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// Page 10*read notes* 
// Story: I'm no Mother, right? 
// by Sense of Humor 
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Finally! She finished it!

Aqua had taken her time to carefully plan out how it would look, and used any and all materials she could to create it. Things were a little rocky at first, but she got the hang of the colors that she wished to include in the picture. If she ever started to get tired of drawing, or if her jaws started to ache, she would think back on the sad face of her mother after what she'd done. It would give her new energy, and that energy would funnel into passion. It wasn't until she was just beginning to finish that the strange voice in her head spoke up.

Just what are you doing?

He sounded somewhat unhappy with her. Well, two could play at that game. I don't want to talk you. You made mom angry at me.

He huffed, a cross between a laugh and a snort. What makes you think it's my fault. Maybe she just hates you. Did you ever think of that?

That statement made Aqua's fur bristle slightly. She gave her own snort of frustration and focused even more on her artwork. Go away. Leave me alone.

The voice didn't respond, save for a soft growl, and she speedily finished her work before it could get another chance. Sweating and yet happy, the filly picked up the paper in her mouth and began to march down the hallway from her room. She would prove the voice wrong right jow; her mother did love uer, no matter what happened! Aqua would give her the gift and apologize and never do anything bad again!

She began to march downstairs, but cringed into a halt when she heard the voice of Starlight speaking. "I had to stop the cart myself! I even fell in the mud! With PIGS!"

Wary and a bit guilty, Aqua continued down more slowly.





"Okay..." Thorax cringed slightly, a tad bit nervously considering her student's current mood. "I'll admit that's a little rude."

"And then she has the gall to jump off that stupid magic test game and embarrass me in front of every pony in ponyville! " Starlight made her fiftieth pace around the room and stopped again to cast another glare at Twilight. "If only you'd heard some of the things they'd said about me! I've never looked like more of a fool than when I destroyed Equestria!"

Twilight sighed softly. "This was warned to you, you know. Fillies can be slightly irritable, but they mean well."

"...And I suppose I mean well, too?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh face it, Twilight-- I'm a terrible parent!" Starlight barked, turning on her heel and growling through her teeth. " All of the things she was able to do, and all of the messes she caused!  Its no wonder its all been done! Any self respecting guardian would have kept an eye on that...that...UGH!"

Thorax approached his friend, noting the hunch in her shoulders and the clearly stressed muscles showing. "I-I bet lots of ponies think they're terrible parents at first, and they do perfectly later!" The changeling frowned when he earned a scoff for his words. "I'm serious! You just need some time to adjust to--"

"There won't be any time!" Starlight snapped back, rolling her eyes while doing so. "I'm gonna have a lot of friendship lessons anyways, right?! I can't juggle that and raise a filly, right? When will I be able to make time for any of that?"

Thorax sighed. "Many ponies are busier than you and still have time for those they love."

"Well, good for them! They actually know if they love their kid." Starlight pitifully said and leaned tiredly against the table. "I,on the other hand, have the luxury of regretting this whole adoption thing and all this responsibility."

Narrowing her eyes at a slow speed, Twilight inhaled. "I lied, you know. When I said that parenting would be fun and filled with very little problems. It can be stressful to the max, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth it, Starlight!" Her student pouted as she continued. "It was worth you getting her to a hospital and it was worth taking her in. What if this all turns about for the better in time? What if this is your first friendship problem?"

Starlight brought her eyes up from the floor at that statement. "...What?"

"It might be just that! Fillies don't just appear under trees with no memory! Maybe it was meant to be that you adopt her. "The Princess offered her explanation. "Maybe you were meant to be her mom."

"...I don't know. I just don't know." She responded with a depressed look sent at her friends. "I know she has no one else, but--"

SLAM!

The three of them all flinched at the sound of the front door slamming shut, and curiously trotted out into the lobby to see who had caused it. No one appeared to be there and the only sign of an exit was in the the form of water droplets at the door. Clearly the rain was still going strong. Twilight noticed a small sheet of paper on the floor near the doors to the library and she gasped when she saw it. Starlight hesitantly looked down upon the paper and instantly regretted it.

It was a picture, a small crudely drawn one. In thick crayon, shapes made out the form of Aqua sprinkle sitting next to Starlight, the both of them hugging each other. In bold green words above them, one could read: Sorry, Mommy with a line underneath it. The most noticeable thing about the paper was the clear of evidence of tears falling down upon the paper, smearing it.

Starlight felt as though a gaping hole had been torn in her heart, her distant gaze remaining glued to the drawing. Aqua must've come downstairs to apologize, with this drawing in her mouth. She must've stopped at the library doors, overhearing the painful things Starlight had said about her. She must've... The hole in her heart became bigger, destroying it completely and clouding her vision with tears.

"I...I..." The unicorn reeled back as if she'd been slapped, starting towards the door slowly and shakily. "She's...She's gone...I... She was cruel; she'd broken her own daughter's heart so calllously! Perhaps the stress was getting to her, but therect was no reason for her to hear those things. If the poor thing got hurt, she'd never be able to forgive herself. Starlight looked back down at the paper. "...I hurt her. I-I hurt her--"

"We can find her. You were venting out things you'd kept bottled up. We can still find her and we can talk to her." Twilight offered sympathetically. "She couldn't have gone far, so--"

"N-No." Starlight herself seemed surprised with the interruption she made. "I...I want to talk to her. I'm the one who said those things, so I should be the one to take it back."

Twilight and Thorax wordlessly and worriedly followed behind, each of them taking their own paths to try and find where Aqua had run off to.