Chapter 3: Mother and Son

Harry groaned in pain as he stirred from his slumber. He groggily opened his eyes, crusties falling as he rubbed them out. "Where am I?" He asked no one in particular.

"Sweet Apple Acres." Said a male voice. Harry snapped his head quickly to see a large, red stallion near the door. "Sis brought ya in after she and her friends found ya by the stream. What where you doing there?" He asked.

"I...don't know." Harry said in reply. "I still don't understand why I have hooves even." He clanked his front hooves together.

"Your a pony aintcha?" Asked the stallion simply.

"I suppose." The foal said laying his head on his front legs.

"Then ya got hooves. Simple as that. Your welcome to come down to supper if ya feel up to it. If ya don't come down Granny Smith'll bring ya up somethin'. I'm Macintosh Apple, but most folks just call me Big Macintosh."

I can see why. Harry thought as he saw the large stallion get up.

"My name is Harry." He said.

Big Macintosh nodded and left the foal to rest.

At Canterlot Palace...

Dear Princess Celestia,

Urgent news! The girls and I where on a picnic today, when we came across an injured foal by a fast moving stream. He appeared to have been beaten. Badly. He coiuldn't even stand up.

As Princess Celestia read this her eyes narrowed in anger. She despised all forms of foal abuse. There where a few foal abusers in her garden as statues. She continued on reading.

What's more amazing is that he has WINGS AND A HORN! He's an Alicorn, Princess!

Celestia gasped and dropped the letter out of her magical grip. Could it possibly be? But he should be dead by now. I sent him to his father a thousand years ago!

He has a coat of midnight blue and one of the messiest manes I have ever seen.

My baby...Celestia thought, tears welling in her eyes. I know my beloved Starswirl would never have abused our foal. Right?

We've left him at Sweet Apple Acres in the care of the Apple Family for the time being. We await your arrival at any time.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

"OUT YA DEMONIC VARMIT!" Harry woke several hours later to hear a familiar shrieking of an owl.

"Don't let it get upstairs! It could hurt the foal!" Harry heard the voice of the rainbow maned mare from earlier.

"Its getting away!" Twilight shouted. "After it!"

Harry heard the flapping of wings and saw a comforting sight.

"Hullo Hedwig." Harry said calmly as she settled down on top of his mane. She reached down and started preening him. He giggled. Same old Hedwig.

The mares gasped.

"Don't move sugarcube, we'll get rid of that nasty owl." An orange coated mare said. He assumed this was Big Macintosh's sister.

"This is Hedwig." Harry said looking up with his eyes.

"You know this owl?" Twilight asked.

"She's my owl." Harry said to the group. "Don't you see her preening my mane?" Harry giggled again as she nibbled one of his pony ears. It tickled more than in his human body. "She's very protective of me."

"No wonder that owl was hell bent on gettin' up here." Applejack said in understanding.

"Applejack!" Twilight said after she finished.

"What? Just sayin'." The country mare said with a shrug.

Suddenly, Hedwig started glowing.

"Hedwig?!" Harry suddenly panicked. She shone in a brilliant white light. Hedwig had transformed into a more majestic creature.

"She's a phoenix!" Twilight said in awe. She had only ever seen one phoenix. Her mentor's phoenix Philomena.

"She's been an owl as long as I've had her." Harry said. "She fluttered right down on my , uh, head and wouldn't leave me." Harry explained.

"Of course. Phoenixes form attatchments and are very territorial when it comes to their owners." Twilight said in an "Aha!" tone.

Suddenly a pink mare started rushing all over the room and putting up bright, colorful banners.

"Uh, Pinkie Pie...what are ya doin'?" The orange mare asked a new mare Harry hadn't seen yet. She was, for lack of a better term, pink.

"Throwing him a "Get better soon party!" What else would I be doing?" The mare said with a giggle.

"You must be Mr. Macintosh's sister." Harry said to the orange mare who turned her attention to the foal on the bed. "Thank you." He said, "For carrying me here."

"Your welcome sugarcube. How ya feelin'? My name's Applejack." Applejack introduced herself. "That there's Pinkie Pie." She pointed out the mare who the others where trying to stop putting up banners. The one who scared ya into the river is Rainbow Dash." Applejack pointed out the rainbow maned mare. "That's Fluttershy." She pointed to a pink maned pegasus mare. "Rarity." She pointed to a pure white coated unicorn with three diamonds on each flank. "Twilight Sparkle is the one who fished ya out with magic, and the party animal is Pinkie Pie." She finished pointing out her friends.

"I'm okay, but I hurt everywhere." Harry groaned in pain as he tried to move.

"You'll probably be sore for a spell sugarcube, then in no time you'll be good as new." Applejack said eagerly. "Need anything while a'hm downstairs?"

"Something to drink would be nice." Harry told the kind mare.

"How ya feel about lemonade?"

"That's fine." Harry said politely.

"Be back in a jiffy." The Applejack said as she trotted quickly downstairs.

When Applejack reached the kitchen she was greeted to the site of Granny Smith doing the morning dishes.

"How's the foal?" She asked in concern.

"He's fine, a bit sore though."

The two where greeted with the site outside of a descending chariot with royal pegasus guards.

"Oh dang. I told Twilight not to send that letter till the lil' guy felt better." Applejack said. "Sorry Granny, but could ya take this upstairs?"

"I may be a little slow in the giddyups Applejack but I can still handle a simple lemonade delivery."

And with that Applejack went outside to greet Princess Celestia.

"Princess." Applejack bowed. "What brings ya to Sweet Apple Acres?"

"Applejack," The Princess acknowledged her bow. The earth pony mare rose. "My faithful student informed me of an alicorn foal your group rescued from a fast moving current yesterday."

"Yes Princess." Applejack bowed her head. "He's upstairs recovering."

"May I see him?" The Princess asked.

"Of course Princess, follow me." Applejack turned to go back inside the house and the large alicorn followed.

"How are his injuries?" Celestia asked as they ascended the staircase.

"Severe, but the healing has begun. His emotional wounds though..."

"He's timid?" Celestia asked

"More like just simply scared." Applejack said. "We don't know where he came from, but he seems to be kinda afraid of adults or authority figures. At least male ones. Though I don't know how he's reactin' ta Granny Smith just now. I'm getting this from my big brother who had a talk with him before he left this morning to work."

"Its alright child. Let it out." They heard the old mare say to sounds of sniffling. The two ponys entered to the sight of Granny Smith hugging the foal to her side as he let tears fall.

"Starshine." Celestia gasped.

"Starshine?" Twilight asked in confusion. Looking to Celestia and the foal.

The foal opened his eyes to see the biggest pony he had ever seen! She seemed awfully familiar.

Then he had a sudden flashback of being rocked to sleep by the rainbow maned alicorn.

"Mommy?" Harry couldn't think of anything else to say.

To Be Continued...

Check out issues 11 and 12 of the MLP FIM Comics! Their about Shining Armor and Cadance in highschool! I'm planning a Seventh Element fic based on these two comics. Basically its kind of a Back To The Pony Future thing. Harry must stop Buck Withers from changing the past when he goes back in time to humiliate Shining Armor at the Fall Formal with the Alicorn Amulet. He not only has to deal with highschool, but bullies, avoiding being arrested AND the attentions of Young Fancy Pants! Fancy Pants will be the Vice Captain of the Polo team!

Anyone else get the idea that Canterlot Academy is a Private School?