//------------------------------//
// The Orphanage 
// Story: Night's Favoured Child 
// by Municipal Engines 
//------------------------------//


Chapter One: 
The Orphanage

"Miss Loch?"  
 
Little Twilight Sparkle waited in the nursery doorway for a few more seconds before repeating herself, a bit louder this time. "Excuse me, Miss Loch?" No response. The unicorn was distracted to say the least, juggling two squalling foals with her magic while changing a third one's diaper. Loch Mare was always busy these nights. Ever since Miss Chestnut had quit the orphanage, there was just too much work for too few hooves. Twilight turned and trotted back to the library, trying to shrug off the sting of being ignored. 
 
I'm a big filly now! I can do this myself! And then I won't be a... she bit her lip as a worm of a notion squirmed its way into the forefront of her mind. A burden? 
 
She shoved that thought back into the dark pit it had come from and tossed "being ignored" after it. She knew she was one of the most independent fillies her age. She could pronounce 'independent'. Not like that whiny Silver Glow, she thought, throwing a tantrum if somepony else has the toy she decided she wanted to play with. Twilight knew was better than them. She understood that Miss Loch was busy, and didn't demand more attention than she needed to – just the occasional book from a out-of-reach shelf or a candle stub when the library got too dark. She was happy enough to just be left alone. 
 
Twilight stopped in front of the third bookcase and glared upward. The heavy volume of ‘Stars, Comets, and Moons’ mocked the little filly from the top shelf. It was so close, yet so far away for her. Growling in frustration, she strode to the bottom of the bookcase and gave it a tentative shove with one hoof. The bookcase didn’t even wobble. Good. She cautiously put her weight on the lowest shelf, making sure it would support her. It did, easily. Slowly and carefully, she began to climb upwards.
 
Each step she took was planned, debated and re-examined. Every foot she rose, Twilight immediately tried to find the most stable position. She knew she was no billy goat, and her muscles were simply not cut out for this. But her target still sneered down at her from its shelf, and this only stiffened Twilight’s resolve. The meticulous struggle continued for several minutes. Twilight’s muscles were beginning to ache from the effort of clinging to the bookcase, and her legs were growing shaky. Biting her lip, she stretched her neck upward. She could see her prize! She could almost touch it. Unfortunately, it was still just out of the filly’s reach.
 
Grunting with exasperation, Twilight released the bookcase with one hoof and stretched it out as far as she could, trying to catch the edge of the book. Furrowing her brow, she shifted her weight and pushed up on her leg, gaining a few more inches. Her hoof met the book and she gave a squeak of victory.
 
The moment of elation was a mistake. Her concentration slipped just a fraction, and her hoofhold slipped along with it. Twilight groped to recover her balance, but it was too late. Her flailing arms caught the edge of the hardback and she fell. Her rump hit the floor with a burst of pain. Then, just when she thought it was over, a heavy book hammered her head to the floor. Stars exploded behind her eyelids. She lay stunned on the carpet for a few seconds, too shocked to even register the new stinging sensation that attacked the top of her skull. Then she started to cry. 
 
“Twilight?” a voice called from behind her.
 
The filly turned and, through her tear-veiled eyes, found an earth pony with a coat of a green fainter than should really be possible. Her hair cascaded down her head like a sparkling blue waterfall. Apple Orchid was the counsellor of the foster home. Miss Loch often felt genuinely concerned that Twilight had some kind of anti-social mental problem, so Apple Orchid and Twilight would naturally meet often. She shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh. The librarian looked back at the table she was working on – papers and reports stacked high – and then to Twilight before she let out another sigh and knelt down to the filly.
 
“Come here, hayseed,” Apple Orchid scooped Twilight up into an embrace. Her voice –moderately thick with a Southern Equestrian countryside accent – seemed to betray the slightest hint of disappointment. “Land sakes, now that’s one hay of a bump. Don’t you worry now though; ah’ll get the soothin’ balm.”
 
