//------------------------------// // Not My Home // Story: Broken Blossom // by BronyWriter //------------------------------// Silence. Well, more specifically a lack of talking. There was always the background noise of Canterlot citizens bustling about. Even this late at night there were still ponies around whispering to each other after a hard day's work or enjoying the decent night life that Canterlot had to offer. However, such was not the case with the occupants of the private covered chariot of Princess Celestia and Luna, nor their shivering charge. The two had been as gentle as they could have been with the seven year old Joyous Blossom. The daughter of Sweetie Belle had not taken the arrest and incarceration of her mother very well and it was not hard to see why. She had been convicted of the brutal double murders of two of Blossom's classmates and now the filly was wondering if her mother would ever see the light of day again. Indeed, that was the worst part about all of this: she likely wouldn't. Blossom continued shivering, despite the fact that she was wrapped up in a few warm blankets and Celestia was magically heating the chariot. Of course, the filly's reactions were not of temperature, but of fear. It was fear that coursed through her body, shaking it to its core. Would she ever get to see her friends again? Would Aunt Applejack and Aunt Apple Bloom come by with Apple Seed? Would Aunt Scootaloo and Aunt Rainbow Dash take time out of their schedules to drop in and give her comfort? Would her grandparents hold her tight assuring her that everything would be alright? More than likely not. At least, that's what the filly surmised. No, her days would be filled with two goddesses trying to make her feel at home. Yes, they had been telling her about it during the first leg of the trip to Canterlot. She'd have a large room, servants to fulfill her every desire and she would even be accepted into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns provided she passed the entrance exam. Of course, the two of them had assured her that she would pass with flying colors. But Blossom didn't want that. She didn't want a big room in the castle away from everypony. She loved her room at Carousel Boutique with her toys and small trinkets that helped her pass the hours of boredom away. She had a Wonderbolts poster in her room signed by not just Aunt Scootaloo and Aunt Rainbow Dash, but the whole team! Still, the signatures of her aunts were the only two that she liked. Would the Princesses let her obtain these sentimental items from her room? They hadn't mentioned it when they began their journey and she had been too scared to ask. After all, they had been the ones who took her mommy away so if she made them mad with pointless requests then maybe they'd take her horn away too and then she would never see anypony ever again! Blossom gathered enough bravery that she managed to glance up at Princess Celestia. To her horror the Princess of the Sun noticed and flashed her a warm smile. Blossom supposed that she was trying to comfort her, to show her that the world hadn't ended and that there were still ponies who cared about her even now. Blossom sunk further into her blankets. No, the world had ended. She would never get to see her mother again. She was lying in a cage in some crazy house with no horn and no child to embrace. She would never be able to hug her again, to tell her that everything would be alright. Nothing would be alright again. She had heard Princess Celestia tell Miss Twilight that she would want for nothing. Well she wanted her mother. But she couldn't have her mother it seemed. She had to go away so that the doctors could make her mind better. They thought that she was sick because she had hurt Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby so bad that they died. No. Her mother hadn't done that, she had. She had hurt them so bad that they died. She had sad feelings like Aunt Rarity did. Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby were right; she was crazy and she was a bad pony. She had hurt them and they were dead and it was all her fault! So why did her mommy want her to lie? Why did her mother have to suffer for bad things that she did? Her mother had always told her to tell the truth no matter what; so why was it okay this time? Well, her mother had told her why. The Princesses would execute her if they ever found out that she had killed her classmates. They would chop off her horn and give her a shot that would make her dead like the foals she killed. Would she go to Tartarus where everypony said that Aunt Rarity had gone? She supposed so since she had murdered other ponies. But the Princesses could never find that out, could they? If she never told them and lied like her mother had told them to then she wouldn't have to have that happen to her. In truth she didn't know if that made her relieved or terrified her even more. As long as she was free her mother was not. Eventually the chariot stopped and two of Princess Celestia's servants opened the door