What a Mother Does:
 
She Teaches…
 
Twilight Sparkle always knew her daughter would be the spitting image of herself: with two scholarly parents, it was almost impossible that Dawn Dreamer would not end up scholarly. As expected, and relief of her mother, Dawn started taking interest in the Crystal Castle Library at an early age. Twilight of course was delighted and left her daughter to explore the library. However, Dawn did not read these books herself: every day, the young unicorn took out a book from the library, bolted out to her mother’s office, then asked her mother to read the stories to her. At first Twilight amused her daughter and spent hours reading stories to her daughter. However, as this became routine, Twilight realized that Dawn asked her to read the books because she herself could not read. Twilight decided to take theses story times together to teach her daughter to read instead of simply reading the books to Dawn. Every night before falling asleep, Dawn brought Twilight a book to read, and Twilight taught her young daughter to read. This bedtime routine lasted well into Dawn’s elementary years even well after the young unicorn learned to read beyond her years. These story times also led Dawn to seek out her own curiosities, eventually leading Dawn to learn of her passions and talents in history, the ultimate story.
 
She Supports…
 
After Zephyr left her alone, Rainbow Dash faced some decisions: keep her child, or help them to a better home? Ultimately, Rainbow decided that she would raise her child on her own and be the most awesome parent in Equestria. When Feather Dart was born, Rainbow fell in love and claimed her son to be the best foal in Equestria. As Feather grew, Rainbow celebrated everything awesome about her son: his first bath, his first day of school, his first friend, and etcetera. When Feather asked to join the same flight school his mother attended, Rainbow vowed to go to every competition. Rainbow quickly became just like her own mother: every one of her son’s accomplishments was met with a loud cheer and a flag with his cutie mark. Maybe Rainbow felt that she needed to make up for a lack of a father, or maybe Rainbow really did turn into her own mother. Feather never hated his mother’s cheers since he knew that it meant she loved him.
 
She Makes Time…
 
Rarity was a busy mother: between her fashion empire, her Canterlot societal and philanthropic obligations, and her Cutie Map quests, the white unicorn never seemed to have free time. After divorcing her first husband Fancy Pants, Rarity’s obligations tied around joint custody of their daughter, Azure Glitter who spent each week at a different parent’s house. Although Fancy Pants loved his daughter, sometimes the stallion merely forgot that his daughter was visiting him that week, and so would ignore the young mare or drag her to his social obligations. Rarity, on the other hoof, always knew exactly when her daughter was coming to Ponyville and made sure that nothing got in the way of “mother-daughter” time. Even with her fashion empire and her high standing in Equestria, Rarity claims wholeheartedly that her favorite moments were when she and Azure went out for ice cream and talked, with Azure doing most of the gabbing.
 
She Protects…
 
When Grease Spot was born, Applejack promised her son to never let anything harm him. Just like with her younger sister Applebloom, Applejack took this promise almost too literally with Grease: the young colt could not do a thing without his mother hovering and offering to help. Grease was her baby afterall. Although great for Grease as an infant, the young colt felt smothered by his early elementary years: the colt could not even walk to school without a helmet and his mother right next to him. Things only got worse when Grease began experimenting with machinery: Applejack was internally conflicted between wanting to protect her baby from harm and frustration with the colt breaking carts instead of doing his chores. This conflict unfortunately led to more than a few fights between Applejack and Grease, both ponies too stubborn to realize what each felt about the other. After some confrontational words from Soarin’, Applejack slowly but surely let loose her protective grip on her baby.
 
She Cares…
 
Fluttershy never thought she would be a mother. Although the mare was motherly toward her animals, it simply was not the same. Everything changed for Fluttershy when she found a skinny brown colt named Speckle Heart rummaging through her vegetable garden looking for food. Fluttershy soon learned that the colt was being abused by his father, and after one unfortunate night involving domestic murder, Fluttershy rescued Speckle and adopted the colt. On the first night in his new home, Speckle still had fresh wounds and bruises, and at night began having nightmares of his father. Without thinking, Fluttershy laid by her new son and began humming a lullaby she usually sang to her animals. Eventually the brown colt fell asleep, remaining cuddled up next to his new mother. Fluttershy continued to care for and heal her new son, and other children over the years, with lullabies, soup, and kisses.
 
She Embarrasses…
 
Pinkie Pie was known throughout Ponyville as the goofy mare, and when she married the goofy stallion Cheese Sandwich, surely their child would be just as goofy as they were. Well, that did not happen with Pinni: although the young pink mare looked almost exactly like Pinkie, Pinni was absolutely not goofy like her parents. Pinkie Pie tried everything with her daughter to see if a goofy mare was just hidden away underneath her magenta mane: however, her goof efforts usually led to simply frustrating or embarrassing Pinni. When Pinni reached her early teenage years, Pinkie’s antics continued to frustrate and embarrass her daughter, eventually leading to arguments and bursts of yelling. Pinkie finally accepts her daughter’s lack of Pinkie goofiness when Pinni leaves home to pursue a culinary scholarship.
 
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In honor of Mother’s Day (which whoopsies already passed), I decided to draw the Mane 6 as mothers and their strongest attributes to motherhood in my Dawnverse head-canon. Hopefully the stories make sense!
 
These qualities do not apply to every mother/motherly figure, but dang to they apply to my own mother (except maybe overprotective: if all my fluids and bones are inside my body, she thinks I’m fine).
 
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and motherly figures out there!
 
Enjoy!