First Contact
Nightshine sat by herself in the cafeteria, one of a few other ponies that were taking their time eating. A half-empty cup of applesauce sat neglected next to the small salad on her tray. Her head was laying on her hoof as she absentmindedly played with the salad, twirling the fork back and forth as she thought about Sea Stride. He was the last of her orphan friends to get adopted, leaving her with all of the other younger foals. To her knowledge, she was the oldest orphan there at the institution, leaving her with no peers to relate to.
She had never felt more alone in her life.
“Nightshine, please report to the headmistress's office at once!” she heard somepony bark out over the intercom.
Nightshine groaned and dropped her fork, burying her face into her foreleg. After a few moments, she slid from the bench with her head hung low. She trudged down the hallway as slowly as she possibly could, her ears flicked back. Part of her wanted to get there as quickly as possible to get this over with while the other part of her feared for what was to come, making her push meeting with the headmistress off for as long as possible.
Even though she would rather have been doing anything else than meeting with the headmistress, Nightshine knew that she’d have to do it sooner or later. So, after a particularly nervous gulp, she ran a hoof through her mane and shuffled her wings a bit, then knocked on the worn, oak door.
“Come in!” she heard Serenity, the headmistress, call out.
Nightshine licked her lips and pushed the door open. “Y-you called for me, Miss Serenity?” she asked softly, poking her head around the door. She prayed that it was just a mistake. She saw the headmistress writing something, not even bothering to look at her.
“Yes, I did. Can’t you hear?” Serenity asked, her voice high-pitched and gravelly. She was an older unicorn, and a grumpy one at that. Time had not treated her well, for her face held too many wrinkles to count. Her graying mane hid some, but not all. She placed the quill down and placed her right hoof on top of her left, now focusing her attention on Nightshine.
“I... yes, I can, but...”
“But what? And why are you hiding from me? Come in, shut the door, and sit down. We need to have a talk.”
“Okay...” Nightshine squeaked out. Her hind legs trembled, and as much as she tried to keep them from doing so, she could not hide her fear. She swallowed her nervousness, stepped the rest of the way inside, and following the headmistress’s order, she closed the door and sat down on the left cushion in front of the desk. Nightshine was now old enough to see over the top of her desk, though just barely. She knew that none of the other colts and fillies here could do the same. Her heart warmed ever so slightly with that knowledge, for it felt like a small achievement to her in a world that got darker each day.
“So listen...” Serenity pursed her lips and frowned.
Nightshine cocked her head to the side and flicked her ears up. “What is it?” Her tail swished back and forth behind her in nervous apprehension.
Serenity pushed what she had been writing on to the side. She took a deep breath and looked Nightshine dead in the eyes. “How old are you now?”
“Twelve and a half, ma’am!” Nightshine chirped. “I’ll be thirteen in—”
“I don't care. I don’t have much time for this, so I’ll be blunt.” Serenity ran a hoof between her eyes and sighed. “Fillies and colts your age don’t get adopted. Typically, they get adopted between the ages of two and ten, which means that you’re past your prime adopting age, and, well...”
“W-what are you s-saying?” Nightshine’s ears flicked back as her lower lip began to tremble.
“I take no pleasure in saying this, but the chances of you getting adopted are slim to none at this point, Nightshine. I’ve seen too many couples pass you by without even so much as a second thought. You’re just too different from what ponies want in a potential adoptee.”
“B-but I’m special...” Nightshine’s ears fell flat on her head as she flicked her tail to lay around her flank. She grabbed her tail with a hoof and held it tightly.
“If you were as special as you think you are, Nightshine, somepony would have adopted you by now!” Serenity snapped at her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she saw tears bead up in Nightshine’s eyes. “So with that being said, when you become of legal age to leave the orphanage, we can set you up with a job.”
Nightshine tuned out everything Serenity said after that. Several minutes passed as she stared ahead with nothing more than a blank stare on her face, simply nodding whenever she heard Serenity pause. She wanted nothing more than to leave to go wallow in self-pity, but she didn’t want to get punished for blowing off Serenity.
“I’m sorry, but this is how things are around here,” Nightshine heard Serenity say, her tone changing enough to show that she was wrapping things up. “Now, off to bed with you! Lights out is in ten minutes.”
“Y-yes, Miss Serenity.” Nightshine could not bear to look the headmistress in the eyes, for the pain in her heart was much too great. She dragged her hooves along the old wood floor, her muzzle nearly touching the ground. Nightshine walked past the cafeteria and stopped to look inside. Her stomach grumbled, for she hadn’t eaten nearly enough to sate her hunger. All of the benches had been cleared and the lights were off, which only meant one thing: dinner was over. As she mentally kicked herself for not eating more, she started walking again.
