A Sweet Little Cadance

Snow flurries danced on the frigid wind, collecting on the nearly six inches of white fluff that covered the ground. Ice coated the bare branches of the trees, turning the forest into a cold, silent cathedral. Princess Celestia shivered as she stepped outside. Vapor flowed from her nostrils in soft puffs as she inhaled the wind’s distinct, smoky scent that held the promise of more snowfall. Celestia’s younger sister, Princess Luna, led her out into the woods.

“It’s far too cold to go for a walk, sister,” Celestia griped. “Why are you forcing me to come with you?” She huffed in frustration and hung her head slightly. Hazy memories still haunted her: Waking up and feeling no kicks from the foal inside her, and an ultrasound screen that showed no sign of life. Faraway words rang in her ears: “No movement…no heartbeat…thirty-eight weeks…so sorry.”

“I barely get to spend any time with you anymore,” the lunar princess said, smiling as they started their usual route through the forest. “I thought you liked the snow, Tia. You’ve not left your room in weeks. It is good for you to get some fresh air.”

“It should be a crime to be outside in such awful weather,” Celestia groaned as she thought about the welcoming call of the fireplace in her bedchamber. “We should be asleep at this hour, Luna, not gallivanting through the forest.”

Suddenly, the distinctive cries of a newborn foal sliced through the unforgiving cold like a knife through a stick of butter. Celestia’s ears perked up, and she felt as if somepony were twisting a dagger into her chest. She only became more aware of the agonizing emptiness within her. My mind is playing tricks on me, she thought. Then, she heard the small cries again, and she became overwhelmed by her instincts. Trusting her gut, she took off in the direction of the sound with Luna following her closely. As the two alicorns stopped in a small clearing from whence the cries came, Celestia’s heart began to sink. A trail of blood stained the snow in front of her. She followed the ominous trail until she saw a light blue Pegasus mare who lay motionless on her side, clearly deceased. The sinking feeling grew in the solar princess’ chest. As Celestia came closer, she caught sight of the source of the cries: A tiny pink newborn Pegasus filly, no more than a few hours old, with a pink coat and a pink, purple, and yellow mane and tail. The foal lay helplessly in the snow, shivering as she cried. Celestia scooped the filly up in her hooves, cradling the foal against her chest to keep her warm. The little filly’s coat was covered in frost, and Celestia marveled at the fact that she was still alive. A lump formed in her throat as she looked at the lifeless body of the foal’s mother. Pegasi had a staggeringly high maternal mortality rate, but they were also known to mate for life, which was why Celestia was surprised at the father’s absence. This little filly was all alone, definitely an orphan.

“Ssshhh,” Celestia whispered, cuddling the filly close to her chest to keep her warm. “You’re going to be all right.”

“Tia?” Luna called, trotting up to Celestia. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the tragic scene before her and the foal in her sister’s hooves. Luna nuzzled the filly gently, and her heart melted when the tiny foal opened her dark purple eyes to look up at her.

“Hello there, little one,” Luna cooed, taking the foal from Celestia and instinctively licking her clean. The filly cuddled further into Luna’s chest, whimpering. Tears filled the blue alicorn’s eyes as she realized what had happened. “We can’t just leave her here to freeze to death,” the Princess of the Night said firmly. “She will come back to the castle and stay there with us until we can find a suitable home for her.” Celestia nodded in agreement and levitated the filly onto her back, swaddling her in her wings. Tears filled her eyes as she thought of the beautiful stillborn colt she had delivered just two weeks earlier. At least the large supply of milk she had would be useful. Maybe this little foal was a gift.

Once they returned home, Celestia and Luna bathed the foal and put her in one of the countless diapers that Celestia had saved. The nursery that Celestia and her husband Sombra had so lovingly prepared for their son who had been born sleeping would finally have a purpose apart from destroying Celestia from the inside whenever she passed it.

“Sombra,” Celestia called to her husband, “come say hello to our new little guest.” Sombra looked down into the bassinet, where the filly slept peacefully. Celestia explained what had happened, and Sombra sighed.

“We’ll keep her,” he said firmly. “I don’t think either of us has the heart to send her to an orphanage, and I think raising her will help us heal, Tia.” His eyes watered, but he blinked away the tears. “Of course, nopony will ever replace our Sirius, but I think this little one just might be the answer to our prayers. She has made everything fall into place, like a cadence.”

“And she will become the embodiment of love… my love,” Celestia declared. “Mi Amore Cadenza; that will be her name. We can call her Cadance for short.”

“Cadance is a beautiful name, sister,” Luna said, kissing the foal’s forehead. “Does this mean that I now have a little niece to spoil?”

“Indeed, it does,” Celestia said. “Welcome home, little Princess Cadance.”