Umbré sat alone in the playroom while the fillies and colts her age were outside. She had a ball she has been playing with for a good fifteen minutes, rolling it around with her hooves.
Outside the room, two of the caretakers were stationed outside. They had one bottle of milk that they were supposed to give to the foal.
“Okay, you go in there, Sweet.” Caretaker one said to their partner.
“Uh uh, I’m not setting one hoof in that room. That little monster nearly knocked my head off my shoulders the last time.” Sour Sweet retorted. She points her hoof at caretaker one. “You go in and feed it.”
Caretaker one grunted. “I told you to do it.”
“Why do you want me to do it?”
“Because I have seniority.”
“Oh oh you’re pulling that schtick, huh? Listen here Branch, I outta~” as Sour Sweet was getting all up at the other one’s face, she stopped when they heard a disapproved cough.
They stopped and turned around to find Chestnut Falls was standing behind them. She stares at them, looking at the full bottle sitting on the ground between them. She then glanced over to the lone unicorn foal playing by herself and back at the two caretakers.
“What were you two doing? Why is there a bottle here and not in there with her?” she asked them.
“We tried,” Sour Sweet lied. “Little devil is on some sort of hunger strike.”
Chestnut Falls glared at the mare. “That is uncalled for. She’s a baby, babies don’t do hunger strikes.”
“No offense ma’am, but why are you even letting that thing here? She’s whatever the heck Sombra is.” the mare grunted.
“Umbré is not him. Every foal, no matter who or what they are, deserves the same chance to have a home and a family to love them.” Chestnut said as she walked over to the bottle and picked it up with her hoof.
“Just don’t want you to make another mistake, ma’am.”
Chestnut Falls stops short from the entryway to the playroom. Her heart ached as what memory she has of the ex-tyrant when he was a young colt. Back when he was happy and full of life, remembers the fun times she had with him and seeing him running with Hope…
It all seems like a thing of fiction to what she knows now of Sombra.
A knock on the door snapped the crystal pony back to reality. She turned her head to see Prince Shining Armor himself. “Hi, sorry, I hope I’m not disturbing you, ladies.” He said.
“Oh no, it’s fine, I was just about to feed Umbré.” Chestnut said. “Seems I have two chickens handling foals for the looks of it.”
“Hey!” Both caretaker ponies grunted in unison.
“What brings you here, sire?”
Shining casted the two ponies a look before saying, “I’m actually here for Umbré. The guards found something of hers.” The prince consort used his magic to open his saddle bag and then pulled out a photo. The corner of it was chewed off and it had some scorch marks as if there was a fire.
Chestnut Falls looked at the photo and she let out a soft gasp, seeing who it was in the photo. “That’s…how….” She stares at the photo as tears begin to swell up.
It was of Umbré and Hope taken at the Crystal Faire. Though Umbré in the playroom looks different from the one in the photograph, there was no mistake, it was her.
The two ponies looked happy and love radiated from the both of them.
Chestnut looks at Shining. “Did you find her? Did you find the mare in the photo? Radiant Hope?” she asked her.
Shining frowned at that. “I’m afraid so….she was found in the snow north of a burned down cottage. There looked to be some sort of fight that took place.”
“You think that thing killed her?” Branch - caretaker one - asked.
“We don’t know that!” Chestnut Falls snapped, raising her voice at her. She then reeled back with a shudder. “Sorry…I-I knew Radiant Hope. I never imagined that…that…”
Shining watches her and sighed softly. “I’m here to determine if she did or not. I personally don’t believe that.”
“Believe what?”
The ponies turned their heads to see Ranger Arc and Ambrosia entering the area. “Oh, Your highness!” The hot pink pegasus bowed her head towards the prince consort, Ranger also bowed before him.
Shining waved his hoof at them, “No need for formalities,” he said with a small chuckle.
“Ah, I was wondering if I was going to see you two again,” Chestnut Fall said, wiping away tears with her hoof.
“We still have business here to conduct.” Ranger said before looking at Ambrosia. “She has taken an interest in one of the foals since yesterday.” his wife nodded in agreement.
“Oh that’s great! They’re all outside if you wanna go and see them. I have to feed Umbré and I’ll join you two.” the owner said.
“It’s actually her I wanna see.” Ambrosia said with a smile.
