Chapter 1
Sunny Daze groggily woke up because something was bouncing on her bed. Something blue-green, the dark orange mare rose up slightly, the giggle slowly registered with her mind as belonging to her son, Chisel.
“Wake up, mommy,” Chisel giggled and kept bouncing up and down, a massive smile on his muzzle which was brown, unlike the rest of his coat.
“Oh, just five more minutes,” Sunny mumbled and slumped back down, she used her magic to throw a blanket over the little colt.
“Eep.” Chisel stopped bouncing and instead started roaming around the bed, like a green ghost covered as he was under the blanket. The occasional giggle still escaped from him.
“Am a ghost, boooooo,” the boy put on his best spooky voice.
Sunny started laughing, looking up, she grabbed the blanket again with her magic and picked it up of the boy. He was grinning wide at his mother.
“Well, that is the cutest ghost I’ve ever seen,” she told the boy and smiled warmly. The little unicorn rushed forward and pounced his mother in a hug, she put her legs around him and cuddled him against her chest, nuzzling his blue mane gently.
“You are too cute,” she mumbled and let him go and started to rise. The boy bounced off the bed and continued to jump towards the bedroom door.
Sunny yawned as she finally relented to leave the bed. It was morning, and she knew her son was hungry and excited for a new day, then again, the mare couldn’t remember a day when he wasn’t excited. The unicorn chuckled a little; she remembered being this bouncy once.
The bedroom led straight to the living room and the kitchen corner. It was not a big apartment; she had repurposed the walk-in closet into the boy’s bedroom. Sunny wished she could afford something a little bigger, give her son a proper room. While he was still this young and small, the big closet would do, but it would be a problem when he got bigger. She had even removed the door of the closet, worrying about letting her son sleep in this enclosed space with no window.
Chisel was still bouncing around the living room. For a moment, Sunny wondered if her son had turned into a rabbit, chuckling she went to the kitchen corner to prepare breakfast.
“You want Crunchies for breakfast?” she asked and opened one of the cupboards.
“Yes, please,” Chisel called from the other end of the living room.
Sunny pulled out a cereal box and put it on the counter, then she got milk from the fridge and grabbed from another cupboard a bowl. She filled it with the cereal and poured milk over it. While she did that, the mare also put two slices of bread in the toaster.
“Come and get it, bouncy boy,” she called and put the cereal bowl on the table. Chisel came rushing over and sat at the table. Seeing her boy starting to eat, she turned back to the counter to make her breakfast.
The toast finished and she put some jam on it, then grabbed a bottle of orange juice and poured it into a glass. Sunny glanced back to her son, who was still gobbling up his cereal.
“You want some juice?” she asked, Chisel nodded eagerly. Sunny got another glass and filled it with orange juice. Then she took the two glasses and her breakfast to the table and sat down.
Ugh, glad I’m not working today, I’m just not up for it, the mare thought while nibbling on her toast. She had a bit of a backache, result of an old injury that sometimes bothered her.
Sunny glanced at the fridge; it hadn’t escaped her attention while preparing the breakfast that it was starting to get empty. The mare grumbled; she would have to go to the bank and see if she had enough on her account to do some groceries.
“Am done.” Chisel announced and pushed the empty bowl and glass away.
“Then go play,” Sunny told him. The colt didn’t waste a second; he was already off and rushed to the corner where most of his toys were; they didn’t all fit in his room.
The mare pushed the groceries to the back of her mind. She smiled and continued to eat while watching Chisel get his toy train and a few toy figures and started playing with them on the floor.
When Sunny finished her breakfast, she took the dishes and the glasses and put them all in the sink. Then she went to the small bathroom to clean up. Brushing her light orange mane and tail before tying both in a knot, then she went over her coat with another brush. For a moment, she stopped over her cutie-mark on her left flank, a beam of light like a sunray. There was a visible scar over it.
Sunny stared at it silently for a moment before finishing the brushing. Then she put the brush away and returned to the living room. Her son was still playing on the floor, making choo-choo noises. The mare returned to the kitchen corner and started doing the dishes.
A knock on the apartment door caused Chisel to jump away from his toys and race to the front hall. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t quite learned to use his magic and was too small to reach the doorknob, that didn’t stop the colt from trying. He went on his hindlegs, supporting himself on the door with one hoof while poking at the doorknob with the other.
“Just a minute!” Sunny called, turning off the faucet and went to follow her son. She chuckled a little when seeing his valiant attempt at opening the door.
Sunny grabbed the colt up and placed him on her back, then unlocked the door and opened it. Both smiled when seeing the yellow unicorn with a gray mane and tail and a spear cutie-mark standing outside.
“Sharp Spear,” Sunny cried and reached out to hug the visitor.
“Auntie Spear!” Chisel cheered and jumped off his mother back and rushed to hug the newcomer as well.
