//------------------------------// // four // Story: A Mother Remembered // by Foals Errand //------------------------------// Little Celestia’s left, back leg twitched a few times before a sigh escaped her muzzle and her big magenta eyes opened for the first time. Twilight watched as she peered around, biting her tongue to try and keep back the instinct she was feeling to lick the tiny foal. After a few moments of watching the tiny white pony squirm, she couldn’t take it and wiggled out from under Tia’s wing. She watched little Celestia wiggle and roll onto her back with a sigh. Twilight smiled and began to bath the new pony. Several minutes later, Celestia was giggling as Twilight’s rough tongue cleaned her foal of what tasted like a sweet sap. Once Twilight finished, Celestia’s fur was standing up and she grabbed hold of Twilight’s muzzle with her fore hooves cocking her head and peering into Twilight’s eyes. Twilight smiled at her. “Hello there I’m...I’m” She turned to Tia who had a peaceful smile upon her muzzle and gave a miniscule nod. “I’m your Mommy. I’m your mommy, and you are my Celestia.” Celestia cocked her head to the other side and opened her muzzle “Mommy?” Twilight smiled “Yes, that’s right, Celestia. I’m Mommy and this.” She indicates the grown Celestia “Is your Mama.” Celestia smiled down at her younger self, now her own foal. “Hello, Celestia.” Celestia tilted her head back to take in the sight of her very big Mama. “Ma ma? Cewes ta!” Twilight laughed “That’s right! What a smart filly you are!” Celestia got to her hoofs, swaying a bit, and then grinned as she took a step, her little wings fluffed out. She glanced back at them with confusion and looked back up at Twilight. “Mommy?” “Those are your wings, Celestia.. Mama has them, and so do I. And look, Luna does too!” Twilight pointed at the still asleep, dark, blue foal “Woona?” “Your baby sister! Her name is Luna.” Celestia turned and sat on her haunches, looking at the smaller being she had awoken beside. Mommy called it a Woona. She batted at it with a hoof. “Wahhh.” Twilight cantered quickly to the foal and lifted her up with a burst of pink magic “Shh, it’s alright Luna. Celestia didn’t mean to hurt you. Shh, it’s alright my baby.” After a few moments of rocking, Luna’s crying was reduced to small sniffles as she opened tear filled eyes. Twilight smiled. “That’s right. Oh, what a pretty little foal.” She began to tick the salty tear stains under Luna’s eyes then moved on to bathing her entire little body, ridding her of the sweet tasting sap. Luna blinked up at her curiously “Does that feel good Luna? Mommy knows how yucky the icky sap must have felt.” Luna giggled at her mommy’s sweet voice and batted at her muzzle clumsily. Twilight grinned and set her down on the soft bed. Luna plopped down on her belly, in no hurry to go anywhere. Her eyes were taking in everything as Celestia toddled around under the watchful eye of Tia. “Dat?” “Trees.” “Dat?” The ground.” “Dat?” “Thats another tree, my little Celestia.” The toddler considered this answer for a few moments before she pointed at the same tree again. “Dat tree.” Tia nodded. “Yes, Celestia, that is a tree.” Celestia beamed as she let out a little whinny, her tail wagging back and forth. The pink hair caught Celestia’s attention as she glimpsed it from the corner of her eye. She turned her head and opened her mouth before lunging forward. Her teeth caught thin air as the pink object drifted out of her sight. Celestia whined and lunged again. Tia quickly covered her muzzle with her hoof as she watched Celestia chase her own tail like a puppy might. Celestia snorted, her ears falling back as her tiny wings spread. She made a final pounce and grabbed ahold of the pink thing in her mouth, biting down hard. Quickly her expression changed from accomplishment to surprise, and then pain. Her eyes widened, and she quickly opened her mouth “Wahhh! MooooMieeeee!” Twilight looked over in shock as little Celestia fell onto her haunches, crying her little heart out. The loud noise startled Luna, who began to sob, her little wings flaring “Wahhhh!” Her horn glowed and the bed that Twilight had created was thrust away from under her. Twilight watched it tumble into the chasm. Twilight looked between the fillies “Tia, you comfort Luna while I check Celestia’s tail.” Tia nodded and lifted Luna into her magical embrace, rocking her slowly. Luna looked up into her Mama’s magenta eyes and hiccuped. “Wah.” Tia smiled and patted her back “You’re alright, Luna, I promise. You just got startled.” After a few moments, Luna laid her head on Tia’s shoulder, her hoof going into her mouth. Rhythmically, she began to suckle her hoof as Mama rubbed her back. Tia smiled as Luna let out a soft burble of contentedness. “That’s right, Luna, Mama is here. I have you.” Twilight slowly scanned Celestia’s tail, drying her tears with a wing tip “That’s it, get all the tears out, Celestia. Were almost done.” She checked the results of her scan and smiled “No damage, my dear, but let's try not chasing our tail again, alright?” Celestia hiccuped and glanced behind her at the pink thing she now realized was attached to her “Ta-il?” “That’s right. What you bit down on is your tail. See?” Twilight purposefully wagged her tail to the left, and then to the right to show Celestia. “This is my tail. It doesn’t like to be bitten.” Celestia frowned at her tail “No bite.” She nodded up at her Mother with a beaming smile. “Yes my Celestia, no bite. Now Mommy needs your help. Will you help mommy?” Celestia’s eyes widened, as