To Silverstream, With Love
It was nearly time.
The end of the school year drew nearer and nearer by the day. Finals were looming, students bustled in the halls, and Smolder’s friends hailing from different lands were preparing to go back home. The winding down of the school year also meant tumultuous emotions for Smolder. Soon, she would go back to The Dragon Lands for the summer, and have to be away from school, and consequently from Silverstream- her caregiver. Certainly, Ember having given her permission to move freely between The Dragon Lands and other places helped. But not having the comfort of knowing that Silverstream was a few doors away, that she could slip into her little space at any time, was unnerving. That space had been a security blanket for her all this time. In immediate distress, she always had an out here. Now, returning home, she would have no way for the release she had become so accustomed to on demand. She didn’t know what was worse- the fact that she didn’t have that immediate release available or being away from Silverstream.
Much like an actual child, she had become dependent on Silverstream for much of her needs. When she was big, she took care of it herself, but when she was little, she depended on Silverstream for everything. Feeding, changes, playtime, comfort- all of it came from Silverstream. Her friends, of course, chipped in too, but Silverstream was the first one to do it, and remained the main one. Since discovering this part of herself, there had never been a day when she hadn’t seen her. The provider of love, comfort, laughter, joy, and care had always been nearby. Not having that soothing presence disconcerted her.
Much as she worried for herself, she was thinking of Silverstream too. How could she show her just how much she cared? How could she describe how much this meant to her? She wanted to do something special for her, to show her how important all of this was, how much she appreciated it. She mulled over what she could do for her a long while, churning over the things they liked to do together. She wracked her brain, but nothing that came to mind seemed special enough.
Then, like lightning, inspiration struck. She grabbed a stack of scrolls, a quill and ink, a few gems she had saved up, and a photo album. She was going to make her day, and show her Mommy exactly what she meant to her.
Smolder ran errands that day, disregarding studying for her finals. She wrote a scroll and had it sent to where she needed it to go, and then, she went to a store and placed an order. Then, told when it would be ready and when she could pick it up, she went back to her dorm, satisfied.
The end of the year always inspired a kind of nostalgia in Silverstream. The hustle and bustle, rushing in the hallways, always reminded Silverstream of the Three Days Of Freedom festival, and the season preceding it- with sea ponies and hippogriffs alike rushing to shop, to decorate homes, to enjoy time with friends and family. Certainly the reason for the pressure was not nearly as cheerful, but all the same it was exciting. Silverstream looked forward to going home and seeing her family. Though she would certainly miss her friends, it would be wonderful to see her family again for a while. Plus, since Smolder had free reign to travel between The Dragon Lands and other places, she could come visit her! A whole summer of being with her family, visits with Smolder, and being with both sea ponies and hippogriffs was perfection. She didn’t think it could get any better than this.
The last week of school was upon them all like a Kiron set ablaze. The students of the School Of Friendship found themselves caught up in a whirlwind of tests, studying, final exams, and packing. With all the hectic activity going on, rarely did any creature find a moment to breathe. Silverstream was studying when she heard a knock at her door. She got up and was happy to see Smolder standing there, a box in her claws.
When Smolder came in, and Silverstream had shut the door, Smolder put down the box and wrapped Silverstream in a hug that could have rivaled Yona’s. Ordinarily something like this would have made Silverstream think that something was wrong. However, with the last week of school in full swing, she thought it might be something stress related, and she knew what happened when Smolder was stressed.
“Are you okay?” Silverstream asked. She felt Smolder nod into her shoulder. However, she felt hot tears seeping into her coat. Smolder pulled away, and when Silverstream looked at her, expecting to see Smolder’s hatchling self in those eyes, she was surprised to find it absent. Smolder picked up the box.
“This is for you.” She said, offering it out to her.
Silverstream grinned, and opened the box. Inside were several scrolls, marked with dates, and a small black box. She picked up the small black box first. Opening it, she gasped when she found a silver heart-shaped locket, with an intricate design on the front, and opening it, saw a picture of herself and Smolder on the right, and the left side was engraved with the words I had the best days with you. She could have cried- and she did feel her eyes welling up with tears but they did not fall yet. The scroll at the top had no date on it, so she opened it.
Dear Mommy,
Thank you is not a good enough word to say how grateful I am for what you have done for me. You accepted me, you loved me, and you treated me like your own. You gave me so much this year. You gave me friendship, you gave me hope, and you gave me a Mommy who loves every part of me. I didn’t know how to say thank you for everything you’ve done, so I tried to show you instead. There are letters in here for the first day, first week, two weeks, month, month and a half, and two months of summer break. You can read them and feel closer to me. I’ll try and come and visit when I can, but in the meantime, I wanted to give you something to keep so you can carry you with me wherever you go. The locket I gave you has my favorite picture of us, so you have a piece of me with you. I also sent a scroll to Princess Luna a week ago and asked her if she would make a shared dream for us our first night back at our homes so we can feel closer to each other.
I miss you already, and I can’t wait for the next best day with you.
Love,
Smolder
Silverstream couldn’t hold it in any longer, and cried, wrapping her arms around Smolder gratefully.
“I love it so much. And I love you.” She sobbed happily.
Smolder breathed in Silverstream’s scent of ocean water and fresh spring meadow, and breathed out her relief. “I love you too, Mommy.”
Silverstream added the heart shaped locket to her transformation necklace to ensure she never took it off. The locket had been enchanted against any wear and tear, and would remain as pristine as it was the day she got it forever. The last of the finals had been taken, and every creature was on their way home. Smolder and Silverstream both headed home, Silverstream feeling giddy with happiness to be going home. But she wasn’t going home really- she had three homes now. One in Seaquestria, one on Mount Aris, and one here in Equestria. And Smolder felt a weight lifted from her shoulders, because she knew that whatever happened next, she would have Silverstream and her friends by her side.