How My Daughter Saved Equestria

Shattered. That’s all I can say. The entire population of Equestria was…shattered. When the news broke on all major Equestrian television networks (yes, they have television in Equestria) of the burning and ransacking of Ponyville, the ponies feared for their lives. We had to send out a good part of our armed forces just to keep order in Manehattan, Trottingham, and Neighagra Falls. Ponies were running amok and panic and terror were spreading like a horrible disease. Rumors of other towns being burned quickly infected the vast masses, and we were the only ones who could debunk them.

The press was a constant at the Canterlot Castle after we returned. They were amassed on our front door every day, begging and pleading us for answers. But the truth was, we didn’t have any, and Twilight was in no condition to speak with anypony. She locked herself away in our bedroom, refusing all food and comfort, and wailing her grief daily. I tried my hardest to love her through this awful time, but she even seemed to shun that. She would scream the names of her fallen friends over and over again until, exhausted from her weeping, she would finally enter an extremely shaken slumber.

A few days after we returned, I decided it was time to gently let Diamond know what happened. Spiffy Sweep had watched her during our time away, and we had thanked him profusely for it. But we didn’t want him divulging this sensitive information to our daughter. I had planned on doing it with Twilight, but as my bride was currently in a state of uncontrollable agony, I knew she wasn’t in the right mental state to do so.

“Diamond, honey?” I asked as I entered her room.

“Hi, Daddy!” She chirped cutely.

I immediately smiled. Diamond was one of those ponies whose very presence just brightened up one’s day. I trotted over and gathered her up in my hooves. She gave me an odd look, but went along with it. After sitting her on the edge of her bed, I got down on her level. This was an old trick that my mother taught me for dealing with young children. “Speak with them where they can easily understand you,” she told me when learning that our first foal was on the way, “and your conversations will go much smoother.”

“Is something wrong?” Diamond asked me. She cocked her small head, and I could tell that she noticed the sad state of my eyes. “You’re smiling,” she went on, “but your eyes tell me that you’ve been crying. Do Daddies cry?”

I couldn’t help put pull her into a hug. “Yes, darling, sometimes even Daddies cry.”

She nuzzled my shoulder affectionately before pulling back and looking at me. “But why were you crying?”

I knew that I didn’t need to bludgeon the filly with what had happened, though a lot of the ponies she knew came from Ponyville. She deserved to know of the tragedy, but I didn’t want to cause another fit of wailing and weeping. I wanted her to be able to grieve, but I wanted to reassure her that everything would be alright in time. We would be able to recover from this and move forward as a family.

“Diamond, listen,” I said gently, “something terrible has happened…and that’s why I was crying.”

“What happened…and where’s Mommy?”

I sighed. “Your mother is in our room right now, sweetie. She’s going through a lot, because of what happened, and her heart is in a good deal of pain. Darling, Ponyville…is gone.”

Diamond’s face fell. “Gone? Like…destroyed…gone?”

I nodded. “Yes, sweetheart. Something happened and a fire started. Before the fire ponies could do anything about it, it had spread to the entire town. I’m so sorry, love. I know a lot of your friends and the ponies you loved came from there. I’m also sorry to say…your Aunts Applejack and Rainbow Dash…didn’t make it out.”

The tears were instantaneous, and Diamond threw her hooves around me and wept. I tried to hold back my own emotions and be a strong father for her, but it was impossible. We all cared about Ponyville way too much, and I knew of the deep love and devotion Diamond carried for her mother’s original friends. So for a few fleeting moments, Diamond and I were bound by love and grief. Her small cries echoed through her room, and it broke my heart all over again. This is awful…just awful! I thought, my poor Diamond…and my poor Twilight!

Suddenly, Diamond backed away and wiped her tears. She had a look of soft determination and rather inspiring love on her face. She didn’t say anything, but slowly got off her bed and trotted towards the door. I noticed that her lip was still quivering, but she didn’t resume weeping. I followed her out of her room and down the hall to ours. The quiet filly tried opening the door, but found it to be locked. As I watched in awe, gentle magic flowed from her horn through the keyhole and granted us access.