The other two caretaker ponies stared at the mare as if she just grew a second head.
“You wanna see more of that thing?” Sour Sweet asks.
“I suggest that if you don’t have anything nice to say in regards to that filly, please stop talking.” Shining said, being quick to shut the negative talk down.
“Sir, what brings you here? If you don’t mind me asking.” Ranger Arc asked the prince. “Are you and the princess here for some sort of event?”
“Oh no, it's just me, Ranger Arc is it?” Shining asked, Ranger nodded in response. “I’m here conducting an investigation. No doubt the two of you heard of the Empire’s recent endeavors?”
“Oh we heard.” he said. His eyes then fell on the photograph. Shining passes the photo over, Ranger picking it up with his magic and he and Ambrosia look at it.
Ambrosia covered her muzzle with her hoof. “I-is that her mother?” she asked, looking at Hope in the photograph.
“We really don’t know anything yet.” Shining said. He then looks at Chestnut. “I can feed her, if you don’t mind.”
The mare nodded before Shining Armor took both the bottle and photograph back. “Just give me a minute and you can go see her,” he said to the couple before he trots into the playroom.
Everypony else watched closely from the hallway to see this interaction.
Umbré continuously threw the ball up at the wall and it bounced back to her and she caught it with her magic. She continued the process over and over until she threw the ball too hard and it shot over her head before she was able to get it.
The ball flew before it was caught by Shining’s magic. “Whoa there!” He chuckled, causing the filly to whip her head to see him.
She gave the prince a look before she faced away from him and stared at the wall.
Shining Armor stared at her with a soft gaze, studying her for a moment. Like before, she was avoiding all contact, pushing herself away from everypony.
He placed the ball on the ground and then used his magic to roll it forward before dispelling it, letting the ball roll freely till it bumped against Umbré’s flank gently and stopped. He then sees her looking down at the ball.
The foal didn’t do anything but looked at it for a moment before she engulfs the ball with her magic and resumed throwing it at the wall and catching it repeatedly. Completely ignoring the stallion behind her.
“Umbré, are you hungry?” Shining offered, like before, he placed the bottle near her. “Have the ponies here been taking good care of you?” he asked her.
He was met with the repetitive sounds of the ball hitting the wall.
Shining sighed heavily as he approached her. “Umbré, I’m about to show you something, it might help clear things up for me and a lot of others.” he said.
Umbré continued to throw the ball, and when she felt he was getting too close she let out a warning hiss without looking as she threw her plaything.
She was about to catch the ball again before she heard faint whispers that caused her to miss the ball and it bounced off somewhere else. The whispers seemed to get louder and louder as Shining levitated the burnt photograph and placed it down on the ground in front of her.
Umbré’s eyes gazed at it, her slit pupils widened and tears began to swell. Seeing her and Hope together, hearing only her voice echoing the moments before their picture was taken at the Crystal Faire.
Her lips quivered as she placed her hoof on the only photograph of Hope. “Hopey.” she whimpered. “HOPEY!!” She then starts wailing, crying loudly, grabbing the photo and holding it against her chest, wanting to be with Radiant Hope again. Everypony could see the pain in her eyes, the deep sadness and grief coursing through her tiny body.
“Think that answers that question.” Chestnut Falls muttered, feeling her own tears swell. They all could tell that this shadow creature loved Hope and the way she was mourning proves it.
"Wait, that thing can talk?!" The caretakers yelped.
Ambrosia bit her lower lip, her husband looked to her and saw the gears in her brain were turning. The pegasus looked to the mares. “Do you girls by any chance have any craft supplies? Fabric, stuffing and what nots?” she asked them.
“I’m sure we can scrounge some, what;s this about?” Chestnut asked her.
“I have an idea.” She said before she followed one of the other caretakers to where the supplies were stashed as Shining left Umbré with the photograph.
“Well, it seems this wraps a few things up, thank you for letting me have the time.” he said to Chestnut.
“No thanks necessary sir.” she said.
Shining Armor nodded before turning his attention back to Ranger. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you have interest in that little filly? Given what you know of her and what she is, she is potentially dangerous.”
Ranger considered it for a minute or two, adjusting his glasses with his hoof before responding, “Ambrosia has the tendency to hone onto ponies who are in great emotional pain and would do everything in her abilities to make them feel better. She’s been like that since our time in the foal center up in Dodge City.”
