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Meaning of Friend2,045 words
Sticks and Tails2,350 words
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A Mother's Bond

The warm sun in the sky. The soft grass that carpeted the ground. The vibrant and lively tress all around. The touch of Pooh’s paw within the clasp of her hand. A living world of kindness, care, and love.

As Sunset wandered through the woods, as she had several times thus far, she once more felt like a small filly. The sun warmed her like the embrace of a parent holding their child. The world around smiled like an ever present parent waiting for any opportunity to dote on and comfort their child.

For the past half hour or so, Sunset and Pooh had simply wandered the woods once more as they had before. Hand in hand, or paw in hand as it were, admiring and awing at the world around them. There were still things to do, friends to find. But for the moment, Sunset wished to spend time with the stout little bear.

A gentle breeze brushed its way through her hair as she took a quick look up at the sun. The feeling of being a filly continued to surround her as the breeze felt like a parent gently patting and rubbing the head of their child. A touch that let the child know that they were still there as they smiled down upon them.

The nature of the world was strange. A vast open world with so much to see and do. The way a child would view the world they lived in. The ever present feeling of warmth and comfort all around. The ever present feeling of the watchful parent. The friends made from various animals, real and toy. Evidence of the extensive imagination of a small child.

A world of simplicity, wonder, and love, innate in all children.

Once more, Sunset’s thoughts were brought back to Equestria. She thought to Princess Celestia who had seemed so much like a mother to her during her time as her student. She had always been so kind and gentle. Much like the sun above, which she represented, her presence had been warm and soothing. Sunset recalled the days when she had felt as though she had no fear, no worry, so long as Celestia had been there.

Her hand involuntarily clenched tighter. Celestia had given her so much. But what had she given in return? Naught but heartache.

The thought of a mother figure brought her mind further back to her parents. But here, her thoughts fell short. Like trying to navigate a fog only to end up back at the beginning. For as long as she could recall, she had spent her early life in Equestria with Celestia. But nothing more. Nothing further.

For all she was worth, she could not recall her parents. No faces. No voices. No names. Nothing.

She racked her brain, struggling to think as far back as she could. Thinking to every face and voice she could think of. Colors, smells, sounds, anything to trigger a memory of her parentage. In the end, she felt as though she had run into a wall. An emptiness with nothing further to see.

Why?

Were the memories of her parents so distant that she just could no longer recall them? Even so, why did none of her memories with Celestia ever include visits to or from her parents? Had Celestia ever mentioned them? Had she ever asked about them?

It was as though they did not exist.

Sunset felt a tug on her arm and looked down to the discomforted look of Pooh, realizing she was squeezing tightly on the bear’s paw. She quickly loosened her grip and softly and gently apologized. And yet, the lingering thoughts continued to plague her mind.

Perhaps she had forgotten them. But was it a natural forgetfulness or a more willing erasure?

She was given a moment’s distraction from the sorrowing thoughts when the sound of a rustling bush caught her attention. She and Pooh turned to watch a small bush shake for a bit before something small and brown leaped out from foliage. It landed in front of them, allowing Sunset to register what it was.

Before her was a very small animal, one just shy of Piglet’s height. It stared up at the girl who towered over her, more curious than afraid. It tilted its head and smiled before squeaking in a very excitable manner.

“Hallo!” it said, waving a tiny arm.

The voice, the look, everything about the small animal, a baby kangaroo, she guessed, and another that looked like a stuffed animal, caused Sunset to forget all of her current worries and squeal at how adorable it was. She could not help it. She let go of Pooh’s paw and bent down and smiled at the little one.

“Well hello to you too,” she said, her excitement hardly contained. “What’s your name? My name is Sunset Shimmer.”

“I’m Roo!” the kangaroo said, holding up both tiny arms as if to welcome his new friend. He looked over at Pooh and waved. “Hallo, Pooh!”

“Hallo, Roo,” Pooh said with that same tone of his, though happy nonetheless to see another friend.

Sunset’s smile dropped for a moment as she looked around. It was strange to see such a small animal, and one that appeared to be so young, wandering all alone in the woods. Not that the world seemed to have any actual dangers. Regardless…

She looked back at Roo. “What are you doing out here?”

Roo’s smile almost seemed to grow bigger as he replied. “I was jumping. Watch, watch!” He hoped about a few times then looked back at Sunset. “See? Did you see me jump?”

Sunset smiled at the squeaking Roo and his smile seemed to push all of her worries aside. Once more, she recalled her fillyhood. Times of calling to Celestia to show her how much she had grown or even show her simple things she had thought wonderful or amazing to her young mind. Calling out just to have her teacher watch as she played. And once again, her somber thoughts of her lack of memories of parents outside of Celestia rose to the surface and caused her to cringe internally.

But for Roo’s sake, she smiled only harder. Her sorrow hidden behind a veil of happiness.

The smiles stopped for a small moment as Roo ceased his jumping and looked around, mildly worried. “Where’s Mama?”

Sunset tried to maintain her mask of happiness, if just to keep Roo’s spirits up. “Don’t worry,” she said as she placed a hand gently on Roo’s back. “We’ll help you find your mom. She’s probably close by looking for you.”

