Sky lay Accident down in her bed, tucking her in and kissing her on the forehead.

“Are you gonna go to sleep this time?” She asked, cocking her head and smiling softly.

“Ne...neveeer!” Accident yawned, poking her little forehooves out from under the duvet and pulling it up to her chin.

“I dunno…” Sky said slyly, hopping into bed and getting under the covers as well. “You look pretty sleepy and it’s way past your bedtime…”

“I...I’m not sleepy...honest…” Accident whispered, closing her eyes and putting one of her huge wings around the elder pony.

“I bet,” Sky chuckled, kissing the young filly on the forehead and closing her own eyes. “How about this, then? If you can keep your eyes shut for a whole hour without falling asleep, I’ll take away your bedtime forever.”

Her ears perked as Accident mumbled something almost unintelligible. As Sky strained her hearing, she could just make out the words “IwantScruffy…”

“Oh...shit, yeah…” Sky rolled her eyes, clambering out of bed and trotting down the stairs to go to get Accident’s cuddly little pony toy. He lay upside down on the couch where they’d left him. Scruffy stared unblinkingly at the ceiling.

“Hey Scruffy,” Sky said, sitting down next to the plushie and picking him up. “You’re supposed to be in bed with the kid. What’ve you got to say for yourself?”

Scruffy said nothing. Plushies, after all, cannot speak.

“Oh, I see,” Sky giggled quietly. “You were having a late dinner? And how do you feel after that?”

Another silence, though now there was a certain ominousness to the atmosphere of the room, as if some all-powerful entity was threatening Sky with a horrible disfiguring injury if she dared finish that joke.

“Stuffed, you say?” Sky nodded, putting a hoof to her mouth so that her little whinnying laughter wouldn’t wake Accident.

After a few moments, Sky finally settled down, cocking her head as she smiled down at Scruffy. “You know, you’re kinda nice. I can see why the kid likes you so much. Mind if I ask you a question?”

Scruffy didn’t answer, possibly because he was still in a state of shock from that disastrous pun.

“Thanks,” Sky nodded, glancing around to make sure that no one was looking. “Erm...do you like Accident’s name? Like, do you think it suits her at all?”

She smiled again when Scruffy completely failed to respond, suspecting that she might be going crazy.

“Yeah, I know, right?” She chuckled. “She’s not an accident. That kid’s a blessing. She’s a cute little ball of feathers and smiles! Why the fuck would anypony give her such a shitty name?”

Silence.

“Yeah, but I already know a pony named Sweetheart.” Sky deadpanned at Scruffy. “She’s a stripper. It’s not a flattering name for a kid. I kinda...like Shadow better. I mean, did you hear what she said when she first chose the name? How she wanted to stick by my side?”

Sky wrapped a hoof around the back of Scruffy’s head, making him nod.

“Nopony’s ever said that to me before. Not even Hoovesie.” Sky mused. “It’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard anypony say to me.”

She lay there in thought, idly cuddling the little toy for a while as she thought through her options.

“Obviously I can’t take her back to mum...she’s a mean old bitch and Shadow doesn’t deserve that,” Sky thought aloud to Scruffy. “I dunno about the dad, but I bet she’d check on him to make sure he hasn’t rescued her or anything, and if she caught the kid in his care, she might drown her.” She frowned. “There’s always orphanages, I guess. Still...she’s different from everypony else. She’d get teased to shit. I don’t want that for her. She deserves better.”

Sky bit her lip, looking down at Scruffy. “What do you mean keep her here? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for a filly in my line of work? She could be hurt, or killed, or...you know...what happened when Shady caught up to me…”

She cringed, meeting Scruffy’s unblinking gaze once more.

“What I’m saying is that it’d be dangerous for the poor little pony.” She said quietly. “Shadow doesn’t deserve the kind of crap I’ve had to go through. She deserves all of the love and care and cookies in the damn world, and I dunno if I can do that for her.”

Scruffy said nothing, staring at Sky and letting her work out the answer for herself.

“Yeah...I mean, if I taught her what I know and looked out for her, I guess she’d have a slightly better chance,” Sky conceded. “You know, that might work. I mean, it gives me something to do while I work out what the hell I’m gonna do with her, right?”

Sky placed Scruffy on her back, climbing the stairs and sneaking down the hallway towards her room so as not to wake the little filly.

“You know, you’re a good listener, Scruffy,” She whispered. “I can see why Shadow likes you.”

As she crept into her bedroom, setting the little toy down by Accident’s side, Sky froze and stared. Somehow the filly had not only managed to throw the duvet off, she’d also spread her wings to their full considerable length, taking up most of the mattress.

“What the fuck…?” Sky whispered, pulling the duvet back onto the bed and shifting one of Accident’s wings out of the way to avoid crushing it. With a little squeak, Sky settled down in bed next to the young pony, keeping an eye on her in case she started crying in her sleep.

“You poor thing,” Sky muttered under her breath. “You never deserved any of the crap that’s happened to you, sweetie. It’s kind of a miracle that you managed to grow up into such a cute little angel with a mum like that.”

She leaned over, kissing Accident on the snout and rolling over in bed to get some rest.

Minutes passed, and Sky found herself drifting closer and closer toward the land of sleep...until something kicked her in the flank.

“He...hey!” She yelped, eyes shooting open as she rounded on the offender.