“Heya, Sunny, hi, you little ragamuffin,” Sharp Spear grinned as the mare was squeezed from both sides. When Sunny let go of her, she grabbed up Chisel to hold him and peered at him teasingly. “You aren’t causing any trouble, are you?”
“Nooo.” Chisel shook his head frantically, trying to look as innocent as he could.
“Oh, come on in,” Sunny stepped back inside and let the other pony enter. When Sharp Spear had passed the doorway with Chisel, the orange unicorn closed the door again.
“So, what brings you here all the way from the Crystal Empire?” Sunny asked as she led the visitor into the living room. She and Sharp Spear were old childhood friends and still stayed in touch, even if the yellow pony had moved quite a while ago to join the Royal Guards before she transferred to the Crystal Empire.
“I’m on leave from the Crystal Guards, figured I would visit family and friends in Vanhoover,” Sharp responded and bounced Chisel for a moment in her blue colored magic before letting the giggling boy back to the ground. The colt now jumped around the mares.
“Figured you would be awake already. You have often lamented that this bouncy bean over here has made you forget what sleeping in meant,” Sharp Spear chuckled as she watched the boy.
“Yeah, the sun appears, he is up,” Sunny mock glared at her son but was still smiling.
The two adults laughed before heading to the dining table, followed by the colt. Sharp and Chisel got seated while Sunny went to prepare some drinks. There wasn’t much to offer, but there was still coffee for the older ponies and orange juice for Chisel. Sunny did find the last pack of biscuits and put it all on the table.
“I got a new train,” Chisel informed Sharp and turned in his seat to point proudly where his toy still lay on the living room floor.
“Oooh, that’s nice,” Sharp Spear nodded as she glanced over.
“It goes choo-choo!” the boy helpfully informed her. “And it carries my other toys.”
“That it does, how is school?” Sharp looked at the boy, recalling this was his first year in school.
“It is fun, I started to write letters,” Chisel told her, then he jumped off the chair to race off to his room.
Sharp Spear looked quizzically at Sunny, who was giggling as she poured them some coffee in mugs. Chisel soon came running back, holding a paper in his mouth, on it were several letters scribbled together in mouth-writing.
“I do this, Miss Sweet gave me a star,” Chisel beamed as he gave the paper to Sharp, who levitated the paper up. It did have a star stamp on it, not a gold star but still a star.
“He did have trouble starting first, but the foals who show the most improvement over the year, get a star,” Sunny explained to her, looking a little proud herself.
“Very nice,” Sharp smiled and gave the paper to Chisel. “You’ll be writing me letters soon enough.”
Chisel grabbed the paper in his mouth and trotted back with it to his room. Sharp grabbed up her mug and took a swig from the coffee, then looked at Sunny, who was more just slowly sipping hers.
“So how is life treating you? Back still bothering you?” the guard asked, having noticed that her friend had to shift a little to sit more comfortably in the chair.
“A little, have a day off today, so it should be fine for tomorrow,” Sunny told her. “As for life, I can’t complain, wished I could live in a little bigger. Chisel isn’t going to remain small forever. He’s already small for a six-year-old colt.”
“You know, you could move to the Crystal Empire. Princess Cadance implemented affordable housing for struggling single parents, I’m sure you could find some work,” Sharp Spear suggested with an innocent grin.
“You don’t give up, do you?” Sunny chuckled. This was not the first time Sharp Spear had tried to get her to move closer. “First Canterlot, now the Crystal Empire.”
“What can I say? I miss you guys. I hated leaving you behind for boot camp in Canterlot and the when I moved to the Crystal Empire. I Want to help you,” her friend told her, sounding a little regretful.
“You know why I live here,” Sunny sighed and continued to sip from her mug. Chisel returned and climbed back to his seat. He grabbed the glass of orange juice in his hooves and took a large gulp.
Sharp Spear fell silent and just nodded, she looked at Chisel who had been given a biscuit by his mother and was munching on it. The unicorn turned back to her friend.
“He hasn’t tried to contact as he?” she asked quietly and carefully, turning more solemn when seeing Sunny’s eyes grow a little colder.
“He sent a letter…” Sunny whispered and looked away. “Claiming to be apologizing.”
“Apologizing!?” Sharp Spear had to hold back a snarl, not wanting to startle the colt sitting next to her. Chisel was already looking confused at the adults.
“Chisel, why don’t you go and play,” Sunny told her son.
“Okay,” the colt nodded and climbed off the chair and trotted back to his toys in the living room.
When they could hear that Chisel was playing with his toys, Sharp Spear leaned over the table. Now she was not hiding her disgust as she frowned heavily at her friend.
“How in Tartarus does that bastard think apologizing will change anything?” she hissed.
“Actually he didn’t, said it would change nothing… I burned the letter…” Sunny shuddered and put her mug down on the table, staring down at it.
