Two Unicorns

Twilight had just finished reading through the papers and forms explaining just who the filly was. She'd already discussed her wishes with Aon and now just had to explain the situation to the small filly when she woke. Twilight couldn't imagine it being too hard, after all she was just a filly. As Twilight continued watching the fiery haired filly, she began to worry, as she did not truly know what to say.

That was about when Rosebud woke up.

The filly cast her eyes about, as if unable to remember where she was. It didn't take long before she placed her gaze on Twilight, who smiled fondly at her.

"Do you know where my mother is?"

And that was it. After all that planning, after all that bluster, she was done in by a filly who wanted her mom. She couldn't do this...

"Good morning sweetie!" Aon called as she trotted up behind Twilight and placed a comforting hoof on her back. "Your parents are so very proud of you. Did you know that you not only one of the smartest fillies I've met, but you personally wowed Princess Twilight here, and she's decided to make you her own personal student.

After hearing that the only thing that could have described the cinnamon hued unicorn filly before them was amazed as she suddenly did remember that she was in front of Princess Twilight and Princess Aon. She was about to bow like her mother taught her but was stopped by Twilight who nuzzled her motherly.

"It is quite okay young Rosebud, you do not ever have need to bow before Aon or I, nor do you have need to call us Princess." Twilight stated a bit seriously before taking on a mock huffy air that Rosebud knew was fake before grabbing a quill and tickling the filly's neck. "Because that is for stuffy boring adults, and we're all just fun fillies here, right?"

Some hour and a half later Rosebud was smiling widely as she munched on some pancakes.

It gave Twilight and Aon enough time for a quick talk.

"Are you still sure you wish for this Twilight?I saw your face when I came in earlier, you were scared."

"I didn't know how to handle her. For a moment I only saw the filly that raged against the judges when she found out her parents weren't coming back, but Rosebud...her mind has blocked it." Twilight explained.

Aon just smiled.

"Then that is better for her. We will raise her as our own, and if she ever asks, or should the oppurtunity present itself well, we can disclose the information about her real parents."

Twilight gave Aon a loving nuzzle and a quick kiss before pulling back as an eager filly scampered up to them.

"So....what do we get to learn today?"

Twilight got an equally eager look on her face as her eye twinkled.

"Did I ever tell you the definition of friendship?"

~^~^~^~

Three days later Rosebud had taken to practically attaching herself to either Twilight's or Aon's hip depending on who was busy. From what both mare's had gathered, she still believed her parents live in Manehatten. It was on of the many challenges they'd been facing lately. The main priority at the moment though, was Aon finding lunch as Rosebud tagged along.

"So...magic is connected to a ponies life? Does that mean doing magic can kill ponies?" Rosebud gulped, crossing her eyes comically as she looked up at her horn.

"I promise you, I will never allow you near a spell that could hurt you." Aon promised as they entered the dining hall.

~^~^~^~

Tears welled up in Twilight's eye as she felt the stinging pain, one of the few things that made her remember she was still alive, along the inside of her right foreleg. Looking down and the bloodstained letter opener, Twilight yearned for more...to just feel it all again.

~^~^~^~

"The plan was a fucking disaster. First off, the poison was fine, and nopony would have cared if Chrysalis had died, but the bomb?! Who the fuck authorized that? We are here to save Equestria from shit like that, not cause it! Now get out there, and no more slip ups!" the cowled figure roared.

~^~^~^~

Twilight had just ensured Rosebud was off to bed when Aon stopped her outside the door. Twilight could tell that it was something serious.

"The nobles disapprove. I ran into a group of them, and many think it is a ruse, or we have ulterior motives. Then you have some of his old friends, angry that their 'pedigree' foals weren't picked. With the business with Luna going down...now this..." the mare trailed off mournfully.

"I understand...its hard...some days giving up sounds do much easier, you know?" Twilight sighed, but quickly moved on. "I got a lead though, so if you want to help me with that? I'm headed out tonight."

Aon simply nodded as they both made for their room to get their armour.

