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Description
My Little Pony - Hasbro
Art / Starlight Rider (Right) / Stella Rose (Left) - Me
Stop! You are not allowed to reuse my art in anyway!!
Inspired by - www.youtube.com/watch?v=652T4l…

Over the years, I thought my nightmares would subside, that I would one day make it through a week, a single night, where I did not wake up bathed in sweat, crying out her name and reduced to the state of a wimpering child. Where fear did not grip my heart like a cold vice, choking out all other thoughts and emotions until I caved into the abyss and could no longer claw my way out of it's cold dead hands. The memories are fainter, the words quieter, but the terror has not yet faded from my mind. It manages to stay with me even although it has been years, no decades, since it happened. I can close my eyes and see it, as jarring as when it happened, but foggy from age and time...

I did not grow up rich, I did not grow up in a large house with anything I could ever desire at my fingertips, my home was humble. Small and quaint, filled with the lively voices of my family, a grandmother who doted on me endlessly, aunts, uncles, and cousins who loved me despite how strange I was to them. An oddity, but family.

But there was her, I barely remember her now than I am grown with a family of my own now, but her visage was striking, something quite difficult to forget. Long beautifully curled violet and lavender hair, large vibrant mauve eyes, and a shiny pale blue coat that looked to be silk animated.

However, every time I remember her, I remember what happened...
The day I lost her, the day I lost my arm....the day I got my cutie mark...

"Hurry up, habibata! We are going to be late!"

The small girl rushed to catch up, her small legs having trouble keeping pace let alone prevent her from tripping over her own tail.
A quick look back and the older mare stopped in her tracks to allow the young filly to regain her balance and catch up to her mother. "Oh I'm so sorry habibata, I am so forgetful." without a second thought she lowered her muzzle to be able to nuzzle the filly. "I forget that you have not quite grown in to yourself yet, I am so used to flying everywhere I forget you may not be able to keep up quite yet."

She looked up and nuzzled her mother back, "It's ok 'umi, it's not your fault my tail gets in the way." the darned thing always seemed to trip her up now-a-days, she had a sudden growth spurt and had yet to become accustomed to certain aspects of her own body.

"Yes but that is no reason to outrun you my dear Starlight, rush or no."

Starlight smiled, "I understand though, I'm excited to see Papa too."

It has been so long since she had seen her papa, 'umi said he was a very important, um...Sore Scissor? No...that wasn't it... but he worked for a very important mare, a Princess! He was part of her court, so he was always really busy out of town for business so she never got to see her papa outside his monthly visits to Somnambula the town her and her 'umi lived. He was from some place called...Canterlot? Her memory was pretty fuzzy on that part but she hoped to go there one day, it would be nice to see where her papa lived.

"Yes habibata, I miss your Papa very much. I cherish his visits, but truly I wish he were here more for you than myself." a sad note entered her voice, Starlight immediately frowned, she did not like when her 'umi was sad.

She tugged at the mare's hijab to get her attention, "Well, maybe we can live with Papa some day? Then we can see him all the time."

This got her to laugh, bittersweet but a laugh none the less, she began to walk once more and Starlight did her best to keep up this time, "You are quite determined in this idea. Yes, we have talked about it much ourselves, but he has his work and I have mine so it keeps us a part for the time being. But I am sure someday soon, we can have a big house in a big city."

Starlight perked back up at this, yes they had talked about it quite a bit. Not directly to her though, everytime they spoke of being together the conversation always seemed to become quiet, curiosity won out eventually and a few times she had listened in to their conversations when she was suppose to be asleep. Her 'umi and papa spoke about ponies she had never met before, they didn't seem nice let alone like her 'umi. The strangest thing she had overheard though was when her papa got very quiet and simple said in a hushed and shameful tone, "They don't know about her..."

Once she had tried to ask her papa about his family, afterall she lived with her jida and jid, as well as her 'umi's al'iikhwa and al'akhawat, so it would only make sense that her papa had his own family. But papa had become very reserved, he had never been very talkative but for the rest of his visit he did not speak much to her or her 'umi. After that Starlight had not brought up the subject again since it seemed to upset him, she didn't understand why, her own family was large and loving. Was his not that way?

Distracted she almost walked straight into her mother's hind leg. She had paused in the middle of the road with a look of shock on her face. The plaza was a mess of activity which was not uncommon, but it was panic and not joyous common life that filled the streets. Guards however were no where to be seen. Eyes narrowed and mouth set in a grim line of determination, her 'umi began to trot toward the nearest vendor stall with Starlight in tow.

