//------------------------------// // Chapter one: Lost child // Story: Interchanged destinies // by I had no idea //------------------------------// To Her Majesty, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Your presence is required in Canterlot General Hospital, on the 5th of this month, at 13 o' clock. Pardon my bluntness, but I can not enclose any further details. Your family had already been informed, and asked consequently to be present also. I cannot press how important this is. Yours sincerely, Health Care Head nurse of Canterlot General Twilight was standing in front of the large white building, her birthplace, and since she received the letter last Tuesday, a place of dreadful curiousity. Her mother, Velvet, placed a hoof on her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, my little princess. We're here, there is nothing you need to fear." Indeed, the pale unicorn was right. Nothing could give greater comfort to Twilight right now than her family; her mother, Twilight Velvet, her father, Night Light, and last, but not least, her BBBFF, Shining Armor. She drew reassurance from their presence; suddenly, anything that might have been waiting for her seemed much less scary. Deciding to stop stalling, she stepped into the hospital. What followed was an uncharacteristical silence. The visiting ponies, the hospital staff, even the patients able to move stared at her. Not that it surprised Twilight; her new status as a princess came with ponies suspecting government interests behind her every action, pondering what connection might Equestria's politics have with this feeble hospital. Twilight knew that not mentioning that she is here because of a private issue would leave the ponies guessing, but most importantly, thinking that the princesses oversaw even the most mundane tasks. Twilight smiled. She only became a princess a month ago, yet she grasped many aspects of ruling in such a short time. The ponies' trust is hard to earn, but their curiousity is easily triggered. "Can I... help you, Your Highness?" the receptionist nurse asked, snapping the lavender alicorn out of her musings. "Yes, actually. I am looking for Head Nurse Health Care. We have an appointment." "Certainly, Your Majesty." the mare nodded. "She told me to lead anypony who asked for her to room 213. If you could please follow me..." The Sparkle family was led through the spacy reception hall, barraged by the curious eyes of all present ponies. They were quickly alleviated of that tension when they climbed the stairs; the first floor seemed abandoned compared to the liveliness downstairs. They followed the receptionist to a door labeled 'Meeting room: 213'. She opened the door, and gestured them to move in. "Health Care will be here soon, Your Highness. Please proceed inside to wait for her." "Thank you." The receptionist bowed as the lavender mare entered the room. "Just doing my job, Your Highness. I bid you farewell." She quickly trotted back towards the entrance, leaving the four ponies alone in the corridor. Well, almost alone. "Fancy meeting you here, Your Alicornness." a voice called playfully from inside. Twilight curiously peeked in... just to let her jaw drop in surprise. "Trixie?! What are you doing here?" "A simple 'hi' would have sufficed." she replied smugly. "To answer your question: I was called here by the head nurse to discuss some 'unethical treatment' that I 'suffered through' while I was a patient here. I don't remember them treating me in objectionable ways. Then again, I was only here once, so maybe I just don't have something to compare to." "Umm... what was it? Horn blisters?" Twilight asked politely. "Actually, kidney stones. They told me that my lifestyle caused them to pop up about ten years earlier than the usual patients who have them. Well, that's how I quit eating fast food." "All right, this conversation is clearly amusing to just listen to, but I don't intend to just stand around in the corridor. Comin' in!" The other three marched in, looking curiously at the azure mare. Velvet turned to her daughter. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" "S-sure. Mom, Dad, Shining, this is Trixie. She's an..." "Acquaitance." Trixie finished. "Pleased to meet you. I am, as you might know, THE GRRREEEAT, AND POWERFUL TRRRIIXXIIEEE!" "I am s-sorry, can't say I had the pleasure before." Velvet replied weakly, startled by the sudden outburst. "Think Twilight, think! What are you supposed to ask somepony who nearly destroyed the town twice?" "Uuuhm, how have you been since we last met?" she blurted out. "Well, after you freed me from the Amulet's control, I was contacted by the mayor of Ponyville. Apparently, they recovered some of my stuff that I... left behind after my first visit. So, after a brief community service in the public lavatories, she gave me back most of my stuff from my broken trailer. I certainly missed my cape." A polite cough could be heard from the door. Turning around, they saw a pink unicorn with gray mane and a pair of red hearts as a cutie mark. Satisfied that she got their attention, she closed the door, and moved behind a rather large, and sturdy