Orphans

by Autum Breeze

Chapter 7 - Confusion

Chapter 7

Confusion

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“Mommy, we’re home!” the twins called as they came inside the living room.

They stopped when they saw their mother hugging their Auntie Sweetie Belle. Both of them looked like they’d been crying about something.

“Mommy?” Pumpkin asked, stepping closer and both alicorns turned to the small unicorn. “Is something wrong?”

Her mother gave a teary smile and shook her head. “No, my little Pumpkin. Everything’s okay now.”

“Okay,” Pumpkin said, looking unsure, but nodding all the same. “Is it okay if me an’ Pound go up stairs and play?”

Her mother nodded. “Sure, honey. Just don’t make too much noise okay?”

Both twins nodded and ran upstairs, not wanting to interrupt whatever the two alicorns had been talking about anything further.

Once upstairs, Pumpkin glanced behind her at her brother. “Is she looking?”

Pound hovered into the air, looking over the edge of the stairs, but staying out of sight to any from below.

He landed a second later, shaking his head. “They started hugging again. Wonder what that’s all about.”

“We’ll ask Mommy later,” Pumpkin said, walking up to a small cord that hung from the ceiling.

Her horn glowed with its blue aura and the cord followed suit, coming down, revealing a ladder that led up to the attic.

“Are you sure we should do this?” Pound asked, a little more nervous than the Pegasus normally would be, compared to his cool attitude that he’d gotten from their Auntie Rainbow Dash. “Mommy told as never to go up there. She must have had a reason.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of, Pound,” his sister replied, turning to look at him, pulling the old family tree scroll out of her saddlebag. “I’m scared Mommy’s hiding something from us. I don’t want to believe it, but this scroll was updated after everypony learned Mommy’s a member of the Apple family. But it’s set months after we were born and we’re not on it. Doesn’t that worry you?”

Pound blinked, then looked away. “Yeah. It scares me.”

Pumpkin nodded and started up the stairs. “Something’s going on, Pound. And I’ll bet it has something to do with why Mommy gets sad whenever we call her that.”

“Wait. She gets sad when we call her “Mommy”?” Pound asked, shocked as her followed his sister. “How’d you know that—? Whoa.”

Upon entering the attic, they’d entered a whole other world.

Things they’d seen their mother using when they were younger, like their baby things, their old toddler toys, their big foal strollers were scattered all around along with old looking things, mirrors, clothing from before their mother had been born and boxes. Lots and lots of brown boxes.

Pound looked to his sister. “Where do we start looking?”

She didn’t say anything, but lit up her horn.

A blue light moved over the boxes and stopped on one, which glowed blue, then was teleported right in front of them, the stack falling into place like a puzzle, as if nothing had just happened.

He glanced at her. "How...?"

"Locator spell," she shrugged. "Auntie Twilight taught it to me a few months ago. I just looked for something strong with Mommy's magical aura."

They opened the box and looked inside. There were photos and other assorted items tht didn’t seem to make sense.

“Hey,” Pound said, picking up a photo. “These are photos of Mr. and Mrs. Cake. The ponies that took Mommy in when she needed a home.”

Their mother had told them the story of how she’d arrived in Ponyville as a filly after leaving her family’s rock farm, intent on making a new start and embracing her special talent.

However, after throwing a few parties on her first day, night had fallen and she had nowhere to go.
It started raining and she’d hidden under a tree for cover.

As she hat sat there, curled into a ball for warm, she’d felt a shadow come over her, a hoof on her mane and looked up to see the face of a light-blue coated Earth Pony who took her in.

After that, their mother had stayed with the Earth Pony who introduced herself as Mrs. Cake and her husband, Mr. Cake. She became their apprentice and lived with them ever since.

But, months after he and her sister had been born, the Mr. and Mrs. Cake had died in a train accident.

Pound had always assumed that was why their mother looked sad sometimes and he’d seen her mane deflated as appose to its usual fluffiness.

But... why did their calling her “Mommy” makes her just as sad as when the Cakes died? It didn’t make sense to the small Pegasus colt.

“What in Celestia’s name...?”

He looked up from the box. His sister was holding a photo in her magic, her brow furrowed at what she was seeing.

“What is it, sis?” he asked, getting airborne and flying across to look over her shoulder.

What he saw made him raise an eyebrow in utter confusion.

It was a picture of Mrs. Cake, her husband, their mother and them.

Mrs. Cake was in a hospital bed, looking tired, her mane plastered to her head, her eyes tired.

Had she been in some kind of strenuous operation?

Expect, that wasn’t the confusing thing about the picture. No, what was confusing, was Pound knew that look.

A year ago, one of the fillies at school had brought a picture to show and tell. It was picture of her the day she was born. In the picture it had been her mother, her father and in her mother’s forelimbs was a small foal that look like said filly, wrapped in a pink blanket.

So... why, in this picture, did Mrs. Cake look like that filly’s mother had after giving birth to her... and why was she holding two foals in her hooves, one in a blue blanket, one in a pink one.

That foals... were a Pesgaus colt that looked like Pound and a unicorn foal that looked like Pumpkin.

Why did the foals look like them, and why was Mrs. Cake the one in the bed and not their mother?

They looked at each other, worry on both their faces.

What was going on?

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Pinkie stared at the photo of her little cakes on the mantel piece, a few tears in her eyes.

She sighed, turned to one of the shelves and her horn glowing with her blue aura.

A panel on the wall glowed with the same aura and moved away, revealing a hidden cupboard. She opened it to reveal a brown photo album.

It glowed with her aura and levitated it out, hovering in front of her.

She had to tell them, now. If she didn’t it would eat at her and never stop. And if they found out before she told them, it would be even worse.

“Mommy?”

She turned to see them walking down the stairs, a piece of paper levitating in front of Pumpkin in her own blue aura.

Pinkie gave a small smile. “What’s that you got there... my... little...”

The look on their faces was of confusion and sadness.

The photo... was of Mrs. Cake, the day they were born.

She sighed and nodded towards the couch.

“Come on, kids,” she said, a sad smile on her face. “It’s time I told you everything.”

Author's Note:

chapter 7

so, the twins learned something is up. there's a photo of them with another mare aside from their mother who looks like she'd just given birth and had been holding them for some reason. why was pinkie not in the bed holding them? they will soon know.

and pinkie has decided to tell the truth. now all will be known.

a few more chapters after this and then... who knows?

please read, comment and ejoy

Comments

[Samurai_Shippo]

Wow no one commented. I like this story so far and how you elaborated on it.

[Lost_Marbles]

I am quickly devouring this story up. I really like it.

Just a few typos here and there, but it is still a good read.

Oh, and
Alicorns.
Alicorns everywhere.

[PartyponyXD]

They found out!