//------------------------------// // Part Three: A Hopeful Care // Story: Mother Knows Best // by CrimsonRose97 //------------------------------// Monsters, monsters were everywhere. The Empire had fallen, the umbrum ran amuck on the city. On all of Equestria. The citizens were either captured and enslaved or lying in the streets as corpses. The princesses were all but dead. And the Crystal Heart, the most powerful weapon to fight back the dreaded shadows, it lie in pieces. The shiny blue of powerful love was blackened , filled with fear. And after it did its job of filling the ponies in all of Equestria full of fear, it shattered. Standing over it all, standing in the dark castle, taking it all of the chaos and destruction… The Demon of Shadows, the Harbinger of Death. Next to it was a tall unicorn. Her coat was dark grey, her mane was flowing in shadows with a single white streak to show her older age. Her dark mystic cutie mark was covered by her dark crimson cape, her obsidian crown above her brow was Mother. The Queen of the Umbrum. “Take it all in, my dear.” Mother sighed happily. “This is what the Empire is meant to be. The way it always was. Amore never had the guts to use her powers to rule them all. Her benevolence cost her everything.” She placed her hoof on her demon’s head. “This is all for you, Umbré.” The child, all grown up, looked up to the Queen. “Yes...Mother…” Baby Umbré woke up screaming in fright from the nightmare. It felt all too real, one of the things the Queen wanted her to do. “Hold on, I’m coming!” This voice calls out. A warm pair of hooves lifts Umbré up and holds her close to their chest, rocking her gently. “It’s okay, it’s just a bad dream.” The pony assured her. “You’re safe now, little one.” Umbré whimpered softly, her crying slowed. She opened her eyes and… A pair of crystal blues was staring back at her. This pony was absolutely gorgeous! Her purple coat and light blue mane shined, her crystalling pattern glistening in the light of the roaring fire. Her demeanor was warm, welcoming. “Why hello.” She giggled, seeing  Umbré awake. Umbré tilts her head curiously at the pony. She wasn’t made of shadow nor looked like that mean stallion that dropped her. She whimpered softly while her eyes darted across her new surroundings. “Oh, it’s okay little one.” The unicorn said. She slowly spun around, showing the infant the tiny cottage. The main door was held together by glue and duct tape. Like something was thrown out of the door and broke it. “Whoever just dropped you off in that storm should be ashamed.” the kind pony sighed before looking at Umbré and smiled softly. “My name’s Radiant Hope. I’m the one who saved you, and healed your arm.” Umbré coos softly before looking at her arms. She remembers somewhat one of them was broken, right? She shook both of them to check. No pain, no sign of damage. Like it never happened. “I have a special type of magic. I can heal any ailment. You’re right as rain.” Hope giggled. A timer went off somewhere. “Oh, you woke up just in time for lunch.” To Umbré, lunch was this yucky gooey stuff the monsters make her drink. Half of the time she pukes it up, it was that bad. Hope used her magic, she lifted whatever she made and brought it up to the baby. It was a bottle of white liquid. “It’s formulated milk. I went shopping while you were resting.” She told Umbré, The bottle was the same design the monsters used to feed her. So Umbré was hesitant, pushing the bottle away from her with her hooves. “It’s good, warm too.” Hope assured her, waving the bottle. Well… Umbré was pretty hungry. Starving even. Hope brought the bottle to the infant’s lips. She takes it and drinks. It was delicious! Umbré ends up taking the bottle from the mare’s magic, grabbing the bottle with all fours and drank hungerly. The drink disappeared instantly. “Oh my!” Hope gasped softly. When nothing but air was suckled out, Umbré whimperes. She took the bottle and shook it, shaking it to see if more would come out. It was empty. Umbré started to cry for more. Waving the bottle like crazy in front of Hope’s face. Hope giggled. “Okay, okay,” she says before taking the bottle back and getting her a refill and then giving it back to Umbré. Who takes it and drinks the milk down within ten seconds. The baby empties it too and starts crying again. Hope gave her another refill and once again Umbré hungrily drinks it down till it was gone