Blooming Days

Magic is a piece of cake. It always has been.

Since as far back as I can remember, I've been able to cast countless spells with relative ease. Pulling a toy that was just out of my reach to myself with telekinesis. Causing the mobile above my crib to continue spinning when it had stopped turning with an infusion of electricity. Even teleporting out of said crib so I could explore the rest of my room or house at my leisure.

It was all so... simple. So easy, in fact, that I learned to utilize my magic before I'd even started to walk. Mom and Dad were as thrilled for me as they were terrified of me. At least, that's how things were initially.

We lived a pretty secluded life. My parents loved their peace and quiet, so they'd decided to move to a town in the middle of nowhere. They got what they wanted, but the positives came with some... negatives.

There was no reliable way for them to keep their eyes on me so they were stressed out pretty much round the clock.
Fortunately for them, I was a genius. They quickly realized that I didn't need to be watched. From around my third birthday, I was able to fully take care of myself.

Seemingly overnight, Mom and Dad's worry changed to relief. Unfortunately, that comfort was fleeting. Almost as fast as they'd learned I was capable of caring for myself, they realized I was also fiercely independent.

I loved them both. God, I loved them both so much. Of course I did, it's just... I needed to learn more things, I needed to be challenged. Everything was so easy. Most of my time was spent reading books and practicing spells. I spent more time by myself than I ever did with either one of them.

In spite of my self-centered ways, they supported me in my pursuits. Not a single time in my foalhood did they ever try to hinder me from improving myself. They were the epitome of support and love, and, despite my selfish actions, life was essentially perfect for the three of us.

Dad worked and provided what we needed. Mom took care of things around the house and treated me like her little angel. I continued to grow, physically, mentally, and magically. I never would've thought that it could ever come to an end.

Just before my sixth birthday Dad suggested I try out for Celestia's little "protégé contest". Mom agreed with him. It was the most prestigious position one could have in all of Equestria. For once in my life, I was a little excited. As the Princess of the Sun's student I might finally be challenged. There was no doubt in my mind I'd be chosen.

Who could possibly be better than me?

Little did I know just how twisted fate could actually be. One day, out of the blue, nothing special going on, it happened.

Mom got sick.

Nothing was ever the same after that.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Raven's unwavering gaze was glued on me. She wasn't happy or angry, or any other emotion that I could accurately discern. She was simply staring. It was a cold, lifeless look. It was clear she wasn't going to relent in spite of my venomous expression. I glared daggers at the mare, but she didn't flinch.

Delilah hadn't said another word. In complete and utter silence she'd placed our plates down in front of us and slowly backed away from the table. It was probably due to the flurry of cyan energy crackling around my horn.

"Starlight... I need you to stop." It wasn't an order. It wasn't even a demand. She knew that if I even thought that she was trying to make me do anything, I'd go berserk. Instead of asking, she just stated a fact. Though I did note, her eyes were shifting around cautiously every few seconds. "If not for me, then for your mentors."

I almost exploded, my rage nearly boiling over in that instant. I was shaking, the idea of letting my mana run wild a delightful thought.

Just think about it, Starlight. Think about what will happen.

...

...

...

In spite of my mistrust of Celestia, I didn't want to hurt her like that.

You owe her that much.

Not only that, but... Luna. She didn't deserve any of the current stigma she was getting, she didn't need any more piled on top because her "psychotic" student couldn't hold things together.

I'd forgotten about the rats. Seeing Raven so dolled up coupled with the excitement of a night free of cares had blinded my better senses to the reality of the situation.

I didn't survey our surroundings. I didn't need to. They were all around, and they were watching us with malicious intent, like a bunch of vultures.

As soon as I heard the whispers start up I knew I had to simmer down. In a flash, my horn flickered out, the low rumbling of our table -- as well as the clinking of our glasses and plates -- dying down along with it. I hated the fact that she was right.

"...Sorry, Rave," I sighed, thoroughly disappointed in myself. "I'm not..."

I hadn't even talked about that particular subject with Sun yet, and the golden mare had a way of making me feel completely safe.

