“Father, from where did you come?”
“I'm honestly surprised you haven't asked before now, truth be told!”
A adolescent Celestia looked enquiringly at a tall Alicorn sitting under a willow tree, a streak of amber magical energy flickered along the base of his mane and tail casting a shadow in front of him. Raising a hoof and tucking his mane behind his ears he looked to the ground and sighed.
“I was sent here, Celestia... By whom? Well that does not matter at all. Do I regret being sent here? Honestly, no... Do I miss whom I left behind?.. Well... I miss my friends and my family more than you can ever possibly imagine. One day, maybe you will meet them, I don’t know if I will ever see them again, I know though you would love them as I do. But, there are times when I wish that I could go back. To see them once more and just embrace them and be with them. To watch the sun rise and set and to enjoy each-others company. To argue about nothing in particular with a smile. To even just see their faces would sate my appetite...”
“So father. Why do you not visit them?”
“...That is something I would love to do, but my time here is much more important, can you imagine how life would be for ponies if the element of chaos and his lieutenants snuffed out our little insurrection?”
“Is that more important than your happiness father? There are others willing to lead.”
“My happiness resides here, with my daughters and my wife.”
“So father, where do they reside? I would love to go with you and meet with them”
“Come here Celestia”
“Of course father”
The young Celestia moved to the Alicorn, who wrapped his forelegs around her and embraced her tightly. The pair held each other for a few moments before the older Alicorn loosened his embrace slightly to allow his daughter do shift back. The pair looked to each others eyes.
“I love you, daughter”
“I love you too father”
“...I want you to tell you something... You could never do anything to make me angry... You and your sister give me a purpose in life that you could never possibly imagine...”
“How could he have no name Twilight?”
“I don't know 'Shy, the Princess was sure in her letter”
The Sun had been risen by Celestia a short while earlier and Spike, Twilight and a nervous looking Fluttershy carrying a sleeping foal curled on her back were walking along a beaten path to the forests edge.
“I cant just make a name up!”
“Why not?”
“Because...”
“You are his mother now Fluttershy, it is your responsibility to care for him. How can you care for him if he has no name? You cant just call him for supper by shouting 'thingy'”
Fluttershy looked to her back, to make sure the little pony was still secure more than anything else and visibly slumped, wings almost dropping to the ground as she walked.
“But I don't know how Twi”
“It's easssyyyy! All you have to do is pick something that describes him!”
“Brown Pony?” Spike suggested whilst looking up to the sleeping foal.
“NO!.... Well sort of no, that’s boring! And he has a bright mane and tail anyway!”
Fluttershy mumbled to her self unintelligibly.
“What, 'Shy?”
“Oh sorry, I was just talking to myself”
“About what?”
“Well... He isn't really just brown, he has a beautiful sorrel coat and flaxen mane”
“PERFECT! Sorrel! You said you were bad at this!”
“I don't know Twi...”
“What does he mean to you?”
“Well... I don't know. It feels strange having someone to look after...”
“But what about all your animal friends!”
“That's different”
“No it isn't!”
“I mean... It feels different... My animals are my friends Twilight, this pony is my colt and...”
Fluttershy bit her lip halting herself mid speech as the trio walked along in silence for a moment. Twilight flashed glances at the pegasus pony waiting for her to continue.
“And what 'Shy?”
“Well... I don't feel like I deserve him... Like he is too precious for me and I can't care for him like he needs.”
“And that, Fluttershy, is why you are the perfect mother for him, he is a gift. And I also think that you have the perfect name for him too”
“Huh?...but”
“No 'buts' 'Shy. The princess was right to give this gift to you... Sorrel Gift”
“You don't like Brown Pony?”
“Spike!”
“Sorry 'Twi”
“So, how about it 'Shy?”
“I think... I think I like it... 'Sorrel Gift'”
“Well I think Brown Pony was better, people will just end up calling him Soggy!”
“Spike!”
“Sorry 'Twi”
With a sigh from Spike and a smile from two mares they reached the edge of the forest, exiting a short walk from Fluttershy's cottage. The Sun was high in the sky bringing a warmth to the group that they had not felt since entering the forest the day before.
“umm, 'Twi?”
“Yes, Fluttershy?”
“Can you.. I mean if you don't mind, I hate to ask”
“You can ask me anything 'Shy!”
“Well... I want to spend some time with Sorrel... Just me and him... So I can get to know him better, I don't think he is really up to visitors at the minute anyway”
Twilight beamed a big smile to the pegasus pony by her side and nodded slightly, whilst from over the hill a pink pony approached.
"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHWHOISTHIS!.”
Pinkemina arrived beside the group a little too quickly for the group to react and raised a hoof to the sleeping foal on Fluttershy's back causing her to wince slightly.
“This is so exciting! I've never been so excited! Well, except for that time when I went.... NO, NOT EVEN THAT TIME! but I mean really, what can top this!? WEHAVETOTHROWAPARTYRIGHTNOW!"
Stirring to the tirade from the over excited pink flurry of activity the little foal opened his eyes to the sight of a giant pair of dilated blue eyes staring back at him.
“SQUEE!”
“Eeeep”
“Pinky!”
“I could just eat him up!”
Pinky bounced around the trio wearing a peculiar grin before Twilight stopped her, the little foal looked on with a hint of apprehension.
“Pinky.. I think we need to head to Ponyville, Fluttershy has some things she needs to do and we should let her get on”
“But”
“Pinky, come with me”
“BUT”
While Pinky and Twilight were occupying themselves Fluttershy moved away silently towards her cottage, bringing her wings to her back and surrounding the foal whose heart was beating a little to fast for her liking.
“Its Okay, Pinky is a friend, she is just.... different”
“Okay mommy”
The foal settled down and began to play with Fluttershy's mane as they continued on, patting it with his tiny hooves and rubbing his face in it, giggling to himself and raising a hint of a smile from his mother.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Where we going?”
“We are going home my handsome little stallion! I think you need something to eat and a nice rest, you can meet my friends later”