and cries again. “Wow, you’re really hungry. Has anypony been feeding you?” Hope asks, looking at her. She lifts Umbré up and saw how skinny she was. “Whoever was your parents, they should pay for not taking care of you.” she shook her head. Clearly both upset and angered on whoever dumped her outside. She puts Umbré over her shoulder and patted the crying babe’s back. Umbré continued to cry before the patting sensation caused her to burp… And in turn, sets the couch on fire. Flames sporting in black. “Oh that’s a goo-” Hope was cut off by the smell of burnt fabric. She turns around and gasped loudly. “On my!” Hope collected snow from outside by using her magic and dumped the snow on the burning couch. Quickly dousing the flames. Umbré giggled, seeing the expression on the crystal pony’s face. “I know unicorn foals have weird magical spurts, but burping black flames-” “Choo!” the baby sneezed and teleports out of Hope’s hooves and reappeared on her countertop. “Teleporting, maybe.” Hope couldn’t even help but smile at her. She couldn’t even get mad at the baby. Hope walks up to her, tickling her sides when she got to her. Umbré giggled and squealed in laughter. “I might have a spell that can stable your raw magic, until you’re ready that is.” Then this horrid awful smell hits Hope like a freight train. Causing her to arch away. “Pooey! You be a stinky baby. When was the last time you were changed… or given a bath?” Now she really realized that Umbré was very ill taken care of. To her, whoever had her were cruel enough to mistreat this innocent baby, went out of their way on dumping her in the cold to die. If Hope only knew what she was tending to or knew the whole story. Umbré was left by herself most of the day back in the underground place, in that crib. Surrounded by monsters. She never even heard of the word “bath”. “Well, I’m gonna fix that.” Hope said, using her warm magic, she lifts Umbré up and carried her across the small cottage towards a large tub. The faucet turns and warm water spews out of the spout. After removing the deceptive excuse for a diaper and threw it in the fireplace, Hope proceeds on putting Umbré in it. Umbré whimpers. This bath was scaring her. She looked to Hope and starts fussing. “It’s okay, the water is nice and warm.” Hope assures her more before lowering her in the tub. Umbré jolted when the water first touched her, but soon welcomed it. As it wasn’t harming her. “See? It’s not so scary,” Hope giggled, giving the water a tiny splash. Umbré cooed curiously. The water made a weird sound. She tried her hoof at it. Slapping the water surface. When hearing it made that sound again and the water splashed all around, she starts giggling. Raising both her arms, Umbré repeatedly splashed the water out of joy. This place was already better than the dark place. No scary monsters, Umbré was fed properly and now enjoying her first bath. And it only got better when Radiant Hope puts in this sweet smelling liquid in and this strange foam formed in the water. Tiny little floating orbs flew in the air. “Nothing makes bath time more fun than bubbles!” One of these bubbles floated down to Umbré’s nose and popped on contact. The sounds of her laugh was infectious. “Bubbas! Bubbas!” Umbré then squealed as she played. Hope stopped there. “Huh?” She looked at Umbré. “Did...did you just talk?” “Bubbas?” Umbré repeated the word. Now covered in the sweet bubbles. She looked at Hope with her big innocent baby blues. Hope looks at her closely. “Aren’t you a little young to be speaking?” Umbré grabs hooffuls of bubbles and blew it at Hope’s face and laughs. “Bubbas!” Hope blinks at that before wiping it off of her face and giggled. “You’re intelligent for a baby. That’s good.” she smiled. “Maybe you can tell me your name then? Can’t very well keep calling you ‘little filly’ or ‘baby’.” Umbré looked at her confused. Hope then points at herself with her hoof. “Hope. Ha-ope.” She then points at the baby. Umbré opens her mouth. She made grunting sounds as if she’s trying to speak. Then… “Ha-op-ey.” “Excuse me?” “Ha-opey.” Umbré repeated, sounding a bit clearer. “Hopey!” “Hopey?” Hope mutters before realizing Umbré was saying her name. “Oh! I’m Hopey!” Umbré waddles up to Hope through the barrage of bubbles and hugged her face. “Hopey!” she cooed happily. “Hopey, bubbas!” Hope laughs at the adorableness. “Yes! We shall provide more bubbles!” Umbré squeals