We separated and just remained there for a while. After a minute or so Princess Celestia talked, “I thank you once again Anne.” She said with a nod. “Now, I think it’s best if you go and warn Trixie of this departure as well.” She said and continued. “Take this.” She gave me a piece of parchment with her signature on it. “It’s a credit letter, use it to buy what you need.”
I took the letter and folded it twice then let it rest in my hand. “Thank you Princess.” I said courteously, drying my own tears away.
“Please, you are friend. No princess for me.” She said with a slight nod and a little, almost impossible to notice spike of sadness.
“Of course Celestia.” I replied immediately and hugged her again around her neck. I broke the hug and said. “Now I have to go, I’ll make sure to write you and your sister sometimes to keep you adjourned.” I promised.
“Then you will need this.” She said and teleported a candle. The candle was green in colour, she lit it up and the flame flickered in existence with a purplish glow. “Burn the letter in this flame and it will come directly to me, if you are in an emergency snap the candle in two and I will come immediately. Do not worry, the candle can only be snapped by your own volition so no accident will happen.” She explained floating the candle to me.
“Thank you once again Celestia, do you use these candles for fast communication? Is that how Twilight contacts you?” I asked curious.
“Oh no, these candles are extremely difficult to craft and enchant. As of right now we can’t mass produce them, not only that but they are forever linked to the enchanter so even if I was able to enchant more the letters would all come to me. Twilight uses dragonfire as a proxy instead of these.” She explained.
“Dragonfire?” I asked tilting my head.
“You never encountered Spike?” She asked. I shook my head. “Spike is Twilight’s dragon and assistant, his flames are enchanted like the one in the candles to bring to me her letters.”
“I see.” I said nodding my head, “Well thank you Celestia, now though I really have to go.” I said and hugged her one last time.
“Farewell Anne.” She said with a nod, then I left in search of Trixie and Thomas.
THIRD POV
Thomas finally reached Belle, she was in her room hugging a pillow and crying all over it. “It’s not fair… It’s not fair…” She mumbled out. “Why do you have to go?” She asked to no one. “Why…?” She screamed in her pillow soaking it with her tears, Thomas too was crying, how couldn’t he? Belle continued to scream and kick in her pillow becoming a sobbing mess on the cold white floor. Thomas rushed to her and held her near him.
“Please… “He stuttered out, barely. “Don’t cry… I can’t see you cry.” he could barely manage his own tears.
“Don’t go…” She sniffed holding back tears just for some seconds, she looked up to him. In her teal sapphire eyes Thomas saw the pain and sadness of a filly who had lost everything, they gave her a hope for a better future only to snuff it out like nothing. Her parents, her home, Anne and Thomas all of those things mixed in her head in a turmoil of despair and drop after drop. She broke down.
“DON’T LEAVE ME ALONE!” She screamed hugging him with all her might. “Please…” She whispered.
“You must go on.” Thomas said in her ear. “You must fight on, you must survive… “
“But I want to do it with you! With Anne, with Trixie! I love you all!” She said, as a snot bubble formed from her grief.
“I-” Thomas stuttered. “I’m so, so sorry… I’m weak Belle… I’m so sorry I don’t know what to do!” He said crying with her. “I’m so sorry.”
Unbeknownst to them, Anne was there. She felt their sadness all the way from the throne room and ran to them. She could only watch, her heart broken apart in a thousand pieces she too fell on her knees and wept, how could they tell Belle that she couldn’t go with them? To just give them up and let them go? Could anyone even do that.
Meanwhile Trixie was looking around in the market when she felt something tugging at her heart strings, she looked around in the crowd trying to find what it was causing that sensation, she found the source in two ponies who were clearly bothered and a little angry. The first, a unicorn mare had a aquamarine coloured coat and a white and light green mane, the second an earth pony mare had a cream coat and a two toned mane, respectively purple and pink.
Trixie started to follow these two ponies and listened to their little conversation, “I can’t believe they cancelled the whole thing.” The aquamarine unicorn said. “Yeah I know but that Pokémon cause a lot of damages after all, it is normal they would do such a thing.” The earth pony said calming her companion.
“Uhm excuse me?” Trixie said chiming in. “Trixie couldn’t avoid to hear that but did you say Pokémon?” She asked a bit surprised to hear that term from anypony else who wasn’t the princesses or Twilight and her friends.
“Why yes, our local librarian Twilight Sparkle can’t shut up about them. We found them all around Ponyville and she always come around to check on them.” The unicorn answered. “Oh, I’m Lyra by the way and this is Bon Bon.”
“Pleasure.” Bon Bon said shaking hooves with Trixie. “I’m Bon Bon Lyra’s marefriend.” She said sweetly. “We heard that there was an attack here by a Pokémon, do you know exactly what happened?”
“Well… Trixie was there, me and my assistants alongside the princesses battled the Pokémon, we eventually won but... “ Trixie sighed. “A little filly named Snow Belle was there too, her house was burned down by the Pokémon and she is now orphan.” Trixie said with sadness.
