//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Scorched Earth // by Shorty Sparkle //------------------------------// Chapter Two The next few weeks were pretty hard for me as I tried to fit in. I tried to make some friends but the only kids near my age were still a few years younger. Most of the older pony children went to specialized schools. Unicorns went to magic schools while Pegasi went to flying schools. Most Earth Ponies went to learn different subjects or stayed home at farms or places to work. Although it seems that not many stayed in Ponyville. I did become friends with a group called the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They were crazy as could be and honestly scared me with the stunts they kept pulling. My new mother was a nice pony. She always looked after me and kept on trying so hard to make me feel better if I was sad. The other five friends would visit all the time and we became great friends. Rarity even took me to a spa one day. Of course she did it because... “Your mane is absolutely HORRID!” I loved it though and felt it a good break from all the things I kept trying to learn. Twilight Sparkle loved to help me find books on all different types of things. I was learning so much and was actually starting to get happy. I didn’t have many friends but that didn’t matter. I looked out the window with my Luna Plushie just thinking about how the first few weeks had been. Fluttershy had just walked into my room to catch me looking outside at her pet bunny. Angel was just that. He was a nice bunny if you treated him right. He did have a slight temper though. “Angel really does like you.” She had come up behind me making me jump when she talked. “Oh, I am sorry did I startle you. I didn’t mean to.” “Oh, no it’s fine. I was just about to go down to the library to see if Twilight had a book for me to read.” And with that I got up and walked out the door. The walk to the town was rather long. Nearly a 15 minute one if you were just walking for the sake of walking. When I reached town the Library was standing over the town rather proudly. Only the town hall stood higher. When I entered I was rather surprised to see another pony inside. I went over to great Twilight and she told me about this new arrival. “He is here for the school I guess. There is some sort of thing going on down in Canterlot this next week and he wants to be there for it. He is reading up on some Canterlot informational things before he heads off.” She paused for a minute before continuing. “I think you would like him. You should go talk to him.” I walked to the dark brown unicorn colt who was about my age. “Hello there, my name is Celestial. What is yours?” The pony looked at me in surprise before responding. “Oh, my name is Stormbreaker.” He turned back to his book as if I wasn’t even there. “Oh come on, you have to have more conversation in you then that!” I exclaimed. He wasn’t exactly being social. I looked over to his Cutie Mark which was two clouds with a sun shining in between them. “What about your special talent?” He looked embarrassed and didn’t seem to want to tell me. I had asked him a few times and even told him mine before he finally responded (Much to his displeasure might I add.) with “It means I can control the weather.” I looked at him expecting him to look at me and say “Gotcha!” or something like that. After a few minutes of waiting for the punchline I realized he wasn’t kidding. The special talent of his was something that was a normal thing for a Pegasus. Imagine, your special talent being something that was perfectly normal for the Pegasi. He looked at me almost begging me to go away. I backed away slowly being as though he might have a slight grudge against the Pegasi for having his one special talent AND the ability to fly. --- Later that day I was eating supper with Fluttershy. Homemade oats and grass. It was very good. “So Fluttershy, I heard that the school is having a trip to Canterlot to see the castle! Can I go please?” She knew why I wanted to go. My dream was someday meeting Princess Luna. I figured this might be my chance. She looked at me and kind of chuckled. “Oh, I am sorry I didn’t mean to laugh.” I was kind of worried what the chuckle meant. “I am sure that would be a great idea for you!” I was so happy. In just a week the world would open for me and I would finally get to meet the pony who filled my dreams. Princess Luna was so close to being with me! I couldn’t wait and started packing then. Continuously saying “Thanks Fluttershy!” making the yellow Pegasus almost blush. --- Later that day we walked down to Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom was there to great me. “Hey’a there Celestial!” She was happy to see me. “How’r you doin’ today?” I looked at her in excitement. “I get to go to the Canterlot Castle on the school trip!” At those words Apple Bloom looked a bit down. I realized that she wasn’t going to get to go and I walked up to her and nuzzled her neck. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to rub it in.” Apple Bloom looked up then smiled. “I’m just jokin’ you Celestial! You really need to lighten’ up ya know!” She laughed and ran inside her house as Granny Smith called her in for supper. Fluttershy was speaking to Applejack. “So, what do you think we should do?” Fluttershy had responded to something that Applejack said. “When the little filly learns what we did she will never stop talking.” Applejack just laughed. “Now listen hear sugar cube! Don’t you worry none. I am honestly surprised she didn’t already know!” I walked up to the two mares talking. “Know what?” I asked Fluttershy quickly responded before Applejack could, “Oh nothing! Nothing at all.” Applejack gave Fluttershy a look of disapproval for not telling me whatever it was. With that we walked away from the farm with a bushel of apples that Fluttershy was pulling behind her. We walked to the Library on the way and stopped at Twilight’s. When we walked in I noticed Stormbreaker in the corner reading another book. I trotted over to him. “Hey there Stormbreaker!” I had startled the colt out of his book and he looked at me a little bit angry. “What you reading?” “I am reading about how the Pegasi control the weather. I like to know what I am up against.” He was taking the defensive approach again and it worried me a lot. He really did look like he hated Pegasi. “Can you please just let me read?” I decided that I would hold my ground. “I am going to Canterlot Castle next week and I heard you are going too! Do you hope to get to meet the princesses!” He looked at me almost in disgust then decided that an insult was a bad idea. “I hope so yes. But the chances of that happening are so slim because they are running a nation and don’t have time for fillies and colts.” I nearly broke down with those words. He was being extremely cruel and it was obvious that he didn’t even want to be friends. I lowered my head and backed away. I had decided then and there that I would become friends with this colt in order to make him happy one day. That day would have to wait though. We were heading home when Fluttershy asked me about him. “Well, his name is Stormbreaker and he hates Pegasi.” She looked at me shocked with those words. “Oh I am sure he doesn’t ‘hate’ Pegasi!” She was faily alarmed that I thought this. “I mean why on earth would he hate a whole race of ponies?” I sighed knowing very well that I would have to explain it. “His special talent is controlling the weather which makes him not special. So he hates us because we can do it too.” Fluttershy looked grim with that realizing I was probably right. We took his one special talent away from him. I thought about it. It must be like getting a Cutie Mark for getting Cutie Marks (Which I figured the CMC were quick on their way to getting that one). I looked at the house I had lived in for nearly a month now. I loved the place and was happy that I finally found my home. I looked into the window and I could see my Princess Luna plush looking out at the moon. When I got to my room I scooped up the Luna plush and did the same. The moon was just so beautiful and just made you want to rest. I was happy to see it just sitting out there. Looking down on Equestria keeping it safe.