Others were huddled nearby talking in hushed tones with a voice occasionally peaking in fear, her 'umi wasted no time as she pulled a thin and willowy stallion who seemed to own the booth aside. "Sir, it is alright, I am not in my common armor, but you may trust me. I am a soldier and guard of this city, my name is Stella Rose, what is it that has these ponies so panicked?"

The stallion did not immediately respond seeming momentarily frozen by the tone of authority she carried, however that did not last very long after she repeated her statement. "Oh sorry miss, I-I'm not quite sure myself but the common folk talk of a powerful witch, she was turning the land around her to stone!"

Several voices turned in agreement to what the stallion said, however Stella did not seem convinced, "A witch turning the surrounding area to stone? Surely this must be the heat of the surrounding desert, who would come and attack our town?"

A mare spoke up, "Something about looking for someone or something here? I do not know what she wants, but she simple glared at this stallion and he froze solid on the spot! She did something with her wicked magic for sure, I am not sure what but I am sure of what I saw."

Stella paused thinking putting her hoof to her chin in thought, "Alright, I will find out what is going on, stay here where it is safe and I will call the guar---"

Harsh laughter rang through the streets outside, several more ponies ducked into the booth scared by whatever was out there, Stella's nature of protecting the weak and helpless took over as she walked with purpose toward the entrance of the small stall, her chest puffed out and wings flared. A quick glace at her daughter, her morning ray of sunshine, the girl she would protect with her life if needed...

"Stay here, it is not safe." without a second glance she took flight and was quickly out of sight.

Time passed and she did not return, fear and curiosity eventually took their toll on the poor filly and despite her mothers wishes she left the safety of the stall, no one stopped her, let alone noticed her departure.

The streets were devoid of life or activity beyond the occasional bird flying overhead. Looking around it was clear than no one was in the open if they could avoid it, some ponies hid behind barrels or bushels of hay if they could not find a stall that wasn't already filled to bursting. Despite this Starlight kept walking, she needed to know if he 'umi was alright...

A burst of air nearly knocked her off of her feet, shielding her eyes from the sand and dust kicked up by the wind it took her a moment to look up and see what had caused the disturbance.

Before her stood a terrifying figure, a mare, taller than anybody she had seen in her lifetime, stood in front of her. She was draped in a long ragged cloak with the hood thrown back to reveal a face filled with contempt. Her coat was pale and sickly and her mane was balding in places and in places it was intact was a stark white color. Her sickly yellow eyes looked down at Starlight and she sneered. Starlight's tail quickly went between her legs and she took a step back tripping and falling onto her flank.

The mare leaned in, her breath smelled of rot, "maybe you will be of use to me, tell me little one, where are they hiding the archmage?"

Starlight couldn't find her voice, she had no idea what this mare was talking about. Archmage? "I-I...I don't know..."

Her face turned sour and her voice carried the same tone, "A pity, then begone." the mare's horn lit up and a pendant clasping her cloak together glowed a sinister purple color, at once it shot out at the filly who raised her arm to cover her face.

Pain
The pain was horrific, it was so cold it burned, as if icy fire ran through her veins, it started at the tip of her hoof and continued down her arm. What was happening? Why was this happening? Was she going to die?

"NO!"

The pain suddenly stopped as quickly as it had started. Her right arm falling limp and heavy at her side as if she no longer had the strength to hold it anymore, a heartbeat passed before she felt safe enough to open her eyes again.

She wished she hadn't...

Before her horrified eyes stood her 'umi, wings flared out protectively over her child, her eyes wide with fear but also filled with something Starlight had never seen before, something she would not know for herself until she herself became a mother.

It was painfully slow, it seemed as if time itself had stopped in this moment.

As the magic faded, her 'umi only said one thing, "Run...please my Starlight, run..." before her voice screamed out in pain.

A heart shaped mark formed on her chest, as the color of her coat and mane began to bleed out of her, starting from the tips of her hooves and creeping upward, gaining speed the closer to the heart it got. Stella's voice cut out abruptly as her face and body became disturbingly still, her eyes glazed over and her form now pale grey and lifeless. Frozen in a moment of pure agony, her horror clear on her face....

She was turned to stone.

Starlight was frozen in place, the words of her 'umi echoing in her head.

run...
Run....
RUN!!

