//------------------------------//
// Friends Forever V: Promises To Keep 
// Story: Friends Forever 
// by Snow 
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	Speed, hooves pounding on a racetrack, or darting nimbly through trees, with crowds of cheering fans at every turn; dreams of soaring through the air, or riding down a frozen slope on a sled. These were the kinds of things that Twilight had come to expect after seeing the similarities in Honey Apple and Silver Chalice to their respective counterparts... What surrounded her, however, was...

In a word, tranquil.  The sound of waves cresting time and again against a sandy shore drifted through the air, and in time with each soft roar of sea-foam, the sound of calm weak creaking could be heard, like the sound of an old rocking chair. She didn't have to look far to spy the source, either. There, inside of a large, spacious parlor filled with soft greens and blues offset with occasional bursts of yellow or orange, was the new bearer of Loyalty, sitting beside a cradle containing three sleeping foals, all the same age by the looks of it. She was rocking it in time with the sound of waves with the tip of her nose, and had yet to notice the purple Alicorn.

Taking a moment more to look around Twilight saw light streaming in from over the ocean, the sun turning the waves a sea of gold, accented with blue bordering on black, a view granted by a large bay window facing south, so that dawn or dusk, the sea to the south and west would be lit in a way that bordered on magical for the family that lived there to behold. As for the parlor itself, toys were strewn here and there out of the way on the wooden floor, blocks, dolls a few story books, mostly things for small foals. The furniture was simple, two chairs and a sofa, all of which looked well used and cushioned, but kept clean and pleasant, with a low coffee table nearest the chairs, all of which was arranged in a corner atop a sea green area rug to open up the rest of the floor for play and walking space. On one wall was a fireplace, complete with mantle, with several photographs of the family, including a somewhat round mare and tall stallion, the mother and father presumably.

"Oh, good evening, Highness." The voice came quietly, accented just slightly of Trottingham, and it took Twilight a long moment to realize that the azure mare was looking at her while still rocking the crib. Her eyes were the sharpest gold she had ever seen, and instantly reminded her of the sun gleaming outside. "I had thought I was dreaming, and I suppose now I know for certain." The mare continued rocking the cradle despite this. However, she did begin using her hoof rather than muzzle.

Twilight stood somewhat dumbfounded for a long moment, and the look on her face caused her host to laugh, albeit quietly in respect to the sleeping triplets. 

"Err- Good evening... I... apologize if I'm interrupting..." Still off balance, Twilight was unsure of how to proceed, and so she fell back on cautious politeness for the time being.

"Not at all, Highness. I admit I'm surprised to see you, however. It's been... Years I believe, since I've dreamed of you. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Another adventure across the waves or perhaps you've come again to whisk me away on a life of adventure before I wake?" The mare's voice wasn't bitter, though it was not far. Instead, that azure mare sounded sad, and perhaps a little hurt.

"Oh dear..." This wasn't going at all like she had anticipated, and it seemed to her as though every time she thought of something to say it slipped from her grasp.  "I'm... afraid not as such, no. In fact I'm afraid this is our first meeting..."

A brow quirked over one of those golden eyes in curiosity, but the mare it belonged to shrugged after a moment. "I see, so it's going to be one of those dreams, very well." She finally stopped rocking the crib and leaned down to nuzzle each of the sleeping foals within, receiving a little squeaking yawn from the middle one. That done, she knelt with a practiced motion, head low to the ground. "Princess Twilight, my name is Morning Waves. Won't you please take me away to a land across the sea where dreams come true and every day is spent filled with fun?" The words had an oddly practiced feel to them, and once again bore a tone that was just shy of bitter.

'Oh my...' thought Twilight beginning to realize what she had gotten herself into, 

"Morning Waves... I'm sorry." It was all she could think to say at first, "I-"

"For what? Leaving me to grow up staring out that window and waiting for you? Stringing me along with dream after dream, promise after promise of something better?!" The room around the two of them darkened, thunder rumbling out above the sea, matching the fierceness in her voice. It seemed that this was a pony with old wounds and, and pain in her heart, "You're sorry for letting me wake up to the same old room in the same old  life with nothing to look forward to but another day of- of..."

Tears poured from those golden eyes, staring at Twilight in accusation, rage, and pain. The room went dark, lit by lightning and the light all but snuffed as a storm raged outside and the intensity of the mare's reaction staggered the Alicorn, who was left breathless. Morning Waves, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to choke out another accusation while holding back a sob when a scared cry stopped them both. The center foal, bright pink filly with a short yellow mane was awake, and hiding her muzzle under her blanket, watching the two and shivering.

