Mirror: Book I - Mind

“No reason to look so glum, Miss Mayor.” The nurse beamed.

“Why, because only my leg was broken?”

“No, silly, you have a visitor.” Nurse Redheart, a cotton white earth pony with a pink mane and red cross for a cutie mark was always one to see the benefit of the doubt, the brighter side of things. Alas, the Mayor herself found nothing bright, nothing beneficial in the presence of other ponies, especially in this very moment. Lying upon white bed sheets, neck rested into a white pillow and a one broken leg suspended by a white sling that hung from a white ceiling. White walls, white lights, just where exactly did the decoration department go with this one? What was the theme, winter? Perhaps there wasn’t one to begin with, for nothing was around to stimulate the senses and only then could the pain the patient was experiencing be their only modem of focus. What a unique way to enforce discipline, she would have to take notes. Oh yes, that’s right, she couldn’t at the moment. Suspended into this bed and all.

“Mayor Mare?”

She ignored the visitor, she already knew who it was. As tempting as the change of color of the scenery was, Ivory had had enough purple for one day. It was beginning to become her unlucky color, if that were ever a thing.

“Mayor Mare?” The voice repeated.

Blast it, there was only one way to go about this now. This was going to hurt her lungs, perhaps even her rib cage, but if she could do anything to get this child away from her now she would do it.

“For everything that’s happened today I know I had almost zero control over, but more importantly I want you to realize just how sorry I am for all of it.”

Ivory eased up, rested her head back to the pillow, and simply decided to go the other route with this one. Sometimes to get a message into somepony’s skull, all you needed was a calm demeanor and words of intent.

“Would you choose your last words so poorly, Miss Ametrine?” The Mayor finally spoke up.

“Uh...?”

“Because if I could strangle you right now, I would.” Her eyes darted to the side. “You and your friend.”

The foreigner let go of the collection of flowers in his magical grasp and laid them down on the table next to the bed. “Forgive her, she very poor at apologizing.” Ronin nodded.

Amethyst blinked in surprise and looked towards him. “Well that sure was a mouthful for somepony who’s very poor at Ponish.”

“It wasn’t the situation you lost control of, my child.” The Mayor sighed deeply. “It was yourself.”

“You’re saying that with relative experience, I presume?” Amethyst put on her best smile.

“Tell me, and tell me the truth only.” The Mayor started. “Have you come to apologize to me on behalf of your highly anticipated role at Town Hall?”

Amethyst opened her mouth and froze. To tell her the truth and the truth only, to the very mare she had just shattered the left hind leg of moments ago...

“I can see that your mother at least taught you to stay silent if you can’t even tell the truth.” The Mayor sighed again, her eyes scanning the yawn fest that was the white ceiling and walls surrounding her, and the shriek party that were the two ponies standing before her bed. “The truth of the matter is I have been drugged with enough pain killers that I can barely lift any of my unbroken hooves any more than my broken one. Believe me when I say that if I had the strength to do so, you’d be lying in the hospital bed next to mine.”

“Mayor, please, I was only trying to-”

“Whatever it is you were trying I’ve had enough of it for one day. You had your chance to prove your worth, and you’ve failed.”

Amethyst’s eyes began to grow wet and bleary, a familiar sting pinching at the creases which caused her to blink rapidly.

“Do you get the picture, child?” The Mayor asked sternly.

“Y-Yes, Miss Mayor.” Amethyst hung her head as she felt a lump form in her throat.

“Then please, get out of mine.”

The poor young mare’s response was only a hard swallow, and she quickly turned her head and trotted out of the room. A tiny, liquid glint of light hit the floor in front of her as she made her exit. Ronin found himself staring at the exit for a good sum of seconds as he let the clopping of hooves from the hallway ring in his ears. The beeping of the medical machines in the room returned him to his senses as he turned his attention back to the old mare lying in the bed, whom was apparently trying to get his attention.

“Did you hear me?” She asked. “I said you may go now.”

Ronin blinked with an estranged look.

“I am sorry for any mishaps that you may have experienced in your time here in Ponyville, but there is nothing I can do about it now.” She said. “Go and get some rest.”

Ronin looked on at the mare. “There is something you can do.” He finally said.

“Oh? What could I possibly do for you?” She jokingly quizzed.

“Not for me, for her.” He said.

The Mayor squinted harshly.

“You must put your blame on me. I cause her all this trouble, I antagonize her. It was not all her fault.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Give her a second chance.”