As she neared the double doors that led to the sleeping quarters, Nightshine pushed open the one on the right and stepped inside. Nopony acknowledged her presence as they all slid under the worn-out sheets on their beds. Nightshine shut the door behind her with a little more force than necessary and walked to her bed, avoiding making eye contact with anypony else.
Nightshine stopped in front of her bunk bed that she used to share with Sea Stride. She stared at the bottom bunk where he used to sleep, eyeing the neatly-made bed. Wondering when she was going to get a new bedmate, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure the door was shut and to see if there were any supervisors around. When Nightshine saw that the coast was clear, she opened her wings and flapped them awkwardly, barely getting any lift. “Woah!” Nightshine flew too close to the bed frame, and when she saw that there was nothing she could do, she closed her eyes and braced for impact.
Her right shoulder slammed into the metal bedpost halfway between the two beds. She flapped as hard as she could to try and right herself, but that only resulted in her right wing smacking against the same bar, making her tumble to the ground. She landed on the hardwood floor in a heap, her shoulder and wing tingling with pain. Nightshine stood up, shook her head, then looked around to see if anypony had noticed her. She saw a few ponies look away from her, neutral expressions on their faces.
One of the biggest rules of the orphanage was to not use any magic outside of the classroom. The headmistress didn’t want things going all crazy in her business, after all. Furthermore, flying was outright banned. Being caught doing, or attempting to do so, was met with the worst of punishments: having recess being taken away for a week.
Nightshine winced as she flexed her shoulder. She rubbed it with her left hoof and opened her hurting wing. Thankfully, it wasn’t bleeding and nothing was broken. It looked the same as it always did, though she knew it was going to be sore for the next couple of days. Eyeing the ladder on the side of the bed with disdain, Nightshine clambered up to her bed and collapsed on the creaky, lumpy mattress. The day had been very emotionally draining, and all she wanted to do right now was to fall asleep so that she could escape from this cruel world.
Unfolding her wings, Nightshine wrapped them around herself, pinning her curled-up forelegs to her chest. She desperately wished that she had someone to hold her, to comfort her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright. As tears began to drip down her face, she wiggled under the sheets and used her teeth to pull them up past her shoulders. Lifting her right wing just a little bit, Nightshine flicked her tail around her flank so that she could hold it in her forelegs, like she always did when she was nervous.
Nightshine buried her face into her sole pillow, silently pretending that it was an actual pony who unconditionally loved her. She tried to imagine a mare holding her close in a tight, secure, warm winghug, but even though she tried as hard as she ever had, the headmistress’s words kept ringing in her head. As sleep tugged at her weary mind, Nightshine rolled over and groaned loudly, knowing that she’d be crying herself to sleep that night.
It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last.
“Nightshine, what are you still doing in bed?!” The harsh voice of the headmistress pierced through her dreams, making Nightshine sit up in a flash. “I have just received a letter from Princess Twilight herself that someone is coming early today, and they have plans to adopt somepony!”
“Huh?” Nightshine groaned and rubbed her eyes with her front hooves. Morning already? Her mane was a mess, and her tail needed a good brushing, too. Her eyes were bloodshot due to the fact that she had barely slept at all that night. “But you just told me yesterday that...” A small yawn forced itself past her lips. “That I’m too old to be adopted...” Her ears flicked back and she glanced away from the headmistress as her shoulder tingled with pain.
“Yes, well, be that as it may, I still can’t have anypony lazing about in my orphanage, especially when those who potentially want to adopt are coming!” Serenity tightened her grasp on the metal bar she held in her hoof and started to hit it against the bed frame. “It’ll make me and the orphanage as a whole look bad, and I will not have that!”
Serenity’s shrill voice, combined with the sounds of metal banging on metal, was starting to give Nightshine a headache. “Okay, okay! I’ll be there in a minute!”
Serenity stopped banging on the bedpost. “Good! Even though there’s a big chance of you not getting adopted, I still expect to have you there to make the other orphans look good!”
“Fine...” Nightshine muttered, avoiding Serenity’s harsh gaze. “I just need to brush my mane and tail first, and I’ll be there.”
“Good.” Serenity smiled in a sickly sweet way that made Nightshine want to throw up. She turned, tucked the metal bar into her saddlebag, and promptly trotted from the room.
Nightshine slumped back down and sighed. She rolled over onto her legs and stood up, and after she made sure that the headmistress was truly gone, she opened up her wings and moved to the end of the bed. She sat perched on the metal railing at the foot of the bed, and once she was reasonably sure that the coast was clear, she jumped into the air with her wings spread wide. Nightshine banked sharply to the right and glided down to the floor, landing several feet away from the dresser. She touched down rather smoothly and folded her wings as quickly as she could in case somepony came back.
