//------------------------------// // Echoes // Story: Tears of a Foal // by Rocinante //------------------------------// The week before Winter Wrap-up - - - ch 21 - - - Celestia stared blankly at her desk. There were no reports to read or fill out, Twilight had taken the lion’s share of the menial paperwork. There was no court to go to, Luna’s night court now drew the bulk of the commoner’s positions; letting her day court meet only twice a week. Diplomacy was now her primary concern, but no dignitaries were waiting for her in the hall today. She did have a griffon delegation to deal with tomorrow, but that was tomorrow. Today, she was bored. A giggle escaped her as she stood from her desk. It wasn't even three, and she was going to call it a day. With Winter Wrap-Up just a week away, the question of flying or walking home came to mind. The longer days had already warmed the air, making delightful weather for both flying and strolling. Speaking of Winter Wrap-Up, she needed to talk with Green Bean—his contract ended this week, and she needed to know his decision. Outside her office, Celestia dismissed her guards, so they too could enjoy a short day, then headed towards the balcony at the end of the hall. She stopped at its edge to look over the city. Pools of melted ice and spatterings of snow told of a spring that was aching to be unleashed. Launching into the air, she banked towards the college. The tutoring session with Diction would have ended a little while ago, but she might be able to find them. Their habit was to get a snack after class. Green’s taste for sweets and fried foods had added some much needed padding around Clover’s ribs. Gliding over the campus, Celestia scanned the ground below her. She hoped to spot them walking, but they were nowhere to be found. A sign caught her attention; it was for a little diner Clover had mentioned. Following her hunch, Celestia landed in the street, then peered through the diner’s window. Inside, were Clover and Green sitting at a little table, sharing a plate of food, chatting between bites. Her heart sank a little at the sight. Clover had grown so quiet around her. The more she heard about how well his Equestrian was getting, the less she heard him speak it. Smiles and hugs flowed freely from him, but seldom a word. Opening the door, Celestia stepped inside. The cook behind the counter jumped, confusion twisting his face as he bowed. “At peace, my little ponies,” Celestia said, dismissing the dining ponies back to their meals. Walking over, she gave her son a kiss between the ears. “I was hoping to catch you two while you were still out.” Clover nuzzled into her, but said nothing. Green smiled at the two. “Help yourself to some fritters, Princess. Clover usually scarfs them up, but he’s barely touched them today.” Celestia pulled back to look Clover in the eye. “Something wrong?” “Not hungry,” he said with a casual shrug. “You didn’t finish your breakfast either.” Again Celestia rested her lips on his forehead, but this time taking note of his temperature. “You feel a bit warm.” “I thought he seemed a bit off today,” Green said. Looking back to Clover, she gave him a soft smile. He returned the expression, but worry nagged at her. “I had planned on spending time with you two today, but perhaps I should take him to the doctor.” Green nodded. “Never hurts to be careful.” Using her magic to pop a fritter in her mouth, Celestia chewed for a moment. “Have you made a decision about staying with us after your contract is up?” “We were just talking about that,” Green said, nodding to Clover. “I think I can balance keeping him, and taking care of the farm.” “That takes a lot off my mind,” Celestia said with a smile. Standing, she guided Clover down from the stool. “Say hello to your family for me, and I will see you tomorrow.” Green stood, and gave her a little bow as she left with Clover. Celestia kept a mother’s eye on Clover as they made their way back towards the castle. The more she watched him, the more Celestia realized how sluggish Clover was moving and how tired his expression was. “Want me to carry you?” Clover simply nodded. Carrying Clover on her back the rest of the way, Celestia navigated the palace halls till she reached the frosted glass door to Doctor Glow’s office. Going in, she found it was busy this afternoon. The changing season had inflicted sniffles and coughs on more than a few ponies. “Princess,” the receptionist said