“He damn right it changes nothing,” Sharp Spear growled and put down her mug, she was seething now. “I swear if I had known it was him I was looking for during the possession incident, I would have refused and told them King Sombra could have him.”
“What?” Sunny raised her brow. Sharp Spear had told her quite a while back that King Sombra had returned, possessing a pony. The guard had been involved in the search, only to locate an inn where the Dark King had driven the patrons and the innkeeper mad and killed six Crystal Ponies.
“Yeah, the pony King Sombra possessed was his brother. I never told you that part, because I didn’t want you to have a fit,” Sharp Spear sat up, her eyes drifted downwards, still looking grim.
“I appreciate it,” Sunny whispered and closed her eyes.
“Ugh, here I come for a friendly visit and I’m dredging up that asshole, sorry,” Sharp Spear grumbled and looked up, doing her best to smile again.
“It’s alright,” her friend assured her though it didn’t sound very convincing.
Sharp Spear felt guilty now. She glanced back to where Chisel was busy playing with his toys, having them go on a merry adventure on the train.
“Tell you what, why don’t I take you both out for ice cream, my treat?” she offered.
“It’s early morning,” Sunny pointed out somewhat skeptical, her friend rose up from her seat with a wide grin.
“Never too early for ice cream. Hey Chisel, want some ice cream?” Sharp called to the boy, causing his mother to drop her jaw in shock.
“Yes, please!” Immediately the boy was right back in the kitchen corner, jumping up and down with an eager smile.
“Using my own son against me, that’s just evil,” Sunny stuck her tongue out at the still grinning mare.
Although it was early morning, there were already ponies out and about. Now included were Sharp Spear and Sunny Daze, walking towards midtown. Bouncing ahead of them was little Chisel.
“So she told me, ‘I’m really flattered but sorry I really don’t swing that way.’ Just my luck,” Sharp Spear laughed as the two mares continued their walk. Sunny chuckled during the story.
“I’m sure you’ll find somepony,” Sunny reassured her.
“Eh, I’m not desperately seeking, but you can’t blame me, she was really cute,” Sharp Spear shrugged, though she was talking with her friend, she also did keep an eye on the boy bouncing ahead of them.
“Oh, we are approaching where they are building that new building, we probably should go to the other side, so we don’t walk past it,” Sunny remarked.
“It should be safe, looks like they have both fencing and magic guards up,” Sharp Spear eyed towards where a partly finished building was further down. Chisel had already stopped, staring in awe at the construction and especially the various cranes in operation.
“Better be safe than sorry,” her friend said, Sharp couldn’t argue with that. Then Sunny’s magic grip on her purse vanished, and it dropped to the ground.
The two unicorns stopped, puzzled. Sunny tried to pick her purse up again, but her magic fizzled out. Then they heard shouts and looked up. Both gasped in horror.
At the construction site, one of the unicorn workers had been assisting a crane operator with putting a bag of heavy building materials onto a platform. He had grabbed hold on the bag and was trying to steer it further onto the platform. Suddenly his magic fizzled out, the tow cable of the crane hadn’t lined up yet, sending it and the bag swinging off the platform.
The worker watched in shock and terror as the bag swung like a pendulum, going high enough to spill some of its contents out and send it raining down to the street below. Most of it would land within the fences of the site, but some were going to the road.
“WATCH OUT BELOW!” another worker snapped to her senses to send the alarm, other unicorns had tried to grab the bag, but their magic didn’t work either. Down below, ponies were already scattering.
“CHISEL!” Sunny screamed, but Sharp Spear was already running.
The soldier dashed madly for the boy. She didn’t bother with her horn, having already figured out that something was wrong with magic. Sharp Spear then jumped for the colt who still hadn’t realized the danger he was in. The mare grabbed the boy in her forelegs. Then she rolled quickly out of the way just as bricks and girders slammed down to the ground.
Sharp Spear didn’t move where she lay on the ground for a moment, shielding Chisel with her body. Then she looked up and was relieved to see that most of the things coming down had landed in the construction area, only a few girders and bricks had gone outside of it.
“Am scared… where is mommy?” Chisel whimpered, there was commotion around them. Ponies were running; there were panicked shouts all over the place.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, we’ll go to your mommy now,” Sharp Spear said, she hugged the boy for a moment, before letting go and rose up, then she called. “It’s okay, Sunny. I got Chisel.”
“Sunny?” Sharp Spear frowned when not hearing anything from her friend nor saw her.
“Mommy?” Chisel called as he looked frantically around.
Sharp Spear quickly scanned the area. She noticed that ponies were congregating around one spot on the sidewalk. Not that far away from where she and Sunny had been. Her heart stopped beating; ponies were hurrying to remove bricks of something, or someone.
“She’s injured!” someone was calling.
“No…” Sharp Spear whispered, she tried to grab for Chisel but was to late, the boy was running towards the crowd of ponies.
“Somepony call an ambulance carriage!”
“Mommy!”
End chapter 1