The young mare left Twilight for a moment before returning from a cupboard in the corner, balm held firmly in her mouth. Sitting down in front of the filly, Orchid squeezed some cream onto her hoof and gently massaged it onto the bruise on Twilight’s head. The cream worked wonders. Almost immediately, the painful throbbing in her head had subsided and was replaced by a cool numbness. The lavender unicorn wiped her eyes with a hoof and leaned into the counsellor for a thankful hug.
 
“Thank you, Apple Orchid,” she said.
 
“Ah, don’t mention it, Twilight,” the earth pony walked over to the fallen book and picked it up. Orchid slipped it into Twilight’s discarded bag, which was soon slung onto the foal’s back. “Don’t forget your book.”
 
The filly nodded and repeated her thanks as the adult returned eagerly to her work. Hurrying out of the library, Twilight wondered about Apple Orchid. Like Miss Loch, as of late the counsellor had an ever decreasing amount of time to spend with Twilight. The unicorn was mature enough to understand the concept of prioritising for work, but she still did not appreciate it. How long would it be until everyone she cared for had no time left for her?
 
Shaking her head, she focussed. The unicorn knew better than to get lost in her own contemplations. They almost always brought up a tightness in her chest and drew her away from matters at hoof. Like reading. So she turned her attention to the hefty tome fitting snugly in her saddlebag. The unicorn had always had a great skill in reading – and a literary appetite to match. While other foals had been reading books like ‘The Very Hungry Parasprite’, Twilight had stormed through texts on subjects from architecture to zoology.
 
It was a pleasant night outside, so Twilight braved the playground to take advantage of the brilliant noontime moon. It was almost too bright to look at, so much so that it overwhelmed all but the brightest stars and Twilight only needed a small lamp to read by. Lights seeping from the orphanage building across the field added to the brightness of the night. She carefully kept a sneer off her face as she gave the hoofball field a wide berth. Noisy, obnoxious foals always annoyed her. She knew she shouldn’t think of other children as ‘mule-brained idiots’, but the thought came anyway She had to concentrate to block out the squeals and chatting from the rest of the playground, but the warm breeze that rustled the grass on her little knoll was worth it.  
 
"What is it you're reading this week, Twilight?"  
 
The little unicorn started, but she was already breaking into a grin as she looked up. The sweet voice, slightly roughened from years of shouting over the shrill shrieks of children, belonged to Miss Loch. The mare's coat was a delicate, faintly speckled brown, as if she were covered with light chocolate shavings and topped with a whipped-cream dollop of a mane.  
 
"Something about the moon and stars." 
 
"And did you get an adult to help you fetch it down from its shelf?" the older mare asked, her smile gaining a trace of a disappointed frown. 
 
Twilight cringed. "No, ma'am," she replied in an appropriately subdued tone. 
 
"Well, Miss Orchid told me you already punished yourself, so I won't add anything to that... but now we know why we ask for things we can't reach, don’t we?" 
 
Twilight nodded soberly. "Yes, ma'am," she agreed, though she had no intention of doing so. She wasn’t to be defeated so easily.
 
Miss Loch leaned down, touching her neck to Twilight's. The little filly leaned eagerly into the rare embrace. "I'm just glad you're not hurt." She glanced at the pages over Twilight's shoulder and changed the subject. "Your newest reading trend?" 
 
“I guess so…” Twilight blushed. “I kind of want to find more books on the subject, Miss Loch. Maybe you or one of the other adults can take me to the public library?”  
 
“Twilight,” Miss Loch gave a good-natured sigh. “I think you ought to consider taking a break from reading. Every month, it’s always a different binge of books.” 
 
“But I like reading,” Twilight said meekly. 
 
“Yes, but this is more like… studying,” the brown unicorn chided. “I mean, it’s almost always non-fiction. You’re not even reading storybooks like the others.” 
 