desk. "Good afteroon, fillies and gentlecolts. I apologise for the secrecy of my actions, but you will see that what I am about to share with you simply cannot be transmitted through a letter. Please, take a seat, all of you." She paused until they complied, then she took out a parchment from one of the drawers. "Recently, one of our nurses has passed away. Her name was Brave Heart." Velvet and Night Light gasped in surprise. "The one who...?" Care nodded. "Yes. She was the one to help deliver birth to your daughter. However..." She paused, unfolding the scroll. "She also left her last will and testament as a testimony to a terrible sin she had committed on that day." "T-terrible sin? W-what might you mean?" Health Care raised the scroll further. "Every question you might have will be cleared up once I read this out loud. Please, listen well." _________________________________________________________________________________ I, Brave Heart, former nurse at the Canterlot General Hospital, swear that I am of sane mind, and every word of what I am about to confess is true. Many years ago, I worked at the maternity ward, helping out Doctor Gentle Hoof as his main assistant. We both took our shares of foalbirth, and considered each and every newborn a blessing. Because of that, every time a young one was born dead, we mourned just as much as the parents did, cursing our inability to save innocent foals. It was the same on that fateful day. There were an unusual amount of births that day; the doctor and I had our hooves full. That is when I had met them. A blue, calm stallion, and a pale purple mare, looking forward to all the joys of foalbirth. This was her second, so they weren't as worried as many couples. They were kind, and cooperated with me, as I had to lead her to a rather faraway room; the hospital was stacked full. As soon as I confirmed that she was comfortable in her bed, I set out to seek the doctor. I found him in the newborn's room, gently placing a filly into one of our small beds. I had the worst premonition. The newborn's room was only used if something went wrong; sick, hurt, and deceased foals were all brought here. I asked if the filly was hurt in any way. "No," he replied, "but I am afraid her mother has passed away." He let out a long, exasperated sigh. "She was a very brave mare. She had a terminal disease—we knew that foalbirth would likely cost her her life. Still, she opted to give birth to this foal, in favour of her own life. She also took care of adoption—the paper-pushers should be here in an hour. If I don't meet them, please have them sign the papers, and take the filly away. She needs attention, and we just don't have the staff for it right now." I nodded. "Of course, Doctor Hoof." He smiled relievedly at me. "Thank you. I am afraid I must go now to another patient. I trust you to take care of things." Before I knew it, he was gone. I hesitantly looked at the lone foal; she met my gaze with her magenta eyes. I immediately felt sorry for the poor thing. Losing your mother without even knowing her is a harsh, and unjust punishment. I shook my head. It was not my decision to put her up for adoption, but her mother's. She must've had her best interests in mind. "Nurse! Please! My wife...!" a nervous voice called out. I immediately left the room, and found myself face—to—face with the blue stallion. "My wife—she's gone into labour!" I ran back to the pale unicorn, noticing that her water indeed broke. I won't divulge the details here; let it be said that it was a long, and painful birth. Also, a very sad one. For when I held up the baby, she was of a weird purple colour; it might have fooled her parents, but not me. The filly was not purple, but originally blue, and all the blood tangled into her fur made her look a deep shade of magenta. My worries were further confirmed when she didn't cry out after traditionally slapping her flank. I held a dead foal in my magical grip. "Stay here!" I shouted, running out of the room, trying to spare them from the sight of my tears. For I knew, if I let them see me crying, they would realise their foal was dead. I blindly ran on, until I noticed I somehow stubled into the newborn's room. I gently placed the foal in one of the containers, pondering what to do. Considering she didn't cry out, and all the blood, I came to the conclusion that her lungs have bursted somehow. My reasoning at that time was hazy at best, and utterly confused at worst. The couple left such a sweet impression on me, that I couldn't bring myself to disappoint them. I just couldn't. I raised my teary eyes, and then something just clicked in my head. We had a couple with a dead foal. We also had a foal without parents. I realise I had absolutely no right to—but my mind was set. I picked up the orphan filly, and wrapped her into a blanket. When I entered the room, the couple looked at me nervously. I smiled at them, and levitated the foal to the mother. The relief could've been touched in the room. "I... there... Everything is fine now." I stammered, struggling to say the words. Looking at their happy faces, however, I knew I did the right thing. ________________________________________________________________________________ Silence loomed in the room. Finally, Twilight gathered the courage to speak up. "So... So I'm not their real daughter?