My Little Pony: Origins.
Chapter Twenty Three.
Baby Girl.
"What did you say?" Glimmering said, rain trickling down her face as she stared at Cadence, the alicorn mare just stood still, her mane clinging to her wet fur.
"I-I'm..." Cadence looked down at her hooves, "Your mother..." She said softly.
"What?" Glimmering cocked her head.
"I'm your mother..." Cadence said slightly louder than before, but still soft.
"What did you say?!" Glimmering shouted
"I'M YOUR MOTHER OK?!" Cadence shouted through the tears, "I-I didn't want to believe it but it's true..." Cadence sighed, she looked up at Glimmering as the mare got closer.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Glimmering frowned, rain trickling down her coat.
"W-why would I lie? I'm an empress for christ sake." Cadence stuttered with shock.
"It wouldn't be the first time ponies have lied to me." Glimmering starting to walk away.
"I'll prove it to you!" Cadence shouted, tumbling for her locket, pulling it up and opening in, "See, we have the same picture." She added, pointing her wet hoof at the photo in the heart shaped locket.
Glimmering stared that the aged photo, sliding a hoof into her pocket, she pulled out her own photograph. She looked at both photos.
"They're the same..." Her voice trembled, Glimmering looked up at a teary Cadence, "Mom..." She hugged her mother tightly, sobbing loudly.
"Shhh... It's ok, mummy's here." Cadence soothed, embracing Shooting Star with her wings, wiping a tear from her eye. Shooting bawled her eyes out, then pair slowly falling to their knees.
"Mom, were you raped? Is that why you give me up?" Shooting looked down at her hooves as she sat on a bench.
"No, i wasn't raped." Cadence said, looking at her daughter, "And i didn't give you up..." Her voice trailed off.
"Then why was i put in a foster home?"
"I honestly can't explain it." Cadence spoke softly, "I remember holding your body in my hooves, i was told you were a stillborn." Her voice trembled, covering her eyes with her hooves, trying to hold back tears.
"Do you know who my father is?" Cadence simply nodded in reply, "Is it Shining Armor?". Cadence shook her head
"No, he isn't your father. You were born before I met him." Cadence looked over at Shooting, "And before you ask, he isn't dead, despite me thinking so for 15 years..."
"What do you mean?" Shooting Star cocked her.
"Well." Cadence took in a sharp breath of air, "I got pregnant when i was 15, your father was 19 at the time, my parents found out after i gave birth, he was arrested and charged with rape, the charges were dropped but my mum filed a restraining order on him... I never got to speak to him after that... About 16 years ago, i was told he died in a accident by his sister... Officially, the accident was deemed a suicide, but i knew for a fact that he was killed." Cadence looked down.
"Thats doesn't explain how you thought he was dead for years, wouldn't his body of been recovered?" Shooting said, placing her chin on Cadence's lap.
"Nobody was ever found, i... we all assumed he was vaporized in the explosion-"
"WHAT! An explosion?!" Shooting shouted with concern, she shot off the bench, painicing loudly, "I gotta see my dad!" She shouted, Cadence grabbed her, holding her daughter close to the chest.
"Shooting Star, listen to me." Cadence gently pressed her forehead against Shootings, "Your father is fine remember." Cadence cooed gently, "Your father was the ex my sister-in-law caught me with." Cadence gently rubbed Shooting's back.
Cadence pulled away from Shooting Star before grabbing her head in pain.
"Mom, are you ok?" Shooting Star asked, her voice filled with concern as Cadence fell of the bench, "Mom!"
"My... head! It's on fire!" Cadenced screamed in agony as she clutched her head, "I'm beginning to..." Before she could finish, her eyes snapped open, quickly followed by a blinding white flash of light.
"Mom!" Shooting screamed, wrapping her hooves around a very dazed Cadence as she struggled to sit up, "Thank goodness you're alright!".
Cadence gently cuddle her daughter, "I remember everything." Cadence smiled weakly.
"You do?" Shooting smiled, tears filling her eyes.
"I do." Cadence said, her eyes frowning, "And I know exactly what happened."
"Your highness, Empress Cadence is at the castle gates, she demands an audience with you immediately." A royal guard spoke calmly as he stood before Queen Celestia in the throne room.
"Alright." Celestia calmly replied, taking a sip of tea, "Send her in." The guard bowed before trotting out the room. Celestia placed down a second tea cup and saucer.
"CELESTIA!" Cadence threw the doors open, "I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION!" The doors smacked against the wall.
"Cadence!" Celestia said pleasingly, "What a pleasant surprise visit from my favourite niece!"
"Don't niece me!" Cadence slammed her hoof down on the marble flooring, "I want to know why you took Shooting Star away from me!" Her nostrils flared in anger.
"I have no idea what you're talking about deary." Celestia said flabbergasted, "Why would you say such a thing." She sounded disheartened.