With a deep breath, Morning Waves turned from Twilight, and leaned over the crib once again, nuzzling the small filly's forehead and murmured to her, the sound of the storm outside calming noticeably. "It's alright Coral, big sister's here. It's alright. Go back to sleep."  Her voice was once again soft and reminded Twilight of Fluttershy tending to a sick animal. The crib began to creak again as Morning Waves rocked it with a hoof, mastering herself before turning back to Twilight.

"Look, you’re just a dream, and I've woken up crying enough because of you. If I try, I can make you disappear and enjoy the rest of my evening." Those sharp, golden-orange eyes closed, and Twilight could feel the dream world around her attempting to reject her as though she were nothing but a figment of this mare's imagination. It was a fair tug too; it seemed Morning Waves was a strong dreamer. Still, between the magic from Luna and Twilight's own determination to see this through, she stayed precisely where she was, for all appearances unphased by the sleeping mare trying to push her away.

In fact, the azure pony opened her eyes fully expecting an otherwise empty room, and seeing the concerned-looking purple mare still before her rendered her gast pretty well flabbered. She stood mouth somewhat agape in surprise. "What the hayseed?"

"...I apologize for wearing out my welcome, but I needed to speak with you, if you'd be willing to. You are dreaming, but not of me. If you truly wish me gone, however, I will leave, and this will be nothing but another dream." Twilight spoke softly, matching that fiery gaze with her own lavender eyes. Truthfully, she was sorry for imposing on her like this, and perhaps irrationally, lamented any harm she brought on this pony even if she had no hoof in it.

With a heavy sigh, Morning Waves sat upon a chair which was not there a moment before, still absentmindedly rocking the cradle with one hoof. "What's the difference? Either you're just a particularly stubborn dream or for some reason you're actually here and I’ve just made a foal of myself. Regardless of which is the truth, I'm too tired to care. Talk if you must, I have nothing better to do while you're here and I doubt I could wake if I tried." She sounded defeated and, true to her word, tireder than anything else.

"Well then..." Twilight began, walking tentatively forward, and sitting upon the floor in front of the smaller mare. "Why don't we begin by talking about you? Believe what you will about me, I've never intended to cause pain like this on anypony. “A snort interrupted her for a moment, but she continued on, "So.. I guess first I'd have to ask why you hate me, so."

That gave Morning Waves pause, and she began her answer with a sigh. "I don't hate you, Princess, and I know in my heart you wouldn't deserve such a thing if I did. No, Highness, I don't hate you, but you have hurt me, whether you meant to or not.

"When I was little, maybe their age," Morning Waves nodded to the three sleeping foals before continuing, "Mother used to sit with me in that window in the evenings when she got home. She would tell me stories about tiny ponies with butterfly wings that played in forests and a secret world of ponies with flippers for back hooves beneath the waves. Always these fantastic tales when the sun was going down, turning that ocean gold.

"Now, don't get me wrong I've never had a bad life, my mother and father have always taken good care of me, and my little brother and sisters, but when you're told all these wonderful stories about things you've never even imagined, you can't help but want to live them, or at least I couldn't.  Well, one day in preschool, we were learning about the Sisters- You, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia- and how Luna rose the moon and the stars, and Celestia raised the sun, and how you painted the sky to celebrate the coming of both, and keep the magic of the day alive.

"Well, as you can imagine, in my heart I associated you with these ponytales mother had taught me in the hours of twilight, and so in my dreams, you would come and take me away from my life of school and routine, with promises of wonders and always new games. I dreamed, and I waited, because I thought if I wished hard enough, one day you'd arrive.

"Time passed, and I got tired of waiting, so I worked extra hard for a whole month doing my chores, and I saved my allowance till I could afford to send a letter to you. Well, I couldn't just ask you to come whisk me away, what if somepony read it? Instead, I wrote, 

'Dear Princess Twilight,

I have a special dream that I want more than anything to come true, and I would do anything in the world to see it happen. Please, tell me how I can make my dreams come true?

Your Faithful Subject,
Morning Waves'"

The azure mare closed her eyes, tears having begun to well within her eyes once again, and by the time she had finished reciting her letter from heart, she needed a moment to collect herself. Twilight, for her part, was shocked. Now that she mentioned it, she remembered that letter. She remembered telling her-

"You... You wrote back the very next day. My heart felt like it was going to burst before I opened the scroll. I waited until the sun was going down, I wanted it to be perfect.." Morning Waves continued, her eyes closed, and Twilight's own heart was sinking.