~^~^~^~

Three hooded ponies convened in a darkened room.

"Sprigs, the two will be out tonight, it is the perfect time to strike against Luna!"

"T'would be a fools plan, Luna is with Chrysalis."

"Radar, Sprigs, shut up. The answer is simple. Take the foal, make the two try to get her back. When that goes down, it should cause enough panic to get a clear shot at Luna."

"But...Scootaloo..and..."

"Sprigs, Scootaloo won't be a problem."

"If we get caught though, and Scootaloo finds out! We were told only Luna! You're nuts, this is crazy! This is-"

Sprigs fell to the ground, hooves twitching at his slit throat.

"Radar, we move soon."

~^~^~^~

Rosebud awoke with the need to relieve herself. It was still dark, but she had never been afraid of the dark. She wouldn't even need to fear the dark anyway, she was in the castle. Pushing the covers aside the filly lowered herself from the bed and started towards the lavatory. Once finished the filly trotted back out only to run into a large dark shape.

Letting out a startled cry, Rosebud fell back as dark hooves wrapped around her.

"It's okay young one, it is just I, Luna."

Rosebud immediately calmed as she hugged the alicorn.

"Lulu!"

Luna blinked for a second, surprised that the filly called her 'Lulu' before it dawned on her the Twilight and Aon had probably told her to.

"You mo...teachers, Twilight and Aon, told you to call me that, didn't they?"

The cinnamon coloured filly scuffed a hoof on the floor looking down somewhat ashamed.

"I'm sorry if I'm not s'posed to call you Lulu..."

"It is fine young one, I just didn't expect it. In fact, I think I might have to pass a decree that everypony call me Lulu. I do have a question though, do you know where Aon and Twilight are?"

Rosebud shook her head and Luna nodded.

"Very well, I must go attend to business. Sweet dreams young one."

"You too Lulu!" Rosebud called back as she shut her door. Turning around the filly bumped into another large black shape. "Lulu? Wait, who are yo-"

The rest of Rosebud's words were cut off as she felt a cloth shoved into her nose as a foul smell filled her nostrils. Then it was dark.

~^~^~^~

Rosebud awoke in a comfy bed, but in what was obviously not her new room at the castle, nor the one at her own house. Getting up, the filly nosed around the relatively empty room before settling next to the door where she heard voices.

"So...she is a filly, and neither of us have gotten laid in a while..."

Rosebud cocked her head to the side.

'Then lie down silly.'

"No! We can't touch her! You heard what she said. Nopony touches the filly, hell, she already got rid of the other two for foalnapping her!"

The filly's eyes widened. Where they talking about her? Doing as Twilight had instructed, Rosebud looked at the facts.

~She was in a strange room.

~The guards talked about a foal being taken, she was the only foal around.

~They weren't allowed to do anything to her.

She then took those facts and begin figuring out her limits just like Princess Aon taught.

"Anyway, I'll take her food and drink in, boss is supposed to be headed up in a minute anyway."

Rosebud ducked behind the door as it opened and the guard came in.

"Alright runt, here's your fo...hey where are you?"

Wrapping the platter the guard held in a cinnamon aura of magic, Rosebud gave it a hefty jerk and smashed it into the guards nose. The guard jerked back and fell and Rosebud made to dart out of the room when the second guard grabbed her.

"Ah ah ah, you aren't going anywhere."

Rosebud thrashed about but knew she couldn't get free from the second guard's magic, noting him as a unicorn.

The first guard got up with a bloody nose and moved towards the suspended Rosebud menacingly when the filly cried out.

"You can't touch me! You're boss said you couldn't!"

The guard halted and glared at Rosebud angrily whilst the filly stuck her tongue out cheekily.

"Why you little shi-"

What the guard meant to say was halted as a blast of emerald green magic smashed into his face. Rosebud turned, expecting Aon, but instead was met with one of the most horrifying faces she'd ever seen. Regardless the pony saved her, so she needed to be nice.

"Uhm...hi...thank you..."