so that they could get out. Princess Celestia smiled at her charge and levitated her onto her back so that she could take her up to her room. It was really dark now; way past her bedtime at home. The two princesses were escorted inside by a bunch of scary ponies who didn't smile and who were wearing armor. They looked mad all the time and that scared Blossom. If she was living in the palace with Princess Celestia then she would have to see them a lot and she would undoubtedly do something that made them mad at her. Thankfully they didn't seem mad at her right now, just really stern. Blossom figured that it was probably because they were tired from staying up all night waiting for the princesses. Blossom knew that a lot of ponies, herself included, got cranky when they hadn't had much sleep. Eventually the group of ponies reached a pair of doors that were soon opened by Princess Luna. Curious, Blossom poked more of her head out of her blankets and looked inside the room. Wow. She had to admit, it was a very pretty room. The bed looked extremely comfortable and there were several toys scattered around the room. Still, it was nothing compared to her simple room back home. No, this room was cold, it was unfriendly and it seemed too nice. It didn't have the warm embrace that her old room back home had had. She immediately decided that she didn't like this room. When they reached the bed, Princess Celestia gently levitated Blossom onto the bed and pulled back a few sheets so she could tuck her in. The sheets were very warm, but given the situation they seemed more constrictive than loving. She looked up and saw Princess Celestia looking down at her and smiling. Somehow she seemed bigger, more imposing than she had been in the police station. The smile was nothing compared to her mother's. "Goodnight, Blossom," said Princess Celestia. "If you need anything, anything at all, all you need to do is press this button here and Luna or myself will attend to it immediately." Princess Celestia stroked her mane and her eyes scanned the room. "This was Miss Twilight's room when she was a filly. She liked it quite a bit and I know you will too. She was very happy with it." Ah, that's why it was alien to her; it was somepony else's room. Even if it was Miss Twilight's that still made it not hers even if Miss Twilight's room was in the library now. Princess Celestia leaned in and kissed Blossom on the head. "My sister and I must go now. Remember what I said about the button. If you need anything at all do not hesitate to ask." "Yes, your majesty," whispered Blossom. She figured that she might as well be polite, but for some reason Princess Celestia frowned. "No need for that, Blossom," she said. "Princess Celestia is fine. The other is... well, I like that one better." "Okay," she muttered. Princess Celestia smiled once more and the two princesses walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. The second they were gone, Blossom wiggled out of the sheets and grabbed the one that Miss Twilight had materialized for her in her mouth. She looked over at the room and spotted a small corner. Yes, it would be perfect. She hopped off of the bed and deposited the blanket in the corner. She then grabbed a large pillow off of the bed and did the same. With that done, she looked across the room. She knew that she had seen it when she came in but... ah ha! There it was. She trotted over to a large stuffed pony. It would have to do. It was a simple thing, a large gray pony with a poofy blue mane and a scroll for a cutie mark. Blossom grabbed a foreleg in her mouth and dragged it to the center of the room where the moonbeams shone brightest and turned back to the pony. Miss Twilight had taught her this spell, it was meant to change colors on something simple. She had mastered it after a few weeks of study. Her mother had been so proud of her that day. Hopefully she could do it now. Taking a deep breath, she envisioned the color she wanted to use. The color filled her mind and her horn fired up, Yes. She just needed to breathe in and out; just like Miss Twilight showed her and it would work. Figuring that it had worked, she opened her eyes and squealed in delight. The formerly gray pony was now snow white and as an added bonus, she had successfully changed the cutie mark to one of a bell with a musical note. The mane was still a problem but with another effort, it was the pink and purple of her mother's. She allowed herself another smile at her success. It almost looked like her mother. Grabbing the foreleg in her mouth once more, she dragged the pony to the corner and placed it lying down with its back to the wall. She then placed the pillow on the floor and laid down on top of it, pulling the blanket over her for warmth. With a simple spell, the foreleg of the pony was wrapped over her shoulder as if holding her in a loving embrace. It held none of the warmth of her mother's hugs, but it... it would have to do for now. Blossom curled into a ball and nuzzled the stuffed foreleg. "Goodnight, Mommy," she whispered.