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// Dumpster Scuffle 
// Story: The Composer 
// by Smug Anime Girl 
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Celestia found retirement most gratifying. After barely keeping Equestria together since Discord's Reign of Chaos, she enjoyed her well earned off-time at Silver Shoals. Sometimes, when she found the hours too long and activities too few, she could be found conversing with the local ponies and helping out in local businesses. Raising the sun, once the first chore on her daily routine, was pawned off to her lavender student, and she happily let the sun creep high in the sky before kicking her covers off.

She wouldn't have minded living like this for at least a decade or more before exploring the world, and she mused over the thought of flying over the unknown north as she munched on on a sugar coated doughnut. Perhaps she would find Santa Pony....

Celestia had spent her afternoon helping out the woefully understaffed local bakery, and the treats she received were more than worth the time (in her opinion). She finished her doughnut and pulled out another one from her bag with her magic.

Twilight gently guided the sun over the horizon, and it settled down in the general direction of Vanhoover. Street lamps flickered to life, and Celestia looked around. The town was still mostly unfamiliar to her, and the ex-princess was in an adventurous mood. She shrugged and decided to explore the outskirts of the town.

Nearer to the outskirts of Silver Shoals, the roads were dirt rather than laid bricks, and she savored the feeling of soft ground under her hooves. It was far more open out there, with scattered buildings and barns dotted along huge swaths of farmland. The moon lit the scene up in a ghostly grey light. Luna is probably wondering where I am.

Celestia was about to head back to the main road when a crash stopped her right in her tracks. She looked back and saw a knocked over trash can. Something was rustling inside, throwing out empty bottles and banana peels and heaven knows what else. Celestia approached the mess and sifted through the remaining trash. Her magic picked out a small racoon by the tail, it's limbs flailing about and screeching bloody murder. She gently set it down and let it scurry off into a bush.

After uprighting the can, she was just about to put the trash back in when she peered in and saw another set of eyes looking back up at her. The great alicorn let out a small squeal and fell onto her rump. Frowning she looked back in more carefully and could see it was a small pegasus looking worse for wear, her grey coat and two-tone green mane tattered and a mess. She was also covered in little scratches, presumably from the raccoon. Celestia asked (trying to give the much smaller pony a reassuring smile), "What are you doing in there, little one?"

The filly shook it's head, shuddering. Celestia wasn't sure if it was a refusal of answer or bewilderment. Not that it mattered at that moment; the pegasus clearly needed help.

Taking care to not hurt the filly, Celestia gently tugged away until she freed the filly, and replaced the garbage into the can. The lid dropped with a clang back in place, and the larger mare winced. Her little friend looked ready to bolt. "It's ok." Celestia whispered, lowering herself to the filly's level. "I'll get you cleaned up, alright? We can look for your parents after..."

The filly nodded at the first question, but after mentioning her parents, she seemed even more scared.

"Or we can just get you cleaned up." Celestia quickly added on. She nudged the filly onto her back with her magic. "I live rather close from here. Don't get too comfy." But the filly was fast asleep.





Celestia and Luna shared a medium sized one story house down by the waterfront. The two ponies had purchased the plot of land months in advance and spent time building everything from the bright red bricks to the dark grey roof tiles. They settled on reflective windows to prevent curious ponies from spying on them, but other than that, the house gave off a warm and welcoming energy.

On this particular evening, one could see from a distance that there was a very miffed looking Luna was waiting at the big front door, tapping her hoof impatiently.

"Good evening, sister." Celestia smiled innocently, trotting up the pathway.

"Don't 'good evening' me, Celestia." Luna huffed, closing the door after her sister intently. "Every night, you go wandering off somewhere leaving me to sit here alone, letting supper freeze over! If you're going to spend more time out then you ought to say so! Now I have to reheat everything..."

Celestia let her sister chastise her some more before holding up a hoof. "I have a good excuse this time." 

"Did a group of timberwolves attack you again?" Luna asked sarcastically and looked over Celestia's pristine coat with a flat, disbelieving expression. "Sister, why are your wings folded in such an awkward manner?"

Celestia beamed at the question. "Look." She unfurled her wings and there lay a small grey filly.

"A foal? What-Sister, you aren't thinking of raising her, are you? We can take care of her for a short while but we'll have to set her up for adop...." Luna stopped talking as she watched the filly yawn and stretch her little wings, then settle in a new position. Her expression changed significantly.

"When you say 'we,' do you mean 'we' plural or do you have a fond attachment to the royal pronoun?" Celestia joked. Luna shook her head and trotted away.

Celestia carried the filly over to the bathroom and turned on the bath's faucet. A small ear twitched as the sound of rushing water filled the room. She must be really tired. Celestia giggled to herself. While she hated to disturb the foal's nap, she also knew that the scratches from the racoon could easily get infected. "Come on. We're going to clean you up." She tickled the pegasus awake with a feather. It was longer than one of the peagsus' whole wing.

The filly woke up and took in the new surroundings, before looking up to Celestia, eyes glazed over.

"Go on. Water's warm." Celestia encouraged, and she was very pleased when it slipped into the water, albeit tentatively. After spashing around a bit, the alicorn brought her foal back towards her and began scrubbing her down, making sure to avoid touching the cuts. Celestia was doing a good job; the filly's expression was one of pure ecstacy. The larger pony found herself slightly jealous.

