Best Friends vs. Home

by Polar Muffins

Chapter 1

“PHYSOPED! COME HERE RIGHT NOW!” It was mother. Screaming at the top of her lungs. It appeared as though mother had discovered the spilled water jug all over the kitchen floor
“Hiadim!” This meant ‘coming’ in Narabic. Otherwise known as my native language. I also know Neighbrew but mother doesn’t understand that language. My family and I are Zebras who moved to Coltinth in Ancient Greigh from Neighgypt. I was four years old when we moved. When mother had called I was busy resting under a tree reading scrolls. It was not common for mares to do this, but it helps me learn about plants. The thing I got my leaf cutie mark for.
I went inside to the kitchen. “You broke the water jar! You placed it where people can step on it when you brought it in!” Mother was standing over the broken water jar looking angry. Mothers glossy black and white coat and perfect black and white tail and mane made me jealous. I have an unusual coat, an unusual mane and tail, I hate it. My light green coat with white stripes is most unusual among zebras, but that is how I was born. My dark red and light blue mane and tail is even more unusual for a zebra, but I was born that way. I hate how unusual I am. I am always picked on by all the colts, mares, stallions and fillies. I don’t have a friend in the world.

~

I was out by my campsite in the outskirts of Arhooves looking at the blanket of stars in the midnight sky. “I wish I had a friend to look at the stars with... it’s too bad this beauty won’t surpass my eyes.” I sighed and looked off to my right where the city of Coltinth was located. It was the city I was told to never visit, to never think about because it was filled with cruel and evil ponies. But from my point of view it didn’t look that way, a raspy growl escaped my stomach. I forgotten I hadn’t eaten all day and Arhooves was miles away. Curiosity and hunger got the best of me so I had no choice but to roam into the forbidden land of Coltinth.
Through the passing of Coltinth, I couldn’t help but notice all the families eating a supper meal together. The families were all eating a lovely forest salads and a piece of cactus to make it juicier. But something more important about the families caught my attention. The love they showed each other was pure. As I kept walking I came across a mother with a child, but they weren’t like the other families, I just saw, they were zebras. The filly who looked like she was becoming a mare was about to say something, something to counter the argument.
~
I countered mothers statement. “Anma! I did not break the water jar! I did not even bring it in!” Mother and I had a stare off. “Delap would have understood. He would have stood up for me!” There was a long moment of silence at the mention of father. Mother had sent father to fight the Pursians in the first battle. Currently it’s after the third battle.
Mother looked horrified, then angry. “How would you know what ahobi would have wanted? You are just a filly! You are Physoped not Physogyn!”
This cut me deep. I hated how everyone thinks I am a filly because of my name. Nature Filly. It should have been changed to Nature Mare or Physogyn. I was steaming mad. “You may think I am a filly but you sent your zo-oosha to the battle! You killed my Delap! You are not my mother!”
She did not look hurt. She looked angry. “And you are not my filly!” She stormed off towards the shopping center of town most likely to get a new pot.
I myself was not hurt. I had never loved my mother. I was angry. I stormed into my room and packed my belongings. My stuffed polar bear, my plant book and some food. The very last thing I took was my grandmothers necklace. I placed the dark green leather on my neck and looked lovingly at the emerald hanging off of it. We had moved when grandmother had died. The only one who had really understood me had died! With that I sharply closed my satchel, swung it onto my back angrily and headed towards the door.

~
My hunger was too much in the way for me to make out what the Mares were arguing about overall. I picked up my apple with one of my hooves and slowly stuffed it in my mouth. That moment, when I ate the apple... I felt like I wouldn’t go hungry again, the juice of the apple seeped past my teeth and down my throat. It was a feeling I’d never forget, the feeling of not being on the verge of starvation. When I finally came out of my ‘wonderland’ of the apple, I heard footsteps that were headed in the direction of the door. After a few moments, I ate my apple whole and left the stem on the grass and walked toward the mares’ door. I still didn’t understand why this specific family in Coltinth argued, perhaps it was really a misconception that all the lives of the families here were perfect.
As I approached the door, I froze in my tracks and thought silently to myself. ‘Wait what if these mares think I’m intruding... or worse what if they think I’m some sort of foreign trespasser (which I was). My curiosity always had the best of me. I began to hear sounds of the door knob twisting, there was no turning back now. I was stuck, not a single one of my hooves moved, leaving me there petrified. “Maybe this mare won’t think anything of me... maybe she’ll walk right past me and not think anyone was there.” I was a little naive when I said that but an optimist could only hope for the best.
~
I stormed out of the house not looking back. I kept walking but a dark blue Pegasi caught my eye. I turned to look at her. I didn’t recognize her. The only thing I could think of was... “Are you from Arhooves?”
She did the thing I least expected. She nodded.
My Mouth was open. “AH! You better get out of here or... or.... I’ll severely hurt you!” Now this was so not true. I wouldn’t even hurt a fly!
“No you’re not.” She said calmly.
“Fine. I won’t. But others will if you don’t fly off!”
“I-I can’t.” She mumbled.
“Fine then. Get killed for all I care!” I trotted away, walking straight.
I’m not looking back. I’m not looking back. I thought. But, I looked back anyway.
She was following me.
“For the love of Poseidon!” I yelled. “Go home!”
I turned back and continued.
An hour later it got dark. I decided to make camp. For that whole hour I didn’t look back, but now I did and she was sitting a few inches from me chewing on an apple. I went over to her. Sat down and stared her right in the eyes. “What. Are. You. Doing.”
She blinked at me and swallowed. “Eating.”
I hoof slammed my face. “I meant. Why are you following me?”
She looked as if she didn’t want to answer. “I don’t know.”
This time I said it firmly. “Why.”