Kilala97Contest#1: Once Bitten, Twice Battle Cry  
My Entry for kilalaaa’s newest contest:  
This is probably super OOC but yeah…  
Edit: Oh dear god I wrote a book….And I think I missed the point of the contest, so it’s at least a pocket fanfiction I guess…  
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Azalea trotted along the path, a small smile breaking over her face. Today was the day! Today was the day she could finally, in some small way, begin building a new bridge between herself and her eldest daughter, Anthea.  
She had been thinking constantly of new ways to help Annie, and an opportunity had finally presented itself. During their last visit Annie had shared that her dear friend Amber Lily was unable to conceive and was completely distraught to the point of depression.  
Memories of her own difficult pregnancy immediately flooded her mind. She would make it her personal mission to help Amber have the baby she wanted so desperately. She would create a Conception Spell.  
Contacting the doctors had been easy, her own knowledge of healing had sped the process, but the final ingredient grew only in the Ever Free Forest, and Azalea had had to make the journey by hoof. After a few weeks had passed, she packed the finished spell and potion into a small pouch and began a letter to Anthea.  
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Annie and Amber sat out in front of the house, enjoying the warmth of the summer sun. Amber was more than a little disheveled, the lack of sleep and appetite showing in her face and mane. She gazed listlessly at a ladybug crawling on a blade of grass.  
“Are you sure you don’t want to try one of these desserts Amber?” Anthea asked, for the third time that afternoon.  
“T got them from this neat little cafe. He Had to fly to get there!” she said, using a bit of what she assumed was comedic mimicry. (At this point she was willing to try anything to get her friend to smile.)  
Amber sighed and reached anemically for a pastry from the box. It had been a while since she’d eaten, and this particular sweet looked pretty tasty. As she took a small bite, Annie sat up, her ears twitching about…almost like a cat, Amber noticed.  
“Ah, she’s a little early…I hope everything is ready….please let this go well” Annie trailed, and began to mumble. Amber looked down the path and noticed an unfamiliar unicorn coming their direction. She appeared to be a only a few years older than Amber herself, and now that she looked more closely, something about her seemed familiar. Something about her coat…it was almost the same color as Annie’s…  
But the thought was quickly gone as the new mare pulled up in front of Annie, stopping suddenly like she had remembered something, and she lowered her ears as if afraid of the blind, gentle pony before her.  
“Hello Azalea!“Annie said, walking up to the other unicorn with a smile.  
“H-hello Annie, I’m very glad y-you got my…my letter” she said, stumbling around the words.  
“Azalea, I would like you to meet my friend Amber! She’s basically my sister, and on some occasions acted like my mom!” Annie said with a laugh, leading Azalea to where Amber was seated. Azalea gave a weak laugh and looked down at her hooves.  
At this point, Annie’s husband Turquoise Blitz had come to the front door from inside the house.  
“The kids are down for their nap, I came to see how Amber’s do-ing…” he said, stopping abruptly when he realized the company he was currently in.  
“T you remember Azalea!” Annie said, turning to her husband.  
“O-of course, I wouldn’t forget your birth Mother! How have you been Azalea?” T Asked, joining the group with a nervous grin.  
Birth Mother*…*Amber’s head snapped to attention. She watched as Azalea and T made small talk about the past season.  
Birth Mother…  
“And then Berry Vine and Mint had to repaint the whole thing!” Azalea ended with a laugh, the company of the large, friendly Dragony making her comfortable enough to talk without stuttering.  
“But anyway, I brought the things I discussed in my letter. I am confident it will wo~~”  
“Birth Mother?”  
T, Annie, and Azalea whipped their heads to see Amber rising from her spot. The words had been said with such anger and hate, they had all looked to see if the voice had really come from her.  
“Well, yes, Azalea is my biological moth~~” Annie began, but stopped when Amber stomped her hoof.  
“YOU. YOU WERE THE ONE THAT MADE ANNIE AN ORPHAN?” Amber screamed, shaking visibly with rage.  
“W-ha I-I” Azalea stammered, as she too began to shake, only out of fear.  
“You…you were lucky enough to be blessed with a child, and you just Gave. Her. Up.” Amber glared, hatred glowing in her eyes. She Screamed, “DID YOU EVEN TRY TO RAISE HER? Did you even once welcome the idea of keeping her!” she said through gritted teeth.  
