//------------------------------// // Chapter Four // Story: Heart of Diamonds // by APoeticHeart //------------------------------// As I wait for Connor to return from getting dressed, I trot into the laundry room to retrieve his letter, and levitate it with me to put in my saddlebags. I hope Twilight would know what to do when she reads this I think to myself as I levitate my saddlebags onto my back. I hear the door to my bathroom open, and at the top of the stairs appear the little colt in his new outfit. I give a bright smile, and I can’t help but blush a light pink. “Aw… Connor, you look very handsome darling,” I use my magic to carefully levitate him downstairs. I reach a hoof up to rub at his shoulder “Are they comfortable little one?” I look down at him with a warm smile. He looks up at me, and gives me a light nod “Yes Ma’am. Thank you,” he gives me a light smile, but lowers his head down to look at the floor. I frown as I look down at him, and I reach up to gently stroke at his mane. He lifts his head to look up at me, and I can see tears flowing down his cheeks. I look over to my make-up studio where a tissue box sits, and I levitate a tissue over to wipe away his tears. I give him a light smile as I lower my hoof from his mane, and down to rub at his back soothingly. I look down into his eyes “Sweetheart, what’s the matter?” Suddenly he wraps his little forelegs around my neck, and hugs me tightly, but he is so small that I don’t feel any pressure at all. I sit down on my haunches, and bring him in for a hug. I look down to see him lay his head against the warmth of my chest fur. I feel him start to shake with sobs against me, and my heart breaks, but I just continue to stroke up and down his back trying to comfort him. I close my eyes softly as I feel my tears threaten to escape, and I let out a deep sigh. I open them back up, and look down at the shuddering little colt “Connor darling, please look at me darling,” I speak to him with the softest voice possible. He tilts his head back to look up at me, and I give him a sad smile “That’s better. Now little one, is something wrong with your outfit?” I give him a warm smile. His tiny lips start to quiver, and he speaks between his sobs “No Ma’am.” I use the tissue to wipe at his tears some more, and he continues “It is just no one has ever been this nice to me before. Thank you Ms. Rarity for being nice to me,” he lays his head against the warmth of my chest fur once again. I stroke from the back of his mane down his back, and lay my cheek on top of his head. My heart breaks as he continues to shake against me. I feel like asking him about where he came from, but deep down, I know I can’t pressure the poor child to say anything. I will just wait until he is ready to talk. I continue to sit on my haunches, and hug him to me for a while longer until I can feel him calm his shaking. I rub along his back, and pat it as I look down at him “Do you feel better now sweetheart?” I give him a soft smile. He nods lightly “Yes Ma’am,” his soft tone is so adorable to listen to, yet at the same time it saddens me to know that such a precious little child has been hurt so badly. “Connor, let me tell you something. You don’t ever need to thank me for being nice to you. Do you understand darling?” He gives me a nod, and I stroke at his mane “Good.” I sit up on all fours, and levitate him on to my back “Now darling, let’s go see my friend Twilight.” I smile warmly as he wraps his forelegs around my neck. After leaving the boutique and head towards the Golden Oaks Library, I notice that a few ponies look over at me with stares of shock. I can feel Connor start to shake against me with nervousness, and I place a hoof on his small ones around my neck. I gently stroke at them to try and comfort him. I can hear him swallow deeply “Ms. Rarity, why are they staring at me for?” I frown at the fear in his voice when he asks, and I stop for a little bit. I turn my head to look at him “Don’t worry about them darling. They just never seen a pony as handsome, and as precious as you,” I give him a reassuring smile. He gives me a light smile in return. I continue to trot toward Twilight’s when I hear “Heya Rare, what’s happening?” I close my eyes, and let out a calm sigh, as I hear the voice of my friend, Rainbow Dash. I look up to see her hovering above me “Where are you heading?” I roll my eyes a bit, but I give her a sincere smile “I am just heading over Twilight’s.” I give her a curious look “And what might you be doing on this fine morning Rainbow darling?” She lowers down to the ground in front of me “Well, I was just doing my usual awesome tricks when I saw you.” She gives me a smirk, and then tilts her head to the side “Uh… Rare, what is that thing on your back?” She points at the little colt on my back, and trots over to my side eyeing Connor. I feel him start to tremble a bit under the