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.
~~~~~
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.
Off to Luna's School for Gifted Ponies........or the hospital
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Off to Luna's School for Gifted Ponies........or the hospital
"Shining Armor!" I yelled as he walked into the library. He looked serious and I had no idea how to explain this to him. It took me a full hour to get him to agree on my decision, while Cadence just played with Stardust. "I think you're growing up faster than I am, but the foal isn't all that I came to talk about." Shining said.
"You're doing what!" I yelled in an excited tone. "Seriously, couldn't you have told me sooner I would've gotten Pinkie to throw another party!"
"That's the thing," Cadence continued, "we don't want the whole populous to know about my pregnancy."
"But-" I was cut-off by Shining. "It's for the better, and I think Stardust would enjoy some other filly company. If the cutie-mark crusaders don't smother her to death."
I laughed, "Okay, okay. You win. I guess in the end Stardust needs to learn about life outside the library and your foal might help her with that."
Cadence gave a sigh of relief. The two stayed for a couple days before going back to the castle.In that time Cadence taught me everything she knew and I forced her to give me a test. I was the best at tests. This time I knew what I was doing. Time to be a parent!
The day finally came when she was going off to school. She had gotten her cutie mark from the countless astronomy books she read and the image of stardust appeared on her flank. I taught her everything I knew. Her studies caught up with mine and we were partners in the studies. Stardust Sparkle was a little sister, a daughter, and a playmate to Spike. Somehow she could always trick Rarity into giving up a few jewels.
Stardust's dream was to get into Princess Luna's School for Gifted Ponies. I went to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but at Luna's school all ponies could attend. Which meant more socialization. Princess Shimmer Rose was about Stardust's age and would be attending the same school. Life was looking up for Stardust and I. Two weeks until she went to her dream school. How exciting! I remember when I first got into the school for gifted unicorns. That's another story though.
I walked into her room and looked around. She had the door to her bathroom open and she was coughing up the most blood I have ever seen. She looked sickly and weak, like the first time I met her. I look onto the counter and saw that her medication was gone. Stardust looked up at me like she was sorry. I smiled, "It's okay if you forgot to tell me. Even I forget things."
Stardust nodded, "Thanks, mom." She had always called me mom. I was her mother. Not biologically, but still, I raised her, which meant that I'm her mother. I nodded and replied warmly, "Now, you should be packing and I'll go get more from Nurse Red Heart."
I walked back down the stairs and made her favorite breakfast. For some reason, Stardust would never eat anything unless some sort of fruit was with it. My personal favorite was a daisy sandwich. I thought I would make an all fruit salad for her, since it was her special day. My parents threw a party before I left but I mostly spent my time reading in my room so I thought a party with a lighter mood might help.
After making our breakfast, I trotted outside and started walking to Nurse Red Heart's clinic. Today was warm but it was scheduled to rain in the afternoon. I decided to take a short-cut through the alley of Sugar-Cube Corner.
When I got home, Stardust's coughing had gotten worse. I ran up the stairs and let her take her medication. Over the years, her condition has only gotten worse. I had the temptation to use a healing spell, but I had no idea what I was trying to fix. Nurse Red Heart had said that her throat and stomach are perfectly fine and that she had no idea what was wrong. The medication only doused the effects for 12 hours.
She started coughing again. Stardust fell down in a coughing fit.
The hospital was deathly quiet except the beeping of the heart machine. It felt like death hung in the air. Stardust was laying in the bed, unconscious. I felt like screaming for her to wake up. She was barely breathing. I turned my head away and saw that outside, a figure almost exactly like Stardust stood outside. The same colors, only larger and without a horn. I was about to go outside and question the figure when the beeping stopped. I started crying and screaming for the doctors. I was being dragged out by Applejack and Rainbow Dash. I kicked and screamed and wailed as they took her to the emergency room. The doors slammed shut. I broke down.
It hurt so much to see her go. When the doors shut I had no idea that I'd never see her again.
I sat in the waiting room, feeling sorry for myself. The doctor, Dr. Heart healer a mare, walked in with a solemn expression. She said in a quiet voice, "I'm so sorry Miss Twilight. We did everything we could."
I fell and curled up in a tight ball. My tears wouldn't stop. I started getting sick from all the crying. I threw up on the floor while bawling my eyes out.
"It'll be alright sugar cube." I heard Applejack say.
No matter what anyone said to me, my tears kept falling. I felt a hole begin to form in my heart. The figure I saw earlier walked in with a cloak covering it's face.
"Her condition could not be helped. When she was young, the alicorn's curse overtook her heart. I gave her to you. Don't hate me please."
But I did. I hated it because she meant everything to me.
That night, I cried myself to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Which brings us to our present day. And also why I'm standing here, on a balcony in Canterlot Castle. Celestia offered to help with the pain, Luna as well. Cadence had no idea what to do. Luna helps me visit her in my sleep. Celestia helps me get through the day by keeping me company in the library. Spike left me a while ago. Now he lives with the Apple family and works at the library. Bad memories and good ones dwell there. I can't stop him. I feel like jumping onto the pavement but I know that if I do the elements will scatter again. So, I've decided to live at the castle for now, just until my bond with the princesses are strong enough to dream jump from different towns.
I guess I will just hang on, and stay strong for Equestria.
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