“Were you two orphans yourselves?”
Ranger smiled. “We’re orphan sweethearts. I had it rough when I was younger and she was drawn to me nearly the second I was admitted there. Like Umbré there, I didn’t want to be around anypony either, Ambrosia brought me out of my shell.”
“I-I-uh, I will be right back, please excuse me.” Chestnut Falls leaves the area, heading to the restroom so she doesn’t completely break down in front of the clients and the prince consort.
After fifteen minutes later, the hot pink pegasus and Branch returned. Every pony eyed at what she had made in her hoof.
“Uh darling, not that I don’t appreciate your skills, but do you think that would be wise?” Ranger asked, staring at it.
“It’s crazy enough that it might help her,” Shining said, looking at the craftsmanship.
“It’s so crazy that it will help.” Ambrosia giggled in confidence before she flew in.
“Good luck.” Sour Sweet muttered in response.
Umbré’s wailing softened but she was still crying, curling up into a tight ball, unaware that the pink pegasus from before had returned.
Ambrosia frowned, hearing the baby crying. She desperately wanted to land and give her a hug but she didn’t want to push it just yet.
She quietly lands just a few feet behind her.
Umbré continued to cry, even when her ears flickered towards the sound of the pegasus's hooves clinking against the crystal floors.
"Umbré?" Ambrosia called to her.
The foal whimpered as she raised her head up, turning to look over her shoulder. The look on her face was heartbreaking.
Ambrosia, keeping her gift away from the foal's sight, approached her slowly.
"Hello there, little one," she said calmly.
She looked at the bottle of milk that was left on the ground. Ambrosia walked over to it before pushing it aside with her wing, keeping an eye on Umbré, watching to see what she'll do.
"I made you something. I had something similar when I was your age, when I lost my family." Ambrosia said before bringing what she made in front of her.
Umbré let out a breathless gasp and sat up when she saw what this pegasus made for her.
It was a doll of a unicorn, sitting upright by itself on its flank. A sparkling purple unicorn with light blue mane and tail. The buttons for the eyes were blue as well.
Umbré tilted her head to the side curiously. "Hopey?"
She got up on her hooves, one hoof clenching the photograph possessively to her chest. Her legs wobbled when she approached the doll. When she stood in front of it, Umbré looked at it, looked back at the photograph and back at the doll.
She sat down before raising a free hoof and touched it. The doll had a plush feel. She cooed and babbled at it.
"Do you like it?" Ambrosia asked her, seeing how the foal was acting towards it.
As Umbré went to grab it, the pegasus stopped her. "There's something special about the doll here." The pegasus glanced at her cutie mark - that of a sewing thread, needle and a sewn up heart - and back at the doll.
Ambrosia slowly grabs the doll and turns it around. On the back of the doll was a zipper. The pegasus then grabs the zipper with her teeth and pulls it down. Umbré watches her confused before seeing that there was an empty pocket sewn in the doll.
"Can I see the picture please?" Ambrosia asked her.
Umbré let out a hiss and screeched at her, turning her body back around away from the mare, clinging the picture for dear life.
Unafraid, Ambrosia steps closer to her, pushing the doll closer to her. "You're not going to lose Hopey, I promise." She said.
The foal fussed and babbled, but the pegasus didn't know how to speak baby.
Ambrosia gets dangerously close to her. "Please?"
Umbré slowly turned her head to look up at her. The mare gave her a smile that felt... familiar to her. This mare had this familiarity to the foal. It wasn't by looks, it was how she was approaching her. This warm feeling...
It reminded her how Hope was towards her.
"Tell you what, " Ambrosia lifts the doll up, "why don't you put the picture inside? That way she will never leave you again. The more love you give to this doll, the more alive she'll become."
Umbré stares at the mare and back at the doll. She held the whispering photo in her hoof, thinking about it for a moment before she used her magic and levitated the picture up. She stared at it before she placed the photo inside of the doll.
Ambrosia smiled as she watched the child. “See? Now she’s more alive now.” she said, sealing the doll back up with the zipper.
Umbré looked up at the pony before she looked back at the doll. She could still hear the picture coming from inside it but it was rather faint. She reaches over with her hooves and grabs it.