Azalea cowered. “W-we tried, we tried s-so hard for the first month! We t-tried everything we could, but it wasn’t enough, w-we had to give her up!” she whispered as tears came streaming from her eyes.  
“That’s why….T-today, I mean, these last few m-months I’ve been m-mak~~”  
“I DON’T WANT YOUR EXCUSES. All I heard is you weren’t willing to try hard enough!” Amber cried, again stomping the ground.  
“You don’t deserve Anthea…you don’t deserve to call yourself her Birth Mother, or anything for that matter!” She screamed, suddenly breaking into a charge.  
“T STOP HER.” Annie shouted in panic. T moved without hesitation, using his massive body as a temporary shield to keep Amber from attacking Azalea.  
“I-I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, she’s right…s-she’s right!” Azalea whispered again, tears now staining her face. “I’m so sorry…” she said as she turned and ran away at full gallop, using her magic to leave behind the pouch containing the Spell.  
“AZALEA WAIT!” Annie cried, but it was too late…she was too far gone for Annie to catch on her own, and T was busy trying to keep Amber in check.  
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Anthea whirled on her friend. They were now situated in Annie and T’s living room, Amber having calmed down for the most part. T had gone upstairs to quiet the children, the fighting outside having woken them from their slumber.  
“What the HAY was that about Amber?!” Annie asked, frustration apparent on her face.  
“I-I don’t know what came over me.” Amber said meekly. She was beyond embarrassed. Thinking over what had happened was not much more than a blur. But she knew she had done something awful.  
“Amber I don’t understand, I’ve already told you about Azalea, and that we’ve been writing eachother. Why did you suddenly go crazy on her like that?”  
“I just…When T said Birth Mother…It made me think of all the times we spent in the orphanage…all the birthdays…Hearth’s Warming Eves…injuries, memories, all of it!” She exclaimed, “Annie, we spent our childhood without parents, you and the boys always came to me for everything…I just…I wanted to be the mother we all deserved…” she trailed off and looked out the window, “And then Miss Fluttershy came and took you away…and we grew up…and now you’re suddenly buddies with the ones who abandoned you…I just…it was too much…” Amber finished with a choke, tears welling in her eyes.  
Annie sighed and approached her friend, leaning down so they were (roughly) eye level.  
“Amber, I love you, you will always be my first “Mother” but Azalea is also a part of me. We aren’t “buddies” but we’re trying to be.” she said, using a hoof to brush the hair from Amber’s eyes. Amber couldn’t help but smile. Annie was blind, but she was a natural at comforting.  
“Do you know why Azalea came here today?”  
“To see you I assume…I’m so sorry I ruined your visit…it was in no way my business.” Amber said with a sniffle. Annie smiled.  
“I guess in part, yes, but the main reason was to meet you, Amber.” Amber looked Annie in the eye.  
“Me?”  
“Yes. You see, Azalea is a natural healer, it is her special talent. For the last few weeks we have been writing and she thinks she may have a solution to your conception problem. She even wrote a Spell and had Miss Zecora make a potion to strengthen it.”  
Amber was dumbstruck. Could such kindness really come from someone who would give up their own child? As if she could read her mind (as was often the case) Annie said, “We all make mistakes Amber. You made one this afternoon, Azalea thinks she made one years ago. But you know what I think? I think if it were truly a mistake, then that means I, my children, my life, and even our friendship is a mistake.” Here Annie lifted Amber’s chin to wipe away some tears.  
“Yes, I am sad it had to happen the way it did, but if it hadn’t, none of us would be here today. We would have never met, I wouldn’t have grown up with two amazing brothers and a sister who loves me so much she calls me “daughter”. Life is made of moments. It is how we choose to react to the moments that defines us.” Annie finished with a smile. Amber’s face went red as she realized she had just been schooled by the one she had once been raising herself. Deep down she could feel her pride swell. She took a deep breath and smiled.  
“Then I think…I will take this moment to think of the best way to apologize to Azalea…and hope that one day I can put my own insecurities behind me. Thank you Anthea…I love you…”  
“I love you too…Mom.” Annie said with a chuckle.