Mother of Equestria

by Cinquain

4

I shocked awake, quickly propping myself up on my forelegs. Glancing around, I tried to calm my racing heart. Pinkie's warmth against my side helped, and I settled down, nuzzling her barrel before laying back down on the hard dirt.

Hard dirt..?

I'm sure my eyes widened comically as I shot up for a second time. The solid ground at my hooves and the starry sky at my head cemented the fact that I -- that we were indeed outside. My stomach ached with the absence of food. I sank sown to my knees, worry for me, worry for Pinkie on the forefront of my mind. I nudged her with my muzzle, and her eyes blinked drowsily.

"Marbie?" she croaked, her voice rough with sleep.

"Mmm-hmm," I hummed, leaning into her side, "We fell asleep."

Pinkie raised her muzzle skywards, taking in the night. Her ears fell back against her head. "O-oh."

I nuzzled her in a way that I hoped was comforting. "It's okay, Pinkie. If we sleep some more, we can wake up for breakfast. It'll be okay." My ears drooped with guilt. "I-I'm sorry for writing the l-letter."

Pinkie smiled weakly. "That's alright, Marbie." We slipped into a comfortable silence, looking out at the mare in the moon.

"My poor little ponies, what happened to you?"

My ears pricked up at the soft sounds. A glance at Pinkie tells me she heard it, too.

We looked around with growing unease, until I heard Pinkie gasp. She scrambled up as I looked at her, confused.

"Marbie, hurry, it's..! Hurry!"

I stumbled in my haste, nearly planting my face in a pile of rocks. "Pinkie, what --" The sound caught in my throat. "P-Princess?"

Princess Celestia, the real life honest-to-goodness Princess Celestia was kneeling in the middle of our rock farm. The actual princess! She was here! And Pinkie was gazing at her, right at her feet. She was smiling at Pinkie. She was smiling at me.

"Hello there, cute little filly. Am I correct in assuming you to be Miss Marble Pie?"

I nodded, dumbstruck.

She unfolded her wing invitingly. Pinkie was already tucked under her other wing. I trotted over, seemingly in a trance. She gently laid her wing over me, and it was like a huge blanket. I snuggled closer to the Princess before I knew what I was doing. I started to stammer out an apology, but she simply shook her head.

"Do not apologize, Miss Marble." She smiled. Her wings were soft as they gave a gentle hug. She frowned. "I am sorry your mother did what she did."

Her horn sparkled as I nodded again. A platter of warm pastries appeared, briefly shrouded in the golden magic of the princess. Pinkie shakily extended her hoof, a question in her eyes. Princess Celestia smiled, levitating a pastry in front of both our muzzles.

"Feel free to eat, my little ponies. I hope you don't mind the chocolate filling..?" She chuckled to herself, as if she told a joke. Pinkie and I eagerly munched the soft treats as the princess ate her own. Her large wings were comforting, folding around us and pulling us closer to her. It was a few minutes before she spoke.

"The mare in the moon is indeed my sister, though I'm most positive that the moon is rock, not cheese." Pinkie made a sad sound. The princess smiled, nuzzling her. "I am quite sure that if it were cheese, it would not be very good cheese, being in space and all."

"The story about my mother is very true, my little ponies. Majesty was a grand unicorn, and a wonderful mother." The princess's head dropped. "I will always miss her. She passed on, nearly a millennia ago. That, dear fillies, is a very long time."

We sat together peacefully. Princess Celestia cleared her throat. "Would you girls like to watch me raise the sun?"

Pinkie and I eagerly nodded. The princess slowly stood, ruffling her wings. She put her horn to the earth, slowly raising her head. The sun flowed forth, breaking the horizon with brilliant, golden light. The princess smiled at us, spreading her wings before taking off.

This time, my smile matched Pinkie's.