She did run, she ran directly at the mare, her fury and pure rage driving her forward, never before had she felt such hatred in her veins. Starlight collided with the mare knocking her clear off her hooves and sprawling on the ground. Starlight screamed, her emotions plain for anyone to hear. Unintentionally she had in her rage cracked the pendant around her neck, unknowingly destroying the source to this mare's petrification power.

Her hoof fell, again and again as she struck the mare with all the force she could muster in her small body until strong but powerful hooves pulled her away. A stallion she did not know held her gently trying to calm her. Voices were a blur of sound and noise.

She was gone...

"Starlight!" this singular word cut through the haze. She knew this voice.

Lifting her tear stained face she saw her papa, a tall and powerful white stallion with beautifully long crimson hair. He wasted no time, falling to his knees and taking Starlight into his arms. They cried together, but his words struck knives into her heart...

"Dammit, I was too late...I knew this would happen, I knew..." he buried his face in her mane, "I shouldn't have come back.. this is all my fault."

Time passed quickly over the course of the next few days, she had been rushed to the nearest hospital, her arm that had been struck by the foal magic had completely turned to stone, irreversible by even the best magicians they had, even her papa didn't know what to do leaving no other choice but to remove it to prevent the spread of the petrification...

As for her 'umi...her mother...there was nothing they could do...she was gone. She had given her own life to make sure Starlight had survived...

The memories faded as they usually did, leaving a hollow void in my chest. I even feel a twinge of phantom pain where my right arm should be, everyday I am reminded of my own stupidity. How my actions caused the death of another... I was so consumed by guilt I did not realize I had gotten my cutie mark until a nurse asked me what it meant. A shooting star against the dark backdrop of my fur, I suppose it was my desire to protect those I care for that caused me to earn it.

When I was old enough, I took up the mantle of a soldier, eventually becoming a high ranked general in my own right, I would never let another be hurt by my action, or inaction ever again. I have not regretted my choices despite the phantom pains and injuries I have suffered over the years. But I miss her.

I miss my mother.
I loved her, and she loved me.
and that is why she is not here, but I am...

I deserve my nightmares.
They remind me what I am fighting for.

Translations: (Arabic)
'umi - Mom
habibata - My love
jida - Grandma
jid - Grandpa
al'iikhwa - brothers
al'akhawat - sisters

Description
My Little Pony - Hasbro
Art / Starlight Rider (Right) / Stella Rose (Left) - Me
Stop! You are not allowed to reuse my art in anyway!!
Inspired by - www.youtube.com/watch?v=652T4l…

Over the years, I thought my nightmares would subside, that I would one day make it through a week, a single night, where I did not wake up bathed in sweat, crying out her name and reduced to the state of a wimpering child. Where fear did not grip my heart like a cold vice, choking out all other thoughts and emotions until I caved into the abyss and could no longer claw my way out of it's cold dead hands. The memories are fainter, the words quieter, but the terror has not yet faded from my mind. It manages to stay with me even although it has been years, no decades, since it happened. I can close my eyes and see it, as jarring as when it happened, but foggy from age and time...

I did not grow up rich, I did not grow up in a large house with anything I could ever desire at my fingertips, my home was humble. Small and quaint, filled with the lively voices of my family, a grandmother who doted on me endlessly, aunts, uncles, and cousins who loved me despite how strange I was to them. An oddity, but family.

But there was her, I barely remember her now than I am grown with a family of my own now, but her visage was striking, something quite difficult to forget. Long beautifully curled violet and lavender hair, large vibrant mauve eyes, and a shiny pale blue coat that looked to be silk animated.

However, every time I remember her, I remember what happened...
The day I lost her, the day I lost my arm....the day I got my cutie mark...

"Hurry up, habibata! We are going to be late!"

The small girl rushed to catch up, her small legs having trouble keeping pace let alone prevent her from tripping over her own tail.
A quick look back and the older mare stopped in her tracks to allow the young filly to regain her balance and catch up to her mother. "Oh I'm so sorry habibata, I am so forgetful." without a second thought she lowered her muzzle to be able to nuzzle the filly. "I forget that you have not quite grown in to yourself yet, I am so used to flying everywhere I forget you may not be able to keep up quite yet."

She looked up and nuzzled her mother back, "It's ok 'umi, it's not your fault my tail gets in the way." the darned thing always seemed to trip her up now-a-days, she had a sudden growth spurt and had yet to become accustomed to certain aspects of her own body.

"Yes but that is no reason to outrun you my dear Starlight, rush or no."