the idea of helping her mommy do anything filled her with excitement. “Help! Cewestia help Mommy!” Twilight laughed joyfully, lifting Celestia up onto her back “We need to find a good place for all of us to live, so while Mama stays here with Luna, you and I are going on an adventure!” Celestia cocked her head to the side. “Mommy?” “Yes my little Celestia?” “What ventuwe?” Twilight glanced back to see Celestia’s head cocked to the right, her eyes wide and curious. “What is an adventure?” “Yes Mommy! Tell?” Twilight considered as she spread her wings “An adventure is where a pony, or in this case, two ponies, go on a journey to discover or find something. Our adventure is to find a good place to live!” Celestia considered what her mommy had said. Mommy spoke with large words. It hurt her brain, but in a good way. She began bouncing on Mommy’s back, excited “Okay Mommy! Mommy what is we looking for?” Twilight flapped her wings a few times making sure that she was able to get enough lift even with Celestia on her back “Hmmm well right now we need someplace safe for you and your baby sister to sleep.” “Baby?” Twilight stopped in her steps her wings folding back against her body That’s right! You are being a bit of a foal yourself,Twilight. Celestia was just born she needs you to teach her. Twilight looked up. They were about to get rain. Stupid Everfree and it’s uncontrollable weather. I need to find someplace to keep Celestia and Luna dry. Think, think, think! A single raindrop hit the end of her muzzle. “Tia!” Tia looked over, a bit puzzled until she felt a few rain drops land on her back. “I’ll watch them you find us a shelter from the rain as quick as you can Twily.” Twilight grabbed hold of Celestia and lowered her to the ground with a smile as Celestia looked up, trying to figure out where the wet stuff was coming from. “Mommy what is that? It cold!” Celestia wrinkled her brow and backed up under Twilight’s barrel, who smiled. “That is called rain, Celestia. It is water which falls from the sky and helps all the plants and animals grow and thrive.” Twilight poked her tongue out, catching a few drops on her tongue before glancing down to see Celestia mimicking her. “Now, I want you to stay here with your Mama and Luna, okay? I need to find some place for us to sleep tonight.” Celestia nodded and scampered over to where Tia was standing, wings held out to shield Luna, and now Celestia, from the rain, which was growing harder as the moments passed. Twilight confident that they would be fine for a few minutes, took to the air, hoping to spot a cave from the air. Staying below the canopy of trees, she flew closer to the edge of mount Canterhorn. Unable to find a natural occurring cave, she landed and searched for a suitable spot to create one. After a few moments of searching she nodded, powering up her magic, closing her eyes tightly, and blasting into the side of the mountain. After a minute or so, she opened her eyes to see that she had blasted open a cave about twenty feet deep. Just big enough for her, Tia and the foals. A smile found itself on her muzzle before she yanked down a bunch of leaves, drying them with a quick burst of magic, and making a soft bed. Satisfied, she teleported back to where she had left Tia and their new foals. “I found some place for us to sleep tonight.” Twilight smiled, lifting Celestia onto her back, the little foal giggling as she clung to Twilight’s back. “Do you have Luna, Tia?” “I do. She’s already a bit tired.” Tia smiled, cradling Luna in her magic. The small foal yawned while stretching her forelegs. Twilight smiled, leading Tia to the cave and crawling inside, laying Celestia down on the leaf bed. She rolled around on her back, giggling. Luna flopped down on her belly and gazed around before wiggling over to Celestia. “Alright, little fillies, lets try and get some sleep, hmm?” Twilight smiled, laying down beside her foals. She considered something for a moment, and then smiled. “How about a nice lullaby?” “Lul by? What lul by Mommy?” Celestia looked up cocking her head. “A lullaby is a song that is sung to make you sleepy. Would you like that?” Twilight kissed Celestia’s small nose causing her to smile and nod. “Alright… lets see.” “Sweet dreams, the sun is setting now. And soon enough, the night is here. It’s time for you to close your sleepy eyes. Nothing to worry, or to fear. Sweet dreams, the moon is rising now We’ll keep you safe as you could be We’ll stay with you and guard your sleep… Sweet dreams of Harmony.” Twilight wrapped a wing around both of her girls while Tia smiled. “Sweet dreams, It’s time to go to rest. Tomorrow is another day. Your mommies made a bed of sunset clouds, to keep the nightmares far away. Sweet dreams, there’s much ahead of you, on the road to your destiny, but smile and play while you’re still young. Sweet dreams of Harmony.” Tia laid beside Twilight watching the foals snuggling together. She was starting to remember... “And when you close your eyes and sleep, your dreams are diving deep. They take you to the crystal tree, that branches out across the world, connecting everypony’s heart, to bring everypony Harmony.” “Sweet dreams, dream of the sun and moon, playing together in the sky. May you have golden days, and silver nights. May storm clouds always pass you by. Sweet dreams, we will watch over you, and we will be a family. The greatest mares this land has seen… Our foals of Harmony.” Tia finished the song as the girl’s eyes slid shut. She smiled at Twilight as they both looked out and watched as the rain fell.