Unexpected Boundaries

Night had fallen when Twilight and Maple had woken up.

"Daddy? Daddy?" Maple called out desperately for her father who was tied up in the dungeons of Smokey Mountain. Twilight used her magic to illuminate the area and saw the signs of a struggle. Twilight's heart stopped as all of the possibilities of what could've happened filled her head.

"What happened to my daddy?" Maple asked though barely holding in tears.

"They got him, they got Star." Twilight said not wanting to believe it herself.

"You've gotta save him! Please save daddy!" Maple begged Twilight as tears started to flow down her face.

"Don't worry. We'll save him." Twilight comforted the filly before adding in something Maple couldn't hear, "I hope." Twilight scooped up the filly onto her back and dashed off towards the mountain at full speed.

"I need a break." Twilight gasped as she put the filly on the ground. The distance she'd covered really was amazing, at this distance the mountain was a monolith towering above them. Twilight knew it wouldn't be long now until they were there and they needed to be at full strength to rescue Star.

Maple had found some berries and brought them over to Twilight who was more than happy to have something to eat.

"Maple, can I ask you a question?" Twilight asked as she popped a berry into her mouth.

"Ask away Mommy." She cheerily replied.

"Why do you call me mommy?" Twilight asked curious to see how maple would respond.

At the question Maple's ears drooped as well as her tail. "If I'm bothering you I can call you Ms. Twilight if you want." She said in the saddest little voice that Twilight had ever heard.

"I don't mind, it's just I'm not your birth mother so I was wondering why you'd call me mommy." Twilight said not wanting to make the filly cry again.

"It's just that, I learned in school that your mother was somepony who was always there to help you with your problems, somepony that would always treat you with care, somepony that would always be behind you cheering you on. I know you were my tutor but I felt like you treated me like something more. You were always there when I needed you, like when daddy couldn't make it to sport's day you offered to come and watch in his place. To me it felt like I had a normal family, with both a mommy and a daddy. I love my daddy lots but there are sometimes I want a mommy too. I know I'm selfish but I just wanted a normal family. And the only pony that treated me like that was you. I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to be a bother." Maple started to tear up again, it was aparrent to Twilight that she'd kept this bottled up for a long time now.

"Come here." Twilight offered a hug to the filly who hesitated only a moment before burrying her face into the mare's purple coat, staining it with her tears. Maple was bawling like a newborn foal, which was understandable because she'd lost her father and almost lost the person that she'd considered her mother all in the same evening. It took a while but after a good cry Maple calmed down enough that she could talk again.

You feel better?" Maple weakly nodded with a few hiccups. "What if I were to become your mommy for real?"

"Wou-ould you rea-lly?" Maple hiccuped as she looked up at the pony who at this moment was all she had left in the world.

"You'll be my little pony, that is if your dad says okay." Twilight winked at the filly who's face immediately brightened. Twilight couldn't explain it but in a few days she'd fallen in love with not only Star, but it was like Maple was already her daughter.

"How touching." Erza smirked as she walked within their line of sight. There was something about Erza that put Twilight on her guard. "What's wrong? Don't trust me?"

"Where is Star?" Twilight demanded.

"He's in my dungeon waiting to have his powers sucked out of him." Erza grinned.

"Give him back." Twilight lowered her head as she prepared to charge but a group of diamond dogs jumped out and surrounded the two ponies.

"Or you could come and join him? That would be easier on everypony," Erza said as the diamond dogs inched closer.

Maple jumped on Twilight's back as the two charged towards freedom.

"Don't let them get away!" Erza commanded as Twilight's horn began to glow brightly. The two ponies almost made it but at the last second Maple was snatched off her back before Twilight telpported away.

"Maple!" Twilight shouted as her hooves were back on solid ground again. It was too late, she had no idea where to teleport to find Maple and it was freaking her out. After hopelessly calling out her name for several minutes Twilight turned to face the monolith that towered in front of her. She knew that Erza would use Maple as bait to lure her inside but that didn't matter. All that mattered to Twilight right now was, getting her foal back. The sun began to rise as Twilight made the final sprint to Smokey Mountain.