in delight. After at least another ten more minutes of playing, Hope proceeds on washing the foal. Umbré really enjoyed it. This kindness the child never received until now, coming from a stranger to boot. Feeding her, giving her a bath, treating her what she was in fact: a baby. When bathtime was over and Umbré was cleaned and properly changed, she snuggled into a fleece blanket that was very warm. “Hmm,” Hope thinks,”something’s missing.” she said. When the unicorn smiled, she levitates a brush and a long ribbon. She brushes Umbré’s short messy mane before gathering it up and tied it in a bow. She then hovers a mirror over to have Umbré look at herself. Umbré looked confused, seeing her reflection. The bow on her head was white, shiny even. “It’s the only ribbon I had lying out.” Hope smiles. “But it looks sooo cute!” Umbré joyful coos agreed with her. Where could that infernal brat go!? I silently cursed as I looked around the frozen landscape. For a baby, it couldn’t have gotten this far! And if the child could come out here, I doubt it if it’ll even survive the frigid temperatures. I walked around with this pain in my stomach. My limbers were starting to ache with each step. This pain, I recognized it from my youth. The first year I came here, when the Faire was occurring and I fell ill. The faire; though I haven’t been around for years, I still remember the date. It wasn’t until tomorrow and yet I was already starting to feel the effects of the Crystal Heart. Even out here, I could still feel it’s power. Mother was right. If I were to even attempt to recapture the Crystal Heart, I wouldn’t even get close to it without it destroying me with one touch. If mother was right, then this should should be able to withstand this power of love. I traveled the snowy barren lands. Hearing the harsh whistlings of the scorching winds. Barely hearing the sounds of a train echoing in the distance. I gaze towards a random path, I saw  a smoke of a fire risen from a chimney. The only sign of any life outside of the Empire. I gritted my teeth, remembering who’s home was out here. I wanted to turn away but something told me to pursue more. Following a hunch. One I’d be very agitated if correct about it. I started following the smoke trail...all the way to Hope. The closer I got to the cottage, the more sick I felt. I knew her home was far from the castle, but it seems there was more power coming from the tiny cottage. More..love. I ended up kneeling to the snow. I was barely at the door before I collasped. The energy here was too much. I jerked my head up, looking through the window, I could make out the child. THE CHILD WAS HERE?! It’s horn was lit, objects were flying around, it’s hooves flying freely and giggling. Picking up the fallen items, trying her best to play with the creature was Hope. From what I saw, there was joy in her eyes. Hope was tending to it as if the foal was hers. So full of love and happiness. The child, now not surrounded by the Umbrum, was feeling the same, no fear in her whatsoever. So much for mother’s plan to put evil permanently in it. Still, I have to get the child back. As much as it sickens me, but I had to wait until after the faire. I felt weak even out here. It hasn’t been a whole day and yet the love in this area was strong. With a hiss, I turned into my mist form and flew away to bide my time. Hope finally caught up to Umbré. She thought after the bath that the baby wanted a nap. NOPE! Umbré wanted to play with her new friend. Hours upon hours playing left both of them exhausted. “Okay, little filly. It’s time for bed.” Hope chuckled tiredly. Umbré tried to fuss - to protest, but all she could was yawn. It was a long and joyous day for her. Hope giggled softly before carrying the infant over to her bed and both of the lie down on it. Umbré curled up against her as Hope pulls a blanket over them. “You know...I’m an orphan like you. The orphanage wasn’t bad…” Hope told the baby. “But… but I think I should keep you here, with me. Would you like that? I can raise you, show you all kinds of things, we’d play all day long.” Umbré cooed happily, nuzzling against her neck. “Hopey…” She said tiredly. “And maybe, someday, instead of Hopey, you can...call me mommy? Would you like that?” Hope looked down at Umbré and saw she was already fast asleep. Hope smiling brightly before kissing the top of her head before curling up herself. “Goodnight…”