When we went inside, we found Twilight wailing. Her cries of anguish tore into my soul, and I had to look away. I just couldn’t bear to see her enduring this hardship. Every sharp vocal tone that entered my ear was like a knife to my chest. I could practically see myself bleeding out at the hooves of Twilight’s unimaginable pain and heartache. This is hell, I told myself, before pleading with some unknown force. Please…make her stop…I can’t take her pain! I can’t watch her like this! I love her so much, I just…can’t! Please!

As if on cue, Diamond trotted over and gently nudged at her mother. “GO AWAY!” Twilight suddenly shrieked, “I DON’T WANT YOUR FOOD, AND I DON’T WANT YOUR WATER! JUST GET OUT!”

Diamond flinched a little bit, and her eyes grew wide. She had never heard Twilight screech like that before, but she shook her small head and pressed forward. She nudged her mother again, and this time, Twilight rolled over and looked down. Her eyes were burning with a mixture of grief, heartache, anger, love, and many other feelings too numerous to mention. Her mane flowed faster than it ever had, and she honestly looked like she was about to strike down the pony who had dared to interrupt her mourning.

“HOW DARE YOU-“ She began before noticing Diamond standing there. I watched from the side as Twilight quickly switched gears from a grieving friend to a caring mother. “Diamond, my love!” She cried as she swooped our filly into bed with her. She immediately embraced her, weeping down her small back and apologizing profusely for screaming at her. “I’m so, so sorry, my precious filly!” Twilight exclaimed, before pulling back and looking at her, “you know I would never scream at you on purpose, right?”

“I know, Mommy,” Diamond said, “and I also know what happened in Ponyville. Daddy told me about Auntie Applejack and Auntie Dash. Mommy…why? Why did they have to be taken from us?”

Twilight sniffled and wiped her tears away. “I…I don’t know, my love. I really don’t. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were two of the truest ponies I’ve ever known, and some of the best friends a pony could ever want. I don’t know why they were taken. I don’t know, and I probably never will.”

“Is it…okay to cry?”

“Of course,” Twilight said sympathetically, “it’s normal to weep after somepony you love dies.”

“But Mommy…you’ve been screaming…and you screamed at me.”

The filly looked hurt by this, even after Twilight’s frantic apology. I could tell that the pain transitioned to her mother, and she bent down and nuzzled the foal. “I’m so sorry,” she said, “I should never have yelled like that. I didn’t even bother to check who it was. You’re my wonderful little Diamond, forged out of our love, and nothing will ever change that.”

She hugged Diamond and kissed her cheek before rising from our bed. She turned and looked at me, smiled, and came over and we embraced and kissed. “I’m so sorry,” she said, “I’ve been acting-“

“-normal,” I finished for her, “Twilight, you can’t blame yourself for your grief, and I don’t want you apologizing for it. Your feelings are an extension of your love for Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and I know just how much they meant to you.”

“But, Daddy, is it normal to scream like that?” Diamond asked, tugging on my leg with a hoof.

I smiled down at her. “Yes, darling,” I said, “even back in my home world, when someone dies, there’s generally a few people who take to wailing their grief. Everypony, and every human, has a different way of mourning. Your mother’s was completely fine, and nopony ever felt like she was genuinely angry with them.”

“But I do need to apologize,” Twilight said as her voice broke and she hugged me again, “I’ve been awful to everypony. You’ve been here all along, and I need to look to my support system. Like Starlight said, not all of my friends are gone, and the ones that are still here are the ones I must lean on in this time of crisis.”

“Like us?” Diamond asked.

“Yes, my love,” Twilight said as she smiled warmly at our filly, “just like you.”

We then underwent a few beautiful moments together as a family. Twilight and I both sat on our haunches and allowed Diamond to get in between us. Then, I wrapped my wings around both of them, and we just let time pass in silence. Even Diamond, who was normally rather talkative around us, seemed to understand the pressing importance for quiet. All that broke between us were our breaths, and I could feel Twilight’s warm emissions flashing against my muzzle. That playful aroma once again toyed with my nostrils, only this time I caught it and breathed its sweetness to the fullest extent.