The pony, seemingly a mare, 'smiled'. It was hard to tell because her face was scarred terribly and burnt and completely furless.

"It is no problem. I had ordered your safety after all, and I do not wish to have you hurt, as you are not my target."

Rosebud looked towards, but not at, the mare inquisitively.

"Who are you trying to hurt?"

The mare's eyes got distant for a moment before hardening.

"Luna is not as good a pony as you might think..."

"But Twilight and Aon said that Lulu was nice? You aren't going to hurt them too, are you?" Rosebud asked worriedly.

The disfigured mare's face tightened harshly.

"You know those two lie, right?"

"Huh?"

"Well, there is this picture..."

Rosebud took it and immediately her eyes grew wide as disbelief took precedence over her face.

"No....no...mommy...daddy...No!"

Rosebud dissolved into tears as she looked upon a picture of the graves of her parents.

"Aon said that they let me be the princesses student...I want my mommy and daddy back."

The disfigured mare just laughed cruelly.

"I told you they lie. Do you even think they care?"

Something about the question gave the filly pause. Did Aon or Twilight care?  Again using the two Princess' advice, the filly, despite her grief, mulled things over before answering.

"Yes."

"But they didn't tell you your parents were dead." the disfigured mare dead panned, bringing a flash of pain to Rosebud's features.

At this point Rosebud's lower lip was quivering, and tears were slowly but surely beginning to overflow from her eyes.

"I know...but they tucked me in, and they made sure I brushed my teeth, and Aon reads me bedtime stories. That's like what mommy and daddy always did, so I think that they wanted to take care of me. Then I wouldn't be alone."

The mare just stared at Rosebud angrily before slapping her hard.

"You will never have family! Your are alone and nopony will ever love you! Welcome to the real world!"

With that she stormed out, leaving Rosebud on the floor crying.

~^~^~^~

Scootaloo was jolted out of her focus as Twilight and Aon, followed by Luna and Chrysalis burst through the door. In seconds the mare found herself lifted into the air and slammed against the wall by Twilight while Aon tried to calm her down.

"Twilight, please, there are better wyas to take care of t-"

"Shut up! They took her to get to Luna, and then there was this letter! Scootaloo knows something!"

As Twilight raged she practically shoved a letter down Scootaloo's throat.

Got the filly. She's safe. Sorry Scoots, plan got messed up.

Narrowing her eye Scootaloo growled angrily.

"Well?" Twilight snapped, "Where is Rosebud?!"

When Scootaloo didn't immediately answer Twilight began slamming the crippled mare into the wall repeatedly.

"Where?! Where?! Where?!"

Aon quickly smacked Twilight's horn, breaking her magic flow and causing Scootaloo to drop to the ground. At this point Twilight had collapsed.

"I have to get her. Can't lose Rosebud, can't lose them, not again. I see them every night, I can't, I just can't..." the mare cried, devolving into sobs as she lay on the ground.

As Scootaloo got to her hooves she noticed Luna and Chrysalis glaring at her.

"I don't know where the filly is. I will, however, admit to making an attempt on your life Luna. I ordered the hits, but Rosebud was never meant to be captured. I will go quietly and without further violence."

Luna looked shocked to the core, and Aon and Twilight weren't doing much better as guards came in and escorted the Commandant to the dungeons.

Nopony noticed Inky or Blinky in the group, or when Scootaloo seemed to bump into one of them, and nopony noticed or cared when the Pie sisters slipped out of the castle later that night.

~^~^~^~

Aon waited until Twilight was asleep before enacting her magic. Running a scan all throughout her sleeping wife, Aon eventually concentrated her magic on one spot and pulled. What came out was a blob of dark black magic pulsating angrily.

"You've been hurting my wife..."

"Yes...but I never expected to be caught..."

"Bitch."

"Now now, slave, is that anyway to talk to your Queen?"

Glaring angrily at the blob, but knowing releasing it was too dangerous, and that it had been hurting Twilight, Aon did the only thing she could. She took the dark magic into herself with a grimace.

That night Aon dreamt of terrible things.