Starlight smiled, "I understand though, I'm excited to see Papa too."

It has been so long since she had seen her papa, 'umi said he was a very important, um...Sore Scissor? No...that wasn't it... but he worked for a very important mare, a Princess! He was part of her court, so he was always really busy out of town for business so she never got to see her papa outside his monthly visits to Somnambula the town her and her 'umi lived. He was from some place called...Canterlot? Her memory was pretty fuzzy on that part but she hoped to go there one day, it would be nice to see where her papa lived.

"Yes habibata, I miss your Papa very much. I cherish his visits, but truly I wish he were here more for you than myself." a sad note entered her voice, Starlight immediately frowned, she did not like when her 'umi was sad.

She tugged at the mare's hijab to get her attention, "Well, maybe we can live with Papa some day? Then we can see him all the time."

This got her to laugh, bittersweet but a laugh none the less, she began to walk once more and Starlight did her best to keep up this time, "You are quite determined in this idea. Yes, we have talked about it much ourselves, but he has his work and I have mine so it keeps us a part for the time being. But I am sure someday soon, we can have a big house in a big city."

Starlight perked back up at this, yes they had talked about it quite a bit. Not directly to her though, everytime they spoke of being together the conversation always seemed to become quiet, curiosity won out eventually and a few times she had listened in to their conversations when she was suppose to be asleep. Her 'umi and papa spoke about ponies she had never met before, they didn't seem nice let alone like her 'umi. The strangest thing she had overheard though was when her papa got very quiet and simple said in a hushed and shameful tone, "They don't know about her..."

Once she had tried to ask her papa about his family, afterall she lived with her jida and jid, as well as her 'umi's al'iikhwa and al'akhawat, so it would only make sense that her papa had his own family. But papa had become very reserved, he had never been very talkative but for the rest of his visit he did not speak much to her or her 'umi. After that Starlight had not brought up the subject again since it seemed to upset him, she didn't understand why, her own family was large and loving. Was his not that way?

Distracted she almost walked straight into her mother's hind leg. She had paused in the middle of the road with a look of shock on her face. The plaza was a mess of activity which was not uncommon, but it was panic and not joyous common life that filled the streets. Guards however were no where to be seen. Eyes narrowed and mouth set in a grim line of determination, her 'umi began to trot toward the nearest vendor stall with Starlight in tow.

Others were huddled nearby talking in hushed tones with a voice occasionally peaking in fear, her 'umi wasted no time as she pulled a thin and willowy stallion who seemed to own the booth aside. "Sir, it is alright, I am not in my common armor, but you may trust me. I am a soldier and guard of this city, my name is Stella Rose, what is it that has these ponies so panicked?"

The stallion did not immediately respond seeming momentarily frozen by the tone of authority she carried, however that did not last very long after she repeated her statement. "Oh sorry miss, I-I'm not quite sure myself but the common folk talk of a powerful witch, she was turning the land around her to stone!"

Several voices turned in agreement to what the stallion said, however Stella did not seem convinced, "A witch turning the surrounding area to stone? Surely this must be the heat of the surrounding desert, who would come and attack our town?"

A mare spoke up, "Something about looking for someone or something here? I do not know what she wants, but she simple glared at this stallion and he froze solid on the spot! She did something with her wicked magic for sure, I am not sure what but I am sure of what I saw."

Stella paused thinking putting her hoof to her chin in thought, "Alright, I will find out what is going on, stay here where it is safe and I will call the guar---"

Harsh laughter rang through the streets outside, several more ponies ducked into the booth scared by whatever was out there, Stella's nature of protecting the weak and helpless took over as she walked with purpose toward the entrance of the small stall, her chest puffed out and wings flared. A quick glace at her daughter, her morning ray of sunshine, the girl she would protect with her life if needed...

"Stay here, it is not safe." without a second glance she took flight and was quickly out of sight.

Time passed and she did not return, fear and curiosity eventually took their toll on the poor filly and despite her mothers wishes she left the safety of the stall, no one stopped her, let alone noticed her departure.

The streets were devoid of life or activity beyond the occasional bird flying overhead. Looking around it was clear than no one was in the open if they could avoid it, some ponies hid behind barrels or bushels of hay if they could not find a stall that wasn't already filled to bursting. Despite this Starlight kept walking, she needed to know if he 'umi was alright...

A burst of air nearly knocked her off of her feet, shielding her eyes from the sand and dust kicked up by the wind it took her a moment to look up and see what had caused the disturbance.