She stared at the doll as fresh tears began swelling and she hugged it tightly. “Hopey, Hopey, Hopey~” She whimpered out her name, eyes shut. The doll felt warm when she hugged it, though she can only hear those same words from Hope, having something like this doll to physically hold and the voices made her feel like she’s holding Hope again.
Slowly, Ambrosia scooted closer to the child, and she started humming a melody. It was soft, it echoed in the room that was pleasant to all ears.
Then she opened her mouth and started to sing a song. A lullaby of sorts. She sits right next to Umbré, her soft wings brushing up against the foal's side.
Umbré's frantic crying softened as she heard the lullaby, causing her to open her eyes. When she did, Ambrosia saw that the red and green coloring from her eyes were gone, along with the black mist that was flowing seemed to have disappeared as well. Her sclera was white - slightly red and puffy from the tears and the bright baby blues eyes returned.
As if it was some sort of distraction, Ambrosia raised her hoof and gently placed it on Umbré's shoulders.
The foal tensed up and let out a gasp when she felt the pegasus touch her. Ambrosia was still singing the lullaby, bringing the foal some comfort. Her touch was warm to Umbré, her voice was like sweet honey to her ears.
Umbré stared up at her, she trembled before curling up to the pegasus, face buried into her chest and sobbed.
“Shh, shh there there,” Ambrosia whispered softly, wrapping her hooves around the foal and bringing her in for a much needed hug. “There, there, let it all out.” she said in a soothing tone.
“Well I be,” Shining smiled softly as he and the other ponies were watching from the hallway.
“Is that mare~” Sour Sweet was about to say something smartass like before Ranger stopped her.
“If you are going to say something about my wife, please do so with as much praise and admiration as she deserves,” Ranger said, giving the mare a warning look before looking back at Shining Armor. “Told you she has that kind of magic.” He chuckled before he trots over to his wife and Umbré.
Ambrosia had managed to get Umbré to stop her crying when he came up to them.
Over the following days, the couple would come and visit Umbré at the foal center. Each moment the two had was to slowly make sure Umbré trusted them cause there were moments that she was unsure of the two but she soon came to enjoy them visiting her.
She enjoyed Ambrosia’s warm embrace and her voice; Ranger she was more hesitant towards but he soon broke down her tiny barriers. Slowly and surely, day by day, she started to look more like she was in the photo - the purple gradient on her hooves, muzzle and underbelly had returned, her tiny fangs had disappeared and eventually, her horn even straightened out and had ridges like a normal unicorn right before the two’s very eyes.
One morning, Umbré, with her doll, sat in the playroom at a tiny table with a couple of other foals with building blocks. Every once in a while, the foal would look up at the door that led outside and up at the clock, watching it tick by. Waiting for the two to visit her again, they would always come around at the same time of day like clockwork.
However, when it was time for them to show up, the two didn’t show up. Umbré tilted her head confused when she saw that they weren’t there. She waited for a few minutes but they still didn't show. As time continued to tick by, she was starting to get nervous.
Did they leave?
They wouldn't leave without saying goodbye? Right?
She had started pacing around with the doll on her back, staring up at the clock and the door. She was fussing and whimpering.
Chestnut Falls came into the playroom to check on the little ones when she saw Umbré making a hole in the floor from the non stop pacing. “Umbré, what are you doing, dear girl?” she giggled.
Umbré babbled, waving her hoof where the two usually come in.
Chestnut approached her, scooping her up in her hoof. “Well, whatever it is you’re waiting on, that can wait, it’s time for a bath.”
Umbré did enjoy the baths she was getting at the center so she didn’t make a fuss about it. However, she did look over the pony’s shoulder, expecting to see the ponies she wanted to see but there was no one. She let out a sad whimper as she was whisked away.
Chestnut was being gentle when she placed the foal in the warm soapy tub, managing to grab the Hope-like doll before it could get ruined by the water and set the doll up on the sink countertop.
Umbré grunts and moans, waving her arms at the doll, wanting it by her side. “Hopey, Hopey.”
“You’ll have Hopey after bath silly.” the mare said as she took a cup she had in the tub and scooped some of the water and gently poured it over the foal’s head. “If we get the doll wet, she’ll get ruined. Just be patient.” She then boops Umbré on her tiny snoot, causing her to giggle.