As she cracked a small smile at her achievement, she sat down in front of the dresser and opened up the top drawer. Flicking her tail over her right hind leg, Nightshine pulled out one of the many brushes and ran it through her tail until she’d pulled out all of the knots. She flicked her tail a few times, and when she was satisfied with the results, she ran the brush through her mane. Looking over to the floor mirror in the corner, she tossed the brush back in the drawer and pushed it shut.
Nightshine stood up and moved to sit in front of the mirror. She placed her forelegs between her hind legs and flicked her mane so that it fell around her shoulders, just the way she liked it. Happy that she looked decent enough, Nightshine stood up and flared her wings, then folded them back to her side.
She trotted from the sleeping quarters and passed the cafeteria. Her stomach grumbled loudly, reminding her that she had missed breakfast. With her head hung low, she stopped in front of the closed door that led to the viewing room and listened. She heard a bunch of the colts and fillies clamoring for attention, and as the headmistress’s words about not getting adopted rung in her head yet again, she sighed and walked away. The door leading outside to the playground was unlocked, so she pushed it open, wistfully glanced over her shoulder one last time and walked outside, giving up on the thought of getting adopted for good.
Jason paused right outside the orphanage’s door, his hand resting on the handle. He knew that opening this door would open up a new chapter in his life, and of course, if he found somepony to adopt, a new chapter would begin in their life as well. Unlike most of Canterlot’s structures, this building was rather run down. Old, rotting wood made up most of the one-story building. A playground sat behind a fence to his right, and what looked like an abandoned warehouse lay mere feet from the orphanage’s left wall.
Feeling rather giddy, he looked down at the document in his left hand, took a deep breath, then stepped inside. A small door chime sounded off above him, making him glance up. A moment later, he heard a chorus of tiny hooves galloping, coming closer by the second. He shut the door behind him and grinned, knowing exactly what was to come.
Jason walked forward and through the only doorway to find at least thirty or so colts and fillies of varying ages. They all screeched to a halt and looked up at him in awe. Jason heard a bunch of hushed, excited whispers from the group, making him feel rather embarrassed. “H-hey there,” he said with a little wave.
Wide smiles broke out from every single pony in the group. They all rushed him at once, making him take a step back in mild shock. A light brown colt with an orange mane and tail hopped in place right next to his right foot, his gaze running all over his body. “What are you? You definitely aren’t a pony!”
“Quite right, little one,” Serenity said as she trotted from further down the hallway. Looking up at Jason, she smiled lightly and made her way around the horde. “Hello, good sir! My name is Serenity, and I welcome you to my orphanage.” She dipped her head in a light bow, then stepped up to him, extending her right hoof.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Serenity.” Jason stuck out his right hand and shook Serenity’s. “Believe it or not, but I am here to potentially adopt one of these adorable little ponies.”
Serenity’s eyes lit up at that. “We’ll have to have a small discussion before I allow you to make a decision, you and I.” Her smile grew as she turned around to face everypony. She cleared her throat and tapped her right hoof on the floor three times, making the crowd of colts and fillies grow silent. “So we are in for a little treat, everyone! Does anyone here know what species Mr. Jason is?”
“Please, just Jason.” Jason laughed lightly. “That’s what everyone calls me back in Ponyville, at least.”
“Fair enough.” Serenity nodded once and looked back at everypony. “So? Does anyone know the answer to my question?” She waited for several moments, seeing nothing but blank, curious stares. “He’s a human. From what I’ve heard, humans hold no magical ability. They cannot fly, nor can they use magic. However, they are just as intelligent as you and I, and Jason must be treated with the same level of respect that you would show anypony else. Is that understood?” The crowd nodded. “Good. Now, before I let you all interact with Jason, I must first have a word with him.”
Jason smiled inwardly as he watched everypony grow excited. “I, uh... I look forward to speaking with you all.”
“This way, Jason.” Serenity nudged his leg with a hoof and nodded in the direction she had come from. “My office is just down the hallway.”
“Gotcha.” Jason followed Serenity down the hallway and into a rather sparse office. A large desk sat near a broad window. Two thick, worn cushions sat before the desk. “Um... may I sit?” he asked.
“Of course you can!” Serenity moved behind her desk and sat down, waiting for Jason to do the same. “So... I received a letter from Princess Twilight herself this morning through the overnight express saying that I should expect a human to come today. Is this true?” Jason nodded once, sitting down on the right cushion. “Excellent. She said you had a document with you, detailing that she herself performed the house inspection for us, which is a huge load off of my shoulders. She also vouched for you, saying that you were of good moral character, and that you have just as much right to adopt somepony as a, well... a pony. May I see this document she spoke of in her letter?”
“Yeah, it's right here.” Jason leaned forward and placed the sealed document on her desk.
“Thank you...” Serenity used her magic to undo the ribbon holding it shut, then unfurled the parchment. She laid it down on her desk and took several moments to read it. “Well, everything does appear to be in order. I’ve never had an actual princess vouch for anyone before, so this is definitely a first.”
