Chapter 2- Happy Hearth's Warming Day
A Home for the Homeless
Chapter 2
Happy Hearth’s Warming Day
_____________________________________________________________________
As the lights in the living room turned off, Luna turned to look back at Twilight Sparkle and the small Pegasus wrapped safely underneath her wing.
A warm smile broke across the night princess's lips.
She had always worried that, because of her nature to become so wrapped up in books, Twilight would never find somepony to settle down and start a family with.
Looking at the scene in front of her as Twilight closed her eyes and slept alongside the small filly, she knew she needn’t worry anymore.
Twilight had found her filly, without even realizing it. She’d seen it as soon as she noticed the way Twilight looked at the small pony and the way she’d gone right over to her and wrapped a wing around her tiny body for extra warmth.
As she watched this, it did, however, bring back memories she wished she could forget, of her own child. A child she’d lost more than a thousand years ago.
“Luna.”
The dark alicorn turned at the sound of her sister’s voice, to see Celestia was standing close to her, her eyes also on Twilight... but with a different look in her eyes than Luna’s.
“Yes, sister?” Luna asked in a whisper, moving a little closer.
“Do you... sense something, about Rose Aphid?”
Luna raised an eyebrow. Her big sister’s tone was not that of one happy to see a child find a new mother. It was a tone of one holding back worry. A tone of hidden fear.
“I do not know what you mean, sister,” Luna shook her head. “I sense nothing from young Rose other than happiness to have a place to stay.” There was a pause before she asked, “What do you sense?”
“... I’m not sure,” Celestia said, looking away. “It’s... I feel like I should be worried.”
“For Rose?” Luna asked.
“For Twilight.”
Luna’s eyes narrowed, ever so slightly. “What do you mean, sister? Why do you feel you must worry for Twilight?”
“I don’t know,” Celestia sounded angry with herself. “I feel like there’s something I’m missing. Something familiar.”
Luna shook her head. “You were worried about Twilight when she was taking so long to return,” she murmured in a reassuring tone. “You probably still feel a little jittery is all. Come morning, it will be gone and you will see you have been worrying for nothing.”
Celestia looked like she wanted to press on, but seemed to think better of it.
“Perhaps you’re right, Luna,” she sighed and shook her head. “Maybe I’m just a bit tired.”
Luna nodded. “Indeed. Now, come, sister. It is high time we joined all our subjects in sleep.”
Celestia nodded and turned, heading towards the guest room Twilight’s parents had given them to stay in.
Luna made to follow, but paused, turning back to Twilight and the filly sleeping soundly under her wing.
Now that her older sister had mentioned it, Luna could sense something familiar as well. And for some reason, it gave her a feeling of foreboding that ran back to a thousand years ago, yet she could not understand why.
She decided to put it out of mind for now and followed her sister, readying to embrace the sleep of night.
_____________________________________________________________________
Rose felt so warm. She didn’t want to move. She had never been in such warmth before, it was heavenly.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked around.
She was in a living room, lovingly decorated for Hearth’s Warming.
It hadn’t been. It was real. She’d been given a place to stay for Hearth’s Warming.
There was a small noise next to her and Rose turned to see Princess Twilight lying with her, a wing wrapped around Rose’s body.
She snuggled closer, enjoying the heat coming from the alicorn’s body. It was so wonderful, kind and gentle, like she’d always wanted her mother to be—
Rose stopped her thoughts right there. She didn’t have a mother. Not one who loved her, anyway.
As far as her mother was concerned, Rose had been a disappointment from her birth, all because she’d been born female.
A tear slid down Rose’s cheek and she let out a small sob.
She felt a stir and looked up to see the princess was looking at her, a concerned expression on her face.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, her lavender eyes showing no sign of the distain Rose was so use to seeing from before she had been exiled from the hive.
Rose nuzzled her face into Twilight’s fur. “I was just thinking... about my mother.”
Twilight gently nuzzled Rose’s mane. “Are you sure she won’t be worried about you?”
A few more tears leaked from Rose’s eyes, damping Twilight’s fur ever so slightly.
“She doesn’t miss me,” Rose sniffled, her voice cold. “I was nothing but a disappointment to her. She couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”
Rose felt the wing around her tighten its grip a little.
She looked up to see Twilight’s expression was gentle, loving and full of sympathy. Something her mother had never shown her and she’d only heard of from other changelings, who’d been fortunate enough to be born male.
“Then that is her loss,” the princess said, nuzzling Rose again, but this time, with a loving gesture behind it. “You are a wonderful little filly.”
Rose signed as she enjoyed the love coming from Twilight. It was the best feeling ever. She would make sure to stockpile as much as possible, so as not to get feeding off of the kind mare too often.
It was then that she noticed it was bright in the room.
She opened her eyes and looked around. The room was lit by the morning sunlight streaming through the windows.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming Day, Rose,” Twilight murmured.
Rose turned to her, a small smile on her muzzle. “Happy Hearth’s Warming Day, Twilight.”
When Twilight’s parents, brother and the princesses all got up it was presents time.
Rose was very surprised to find that she had some presents.
She got a Hearth’s Warming sweater from Twilight’s parents, a peril bracelet from Cadence, an alicorn doll from Shining Armour, a star map from Luna and a small broach of silver from Celestia.