She scoffed and laughed a little, but stiffened with pain as she remembered not to move so much. “And why in Tartarus would I do that? You’ve received first hoof experience of the destruction she caused, coming out miraculously unscathed too I must say. Clearly you can see why I wouldn’t give her another opportunity to do it all over again.”

“It will not happen again. I promise.” Ronin insisted.

“You have me unconvinced, still.”

“Please, I must do this.”

“And why is that?”

“I just feel in my heart that it is the right thing to do.” Ronin answered her.

The Mayor stared at the stallion for a moment before briefly rolling her eyes. “Let me guess, you like this girl.”

“She’s very rude.” Ronin said. “And weird.”

“So you’re prepared to make sacrifices for a pony you value nothing about?”

Ronin found himself shut up to her statement as he reviewed its implications.

“Believe me, son, I’ve been there more times than this old mare can count. That I speak with relative experience.”

The young stallion was held by silence again, and so he simply waited in listening intent to see what the Mayor would say or do next. Not as though she could really do anything action wise, but Ronin was waiting for such a thing anyways. A decision at least, and it seemed as though more silence would work in that favor, and so he did just that. Finally, the Mayor sighed deeply, so much so that even Ronin felt a few years of his own life span leaving him. This mare was old, tired, had experienced a day of nothing but disappointment, devastation and disaster, and yet she moved.

“Give me that paper lying on that desk over there.” She commanded. He looked over to find just that and lit his horn to life as the paper floated her way. With a free lazy hoof, she slowly cupped it and rest it to her limb. “The pencil.” She nodded. Ronin looked again and lifted the pencil sitting on the same desk with his magic. The Mayor opened her mouth and parted her teeth to which Ronin became confused at. Where he came from just about every resident was a unicorn, their way of writing accustomed to simply using their horn. He had seen fillies and foals much too young to use their horn use their mouths to write, and so seeing an elder take on this procedure was more than foreign to him. Shortly after, Ronin did as she was silently requesting and carefully placed the pencil between her teeth. She clamped down on the utensil and brought it to the paper. After what seemed like ages of waiting in a mere minute, the quiet scratches of graphite on paper came to a close.

“Here.” She said.

Ronin levitated the paper to his view, getting a brief glimpse of the symbols written upon it. He may have been able to speak clear enough Ponish, but he could not read a word of it.

“An associate will be taking my place for the time being. Go to Town Hall 8 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning and bring that letter to him.”

With the “him” Ronin could only wonder who, but realizing he had a job to do, he bowed his head low enough that he felt the tip of his horn touch the floor.

“I will be sure to express my gratitude. Thank you.” He said.

“Go, off you go.” The Mayor waved a lazy hoof. “Before I change my mind.”

Ronin quickly nodded, folded up the note and headed for the door.

“Oh, and-” She called.

Ronin stopped and turned back to her.

“Don’t forget to tell your friend.”

With a final nod the foreign pony dashed out of the mare’s sight, and she rested her head back onto the pillow. “Celestia help this village…” She groaned.

The flow of Amethyst’s mane and tail were like that of a parachute being caught in one gust of wind after another, up and down, up and down. She placed her hoof to the plasma ball in a bored, tired rhythm, the electricity pulsing through her body and surging through her hair. As excited as her surrounding electrons were, the young mare herself was a slumped over mess of failure on the laboratory work bench. Several other tools, inventions and machinery of “science” filled the room with energized beeps and mechanical whirs, their purposes and inner machinations all but unknown to her. She looked to her side, a dust-brown stallion with a collar and tie tinkering away at one of the control panels. Though he was working intently, the angle of his ear told her that he was listening all the while.

“What do you think, Doc?” She asked him.

“I am always thinking, Miss Star.” He replied politely.

“The Mayor was right, I lost control of myself.” Amethyst admitted. “Maybe it would’ve been better to stay put, but how am I supposed to get anything done?”

“The mind is one’s greatest tool.” the Doctor said. “More mysteries than it has answers to give, and just as deadly as it is wondrous.” He stopped as he looked over to see the young mare still slumped over on the desk, staring into the blue plasma ball. “Alas we sometimes forget to use our minds. Unconsciously our emotions take over and we lose control.”

Amethyst sniffled.

“And it happens to the best of us.”

“At the most inconvenient of times, it seems.” She added.

“Do you inquire that it was all an accident?” the Doctor asked. “That you just so happened to trigger such emotions at that moment in time?

“Well, no. Obviously I was angry for a reason.”

