//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Only Truth // by bahatumay //------------------------------// Author's Notes Snow gently fell from the gray skies, coating the town in a white blanket of purity, almost like a shield of innocence. It was broken by the slow steps of a unicorn mare, carrying a basket with a tiny sleeping foal inside. Her hoofsteps broke the snow's pattern, leaving little pockmarked scars as she walked. She arrived at her destination and set down the basket. Almost as an afterthought, she cleared the snow off the sign that read Orphanage before knocking loudly on the door. “I'm so sorry,” she whispered to the foal, before turning and running off into the snowy night. I threw myself down on the bed and buried my face in the pillow. Not to cry, of course. That impulse had gone a long time ago. No, just out of rage and frustration and hate. Especially the hate. Hate for the mother that left me on the orphanage steps that winter day. Hate for myself, even though there was nothing I could have done. I was just a baby filly at the time, after all, but I could still remember. I remember an aura of magic around the basket I was in. I remember being put down. I remember the snow. I remember the cold. I remember being abandoned. I somehow also remembered my name. Cherish. I'm not sure how I remembered it, really. And, to be honest, I didn't think it fit me. I never cherished anything, and nopony cherished me. Heck, I don't think anypony really liked me, which was good, because I didn't like them back. A soft buzzing sound from the bed next to mine reminded me of the one exception to that rule. Zoom's wings were twitching in her sleep. She was probably dreaming of flying. She couldn't fly yet in real life, but in her dreams, she was the world's fastest pegasus. That was why she had chosen the name Zoom for herself, after all. She didn't have any memories. I wondered if that made her luckier or unluckier than me. At least she slept happily. Not me. I couldn't sleep just yet. Not tonight. Even though Zoom and probably the rest of the other fillies and colts were asleep, I wasn't about to sleep. Not on my birthday. At least, I thought it was my birthday. I had had to pick a random date from the two-week window I had gotten. The matron had notorious bad memory to go along with her bad breath. I shivered as a cold draft blew in from the hallway. Not even the wind liked me. Even so, I quietly got up and walked as silently as I could to the doorway. I opened it, wincing as it creaked loudly, but when there were no sounds or things thrown, I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Suddenly, a hoof wrapped around my mouth. I suppressed the urge to scream, and I spun around, lighting my horn. I couldn't do anything with it, but I hoped to at least scare off whoever had come at me. Through the violet light, I saw my attacker. “What are you doing?” Zoom hissed, obviously not asleep any longer. “You're going to get caught!” I let my horn light die. “I just wanted to...” Zoom cut me off with a hoof-wave. “You know what? I don't really care. But seriously, get back to bed. Some of us are trying to sleep.” I rolled my eyes, but I followed her back to bed. I must have been more tired than I thought, because I fell asleep quickly after that. I woke the next morning to our alarm clock. By that, I mean the matron did her daily ritual of bashing two pots together ferociously, almost as if she were taking out some inner anger on them. The resulting noise was loud enough to wake a dragon. I jumped out of bed and went straight to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I headed for the mess hall for daily breakfast, which was a dandelion sandwich on stale bread. As usual. Then it was time for class. Ms. Guava, our teacher, was just as much of a dead-beat as every other adult here. I don't even remember what the lesson was on. Heck, I don't even remember the last time I paid attention to one of her lessons. I was in my own world. And what a world. Tables doubled in size and reared up, becoming ferocious monsters. Spikes jutted out from the walls, spelling a painful death for any pony stupid enough to get close. Clouds of thick, black smoke threatened to spell doom for everyone. And in the middle of it all, standing proud and undefeatable, stood my hero, Twilight Sparkle. There was nothing she couldn't do with a wave of her horn. Monsters were obliterated to splinters. Spikes vanished in flames. Smoke itself parted in front of her hooves. Through it all, she didn't even break a sweat. A new challenger approached, a hideous beast more monstrous and deadly than any... A paper fluttered to the desk in front of my hooves. Snapping back to reality, I noticed that I had been given a worksheet, and everypony else was already busily writing. I threw a quick glance over the fifteen problems and began to work. A few minutes later (hey, I'm not stupid or anything) I was done, so I turned it in and let my mind wander again. That's pretty much how the rest of my day went until dinner, but since that was the same thing we had for breakfast—a dandelion sandwich with stale bread—it was nothing too exciting either. At least after that was our free time. I read a book or two, my thoughts only interrupted by the repeated 'thunk' sounds that Zoom made as she tried repeatedly—and failed just as many times—to 'catch some sweet air'. At eight, it was lights out. Zoom was tired after her repeated attempts to fly, and she crashed instantly. I set my book down and kicked the foot of my bed as a good luck charm. Maybe tomorrow I could get an after-birthday