Instead of using the typical standard baby shampoo and soap the caretakers here would use to clean her up with, what the crystal pony was using had a sweet pea and lavender scent to it. And after she was dried, the mare styled her hair, bundling it up and placing a few bows on it.
And for the first time, she put on a very cute bright blue dress on the foal.
“Oh my gosh you just look so adorable!” Chestnut Falls couldn’t help but gush at how fancied up she looked.
Umbré babbled as she looked down at the puffy fabric, trying to sit up but she kept rolling on her back. It felt weird actually wearing clothes for the first time, she didn’t know what was happening.
After getting her dressed, Chestnut Falls carried the foal out down the hallway. Umbré looked and saw that she didn’t grab Hopey on the way out. Her horn sparked and the doll was consumed by the blue aura and it lifted Hopey up off the counter and floated towards her. Umbré raised her arms out and grabbed the doll, the magic dispelling and she nuzzled up to the doll.
“You have a special surprise ahead of you, Umbré.” the crystal pony said, smiling down at you. “I think you're gonna love it.”
Umbré cooed in response, suckling on her hoof.
Chestnut carried the foal to a door. She opened in and Umbré gasped softly.
There were Ambrosia and Ranger Arc waiting inside this office. Ambrosia turned her head to see the two come in, saw how pretty Umbré looked and she squealed.
“Oh my Celestia, Umbré! You look so beautiful!” She shot out of her chair, flew over to them and grabbed Umbré who had her arms out for her.
Umbré cheered and laughed when Ambrosia lifted her up in the air before the pegasus showered her cheeks with kisses.
Ranger Arc snickered, “Sia dear, let the girl breathe.” He said, calling her by her nickname, but he can’t help but marvel at how the foal looks as he felt a sense of pride.
“I know, I know, but I’m just so excited that I can’t stand it!” Ambrosia said, nuzzling against Umbré. She giggled and cooed as she hugged the pegasus’s face before looking at Ranger.
She then reached her arms out for him and babbled.
Ranger chuckled before using his magic to engulf Umbré and picked her up. Umbré squealed as she was carried out of Ambrosia’s hooves and levitated over to his arms.
Umbré made happy noises and nuzzled up against him. He felt warm like his wife but there was something about him that she felt safe. He wasn’t a strong looking pony but he wasn’t a skinny beanpole either. She just felt like she wasn’t scared of anything in his arms.
She looked up at the stallion who kept making silly looking faces to make her laugh. Umbré felt happy to see these two again, relieved the fact they didn’t just up and left her alone.
Umbré looked at Ranger before she leapt up from his arms and landed right on top of his head. The adults laughed as they watched the foal playing with his mane.
“I think we’re just about done here,” Chestnut Falls giggled, watching the happy baby and the couple. She trots over to her desk and pulls out some paperwork from the drawer and sets it down in front of the two. “All I need is your two’s signatures and you will officially be parents.”
Parents??
Umbré tilted her head at that word and babbled.
And as if they were able to understand baby talk, Ambrosia spoke, “We’re taking you home with us, Umbré. You’ll be our daughter and we’re going to be your parents.” She smiled before pointing a hoof at herself. “I’m gonna be your mama,” she then points at Ranger. “And he’s going to be daddy.”
Mama? Daddy?
Ranger picks Umbré up with his hooves before picking her off his head and holding her again in his arms.
Umbré looked between the two and Chestnut.
“You’re being adopted, Umbré, they’ll take great care of you.” the head caretaker said, getting tears of joy. She always gets teary eyed when seeing one of her foals is with their new families.
She held Hopey in her hooves as she looked back and forth between Ranger Arc and Ambrosia, trying to get an understanding of what they were saying.
The word daddy was foreign to her ears but mama wasn’t new.
Obscura called herself Mother, and Hope wanted Umbré to call her mama.
They said they were taking her home with them. Did they mean they’ll leave the Empire with her?
That thought itself sounded really good, she didn’t want to stay in the Crystal Empire, not after what happened. She wanted to get as far away as she could from the monsters.
“So Umbré, what do you say?” Ambrosia asked, she stood in front of her and Ranger. She stared down at Umbré with love and admiration. “Would you like to come home with us?”