“Precisely.” He tapped her nose, and the static electricity extended to him as well. “Even in times of calamity there is reason yet to be found.”

“But my reasons were petty and childish.” Amethyst argued. “Lashing out just because I didn’t get what I wanted? Some applicant I am. “

“But they were reasons nonetheless, albeit coherent and comprehensible.” The Doctor went on. “Competition has remained true to our nature even in this revolutionary era of our society. Though, we are not barbaric. We do not strive to survive, we thrive. We live.”

“Then why do we still argue and fight?” Amethyst asked innocently.

“Because we are driven, Miss Star.” The Doctor now looked her in the eye. “You are driven, Amethyst, and there’s no doubt in my mind that is the clearest message you got across to the ponies you met today. After all, it worked on me.”

Amethyst allowed a small blush to her cheeks as she looked away. “I can see why mom liked to spend so much time with you.” She said.

The Doctor blinked, his smile formed into a nervous grin and he sported a blush of his own. “Really? Why, I-I hadn’t noticed.”

“Don’t try and back out of this one, buster.” She followed up. “How come you two don’t hang out anymore?”

“Your mother must be quite busy.” He avoided. “After all, so am I.”

“Your inventions won’t keep you from fate, not forever.”

“Tinker with time, and they just might.” He hummed confidently. “They just might.”

Oh no, what have I done? Amethyst thought drearily. Here we go again…

“Time. A fickle thing, is it not?”

“Tell me about it.” Amethyst returned to her boring rhythm at the plasma ball.

“Relativity is quite the amateur approach to its understanding, perhaps even completely incorrect. From what manner of our own perspective, if any, are we to comprehend time when the concept of time itself is but another machination of the mind?” The Doctor continued. “Ever since a particularly compelling time in my life, which was actually last Tuesday when I was asleep in bed, I awoke with a jolt as a staggering epiphany dawned upon me!”

Amethyst awaited with quieted anticipation.

“I had left the stove on!” the Doctor gasped. “I came clamoring down the stairs, hit my head against the floor and my rump was in the air. In my moment of stupor, the world and its walls spun around me so, and it was then that a great thought came upon me, a tantalizing realization, a vision!”

Amethyst was still playing with the plasma ball.

“I should make toast for breakfast!” He hailed. “My kitchen, a mess, and the world outside as beautiful and chaotic as ever. I lent an eye and an ear to the nearby window, where dark clouds of terror and screams of horror flooded the calm, quiet streets of Ponyville. The next thing I knew, thunder crackled and beasts of myth were unleashed upon our streets, for only the six most bravest, stunning and spectacular mares in town could save our flanks from this wrath of wickedness. The battle was on, mare fought beast and beast fought mare, and in the midst of roars, slashes, laser beams and sharks flying around in the air, only then did the utmost greatest idea of the century behold my mind.”

The plasma ball went bzzt!

“I should put butter on my toast!” The Doctor was ecstatic. “I reached over for my self-made glass butter tray and spread a healthy portion from knife to toast. Only, the butter began to wear thin, and I looked over with dismay to find the last of that slippery, white-yellow creamy goodness was now depleted. Gone, reduced to liquidation and finally evaporation. I was distressed, lost and confused, for it dawned upon me. Time was like too little butter over too much toast. In the heart of such a vast, wondrous and complex world, we are only given so much time to understand it all.”

“I believe what you’re talking about is relativity.” Amethyst replied. She sat up and exhaled slowly, turning off of the work bench and for the exit. “Thanks for the chat, Doc. I think I’m going to head home now.”

“Would you care for a stroll?” He offered.

“No thank you.” She declined. “I just need to be alone for now.”

Nighttime made it’s descent upon Ponyville. The streetlight lanterns were lit just as the lasting orange streaks in the sky escaped to where the sun had fallen, and moments later the moon rose and found its place among the many stars. The lone unicorn trotted across cobblestone and soot, past party vendor and beneath the oriental lanterns that were hung up from before. Barren celebrations made places feel far more lonely than they actually seemed. She took one last look to the great building in the middle of the plaza, Town Hall, and sighed to turn in for the night.

Climbing the steps to her abode, Amethyst all but ignored her mother’s welcoming holler as she made a bee line for the stairs, threw her bag past the door into her room, and locked herself inside the bathroom. Hot, steaming streams flowed and filled the tacky-white tub to the brim. As the faucet dripped into silence, Amethyst climbed inside one hoof at a time. A few “ooos” and “aaas” of pain bounced against the bathroom walls, and at last she let loose a lengthy exhale as she sank beneath the hot, soothing waters, muzzle and horn just above the surface. She laid there, still and silent, ears beneath the water and eyes closed. It felt like ages, eons, time was irrelevant now, only she and the water existed together. Nothing could shatter the serenity, and so all thoughts and worries escaped her mind. There was a faint, fleeting scent…flowers? Then, there were three knocks at the door, and her mother’s voice broke through the bubbles and ripples.

