//------------------------------// // Chapter 3- New Home, New Friends // Story: Love Knows No Bounds // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// A Home for the Homeless Chapter 3 New Home, New Friends _____________________________________________________________________ Rose Aphid stepped off the train and looked around. The Ponyville train station was different from what she’d expected. While Canterlot’s was extremely busy, here was more calm, with ponies gingerly walking around, not too worried about time. “Rose?” She turned to see Twilight standing next to her, levitating a small suitcase. Next to the alicorn was a purple dragon, named Spike. Rose had been quite surprised to learn that a dragon was living among ponies and getting along with them too, it gave her a little hope for her own future prospects. “Yes... Mommy?” Rose said quietly. ____________________________________________________________________ Three days after Hearth's Warming Day Twilight had received a letter from somepony named Mayor Mare, requesting Twilight’s return to Ponyville as soon as possible to ensure Winter Wrap Up came on time. Rose had been anxious, thinking she should leave at the same time as Twilight and be on her way, so as not to cause any problems. However, Twilight surprised Rose by asking her to come with her. Part of Rose told her to just leave and never look back... but another part of her told her to stay, that Twilight was where she belonged. Against her survival instincts, which were what had kept her alive til she reached Canterlot, she’d agreed. For some reason, Twilight had also asked Rose to start calling her her mother. Rose knew Twilight cared for her, the amount of love she’d stored inside herself was proof of that, but she didn’t know why Twilight would ask some random filly she found to call her her mother. But, she didn’t protest. It felt good. It felt... right. ____________________________________________________________________ Twilight nuzzled Rose gently and indicated with a nod to the exit. Rose followed her “mother” and Spike out into the small town of Ponyville. It was a nice place, Rose had to admit. It looked like a cosier version of the towns she’d passed through before going to Canterlot. “Twilight!” Rose quickly hid behind the princess as five mares ran up to them. “Welcome home,” they all chanted, a pink mare among them leaping into the air, confetti coming from somewhere Rose couldn’t see from her hiding place. ____________________________________________________________________ Applejack noticed the small Pegasus filly hiding behind Twilight. “An’ who’s this little filly?” she asked and Twilight turned and wondered why she hadn’t noticed Rose hiding behind her til now. “Girls,” she said to her friends, a small smile on her muzzle. “I’d like you to meet Rose Aphid. Rose, come out. Everything’s fine.” Rose hesitated, then did as she was asked and came out, hiding her face behind her mane. Twilight couldn’t help feeling like she was looking at a filly Fluttershy and a glance at her friends told her they all were thinking the same thing. “Ahem, why exactly do you have a filly with you, dear?” Rarity asked, noting how Rose eeped as she spoke. Twilight face saddened a little and she wrapped a wing around Rose. “I found her all alone in the streets on Hearth’s Warming Eve.” As she anticipated, her friends all looked confused. Rainbow Dash frowned. “Why wasn’t she with her family?” At this, Rose gave a small squeak, and buried herself into Twilight side. Twilight sighed. “Her family kicked her out.” There was silence for several seconds. “Uh, could you repeat that, sugar cube?” Applejack asked, shaking her head. “I coulda sworn you just said her family kicked her out.” The look on Twilight’s face was all the answer she and the other needed. Everypony grew extremely aggressive, then compassionate, then aggressive again, til they became dizzy from the cacophony of emotional responses their minds were trying to sift through. Fluttershy was the first to gain hold of one emotion and came over and started saying soothing words to comfort the small filly. Rarity looked offended, as if somepony had told her she had no sense of fashion what so ever. Applejack, having such a close bond with her own family, was understandably outraged, saying that if Rose’s parents were heartless enough to throw their own filly out into the streets, on Hearth’s Warming Eve no less, then they weren’t worth a sack a cow dung. Rainbow looked like she was going to charge to Canterlot right at that moment, despite not knowing who and where Rose's parents were and give them a beating. Pinkie Pie... she had the weirdest reaction of them all. She had stopped moving and was staring into space. A passerby could’ve mistaken her for a furry life-size statue of the party pony. Their reactions seemed to give Rose a little more confidence and she came out a little from under Twilight’s wing. After several minutes, everypony managed to calm down and an obvious question was asked. “So, um, why did you bring her to Ponyville?” Fluttershy asked. She’d been comforting Rose, who was now standing out from under Twilight’s wings, but was still not meeting anypony’s eyes. Twilight smiled. “I’m going to adopt her.” Silence fell again, but a different silence. This one was of pure shock and confusion, Rose included in this. After a few minutes, Applejack coughed. “Uh, no offence, twi, but I ain’t never seen ya’ll as the type to settle down and raise a filly.” “I must agree with Applejack on this,” Rarity said, her brow slightly creased. “You already have the library to run and you’re a princess on top of that. Are you really sure you’ll be able to care for a filly as well?” “I won’t know if I don’t try, will I?” Twilight asked, ignoring the slight anger that had flared when her best friends had basically just said she couldn’t care for a foal. “I think it’s wonderful,” Fluttershy smiled, then giving each of their friends a stern look. “Twilight wants to help this poor filly. She could’ve simply left her in an orphanage in Canterlot, but she’s decided to care for her herself.” Fluttershy’s Stare was making the other ponies nervous, even Pinkie wasn’t meeting her gaze, her smile replaced by a look of shame, meaning even she hadn’t thought Twilight would take care of a foal. Rose was just staring up at Twilight, her eyes wide. “You... You’ll be taking care of me?” she asked, her voice sounding like it would crack at any second. "You'll really be my mommy?" Twilight nuzzled the small filly. “Only if that’s okay with you?” Rose gave a squeal and hugged Twilight tightly, who returned the embrace. Twilight knew her friends were right about one thing. This was a huge change in her life. She’d have to consider many things now. She’d have to make sure Rose had a good educations, she’d need to ensure Rose was always happy and most of all, she would always need to love the little filly like another mother would. The six mares and filly headed further into Ponyville, Rose staying close to her new mother. _____________________________________________________________________ As the ponies walked off, a mare wearing an overcoat watched them from a dark corner of the station. She did nothing but watch until the ponies were all multi-coloured dots in the distance. She nodded to herself then walked off, disappearing in a flash of golden light.