“Heh, yeah, I bet.”
Serenity let go of the document, letting it curl up on its own as she pushed it aside. “So, I assume you already have a species of pony in mind that you’d like to adopt? We have all three here. We have earth ponies who’ll grow up to be strong, unicorns that’ll become experts at magic, and pegasi who’ll be able to fly like the wind!” She thought to mention her one exception, Nightshine the bat pony, but decided to leave her out. “At my orphanage, we have both colts and fillies, as I’m sure you were able to see, ranging in age from two years old to nearly ten years old. Now, did you have anything in mind? I would be pleased to hear your preferences.”
“Well...” Jason scratched the back of his head. “To be honest, I don’t really have any preference.”
“Maybe I could help you weed out some of the options? Surely talking to each and every colt and filly in here would take a lot of time.”
“Actually, I was sorta looking forward to talking to all of them.”
Serenity pursed her lips and nodded slowly. “Okay. So there’s this trend for those wishing to adopt. Usually, couples like to adopt foals that haven’t developed their own personality yet, shaping them as they wish as they grow up. On the other hoof, some couples wish for somepony who already has their own unique personality. Do you prefer either option?”
Jason shrugged. “Not really.”
“Very well, then! Let us get started!” Serenity stood up and trotted to the door. With a flash from her horn, she pulled open the door and stepped aside. “All of the little ones are waiting for you, Jason. Shall we not keep them waiting?”
“Let’s not.” Jason stood up and followed Serenity from the room. “Um... where are they all?” The hallway was devoid of both ponies and sound.
“Oh, they’re just in the next room. That’s where we let them socialize with those who wish to adopt. They’re just through this door here!” Serenity walked a short distance further into the orphanage, stopped in front of a closed door, and stood aside. “I’ll be with you the entire time to supervise things.”
“Ah, okay then.” Jason took the last step towards the door and pulled it open to find all the colts and fillies running about in what looked to be a game of tag. “Hey everyone!” he said, making everypony stop in their tracks. Every single head turned to look at him a moment before they all ran at him, begging for attention. “Woah, woah, one at a time, okay?” He saw several smiles turn to frowns. Thinking quickly, he smiled and said, “Okay fine, five at a time! So, who wants to go first?”
A few hours later, Jason stepped outside the room and wiped his brow. “Phew! They sure do have a lot of energy, don’t they?”
“More than you know...” Serenity sighed, smiled gently, and stuck her head around the door. “Jason and I will be back in a little bit, little ones!” she said in a sing-song voice. She closed the door and glanced up at Jason. “So have you come to a decision?”
“Sorta. I only want to adopt one, but I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of them. A colt and a filly... I only remember one of their names though. Is one of them named Short Stroke?”
“Ah, yes, the brown earth pony. He sure is a lively one, bound to grow up strong! Do you remember the name of the other one?”
“Um... I know it starts with an ‘H’...”
“Was it Honeycomb? The sweet little pegasus that didn’t want to leave your lap?”
“Yeah, that’s the one! She sure loves ear scratches, doesn’t she? Whenever I stopped, she just pushed her head back into my hand, and I could have sworn I heard her whimper a couple of times.”
“Oh yes, they’ll... do that from time to time.”
“What, whimper?”
Serenity nodded slowly. “You see, they don’t get much love around here, so whenever anybody shows them any sort of affection, they can’t get enough of it.”
“Huh...” Jason frowned and thought for a couple of seconds. “Why don’t you show them affection?”
Serenity rubbed her eyes and groaned. “Celestia knows I want to...” she muttered. “I simply can’t show affection to all of them. If I showed affection to a few, I know that would make those few feel good, like they were loved. I know that’s what they all want, but here’s the thing... if I show affection to a few, then the rest would feel left out. I don’t want that at all. On top of that, if they get attached to me, then they won’t want to leave if they get picked for adoption! It pains me greatly, but...” She looked up into Jason’s eyes. “It’s all worth it to see the smiling faces of those that get adopted. It makes my heart warm to know that they get to have a better life. You must understand that by not showering them with affection, I am able to let them live a decent life without any false hopes.”
“Yeah, I understand. Hopefully, I’ll be able to adopt somepony, but first... Do you have files on each pony? I’d like to go over them if that’s alright with you.”
Serenity glanced up as she thought for a moment. “I... suppose that can be arranged. Follow me back to my office, please!” Serenity trotted back to her office with Jason following close behind. She opened up the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a ton of manila folders. “Here you are! I’ll be watching over the colts and fillies in the other room, and I’ll be back in, say... fifteen minutes?”
“Sounds good!” Jason grabbed the first folder and opened it as Serenity left him alone. He looked at it for a couple of seconds, then placed it back on top of the stack. He grabbed them all, sat down on one of the cushions, and set his back against the front of the desk. As he tuned out the sounds of happy foals from the neighboring room, he went through each of the files, setting aside the ones he liked the most to his right.