Before her stood a terrifying figure, a mare, taller than anybody she had seen in her lifetime, stood in front of her. She was draped in a long ragged cloak with the hood thrown back to reveal a face filled with contempt. Her coat was pale and sickly and her mane was balding in places and in places it was intact was a stark white color. Her sickly yellow eyes looked down at Starlight and she sneered. Starlight's tail quickly went between her legs and she took a step back tripping and falling onto her flank.

The mare leaned in, her breath smelled of rot, "maybe you will be of use to me, tell me little one, where are they hiding the archmage?"

Starlight couldn't find her voice, she had no idea what this mare was talking about. Archmage? "I-I...I don't know..."

Her face turned sour and her voice carried the same tone, "A pity, then begone." the mare's horn lit up and a pendant clasping her cloak together glowed a sinister purple color, at once it shot out at the filly who raised her arm to cover her face.

Pain
The pain was horrific, it was so cold it burned, as if icy fire ran through her veins, it started at the tip of her hoof and continued down her arm. What was happening? Why was this happening? Was she going to die?

"NO!"

The pain suddenly stopped as quickly as it had started. Her right arm falling limp and heavy at her side as if she no longer had the strength to hold it anymore, a heartbeat passed before she felt safe enough to open her eyes again.

She wished she hadn't...

Before her horrified eyes stood her 'umi, wings flared out protectively over her child, her eyes wide with fear but also filled with something Starlight had never seen before, something she would not know for herself until she herself became a mother.

It was painfully slow, it seemed as if time itself had stopped in this moment.

As the magic faded, her 'umi only said one thing, "Run...please my Starlight, run..." before her voice screamed out in pain.

A heart shaped mark formed on her chest, as the color of her coat and mane began to bleed out of her, starting from the tips of her hooves and creeping upward, gaining speed the closer to the heart it got. Stella's voice cut out abruptly as her face and body became disturbingly still, her eyes glazed over and her form now pale grey and lifeless. Frozen in a moment of pure agony, her horror clear on her face....

She was turned to stone.

Starlight was frozen in place, the words of her 'umi echoing in her head.

run...
Run....
RUN!!

She did run, she ran directly at the mare, her fury and pure rage driving her forward, never before had she felt such hatred in her veins. Starlight collided with the mare knocking her clear off her hooves and sprawling on the ground. Starlight screamed, her emotions plain for anyone to hear. Unintentionally she had in her rage cracked the pendant around her neck, unknowingly destroying the source to this mare's petrification power.

Her hoof fell, again and again as she struck the mare with all the force she could muster in her small body until strong but powerful hooves pulled her away. A stallion she did not know held her gently trying to calm her. Voices were a blur of sound and noise.

She was gone...

"Starlight!" this singular word cut through the haze. She knew this voice.

Lifting her tear stained face she saw her papa, a tall and powerful white stallion with beautifully long crimson hair. He wasted no time, falling to his knees and taking Starlight into his arms. They cried together, but his words struck knives into her heart...

"Dammit, I was too late...I knew this would happen, I knew..." he buried his face in her mane, "I shouldn't have come back.. this is all my fault."

Time passed quickly over the course of the next few days, she had been rushed to the nearest hospital, her arm that had been struck by the foal magic had completely turned to stone, irreversible by even the best magicians they had, even her papa didn't know what to do leaving no other choice but to remove it to prevent the spread of the petrification...

As for her 'umi...her mother...there was nothing they could do...she was gone. She had given her own life to make sure Starlight had survived...

The memories faded as they usually did, leaving a hollow void in my chest. I even feel a twinge of phantom pain where my right arm should be, everyday I am reminded of my own stupidity. How my actions caused the death of another... I was so consumed by guilt I did not realize I had gotten my cutie mark until a nurse asked me what it meant. A shooting star against the dark backdrop of my fur, I suppose it was my desire to protect those I care for that caused me to earn it.

When I was old enough, I took up the mantle of a soldier, eventually becoming a high ranked general in my own right, I would never let another be hurt by my action, or inaction ever again. I have not regretted my choices despite the phantom pains and injuries I have suffered over the years. But I miss her.

I miss my mother.
I loved her, and she loved me.
and that is why she is not here, but I am...

I deserve my nightmares.
They remind me what I am fighting for.

Translations: (Arabic)
'umi - Mom
habibata - My love
jida - Grandma
jid - Grandpa
al'iikhwa - brothers
al'akhawat - sisters