There was somepony here to see her. Who could it possibly be at this hour? The Mayor? Her leg may have been broken but Amethyst wouldn’t put it past her to muster the strength to make a personal visit just to strangle her. Perhaps it was Sea Swirl, finally coming to apologize for stealing her slice of cake at the party the week prior. Amethyst at least hoped it got her one hoof closer to a threatening cholesterol level. If neither of these visitors, then who? No, no it couldn’t be. Anypony but him.

Amethyst swung the front door open, and sure enough…

“Ano…” Ronin began. “Good evening?”

“Ano…get out.” Amethyst growled.

“Well, it’s no wonder you spent a century in the bathtub.” Her mother laughed.

A softened-gray, wall-eyed pegasus with a bright blonde mane trotted into view. Though her eyes were misaligned, her smile was the brightest and warmest a pony had ever witnessed.

“Mom, quit it.”

“I ought to thank you for putting up with my stepdaughter for this long.” The pegasus mother extended a hoof. “My name is Derpy, but you can call me Miss Hooves.”

“Ronin is the name.” He shook. “Thank you for accepting me into your home.”

“Nopony is accepting anypony into any home. Got that?”

“Amy, dear, is that any way to treat your special somepony?” Derpy teased.

“Okay you’ve had your fun, now get back in the kitchen.” Amethyst whined.

“Y’see? She sounds just like her father.” Derpy laughed. “Dinner will be ready shortly, don’t be long you two~”

Amethyst eyed her mother trotting around the corner and turned back to the young colt at her door. A bouquet of flowers seemed to appear in his hooves out of nowhere. She eyed the flowers, the boy’s deep, green eyes, and with an exasperated sigh of frustration yanked him inside using her magic. The nearby picture frames and side table vase rattled as she slammed the door shut. Ronin regarded the threshold with eyes wandering the walls and ceiling.

“Is it your mission, all of a sudden, to transform my life into a living hell?” Amethyst questioned.

“I thought this would be very simple, but seeing now that your mother has invited me to eat it would be within my greatest displeasure and upmost rudeness to decline her offer.”

“So what is this? Some sort of tradition where you come from?”

“We call it common courtesy, where I come from.” Ronin informed. “The flowers are a bonus.”

She snatched the flowers out of the way, they crinkled in displeasure to her mare-handling. There was a peculiar item within, and she used her levitation to produce a small envelope with an odd seal. “You really know how to piss a mare off, don’t you?”

“Passion is the quickest way to the heart?” He shrugged insecurely.

Amethyst was prepared to shove the entire bouquet down his throat and kick his rear out the door, but there was a little audience watching closely from the bottom of the stairs behind the railing. A tiny, purple-gray unicorn emerged and looked up at the two with golden, gleaming eyes of equal awe and curiosity. The very next second the little unicorn adorned a serious expression, approached Ronin quietly, and craned her neck upwards to whisper to him.

“You ought to know, her shedding is at the end of every month.”

Amethyst spent the greater part of the evening chasing her little sister around the house.

“Dinky~!” The mother called. “Could you stop running for your life and set the table, please?”

“Yes, mother!” Dinky, the little unicorn of the house, skidded to a halt at the end of the hall. Her elder sister failed to compensate for the sudden stop and went flying head first to the end of the corridor.

She laid there back to the wall, head at the floor and arse in the air, her vision twirling as little Dinky’s and Ronin’s ran circles around her head. A figure appeared at the other end of the hall, a Ronin. First there was one, then two, then four. Amethyst rattled the fogginess out of her brain and sat upright, shoving a hoof in the visitor’s face to signal the rejection for assistance.

The clatter of kitchenware accompanied by the giggles of mother and daughter sounded from around the corner, and so Amethyst busied her way over to join them. The curved-horn colt was left to the homely corridor, fixing the disheveled rug with his magic and resting a picture frame back to its original place. He studied the photo within with care, respect, and a hint of intrigue. In the first photo was a young, tired-looking, gray pegasus, a blonde mane and bubbles for her mark. She was clutching a child, perhaps only four, a little unicorn with a delighted, snotty smile. Ronin moved on to the next photo wherein a purple, lavender maned unicorn had joined the duo from before. She was older than the little sister, yet no photos of her youth or before seemed to be placed anywhere. And there it was, though he did not know it yet, the first piece of the pattern laid right in front of him. Amethyst shoved her face into Ronin’s, her muzzle nearly touching his.

