It was a cold, December day in The EverFree Forest. A young filly who was only nine years old stayed with her mother in a wooden cottage. It was also close to Christmas time. The filly's name was Marie, and her mother's name was April. One day, April had gone outside to watch Marie play in the snow, making sure no timberwolves or wild animals got to her.
Marie exclaimed cheerfully, "Come on, mommy! Come play in the snow with me!"
"I-I don't know, sweetie." April replied.
Marie looked up at her with a cute face, "Pleeeaaase?"
April chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Alright, but only for a little while."
As April was building a snowman with Marie, thoughts began running through her mind. She had remembered Marie's father and older brother. Sadly, her dad died in a fire at their old house, and her brother died at birth. April tried not to bring it up in front of Marie, even though she already knew.
Marie's voice interrupted April's thoughts, "Mommy, are you okay?"
April responded as a timberwolf howled in the distance, "I'm fine, come on, Marie. Let's get inside, I'll make us some hot-chocolate."
Marie smiled, "Okay!"
They both went inside, and April began making home-made hot cocoa. Marie was coloring as her mother did so. In the middle of drinking hot chocolate, April coughed and sneezed.
"Do you need a tissue, mommy?" Marie asked.
April smiled and said, "I can get it myself, sweetie, but yes, and thank you for asking." April blew her nose, threw it in the waste-basket, and then went to join her daughter by the fireplace. They both covered up with a blanket and continued sipping their hot-chocolate.
Marie laughed, "Y-You have a mustache, mommy!"
April laughed and wiped the chocolate from her lips. The clock struck, signaling that it was 8:00pm.
"Alright, time for a little filly to get to bed." April said.
Marie yawned, "B-But I'm not...tired..."
April smiled and helped Marie into her bed, she tucked her in. "Goodnight, sweet-heart." April whispered as Marie slept. She walked into her own bedroom and went to sleep, having a hard time as she was falling sick. Marie got up, feeling refreshed and hyper the next morning. She ran around the house looking for her mom, assuming she'd be making breakfast as always in the kitchen. She wasn't there, and Marie started to worry.
She called out, "Mommy? Mommy, where are you?!"
April coughed from her bed, "I-I'm in here, Marie."
Marie ran into her mother's bedroom and hugged her. "Mommy, are you alright?" She asked.
"I...I don't know, honey. I don't think I'm doing too well..." April answered.
Marie questioned, "Y-You're not going to...d-die, are you?"
April replied, "I don't know...I called the doctor, he should be here soon. If you hear a knock, open the door."
"Okay, but...how did you get sick?" Marie remarked.
"We must have been out in the snow too long yesterday." April answered hoarsely. Marie frowned, but then April said something else, "Marie, could you go and get me that music box off my dresser?"
Marie nodded, and fetched the music box for her mother. she was about to hand it to her when April spoke, "I want you to have it."
"B-But isn't this the last Christmas present grandpa gave you?" Marie asked curiously.
April smiled, "Yes, but...this may be our last Christmas together...I want you to keep it. Open it up."
Marie gasped and admired the beautiful silver necklace inside. It had a single flower charm on it. April helped Marie put it on. "You look beautiful, sweetie." April said with a sore throat.
Marie smiled, "I love it a lot, mommy! Thank you!" She hugged her mother.
April started coughing really hard, non-stop. Marie backed away and looked horrified at her mother, but also worried. "M-Mommy! Are you okay?!"
April didn't reply, only her head fell on her pillow. Marie dropped the music box on the floor and ran over to her mother. "Mommy! Mommy, are you alright?! Mommy! No, no, no! Mommy!" Marie hugged her mom and cried softly. "N-No...mommy..." Marie had a hard time believing and facing her mother was now dead.
Just then, she heard two voices from outside. "Ugh! Jim, let's stop for directions! We're lost!" A female voice sounded.
"No! I am a perfectly fine navigator!" The male voice spat back.
Marie heard their bickering, and walked to the window, opening it. The voices were coming from two blue birds. "Um...hello there, can I help you?" Marie politely asked.
The two birds where shocked, but flew down and perched themselves on her window sill. "I didn't know ponies were able to communicate with animals. This is incredible!"
Marie questioned, "I didn't know I could either..." she gasped, "It must be my necklace! I wonder if mommy knew it had this kind of power..."
The female bird said, "Well, since you can understand us, my name is Jill, and this is my brother, Jimmy."
"Nice to meet you both! I'm Marie." She replied.
Jimmy asked, "So, where are your parents? You don't happen to have any birdseed, do you?"
Jill slapped him with her wing on the back of his head, "Jim! We're not here to annoy the poor filly."
Marie responded, "Oh, no, it's alright. I do have birdseed, I'll get it for you." She walked over to the pantry and grabbed a bag of birdseed, spreading it along the window for them to peck at.
"So, your parents?" Jimmy repeated.
Marie looked upset, "I-I'm an orphan now..."
Jill gasped, "Oh no, darling, what happened?"
"My mother died just about fifteen minutes ago from being sick, and my father died in a fire at our old house. My older brother...he died before he was born..." Marie answered.
Just then, the door-bell rang. Marie gasped, "Oh, that must be the doctor! Maybe he can save my mommy! I'll be right back!"
The birds continued eating as the filly ran to the door excitedly. "Hello, are you the doctor?" Marie asked. The pony that stood before her was a tall stallion, a unicorn. He wore a long, black cloak with a cape, and hid his face well.
The unicorn mumbled under his breath, "You'll wish I was." He levitated Marie into a sack and tied it up, putting her inside of a carriage. Then he started pulling it, half-running.
Marie struggled, "Hey! Let me out of here! Where are you taking me?!"
The birds over-heard her shrieks of terror, and they flew after the noise, seeing the carriage and unicorn pulling her away. Jill gasped loudly, "Jimmy, come on, we have to save her!"
Jimmy replied, "Are you out of your mind?! You're gonna get us killed, you feather-brain!"
"Well, then we have to at least see where he's taking her! That poor girl's mother just died, and is now an orphan. We're going to make sure her life gets back on track. Got it?" Jill said.
Jimmy grunted, "Ugh, fine." They continued flying after the carriage.
Marie had fallen asleep on the ride, and woke up in a room inside a castle, much different from Canterlot's.