"I waited till the sea was gold when I opened your letter. It said 

'Dear Morning Waves,

Having a special dream in your heart is a wonderful and important thing, and I promise you, if you stay true to your dreams and to yourself, and always be the best pony you can be, it will come true. Never give up!

Best wishes,
Princess Twilight.'

"It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I had thought that you somehow knew what I meant, that this was your way of saying if I was good enough and was patient, one day you'd come, and one day all those foalhood dreams would come true. After all, I had your promise" The word was spoken as though it were a snake, coiled to strike.

Twilight was searching for something, anything she could say when the mare  in front of her opened those golden-orange fiery eyes, and once again found herself without words.

"Well Princess, I waited. I waited, and hoped, and I was such a model pony that ponies I'd helped showed up and brought toys, storybooks, bits, and my parents always asked why. I didn't accept any of it, I didn't feel I needed any of it, and I always told my parents I was keeping my end of a promise. I grew older, still no cutie-mark by the time I was thirteen, and still doing the best I could.

"By then, I was having nightmares from time to time that you came, and told me I wasn't good enough, and left without me. Other times, I'd dream you finally came, just like you promised, and took me over the sea in a chariot towards the sunset, and just before we arrived, I would wake up. I lost hope Highness in everything, one by one. I still helped, I still did the best I could, but out of habit, out of expectation. Then, one day, mother came home and announced she was pregant.

"That's when it finally clicked, I guess. You weren't coming, and your promise was empty." The azure mare's voice was flat but her eyes seemed to be trying to bore into Twilight's soul, and she felt as though they were doing a fair job.

"Well, I swore from then on that I'd never do that to anypony else. I would never break my word like you did, and when my mother had triplets, one colt and two fillies, I promised my parents I would watch over them always. I promised my little sisters and brother from the moment they opened their eyes that I would take care of them.  I got my cutiemark that day."

The azure mare stood and showed her flank properly, and Twilight couldn't help but look. It was a single purple ribbon, tied in a bow. Simple, highly symbolic, and had she not heard what she had, the purple mare likely wouldn't have understood its significance.

"On the upside, I now have one brother and two sisters I love with all of my heart, I've made some friends now that I'm not constantly pining for a dream that will never come true, and overall, I think I've managed to be happy. Is that what you wanted to talk about?" Story told, Morning Waves visibly deflated, and it was obvious to Twilight that the mare had likely told no one of what was gnawing at her.

Words came slowly to the Alicorn. She had never imagined that such a simple encouragement might have caused so much pain. Or perhaps she had simply grown disconnected from her subjects as time passed.

"Morning Waves..." Twilight began, pausing a moment when the mare before her flinched, "If I had known what you were asking, if I had known what it meant to you I would have..." What? Whisked her away from her family? Made dreams a reality somehow, regardless of the consequences with her not in-substantial magic? What could she possibly say to this mare? "...I would have chosen my words more carefully, and have paid you a visit long before now. However...."

Morning Waves was watching Twilight tiredly, sadness in her eyes. Her silence seemed almost as cutting as her words.

"However... Even I cannot change the past. I can only apologize for my errors, and causing you pain. Will you accept my apology, and take my friendship in exchange?" Twilight lowered herself first to Morning Waves' height, and then bowered her head low, closing her eyes.

"I... I want to be mad at you. I want to tell you to get out for the spiteful relief I would feel in my gut. I want to make you feel the same pain of rejection I did..." The mare in front of Twilight spoke slowly and carefully, and with her eyes closed she could only guess at what was coming next, her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach. "I want to... But that wouldn't be fair to myself, or to you." She felt a hoof on her shoulder. "I forgive you, and I'm sorry too."

When Twilight opened her eyes, Morning Waves sat before her, smiling a small, somewhat tearful smile down at her, and for a brief moment, the purple Alicorn gained a flash of insight into some inkling of her eldest sister's feelings upon the return of Luna. So, taking a leaf from Celestia's book, Morning Waves found herself being wing neck-hugged, and was even more surprised to find herself returning it.

"So... I'm fairly sure you aren't a dream, but I'm also confident you knew nothing of all this when you came to 'visit', so what's the real reason for coming?" The words brought Twilight out of a momentary reverie, and she was relieved to hear only curiosity rather than accusation or more pain.