"Cut the bullshit Tia." Cadence moved her wing, gesturing to the doorway.
Shooting Star slowly trotted up to Cadence, pulling down her hoodie. Celestia dropped her tea cup, the china object shattering into pieces on the floor.
"Celestia, you know my daughter Shooting Star right?" Cadence smiled smugly, draping a wing over Shooting's shoulder.
"I don't know what you're talking about, i've never met this pony before in my life." Celestia recomposed herself.
"Stop lying to me!" Cadence screamed, "I know exactly what you did!" Her horn sparked and fizzed in anger.
"What are you talking about." Celestia yawned, "You're being very cryptic here sweetheart."
"Fine!" Cadence snarled, "If you wanna be like that?!" Her teeth gritted, "Why don't I show you?!" Her horn lit up, shooting a beam of pure energy into the air.
Cadence sat upright in the hospital bed looking down at the sleeping foal in her arms.
"No matter what happens next little one, I'll always protect you." Cadence smiled, kissing the tiny foal on the forehead and getting a yawn in response. Cadence cuddled her baby as a single tear of joy escaping her eye, "My little Shooting Star, my little bundle of joy, I love you so much." Cadence snuggled her daughter gently and she slid down into a lying position. She gently placed Shooting Star into the cot next to her bed, the foal stirring in slumber as Cadence's eyes caught a glimpse of the slowly rising sun.
Cadence's head snapped to the door as it opened, she smiled slightly as Celestia walked in.
"Hi Celestia." Cadence tiredly smiled, a smile that soon dissipated when Celestia stayed silent, slowly continued to walk over to Shooting Star's cot, "Please don't wake her." Cadence said, leaning over the cot defensively. Celestia continued to move towards the sleeping foal, "I'm warning you, back off." She growled, her motherly instinct kicking in. She ignited her horn, only to find her magic flicking, "I-I'm too weak." Cadence struggled to cast a spell.
"I'm sorry little one." Celestia's horn lit up, knocking Cadence back, "This is for your own good." Celestia casted a spell at Cadence's head. As Cadence began to black out, she saw Celestia leaving the room with a screaming Shooting Star.
"You took my baby, erased my memories of being pregnant, told me she was a stillbirth and for what?!" Cadence shouted "My own good?!" Small black crystals began to form around her.
"I-I was protecting you." Celestia stuttered defensively.
"Protecting me from what?!" Cadence screamed, Shooting Star struggled holding her back.
"You were too young to raise a foal on your own, you weren't married and what would visiting members of state of said. I was protecting you from being treated less than your worth." Celestia rebutled, Cadence's nostrils flared in anger.
"Me and David were going to finally have a family and you took it all away! He was so excited to finally meet his baby and you…. H-He doesn't remember any of our plans." Cadence's pupils shrank as realisation dawned on her.
"What did you do to him?!" Cadence punched Celestia's chest as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I-I erased his memories of your pregnancy, I erased everyone's memories of the pregnancy, including your family." Celestia looked down at Cadence.
"You monster!." Cadence fell to her knees sobbing, "You utter bitch... How could you..." She cried, Celestia placed a wing on her.
"I'm sorry Cadence." Celestia looked down in shame, "I wish there was something I could do." She gently stroked Cadence's mane.
"You can start by giving everyone's memories back." Shooting Star spoke up, "I know it's possible since the only books in my orphanage were spell books."
"Fine…. If that is what you wish." Celestia looked down, her horn emitted a bright yellow flash, "There, the spell is broken. I'm sorry." Celestia out stretched her hoof towards Shooting Star.
"Stay away from me." Shooting flinched backwards, Cadence slowly stood up, her eyes puffy and red, "And stay the hell away from my mum."
"W-What?" Celestia flabbergasted.
"You heard me." Shooting Star's eyes narrowed, "Stay the hell away from me, my mum and her family." Shooting embraced Cadence.
"I'm proud of you." Cadence whispered, "Come on, lets go." The two turned around and walked towards the door.
"Wait." Celestia spoke up, Cadence looked at Celestia out the corner of her eye, "This belongs to you Cadence." Celestia pulled out an old tattered shoe box, Cadence snatched the box from Celestia's grasp and left the throne room with a slam of the door.
Shooting Star mindlessly stirred her tea as trees whizzed by the window, she rested her chin on the table top as the interconnecting door slid open.
"I didn't know what you wanted so i got you a cheese sandwich... Whats wrong?" Cadence cocked her head, sitting down next to her daughter.
"Nothing..." Shooting looked at her mum glumly.
"Come on." Cadence wrapped a wing around Shooting's shoulder, bringing her close to her, "You don't need to hide anything from me." Cadence kissed her forehead.
"It's just I can't get over what Celestia did." Shooting sighed, resting her head on Cadence's chest, "She is meant to protect all her subjects, yet she pulls a stunt like that."
