“Here you go, Mr. Breezie!” a small amber filly told a stuffed toy. The filly put down, in front of the doll, a cup of warm tea. After making sure that her friend was satisfied with his cooling drink, she picked up a cup of her own, slowly sipping on it and savouring the taste.
This filly’s name was Amber Lily. She was three years old at the time. Amber lived in the Crystal Empire with her father, Herb. Recently, a tragedy had befallen the two as Amber’s mother, Isis Quartz, had passed away from a rare and, unfortunately, untreatable disease. It had been three weeks since Isis died in her sleep next to the child she loved so dearly.
While Amber was young, much younger than any foal should ever be when facing death, she entirely understood what had happened. Amber would use her naïve child brand exuberance to cheer her mother up, even pretending to be a nurse and giving her medicine. Once Isis’ time came, however, Amber was shocked for a time. Her father tried tirelessly to calm her, though he was in much a similar state that Amber was in.
Amber cast a glance at the doll she was dining with. ‘Mr. Breezie’ had been a gift from Isis a long time ago; being in Amber’s possession since shortly after birth. It was a simple stuffed toy in the shape of the mystical fairy-pony race of the same title - though, much bigger than an actual breezie. The toy served now as one of Amber’s many reminders of her mother. Amber’s smile slowly faded.
“Three months,” she heard somepony say. Amber recognized the voice all too well. “Three months since she died. I wasted a year of my life trying to save her,” the pony cried softly, “What kind of herbalist am I if I can’t find a cure to a simple disease!”
By now, Amber had grabbed Mr. Breezie and hid under the living room’s coffee table. She knew how her father got when he was mourning her mother’s death. It would be a few more moments of crying, some sharp thuds and a slow, downcast trot to the kitchen for a glass of wine.
However, this time seemed different. Herb did cry for a few moments longer, though he was quick to clean up his act. Amber listened intently. “I can’t do this anymore,” he said with a sniffle. Amber heard hoofsteps coming from the stairs, and she poked her head out from under the table to see if her father was okay.
“Daddy?” she asked when he was in sight, “Are you alright?”
Herb looked into the living room, and saw her hiding. He looked to his hooves and sighed. Wiping a tear from his eye, he walked into the room and lied down with her under the table, much to his back’s digression. “No, sweetie, I am not alright.”
“Is it because of Mommy being gone?” Amber asked, the euphemism not lost on her. Her father seemed unfocused for a time before sighing and resting his head on her daughter’s torso.
“Yes.”
Silence followed for a few moments before Herb crawled out from under the table and stood up. He rubbed his temples for a moment before looking down at Amber. “Amber, I need you to start packing your things.”
A quizzical expression founded on the filly’s face, “Why? Am I going somewhere?”
“Yes, you and Mr. Breezie will be staying with a nice mare in Ponyville while I sort some things out with myself.” Herb had started climbing the stairs, Amber close behind him.
“How long will I be staying with her?”
“Until I feel I can move on with my life,” he murmured before picking up his voice to her, “It will likely be a few years.”
The next hour was silent between the two. They simply packed some of Amber’s things before they head out. The train station was rather empty for the crystal city, meaning their boarding was quick and easy.
As the train pulled away from the station, beginning its long voyage towards Canterlot and, eventually, Ponyville, Amber stared out at the city she was raised in. As its fleeing image escaped over the horizon, she turned to her father. “Daddy, will I ever come home?”
Herb looked in her direction, “I do plan to retrieve you one day, yes.”
Amber shook her head frantically, “No, I mean, will I ever come home. You know? Where we live.” Herb looked into his daughter’s bright emerald eyes. For a quick moment, he saw the glorious joustesse that he had married, shining in her original glory. However, he looked away, seeing her face too painful at the time.
“I-I...don’t know, sweetie.”
Amber saw that her father was on the verge of tears. She stuck out her lower lip, a pseudo-pout that she used when disappointed, and quickly nuzzled up to his side. He looked down at the top of her head for a moment, a smile on his face. “Don’t worry, daddy,” she said, not looking at him, “If we don’t, I’ll be glad to go wherever - as long as you’re there too.”
Herb’s smile faltered as he fought back tears, before he finally settled with a sigh. “Okay, sweetie.” He kissed her head, “Let’s get some rest. It’s a long trip to Ponyville.”
When Amber awoke, her father was already carrying her suitcase on his back. The filly yawned, quick to jump to the alley of the train car as her father led her onto the station platform. She looked around the station after they departed. It was a rather empty area, the bulk of the town being packed a few hundred feet away.
“This way, Amber,” Herb said. He seemed rather steeled to her - like the pain had disappeared from him in his sleep. She knew it wasn’t true, but it was always nice to see him put on a brave face. She followed him down the path towards town, passing several houses and shops on their way into town square.
Just as they passed town hall, her father turned to approach at decently sized building. She followed close behind him, hiding in his tail from the locals’ glances and stares. They stopped at the door and her father sighed, knocking.
A few moments passed, and a middle-aged mare came out; an infant colt in her grasp, sleeping peacefully. “Hello. How may I help you?”
Herb looked down at Amber for a moment, “Amber, sweetie, do you want to go inside and play with some of the other foals?”
“Sure!” The filly ran in past the mare at the door. Her face changed as Herb asked her to step outside.
“I’m here to drop off Amber Lily. I mailed you about her last week.”
“Oh! You’re that herbalist from the Crystal Empire?”
“Yes, Mrs. Green Bow.” Herb sighed, “I must be honest, while I feel this will be best for Amber, I can’t get that sinking feeling out of the back of my mind.”
“Mr. Herb, I can assure you that all the foals in my care will make it as far as they would with a normal family while in my care,” she nuzzled the colt she was holding. “But I must ask, why are you going to give her up?”
“My wife...s-she died, recently. An unknown illness took her out while I was still looking for the cure. My daughter even had the heart to pretend like she was a nurse fixing her up.
“Before I met her, I was a traveler. I would go from town to town for food, drink, and sleep, but mostly to help out by using or selling my herbs and medicine. When I got to the Crystal Empire, she had been injured in a jousting incident and I helped her out. I stuck around to watch one of them, and sure enough, she got hurt again. So I stayed there. I started meeting with her until we were a couple, but, now that I don’t have that attachment to the Empire, I don’t feel a reason to stay there.”
“But you can’t take your daughter with you around the nation,” Mrs. Green Bow concluded.
Herb nodded, “I commonly end up in areas very similar to the Everfree Forest, and I could never let my daughter near one of those places.”
“Alright, well, you’ve already done the paperwork, so I’ll be able to take care of her for you. Hopefully, she’ll be able to go to some good foster parents soon.”
With a mild ‘thanks,’ Herb looked through the doors and saw Amber talking to a small purple colt. “Do you want to say goodbye to her?” Mrs. Green Bow asked. Without responding, he walked through the door and up to her daughter. The colt shied into another room while Amber looked up to him.
“I love it here, daddy! All the other foals are so nice! Is this where I’m staying?”
“Yes,” Herb told her, his eyes on the verge of watering. “I just came in to say goodbye.”
“Oh,” she said. She quickly smiled, hugging his leg, “Then bye for now, Daddy!”
Herb hugged her and as she stepped away, noticing her toy on her back. She picked it up, holding it in front of himself, “You take good care of my daughter, Mr. Breezie.” he said with a poke to its chest.
Giving Mr. Breezie back to Amber, Herb stood up and turned to leave, trying his absolute hardest not to cry.