"Well Morning Waves, a long time ago, before I was even a Princess, I had a very dear friend, named Rainbow Dash--" She began, only to be cut off mid-sentence.

"Wait, Rainbow Dash? As in the Rainbow Dash? The one Sea Foam-" A nod toward the colt on the far right of the crib, light blue with a green mane, "-can't hear enough about?"

That made Twilight smile for a plethora of reasons, "The very same. She was one of my best friends, and I miss her very much. Well, I learned that she- and  five of my other dearest friends- shared a connection with five equally special ponies, through a kind of magic called the Elements of Harmony. Each one represented a special quality of friendship. Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, and Loyalty. Rainbow Dash, and you, share the Element of Loyalty."

"So..." Morning Waves began, trying to fathom what that meant. "I have this special magic or something that Rainbow Dash had? Or like, I'm her greatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreatgreat grand daughter or something?" Her voice was flat and somewhat disbelieving. 

"Well,  in a way I suppose, as far as the magic goes, but what I mean is, you're both bearers of the Element of Loyalty, and that means the two of you are connected. The truth is, I miss my friends very much, and through this connection I could see my friends again, possibly even have them back..." The Alicorn felt somewhat nervous as she trailed off.  While on one hoof, she was being as honest as she knew how, and she was confident none of the ponies were being made to do anything they didn't want to, saying it like that made it seem... 

"Alright, so let me get this straight..." Morning Waves' voice broke Twilight's train of thought, "You want to use this special connection to see your friend again right? OK I can understand that, but what do you mean 'get them back?  Where would that leave me?  Are you talking about something of the sort of bringing her back to life...?! Or....?"

The question was more than reasonable, but Twilight, for all her experience and magical knowledge, still didn't really know what the answer was. "Well...  The way it's been explained to me what could happen ranges from not a thing, to you more or less becoming the new Rainbow Dash- but don't worry,  you don't have to do anything you don't want to, and the Elements of Harmony are a force of good, they wouldn't do anything to you to harm you." She hoped it was a good enough answer, and though if Morning Waves refused she'd accept the answer, she truly, in her heart of hearts, hoped that the other mare would accept.

"Wait, so you are coming back into- err, well coming into my life, anyway, asking for my friendship, and then immediately wanting a favor like that?" The azure mare sighed a deep breath, closing her eyes. "So basically what you're saying is, if I wanted to, I could give up... well, give up being me, my old life, and become this... This... Nearly-mythical pony, fastest ever and go on adventures with you and who knows what. Princess, you, or somepony out there, has a very cruel sense of humor."

The words broke Twilight's heart, and it showed. She visibly sagged just enough to be noticeable before masking it behind a neutral expression. The mare opposite her continued speaking, for that moment not reacting.

"If you had come to me with this offer five years ago, I would have taken it without question. Four years ago, I'd still be seriously tempted. But now...?" Morning Waves looked from Twilight, to the three siblings still asleep in the crib. "Princess.... Twilight. I can't give up being me, I can't leave my friends, my family. I can't leave them for all the fun, for all the adventures, for all the magical experiences in the world...."

The words fell on Twilight's heart like a hammer nails in the lid of a coffin, but at the same time, she understood. Loyalty. Loyalty to ones friends, to their family, and to themselves, even when faced with the offer for everything they ever wanted. If Morning Waves had accepted, she wouldn't have deserved--

"...But." Once again, Twilight's train of thought found itself derailed, and her heart again leaped into her throat. But...? "I'd like to help you see your friend again.... And... You said a lot of things could happen right? It... Wouldn't hurt to just talk-- But I'm not agreeing to anything yet, understand?"

There's no feeling quite like falling into the jaws of despair only to be snatched aloft by a faint butterfly of hope before they snap shut, and it was that feeling that Twilight found fluttering through her belly. If nothing else, she'd see Dash again, and that was more than she thought she could expect only a few moments ago.

It was with a nod and grateful smile that Twilight reached within herself once again, touching that special place in her heart where her friends dwelt, and as before, her crown lit, light gathering in its heart before shining out to coalesce around Morning Wave's throat in that familiar necklace bearing a lightning bolt. What happened next made both ponies jump.

"oooooooOOOOH YEAH!" That was all the warning either of them received before, chased by a rainbow of light, Rainbow Dash made her entrance in her old manner; by crashing in through a window and ending up in a pile atop Twilight, leaving a very surprised Morning Waves looking over at aftermath of a supersonic glomp.