"Listen baby." Cadence embraced her, "Forget about Celestia, we're together again, and I'll always protect you." Cadence nuzzled her, causing Shooting's cheeks to flush bright red with embarrassment.
"Muuuuuum." Shooting groaned with embarrassment, rolling her eyes in the process, smiling slightly.
Cadence and Shooting opened their sandwich packets, Shooting took a bite of her sandwich as Cadence levitated the tattered shoe box over to the table.
"I-It's my old memory box." Cadence trembled, a lump forming in her throat, "I thought I lost it years ago." Cadence threw the lid open, her eyes filled with joy as more happy memories resurfaced.
"Hmmm?" Shooting Star said with a mouth full of sandwich.
"I made this box when i was a filly, no older than 15, I kept everything in here, my dairy, love letters from your father, even the very results of a doctor's visit that confirmed I was pregnant with you." Cadence smiled, pulling out a stack of opened letters. She flicked through the letters, pulling out a random one and presenting to Shooting Star.
"Your father was so romantic back then." She smiled, wrapping a wing around her daughter as the pegasus read the letter. The pair read through every letter for what felt like hours as the mountainous view turned into farmland.
"Shining, calm down." Twilight spoke softly, placing a hoof on her brother's shoulder.
"Calm down? Calm down?! You just told me Cadence cheated on me and you're telling me to calm down?!" Shining shouted, batting Twilight's hoof away, "Oh, im gonna kill him!" He added, venom filling his voice.
"Shining!" Twilight stood in front of him, "Just think for a second." Her tail swooshed in anger, "Maybe she had a good reason." Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"What are you getting at Twilight?" Shining replied in a harsh undertone.
"Well for one thing, she told me you were also cheating on her with one of the palace maids." She bluntly stared at her brother.
"Of cause she'd say that." Shining scoffed, pushing past Twilight, as he made his towards the door. Shining threw the castle doors open, storming down onto the cobblestone path.
"Where are you going?!" Twilight shouted at the doorstep.
"To sort this out once and for all." He spitfully said.
"Don't do anything stupid!"
Shining Armor approached David, taking note of the fact the human was busy chiseling the ice from the smokebox of the steam locomotive that had been dragged from the Everfree Forest a few days ago.
"You son of a bitch!" Shining shouted, David turned around to be met by a hoof to the face. The force of the impact caused David to fall off the locomotive, landing back first on the icy ballast.
"You broke my nose?!" David shouted in pain, holding his bloody nose as he struggled off the icy ground.
"That's for sleeping with my wife." Shining grabbed David by his jacket collar, punching him again. David fell onto his side on the ground, Shining stood over him, "I don't want you anywhere near my family ever again." Shining kicked him in the gut, "If you so much as even look at my wife, my daughter, my sister or any of her friends." He kicked him again, "I will personally hunt you down and finish what I started." He grabbed David's collar once more, "Do I make myself clear?" Shining glared as David dared not speak a word, "Good." Shining smiled smugly as he threw him to the ground, taking David's silence as a yes before turning away from the human, "Oh, and one more thing." Shining turned back, punching David one final time, "And that's for that little stunt you pulled with Flurry." Shining proudly turned away as David struggled to stand up.
David weakly watched Shining trot away from, he so wanted to just threw a few punches at Shining during the very one sided fight but knew doing so would just make things worse for himself, as far as most ponies would care, he was just a random savage human relying solely on animalistic tendencies and besides, Shining is royalty, surely throwing a punch at a member of royalty is a crime punishable by death right? David turned around, slowly limping back towards '642' due to his artificial foot getting damaged during Shining's attack. He grabbed the first set of handrails he saw, pulling himself up onto the rear platform of the brakevan instead, letting himself inside the cabin at the front of the vehicle, slamming the door behind him as his back slid down the door.
"I'm... So done with this shit." He weakly spluttered out, blood still trickling from his nose as he looked at the small furnace that sat in the middle of the brake van's guard compartment. He felt this chest, feeling the areas where Shining had kicked him, noting that they had already started to bruise. He paused when he heard what sounded like Cadence giggling with someone getting closer, he weakly lifted his arm up, sliding the dead bolt across the door in hopes that Cadence wouldn't find him, get bored and go back to the castle to be with her family.
"I'm so done." David said, whizzing as he felt the old flash drive in his pocket, he pulled it out in his fist and threw it against the opposite wall in anguish as the voices got closer.
"David?" He heard Cadence's muffly voice speak out, "David? You here baby?" She called out again, "David, where are you? I've got someone I'd like you to meet." The voice emanating from close by the rear platform, he heard her let out an annoyed grunt, "Well David, if you are here, i'll be at Twilight's castle, don't keep me waiting." He heard her voice trailing off.
"I'm sorry Cadence, i can't stay here, I've made a mess of everything." He said to himself, gently banging his head against the door.
To Be Continued.