The Day My Life Began

A Voice to Keep Me Safe

"I had a bad dream."

My eyes squinted open, watching the small figure of my four year old daughter. The lights from the hallway were on, so it looked like a dragon was creeping into my room.

She walked into my room, closing the door behind her. Lilac walked up to my bed, gently gripping my bedsheets.

"About?" I asked.

The little dragon scuffled her foot on the floor. "....the cockatrice."

I sighed. Last night, Fluttershy had offered to have the Crusaders sleepover at her house. Rarity was apparently busy with an order.

When I went to pick up Lilac the next morning, Fluttershy had explained to me the events of the night before. How the girls had run into the Everfree to get back a chicken, how they ran into a cockatrice, and Fluttershy Staring the chicken lizard in de-stoning everything it had turned to stone.

I had a picture of stones Twilight on my camera, ready for development.

Lilac was, as I suspected all day, terrified. She had explained what the cockatrice looked like, even going as far as to draw a picture and show it to me. She was really good at drawing.

So, having her come into my room at two in the morning was no surprise to me.

Patting on my bed, I drew back the covers with my magic. "Come on in." I yawned.

The purple dragon wasted no time, hopping into my bed and pulling the covers over her body.

"Wanna talk about it?" I offered. "Talking about your nightmares helps."

Lilac began to shake, just in the way you do after a nightmare. "Me and my friends were playing in the playground. All the other foals were there. Even Diamond Tiara."

"That does sound like a nightmare." I joked. The dragon gave a small smile. That much was easy to tell in the moonlight.

Lilac gulped. "B-but, but then the c-c-cocka-atrice showeded up." She was shaking again. "It started turning everypony to stone. It was making my friends stone. Ms. Cheerilee came outside t-to see w-why we were all s-scream-ming. T-then it g-got S-Sweetie B-Belle. Scootal-loo. A-Apple Bl-oom."

The small child was holding the sheets for dear life. "T-then M-M-Miss F-Flutters-shy came. The cockatrice got her t-too." She sniffled. "A-a-and t-t-then yo-ou ca-came out and-"

Lighting up my horn, I was able to see the tears falling down Lilac's cheeks.

"Hey, Li, it's okay. It's okay. The cockatrice is still in the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy made sure it would never do that to anypony again." I comforted. "She told me." Okay, that part was a lie.

The purple dragon looked up at me, body trembling in fear.

"Cross my heart," I started. "Hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. You're gonna be alright."

Pinkie Promise. The dragon had understood that once I made this promise, I would not break it. Ever.

She slowly stopped shaking, cuddling deeper under the covers. The light from my horn acting like a nightlight.

Once she was comfortable, I closed my eyes to lull me back to sleep. The light going out with me.

"Mommy." Lilac whispered, waking me up again.

"Mmm, yeah?" I half groaned.

"C-can you sing me a lullaby?" My terrified daughter asked.

Shaking my head to keep myself awake, I yawned loudly. "Sure. Any preference?"

The dragon shook her head, slowly.

I held back a sigh. Now my tired brain had to come up with a song. "Alright. Give me a second."

There had to be a song that Lilac could go for. The usual lullabies felt unsuitable for this challenge. A showtune? Or maybe a song from a musical? I did like doing that. I did it with my little brother all the time.

Oh. What was the dream I did with Luna? The one that Lilac had just interrupted?

We were doing Tarzan! I wish I could've brought my camera so I could get a picture of Luna as Kerchak.

I took a deep breath. "Come stop your crying, it will be alright. Just take my hoof, hold it tight." I held out my hoof, the dragon immediately grasped it. "I will protect you, from all around you. I will be here, don't you cry."

Lilac started cuddling with my hoof, treating it like a security blanket. It was kinda nice, and warm.

"For one so small, you seem so strong. My hooves will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us, can't be broken. I will be here don't you cry."

Using my free hoof, I began stroking Lilac's scales. "'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart. From this day on, now and for evermore. You'll be in my heart, no matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart. Always."

Her midnight blue eyes began to close. A groggy look on her snout.

I gave a small smile. "Why can't they understand the way we feel? They just don't trust, what they can't explain. I know we're different, but deep inside us we're not that different at all."

"And you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart. From this day on, now and for evermore. You'll be in my heart, no matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart, always."

Her eyes blinked shut, my hoof still rubbing her back. "Don't listen to them, cause what do they know? We need each other, to have, to hold. They'll see in time. I know."

"And destiny calls you, you must be strong. I may not be with you, but you've got to hold on. They'll see in time. I know. We'll show them together.

"'Cause you'll be in my heart. Believe me, you'll be in my heart. I'll be there from this day on, now and for evermore." My voice stayed on it's soothing tone, helping the young dragon stay asleep.

"You'll be in my heart. You'll be here in my heart. No matter what they say, I'll be with you. You'll be here in my heart. I'll be there always.

"Always. I'll be with you. I'll be there for you always. Always and always. Just look over your shoulder, just look over your shoulder, just look over your shoulder."

I gave a small yawn, laying my head against my pillow. The light from my horn vanishing.

"I'll be there always."