Umbré watched the two for a moment, considering she enjoyed being with the couple. She weighed her options before making her decision.
She looked at Ambrosia and pointed at her. “Mama,” she spoke. Ambrosia’s eyes lit up like Hearth’s Warming Tree. Umbré turned her head and looked up at Ranger. “Dada.” Ranger smiled as Umbré called him.
The couple then signed the official paperworks and that was it.
They just became the proud parents of little Umbré, and soon, the new family boarded on the train. Umbré eagerly sat in the seat, Hopey the doll sitting right next to her. Mama and Dada sat in the same aisle as her, they watched their little filly looking at the window.
She saw as the train was moving that the Empire was getting smaller and smaller from view. And quickly, she saw that it was gone. Gladly putting as much distance as she could from that place, awaiting to start her new journey.
Several years later…
Somewhere in the Everfree Forest, just right outside of Ponyville, a door to a nice looking house swung open.
“Okay Mommy, okay Daddy, I’m heading out now!” leaping out of the door was Umbré. Reaching around eight years old, her purple mane had grown out some, with a small bit of her hair bunched up to a tiny ponytail with a large white bow in her hair. She wore a bedazzled saddle that had a seatbelt on it; sitting on her back was no pony other than Hopey the doll. The seatbelt was to make sure the doll didn’t fall off as she ran around.
“Umbré, please be careful, we’re still in the process of unpacking and we still don't know what’s out there.” Ambrosia called out to her daughter as she and Ranger stepped out the door. The tiny unicorn waved at them.
“I will!” Umbré said in a chipper voice. “Okay Hopey, let's go on an adventure!” so full of life and free spirited, taking off down the stone pathway and into the forest.
The little unicorn ran through the woods, looking around her new environment. Mostly felt calm and tranquil, watching everything around her. From the trees to the cute woodland animals. Taking in her new land she now calls home.
As she ran around, looking at everything her little eyes could see, her stride came to a slow stop. A sensation washed over her, her nerves were lighting up all over the place.
She turned her head and looked at some bushes, peering into the darker parts of the woods.
“Hello?” she called out. Feeling eyes were watching her.
She didn’t get a response, only sounds of the birds chirping and little animals going about their day. But there was no mistake, Umbré knew somepony was watching her.
“Hello? I know you’re there. I won’t bite, you can come on out.” she said with a smile. “Won’t we, Hopey?” she used her magic to make the doll nod her head in agreement.
She heard some rustling in the bushes but nothing came out. She steps closer to it. “Do you need help?”
Umbré’s ears flickered when she heard something fast approaching her from behind. She looked over her shoulder just to see plunder vines shot out from the other side of the path and right at her. Umbré tried to run but the vines grabbed her and Hopey and lifted the two up.
Umbré screamed as the vines swung her around. “Mommy! Daddy! Help me!” she screamed out for them as the vines began pulling her out of the pathway and started retreating back to where it came from with their food in tow.
“Help me, help me! Somepony help me!” Umbré cried out as she struggled to break free but it was fruitless.
The vines wrapped itself around Umbré completely, her screams and cries for help were muffled. She then hears sounds of magic being used and this bright red magic beam shoots out of nowhere and hits the vines several times.
The vines unravel and Umbré drops to the ground with a yelp. When she saw Hopey was being dropped as well, Umbré desperately used her magic to grab the doll in midair before flinging it over to her and she hugs it close, covering her head with her hooves as the attack continues.
More of the red magic blasts the vines until most of it is reduced to ashes. What was left of it retreated back to its cave out of fear.
“Well, that was a waste of time.” a new voice said with an annoyed huff.
Her ears flickered when she heard the voice. She removes her hooves from her head to look up. She looked to the pony who saved her. She curiously tilted her head as she looked at her savior.
It was a young colt, maybe a couple of years older than her, with wavy jet black mane and tail, dark gray coat and strange looking red eyes. His horn was weirdly shaped as well, it being slightly curved and smooth looking as well. He stood over Umbré and gave her a scowl.
“What are you staring at?” he asked her.
Who was this pony and why does Umbré feel like she knew him?
This is an extraordinary story)))) I really enjoyed it, the author did a great job for which I shake his hand for his work. I wonder if there is a sequel?
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Oh yes there is one on the way
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Sequel is up