"I get it, Starlight," she reclined backwards in her chair, crossing her forelegs. A sad attempt at a sympathetic expression came to her face. "It's never easy to delve into our own past."

I had to do my best not to roll my eyes. I couldn't imagine her upbringing had been sordid in the least, and now that she was older she was Celestia's only aide. Still, I had to admit, I was a little curious.

"What, did your foalhood suck, too?" I grabbed one of the stuffed mushrooms with a hoof and lazily tossed it into my mouth, then, I leaned forward onto my other hoof, doing my best to look interested. I was. A little. I just didn't want her to know that. Plus, I had to conceal my glee at just how tasty the appetizer was. The food really was every bit as good as she'd claimed.

"Oh no," she quickly shook her head. "Not even a little bit. I'm an only child. My parents treated me like I was a princess," she smiled, reminiscing on what must have been some good memories from days long past. "And look at me now. Now I'm a real princess' assistant!" she laughed gleefully. "No, I can't really complain. My life has been a blessing. I honestly don't think it could've been much better than the one I'm living."

I stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.

Well, she's definitely not planning on taking the empathetic route, that's for sure.

Thinking about it more deeply, it was definitely the correct play. I couldn't count how many times I'd seen some pompous creature try to get into another's head by acting like they shared a similar history. Stuff like that shut me down immediately. It was all just posturing and flattery for the sake of selfish motives.

Better to just be honest and go from there.

Still... I wasn't sure if that was why she had said it. I had to be sure, or we'd get nowhere fast.

"You know, telling me that isn't exactly gonna help me warm up to you, Rave," I stared down at the plate of mushrooms longingly. I grabbed a second and a third and greedily tossed them into my mouth.

"I think I'm well past the 'warming up' phase with you, Starlight," she dug into one of her artichokes, a grin of utter bliss crossing her features once she bit down. "Don't you fink?"

Is that so?

"Altogether we've talked like... three times," I grabbed one of her artichokes and sampled it myself. The look on her face after trying it had made me more than a bit curious. Besides, we'd agreed to share before we'd even gotten to the restaurant so there shouldn't be a problem.

...H-holy crap.

...

I grabbed a second, devouring both in an instant.

Guess she really does know a lot about Canterlot.

"What makes you think I couldn't care any less about you?" I continued since she had chosen to remain silent. Her gaze returned to me, though there was a notable confidence in her that wasn't there a second ago. She finished the food in her mouth before responding.

"You may like to act like you don't care about anybody else, Starlight... but I know better," she leaned forward, her voice lowering to a whisper. "You wouldn't have accepted my invite for tonight if you actually believed that nonsense."

For some reason, her blunt remark struck a nerve.

"Oh really?" I leaned forward as well. "What do YOU think you know about ME?"

"I know that you decided to stop at the café earlier," she grinned, her statement hitting home. "You did that for the princesses, didn't you?" Her smirk was full of confidence, her voice dripping with what I could only describe as condescension.

She leaned closer, the perfume she was wearing even more intoxicating than before. She was doing a stellar job. She had control of the conversation and she was only telling hard truths. Not only that, she really was stunningly beautiful and nearly as intelligent as I was.

Nearly.

For her age, that was quite an accomplishment.

"I did," I grinned.

Well... one of them, at least.

"But it's not like that's a hard one to figure out," I met her gesture, moving forward as well. Our faces were centimeters away from each other now, her ever so slight blush mirroring my own. "You were there. All you had to do was put two and two together. That's not exactly impress-"

She moved her head, her lips almost brushing against mine before she placed them right next to my ear. "I know that you're the reason that Sunset defeated Chrysalis."

I shuddered. She backed away, returning to her side of the table and drinking from her tea glass as if nothing at all had happened.

"Why would-" I started but immediately shut my mouth. I wasn't an idiot. I knew exactly why she'd decided to reveal that particular tidbit of information. More likely then not, she'd heard it from Celestia herself who'd heard it from Sun. Were I a foolish mare, I'd have questioned her about it. I didn't need to. I knew what she'd meant.

"You know... You know what Celestia does." I hadn't moved and voicing that fact didn't do much to help me. In a way, finding that out was crippling.