As he neared the bottom of the stack. Jason opened up yet another file and saw a picture of a filly that he hadn’t seen yet. Nightshine... he read at the top. The attached photo showed her sitting in front of a light blue backdrop with a soft smile on her face. She was blushing and her wings were held wide. She had a grey coat with a beautiful dark green mane and tail that went well with her coat color.
Jason looked closer. “Her wings... they’re not feathery like other pegasi...” His interest piqued, he set her folder on top of his other top pick, Short Stroke, and tossed Honeycomb’s folder with the rest of the remaining folders back on Serenity’s desk. With only a couple of minutes left on the clock, Jason opened up the two files and spread them out in front of him, hoping that he’d be able to come to a decision before Serenity came back.
The sound of hoofsteps stopped outside of the door. “Jason?” Serenity poked her head around the door and stepped inside. “Have you made your choice yet?”
“I’m sad to say that I have not.” Jason closed the folders, stood up, and handed them to Serenity. She sat down and lifted them from his grasp with her magic, eyeing the names on the top of each folder. “I was wondering... Would it be too much trouble to talk to those each of them separately? I think that’d help me make a choice better than looking at their files.” He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. “Also... I noticed that a filly named Nightshine wasn’t included in the viewing a while ago. Was she adopted already?” he asked with a small amount of nervousness in his voice.
“Actually, no. She was supposed to be in the viewing, but I’m not sure where she went after I woke her up this morning... Nightshine’s probably outside or something.” Serenity cocked her head to the side as she looked up at Jason. “I see you’ve also picked Short Stroke. He’s a mighty fine choice, which makes me wonder why you’d want somepony like Nightshine...”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Short Stroke is obviously the better choice. He’s half her age, which means that he’s still impressionable. He is a very smart colt, outperforming nearly everypony else, including Nightshine, in all of the classes I teach. He is well-mannered and will be a very good colt. I can assure you that he won’t cause you any problems.”
“Okay... and what about Nightshine?” Jason rubbed his chin, already knowing where this was going.
“She’s very... different. She isn’t like any other pony here, for she is a bat pony. She’s an outcast, she’s unsociable, and she is depressed all the time. Where any other colt or filly would smile, she doesn’t. I don’t know what her issue is, but I know from first-hoof experience that she can be quite the burden at times. Besides, ponies don’t go for colts or fillies that old.”
“Well, I’m not a pony.” Jason didn’t like how she described both ponies. It was more than obvious that she was trying her hardest to get him to pick Short Stroke, making him curious as to what she was hiding from him. “Nevertheless, I would still like to talk to both of them in private.”
“Very well. If you could wait here a moment, I’ll let them get some fresh air out in the playground, then I’ll be back with your first pick, Short Stroke. How long were you wanting to talk to them?”
“Oh, only five to ten minutes at most.” Jason tried as hard as he could to keep his neutral face from turning into a scowl. He particularly didn’t like how she had worded that. My first pick, Short Stroke... As Serenity left him alone again, he leaned against the desk and sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
A couple of minutes later, he heard two sets of hoofsteps approaching him. He threw a confident smile on his face and crossed his arms as he waited. At the last moment, he sat down, thinking that it would put the colt more at ease rather than looking up at someone who dwarfed them in comparison.
Short Stroke and Serenity walked through the office door a couple of seconds later. “Is it true you’re going to adopt me?!” Short Stroke bounced all over the room, running about as if someone had just given him an entire pot of coffee to drink.
Crap... how do I handle this? Jason looked up at Serenity who just stared back at him with a look of expectation on her face. One of her eyebrows was raised, and as he held her gaze, she nodded down towards the colt as if to ask, Well?
“Um... hey there! I’m thinking about it, yeah. I haven’t decided between you and Nightshine, though.” Jason leaned forward and folded his legs. As Serenity sat down in the doorway, Jason asked, “So why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”
“Okay!” Short Stroke jumped in front of Jason and placed his front hooves on his shoes, propping himself up. “I like to play soccer, board games, and I love to take naps! I’m super duper awesome at everything, and I love playing outside! Do you wanna go play outside? Like right now? Huh? Huh? Huh??”
“Calm down, Short Stroke, I think you’re frightening our guest,” Serenity said, her voice stone-cold.
“Nah, nah... it’s alright.” Jason beckoned for Short Stroke to sit beside him. He lifted his hand up and scratched Short Stroke under his chin.
“Mmm...” Short Stroke’s right hind leg started thumping the floor. He pressed his head down into Jason’s hand and smiled as he closed his eyes. “That feels so good! Please don’t stop, sir!”