stare of Rainbow, and I look at her “Now Rainbow, don’t scare the poor little thing.” I give her a stern look, and I turn to the small child “Connor, there is no need to be afraid. This is my friend Rainbow Dash,” I give him a warm smile, and motion at Rainbow with a hoof. He looks at me for reassurance, and I give him a light smile nodding. He looks up at Rainbow “Hi Ms. Rainbow,” he gives her a little smile. I see her quirk an eyebrow “Uh… hey there kid,” I see her rub at the back of her neck with a hoof. I motion her to come closer, and I whisper into her ear “I will explain when we get to Twilight’s.” She nods at me with understanding, and looks back at the little colt “It is great to meet you too little guy,” she lets out a soft chuckle, and reaches up to ruffle at his mane. “I’m off weather patrol today anyway, so I will join you two,” she gives us a smirk, and hovers up in the air as we continue onto the library. Upon arriving at the library I knock on the door, and I look back at Connor giving him a warm smile. The door opens to reveal my Spikey-Wikey, and I give him a soft smile. “Good morning Spike. How are you doing today?” I see the rich purple scales of his cheeks turn a rosy pink, and I can’t help but let out a soft giggle. “H-hey there Rarity, I am doing okay,” he looks at Rainbow Dash “Hey Rainbow.” He steps aside to let us in “Come in milady,” he turns his head, and looks upstairs “Twilight! Rarity and Rainbow Dash are here.” Rainbow Dash hovers in, and ruffles Spike’s head spines “Heya there dragon boy,” she lets out a chuckle as she hovers over to sit on the floor. I pat Spike on the head, and give in him a wink “Thank you my Spikey-Wikey,” he blushes a deeper red, and I trot over next to Rainbow. I feel Connor shaking harder on my back, and I turn my head “Darling, what’s wrong?” I see him bury his face in my neck, and point a hoof at Spike. Spike sees the small child pointing at him, and carefully walks over to us “Hey Rarity, what’s wrong with it?” He points a claw at Connor. I give Spike a disapproving look “Now Spike, don’t be calling this precious little colt an ‘it’.” I turn to Connor and nuzzle at his cheek gently “Sweetheart, there is no reason to be afraid. Spike is just a baby dragon. He isn’t a big and mean fire breathing dragon.” He turns his head, and looks at me with his little lips quivering. I carefully levitate him off my back, and onto the floor for him to stand. Spike reached out a claw toward Connor, and patted his shoulder. “Well hi there little guy. You don’t have to be afraid of me. I am a cool and nice dragon.” The little colt certainly was that, little. Spike being a small and short dragon he was stood above Connor by his chin. “Hi there Mr. Spike,” he gives Spike a little smile. Spike scratches the back of his head with a claw, and looks at me curiously. I simply wave a hoof to let him know not to worry about as I look to see Twilight descending the stairs. She gives us a bright smile “Hello girls. How are…” She stops herself when she spots the child, and trots up to him. “Well hello there little one, and who might you be?” She gives him a soft smile, but he backs up against me, and hugs my foreleg, burying his face into my fur. I feel him tremble against me, and I look at Twilight with a frown. I use my free foreleg to gently rub along his back, and look down at him. “Connor it’s okay precious, there is no reason to be afraid,” he looks up at me, and carefully turns his head to look up at Twilight. I let out a sigh of relief, and continue to rub at his back as he hugs my foreleg. “Darling, this is Twilight Sparkle. She is the friend I told you about us coming to visit,” I give him a reassuring smile when he looks up at me. Twilight looks at the child sadly, and very carefully trots closer. She lays down on all fours, so she won’t be threatening to him by standing at her full height. She reaches out a hoof, and holds one of his small ones in it “Well, hello there Connor. It is a pleasure to meet you,” she gives him a warm smile. He gives her a light smile in return “Hello Ms. Twilight,” he speaks in his usual soft tone, and Twilight looks up at me. I sigh calmly as I look down at him “Connor, how about you go find a nice book to read while me, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash talk, okay precious?” He looks up at me and nods. I turn to Spike “Spike dear, could you maybe help show Connor which is your favorite books?” Spike nodded “Of course milady,” he give me a smile, and very gently takes Connor’s hoof in his claw “C’mon buddy, I’ll show you some real cool books.” He carefully walks to the bookshelf as the little colt follows him. I motion for Rainbow and Twilight to trot over to the window with me so we can talk. Twilight is the first one to speak “Oh Rarity, he is so cute and very well-mannered.” She gives me a bright smile. “Yeah, he is pretty cool, but