//------------------------------// // Time and Friends Heal the Wounds // Story: Time and Friends Heal the Wounds // by jkreader //------------------------------// *Joshua's P.O.V.* Before the library's destruction... "Princess Twilight!" That loud sound caught my attention. Nyx and I were hiding because someone named Tirek was stealing magic from every single pony in Equestria, but I had to see what that was. I ran upstairs to the top balcony to see what was going on. I looked around to see where that noise came from. Was that this Tirek person Mommy was told about? Why was he calling out to Mommy? "You have something that belongs to me!" I looked in the distance to where the Old Castle was and saw a gigantic red and black creature that was half human and half pony. A centaur is what I read they were called. This one had two giant horns on his head, yellow eyes, and black where the white should be. He was looking down at something, but I couldn't see what. I then saw a purple flash and he started looking around. A purple flash appeared next to me and there was Mommy looking worried. "Mommy?" I asked looking at her, "What's going on?" "It's Tirek!" she said looking through the telescope that was there, "He's after me!" "What does he want that you have?" I asked again. She didn't answer. She moved the telescope around trying to find something. She suddenly pulled away and had a wide eyed look. She then picked me up in one foreleg, teleported us inside the library, and picked up Owlowiscious and Nyx with her other foreleg. She then teleported again just as I saw something bright and orange explode through the wall. We reappeared out of the library as Mommy, Nyx, and I screamed was we fell. She kept her forelegs around me, Nyx, and Owlowiscious as we landed on the ground. A few books and papers landed next to us, but as I looked out from Mommy's foreleg, what I saw made me gasp. "Mommy! Look!" I said pointing my finger. Mommy and Nyx looked at where I was pointing and gasped too. The Golden Oaks Library, mine, Spike, Mommy, and Nyx's home...was destroyed. I felt tears stinging my eyes as I turned around and hugged Mommy. Mommy rubbed my back as Nyx and I saw Owlowiscious fly away. Mommy then got angry, let go of me and Nyx, stood up, spread her wings, charged her horn, and flew off into the sky really fast. Nyx came up to me and wrapped her forelegs around me. I brought my arms around her, returned the hug, and cried into her shoulder. The day after the celebration... I woke up with a yawn expecting to see the bedroom I always slept in, but I saw the blue walls of the new castle that appeared. Nyx had her hoof over me like always, so I gently pushed it off and got out of bed. I walked over to the balcony of the castle and looked out at Ponyville. In the center of town, I saw what was left of our old home; the Golden Oaks Library. Seeing it destroyed...it made me remember...a nightmare I had. I got dressed, left a note so Mommy wouldn't be too worried, and left the castle. I walked through the streets of Ponyville to where the library was. A few ponies passed by on my way there and gave me a few waves. I did my best to wave back to them. I soon arrived at the destroyed library. I walked inside what was left of it and saw that there were some books that were slightly burned, but still together. Just then my foot bumped into something. I looked down and recognized what I bumped into: a photo album that Mommy showed me. I picked it up and opened it. The edges of the pages were a little burned, but all the pictures were still okay. I began looking through the pictures of the book. There were ones of when Mommy and Spike first came to the library, when Nyx came back after Princess Luna turned her back into a filly, when Mommy became an alicorn princess, and one taken after Mommy adopted me. I then looked back up at what was left of the library. It felt like, déjà vu I think it's called, seeing the library destroyed, just like that nightmare I had during my first few days in Equestria. It wasn't exactly like my nightmare because Mommy, Nyx, and Spike were all okay, but it almost was. If Mommy hadn't teleported us out... I got down on my knees and started crying. "Why did this happen?" I asked, "Why?" I didn't hear the hoofsteps of somepony coming up to me, but I did feel a hoof touching my back. I turned around and saw Mommy standing there. "I know how you feel, Joshua," she said sitting down next to me, "I was pretty upset when this happened too." "Why did it have to happen Mommy?" I asked standing up to hug her. She placed a hoof around my back and rubbed it as I started crying again. I felt her put her cheek against mine. "Shhh," Mommy whispered in my ear, "Just let it out, sweetie." That's what I did for the next few minutes in Mommy's hug: cried. Mommy stayed there hugging and rubbing my back to help me. After I finished, I pulled away from Mommy, looked up at her, and used an arm to wipe away the tears. "Why did this have to happen, Mommy?" I asked her, "Why did Tirek destroy the library?" Mommy looked away from me, closed her eyes, and sighed. "It's kind of my fault the library is gone," she said. "Why do you say that?" I asked. "Well, I was trying to avoid him to prevent him from taking away all the alicorn magic Celestia, Luna, and Cadance gave me," she explained, "But because I kept teleporting away from him, I ended up making him destroy our home. I'm truly sorry for that. I just couldn't let him take away all the alicorn magic like that." "Mommy," I said looking up at her, "When the library got destroyed... it felt like it happened again." "It felt like what hap...? Oh," Mommy said when she understood what I meant. I felt like crying again, but Mommy pulled me into a hug again. I began to cry quietly into her furry coat as she rubbed my back. "Shh. Shhh. Things will be okay, sweetie." I began to calm down again. "Joshua, I want you to look at me, okay?" I pulled away, rubbed my eyes, and looked up at her. She had a few tears in her eyes too. "You're not the only one who's upset about the library being gone," she said, "I am too. But there is a way to make the pain go away." "Really?" I asked. "Yes," she said leaning down to kiss my forehead, "Having friends and family help you through tough times such as this, just like you and me right now. Just know that I'm always here for you whenever you're feeling down, and so are Nyx and Spike. And can I count on you to be there for me when I feel down?" "Yes, Mommy," I answered with a nod, "I'll be there for you." Mommy smiled and pulled me in for another hug. "Thank you, sweetie," she said, "I love you." "I love you too, Mommy," I replied.