When You're Gone

     I've had a lonely life so far. She was one of the only ponies able to make me smile genually. My friends are great and all but she was always the high light of my day. Every morning when I woke up, there she'd be, right next to me. It was comforting to have her trust me. Spike had left the library to live on his own after she......well, I guess I should tell you how I met her. The little filly turned everything around for me.

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I paced around the room. "Spike, where's that astronomy book I borrowed from Luna! I need to send it back to her!" I called up the stairs. Spike poked his head out from the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth, "Ifts inth thith kitchenth!" He called back to me. I rolled my eyes and went into the kitchen. The book was on the counter with an empty plate of muffins. "Hmm? I thought I just baked some yesterday."

     Just then a gray pony flew out of the window with crumbs on her face. "I should really learn to lock these up at night." I said as I used my magic to close the windows. If I didn't start locking everything up, food problems with muffins would start to happen. Then again Ditzy Doo was always the strange one. Some weird feeling came over me as I remembered that I was supposed to meet Rarity and Flutter shy at the spa.

     I rushed up the stairs and brushed my hair. I then teleported myself to outside the spa. Not wanting to be late I walked in to see Rarity and Flutter shy waiting for me.

"Where were you darling?" Rarity asked me, "It's not like you to be late for anything."

"I just woke up and I almost forgot about today with all the book mix-ups in the library." I replied with a fake smile.

"Oh, that's okay. It's usually not like you to remember something like a spa trip." Fluttershy said kindly.

     I took a deep breath and let it out. It was going to be a long day.

I went through the spa door feeling refreshed and ready for anything. I trotted back home to the library. The day was warm and I took my time walking through the beautiful town. Pinkie Pie's cupcakes could be smelt on the wind. Applejack's farm lay in the distance. Birds sang in the trees and all was peaceful. More often than not I found myself humming to myself. It caught the attention of some stallions but I took no heed. All the world seemed to be bright and sunny. When I got back to the library, I was reminded of why we never had nice stuff. A few colts and fillies were messing around with my books and I finally caught them red-hoofed.

     After giving them a scolding and taking each one of them to their parents, I finally sent that astronomy book back to Princess Luna.

     It was getting dark by the time I got back to the library. Owlicious was awake and putting books back on the shelves. I sighed and started to study.

      The sun was long gone when I heard the loud knock on my door. I got up and opened my door. Outside, there was no pony. I heard a soft coughing and something wet landed on my hoof. I looked down to see a small blue unicorn foal. It looked very young and blood lined her mouth. Blood was on my hoof and I didn't hesitate to pick up the foal and take her inside. I heard a sigh of relief from behind me.

     Spike had long been asleep and I decided to feed the foal. Using my magic I crushed up some carrots and fed it to her on a spoon. The filly started laughing after I fed it. It spread it's wings. I gasped and dropped the plate I had been using to eat my night-time snack. Bat wings and a horn!

     I soon gathered my jumbled thoughts. I took some deep breaths then I look at her wings. Standard sized for a foal her age, normal heart beat, teal eyes like Flutter shy, blue and purple mane, and she started coughing up more blood. I got a towel for her. After her little coughing fit, I went into the medicine cabinet. I found the cough medicine and the shot for internal bleeding which helped the filly a lot.

     There was not much more that I could do. I took it upon myself to take care of the little filly. She was so weak, if I left her alone what kind of pony would I be? An evil one,, that's what. I nodded to myself and thought about where she would sleep. The guest bed was lumpy from Rarity and Applejack's little fight. Spike would never wake up in the middle of the night just to make room for the filly. That only left one choice. I would have to let her sleep in the same bed as me.

     I knew nothing of parenting or foal-sitting for that matter! I walked over to my writing table and wrote a note to Cadence, hoping that she'd bed able to give me the advice I needed.

Dear Princess Cadence,

I need your help. I am taking care of a filly and I have no idea what I'm doing! How did you

always manage to get me to smile? This is really stressing me out! Please help me.

Your sister,

Twilight Sparkle

I sent it away at once. I didn't always need Spike for my mail. A simple spell was used to transport the letter to where Cadence was. I turned back to the foal and used my magic to move her away from the ink chest. I did not want to have to clean up ink in the morning. I carried the filly to the bedroom and went to sleep. She snuggled up next to me and we both fell asleep in a matter of minutes.

I woke up to find my friends along with Spike staring at me. Rainbow Dash asked, "What's going on and what's up with the foal?" Her tone was screaming suspicious. I rolled my eyes and explained quietly, trying not to wake the sleeping filly next to me. Once the situation was cleared up, the filly yawned and opened her teal eyes.

     "So, what are you going to name her?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly.

     I hadn't thought of that yet. My mind was still processing that I was adopting a filly that showed up on my doorstep.

I looked at the foal then the astronomy book popped into my mind. Before I knew it, I blurted out, "I'll name her Stardust Sparkle."

     "Ooo, the name fits perfectly!" Rarity exclaimed. Applejack rolled her eyes at the white unicorn mare and said, "Ah' think it's a lovely name Twilight, but why Stardust, if Ah' may ask?"

     I replied, "Well I just read an astronomy book and her mane looks like it belongs with the stars."

     Pinkie Pie reacted with a squeal of delight, "Does this mean we're gonna have a party?!" She exclaimed.

     I smiled truly and said, "Yes, Pinkie Pie. This calls for a party."

My friends agreed with what I was doing and I told Spike to remember what happened with Owlicious. He nodded and promised he'd be a little more mature this time.

When I got a letter from Cadence I was totally shocked when she said she would be visiting to have a look at this foal. I tried to swallow down my nervousness, because wherever Cadence goes, Shining is sure to follow.