"Not every single little thing," she pulled one of my mushrooms to her mouth with telekinesis. "But more fen you'd fink."

I moved back to my side of the table, finally able to. My appetite was all but gone.

She couldn't possibly know. N-not even Luna had-

...

"I saw, Starlight. I know what happened."

...

She did know.

Of course she knew.

I covered my face with my hooves, rubbing roughly. Anything to conceal the raw emotions that were doing all they could to plow forth. The embarrassment. The utter ignorance I'd thrusted upon myself. The despair. It was all just way too much to take. I wanted to scream. I wanted to die.

Time and place, Starlight.

I emptied my lungs, the rush of air colliding with my hooves before I lowered both. I stared at Raven, a pathetic look on my face.

If Luna knows then that must mean...

Raven hadn't said what she had said because she wanted to interrogate me. She didn't want to ask me about what had happened during my foalhood. She already knew, because Celestia already knew.

"What do you want from me, Raven?" There was no point in fighting her. Even if this was all just an elaborate ploy by her boss, she already knew the truth. Knowing that made me want to sob. I'd done everything I could to run away from, to hide my failure.

Guess it really is true... not even I can escape it.

"Only one thing, Starlight," she leaned forward once again, her expression suddenly one I'd imagine she only utilized when she was officially representing the princess. "Why?"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Golden Glimmer...

My mother...

If there was ever a pony I could say truly loved me with no doubt in my heart, it was her. She'd have done anything for me. I knew that to be true since the moment I could form a coherent thought. In spite of my endless selfishness, my mom was always there.

She'd encourage me in whatever I put my mind to. She'd try to spend her precious time with me whenever she could. Usually, she'd play her piano to bring a more relaxed atmosphere to the house for my sake. The soothing sound always helped me think more rationally.

...

Mom first started showing signs of illness when I was only five years old. They were minor at first. A few coughs here, shortness of breath there. It wasn't really much of a concern for any of us. Any time Dad said something about it, Mom just insisted it was a tickle in her throat or because she hadn't gotten a good rest the night before.

I think, even as early as back then, I knew there was a serious problem. Didn't matter much though. The word of a foal isn't going to trump a doctor's diagnosis. I'm pretty sure that's how it was able to escalate. That's how she got so much worse.

As soon as she'd stopped playing her piano, I had the confirmation I needed. She loved playing that piano. The only reason she'd ever stop was if...

It was around that time that I'd promised her I'd save her. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. Such a young filly. Such a foolish filly. My youth didn't stop me though. If anything, my arrogance fueled my hubris. I swore to her I'd make everything right, even though I based that off of literally no evidence.

I started taking the issue seriously. I asked for medical books and anything else that might be able to help me find a cure. Mom said that kind of thing was too mature for me, though, and Dad agreed with her. He loved her so much, he'd have done anything to help. Regrettably, that meant he wouldn't go against her in any way, shape, or form.

As her health declined, his sanity plummeted along with it. looking back it made sense. She was his world and losing her was like losing himself. I just wanted to help. I knew I could save her. I could do anything with my magic. I'd never encountered a problem I couldn't solve up to that point.

Mom didn't want me to try, and so, neither did Dad. I had no allies. I thought I was just going to have to watch her wither away. I thought I was going to have to watch him go insane.

That's where her brother, my uncle, Silver Spark, came in. He'd been around since I was born. When I was just a foal Mom had asked him to visit every so often so that there'd be an extra pair of eyes to watch me. When I got a little older and was able to look after myself, he still came to visit, just in case. When Mom got sick he checked in more and more. When she got even worse, he started living with us. He'd always been fascinated with my ability to utilize my mana. He was no slouch himself, but I was in another universe. It was clear he wanted to help me realize my true potential, but there was one thing that was much more important to him.

Uncle Silver loved his little sister more than anything or anyone else in the world. I'd always been convinced that if he could have traded positions with her, he would have done so without a second thought. After all the specialists Dad brought in failed to accomplish anything, my uncle grew particularly desperate.

Each of the stallions went in a different direction. Dad decided to put his faith in Celestia. Uncle Silver... my uncle decided to put his faith in me.