Jiggly Puff was nestled comfortably against the side of her mate – the orange stallion was fast asleep, his breathing gentle and soothing. But despite being in a perfectly peaceful situation, the mare found her mind troubled - the usdia couldn’t help but admit she was a bit upset. Her kids were now all fully grown and getting to be independent, eager to live their own life – it pained Jiggly Puff; it was like a repetitious cycle that never ended. She sighed softly, removing herself from the comforts of her mate’s side. She needed to think… Just… She wished she could rub her temples. Leaving the abandoned teepee they had transformed into their home, she trotted off to the nearby lake she and Tiger had spent many nights before. Reaching it, she slowly sat herself down and admired the lake’s surface and how the stars seemed to twinkle in them. She noted how they seemed to shine extra bright tonight and, when she gazed up towards the sky, she was surprised to see them streaking across the sky. Was it the time of the Wishing Star? Why, she hadn’t even realized that it was tonight…!
The removal of warmth from his side had stirred the usdia awake. Groggily opening his eyes and desperately trying to blink the sleep out his eyes, he called out to his mare, his words half slurred from his sleep. “JP, wuss wrong..?” He yawned tiredly. Slowly pulling himself to his hooves, he could only assume she went to the lake and so he followed after her, noting that she must be upset to leave in the middle of the night. Reaching the lake in no time, he noticed her sitting peacefully as the lake, observing the stars.
“Hey,” he said softly to her, reaching her side and affectionately nuzzling her neck. She had tilted her head ever so slightly to note who it was before redirecting her attention to the sky, clearly entranced by the display going on above them. Tiger glanced up, admiring the shooting stars. “Beautiful night, hm?” She nodded, no words exchanged. The stallion couldn’t help but feel worried; his mate was normally not the type to be silent; she really must be upset. He sat next to her and lowering his voice, said, “What’s wrong, Love?”
She shook her head. “I… Don’t know. I should be happy our kids are grown and… I don’t know. I’m just… Sad. I don’t want them to go and I feel like they’re old enough that they just…might leave and never come back. Like our other kids.” She let out an exasperated sigh. She could feel her mate shift slightly. Glancing at him, she could see he was deliberating his words. “I’m sorry, it’s probably silly of me to think but… I don’t know. I’m so grateful for everything, but can’t help but debate over this. And then I-I realized that it’s the Wishing Star tonight and…”
“So you want more kids?” he mused; it wasn’t rude or chastising tone, but rather curious. And he couldn’t deny, he was curious. He didn’t mind having more children; he had grown a fondness for the mare and their kids that he didn’t believe he would ever have. Seeing her nod slightly, he gave her a reassuring smile. “Well then, c’mon, let’s find an offering for it…” Nudging her to get up, the two trekked to their teepee, where they dug about the teepee before they pulled out an orange-and-cream feather they had previously discovered and treasured due to its similarities to Tiger Nilla’s appearance, as well as – through some undeniable frustration – managed to snip a curl from Jiggly Puff’s mane. Nudging his mate once more, he brought her back outside, where confidently laid the offering out and said, “ ‘O Wishing Star; we’re a quiet couple who have gone through our fair share of drama and trouble before coming together. We’ve had our fair share at family, but were only able to successfully raise them together once….But our children are grown and independent, and we’re finding ourselves lonely once more. Perhaps… Maybe we would like another chance at children, if you would so deem us luck enough for it.”
She couldn’t have said it better. Making the offering to the Wishing Star, Jiggly Puff wanted to be jittery with excitement, but she wasn’t sure if she should be too hopeful; she had heard many cases of a pony’s wish falling on deaf ears multiple times before being successful. She resolved to not be eager. Sitting with Tiger Nilla for the rest of the night, the two watched the shooting stars until there was no more and returned to their teepee to get more sleep. Before falling asleep, she repeated softly, “Just… Give me another kid, maybe… Someone to look after, now that my children are grown…”
*~*
Waking up early in the morning, Jiggly Puff remained cuddled up against Tiger, thinking the previous night over. Listening keenly, she was disappointed at the silence. Looking around the tent, there was nothing…. no sign or indication that her wish had been fulfilled. Sighing, she muttered, “Of course not…” She wasn’t really sure why she was so surprised – maybe she just wanted to remain hopeful, though. Jiggly Puff wanted to kick something in frustration when--
Squeak.
The squeak sounded like a soft cry; her maternal instinct kicked in and she needed to see what emitted it. She tilted her head at the sound and scrambled upwards, waking her mate up with the ruckus. Rushing to the outside of the teepee, just to the left of the entrance, was a small rodent tucked in a basket. Tied to the rim of the basket was a familiar orange-and-cream feather and her lock of hair. “T-Tiger…!” she called out, keeping her voice quiet to not upset the small mouse.
Her mate was at her side in an instant, gazing down at the small mouse. She was white with soft orange stripes and socks; her long tail and inner ears were pink like Jiggly Puff’s body. “Looks like the Wishing Star heard us,” he mused, leaning forward to nuzzle the small rodent with his nose. It seemed to have a calming effect on the rodent; she instantly quieted down and looked at the pair with inquisitive eyes.
“P-poppy..? M-mommy…?” she squeaked out.
Tiger Nilla smiled and withdrew his head from her, and gathering the basket in his mouth, brought her into the teepee. Jiggly Puff looked surprised but happy – the couple was definitely not expecting a mouse to be delivered.
Reaching the inside of the teepee and getting the mouse comfy and at home, Jiggly Puff cleared her throat and asked, “What do we name her…?”
“Why not Dreamsicle?” Tiger said. It did feel sort of like a dream after all; he had never expected to have a mouse for a daughter, but he couldn’t be happier.
“That’s….perfect.”
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