what is up with him calling us Miss for?” Rainbow gives me a curious look. I let out a deep sigh “First Twilight, do you think you could maybe find out what kind of creature Connor actually is?” Twilight nodded “Of course Rarity,” she gives me a soft smile, lights up her horn, and levitates a book over to us. It is entitled The World of Ponies & Other Worldly Creatures. Twilight levitates through the pages until she smiles happily “Aha… here we go. By this book, Connor is known as what is called a human.” Rainbow and I trade glances “A human?!” We both ask with curious expressions. She nods at us, and continues to read. “Ah… very interesting creatures humans are,” she squints her eyes in concentration. “It says that humans are bipedal, meaning that they walk on two legs instead of four,” me and Rainbow Dash nod in wonder. “Also, their fore legs are known as arms, their hind legs are just known as legs, and both sets of hooves are called hands and feet.” I blush as I look over at the little colt sitting with Spike reading a Daring Do book. So that is what his cute little hooves are called. “Hmm… it also says they live on a planet called Earth, and the majority is made of water.” Me and Rainbow nod curiously as Twilight continues to read. Suddenly a shocked look creeps across her face, and we look at her worriedly. “Twilight darling, what’s wrong? What does the rest of the book say?” I ask with deep concern in my voice. She looks at us with wide eyes “It says that the choice of food for majority of humans is… meat.” She squeaks when she says the word. I gasp, holding a hoof up to my chest, and look over at Connor with a sad smile as tears sting my eyes. Truly, the poor child doesn’t eat meat. He is so small, and he ate the tomato sandwich, and scrambled eggs I fixed him. “Rarity, is something wrong?” The voice of Twilight knocks me out of my trance “Oh I am sorry Twilight darling. It is just Connor is so sweet and well mannered, that I can’t fathom him eating meat,” I let out a deep sigh. “Girls, I found him sleeping in an alley with a Ponyville newspaper as his only blanket.” Twilight and Rainbow gasps softly so not to worry Spike and Connor. Rainbow furrows her brows in confusion “Why would any pony leave a little colt outside?” I allow a single tear to escape my eyes, and fall to the oak wood floor of the library, staining it. I turn toward my saddlebags, levitate the flap open, and levitate the note out. I unfold for the two to see “Read this girls,” they lean in close to read it. They gasp, placing their hooves to their mouths. They turn to the little colt “That means that Connor is a…” Twilight spoke quietly before I gently cut her off. “That’s right Twilight. Connor is an orphan,” we all three look at him with tears stinging our eyes. I give a light smile as I watch Spike point at pictures in the book, and both share a smile. I turn back to the two “When I found him, he was such poor condition. He had on raggedy and dirty clothes, and he looked like he haven’t eaten in days.” I allow more tears to shed. “I just couldn’t leave the poor colt like that. So I brought him to the boutique, let him get washed up, and fixed him something to eat.” I smile tearfully over at the child “And I cradled him close to me last night, because he had a bad dream.” “Okay Rarity that is enough. I am starting to get sappy, and I don’t like being sappy,” Rainbow says as she wipes at her eyes with a foreleg. Twilight gives me a warm smile and rubs at my shoulder with a hoof “That is why you are the Element of Generosity Rarity.” I smile softly at the compliment. “But what are you going to do with Connor?” I let out a content sigh “I don’t know Twilight, I honestly don’t know. I mean the precious child already melted my heart, but I have a busy life. I have a fashion business to run, and I also have a younger sister to watch after,” I lower my head. “Honestly, I don’t feel I have time to raise a little colt,” I sigh heavily. Twilight and Rainbow nods in understanding. “I’ll tell what we will do Rarity. I will go talk with the others, and we can have a sleepover tonight. Then I will write a letter to Princess Celestia, and we will go from there, okay?” I lift my head and give her a firm nod “That sounds like a marvelous idea Twilight.” I look over at the small child “First, I want to introduce Connor to Sweetie Belle. I think it will be good for him to meet some pony around his age.” “A sleepover sounds cool to me. I will bring Scoots with me, and I am sure Applejack won’t mind bringing Applebloom with her. “She gives us a smirk, and we nod in agreement. Twilight beams with excitement “So it is settled then. We will all meet here at seven o’ clock tonight, and I will write Princess Celestia.” Rainbow and I nod in agreement. I look over at Connor with a warm smile Don’t worry little one, we will take care of you. Everything will be alright.