“Those are all so stupid, though. It’s always the same cheesy plots and the writing’s really bad and the characters are so foalish, and besides,” Twilight’s face contorted into a momentary look of irritation. “You won’t let me read the older stuff.” 
 
“That may be true, but it’s for your own good; I don’t want you getting cynical at your age,” the caretaker answered. “In any case, you shouldn’t really be reading during your spare time like this. You should be out having fun and playing with the others.” 
 
“I don’t want to play with anypony though,” Twilight’s tone wavered at the thought. The others were somewhat... intimidated, perhaps, of her. She nodded internally. Yes, that was what they thought of her. They were just intimidated and put off by the fact that she was much more mature than them. That was why they called her names. “I just want to read. It makes me happy.”
 
As the filly’s voice trailed off weakly with her last sentence, Miss Loch gave her a sympathetic look and bent down to her to come to the unicorn foal’s level.  
 
“I know it does, and if that’s what you want, then I won’t force you, but I hope that you will at least talk to some of the others,” she said.
 
“Thank you, Miss Loch!” Twilight chirped brightly. “I know Orion will want to go, and I’ll check with—”
 
Raised voices on the hoofball field interrupted Twilight, cutting through the general noise of the playground.
 
“I did not trip you!” one of the older fillies yelled.
 
“Did too, you liar! I get a free kick!” the colt retorted.
 
“Oh, I’ll give you a free kick...!” The filly seemed on the verge of turning around to buck him in the teeth. Miss Loch took off at a gallop to intercede before it came to blows.
 
The little unicorn was left alone.
 
“Babies,” she muttered as she shifted to get comfortable again and turned the page with her hoof.
 
Twilight had only just begun to read again when she heard several sets of hooves coming towards her. She groaned internally. Of course, the moment Miss Loch’s distracted. Maybe if she kept her nose in the book they would pass her by. The hoofbeats stopped. Of course, I never have such luck, she thought dryly. Several shadows fell over her. Reluctantly, the unicorn filly looked up. Looming over her were two earth pony colts and a pegasus. Twilight gave another internal groan. These three had lost their parents at an older age than most of the other orphans, which, in the logic of bullies, was reason enough to pick on smaller ponies. And it looked like she was tonight's target.   
 
“Whatcha reading, nerd?” the pegasus asked mockingly. 
 
Twilight steeled herself. I’m not going to let them get to me this time, she thought.  In the year since their arrival together, the colts had found Twilight to be a tempting victim. She had retreated in tears more than once, but she had never quite said anything to Miss Loch about them. The matron didn’t need to be bothered about some minor bullying. In any case, she wasn’t a tattle-tale. It certainly wasn’t because they were big and strong and scary, or anything silly like that. She could handle it herself. 
 
The unicorn forced her face to look as nonchalant as she could make it and glanced at them lazily. “You’re in my light,” she said. 
 
“Too bad,” the pegasus, replied curtly, probably somewhat annoyed at her apathy. This was Blitz; the meanest colt she thought could ever exist. His name was fitting, though – he struck fast and offered no quarter.
 
He gave a malicious smile and snatched the book away from the filly. Twilight winced, but she had learned from the past that they just wanted a reaction out of her. She was determined not to give him such a satisfaction. She looked down at the ground intently with a furrowed brow, trying to block them out from her mind. 
 
“Aw, look, she’s trying to ignore us,” Blitz snickered. “I don’t like to be ignored, nerd, but I guess you’re used to it, huh? ‘Cos you’ve got no friends.” 
 
Twilight kept her eyes fixed to the ground and now started to silently. Oh Arche, please make them leave. Please. After a few moments, the three bullies realised that she was not going to respond. 
 
“No one here even likes you,” the bully sneered, leaning closer to her. “But you probably don’t even care do you? You’re a nerd that only likes books.” 
 
