Starlight Glimmer finished her shift at the school of friendship. As the school’s guidance counsellor she had some days much busier than others. Today was thankfully a slower day so she and her marefriend Trixie Lulamoon headed into town.
“I’m just saying Starry that we’ve been together for a year now. I think we could totally look after a foal.”
“And I agree, but I’m not ready to try anything with you like that yet, even if there was a spell to make it possible I don’t know it.”
“Then let’s adopt.”
“Only orphanage I know of is in Canterlot, they’re building one here in Ponyville but It’ll take another few weeks for the finishing touches.”
In town they spotted a little pink filly trying to hold her ice cream with magic, only to have it fall onto the cold ground below and cause her to cry.
Starlight was beside her in a heartbeat.
“Hey, it’s ok little gal. I’ll get you another one, would you like me to hold it for you?”
The filly silently nodded, tears in her eyes. Trixie came over with another Ice cream cone and Starlight held it for the little filly to eat.
“Yummy, thank you miss.”
“Where are your parents? Surely they didn’t leave you here on your own.”
She frowned. “Oh, I don’t…I’m here. Just Fay.”
“Fay, that’s a beautiful name. But you’re here alone? So your parents left you alone?”
“I don’t know. Miss Silver never told me. She’s a meanie! I’m not good at talking, or reading. We didn’t have books in the oar-fan-agee”
“Orphanage? Oh that’s horrible. Well if you want. I could take you in. Would you like a proper roof over your head and real food?”
Fay’s eyes lit up.
“R-really? You want Fay? But nopony wants Fay, Miss Silver said so.”
“Well this Miss Silver is dead wrong. Because yes, I want Fay. And I’ll be happy to sign the papers some day soon to make it official. Did you come all the way from Canterlot?”
“Impressive. Trixie could never imagine a little filly like you making it all the way from there to here.” She smirked.
“Mhm, I got on the choo choo and it took me to here.”
Fay finished her Ice Cream and Starlight took her home. Starlight’s home was a modest little house in the town; she decided a while ago to move out of Twilight’s castle. Trixie stayed with her in their shared room and the house had a spare room with a single bed that Starlight knew she could decorate nicely for the little filly.
“So Fay, how old are you?”
“Uhh, what’s old?”
“You know, how many years have you lived?”
“I dunno.”
“Did you never have a birthday party? Or a birthday?”
“Miss Silver had a big paper thingy with my name on it and some numbers, but I didn’t read it, I can’t. Every day was the same.”
“So, to clarify. You lived in an orphanage so badly run that you escaped to Ponyville and now you’re telling me she never even told you your birthday? That is awful. I'm going to get Twilight to look into this place. But in the meantime. I guess we can get you some new toys to play with in the market. Maybe I can talk to Cheerilee about enrolling you in Ponyville Elementary. There’d be ponies your own age, all learning about fun things. And she could help you learn to read and write.”
“That sounds fun. What’s your name?”
“I’m Starlight Glimmer, but please. You can call me Starlight or Mommy, whatever you feel comfortable with.”
“My name is Trixie little gal, I’m Starlight’s marefriend so I guess I’m your mommy too. We’ll take good care of you I promise.”
“Hey, she even looks like me.” Starlight chuckled.
“Her mane is a little brighter and she doesn’t have your teal streaks. But yeah she’s a pink unicorn all right. Are you sure you haven't been sleeping around behind my back?” Trixie smirked.
“You’d have noticed if I was pregnant you goofball.”
Fay giggled. “You’re funny. I like my Funny Mommies.”
The two unicorns hugged the small filly together. She had a home and ponies who cared about her now. She smiled properly for the first time in her life and she was happy at last.
Fay finally had a proper home. That evening Starlight cooked all of them spaghetti and hay balls which Fay ate as if she’d never seen food before. Making quite a mess of her face and mane.
“Fay, you’re going to have to slow down and eat more carefully next time. Nobody’s going to take your food away from you. Now come on, we need to get you into a bath and ready for bed soon. We have an early start tomorrow if we’re going to show you Cheerilee’s school and introduce you to The Princess.”
