The Imagination of a Foal
It was a warm, summer night in Canterlot. The Sparkle residence had but one light on, and it was the living room. Within it, Princess Cadance sat on a cushion as she read a book. A cup of tea sat next to her as she turned the page. Upstairs, Twilight Sparkle slept peacefully, having been put to bed a few hours prior.
“Her parents should be home any minute now,” Cadance said to herself. The time she’d spent with Twilight that night had been eventful. They’d played board games, fought over eating vegetables, and read spooky stories. It was fun, even if a bit routine for the princess.
But who was she to argue with a routine when she got to see Twilight smile?
Cadance lifted the tea up to her lips. Before she could take a sip though, she heard Twilight’s bedroom door burst open, and the sound of the foal’s hooves slamming against the floor filled the air. Her heart immediately began to race and she felt paralyzed by fear.
“Cadance!”
Cadance rushed over to Twilight Sparkle, who had Smarty Pants in her magic, and shook wildly in fear. “What is it?” she asked in a motherly tone. She sat next to the foal and did her best to calm her down, which was easier said than done. A waterfall of tears rushed down Twilight’s face, drenching her fur. Once she did calm down though, what she said made as much sense to Cadance as it didn’t.
“There’s… there’s a monster in my room!”
Cadance raised an eyebrow. “A monster you say?”
Twilight nodded repeatedly. “It was big! It had really big claws!” she said, visibly shaking. “And… and its eyes were like those icky tomatoes that mommy and daddy and you make me eat!”
Cadance giggled. “Is that so?” she asked, hoping that her reaction to her story would ease Twilight’s mind. “Well, why don’t we go show this big, scary monster who’s boss!”
“Yeah!” Twilight bounced around happily. She followed Cadance to her bedroom, which was surprisingly neat and tidy for a place that had allegedly been the home of a scary monster.
“So, where was this monster?” Cadance asked.
Twilight pointed to the window. “He was out there! He was tapping on my window and kept waving to me!” she said. “Then he appeared in my room!”
Cadance nodded and looked around the room for anything that could possibly explain Twilight’s sighting. It didn’t take long though, as she saw a coat hanger that stood near the window Twilight had gestured to. She walked over to the lightswitch and flicked it off. “So,” she began, “is that your monster?” she asked ask she pointed to the coat hanger.
Twilight shook her head. “No! It was a real monster!” She turned to Cadance with watery eyes. “You have to believe me, Cadance! It was big and scary! He… he said he’d eat us all!”
Cadance looked into Twilight’s eyes. She hated to admit it to herself, but the terror in her eyes was hard to denounce, which unnerved her. If Twilight was telling the truth, then she knew that both her life and Twilight’s were in danger. And in a city as large as Canterlot, that also put a lot of other ponies in danger. She let out a sigh and nodded. “Okay then: where did the monster go?”
“Well, when I ran out, he… didn’t follow me,” Twilight said. “I think he was afraid when I said that I’d get my foalsitter.”
Cadance smirked. “So, the big scary monster was afraid of a princess?”
Twilight nodded. “I think he knew who you were!”
“Oh really now?” Cadance flicked the lightswitch back on and puffed out her chest. “So, you think this big, scary monster won’t return if I stay in here with you?”
The fear in Twilight’s eyes vanished in a heartbeat, and was replaced with absolute joy. “You would do that!?” she asked. “To keep him away?”
Cadance smiled. Inside though, she still couldn’t help but feel a twinge of fear. The look in Twilight’s eyes when she’d first come up to her had been burned into her mind. “Of course I would,” she said after a moment. “Anything for the best foal in the whole wide world!”
Twilight bounced around happily. “Oh, yes, yes, yes!” she exclaimed. “Now nothing can hurt us! The best foalsitter in the world and Smarty Pants will protect me from anything!”
Cadance felt her heart swell with the warmth of a thousand suns. Whatever fear had once filled Twilight seemed to have been extinguished with just a few words. “Well, I’ll be right back. For now, why don’t you get back into bed? I hear monsters can’t hurt you if you’re under a blanket.”
Twilight stopped bouncing and got under the blankets faster than Cadance had ever seen her under them.
Wow, maybe I should say that more often when I’m here, she thought. Cadance tucked Twilight back into bed and kissed her on the head. “Just remember: there’s nothing to worry about Twilight,” she said with a warm smile. “If there are monsters here, I’ll make sure none will ever hurt you. I promise.”
Twilight smiled back. “You’re the best, Cadance,” she said back before letting out a yawn. She snuggled herself under her blankets and looked up at Cadance. “Will you really stay up here for the night with me?”
Cadance nodded. “Of course I will,” she said as she watched Twilight drift off to sleep. She let out a soft sigh and turned around and walked back down into the living room to get her book. “Foals and their imaginations,” she said to herself with a chuckle, after which she levitated up her book.
Tap… tap…
Cadance turned her head and looked into the hallway. From within the shadows of the room, she could see two glistening red eyes glare back at her.
“Adults and their lack of imagination,” a soft voice said to her.