“The sooner you leave, the better.” She warned.

Ronin had been told that before, more times than he cared to count. Obviously this time was one of the softer blows, and she had nearly every right to say it, too. Amethyst was soft real deep down, for he could already see it, but knew that trying to muster that flowery attitude up to the surface would only make things worse. He would not belittle her, he would not test her, not unless the time came to do so. The foreigner went back on his uncle’s words before arriving in Equestria. It was a strange, new land, almost nothing like his home nor his people even though they were practically the same species. Time and nature had drifted them apart, and only now in their moment of reunion do they hardly recognize one another as brothers and sisters.

“Are you two kissing back there?” Dinky teased.

“Zip it, squirt.” Amethyst growled at her sister.

“I was just gonna say there’s food in here, too.”

“Ah, the flowers are not for eating, little one.” Ronin laughed. “They may look delicious, but they carry special meaning in my homeland.”

“Well, we’re not in your homeland, now are we?” Amethyst snapped.

Ronin allowed his patience to be tested once again. The company of four found their respective seats at the dinner table, and with that Derpy lifted the cloth from the pot of brimming macaroni in hopes that the aroma would settle looks of ire traveling from one end of the table to the other. Dinky quickly helped herself to a serving until her mother smacked her hoof and allowed their guest to have the first scoop. He thanked her gratefully and thanked her again for having invited him to the dinner to begin with.

“Please, dear, it’s just common courtesy.” Derpy assured. “I only hope our lack of tradition isn’t too out of style for you.”

“Not at all.” He replied curtly. “I do enjoy a change of culture from time to time.” Ronin felt that was a lie, but he strove to remain polite.

“Where did you say you were from?” Dinky perked up.

“I come from Neighsia. It is a land to the east beyond the Celestial Sea.”

“So like the legend of Mistmane?”

“My home village lies south of Mistmane village. That is where my uncle lives.”

“Wow!” The little filly was ecstatic. “Sis, he’s totally out of your league.”

As Ronin couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, Amethyst lit her horn and flicked a piece of macaroni onto her sister’s face. The younger retaliated by loading her spoon and launching a sum of slimy bits her way. The bickering lasted for only a spell until their mother hushed them and then returned to their guest with that same, warm and inviting smile. A spell of silence then took over, the quieted clacking of silverware and chewing filling the tiny, dining room ambiance until the mother decided to break the ice.

“The flowers are quite pretty.” Derpy commented. “Wherever did you pick them up?”

“I had a few seeds left over.” He replied.

“You grew them?”

“Pfft, yeah right.” Amethyst scoffed, playing with her food. “You really think I’m that stupid?”

“Stupid? No. Rude? Perhaps.” Ronin wore thin on patience.

“Amy?” Derpy looked over. “Is there something you’d like to say?”

“I am sorry, Miss Hooves. She...well, we had a rather bad day.”

“I’m telling you, we-” Amethyst rolled her eyes. “I did not have a bad day!”

“Then what’s with the attitude, darling?” Derpy questioned. “I thought I had told you no shouting at the dinner table.”

“Yeah, especially in front of your new boyfriend.” Dinky jabbered with a mouthful.

Amethyst rose quickly, both hooves slamming to the table and her horn alight with fury. “For the last time, I am not upset! I didn’t have a bad day and this...rice-ball is not my boyfriend!”

“Amethyst Star!” Derpy rose from her own chair. “What a thing to say.”

Ronin breathed for calmness and backed up in his chair. “I’m sorry, I’ve seemed to disturb your household. I best take my leave-”

“No!” Amethyst protested. She wasn’t quite sure why she had said it in that moment, but after a moment of tension she quickly followed up. “Please, stay. Go ahead and eat our dinner, I’m sure you’ll need it. I know I’ve already proved myself a pretentious little wench but even I don’t have the heart to let a lost, little puppy starve out in the streets.”

“What do you inquire?”