Twilight felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes. She made a conscious decision to not socialise much, instead focusing on her reading and her studies. That’s not true! Orion likes me! ...right? she thought. She shook her head and forced the tears back down. Twilight knew better than to believe the words of a bully. 
 
“I’d be nicer to me if I were you,” she said, looking up at the bullies, frowning defiantly. “One night I’ll be big and important and successful, and I’ll remember you all.” 
 
“Oh really? Is that ‘cos you read a lot, nerd?” the pegasus sneered. Out of reflex, she nodded weakly. “Well let’s see how ‘important and successful’ you’ll be without your book.” 
 
“No!”
 
Her widened eyes darted around the field for any sign of Miss Loch. To her utter dismay, Twilight realised that she wasn’t there, and she wouldn’t be able to help her. The filly looked at the larger colt, who snickered at the tears that started to form in her eyes.
 
Passing ‘Stars, Comets, and Moons’ to one of his cohorts, he grabbed the lamp off the tree. Twilight’s eyes widened in horror and darted around for any sign of Miss Loch. To her dismay, the older unicorn had taken the two hoofballers inside for a talking-to. Twilight Sparkle lunged toward the book, but the other earth pony intercepted her and held her back. They all snickered at the tears that finally began to form in her eyes.
 
“Give me back my book. Please,” she begged.  
 
The bully’s lackey dropped the book on the grass and the pegasus smashed the lamp over it. The oil caught instantly and poured liquid fire over the cover and down the edges of the pages. Within moments the old tome was completely engulfed in flames.
 
Through tear-blurred eyes she glared hatefully at the bullies, the two earth ponies seemingly transfixed by the fire while the pegasus seemed to be looking intently at her. His mouth curved upwards into a spiteful grin as he took a threatening step towards her. 
 
“If Miss Loch asks, this was an accident. Don’t think I won’t hit you ‘cos you’re a girl, ‘cos that’ll be what happens if you try to snitch,” he growled, before turning to the two earth pony brothers. “Come on you two, let’s get out of here before the old mule shows up.” 
 
The bullies left the unicorn alone under the tree, heading coolly back to the building, laughing as they walked. Twilight sat on the knoll, now alone, crying freely. What was she to do? She knew that if she told Miss Loch what happened, then the bullies would hurt her. The rational part of Twilight’s mind told her that Miss Loch wouldn’t let them have the opportunity. But... but they’re so big and strong and scary. She stared sadly at the burning book; its pages now charred beyond redemption, and sighed sadly. 
 
“I’ll tell her it was an accident,” she murmured to herself. “She won’t get mad at me if it wasn't deliberate".
 
============ 
 
“But that’s not fair!” 
 
Miss Loch raised an eyebrow at Twilight’s outburst and smiled sadly. Though the gesture was one of a reassuring kindness, Twilight could not help but see it as a patronising reaction from Loch Mare. The adult unicorn’s office felt like a court room – one in which the judge was perhaps trying a little too hard to remain in the accused’s favour. Mahogany and maroon dominated the walls and floor of the matron’s office. The heavy curtains were thrown wide to let the moon’s bright light spill into the room. The matron sighed and tried to explain herself. 
 
“Twilight, you destroyed a very old, quite valuable book,” she said, putting a hoof up just as the filly opened her mouth for a retort. “And even though you say it was an accident, you still need to appreciate the consequences of these kinds of things. I entrusted the well-being of the book to you and you let me down. Anyway, I doubt the lamp was knocked onto the book without the assistance of some foolish action on your part.” 
 
“But I… it wasn’t an…” Twilight started, but trailed off as her mind waged a battle with itself on whether to tell the truth, and risk a beating, or to lie and face the punishment. She remembered her ‘conversation’ with Blitz as she waited outside Miss Loch’s office.
 
“I hope you won’t tell Loch anything we’d both regret, eh?” he leered, drawing closer to her with a menacing step.
 
Twilight’s heart seemed to stop and contract. She instinctively backed away, stuttering a reply.
 
“N-no! I’ll tell her it was an accident. I won’t mention you at all.”
 
“Good,” he smiled, striding away from her. “’Cos I’d hate to have to break everything in your room… and then break you.”
 
Twilight gulped at the memory. “Can’t I be given something else? Everypony else gets to go to the Annual Eclipse Festival.” 
 
“There are rules here, Twilight, and you need to understand the responsibility of abiding to rules,” the mare replied, a stern tone slipping into place. “While breaking the lamp and destroying the book may have been a careless mistake, there are penalties for ponies’ actions. Think of it this way; if I let you off for setting fire to a valuable book, then what would the others think they can get away with?” 
 
Twilight considered this for a moment, before trying one more time. 
 
“But it was an accident,” she whined. “I’m really sorry.” 
 
“I know Twilight, but accident or no, you need to accept responsibility. Besides, it’s not like you’ll miss anything. The eclipse can be seen from all over Equestria, and it happens every year. You'll have other chances.” 
 
“But what about the festivities in the Square? And the Empress will be there to make the eclipse herself.” 
 
Miss Loch’s face drew down into the slightest of frowns. “Seeing the Empress is not reason enough to avoid your punishment. Twilight, my word is final. You are grounded to your room for the night,” her face and voice softened as she continued. “Now you may leave. And send in Starburst as you go.” 
 
Twilight dragged herself out of the room with a defeated expression and slumped shoulders. She barely even muttered to the young gold-yellow pegasus colt waiting outside the door as she passed him. The brightly coloured halls of the orphanage barely registered to her as she went. She passed a group of foals who chimed an enthusiastic, chirpy greeting that, in her current mood, made Twilight want to scream. She ignored the fillies and rounded a corner, where she bumped into a pony she really did not want to see. A certain pegasus colt, to be specific.
 
Blitz glowered at her with a pair of eyes that screamed of malice.
 
The unicorn froze in the spot. As much as she tried to, she could not tear her fear-wracked stare away from Blitz. Luckily, he gave a wry smile and a contented huff before he strode away. Twilight gave a muffled scream of anger at her reaction. Stupid! she berated herself. How could you let something so small as a simple look get to you? She stomped down the corridor, feeling conflicted, and turned to the entrance of her dorm.
 
Twilight stormed through the door and slammed it behind her. Her room was the usual layout for the foster home, with bed, chest of drawers, wardrobe and desk all in the same arrangement, although this room had considerably more books and scrolls stacked into whatever spare storage there was than other rooms. A large map of Equestria adorned one wall while an equally sizeable star-chart hung opposite it, as if the room were suspended sideways halfway between the heavens and the earth. A telescope was crammed in next to the window, its lens pointed upwards towards the ever starlit sky. 
 
Unlike most of the rooms in the dormitory wing, though, it held an extra set of furniture. In the recent years there had been a considerable rise in ponies who needed foster care, and so empty rooms steadily began to be filled. Soon, there had been more foster foals than there were rooms to put them in. Never one to turn away ponies, Loch Mare simply decided that the occupants of the foster home could share rooms when necessary. 
 
The lavender unicorn filly had been one of the first who had to share with a new arrival, a little over half a year ago; Miss Loch obviously hoped it would help her learn to socialise more. It did, to a degree. Her roommate was a colt, much to Twilight’s initial distaste. The young earth pony had been quiet and shy at first – Twilight had to admit her constant glaring and her short-lived attempt to build a wall of books down the middle of the room might have had something to do with that – but she warmed to him when she discovered that he, too, had an interest in astronomy. 
 
The telescope had been their first joint project together. After convincing Miss Loch to buy an old, knocked-out-of-alignment telescope from a pawn shop, the two had set about the task of fixing it up together. Any necessary costs came straight from their allowance, and the colt had stuck with her every bit of the way. It was nice to have someone around who didn’t treat her like either a stupid foal who couldn’t tell when she was being patronised, or some kind of wizened hermit. Or a punching bag, her brain added mercilessly. Orion let her make many of the decisions in the project and helped her out whenever she needed help. He taught her so many things since then. He was an excellent study partner; even though Twilight was sure he had his own schoolwork to get on with.
 
Twilight found the white-coated earth pony sitting on his bed, buried in one of those silly pirate stories again. The colt had taken to books almost as readily as Twilight did, at least in certain genres. She threw herself down on her own bed with an angry huff, and the colt peered over the edge of his hardback at her. 
 
“What’s wrong, Twilight?” the refined, soft voice of her roommate was laden with concern. 
 
Sitting up, she looked at him and, with a deep gulp of air, told him everything that was wrong with this night. How she had bumped her head and cried because of it. How Miss Loch had been too busy to help, how she had been picked on by the three infamous bullies and then had her book burnt. The filly’s little voice grew harsh and angry as she recounted her conversation with Miss Loch, and her resulting punishment.
 
The colt slipped a bookmark in between some pages of his book and put it to one side. His attention was now fully on her. Orion was always a good listener. He sighed and shook his head in a resigned fashion.
 
“Why don’t you just tell her the truth then?” he asked. “I doubt they’d get the opportunity to hurt you. Perhaps they’re just bluffing anyway.” 
 
“Don’t you think I thought of that?” the lavender unicorn snapped, somewhat more harshly than she intended to. "If they started stealing my things I could never prove it. Or... or they might go after you. In the end, they'll just hurt me in whatever way they could if I told on them.”
 
“Okay then. I see your point,” Orion replied. “Since you’re obviously not going to the Eclipse Festival, what are you going to do instead?” 
 
“I dunno, probably just read about it.” she replied bitterly, hanging her head. 
 
“Do you want me to get any books for you from the library?” the earth pony asked. 
 
“Yeah, that’d be great,” she said without enthusiasm. Her anger had gone for the most part and now she held only self-pity and disappointment in her voice. 
 
Getting up off his bed, Orion headed to the door, but froze with his hoof on the handle. The colt suddenly whirled around with an uncharacteristically wide grin on his face and a mischievous glitter in his eyes. Twilight waited a moment, but he clearly wanted her to ask.  
 
“What?” 
 
“I have an idea,” he announced dramatically, then let silence fall again. 
 
Twilight's patience began to wear thin. “Which is?”  
 
“I’ll help you sneak out, and we can go to the festival together,” he said, a new eagerness breaking his reserved demeanour.  
 
“What? No!” Twilight cried. “We can’t do that, I’ll get in trouble.” 
 
“The worst they’ll do is ground you some more,” Orion shrugged. “You’ll have plenty of other nights to waste being punished in your room, but the Eclipse Festival comes only once a year.” 
 
Twilight creased her brow and looked down, considering this. She longed to go to the Festival, and she really did not want to wait another year. It was not often that the thought of going out into Canterlot appealed to Twilight, but the Festival was different. The moon had always mesmerised Twilight, its waxing and waning like the slow swing of a hypnotist’s watch. But the eclipse was something... magical. It tugged at her soul in a way she couldn’t fathom. Twilight had stayed awake for hours after lights-out in previous years, captivated by the sheer beauty of the Crowned Moon. To see the Empress create that glory in person, she would gladly accept a month in her room.
 
Well... three weeks. If she had to.
 
She returned her gaze to the usually stoic Orion, who watched her with undisguised hope. She gave a sigh of mock reluctance. 
 
“Fine, I’ll sneak out with you,” a small grin crept up on her. “But if we get caught, you’re taking all the blame.” 
 
“Deal!” the colt beamed. 
 
============

Questions, Comments, Concerns and Criticisms are welcome!

Written by Municipal Engines, Assisted and Edited by LordOfTheWrongs