wish. Maybe tomorrow I'd get adopted. * * * A few years later... * * * I half-heartedly kicked the bed. Another year, another birthday... and another time I wasn't adopted. But really, it's not like I was expecting much, anyway. I was just a failure that those parents could look at and pass over for somepony else who wasn't such a failure. I looked over at the mirror and scowled. An angry filly stared back, her empty purple-gray eyes looking through her unwashed and greasy mane. My numerous piercings and crappy attitude (hey, I'm mare enough to admit it) certainly didn't help. I knew and used more swear words than most sailors, and it didn't take much to set me off. Somepony bumping into me. Me tripping. Somepony trying to say hi. Running out of hot water. Actually, that last one happened fairly often in this dump that had just gotten dumpier over the years, much to my surprise. I hadn't thought it could sink any lower. But seriously, though. Could you blame me? I'd been here forever, watching almost a constant flow of foals come in and many leave. Not me, though. The little ones went first. Always. Nopony wanted a sixteen year old like me, and especially not a sixteen year old blank flank. They didn't like me when I was small, and they sure didn't like me now. I got passed over like they were looking right through me. Maybe they were. Maybe they thought I was a worker here or something. Who was I kidding? I'd never get adopted. And in two years, I'd be on my own, in a world full of words like “job” and “mortgage” and “income taxes”... I shuddered at the thought. My little pity party was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. “Cherish?” the matron screeched. Seriously. It sounded like a big freaking bird was trying to eat me. “What?” “Somepony wants to see you.” I rolled my eyes. Probably the cops, making sure they knew what I looked like so they could arrest me as soon as I stepped outside. Seriously. I probably should have been happy, but I remember just shaking my head. Imagine that, somepony caring about me. That'd be the day, I thought. Tossing my head, I left the room, trotting past the younger orphans, who were still chatting, probably still full of hope that they'd be adopted someday soon. Poor little saps. Still had hope before being crushed. Yeah, it's safe to say I was feeling the opposite of hopeful, and didn't really expect anything. So when I got into the main entrance room and turned to my right, and saw Twilight Sparkle standing there... My jaw dropped, and I really wished I had taken the time to brush my mane. It was impossible. It had to be impossible. My idol? My hero? The pony I had dreamed of being? Standing here in the entrance room? I bit my lip, to make sure I wasn't dreaming. It hurt, so I wasn't, but since it wouldn't be a good idea to start bleeding in front of Twilight Sparkle, I stopped. She smiled and spoke. “Hello, Cherish,” she said. Sweet Celestia, she knew my name. That cemented it. The reason why she was here. It was impossible. It had to be. I willed my mouth to speak. “Wh- why are you here?” I asked. I knew the only reason anypony would ask for me, of course, but it seemed so unreal that I had to ask. “It's obvious, right?” she replied gently. I gasped. It was true. She was here to adopt me. She was here to adopt me She was here. To adopt. Me. “You want to adopt me?” I asked, still stupefied. The matron didn't help. “That uncaring, ungrateful beast?” Twilight nodded. “Yes,” she said simply. I don't know how long I stood there, but I finally got my mouth to work. “Fine!” I said. “We can leave tonight!” But, of course, Equestrian law said differently. It took a few hours of boring paperwork, and then, don't ask me how, but somehow I ended up having to stay there overnight. Isn't my life awesome? So, of course, the next day I was packed and ready to leave almost before the sun was up. I hadn't slept at all that night. Luckily, ever since Zoom had been adopted five years ago, I'd been left alone in my own room, which I was now bouncing around. I'm pretty sure I annoyed the two fillies next door, but I didn't care. I had bigger things ahead of me. A new day, a new home, a new life... It was too good to be true, but somehow it was. A part deep down inside of me was afraid that it had all been a dream, but bright and early there was a knock on my door, and the matron escorted me out of that orphanage for the last time. Twilight Sparkle stood ready and waiting for me downstairs. She still smiled that perfect smile. “Ready?” she asked. I nodded. “Is that everything?” I nodded again. “I don't have much,” I said, shrugging. Twilight nodded. “Come on, then. I'll help you take your stuff.” Lifting my bags like it was nothing (which, to her, I'm sure it was), she turned and I followed. I had never left the orphanage, so just being out in the streets was a new experience. That was pretty fun. The train station, though... that one I didn't like so much. I got a few disparaging looks (yeah, I can talk fancy when I want to) and a few aside glances, and I hate being surrounded by ponies I don't know, and I found myself stepping closer and closer to Twilight Sparkle. Trying to avoid ponies not watching where they were going, I accidentally brushed up against her side. I quickly moved away, but she just looked at me with those eyes, and I felt her brush back up against me, almost as if saying, 'I know, and I'm here'. I really thought she was perfect. The train ride, though, was amazing. I had never gone so fast, everything was a green and blue blur. Twilight noticed my staring, if not my drooling, and smiled again. “First