with a bow. “How can we help you?” Celestia picked up the clipboard and wrote Clover’s name on it. There were quite a few names in front of them. “Clover is running a fever, I just want the doctor to give him a look.” The receptionist smiled. “I’m sure we can get you in next, if you want to go on back.” “No, no.” Celestia waved a hoof. “It’s just a fever, we will wait our turn.” Clover found a magazine to flip through while they waited. It was a practiced way to waste time, they’d been in here a bit more than she would like to admit over the past few months. There was that time he’d tried to jump a hedge, and landed on his face. She had really worried that was going to leave a scar, but it had healed seamlessly. She still winced at the time he had fallen down the grand stairs in the castle. A broken collarbone had left him a pitiful thing for the week it took the bone-knitting spell to fix everything, but nowhere near as pitiful as he had been with food poisoning. The best she and Green could guess, he had gotten it by nibbling on some mint in the community center’s atrium. Then there was the visit to the dentist last month. The fight between Clover and the bullies that had been harassing their friends had left his smile with a missing a tooth. Thankfully, it was a milk tooth that would be replaced in time. That had been a rough day for her. She had felt like such a failure in that moment. The image of blood and rage smeared across her son’s face, was one she would never forget. Nor the one of fear and pain on Sweet Roll. The older colt had bitten Primrose. The physical attack had crossed a line that Clover could not ignore, and her son had answered it by planting both rear hooves into Sweet Roll’s barrel. Vellum’s recounting of Clover launching Sweet Roll into a wall, was backed up by cracked ribs and broken plaster. If only she had taken things into her own hooves and talked to their parents herself. Instead she had insisted on not using her overwhelming authority. Let them live and grow, she had thought. Her hooves-off approach had caused her no small amount of trouble, and Clover a tooth. The tooth had been lost when Sweet Roll’s lackey retaliated, but the fight had been short lived. Spike ended it when some little grain of his dragon nature burst to life, and the simple word “Stop” from him, froze every pony in the room from foal to guard. Luna’s guards had told her the little dragon had enough presence in that one moment to turn back an army, and more than enough to send Ruffine into bawling tears and chanting “Don’t eat me” until Spike left the room. Later, she had taken an uneasy pride in Clover and Spike. Maybe this summer Shining could teach them how to fight and protect ponies with only the minimum force needed. Cadance and he were planning on a visit soon; she could ask him about it... “Clover,” A nurse called, jolting Celestia from her wool-gathering. Looking to the clock, she was surprised to see how long she’d been lost in thought. Clover stood, and walked towards the nurse, but paused just shy of the door till Celestia caught up with him. Once she was beside him, the nurse lead them back to the familiar room. “Running a fever?” Doctor Glow asked as soon as they walked in. “He felt a bit warm, and he wasn’t eating like normal,” Celestia answered, taking a seat in the corner. Sticking a thermometer in Clover’s mouth, he used his scope to check his ears while waiting for a reading. “Ear mites are going around, keep an eye out for them.” “I will keep that in mind,” Celestia said, making a very strong mental note of it. She hated those things; worse than fleas. “That reminds me, I need to ask the pest control ponies to double down on the flea prevention. Last summer they got a bit out of hoof.” “The medical board increased their funding, I’m told.” Taking the thermometer from Clover’s mouth Healthy Glow frowned. “That’s more than a little fever. Any other symptoms?” he asked, looking to his patient. Clover shrugged. Closing his eyes, he moved around as if testing if anything hurt. “Itchy, legs feel heavy, stomach hurts.” Laying a hoof on Clover, Doctor Glow examined the skin beneath his coat. “Cow pox,” the doctor declared, then stepped back. “Just set in, I’d guess. Nothing for it but broth to drink, and oatmeal to soak in.” “Cow pox?” Clover asked, looking to Celestia for an answer. Celestia smiled and stood to help Clover down from the table. “Every foal gets it at some