As the filly got cleaner, Celestia could get a better look. Her fur was trimmed just above the hooves much like a young stallion, and her cutie mark was a treble clef on several wavy bars. Celestia was rather impressed; this was one of the youngest ponies she ever saw with one. "Good filly. Speaking of which, what is your name, little one?"

The filly shook its head and bumped it's neck with her hoof. Celestia cocked her head quizzically, unsure of the meaning. "Let's just get you dried." Celestia brought over a small towel (one she would use to dry off her mane) and gently dabbed it against the pegasus. After making sure her pony was no longer wet, Celestia cast a healing spell, wrapping the filly in a yellow glow, and inspected the pony for any further signs of injury.

Satisfied that the filly was now clean and healthy, she put her down on the marble tiling. "Spread your wings please." Celestia then began to preen the pegasus' small feathers, many of the barbs had been seperated. The plummage turned out to be softer than expected, almost more so than her own mane, and Celestia found herself rather jealous for a second time. The filly flapped her wings a few times and then folded it in a prim, proper way.

"Would you like some food? I think there's a few frozen hayburgers left in the fridge..." The filly bolted out of the bathroom and turned left. "The kitchen is the other way!" Celestia called, and the filly zoomed past the doorway, full gallop. "Hayburgers it is." She gently trotted after the filly and tugged open the freezer. Setting two onto a pan, she turned on the stove. "Since I'm feeding you now, little one, would you say it's fair that I get to know you better?"

The filly nodded, slightly drooling. A small drop gently splattered against the oak floorboard.

"Can you write?" Seeing the answer was a nod, Celestia trotted to the living room and found a piece of parchment and a quill. On one side was a note from Luna explaining that she was making an emergency trip to buy a bed and toys and supplies for their guest. Celestia chuckled and flipped the parchment over.

The filly put the parchment on the floor began scrawling across it, quill in her mouth. Her printing was large, rough and roundish. 'thank thank make me clean and lose trash bear'

Celestia's heart truly melted. "Have you been fending for yourself this entire time?"

'no have, with dad few moons before'

There was hope! Perhaps she was a runaway. Celestia decided not to push the issue at the moment, partly for fear of making the filly shy away further, and partly to avoid the subject of returning such a cute pony. "Why were you pointing at your neck earlier?"

'cannot talk, throat broken'

"I see..." Celestia gently patted her. "Do you have a name?"

'Shuberry' With that, the little pegasus jumped up and headed back to the stove. The patties were almost ready.

Celestia flipped them and turned the fire down. Clamping them down between buns, she put it on the table, and Shuberry leapt onto one of the cushioned chairs. Celestia took out a dinner of a fruit and veggie salad and cream of corn soup and joined Schuberry at the round table. Seeing that Celestia was beginning to eat, she absolutely tore into one of her burgers. The alicorn had barely finished her salad when Shuberry began to ravage the second burger.

"Careful, you'll choke." Celestia warned, and the filly, looking up, ate at a noticably slower pace. They finished their dinners in relative silence, Celestia saring intently, as if words would appear on Shuberry's face revealing this strange foal's life.

When Celestia had finished her soup, Shuberry had long since inhaled her second burger, and was waiting patiently. Almost as if on cue, she began piling up the dishes and bowls and silverware and carried it over to the sink, teetering and tottering along the way. Celestia waved Shuberry off when she tried to help clean the dishes. "It's ok, you can go rest."

'are you sure' Schuberry wrote. There was a symbol at the end of the three words, and Celestia realized it was a very deformed question mark.

"It's fine. Really. It'll only take a few minutes anyways." The alicorn tapped her horn.

'thank thank' Shuberry then bolted off, exploring the entire house. Celestia could hear the clicking of Shuberry's tiny hooves as the little filly crossed back and forth, finding everything and anything interesting.

Drying off the last dish, Celestia called out to the foal. "Want me to brush your hair?"

Schuberry thought over this for a moment. 'quick sleep soon, no reason'

"Perhaps tomorrow." Celestia smiled gently. "Did you find your room?"

'i tonight can not can be your wing under sleep'

Celestia blinked at the mess of words and made a mental note of teaching Schuberry some better grammar the next day. "Oh uh, sure. I'll be there in a minute." Celestia went around and turned off lights. When she reached the bathroom, she realized that she forgot to drain the bathtub and pulled out the plug with a satisfying pop.

Schuberry was already waiting in bed curled up and looking comfortable. Celestia slunk up behind and curled up next her, leting the filly shift around to find the best position. Her thoughts drifted to Twilight. It had been only a few years before that Twilight had literally and figuratively been under her wing. Schuberry was still awake, but her eyelids were fluttering. A few minutes later, Celestia fell asleep as well, mind still dancing around the memories of a lavender unicorn.





When Luna returned home, looking absolutely ridiculous buried under a huge number of bags, she found that the house was dark and quiet. She gently placed her cargo on the ground and trotted over to the kitchen, where she found some leftovers.

Luna was very tired at this point, and after looking back and forth at the stove and then at the soup a few times, she just shrugged and slurped it up straight from the bowl. She didn't even bother with the salad, and just dumped the dirty bowl into the sink.

Celestia was gently snoring, and the little filly's head poked out from below her wing. Luna treaded as quietly as she could and snuggled up against her sister on the other side, and after a few minutes, dozed off as well.