//------------------------------// // Page 4 // Story: I'm no Mother, right? // by Sense of Humor //------------------------------// "You're back!" Starlight exclaimed when she spotted Twilight and Spike in the library. The darkness of the closing night and rain clouds made the alicorn and dragon use candles to illuminate the room. She neared the two and actually noticed that Spike was sitting against Twilight with his eyes shut. "Shh. " The princess politely shushed with a smile, her eyes never leaving the book in front of her. "He's all tuckered out from work today." Starlight swallowed in guilt; that was mainly her fault. "Oh. Right..." "How was your day?" She whispered. The book closed slowly and Spike was gently levitated onto her back, snoring aloud the whole time. Once her student assured her that it was great, she nodded. "Did you visit that new carnival in town?" "Yes we did. I liked it a lot, and I think Aqua did too." Was the response. "I let her walk up the stairs...she was half asleep by the time we got here. " "She and Spike have something in common...Speaking of common, did any bonding happen?" "...I-It didn't feel too much like it. Maybe for her." Starlight half heartedly shrugged and sat down. Twilight offered a sympathetic smile, but nothing else. Could she even think of anything to help with her doubts? "But we weren't exactly around each other all the time of course...Anyways, are you off to bed?" "Yep. After I tuck in Spike. I hope you have a good night's sleep." Twilight declared and soon trotted out of the library, making distinct sounds as she traveled up the stairs too. Starlight followed slowly, her thoughts slowing down her hoof movements. Where did the bonding come in? She pushed aside the question of she wanted to bond or not because she feared that it would take an eternity to figure out the answer to such a question. She just wanted to know how it worked; Did it come during sad times instead of rimes of fun? Was it earned with toys or with love? Did it feel good or did it feel bad? The pony barely registered the vibrating boom of thunder from the rainclouds, or the random sounds of raindrops hitting the castle at it's great speeds. The temperature of the entire place soon dropped, and that's when she noticed the change in weather. Another cold night, or so it looked like to her. Starlight was just about to walk past Aqua's door when a crackling boom of thunder made her heart leap in her chest. The door muffled a sound that was distinctly whimpering, and the unicorn immediately turned to look at it. She didn't need to hear the heart wrenching sound to know who made it; her hoof managed to twist the doorknob and allow her to enter the room. Looking straight at the bed, she didn't see a filly, but instead a hump under the thick blankets. The hump shuddered occasionally in confused fright, and shrieked when another blast of thunder shook the room. Starlight pouted deeply, her eyes sadly gazing down at the bulge before using a hoof to peel back the blanket. The bulge stiffened at the movement until it was revealed to be an embarrassed, wide eyed filly. "Aqua...Are you okay?" She swallowed and pretended to look around. Who, me? Of course! Did that thunder wake you up by accident? "I was thinking that you were woken up." Starlight told her. Huh? N-No way! I was sleeping just fine. The room rattled with a louder clap of thunder and the next thing Starlight felt was a small body clinging helplessly to her foreleg. Aqua sighed and didn't meet her gaze for quite some time, instead choosing to try and calm her breaths. "Hey...It's okay..." Starlight reassured her and slowly nudged the filly's head with her nose. The little girl reluctantly blinked up at her with liquid eyes and a small frown. "...there's no need to be afraid of a thunder storm. Aqua sniffled as quiet as whisper. I know...but I can't...help it... When she eventually relinquished the hold on her leg, the unicorn decided to act on a small idea that she had. She began to walk out of her room, gesturing with her head for the filly to follow her. They both wound in Starlight's room, whom of which slowly climbed into her bed and onto only one side of it. She smiled encouragingly and patted the empty side. "I don't know if it'll help...but you can sleep here for tonight if you want." Aqua's features lit up with a bit of happiness; she scrambled onto the bed like a kitten trying to climb up to a higher platform and slowly rested her body on the bigger mattress. The unicorn pulled the covers over them just as another jolt of thunder made the filly squeak and snuggle into her caretaker's body swiftly. Starlight gasped from the sudden contact because the bed was ice cold, and yet her child was radiating warmth like a fire. It wasn't bad at all, but it was a little odd. "Don't worry...Thunder can't hurt you at all..." The older pony explained after a while. "It's just sound and...well, sound. It won't hurt you though..." Aqua's peridot orbs trustingly stared up at her. ...P-Promise? "I promise. " Starlight nodded, agreeing to the promise almost instantly. Aqua didn't smile at the relieving statement but she did calm down completely. The tenseness in her body noticeably fell and relaxed, although the rumbles occasionally made her flinch. They stayed like that for a while, quietly relaxed and listening to the sound of rain. The room was almost completely pitch black with a hint of blue in it. I can't wait till I'm big like you...Sprinkle yawned adorably, and Starlight bit back a small smile. Then I won't be afraid of anything. "Being big doesn't always make you brave. "She shifted a little, making out the filly's face in the darkness. "...I'm not Brave." Of course you are! You never look scared...What are you scared of? Starlight huffed out a laugh; a tired and ashamed laugh. "...this. Me mostly...I-I don't know if I'm the best pony to be taking care of you. There's probably hundreds of...of other ponies who are better than I could ever be..." There was silence, and she thought that the filly had fallen asleep. Slowly, Aqua's head pressed lightly against the mare's beating heart. Starlight could feel the smile the filly had radiating off of her. But they'd never be like you... The unicorn didn't know what to say to that, but she knew that she couldn't argue against her. Her voice had the tone of those who couldn't ever change their minds; in her mind she was best of them all. Nothing would apparently change such thoughts. Aqua Sprinkle tiredly sighed, evidencing that sleep was taking her. I love you, Mommy... Starlight choked for the briefest of moments when those words echoed in her mind. Even though she couldn't really see her, the mare peered down at the sleeping filly with a depressed frown. She would have questioned internally if she deserved this filly's love or if she deserved for her to look up to Starlight; She would have questioned just how much she was impacting Aqua's life. But she was too tired to question herself any more, too drowsy to think about it. Starlight's eyelids drifted shut. "...I...love you t...too..."