point. You’ll just get itchy, tired, and a little nauseous.” Taking up Clover’s file, the doctor made a few notes. “Don’t suppose you remembered how old you are?” Clover winced at the question. “No.” A smile played upon Doctor Glow’s muzzle. “Runs in the family, I guess. The princess tells me the same thing.” Celestia laughed, “I really lost count. I can tell you that the windigos had not yet reached the Isle of Equas when I had my first heat.” Healthy Glow stared at Celestia for a moment before blinking. “The Isle of Equas was real?” She kept her smile, but Celestia’s eyes went sad. “Lovely place. Before the windigos turned it into a glacier.” The doctor gave her a nod, “I’m sorry.” Celestia sighed, “It was a long time ago, and we wouldn’t be where we are now without it.” “I suppose you’re right,” Doctor Glow said, holding the door open for them. “We keep oatmeal dust at the desk, the receptionist will be happy to give you some.” Clover had a pensive look to him as they walked back to the lobby. Celestia could tell he had something he wanted to say. It wasn’t until they were outside the clinic, and half way home, that he found his voice. “Windigos, they were a long time ago?” he asked. “A very long time. About three thousand years.” Clover winced at the number, but kept pace beside Celestia. Again Clover went quiet as they walked down the marble hallway that eventually lead to their home. “I... How do you do it?” Clover asked, breaking the silence. “Alicorns don’t age like others,” Celestia said, keeping her eyes straight ahead. “Not like most, anyway.” “No, I mean—” Clover stopped in his tracks. Celestia looked back to see him holding a hoof to his chin; a look of confusion and pain on his face. “Are you okay?” Clover answered with a shake of his head, then darted to a nearby potted plant. Clutching at the pot’s rim, Clover emptied his guts onto the poor plant. Using her magic, Celestia held Clover’s mane. She patted his back with a wing as a second lurch of Clover’s stomach finished off the potted fern. “Better?” she asked, cleaning his muzzle with a spell. Clover groaned, but nodded as he set his forelegs back on the floor. With a flash of her magic, Celestia banished the vomit soaked fern and soil to the middle of the forest below the mountain. “Let’s get you home,” She said, bending down for Clover to climb onto her shoulders. “Thank you,” Clover said meekly. He was more draped across her back than sitting like he normally did. Nearing the stairwell, the two guards perked up at the sight of Clover. “Just a little sick,” Celestia said, dismissing their concerns. Nodding, they gave Clover a sympathetic smile, before trotting up to hold the door for them. “Let’s get you to bed,” Celestia said as soon as the door closed behind her. Clover hugged tight to her back, it was a weak, shivering grip. “No. Do not want to be alone.” “Are you cold?” Celestia asked, walking to the fireplace. She could feel Clover nod his head against her neck. “Then I’ll make you a bed by the fireplace.” Laying him on the cushions, Celestia floated a quilt from the rack, and tucked him in. “Better?” “Clover sick?” Merry Hearth asked from the hall. “Cow Pox, hit him pretty hard.” Merry shook her head. “First day is always the worst. I’ll get him a bucket, then see about making him some broth.” “Thank you,” Celestia said standing up. Curled under the blanket, Clover had closed his eyes in an uneasy rest. “I’ll be right back.” First going into the library, she grabbed the tattered copy of The Life and Adventures of Star Swirl. It had been one of Twilight’s favorites, perhaps it could serve Clover just as well. Floating the book next to Clover, she then fetched a few things from the kitchen. “How are you feeling?” Celestia asked. Sitting back next to Clover, she laid a cool, wet towel across his forehead.   “Not so bad. Very weak. Was okay at lunch.” “That’s just how it goes, Cow Pox comes on very fast. The fever is the only warning.” Clover managed to nod. “Thirsty.” Picking up a glass, she brought it to Clover’s lips as he sat up a bit. “This has a little salt and sugar in it, keeps you hydrated better.” Clover took a sip, his face was skeptical, till he pondered the taste a moment, then shrugged before lying back down. “Thank you.” Celestia adjusted the damp towel, cleaning up some of the sweat coming through his coat. “I’ll read to you, if you want.” A little smile forced its way across his muzzle. “Please.”