Flashback ( PDFDrive )

number one and lowered her into the warm goo, where her tiny limbs
did seem to relax.
“Here you go, Mama,” Tarina said, bringing the pod over to
Silveny’s face and giving her a chance for one quick nuzzle. “That’s
your baby’s scent, so you’ll recognize her if she gets stronger and we
can bring her back to you.”
Silveny let out a snuffly whinny—somewhere between elation and
devastation—and rubbed her nose against her daughter’s tiny head
with a look of absolute devotion. The baby didn’t open her eyes or
make a sound, but she nudged her nose against her mama. Sophie felt
tears trickle down her cheeks as Silveny begged again, SOPHIE
PROMISE! BABY OKAY! BABY OKAY!
More tears poured down as Tarina carried the pod over to Greyfell,
letting the papa alicorn endure the same emotional roller coaster as he
nuzzled his tiny daughter for the first time. The floating newborn
looked so small and helpless, all knobby knees and fuzzy fur and
tucked-in wings. And her head didn’t have a full horn yet—more of a
pointy nubbin peeking out of the strands of her short mane. She also
wasn’t as silvery as her mama—more of a mix of white, yellow, and
pearl—and Sophie decided she looked like she’d been dipped in
moonlight.
And something stirred inside Sophie as she watched Tarina seal the
pod tight—a kind of absolute determination that had her promising
Silveny and Greyfell that they would see that tiny baby again. If Luzia
couldn’t get a new hive built in time, then Sophie would stand guard
inside the troll hive and fight off all the newborns. She didn’t care
what it took—that little moon-dipped alicorn was going to live.