“Hehe, you guys really like getting scratched, huh?” Jason laughed and scratched him behind his ears for a few moments, then let his hands fall to his lap. Short Stroke’s smile faded almost instantly. He lay down next to Jason’s leg and laid his head down on it. Jason felt rather uncomfortable as the colt put on his best version of puppy dog eyes. He smiled sheepishly and glanced up at Serenity, rubbing the back of his neck.
“So do we have a match? It seems he really likes you!” Serenity stepped forward with a hopeful smile.
I wonder if she says that to every couple that comes in. “Uh, I’d still like to meet Nightshine first, if that’s alright with you.”
Serenity’s expression hardened. She pursed her lips and sighed. “Very well. Come with me, Short Stroke! Time to go out to the playground.”
“Okay...” Short Stroke took his time getting back up. He trudged from the room, his tail tucked in between his hind legs. As he passed through the doorway, he paused and glanced over his shoulder. He looked Jason straight in the eyes for a couple of moments, then sighed. “See ya...” he said with a little wave of his hoof.
“It was n-nice meeting you!” Jason said. He waved back at Short Stroke, then watched as he trudged around the corner.
Serenity nudged Short Stroke along with her muzzle. “Go on, little one. I’ll be there in a second!” She looked at Jason. “I’ll be back shortly with... Nightshine.” And with that, she was gone.
Jason twiddled his thumbs for a few minutes while he waited. He glanced at Nightshine’s file and read through it again, and as he heard another set of hoofsteps approaching, he set it aside and glanced up just in time to see Nightshine.
Their eyes met. Nightshine paused in the doorway, her right hoof held up in the middle of a step. Her lips formed a small ‘O’ as her eyes widened. “H-Hello...” she ventured, sheepishly hiding behind her mane for just a moment. She flicked it out of her face and cracked a small smile at him. She stood up a bit straighter, fluffed her wings, and said, “I’m Nightshine! What’s your name?” Nightshine approached him cautiously with no small amount of curiosity.
“I’m Jason!” He smiled and beckoned for her to come closer.
Nightshine stopped a few feet from him and sat down, her tail swishing back and forth behind her. “So...” She blushed and flicked her tail and mindlessly started twirling it around her hoof. “What are you?”
“Well, I’m a human. If you don’t mind, what species of pony are you?”
Nightshine licked her lips and fluffed her wings again. “I’m a thestral, but most ponies just call me a bat pony!” She smiled and flared her wings for him to see. “See? I love flying, but we’re not allowed to here at the orphanage.” Her smile faded as she folded her wings. Nightshine glanced over her shoulder at Serenity, then looked back at Jason.
“Wait, why not? If I had wings, I’d be flying everyday!” Jason saw Nightshine smile wistfully at that, but she stayed silent.
Serenity took a step forward and cleared her throat rather obnoxiously. “The rules here are pretty strict on that. I cannot risk any pegasi, or in Nightshine’s case, any thestrals, flying away from the orphanage. They are not allowed to leave the premises without my direct supervision, and I will not allow them to risk hurting themselves. The same goes for unicorns, too. I do not allow them to use any sort of magic outside of class. It just isn’t safe for everypony else.”
“Huh... okay, I guess that makes sense,” Jason said slowly, his eyes never leaving Nightshine. She was staring at the floor, her head hung low. It was quite obvious to Jason that she loved flying. “So how old are you, little one?” he asked softly.
“I’m, um... twelve, sir,” Nightshine said, glancing up at his face. His smile was infectious, making her forget about Serenity’s strict rules. Her heart warmed as she let a smile slip on her face, and she felt butterflies start to flit about in her stomach.
“Please, just call me Jason.” He held out his right hand, his palm facing upwards. “That’s what my friends call me, at least.”
Nightshine looked at it out of curiosity for a few moments, eyeing his fingers. She stood up and took the last few steps to sit beside him and held out her right hoof, then she tentatively placed it in his hand. His fingers tickled her hoof as they curled around it. Jason shook her hoof twice, then let go. Nightshine opened her mouth to ask a question, but was cut off by a light cough from Serenity.
“Well, I think it’s about time we wrapped things up!” Serenity said as she stepped forward. “I have a lot of work to do, and I can see that you two are pretty much done talking.”
“Huh?” Nightshine’s ears flicked back and her smile quickly faded. She turned around and looked up at Serenity, tears brimming in her eyes. “But we were just—”
“Jason’s been here for most of the day, and I think he might be getting hungry.” Serenity jerked her head towards the door and shot a stern look at Nightshine. “Now, go off and play, Nightshine. We’re done here.”
Nightshine sighed as her shoulders slumped. Why? Why do you have to do this to me? She couldn’t bear to look at Jason, for she did not want him to see her crying. As the tears began to fall down her face, she sullenly walked from the room, her head hung low.