“Y’know, I think I get it now.” Amethyst settled down. “I spent a pretty decent chunk of my bath hour just thinking, contemplating, trying to surmise just what the heck a curvy-horn like you is doing in a country town in the middle of Equestria. Thousands of miles away from home and you could barely speak a word of Ponish, or at least you chose not to the moment I met you. You’re out of place, a little pony in a big big world, and so then that very thought occurred to me. You’re lost. You don’t know where to go or what to do, and in your spell of confusion it’s somehow landed you here, in Ponyville, to come and screw up my life, and I wanna know why.”

Ronin remained quiet, a stoic expression adorning his face with the exception of eyes that told a good reader of body language everything they needed to know. Lucky for him the young mare wasn’t quiet adept to such skills. Everypony had secrets, so what? The only catch was that sometimes such secrets were only to be revealed at the right time and at the right place, and he knew this night, the first night of all nights was not that time. Thus, his lips remained sealed.

“I’m willing to forget all of this ever happened.” Amethyst offered. “The chase, the Mayor, everything. All I ask is for you to prove me otherwise, tell me why you’re really here.”

“Just read the letter.” Ronin told her.

That spell of tension in the air returned. Dinky was completely quiet now, her mother waited patiently, and yet a gaze of disappointment befell the purple unicorn.

“Fine. If you wanna eat dinner, then you can do it without me.” Amethyst twirled out of her chair, rounded the corner and galloped up the stairs, leaving her unfinished supper behind.

“Amy!” Derpy chased after her daughter, a door from upstairs slamming shut as soon as she was halfway to the second story. The knocking and calling of her name persisted for some time before the mother finally gave up and trotted back downstairs to wrap things up for dinner and deliver her most sincere apologies to the poor boy. Ronin did his best to explain everything and not to be too harsh on her daughter, or rather stepdaughter as he had come to learn. Derpy eyed the bouquet of flowers resting upon their hallway stand and took a hold of them, a lovely, lavender scent flooding her nostrils.

Several minutes had passed since Amethyst retreated to her room and balled herself up at the front of her bed surrounded by pillows and plushies. The room was dim, the hall light creeping beneath her door providing the only illumination aside from the moon and many stars in the night sky outside. Her ear flicked to the clicking of the front door, and she curiously craned her neck upwards to peek out her window, watching Ronin’s familiar curved-horn figure disappear into the shaded corridors of the night. She huffed drearily and fell back into her pillows, strangling the fluff out of her stuffed owl as the displeasures of the day seeped back into her mind. Nagging, stinging, unrelenting they were. She supposed she would just be a lost little filly for the rest of her life, mooching off of her mother until it was time to put her in the ward, and then she’d work paycheck to paycheck at some dead end job. She’d never find a husband, never have foals of her own. She felt the waterworks collecting in her eyes. Then, the light beneath her door divided and a knock was heard.

Amethyst did not have to answer as her mother quietly invited herself in, leaving a crack in the door as she entered. The weight shifted as the pegasus sat at the end of the bed, crept closer, and began to rub her daughter’s withers. It went like that for a long time, the simple view of the stars upon a black-blue canvas accompanied by the cool, brisk air whispering past the curtains, and her mother’s hoof working circles around her cutie mark. Three identical diamond blue gems. It’s purpose was almost completely unknown to her at this point.

“What is going on in my little star’s mind?” Derpy cooed softly.

“I’m sorry, mom…” Amethyst teared up. “You don’t deserve a daughter like me.”

“I think you owe somepony else an apology.” The pegasus reached over and lifted a familiar bouquet of flowers into view. Her daughter only acknowledged them dryly, and at that Derpy stretched over to rest the woven floral to the desk beside her bed.

The view of the stars now hid beneath a bundle of purple petals, bound together by a pink ribbon with a simple little envelope tucked inside. Amethyst stared at the flowers for a moment, eyes wide and wondering. The placement, the decoration, the scent...he really did put some work into this. After another moment of humming to her daughter, Derpy leaned over and placed a peck on top of her mane, offering her to finish dinner lest it get too cold. The quieted mare moaned a refusal and so the pegasus simply left her at that. For a final moment Amethyst’s room returned to midnight blue walls and the little illumination from beneath her door. Her head felt like a block of lead and her eyes heavier, they fluttered up and down as the whispering winds carried the scent of the petals to her nostrils, and finally it all sung her to sleep.

A flash of white, and a thousand pink petals fluttering in the air clouded her vision. Cherry blossoms danced through the air, accompanied by a summer-green pasture and a leaning sakura tree. Purple infant hooves reached up to a unicorn with a motherly gaze, and so she sung…

Hush, little princess, your worries and your fears

One day your prince will be here

Moonlight shall guide you as the night draws near

Soon your prince will be here…