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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Trust
A sharp neigh, a flash of wheels.
Lyra dashed back across the busy Canterlot street, dodging around stalled carts and hooves.
“Bright Eyes!”
“Momma! I wan momma!” Bright Eyes bawled, inches away from a massive wheel.
Lyra’s heart crawled up in her throat. She made a mad dash across the remaining lane to catch the little filly in tight hug.
“Bright Eyes!” Amber, a tall, elegant earth pony with golden eyes, the same as Lyra’s and Bright Eyes’, scrambled out into the street.
“Momma!”
She caught them both in a hug, and hauled them back to the curb.
Lyra sat a tail’s length away, lip caught between her teeth as Amber cooed and nuzzled her daughter.
When Bright Eyes settled, her eyes still streaming tears, Amber turned a glower on Lyra. “You’re older than her, Lyra. You have to be more responsible. You can’t let her follow you through the streets. Bright Eyes can’t see as well as you can.”
“I’m sorry! I didn’t know she was following me!” Lyra started crying. A flash of wheels, a piercing cry… She saw Bright Eyes laying still, her brilliant, happy eyes darkening.
No!
“I-is she okay?” Lyra said through a sob.
“She’s fine. Scared.” Amber’s eyes softened and she held out a foreleg. “It’s as much my fault.”
Lyra threw herself into Amber’s hold and sobbed against her neck. “I’m s-so sorry! I promise I’ll take care of her!”
“I know you are.” Amber kissed Lyra’s forehead and pulled her in tighter. “And I know you will. Come on, grab hold of my mane. I think we’ve had enough adventure for today.”
It was a long time before Lyra let Amber’s mane fall. “Why can’t I live with you all the time? I could be your daughter.”
“I wish you were my daughter, too.” Amber flinched.
“Why can’t I?” She smiled, her heart bouncing.
It faded when Amber shook her head. “Your parents love you very much. I couldn’t take away their daughter.”
“They’re never around anyway.” Lyra kicked a rock into a sewer grate. “Not like they’d care.”
“They do care.” Amber stopped her. “Listen to me, Lyra. Because they love you so much, they need to be away. They’re soldiers, Lyra. Do you know what that means?”
“They go away for a really long time and leave me alone.”
“They’re making sure that you are safe. Do you think they would leave you with me if they didn’t love you?”
Lyra clutched Amber’s leg tighter. “But why can’t I go with them? If they love me so much, why—”
“Shh. Lyra.” Amber pulled Lyra close. “How scared were you when Bright Eyes was almost hit by that cart?”
“Scared.” A flash of wheels, a sharp cry… She shuddered. “But I’m a big pony! I can take care of myself!”
“What if you were in danger, and the only way to save you was to put themselves in front of that danger?”
A Timberwolf bearing down on her, all wood and dark magic bound with anger. Her parents crying over her. Her parents dying for her
.
“No!” Lyra thrashed.
“Shh… It’s not going to happen.” Amber’s nuzzled her mane. Slow, gentle. Strong.
“Y-you d-don’t know!” Lyra struggled, weaker, to get away. And go where?
“I do. Because they’re the best Equestria has. And you’re safe. That gives them strength.”
“But what about me? I’m strong! I can—” A flash of wheels, a piercing cry…
“You are, but you still have some growing up to do.”
“Why Lyly cry?” Bright Eyes opened her eyes. “Lyly need momma?”
“‘m not crying.” Mom and dad never cried.
Amber stood, still cradling Bright Eyes, and set off again. “She’s trying to be brave.”
“I’m not trying!”
“Bwave.” Bright Eyes's mismatched, wandering eyes followed Lyra. “I bwave, too!”
“Yes, you are.” Amber spoke to Bright Eyes, looking at Lyra. “A little too much for your own good.”
The flower shop was just around the corner when she bumped up against Amber’s foreleg. “I should have made sure she wasn’t following me.”
“I know you were excited to see the Royal Guards’ March.”
“C-can she ride on my back? I promise I’ll take good care of her.”
“No more running across roads willy-nilly, okay?”
“I promise.”
“Okay. I’m trusting you.”
Bright Eyes’ clasped her forelegs tightly around Lyra’s neck. “Wuv you, Lyly.”
Lyra yawned, memory fading, and nuzzled a sleeping Bright Eyes.
"I love you, too."