Accident kicked her in the stomach, fidgeting wildly in her sleep. Her huge wings fluttered occasionally, legs jerking violently as she broke into a twitchy, bed-bound gallop on the spot. She let out little sniffles and whimpers, making a spirited attempt to knock the wind out of her host with those little hooves of hers.

“Fuck...ouch...hey, quit it!” Sky grunted, catching Accident’s forehooves and glaring at the sleeping pony. “Hey, it’s okay. Look, it’s fine...I’m here...I...oof!”

Finally, Accident caught her in the diaphragm, sending Sky rolling off of the bed clutching at her belly.

“Fu...fuck!” She gasped, coughing a little as she struggled to get her breath back. “Okay...so you wanna be fidgety, do you? You wait right there, kid…”

Sky stormed out of the room, returning a few moments later with a big ball of yarn. Accident continued to kick and beat her wings and whimper in her sleep, but Sky had had quite enough. If she was to calm this filly down, she had to stop her from moving first. The last thing they needed right now was two concussed little ponies.

“Fire in the hole!” Sky cried, lobbing the ball of yarn under the bedclothes.

In only a few moments, Accident managed to catch her hoof on it, slowly unravelling the ball and wrapping the wool around her wings and legs quite by accident. Her own fidgeting worked against her, entangling the poor little filly in more and more of it until she was completely unable to move. The whimpering and fussing didn’t dissipate, though Accident tugged at her bonds with all of her might.

Sky sighed, climbing into bed and tucking Scruffy in between Accident’s forehooves again.

“Hey, kid,” she whispered, “I know I’m not your mum, and I don’t think I can replace her, but...I’m here for you. Trust me, I’ll take much better care of you than she ever did. Every day’s gonna be Visiting Day, and I’ll play with you and teach you everything I know...and...hell, we can even do each others’ manes or whatever.”

Accident let out a very soft cry, pushing her muzzle under Sky’s chin and breathing heavily.

“Yeah, sweetie...I know what it’s like to lose your mum. I know that feeling of loneliness, of being lost and feeling like nopony in the world cares for you anymore, but trust me, you’re not alone. I’m here for you.”

The little blue filly nodded, struggling against the yarn a little more as she started to settle down.

“Things hurt right now, but just remember, there’s a pony right here who’s got your back, every step of the way,” Sky whispered, smiling encouragingly. “I’ll find a way to make everything okay, kid. Don’t worry. We’ll find a way to make you happy again, together.”

Accident stopped struggling and whimpering, and for a time the only noise was the sound of her breathing. In good order, even that slowed down, settling into the deep, slow rhythm of a sleeping little pony.

“Thank you, Sky…” Accident said tiredly, nuzzling her way under the elder pony’s wing.

“Hey, don’t mention it, kid. You...you make me pretty damn happy.” Sky smiled back. “You deserve better, and I’m gonna make sure you have it.”

“I...ooookay…” Accident nodded, her whole body settling completely. “And I’ll be the best filly ever, okay?”

“Kid,” Sky beamed, “You already are.”

And with that, both little ponies finally drifted off to sleep, resting in each others’ hooves.

Sky was the first to wake, groaning softly as she pulled herself out of bed.

Accident followed with a dull thud, having somehow found a way to wind the yarn around Sky’s hind leg, too.

“Eep!” squeaked Accident. “I’m up! I’m up!”

“Yeah, I know! Sorry!” Sky yelped apologetically, pulling the little pony to her hooves and starting to free her from the trap.

“Was I fidgeting?” Accident asked worriedly. ”I’m sorry, Sky! I didn’t mean to!”

“You were having nightmares and going through a tough time, kid. Everypony gets those in their lives at some point or another. I’m pretty impressed that you didn’t cry!”

“Well…” Accident shrugged. “I guess I just wasn’t sad. I mean, I was really sad about mum, and about being alone and not exactly having a family, but there’s stuff I can be happy about too! I can be happy that I’ve got somewhere to stay, I can be happy that I’m not really alone, and I can be super happy that I met you! You give me a super-duper big smile, even bigger than Mum on Visiting Day!”

Sky tapped a hoof to her chin, finally grinning at her. “Well, you know, it gets even better…”

“It does?” Accident squeaked.

“Yeah! See, Scruffy and I were talking last night, and he said some great stuff about you! You’re gonna have to learn how to be streetwise one way or another, so...how would you like to learn how to be a burglar with me?”

Accident’s mouth dropped open. “Really?” She asked. “Like, you really really wanna make me a burglar just like you?”

“Well, I mean, if you wanna…” Sky shrugged. “The offer’s open, if…”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence, for Accident had cut in by wrapping her hooves and her enormous wings around Sky’s body.

“Yes! Yes please, Sky!” she grinned with an excited little squee.” I’d love to be an awesome burglar just like you!”

“Well...you know...it was just a thought, and...well...thank you too, sweetie,” Sky said, giving Accident one more cursory squeeze before heading down to the front door. “Alright, if you’re gonna be like me, you’re gonna want to meet Bellboy!”

“Bellboy?” Accident asked.”Who’s Bellboy?”

“He’s the pony who first taught me how to pickpocket!” Sky grinned, hoisting Accident onto her back as she made her way out into the cul-de-sac, “...and now he’s going to teach you, too.”