//------------------------------// // The Thief // Story: DustStorm's Treatment // by DuskShadowBrony //------------------------------// "Well, I'm off. I'll be back by tomorrow." Luna gave me a gentle nuzzle and kiss on the head before she flew off into the night sky. "So, Dusty, what do you want to do now?" I turned back to face my foalsitter as she spoke. She was a light blue pegasus, with a streaked dark blue and white mane. Her cutie mark was a raindrop intertwined with a snowflake. "Want to play a game with CrystalRain?" As Luna instructed me to not speak too much, ("Ponies will find it strange to hear a little foal like you with the vocabulary of an adult. Although I kind of do want to see the looks on their faces." Luna laughed.) I simply answered with a nod. "I brought something every little pony loves." she opened her saddlebag and took out a brightly colored object. Upon closer examination, I realized it was a noisemaker machine, with various buttons, levers, and chambers filled with little beads. "Go on, don't be shy." she motioned for me to come closer. Feeling rather awkward and foalish, I pulled on one of the levers with my magic. I still had pretty good control over my magic, although it had unexplained falters every now and then. A group of beads slid down a chute, and rattled when they amassed in the next chamber. There was something oddly therapeutic about this, and a small smile appeared on my face again. I jabbed at one of the buttons with my hoof, causing one of the compartments to spin, sending a series of clicks and rattles through the air. Crystal smiled at me as I continued to play with the toy. After a few minutes, though, my interest died down. Crystal noted this, an picked me up with her mouth, swinging me onto her back. She repacked the toy and turned around to face me. "Are you hungry?" she asked. I nodded, and she set me down on a nearby couch. "Wait here, and Crystal will get you something." she left the room, and I waited in silence. I got restless rather quickly, and carefully climbed down to see what was taking her. Crawling my way took some time, and was rather annoying, but I managed to reach the small dining room. I saw her stowing a crystal plate in her bag. My mind processed the scene, then I realized that she was stealing. "Thief! Guawrds!" I cried out. My tiny voice didn't carry far, and even if it did, held no authority behind it. She whipped around, looking around to see if anypony else was around. After seeing nopony, she quickly ran over to me. "You better keep quiet about this." she growled, narrowing her eyes at me. She raised a hoof threateningly. Absolute fear shot through me, and I shielded myself with my own hooves. I started crying, waiting for the blow. Something in me twinged. Confusion mixed into my fear. Was I hit before? I felt like I was. But who hit me? It couldn't have been Luna. A brief memory of some ponies flashed across my mind. My mind associated it with family, but that couldn't be right. Luna was my mother, my mommy, right? Did I have any other family? I was brought back by a voice. "Hey!" Crystal snapped sharply. "Promise me you'll keep this a secret, and I just may not have to hit you!" I cried even harder. "I pwomise!" I cried out, feeling my diaper grow warm and wet. "Tch. You better. Or I'll be back." she roughly picked me up and dropped me in my crib. "Stay there. Time for me to go. And remember your promise." she soared out an open window, as I cried myself to sleep. *** The moonlight was bright as it shone down on the meadow. Some sort of dome encased a large area. I crawled to the edge, and touched it. Ripples spread out from where I made contact. I saw masses of black mist swirling around outside. Another flash of unfamiliar but shaking memories. Were these memories mine? "I wouldn't go through there if I were you, little one." Luna was suddenly behind me. "I've managed to protect your dream world from most of your dark past, but they're trying to get in." I tilted my head, confused. "Dawk past?" the memories that surfaced were faded and obscure. Luna frowned. "You mean... You don't know? You don't remember?" As I shook my head, she smiled. "Good. Good." My dream started to fade. Luna embraced me gently as the last of it faded away. *** I opened my eyes, and I was still in Luna's gentle hug. The memories of what had just happened came back to me, and I started to cry again. "Shh. It's okay, little one. We got her. She won't hurt you anymore." Luna looked into my face. Looking into her eyes, I managed to calm myself a little. I hugged her tightly. "Awe you suwe, Mommy? How?" I asked, clinging tightly to her. "Well, one, I sensed you in trouble. Two, a guard heard a foal crying, and alerted backup once he saw a pegasus flying from the room where the crying was coming from. You helped catch a thief we've been trying to identify and find for years." she smiled and gently nuzzled me. "Not bad for a foal." My stomach growled, and I clutched Luna tighter. "Seems like somepony is hungry. Let's get you out of this first." Luna gingerly set me down on the changing table. She removed my old diaper and gently cleaned me. "You need a bath, too but I suppose that can wait until after we get something in your stomach." she slid the new diaper on me and secured it. "Mommy?" I asked quietly. "Yes, little Dusty?" she responded as she picked me up again. "Pwomise me you won't leave me again?" She gently stroked my face with a hoof. "I promise. Now let's get you something to eat."