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// A Finalized Push From the Nest 
// Story: Children of the Night 
// by ColorBlack 
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The notice appeared on the school wall overnight. Nopony knew what it meant for the newly formed kingdom and nopony saw it coming. Kora and I had to read it to North. “It says Princess Luna stole a powerful artifact from some vault and made off into the night. She's wanted by the royal guard!” I was outraged, surely this was some prank, it couldn't be true. How could the princess of the night steal? And from her own sister at that. The whole thing didn't add up and I began to question the authenticity of the flier. I also demanded answers, so I consulted the most knowledgeable pony I knew, the headmaster.
He was alone in his office, his desk was covered in papers and he was holding his head in his hooves as though he was quite stressed. On his desk next to him was a glass and a bottle of amber colored liquid. “Umm, mister headmaster, sir, is everything okay?” momentarily forgetting about the flier, I was concerned about the only adult to show me any sort of kindness since the death of my parents.
“Hmm? Oh, hey there. Everything is...” The headmaster looked up, his puffy eyes indicating he had been crying. “Come in, won't you please. What's bothering you?”
“I could ask you the same question sir,” my usual curious nature would make any normal pony put their hoof in their mouth on a regular basis, but I stand by everything I say.
“I forgot how curious you can be, and yet you still have told me your name.” he said between sips. “or are you still going with you not having a name,” he smiled. There was no malice behind the old tan earth pony's words, he treated me like we were old friends, which seeing as he was the first pony who actually stopped to help me on the streets, he was my first friend.
“It's Laz sir.” answering with a smile.
“That's a curious name. Were you named after someone in your family?” He asked me similar questions when we first met. From anyone else, these questions would sound mean, but from the headmaster, they sounded like someone who was genuinely curious and friendly. 
“No sir, my..”
“If I am to call you by your name, I want you to call my by mine. I won't be called sir in my last few weeks. My name is Ralph” upon saying this he set his drink down and held out a hoof to shake. I shook it eagerly. He picked up his drink and continued “So Laz, you were saying”
“Umm, yeah, as I was saying, my friend accidentally gave me my name. I wasn't named after anypony. But back to my question, what's wrong?” I saw concern cross his face.
“Heh, might as well tell someone. Have a seat.” he motioned to the chair on the other side of his desk. I took a seat and he continued. “I am not sure how to break it to you, so I'm just going to come out and say it. The orphanage is broke. We've lost all of our income.” He stared between what I now realized to be bills and the bottle of apple brandy on his desk. I don't know why, but a sudden surge of inspiration shot through me. A spark in my heart igniting the fuel in my brain. I felt the sudden need to let it out.
“Do not drown, your hopes and ambitions, wipe your frown, continue your missions. Save this place, or let it fall in glory, look at your face, this is not the end of this story.” The words had come without volition and hung in the air. Where did that come from? But before I was given an answer, the headmaster had this sudden look on his face, of determination and of hope.
“If I had known you were so mature, I would have allowed you to leave on your own years ago.” he capped the half empty bottle and put it in his desk, locking the drawer. “Thank you Laz, that poem was just what I needed. I won't let this orphanage go without a fight!” upon saying that he slammed his hoof down on his desk.
I stared at what I had done. I had renewed somepony's sense of faith, and it felt amazing. Thinking back to why I came in in the first place, it suddenly became clear as to what I had to do. If I left, I would be one less mouth to feed, and I could save the orphanage just a little bit. I resolved to leave on the spot. I could go out on my own and find out the facts for myself. The headmaster scanned the documents on his desk and began writing down figures with an old quill, almost completely oblivious as to my presence. Then suddenly his quill snapped. He reached into his desk for another but came up blank. Another bizarre though occurred to me. I spread one of my wings and plucked a feather from it, hoofing to him. “This should work.” he looked at me, a curious smile spread over his face as he took it.
“You're so ready to give of yourself, thank you” he said. As soon as he dipped in the ink, the feather turned black, startling both of us. I stared at my feathers wondering what the heck was going on when I saw it. An identical black quill had presented itself on my flank. My cutie mark was that of a black quill. The headmaster was still looking at the feather in his hand when I left. I would have said goodbye but a mixture of excitement and sorrow swept over me, preventing me from thinking about it would have been a final goodbye, one neither of us could handle. And on top of everything I had gotten my cutie mark. It truly was an eventful day. And I still had to pack.