“I don’t like baths, they’re all cold and wet.” Fay pouted.
Trixie smirked and leant in close to her. “Oh don’t worry little one, a real bath is warm and bubbly, you’ll feel very relaxed trust me. Your life will be so much better now I promise.”
Starlight took her up to the bathroom as Trixie washed up after dinner. She ran a warm bath and put in some bubble bath, she also brought out an old rubber ducky she used to play with as a filly. Fay reluctantly climbed into the bath and immediately relaxed in the warm soapy water.
“This is a real bath? It’s great!”
“Yep, this is a real bath Fay. Here, this is my old rubber ducky, you can have it now.”
Starlight gave her the duck and beamed at the little filly in the tub, Fay squeezed the duck and it quacked which made her giggle and do it again and again.
“Ok Fay that’s enough quacking, we need to get you cleaned up.”
Starlight took a washcloth and washed Fay all over before putting some shampoo into her mane and rubbing it in well. She let fay relax for a few more minutes before rinsing her mane and getting a towel for her. Fay was about to shake dry like a dog before Starlight stopped her with magic and wrapped a towel around her body and mane.
“You don’t need to shake yourself dry silly filly, these fluffy towels will dry you off in no time. I also know a nice heating spell if you’re still not totally dried. Now let’s dry you off and get you into your new bed. Well, it’s not new but it’s new to you I guess?” Starlight sheepishly chuckled.
Fay was soon dried off and into her bed with a yawn.
“Mommy, could you tell me a story?”
“A story? Sure. Let me think… I know the perfect one.”
Starlight sat down beside her bed.
“Once there was a unicorn, she was very smart and aced all her tests. She studied at a special school for talented ponies. But no matter how many ponies tried to be her friend she was too busy studying. One day her teacher sent her away to a new town, where she met some of the local ponies and made her first real friends. Just in time too because an evil nightmare monster was going to turn the world to night time forever. But this talented little unicorn and her friends banded together and braved all kinds of danger to reach the monster, with their friendship together they defeated the monster and found that she wasn’t a monster, but a pony, one lost and scared, sorry for what she had done. The unicorn stayed in the new town and made more friends, she even became an Alicorn once she had grown up enough and her friendship would change the lives of many ponies in the future, including another unicorn like her, full of talent but using it for the wrong things. That pony’s name? Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
Fay smiled wearily.
“She must be a really nice pony.”
“She was, and still is. You’ll get to meet her tomorrow.”
Fay quietly smiled “Yay.” Before yawning again and falling asleep.
Starlight gently kissed her forehead. “Goodnight filly. Sweet dreams.”
She went downstairs to the living room and saw Trixie flipping through the TV channels.
“Well, our new little filly is in bed fast asleep.”
Trixie smirked. “You know with her around we won’t have as much time for our usual brand of fun honey.”
Starlight rolled her eyes. “Is that all you think about? Perv. We don’t need to do that all the time anyway, and now we have something else to give us fulfilment and keep us closer together. A filly of our own to look after. Once we visit Twilight tomorrow I’m going to privately talk to her about investigating that orphanage. Too many times adults just ignored the cries of a child because they’re young. I’m not making that mistake.”
“As well you shouldn’t. If nothing comes up then no harm done, if something does come up then you can help shut it down and rehome the other kids. Maybe it’ll encourage them to speed up construction of the orphanage here in Ponyville.”
“Maybe, in the meantime. She’s sound asleep you know.” Starlight gave Trixie a sultry look before turning off the TV and shaking her flank as she climbed the stairs.
Trixie smirked back and followed her to bed. Later that night around 3 AM their door cracked open and Fay walked inside.
Starlight lit her horn gently and yawned. “Fay? Why are you up so early.”
Fay was trembling and her eyes were tearful.
“Can’t sleep, bad dream. Scared. Help.”
Starlight picked up the trembling pony with her magic and placed her under the covers between herself and Trixie before giving her a big hug.
“The bad dreams can’t hurt you, I won’t let them. Now let’s try and sleep ok my little filly?”
Fay nodded and stopped trembling, sleeping peacefully until the morning.