But it was Twilight's’ gift she loved the most. It was a book about flying techniques.
Though Rose had chosen the form of a Pegasus, in truth, she’d never really flown too much as a changeling. She was teased and ridiculed by her follow changelings so often she had stand grounded, so as not to make herself stand out more.
But the fact that Twilight had given her a book about flying meant Twilight wanted to see her fly, which made Rose’s heart swell with happiness.
She hugged Twilight tightly, never wanting to let go.
She could not believe the kindness of the ponies around her. They didn’t even know her and yet, they’d gone out of their way to find present for her that was so caring.
And Twilight was the best of them all. She felt like what a mother should be, something Rose never thought she’d ever get to experience.
As they all sat in the living room, listening to Hearth’s Warming songs on the radio, Rose leaned into Twilight and just let herself go.
Nothing could spoil this. Even though she knew it wouldn’t last forever, nothing could spoil this moment, right now, where she was surrounded by ponies who cared about her and wanted her to be happy.
_____________________________________________________________________
Celestia watched Twilight and the small filly leaning into her.
She wanted to be happy for Twilight, she really did. Like Luna, she had seen the bond that was between those two, even if they didn’t quite see it yet.
But this also worried her and she could not fully tell why.
She assumed it was just that fact that her little Twily was growing up and she scared she would get hurt. Being a mother was a big step and Twilight didn’t even realize she was taking it yet.
As much as Celestia wanted to believe that was the reason, something deep in her gut told her it was something else. Something that made her feel as bad as she had the night she’d banished Luna to the moon.
She searched and searched herself, trying to find what it was, to root out the problem and get rid of it so she could truly be happy for her faithful student.
But, no matter how hard she searched within herself, whatever was giving Celestia these uneasy feelings eluded her, keeping close enough that they were on her mind, yet just out of range for her to see clearly what they were.
Sister?
Celestia glanced to Luna, who was on the other side of the room. Luna was looking at her, but her lips did not move.
Is something still troubling you?
Celestia gave a small shake of her head, one only Luna would be able to notice.
Something is troubling me, indeed, Luna, she thought telepathically to her sister. I have this feeling that keeps reminding me of that horrible night so long ago.
Luna nodded. I have had a similar feeling, sister. Can you tell where it comes from?
Celestia gave the smallest shake of her head. No. It eludes me every time I try to find it. It remains enough for me to still feel it, yet I can never discover its source.
Luna nodded again. This was something they would have to discuss soon.
The fact that this feeling had started after Rose Aphid’s arrival was a very bad sign.
Luna did hope that Rose was not the cause of these feelings. She hoped it for Twilight’s sake as much as the filly's. The young mare would be devastated if things turned out as Luna feared they may.
“Princess?” Luna and Celestia both turned to Twilight, who was looking at them with a raised eyebrow. “Is something wrong? You’ve both been very quiet.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” the sisters said in unison.
“Don’t worry, Twilight, it is nothing you should worry about,” Celestia lied.
Twilight smiled and returned to playing charades with her parents, brother, Cadence and Rose.
Celestia looked down as Twilight returned to having fun with her family.
She did not like lying to Twilight, but did not want to worry her. Twilight was still a young alicorn, an infant in immortal sense, and was yet to have to deal with the painfully hard decisions an immortal princess has to go through.
She did not want Twilight to have to face those decisions. Not yet.
Celestia looked at Rose, who was laughing at whatever Shining Armour was trying to describe as his charade. She clapped her hooves, her face full of joy and childhood innocence.
Yet, Celestia sensed something Rose was hiding. Something no ordinary child would know. Something troubling, that she was trying to hide, yet that Celestia could just see, even though it was blurry as to its identity.
Oh, Twilight, she thought, suppressing a few tears that tried to escape her eyes, I do so hope I am wrong.
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Rose dies:
-Everyone hates Rose
-Twilight Loves her anyway and goes Nightmare
Rose lives:
-Rose is thrown away and survives while everyone hates her
-Rose is accepted and everyone tolerates her
-Rose is accepted and those close tolerate her and those who don't are blocked by law
Bam.
3983490 in some ways you're close, in others you're completely off
you'll just have to wait, like everypony else
3983529 Oh no, I'm right. I deliberately kept it so vague that I technically covered anything even remotely possible.
To not have one of those apply you would have to go so random you would get bitch slapped by Pinkie and down-voted to oblivion. I mean really, how do you have an ending where the character neither lives nor dies?
3983827 i didn't mean she neither lives nor dies, i meant you were on the right track
Twilight Loves her anyway
and
Rose is thrown away and survives
they were heading in the right direction, just not how most people will think.
like i said, you'll all be surprised by what happens, but you'll have to wait for when the next chapters come out to learn what happens.
lies!
"Twilight was still a young alicorn, an infant in immortal sense, and was yet to have to deal with the painfully hard decisions an immortal princess has to go through."
So Twili will outlive her parents, brother, and friends ?
That's the sexist father's job!
Well... that's foreboding, Cadance. (pearl?)
"Fellow", and "stayed".
I want a peril bracelet, that my enemies might flee in terror.
Great story!