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I'm afraid not. Not biologically, at least." Health Care replied sympathetically. Twilight broke out in tears, but her mother and father hugged her strongly. "No matter what happens, you'll be our little princess, Twilight." Velvet cooed. "The fact that we love you will not change." "T-thanks, Mom." the alicorn sniffed. Trixie fidgeted around her seat nervously. "Not that it wasn't a stunning story, Miss Care, but I think it would've been better if you didn't disclose the details to me. It feels... wrong to intrude into their private life so much." "Ah, but you see, Miss Lulamoon, there is but one slight problem with that. To understand what happened that day concerning you, you had to know what happened previously." The head nurse raised the scroll again, and continued reading. _________________________________________________________________________________ Soon after I delivered the foal to them, I excused myself, however. The mare insisted on giving me a small trinket—a single blue gem, encrusted in a light frame. The mare offered it to me as a gift, for helping their daughter in her hour of need. I nearly broke out in tears myself, but I couldn't refuse the trinket without causing suspicion. I stuffed it into the pocket of my coat, unable to say anything. To my great surprise, they left the hospital immediately. To my question, the receptionist explained that they have an expert friend in foalcare, who gladly offered her help to the couple. I was relieved, for if they left, they would never find out what I've done. And if I had only done that, this confession would have never seen the light of day. Alas, I hadn't. For I was drawn back to the newborn's room. I could only curse myself for my failure; a foal who has left the world of the living before even trying it. I looked at her bloody body, and felt the need to at least clean her wounds, to let her decaying form retain some dignity. I grabbed a towel, and gently rubbed her body, cleaning up the blood, and revealing her true, light blue colour. Then she moved. I was startled so much, I jumped back. The foal I believed dead has yawned, and opened her eyes. Her beautiful, magenta eyes. I realised at that instant that I had made a terrible mistake. The blood was not her blood, but her mother's, and the reason she didn't cry out... To be honest, I was utterly confused about that. The only explanation I can give—which I would like to believe in my better moments—is that she had so strong willpower at such a young age that she could shrug off her first encounter with pain. I believe that she is strong, for it helps me rationalise what I'd done to her. For I didn't return her to her parents. No. Instead, I just stared at her, until a voice called out behind me. "Miss Heart? I am here on behalf of the Better Life Orphanage. Where is the foal we are supposed to take?" I turned, and looked confusedly at the stallion. Had they not been notified? The foal— Of course he didn't know. I alone acted on a whim when I gave the orphan to the family, without consulting with anypony else first. No living soul knew of it. And I admit it, to my shame, I intended to keep it that way. I saw the hand of a god in these coincidences, and I firmly believed it was supposed to be this way. I gave the filly to him. That is right, I singlehoofedly decided to deny the poor filly the chance of a normal family, which she had in the first place. I also gave the trinket to the stallion, explaining that her mother wanted her to have it. The stallion nodded, and took the foal away—and with that, it was done. Nopony knew about it—except me. I realise this is a meager excuse, but I believe I have done the right thing. I also know it was a cowardly thing not to reveal this until now, but I was afraid. Yet, I cannot leave this world without confessing my single, most terrible crime. The crime of denying the truth: that the mother on that day, Twilight Velvet, did not bear Twilight Sparkle as her second foal; and that I smuggled out their true daughter, and put her in an orphanage. I hope the stars will have mercy on my soul. Signed: Brave Heart. _________________________________________________________________________________ Everypony stared at Health Care with disbelief. It was Trixie who broke the silence. "You can't be serious. You cannot be bucking serious." "I am afraid I am." "Well, you're wrong! I was born in April!" "You are mistaken, Miss Lulamoon. Your actual birth date, as listed in your birth certificate, is on the tenth of October." "This still doesn't mean anything!" the showmare argued. "Also, we took the liberty and compared the blood sample we took from you earlier to Mrs. Sparkle here. It is a match." She looked deeply into the azure unicorn's eyes. "I am glad to be able to introduce you to your real family, Miss Lu--, no, Miss Sparkle.." The only sound heard was the thump of two fainting ponies hitting the ground.