"Hey Twilight! Miss me? Of course you did! I'm the one. The only. RAINBOW DASH!"  The cyan mare managed to extricate herself, and pose, wings spread, looking proud of herself, before blinking a few times, and actually looking around, especially at Morning Waves, and the crib beside her. "Ummm. Did I miss something?"

Dash looked... Not entirely how Twilight was expecting (once her vision cleared). She was older, about the age she finally managed to get into the Wonderbolts, for one, with a somewhat longer, shoulder-length mane, worn straight.  Come to think of it, wasn't Pinkie usually telling her she'd look good with...?

"Uhhh Twilight, Equestria to Twilight?"  Rainbow stepped curiously closer to the still sprawled Alicorn, only to be summarily glomped in a hug. "OK! OK! I get it! You missed me! Uncle!" 

Twilight kept hugging her friend for another long moment before looking over to Morning Waves, who was at that moment calming the foals in the crib again. "Morning Waves, meet Rainbow Dash-"

"Fastest flyer in all of Equestria-" Dash herself interjected.

"...Fastest flyer in all of Equestria." Twilight added with amusement, "Rainbow Dash, meet Morning Waves, the new Element of Loyalty."

Morning Waves took another moment to make sure the foals were alright and calmed down before looking to Dash and holding out a hoof somewhat hesitantly. "Hello...?"

Rainbow grinned and gave Morning's hoof a shake, then looked her over. "Well, you definitely aren't what I was expecting but at least they found a better replacement than Spike!"

That sent Twilight and Dash both into a fit of giggles, leaving Morning Waves looking rather confused for a long moment before she ventured again, "Alright so...You're here. What now?"

That brought the two reunited friends back to the moment, and Twilight looked to the cyan Pegasus to answer and, perhaps demonstrating just how much Dash had grown over her life, actually picked up on it.

"Right! Well how would YOU like to be the new Rainbow Dash? We could fit you up with a nice pair of wings- Twilight you can do that right?" "-Uh-" "Great! With your colors you could be like, fifty percent cooler with a big pair of wings with black-tipped pinions and- ooh! Maybe gold flecks! Yeah that'd look awesome when we're flying over and-"

"Excuse me...!" Morning Waves interrupted, holding a hoof up to interrupt the excitable Pegasus. "I don't know about wings, but I'm not becoming the new anypony! Like I told the Princess, I'd help her see her friend again, and we'd talk about what came next! I'm not going to abandon my friends and family for anypony, not her Highness, and not you."

Rainbow's face turned from surprise at being interrupted, to confusion, then indignation. "What?! This is the opportunity of a lifetime! I mean with some training your name could TOTALLY go down right beside mine! I bet I could get you up to Rainboom speeds in a year, maybe two! And your family and friends-?!"

"Rainbow...!"  Twilight began, watching the ire grow in Morning Wave's eyes.

"Yeah yeah Twilight just a sec." Rainbow waved a hoof at the purple Alicorn, her magenta eyes never leaving Morning Waves. "Your friends would have me! And besides, with all the bits and fame we'd have, we could get them anything they ever wanted! I mean hay, do you know how much I made in the Wonderbolts, much less giving lessons after?!"

Morning Waves sat perfectly still, but her golden orange eyes looked for all the world like gates into the fiery heart of the sun itself, and even Rainbow stuttered as she began talking again, and trailed off. "Miss Dash, I don't care who you THINK you are, but I will not break my promises for some pompous, arrogant, full-of-herself MUSCLEHEADED pony like you..." Her voice was crisp, hard, and angry.

Dash sat there completely stunned the whole while, and blinked repeatedly at the mare while Twilight hid her face behind her hoof. 'What has gotten INTO her?' she thought.

Then, Rainbow's face turned up in a smile, her eyes softening and she nodded, the next word out of her mouth stealing the fire from Morning Waves' eyes: "Good."

Both Twilight and Morning looked at Dash, then each other, then back. "What?" They spoke in unison.

"I said good! I don't like ponies who'd give up their friends, much less family, for something like fame or money. In fact, I don't even like the kind of pony I was, once. Humility and empathy are almost as important as loyalty to those you care about, and keeping your promises." Rainbow's eyes sparkled, and Twilight let out a sigh of relief. Morning Waves was still speechless.

"What happens next is up to you, Wavie. I can go back to watching and next time a new Loyalty pops up, we can see what happens. After all I'm not going anywhere and neither is Twilight, or we could work something out where everypony's happy. S'up to you." Rainbow's voice was calmer and had lost a fair portion of the brash tone. It sounded to Twilight like it did in her later years, after retiring from the Wonderbolts and settling down. In fact, it was almost matronly.

