//------------------------------//
// Home Is Where The Hell Is 
// Story: The Princess of Harmony 
// by royaldarkness316 
//------------------------------//

  Harmony carefully opened the door, and looked around. She then carefully entered the foyer. Her mother, Silver Bottle, was passed out on the couch with a large bottle of Changeling vodka, vile-smelling stuff that can knock Cerberus out if he ingested more than one bottle. Harmony sneaked upstairs, praying that her mother wouldn't wake up. Harmony carefully closed the door, and removed her cap and gown. She looked herself in the mirror. She looked nothing like her parents, her mother, a white unicorn with mud-colored eyes and orange hair. her cutie mark was a bottle of some kind of alcohol. Her father, Fallen Tree,  was a dark blue stallion with cold grey eyes and a cutie mark of a hatchet. 

Her mother used to be pretty back when they had owned a winery, but that was before the economy crashed and forced \to sell the winery and move into a small house in the slums. Harmony's father had managed to find himself a paying job, even though it was just cleaning up branches in the parks around town. Her mother had started drinking to drown the memories of being happy and rich, suddenly shriveling and becoming scary and unpredictable. Her mother had only recently begun drinking the heavy stuff, the stuff that really shouldn't be drunk unless in moderation. The alcohol had completely wrecked Silver Bottle's mind, even when she was sober she was angry, and for no apparent reason blamed Harmony for their new lifestyle.

After moving into the new home. and especially when Fallen Tree was out of town, Silver's mind had broken, and she would be terribly abusive to Harmony, constantly belittling her over everything that she did, whether it be getting a B on a test, not making food that fit Silver's ridiculous standards, constantly insulted and if she did something that seemed to upset her mother, she would get beaten.  Harmony endured it, and tried to not let it affect her. It was hard, though, the abuse had caused her to be irritable when she on a particularly bad day. 

Harmony yawned, tired after the events of the day. She went up into her room, took off the robes, and lay down. She thought about the events that had transpired that day. What are those things that I keep hearing? She wondered. Harmony rolled onto her back, and stared at the ceiling. I hope I can find someone who will hire me. I just wish I knew a job that both paid well and required magic.... Harmony practically melted into her bed. 

Harmony sighed, and sat up. Harmony looked over to the calendar on the wall, the next day circled. She looked at it with a mixture of longing and misery. "What am I going to do? Where am I going to go? I suppose i could live with Cupcake..." she murmured...

Harmony swallowed, and went back downstairs. She sighed, and went into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, pulling out some fresh lettuce and some bread. She grimaced as she looked at the expiration date. 
"If we eat it quick, we won't get sick." she mumbled.
Carefully slicing the lettuce into two shares, she placed them onto the small, mismatched plates. Harmony put them out onto the table. 

Harmony cleared her throat softly, "Um, mom? Lunch is ready."

Silver got up, a little unsteady, and lumbered over to the table. She looked at the meager dinner in front of her, "Is this all?"
she snarled. 
Harmony gulped, "Yes mom... it's the best that we can do."
"Whatever." Silver growled. 
Harmony and Silver ate in silence, as was normal. After they finished eating, Silver eyed Harmony.
"So. You graduated. Did you get a job?"
Harmony shuddered, "No... not yet."

Silver glared at Harmony, "I hope you aren't hoping to freeload here. I have sheltered you here for eighteen years, and in that time, one would think that one would be able to actually get a job, a job where there would be enough for one to get by on! You lazy bag of bones! All the time you wasted hanging out with that awful filly Cupcake when you could have been taking an apprenticeship! Do you have any idea how much money you cost us by going to that fancy school, and when you get that diploma, what do you do, you come home and mooch of your poor parents!"

Harmony glared back at her, suddenly feeling bold, "I am not mooching off of you or dad! Has it ever crossed your mind that it's hard for a fresh graduate to get a job, or that you should maybe stop feeling sorry for yourself and get yourself a job?!"
She regretted the words after they had left her mouth.

Silver's face turned red with rage, "No one speaks to me that way!" She loomed over Harmony, who swallowed, knowing what came next. Harmony's mind began to shut down, going to that awful place it did during a panic attack,  the place where no light existed, where sheer madness took control.

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorrI'msorryI'msorry!!!!" said the young mare, her words coming out in a garble, her breath increasing, her mind starting to ache, "Pleasedonthurtmepleasedonthurtmeplease!" she begged, her voice rising to hysteria.

"Shut up!" roared Sliver, smacking Harmony across the face, sending her flying across the room. Harmony let out a cry as she hit the wall with a loud THUD! The one thought that passed though her panicked mind was I didn't know that that many colors combined to make white....

Silver stood over her daughter, who was reduced to a crumpled, sobbing heap, "Oh grow up!" she snarled, giving Harmony a kick for good measure. Harmony screamed as her side exploded in pain, "I'm sorry...." she mumbled. Silver smiled in cruel satisfaction, "Good, at least you know your place." and with that went to the kitchen, probably to get some more alcohol.

Harmony lay there, the anxiety attack over, and was left with her legs feeling drained, her head hurting like a mother, and her side aching. She closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep.