//------------------------------//
// Chapter Nine 
// Story: The Little Filly Who Could 
// by Boopy Doopy 
//------------------------------//

“I am going to want to talk to her more tomorrow if I can,” Ivory Spark said as she gave Bright Side her notes to read. “There’s a lot about her I don’t know, and some of the things she said makes me want to dig further. Do you mind if I stay in Ponyville for a few days while I get to know her?”
“Oh, sure, that’s no issue. I can set you up with a hotel room if you need,” he told her as he scanned over her notes. “Oh, Celestia. Sexual abuse?” he asked sadly. “Did she say that?”
“Yes, she did,” the mare confirmed, watching the stallion become teary eyed by the statement. “There are other things too,” she continued. “I think she has some form of autism, and there’s a couple of other peculiar things she mentioned to me that I need to follow up on. Have you been able to get into contact with her guardians?”
“I haven’t, but I do have three sets of ponies who described losing fillies who look similar to her. I sent out photos of her to them, and haven’t gotten word yet, but I’m pretty sure that it’s not going to turn up anything. The ponies she named, Wil Lee and Min Dee, don’t seem to exist in any registry.”
“Mmm. That’s an issue. She seemed truthful when she spoke to me, or at least she herself believed what she said. She could be lying, or she could just be flat out wrong. It’s part of the reason why I want to stay here and keep talking to her. We need to flesh out what’s true and what’s not.”
“Well I certainly won’t be stopping you. Take all the time you need with her. Whatever you say is best is best.”
Ponyville wasn’t quite as easy to work in as Baltimare was, but Ivory Spark appreciated how she was given more leeway to do her job here than in other cities she’d been to for job calls. In places like Canterlot, they might have already sent her away after they got her notes and made a decision on their own, or even just disregarded what her notes said. She was grateful she was called here this time.
She didn’t leave immediately for bed for the night. Instead, she stayed behind and followed Emily to the group home to spend more time with her. She wanted to build up a friendly persona with her and get the filly to trust her, not that she didn’t already. She was easier to build a relationship with than most foals in some ways. She seemed to understand what the mare was trying to do, and openly let her in to engage with her. She once again came across as older than she looked.
It was more difficult than most foals in some ways, too. She seemed more preoccupied with her own thoughts and singing than she was with conversation as she laid on her stomach to write and draw. Ivory Spark had to make sure not to ask questions with one word answers to get her attention, the opposite of what Bright Side described to her and what she saw earlier at his office. When she was focused, she focused, but when something didn’t have her attention, she put it on the back burner.
“Bright Side told me you wanted to be a writer or a musician,” the mare started. “Are you writing a song now?”
“No, I can’t write lyrics without chords, and it’s kind of annoying to have to think it out in my head instead of play it on piano. I’m just writing down notes for story ideas that I want to remember when I get back home.”
“Oh yeah? What kinds of stories?”
“Stories about anything. Weird creatures turning into ponies, mostly. That’s my favorite to write about.” There was a moment of silence, then a sigh that came from her as she continued, “I hope I can be here for more than a few weeks, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be. I don’t wanna go home.”
“Because you like it here in Ponyville?”
She nodded sadly, explaining, “I like this a lot, and I already don’t ever wanna give it up.” Then she took a breath and smiled, saying, “But I can’t think about the bad! Gotta take this for what it’s worth! Even though it’s gonna suck when I have to leave.”
“I’m sure it won’t be all bad. Having a family who loves you would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, but– well, nothing. Still don’t wanna get into all of that. Not yet anyway.” Then she went back to writing, Ivory Spark looking over her shoulder as she did and watching her. 
That was largely how the rest of the night went, with Ivory Spark carefully watching Emily and engaging her every so often before it was time for her to head out and the filly to go to bed. She got to the hotel Bright Side rented for her, but didn’t write down a report just yet. She wanted another full day with the filly before she wrote one. There were some things she needed to clear up.
She got into the group home to see Emily bright and early, Bright Side already there watching as she and the caretaker talked to each other while the filly ate breakfast. He made eye contact with her and beckoned her over to him to speak.
“I sent out her photo to the guardians around Equestria who said they lost a filly that matches her description, and one of the couples said it matches the filly they lost. A couple named Cloud Mender and Willy Whisps? They’re out of Baltimare.”
“Oh, that’s good, and makes sense since she’s claiming she remembers me. I’ll have to talk to them as soon as I can. Not today though. I don’t really have enough magic to just jump back and forth across the country whenever I please like I’m a princess. But didn’t you say they were missing a thirteen year old foal?”
“Yes, and when I talked to them, they assured me that, despite her size, she is thirteen. It was strange.”
“It sounds strange, and isn’t at all what she told us,” Ivory Spark agreed. “What did they say her name was?”
“I don’t know. It’s spelled weirdly, like a griffon name. Something like Em-I-lie? It’s spelled E-M-I-L-Y.”
“Huh? Oh! Emily! Not Ama Lee! That makes a lot more sense! Things are lining up now! If I could get them out here, that would be best, or if I could bring Emily to Baltimare, but I don’t have either the magic or technical skill to teleport anypony other than myself.”
“They said they could get out here within a few days, and are leaving now to get here. They don’t have any idea how she got all the way to Ponyville though. As far as they were concerned, she woke up with them and ate breakfast the day before yesterday, and left for school that morning but never came home.”
“And she said it was a unicorn who teleported her here… seems like I’ll have a lot of work to do these next few days,” Ivory Spark commented, stretching her limbs. “If they’re headed over here already, then I guess I can’t be out there tomorrow. Maybe it’ll be best if I wait here for them and then travel back with them to Baltimare when they head back.”
“I think that’s the best, too. I also want to talk to her parents to see if any of what Ama Lee– err, Emily– is telling us they do is true.”
“Of course, and I’d never let her be released to them right away. This isn’t something that’s just gonna be open and shut. There’s a lot to talk about, both with her and with them.”
“I wonder if something more is going on with her.”
Ivory Spark let that thought hang there as she made her way over to the filly, who smiled and waved at her before turning her attention back to the caretaker mare.
“And then we painted houses all week, and after that, we went mountain climbing. It was the best!”
“Well that sounds like a very fun time, I must admit,” she smiled. “I wish I had that kind of fun. But it looks like Doctor Spark wants to talk to you right now, and I don’t want to steal you away from her.”
“Hi Doctor Spark!” the filly said enthusiastically, turning her way expectantly. “I didn’t think you’d still be here! Shouldn’t you get back to Baltimare?”
“Eventually I will, but you’re just such a special little filly that I thought I would stay for a while and talk to you. Is that okay?”
“Mhm,” she nodded. “I just thought you talked to me as much as you wanted to, but you can talk to me more if you want.”
She took a seat next to her and asked, “I don’t remember if I asked you yesterday, but how old are you?”
“Um, old. Very old. Like, the oldest thing in the whole universe. Either that, or six, or twelve or something. I don’t really know how old I’m supposed to be.”
“Well, how old do you think you are?”
“Here? Uh, I would imagine seven or eight? But I guess I can’t really know until someone tells me.”
Ivory Spark nodded at her words. Was she trying to avoid answering, or did she really not know?
“Hmmm, do you think maybe you’re older than that? Like twelve or thirteen maybe?”
“I mean, I guess I could be, but I think I’m way too small to be that old, right?” Ivory Spark only hesitated for a second, but a second was enough of a pause for Emily to realize her answer.
“I am thirteen?” she asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “Huh, that’s weird. I imagined I’d be way younger. I don’t look anywhere near thirteen years old. How did you figure that out?”
“Well, we talked to a couple of ponies who said they have a lost filly they’re looking for,” the mare started. “They said she has a brown coat, and a dark brown mane with brown eyes, and that her name is Emily. Does that sound like somepony you know?”
The unicorn smiled, trying to be light with her, but the filly clearly didn’t like hearing what she said. Her face was downcast, now showing a little bit of a scowl at the news.
“You already found who my parents are supposed to be?” she asked. “It’s only been two days! I haven’t been here for that long! Gosh dangit.”
“What’s wrong with finding your parents?”
“Nothing, it’s just– ugh, nothing.” She crossed her arms and pouted, seeming genuinely upset. “I just thought this would last longer is all. I thought this would last forever, and then– ugh.” She looked like she was a step away from crying.
“You thought what would last longer? Being in Ponyville? I’m sure if you ask, your guardians would let you visit–”
“No, it’s not that. It’s nothing.” She let out a long breath, finishing, “I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. Just forget everything I told you before.”