Bon Bon and Lyra both gasped at this and put a hoof on their mouths “That’s terrible.” Lyra said, “What will happen to her now?” She continued.
“We don’t know. The filly took a liking to my assistant and now she doesn’t want to let him go. Unfortunately we must go to Manehattan to solve a possible Pokémon problem and obviously we can’t bring her with us.” Trixie said recounting what happened not long ago, the two ponies were distraught by this news, to lose everything and then doing it again after just some days.
“That poor filly, no one deserves such a thing, is there any way we can help?” Lyra asked hopefully.
“Well, she needs someone to take care of her…” Trixie started then noticed the growing hope in both of the ponies, “and we need her to live and grow in a good enough place with loving parents.” She said feeling their resolve and hope increasing. “So, do you two want to apply for the job?”
They looked at each other.
ANNE POV
We dried out our tears, there were none anymore to shed. We remained in a big pile looking at the ceiling no one was talking. We were waiting for something, anything to help us. That help arrived with Trixie and two ponies.
“Hey, Anne.” Trixie greeted with a wave.
“Hey Trixie… What do you want.” I asked sad.
“Listen, I know you want to help Snow Belle, I truly know. And that’s why I invited these two mares. Snow Belle.” She called. “I would like to introduce you to Lyra and Bon Bon, they are good ponies from Ponyville who would like to ask you something.”
“What are you doing?” I whispered in her ear.
“Something good.”
“Hello Snow Belle.” Lyra said kneeling down. “I’m Lyra and this is Bon Bon my marefriend, we are you to see you.” She said.
“What for?” Snow asked looking up.
“We…” Lyra said, looking away a bit.
“They want to adopt you.” Trixie said from the sidelines.
“WHAT!?” Snow shrieked. “NO I WON’T ABANDON MY FRIENDS!” She said backing away.
“No, no.” Bon Bon said slowly, “Calm down, we won’t force you.” She said shooting a glare to Trixie, which she deserved if I’m being honest. She then turned to Snow Belle and continued, “We just thought that maybe a some sort of vacation from Canterlot may be good for you. We don’t want to separate you from your friends but understand that they are going to travel into dangerous places and if you were to ever get hurt they would be very sad.” She explained to her.
“Yeah?” Snow asked sniffing a bit.
“Yeah, they love you very much and they want you to be safe.” Bon Bon said to her softly. “Also, you would stay with us in Ponyville which is full of foals your age, I’m sure you will have tons of friends there. And we can introduce you to our sweet BunBun.” She said eagerly.
“BunBun?” I asked curious.
“Yes, it’s this little bundle of joy with big ears that always jump around cutely. When it get scared it put the ears over its eyes, same when it’s flustered. It’s very cute.” She explained.
“Oh, a Buneary then.” I said, remembering that particular pokémon, “Those are truly very cute to have around, do you love it very much?” I asked.
"Well of course! But why does it matter? "Lyra helpfully asked.
“It matters, Buneary evolves when it is very happy with it's owner or trainer. The evolution may be a bit scary if you don’t know it’s happening.” I explained.
“Oh, ok” Bon Bon said, “i can't wait to see that happening. Now though Snow Belle, do you wish to come with us?” She asked.
Snow Belle looked at us with a question in her eyes. “Go on.” I said simply. Thomas nodded and Trixie did the same.
“Ok.” She said a bit nervous, we all got up and walked to the throne room, there we found Celestia on her throne. The ponies all bowed and waited for her to acknowledge them.
“Rise, what can I do for you?” She asked.
“Your majesty we would like to adopt Snow Belle and bring her with us in Ponyville.” Lyra said eagerly.
“I see.” Celestia said with a smile, “And you are ok with this little one?” She asked Snow.
“Yes.” She softly said.
“Very well then, you can go. Send me all your certification tomorrow and I will make them all official. I hope you’ll enjoy your time in ponyville dear.” Celestia said looking at Snow.
“Thank you.” Snow said bowing down.
After that we exited the palace and said our goodbyes to the princess, we then walked to the main gate where our cart was stationed and climbed up. “So, this is where we part ways, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Unfortunately, we will take the train to go back.” Bon Bon said.
“I will miss you.” Said Thomas huggin Snow.
“I will miss you too.” She replied with some tears.
“We will come visiting though, when we finish this work in Manehattan we will surely come back to Ponyville and we will tell you everything that happened.” I said hugging her.
“Ok.” She said nodding and breaking the hug, they then trotted off towards the train station.
“Come on, we have a long road ahead of us, with tons of adventure and Pokémon.” Trixie said quite excited.
“Are you truly that eager to travel?” I asked her climbing up on her back.
“Of course, if I don’t travel how could I create new spectacles and shows?” She said.
“She got a point there.” Thomas said.
“Yeah true, then let’s go to adventure!” I shouted.
“YEAH!”