“Hey, Nightshine?” Jason asked as she crossed through the doorway. He stood up as she looked back over her shoulder at him. He threw on the most reassuring smile he could. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Yes, yes it was...” Nightshine whispered. She turned and walked out into the hallway.
A couple of seconds passed before Jason heard her start to cry, fading as she walked away from them. His throat tightened up as he bit his bottom lip. “You know, I really would have liked to have talked with her some more,” he said, his voice dripping with as much disappointment as he could muster.
“Yes, well, she would have just talked your ear off for hours and hours and hours if you’d let her. Trust me, I helped you out.”
Jason shook his head. “Whatever.” He took several moments to think, then said, “Tell you what... I’m gonna go get something to eat, since you think I’m so hungry, and I’ll be back in the morning with my decision.”
Serenity sighed heavily and looked away. “Listen, it’s fine if you don’t want to adopt somepony. I hear couples say that they’ll be back all the time, but they never do.”
Nightshine tuned out everypony else as she walked outside. Her heart boiled with rage from what Serenity did to her, keeping her from making a real connection with Jason. She had really felt the beginning of a bond with him, and to have her chance at being adopted torn away like that was crippling.
As the tears streamed down her face, Nightshine walked all the way to the farthest corner away from the orphanage. The road, freedom in her eyes, sat mere inches on the other side. She slumped down in a heap and buried her head in her hooves. Nopony came to comfort her, for nopony had any comfort to give. Everypony who’d spent a good deal of time at the orphanage knew the pain would come and go, but now, Nightshine knew that pain would last for quite a while. Knowing that she’d come so close only to have Serenity rip away her biggest chance of getting adopted, only cemented her words, and the fact that she’d never get adopted, into her brain.
Nightshine could not bear to spend another day in this horrid place.
A minute later, she heard footsteps come close, then they started to fade. Nightshine looked up to see Jason walking away, already a good distance down the road. Nightshine whimpered as she sat up and wrapped her forelegs around the bars in the fence. Jason stopped and looked behind him, their gazes locking for a few moments. Nightshine stared back breathlessly, then lifted a hoof to wave goodbye, knowing that this would be the last time she’d ever get to see him.
Much to her disbelief, Jason smiled, winked at her, and waved back.
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Nice chapter, but the cover picture is a spoiler.... So get to the good stuff! I want to see more character interaction.
Please tell me this bitch of a caretaker gets some karmic retribution. Also, the foals are all cute. I'd hug them all and want to take them all home
Sees new chapter. i.ytimg.com/vi/II4rlQY8f8s/maxresdefault.jpg
Da feels...
Augh! Damn cliffhangers, begone foul demons!
Ok, ok, have to wait like everyone else for the payoff which has been teasing me mercilessly in that cover art. (Hnnnng!)
And another great chapter. I have the feels now.
I wonder what kinda beef Serenity has with Nightshine. Looks like she's got a grudge against her.
Okay, who else wants to punch Serenity in the face? 1Like equals 1 punch!
All aboard the feels train, everypony.
6894223 I get the distinct feeling Jason is getting ready to pay a visit to Twilight about Serenity, or at the very least, I'm hoping he does.
6894214 Serenity could be racist toward thestrals.
Gah .. I want to smack Serenity so bad .... Bad pony
Well, you certainly know how to utilise the forbidden weapon of mass feels effectively. What I want to know is how did the orphanage get to such a dilapidated state? And how in the name of love and comedy would anyone/anypony leave their adorably, diabetes inducing foals to an orphanage? (If they died then I can under stand, but still).
I don't usually say this as I don't want to put too much pressure on the writer, but you have tussled the feels beast within, as such I say to thee...
...please update soon. That's right I used please, now you are honour bound to update! Mwhahahaha!
We know Jason's definitely going to take Nightshine...and I'm looking forward to seeing Serenity's face fall off when he tells her that. It's not her job to try and select which foal a potential parent should adopt. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she's been carefully steering ponies away from adopting Nightshine for whatever reason.
Well, I'm very thankful to Jason for not making this chapter totally soul-crushing. A certain thestral needs to be made happy and a certain caretaker needs this fact shoved in her face by royal authority.
6894251 I thought that too, but refrained from saying so. This story doesn't feel like a racist towards thestrals story. Do racism towards them even exist? Nothing deserves racism, least of all this vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/batponies/images/e/e7/Mangohorse.png/revision/latest?cb=20131026071611
6894319 You might not know this. I love your fic. .-.
Wow the preview didn't quite do Serenity's bitchiness justice. She is a grade A, Regina George Bitch.
NOOOOO NOOOOOOO! You heart tease!!!! I want more!!!! MOAR!!!
-sigh-
Oh well.
I give Jason props, I couldn't set foot in that place without wanting to take over and just have them all live with me.
