Five Today, and Five Tomorrow
Five today, and five tomorrow
Five twirls ‘round and ‘round, under the giggles and under the mare
Scratchy wool pulled over to cover her eyes
Dizzy and blind, but no, not dumb
Her horn, her gift, a power more than she knew
Ponies around her, hidden by wool and strangers the same
She pointed to each and called them by name
Victory for one is victory for all
Her class, her friends let out a cheer
Another test passed, with more come the morrow
Only one said nothing, barely moved at all
The mare to the side wrapped in her cloak
Weathered by age and weathered no smile
Made a note with her hoof, put the name on a pile
New suns brought new days
New cloaks to guide the way
New spells to practice, new classmates to play
What started as dozens then trimmed down to nine
Passing her friends in the hall one week, rejoin them the next
Reshuffled so much the process was never quite done
Learning with girls not much older, then colts a year young
But the magic, her gift, alone never left her
Each year she progressed, stirred about in this stew
Every spell she would relish with cloaks buried in tomes
Calling her to cast in this manner, then that
To chant mumbled words she did not understand
Each change in the spell they’d note by hoof lightning quick
And she would grin at every challenge she licked
She conjured items to her, she danced among stars
In new groups of nine she was youngest by far
Illusions and charms, to help, to harm
Let the cloaks argue theory away in their books
She took joy in her gift, even showed off for youngsters
The rush of her powers--oh, to feel so alive!
Until, at long last, her nine became five
Five today, and five tomorrow
Five bells around the new cloak’s robe, garish with stars
His beard was so silly like some folktale or myth
The spell set before them too simple and short
She could do it herself, if only time would permit
“Time will not wait,” the stallion chastised and hissed
Every day of their lives was preparing for this
Victory for one is victory for all
With him at their head, the six were now one
A single spell, a single team, a single chance
All the land waited with families and friends
Their service to be honored, their courage respected
Not a pony this day would ignore what they’d done
And then at his signal, the spell was begun
No pony could hope to conquer this storm, to her horror
The weight, such a blow, that sundered her mind
Beyond one heartbeat she wouldn’t survive
To and fro leapt the cloak, shouting commands
Using his power to focus their own
How long the spell needed he never did tell
And before too long one of them fell
Then came the fire that burned down to her soul
Phantom it seemed with no roar and no smoke
Yet clenching her eyes did not the tears stop
This burden was hers, to sheperd, to hold, to guide
“Lift!” cried the stallion, and lift she did
Clearly she felt them through the fire and pain
Tracks ‘cross the sky for her charge to reign
To marry these magics, the flame and the tracks
The labor of six laid forth in detail
Only four were now there to push the fire along
Over the bridge, her body, before it could travel the day
Steady, steady on she held her ground
Inch by inch, she couldn’t scream if she’d tried
And burning in silence, she felt herself die
Dead she must be, though she stood among fallen
The four others collapsed, just her and the stallion
Dead she must be, and a ghost as well
The world too still, too deafened and more
No light came to her call, no dust off the floor
He gazed at her then, as though her kind he’d never seen
But with a shake of his head, “No, you are not like me.”
Five today, and five tomorrow
Five ponies taken to the nurses’ care
Four of them talking and eating and resting
No morsel, no water, no word passed her lips
A hoof to her horn, like a lump of chaff, the only sign of life
The four left soon, one with the gall to grin
Then in the morning five more were brought in
And so it went on, as days turned to weeks
Where once there were spells now with clumsy hooves she survived
She ate without grace, answered none of her friends
Doctors and nurses all tried to pry her from bed
She still had her mind did she not--and how brilliant!
Such wonders in the world, even to study a forest of oaks
Why, if she wished it, she could put on a cloak
She never did answer, never gave them a look
No feats in her future, not the slightest of tricks
If only her tears burned instead of her gift
Even her tongue, she would sacrifice taste
Her hooves as well, useless things that they were
Oh, if only they heard her thoughts in the dark
Her eyes, her mind, she would trade it all for one last spark
Months of this passed with no end in sight
Every pony who saw her now had wrath in their tone
Thousands before her had come and then gone
And hundreds more after, while she wished herself dumb
In the corners they’d whisper, shooting her glares
With no test had they found any illness, nor pain
Her gift was now gone, but the mare still remained
Five today, and five tomorrow
Five stallions’ touch left her ravished and raw
No mate of her own to answer the season
Left at the stables, kept company with giggles and gossip
Eyes clenched as she lay on the hay, stallion six with his gift peering inside
Shame and fresh tears, he proclaims there is none
All she could do was rest and prepare for the sun
The rut would carry on through the spring
Her neighbors squealed their approval, her not at all
To the chagrin of some, other stallions cared little
She was only a mare with no home and no herd
No will to stand up and follow her star
The other mares would wonder to each other in low voice
They found their own way, but she, had she ever a choice?
One night, at merciful last
The fortunate stallion raised his hoof
He marked her wall with a sign all understood
A life now inside her, a stallion’s time best spent elsewhere
Congratulations from the mares and promises of help
“Sisters of Season!” they laughed, “For a year!”
“Sisters of Season!” but she only knew fear
Who is this inside me, she wondered in silence
Am I all they could ask for, this shell of myself?
Is this all I can give them, to sleep in the hay?
Give them wings, she prayed to the stars, let them flee me
Can they bear me, she asked the earth, with your strength?
Protect them for me, she begged each night of the moon
To the sun, nothing, her loss always too soon
Inexorably, the pain of their meeting dawned
And still she found not the voice to scream
Hoping against hope as she pushed her child to freedom
Hope, all that she had left to offer
Hope that their future did not hold her fate
Praying to the heavens for blessings in vain
Not even the power to give them a name
“A daughter!” called the Sisters at last
And the poor filly cried as they washed it clean
“Enough for them both,” remarked one of the crowd
Then the time came, and in Mother’s embrace
Daughter’s tears stopped, hers only began
A gift on her head the little one asked not to borrow
Five today, she would be one of five tomorrow
The filly only laughed at some unheard joke
She was beautiful to see when her mother looked twice
The very silver of moonlight trapped in her coat
Maybe, just maybe, she thought with a frown
Had the moon listened? Was such a thing true?
Questions and fears, and hopes on top of those
Until two little hooves pressed on her nose
Eyes seared into her heart, bright and pink as her mane
All cares left her, she couldn’t help but to grin
A jewel, what a flawless gem that had come
From what broken remains of a life and a mare
What joys she would spread, what paths now lay open
What lives might she touch, what other faces might beam?
But with such a little thing’s coos, she dared, once more, to dream