Roo looked at Sunset and smiled once more. In a quick moment, he hoped straight towards Sunset to give her a hug. “Thank you!” he said, excited once more.

For a moment, Sunset’s mask was replaced with true happiness. She returned Roo’s hug and allowed her worries and sorrow for herself melt away for the time being. For now, she would help Roo and continue to help Pooh restore the world of imagination. Later, perhaps she could search for her own parents. Maybe she could ask Celestia when she was not exploring an imagination world.

Sunset released Roo and stood, much to Roo’s displeasure as it seemed. His eyes maintained their stare at Sunset’s smile as it fell away from him. His arms were held up, still reaching. Even his smile fell away once more.

She turned to Pooh, looking for advice. But the bear said nothing, silently telling her all she needed to know. She looked back at Roo whose arms were still held high towards her and whose face begged the girl he reached for. Of course.

Sunset bent down and picked up Roo, cradling him in her arms as his smile returned and he hugged her once more. He took a moment to shuffle around, forcing Sunset to struggle to keep from dropping him, until he finally sat on her crossed arms facing out. He took another look around at his perch before looking up at her.

“You don’t have a pouch.”

Sunset smiled and let out a soft giggle at the statement. “No. I’m afraid I don’t.”

Roo said nothing more and instead looked forward to watch the world.

For the next several minutes, the three wandered the woods, searching for Roo’s mother but finding themselves taking in the wonder of the world as they went. Young as he was, it was no surprise that Roo’s eyes were wide with awe as he little head moved back and forth, up and down. Still new to the world, Sunset still found herself in just as much awe as the young one in her arms.

Once more, Sunset’s mind drifted back to her fillyhood. Days wandering Equestria with Celestia, exploring and learning. Walking side-by-side or riding on her mentor’s back as she drank in the sights of the world she lived in. Even now, she recalled her wonderment as vividly as she felt wonderment of the world of imagination she was now in.

And once more, she cringed internally.

How long had she spent her days as a filly guided and cared for by Celestia? What reason was there that the Princess of the Sun was the only parental figure she could recall? She searched for a mother now. But what of her own? Was Celestia all there had been? Or perhaps…

Her thoughts were interrupted as the bushes shook, stopping the trio. Roo shifted in her arms, curious as to the sudden sound and stop. But the three eased as a large brown animal, another stuffed animal-like kangaroo, parted the bushed and hoped out. The kangaroo, Roo’s mother Sunset assumed, gave the three a quick look over and a smile as her eyes lay on little Roo.

“Hallo, Kanga,” said Pooh, with hardly an ounce of surprise in his voice. “We found you.”

“Mama, Mama!” Roo shouted and bounded out of Sunset’s arms and over to give his mother a hug.

Kanga, a mildly humorous name to Sunset and more so given her son’s name, was quick to return the hug. “Roo dear,” she said in a very kind and gentle voice, “where have you been? I was worried.”

Roo stepped back and recounted his journey of jumping through the woods, following something he had seen but did not know, and finding Sunset and Pooh. He then recounted the short journey to find her and the things they saw along the way. Sunset smiled and tried to suppress a giggle as he told about his ride with no pouch.

Kanga looked up at Sunset and Pooh. “Thank you for finding Roo.”

Instead of answering, Sunset was quiet. A forced smile hung on her face and one arm crossed over to hold the other. The sight of a happy mother with her child, it stung her given what she knew of hers. And if Celestia truly was her only paternal figure…

“You’re welcome, Kanga,” Pooh said, easing Sunset of her worries a bit.

“Come now, Roo,” Kanga said, turning back to Roo and holding her pouch open. “It’s time to go.”

Roo’s happy demeanor fell a bit at his mother’s instruction. “One more jump?”

Kanga smiled and let her pouch close. “One more jump.”

Roo smiled once more and turned to Sunset. “Jump with me!”

For whatever reason, the little kangaroo helped lift her spirits once more, letting her smile become sincere. “Okay. One jump.”

Of course, as it is with little ones, one jump turned into several as several minutes passed with Sunset hopping in a small circle next to Roo. Even despite a seemingly constant exchange between Kanga and Roo to only have “one more jump,” Kanga allowed the jumping to stretch on. Even Pooh was soon caught up in the jumping.

And still, Sunset’s mind drifted back to her fillyhood and her requests for Celestia to let her play longer. But for the time being, she hardly cared. For just a little longer, she would be a filly once more.

Finally, after Roo tired, the jumping ceased and he returned to Kanga’s pouch. All said their goodbyes and the kangaroo pair hopped away back into the woods. On their way home perhaps. Once alone, Sunset reached back for Pooh’s paw, keeping her eyes on the parting mother and son.

“Come on Pooh. It’s time we got going too.”

Pooh took her hand in silence and the two continued their walk through the woods. It was likely that Pooh could still sense the unease that still hung on Sunset’s mind. Not only had she still not quite forgiven herself for what she had done but now her mind swam with thoughts of her parentage. But for now, Sunset pushed her recent thoughts to the side.

Those thoughts would be saved for later.

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