A Mysterious Find
A little nymph plodded through the forest, periodically looking around for other changelings and nomming on what few foods she could find. It wasn't what she had expected, though she really hadn't expected much, besides that she'd be away from mommy. Though while the word conveyed a somehow positive feeling, her mommy was anything but.
She had spent her nymphhood terrified, unable to do much beyond cower and go where she was told. She had taken the first chance she could to bolt for what she hoped for safety, though as a foal she still knew little of the outside world. She knew that while Changelings ate food, they needed love to have any power at all. She could change form, and that to get love she had to do that to become a pony, but she'd never seen a pony before. She had a basic grasp of equish, but no one to ask anything.
All she knew was that she didn't think she could do anything magical for very long, and that after several days of wandering aimlessly, she could sense something she'd never felt before. So, here she was, plodding towards it without the first clue as to what she was supposed to do when she got there.
Before she could get such a clue, she nearly blundered right into what she was sensing. Peeking out from the leaves, there was...
Well, she wasn't sure what it was. If she had to guess, she'd pick a pony. It was certainly radiating love at least, and was even taller then mommy. But unlike mommy, she (the nymph assumed she was a she) was covered in beautiful white fur, a long elegant horn, with brilliant wings and a multicolored mane and tail that flowed all on their own.
She was the most amazing thing the nymph had ever seen.
The little nymph could feel herself slowly filling with the most delicious love she had ever felt, and didn't want that to go away. Desperate to try to find a way to get closer, she decided to try to risk it.
She did her best to mimic the large pony's form. She was still her original size, with a pink coat, and similar multicolored mane. She now had feathered wings and a small, but straight, horn, but she had no idea how to make her mane flow like that.
Proud of her achievement, she slowly plodded out of the bushes, but froze when she realized she had no idea what to do next.
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Celestia was growing frustrated. She had felt some sort of magical movement out here, but what it was was beyond her. Just as she was about to leave, she heard a rustling behind her, and turned to see...
...the most impossible sight in the world.
There, before her, was a little foal, cowering. That a foal would be out here alone was a shock in itself. But an ALICORN foal? Celestia was in shock.
Her mind raced to understand what she was seeing. But her internal fugue lasted only a few brief moments before something far more important asserted itself.
There was a terrified foal out here alone.
Celestia lowered herself to the ground, lying in front of the little one, offering a comforting smile.
"Come now my little pony, you're safe now. I won't let anything hurt you."
The little filly's eyes grew wide and her cowering eased, and she scooted an inch closer to the larger pony.
"There you go. Now, how did you get out here all on your own?" In spite of the calmness in her tone, inside Celestia was scared for the little filly, alicorn or not she shouldn't be out here alone. Her worry deepened when she was answered with a nod.
"Well, don't worry. I'm here now, and soon we'll find your mommy." Before she could continue the little filly seemed to go straight back to terrified, her head shaking vigorously at the suggestion. That a little one would be so scared of their parents was horrifying, but that was a problem for later. Since mommy was out, Celestia would have to take another track.
"Alright, alright, hush, don't worry." The soothing seemed to start working again, and the filly allowed her to slowly move closer. "I'll get you someplace safe, and we can find a nice place for you to stay, how does that sound?"
She smiled at the more enthusiastic nods as the filly finally stood up and plodded towards her.
"There we go, see? Nice and safe." She picked the filly up in her forelegs and pulled her into a hug, her heart melting as the filly cuddles up to her.
Before she could take to the air, she found the filly had another surprise for her. Freezing for a moment before looking up.
"Love?" Her eyes were wide, and she had the most awestruck look on her face.
Celestia blinked in surprise, "you...you could feel my love?" She was answered by a nod, followed by the filly returning to snuggle into her grasp.
To feel love. Ponies could do that, not like the filly had. Celestia looked back down at the young one rapidly drifting off to sleep.
So, she could actually feel the love around her. That must have been what drew her to seek out the older alicorn. With that it clicked in Celestia's head. The magic, it must have been the young filly ascending. Somehow, without even earning her cutie mark, this little one had become the alicorn of love.
It was impossible, but it was the only explanation. With that, Celestia took to the air, the filly only taking a moment look around before snuggling back to sleep. She'd find the filly's parents later, and find out exactly why this poor one was so scared of them, but for now, home, home and a safe place.
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As Celestia approached the city of Cloudsdale, she could see the crowd of Royal Guards, and the few City Guards, gathering towards the edge to greet her, and for once her mind drifted to something rather import.
How was she supposed to explain the sudden appearance of the alicorn filly currently sleeping between her wings?
Well, it was an unfortunate fact that her little ponies tended to believe whatever she said. Sighing at the thought of taking advantage of this fact, she alighted onto the clouds, keeping her wings up to hide the sleeping filly a little longer.
“Your Highness”
Celestia allowed them their chance to bow before they continued.
“Did you find the source of the disturbance Princess?”
Celestia smiled, “As a matter of fact, I believe I have.” With that she turned to the side, lowering her wings to reveal the little filly, slowly rubbing the sleep from her eyes from her nap.
The startled gasps of the guards got her attention though, and she nearly seemed to teleport with the speed that she managed when hiding behind Celestias legs.
Silver Wing, one of her personal guards, slowly stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, that filly, is she truly…?”
Celestia nodded, “Yes she is. It appears that this poor dear, all alone out in the woods, has become the alicorn of love.”
“Wait, alone out in the woods?”
Celestia nodded, a sad look on her face, “it appears so, and whoever had raised her before, she seems quite scared of them. I want a quiet search of the area, and see if anypony here is missing a filly.”
“What…what is to be done about her in the meantime?” Silver Wing knelt down, trying to offer a friendly face to the little one starting to inch her way out of her hiding place.
Celestia looked down, seeing curiosity slowly luring the little filly out of hiding. She was too adorable to resist.
“For now, she shall be my adopted niece.” The words left her mouth before she realized what she was saying, leaving the guards stunned at such a drastic declaration, while she herself struggled to keep her face calm as she warred with herself if it was the best option. But it had been said, and she couldn’t take it back. Of course, she didn’t want to take it back. She could justify it however she wanted, likely the obvious fact of training such a young one with her power, but in truth the only explanation was she couldn’t leave the young one out on her own, and she was fearful of what would happen if the little filly were turned back to a family that had scared her so.
“What’s her name?”
The question brought her out of her internal dialogue, and she looked down to see Silver Wing had managed to coax the little one out from behind Celestia’s legs, and was allowing her to climb up over the golden armor on his back.
Celestia then grimaced, and lowered her head to keep a closer eye on the little one.
“Not yet, it took a bit just to try to alleviate her fears. Tell me little one, what’s your name?”
She smiled down, doing her best to keep from looking intimidating in spite of her size, but it was harder to keep up the smile as the little filly just tiled her head to the side.
“Name?”