Above the couch in her home, Amber’s picture smiled.
Lyra dashed back across the busy Canterlot street, dodging around stalled carts and hooves.
“Bright Eyes!”
“Momma! I wan momma!” Bright Eyes bawled, inches away from a massive wheel.
Lyra’s heart crawled up in her throat. She made a mad dash across the remaining lane to catch the little filly in tight hug.
“Bright Eyes!” Amber, a tall, elegant earth pony with golden eyes, the same as Lyra’s and Bright Eyes’, scrambled out into the street.
“Momma!”
She caught them both in a hug, and hauled them back to the curb.
Lyra sat a tail’s length away, lip caught between her teeth as Amber cooed and nuzzled her daughter.
When Bright Eyes settled, her eyes still streaming tears, Amber turned a glower on Lyra. “You’re older than her, Lyra. You have to be more responsible. You can’t let her follow you through the streets. Bright Eyes can’t see as well as you can.”
“I’m sorry! I didn’t know she was following me!” Lyra started crying. A flash of wheels, a piercing cry… She saw Bright Eyes laying still, her brilliant, happy eyes darkening.
No!
“I-is she okay?” Lyra said through a sob.
“She’s fine. Scared.” Amber’s eyes softened and she held out a foreleg. “It’s as much my fault.”
Lyra threw herself into Amber’s hold and sobbed against her neck. “I’m s-so sorry! I promise I’ll take care of her!”
“I know you are.” Amber kissed Lyra’s forehead and pulled her in tighter. “And I know you will. Come on, grab hold of my mane. I think we’ve had enough adventure for today.”
It was a long time before Lyra let Amber’s mane fall. “Why can’t I live with you all the time? I could be your daughter.”
“I wish you were my daughter, too.” Amber flinched.
“Why can’t I?” She smiled, her heart bouncing.
It faded when Amber shook her head. “Your parents love you very much. I couldn’t take away their daughter.”
“They’re never around anyway.” Lyra kicked a rock into a sewer grate. “Not like they’d care.”
“They do care.” Amber stopped her. “Listen to me, Lyra. Because they love you so much, they need to be away. They’re soldiers, Lyra. Do you know what that means?”
“They go away for a really long time and leave me alone.”
“They’re making sure that you are safe. Do you think they would leave you with me if they didn’t love you?”
Lyra clutched Amber’s leg tighter. “But why can’t I go with them? If they love me so much, why—”
“Shh. Lyra.” Amber pulled Lyra close. “How scared were you when Bright Eyes was almost hit by that cart?”
“Scared.” A flash of wheels, a sharp cry… She shuddered. “But I’m a big pony! I can take care of myself!”
“What if you were in danger, and the only way to save you was to put themselves in front of that danger?”
A Timberwolf bearing down on her, all wood and dark magic bound with anger. Her parents crying over her. Her parents dying for her
.
“No!” Lyra thrashed.
“Shh… It’s not going to happen.” Amber’s nuzzled her mane. Slow, gentle. Strong.
“Y-you d-don’t know!” Lyra struggled, weaker, to get away. And go where?
“I do. Because they’re the best Equestria has. And you’re safe. That gives them strength.”
“But what about me? I’m strong! I can—” A flash of wheels, a piercing cry…
“You are, but you still have some growing up to do.”
“Why Lyly cry?” Bright Eyes opened her eyes. “Lyly need momma?”
“‘m not crying.” Mom and dad never cried.
Amber stood, still cradling Bright Eyes, and set off again. “She’s trying to be brave.”
“I’m not trying!”
“Bwave.” Bright Eyes's mismatched, wandering eyes followed Lyra. “I bwave, too!”
“Yes, you are.” Amber spoke to Bright Eyes, looking at Lyra. “A little too much for your own good.”
The flower shop was just around the corner when she bumped up against Amber’s foreleg. “I should have made sure she wasn’t following me.”
“I know you were excited to see the Royal Guards’ March.”
“C-can she ride on my back? I promise I’ll take good care of her.”
“No more running across roads willy-nilly, okay?”
“I promise.”
“Okay. I’m trusting you.”
Bright Eyes’ clasped her forelegs tightly around Lyra’s neck. “Wuv you, Lyly.”
Lyra yawned, memory fading, and nuzzled a sleeping Bright Eyes.
"I love you, too."
Above the couch in her home, Amber’s picture smiled.