refresher course." Looking down at Dust she smiles softly, mumbling, "That, or she never took any of the babysitting courses in Canterlot. Might have to take her through the basics to see what she remembers."

Laying her head over the pegasus protectively, Velvet relaxes, glancing at the window. The little bit of light leaking around the large windows gives her an idea of the time as Feather and the injured pegasus rest. She smiles softly, happy to have Dust being at peace for at least a little bit.

***

“What the hell?”

Velvet blinks, she didn’t intend to fall asleep, she looks back, Dust had used a wing to knock off the blanket, she’s looking around wildly. Velvet nuzzles Dust’s cheek. “Sweetie, you know me.”

Dust blinks a few times. “For a bit, I thought you were my mom.” She looks somber. “I don’t even know what happened to her, did Discord get her? Was she left defenseless on Equestria? Is she even alive?” She stops, looking at Velvet before ducking her head. “Thank you.” She murmurs softly, tears leaking.

Velvet pulls the wing blanket over her protectively. "I know it’s hard sometimes. You’ve gone through something nopony should ever have to go through. And I understand how you feel. You feel defeated. You end up questioning yourself, asking why you should even bother if you can never seem to win. This isn’t some race for you to come in first as usual. You aren’t used to this. Not to come in first in every race. Not to be the best at everything you try right away."

Laying her head over Dust back, Velvet goes on slowly, "You're a natural leader, it’s hard for you to take orders, to come in second, or even to ask for help. But we are ponies, you never have to ask to get help. Look at Feather there, she insisted that we come here, she wanted to help you. She’s gone through some of what you went through in her own life. And yet, with all she’s gone through, she knew you were in need, and she was willing to do anything to help you. That’s our nature, that’s what makes us ponies. Family, friends are always around, and even total strangers will often help. So don't feel ashamed to be getting help."

Dust lays her head down protectively over Feather. “I wasn’t strong enough.” She murmurs.

Velvet chews gently on her ear for a long moment, then she nuzzle’s Dust’s cheek. “Are you so sure about that? You survived hell. You survived what would kill many. That’s plenty strong in my book.” She stops for a moment. “I know Moon helped you in the Dream. And your entire herd has been helping you since you’ve been brought back.”

“They aren’t my herd, I don’t have one.”

Velvet tsks. “Don’t be so sure. I know Irony was so stressed while you were nearly lost. She didn’t leave your side, she slept in the barn, she barely ate, she was your constant protector. In fact, how you are now is ten times as stressful for her.” She nuzzles Dust’s ear. “There’s no one for her to extract vengeance on, no one to protect you from. It’s inside you, you are hurting, and she desperately wants to help you. Moon Shadow has been neglecting herself in favor of helping to rebuild you, and Mindy has been helping you in her own way. That’s in addition to Helen and your children. Dust, sweetie, you have a herd here.”

Dust’s looks thoughtful before protectively nuzzling Feather, getting a smile from Velvet. “See, your own instincts are strong here, you want to protect Feather here as much as she wants to help you. You will be a great mom when your time comes.”

Unexpectedly that gets a sob from Dust. “No, I won’t. I can’t.”

Velvet tilts her head, keeping mute as Dust breathes heavily. After a long moment, Dust reasserts control over herself. “Dr. Ray told me. The damage back there was too great. I’m barren.”

Velvet leans closer, using the other side of the blanket wing to stroke dusts cheek and wipes her tears gently, “Not being able to have your own can hurt, but that doesn't stop one from adopting, or mothering others. In this day and age there could be lots of times you find yourself needing to be a mom for a lost foal. Or close friend.”

Tears are flowing freely down her face. “I don’t know if you knew, I’m a filly fooler, never been interested in stallions. I’d never once considered motherhood. I’d never even thought I could bring a new life into the world, to be a mother.” She looks back at her stomach.

Velvet gently nuzzles Dusts head, "And now, you were wondering what it would have been like? And then you found it’s not possible now?”

“Was just the fucking cherry on the top of a shit sandwich.” She says bitterly.

Velvet shakes her head. “You know, being a herd mom without contributing foals to the family is just fine.”

“We don’t have a herd, Irony…Moon…”

“Love you, and you love them. Irony wouldn’t be able to be drawn into the Dream to help you if there wasn’t a strong bond there. They all love you, Lightning Dust.” She reaches over and nuzzles Feather quickly. “So does this one here. You should see the clubhouse she and her friends built, with the help from your company.”

That gets the mare to perk up. “I smell Pat’s hand in that.”

Velvet nods. “I was out of country at the time, but yeah.”

Dust looks pensive for a long time, occasionally nuzzling Feather as she works through things in her head, finally she turns to look at Velvet. “Thank you.” She murmurs.

That gets a bright smile. “Always happy to help.”

***

The soft clop of hooves on tile has my ears twitching, though it sounds like three rather than two. I look up as Dust emerges into the kitchen, offering me a wan smile, which I enthusiastically return. Velvet and Feather enter the kitchen as Dust hops up onto the bench, wincing in pain. She gingerly sits down. “I think I’m ready to eat now.” She says.

Helen stands up. “Pancakes?”

Dust nods. “Lots of syrup, please.”

Helen leans over and kisses Dust’s cheek. “Some things never change.”

Dust chuckles and looks back at Velvet. “As a human I had a serious sweet tooth.”

“I did too.” I chime in as Moon nods.

Velvet nods. “I have a feeling that was pretty common among ponies turned human due to Discord. There’s a reason sweet shops were so common in Equestria.”

Dust smiles as she gestures for Velvet and Feather to join them at the table. I shift to two legs and move over to help Helen in making a sweet dinner. A ray of sunshine in the night, we might just get this mare back.