"I... err... Uh... Guess...?" Morning Waves looked to Dash, then Twilight respectively, still off her even footing.

"Great! Twilight, Pinkie and Rarity are still waiting for you. We kinda figured what happened after AJ and 'Shy vanished a second after their necklaces popped up, more or less, and Wavie here and I have things to talk about." Dash smiled to Twilight, and started to turn back before a purple hoof found its way to her shoulder.

"Rainbow, it's really wonderful to see you again. Before I go... Before whatever happens, happens... I kept my promise, right? I did the best I could." All this talk of promises, especially Morning's accusation of breaking hers had Twilight rattled, and it showed. Her face was worried, and it was on her voice as well.

The question seemed to stun Rainbow, who blinked again in surprise, before she grinned an honest and full grin. "Twi, you did everything I asked for and more to boot. We're all grateful. In fact, Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack wouldn't stop talking about it. Now, go on. Watching you snooze beside these ponies was getting dull when I got here."

Tears in her lavender eyes, Twilight stood and gave Rainbow another hug, and even one to Morning Waves, though the latter wasn't sure how to respond, before turning, and lighting her horn, breaking her connection to the dreaming spell.





The smell of hot tea and daisy sandwiches met Twilight's nose as she opened her eyes, a tray sitting in front of her featuring a steaming mug of peppermint and a sandwich cut in half. Luna was nearby as well, looking up from one of the last of her scrolls as the purple Alicorn stirred.

They sat quietly for a moment, the middle sister giving Twilight time to sort her thoughts, and eat.

"So, how did it go?" Luna finally asked after Twilight had finished half her sandwich, and was working on her second mug of tea.

"...Luna, even a thousand years isn't long enough to learn all of life's lessons, and every now and then I'm reminded of how little I really know." Twilight looked to her sister, a somewhat shaky smile on her face. "It... went well. I do have a question though."

"Oh?" One of Luna's brows was quirked, and she took a sip of her own mug of tea, a blend of lemon and orange.

"Which of--" Twilight was cut off by a dull flash of the Loyalty necklace appearing around Morning Wave's throat, and the sight made her smile, pausing for a long moment, then resumed her thought as she looked upon the remaining ponies. "Which of these two is the new Generosity?"

"Her." Luna directed her muzzle toward the younger of the two, a Pegasus filly older than Honey Apple by a year, perhaps two. She was a small thing, thin, with a soft, nearly white, yellow coat, and a mane of aquamarine. "Her name is Sun Dew. We found her in an orphanage in Old Manehatten. We.... thought it was best to put her under before we left since... We didn't want to give the wrong impression." The Night Princess gave Twilight a helpless look, then looked somewhat sadly to the sleeping filly.

Twilight on the other hoof felt her heart, already soft from the emotional roller coaster she had just ridden, break clear in two as she looked at Sun Dew, curled up with her head resting on a wing. ".. An orphan...? The new bearer of the Element of Generosity is an orphan?"

"It... looks that way, Twilight. Medicine's advanced, as has healing magic, but sometimes there are still complications. Her mother passed away shortly after she was born, and she has no registered father, or living relatives." Luna sighed softly and sealed the scroll before her. "The matron at the orphanage said she's the sweetest child she's ever met, but she doesn't talk much..."

Twilight continued watching the filly sleep, almost afraid of the dreams she might be having, and her heart continued to break. There's a reason the Royalty tended to distance themselves from their subjects, even if they didn't try. Eternity was a long time to bear emotional scars, and trying to heal the world all at once was too much even for them. Still, her mind was made up then, and there.

"Luna, while I'm asleep, could you please get the adoption papers ready? No matter what happens, I'm not letting her go back to that orphanage unless she wants to." Her voice was a whisper, and Luna quirked a brow, only marginally surprised, before giving a nod, possibly of approval.

"Of course, sister.  I'll see about a room for her as well."

'We live in such a peaceful land, and between my sisters and I, we keep it that way, but maybe a guiding hoof isn't enough. I'm going to talk to Tia about Sun Dew tomorrow...'  Her decision made, and aching heart mollified for the moment, she settled her cushion down beside the small sleeping pony, and closed her eyes. Shortly after, she felt Luna's magic carrying her away.

TO BE CONTINUED IN: Part 6 – Meaningful Gifts.