I'm guessing it's asking a mite too much out of an E-rated story to see Jason pick that horned bitch by her neck and toss her against the wall so hard she ends up on the other side... which wouldn't be so hard considering the building's all rotted wood.
Not giving out love is one thing. Torturing children psychologically is another, especially out of some idiotic prejudice.
6894223 The orphanage owner always gets a bad rap. That's got to be the hardest job. I wouldn't be shocked if she just burned out and became cold over time.
6894176 yeah but it's only a taste of the feels feast.
6894330 Thank you, I'm happy to hear that
Hrm. All the little bad stuff that happens (rotting building, thin blankets, missing meals, etc) plus making the caretaker a villain feels like it's laying it on a bit thick. Still tracking this fic like a hyena after a three legged wildebeest, though.
6894176 It is a spoiler. The mother of all adopted spoilers!
Classic example of disinhibited attachment right there, it is quite sad
Loving this story, excited for more... Also I know Jason may not want to punch Serenity for reasons like (it's out of character) illegal in equestria but please at least put her in her place, be as subtle as you want, just do it. Also not surprised at serenity attitude... shame really but expected.
I am so close to slapping Serenity.
Is it just me or does she make most of us unserene?
serenity needs a new job. I am thinking cleaning sewers would be fitting.
a super good chapter exultant work.
6894339
I love your train of thought but I also think your right about it being to much. A shame.
There is only one solution.
Adopt them both.
I'm starting to dislike all Orphanage leaders in general.
The Equestrian orphanage system is consistently run by terrible ponies...
i'm not buying Serenity's horsefeather nonsense. atleast yet, until a plot twist proves otherwise.
6894517 What nonsense do you speak of?
Her being distant yet caring for them act, or she simply hates thestrals. love that Luna avvy by the by.
Man I'm loving this already this is a good story and I hope to see more!
6894410
The title of the story gives it all away...
It isn't a spoiler really, the description says it's about adoption so you can safely infer that someone gets adopted.
... think Serenity needs to be paid a visit by my version of Venom/Big Boss...
why must my heart be ripped in such a way that was wonderful and sorry but Serenity is a bitch so therefore i will enjoy the fact that when nightshine get adopted if she had fingers nightshine would give her the one finger salute
6894419 Disinhibited social engagement disorder
....
Poor Short Stroke...
i want moar so badly T.T y u do dis to meh???
6894596 From the same link you provided...
Notice how Short Stroke displayed all of this while Nightshine did not, at least not as much?
Well, that was quite the kick in the feels. Also, I can't help but feel that Serenity's got something against Nightshine for some reason or other.
Maybe Shine pissed in Serenity's morning cereal once. Or maybe Serenity is just a bitch.
*Tracked
6894638
Seems like she is insecurely attached but I don't know which type
It wouldn't be avoidant as she would be isolating herself more from her peers
And I don't think it is resistant because she would be a lot more agressive otherwise
Maybe disorganised then?
Would have to observe night shine during a modified strange situation for children before coming to any conclusion
Pretty good chapter. My only complaint is that Serenity is stereotypically bad and want sorry believable to me.
I´m not really sure what to think about the caretaker there, Serenetiy nearly looked like she really meant it, that she didn´t wanted to treat them different, but it was odd how much she wanted Nightshine not to get adopted.
Maybe she wanted to assure that one perfect Colt to get a good future? However I haven´t really noticed when he decided not to choose Honeycomb. I really feel bad for Honeycomb, a little bit more, than that Stroke Colt thingy.
I somehow had to think that this story was playing with the idea, that Human would like the uniqe things, and seeing a batpony made him curious, but I´m not sure where I heard that.
Well I think I don´t like Serenety, maybe she even hates Nightshines race, and because of that she is mean to her, and otherwise she is quite okay as a caretaker. However I think she maybe prevents the Ponys frmo getting really good at flying, or magic if she doens´t allows them to do either. Maybe he can speak with Twilight about it.
Okay it is a bit late and I have to write an more or less important test tomorrow, so good night.
I really hope to see more, this is the type of story I love the most, and I hope you really focuse on Nightshines emotions, and his thought´s.
I hope for more soon, I really don´t want to wait that long for at least the next chapter.
Please don´t rush anything, and focuse on their emotions, you started pretty good, I would hate it to see it wasted. (sorry for my english)
Well good night, finally a story that keeps me kind of excited again, really excited I mean.
6894223
i.ytimg.com/vi/pAAGMwxgg4c/maxresdefault.jpg
All it takes is one punch!
"Serenity," huh?
Ironic name is ironic.
I forgot something,
I want to ask that you make this story either long, or maybe with an ending that would allow a later sequel if you feel like it sometime in the future.
Then again another wish I have is, that you maybe make an alternate storyline, or just show us an adoption story about Honeycomb too.
But I prefer Nightshine at the moment.
Somehow I remember her more than the other one.