time on a train?” “First time anywhere,” I confessed. “I've never left that orphanage.” Twilight looked at me... was that sympathy in her eyes? Pain? “I'm glad I could rectify that,” she said. Eventually, we arrived in Ponyville. I couldn't help but stare. Ponies seemed to—get this—smile. Of their own free will. I brushed my mane out of my face as I stared in wonder. It was a little town, maybe even quaint, but I thought it was a nice place. There certainly were some characters here, if the giant gingerbread house was any indication. I wondered if anypony had actually tried to ea- “Hiya!” I was, to put it lightly, startled at the sudden appearance of a bright pink pony. Her mane was huge and poofy, and, I kid you not, she seemed to appear from above me. She pulled her head back, and I spun around to see where she had come from, but she was gone. Confused, I looked at Twilight for guidance, but she was a bit further ahead than I was. I shook my head. Maybe it had just been a hallucination. Suddenly, she was in my face again. “Welcome to Ponyville!” she loudly proclaimed. Suddenly she paused, and she leaned in close and squinted at me. “Can I help you?” I asked, in a tone that clearly indicated that I wanted nothing to do with her, but she just kept squinting at me. I took a step back from her piercing blue eyes, and then another; but for every step I took back, she took one forward. Finally, she spoke. “Do I know you?” she asked. “I don't know you,” I answered truthfully. “Is there a reason you're in my face?” Twilight had noticed the crazy pony and walked back over. The crazy pony looked over at her. “Do I know her?” she asked. “She looks familiar. Really familiar. Really, really, really familiar.” “This is Cherish,” Twilight said slowly, as if explaining something to a foal. “I just adopted her from an orphanage. This is her first time here; so no, you wouldn't know her.” “But this is important! Really important! Really, really, really important! I mean, if she's been here before, then it's a 'Welcome Back to Ponyville' party; but if she hasn't, then it's a super special 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!” The pink pony began to physically shake Twilight. “Do you not realize how important this is?” I was about to step in, ready to take down this crazy pony, but Twilight put out a hoof and placed it on her head. The pink pony continued to vibrate under her hoof, but Twilight applied more pressure and slowly managed to settle her down. She had obviously had some experience with this pony before. “Pinkie Pie,” she said, for that was apparently her name, “I know it's important to you, but could you at least wait until she's had a chance to go home and get unpacked before you think about throwing her a party?” Home? Home... My reverie was interrupted by Pinkie Pie's exaggerated gasp. “You're totally right, Twilight! I can't possibly throw a housewarming party for her if she doesn't even have a house to live in!” It was at this point that I determined that this pony needed to be institutionalized. Fast. Twilight sighed. “I don't think she needs a housewarming party just yet.” Pinkie Pie's ears drooped, but she quickly perked back up again. “That's ok. Cherish, we're going to have a great time at your welcoming party! There will be cake, and ice cream, and streamers, and you'll get to meet everypony in town!” “You know, I actually don't much like meeting new ponies,” I confessed. Pinkie Pie's jaw dropped. “You don't?” I shook my head. “Not really. Never have.” Pinkie didn't respond. She just stood there with that frozen expression of shock on her face. Twilight waved a hoof in front of her face. When Pinkie didn't respond, she exhaled in defeat and turned over to the giant gingerbread house. “Pumpkin!” she called. A pale unicorn wearing a little blue bow in her mane popped her head out of the bakery window. She smiled expectantly. “Pinkie's broken again.” Pumpkin sighed and rolled her eyes. “I'll get the frosting,” she said, in a voice that clearly indicated that this had not been the first time, and she clearly doubted it would be the last. This was a strange place indeed. Twilight jerked her head, indicating that I should follow. “Resetting Pinkie can get a bit messy. Let's go home and get you settled.” Again, that mystical word, home. I don't know what I expected, really. In my imagination, she'd lived everywhere from a castle with loads of servants to a little hut in the middle of nowhere, having exiled herself to train and become the strongest magician ever. Turns out my hero lived in a tree. A giant tree. I can honestly say I wouldn't have imagined that. She pushed the door open, and my jaw dropped, along with all my luggage. Books. Books everywhere. Shelves and shelves of pure literary joy. All I could do was stare in awe. Twilight saw me and smiled. “You like to read, don't you, Cherish?” I nodded dumbly. “Yeah,” I finally managed to say. “Kindof.” Twilight grinned. “I'm not surprised. More ponies should read. It's a dying pastime,” she lamented. “Almost nopony visits the library anymore. Or ever, really.” “This is a library?” I asked dumbly. I knew what a library was, of course, but the one at the orphanage had nothing on this. This was beautiful. Twilight nodded. “And all these books are for free use by everypony. That includes you.” I think it was at that time I started salivating. Twilight laughed lightly again. “Come on up,” she said. “Let's get you settled.” Upstairs I found a bedroom with two beds in it. One, probably mine, was neatly made; the other was messy. My first thought was, 'somepony had a nightmare last night'. I shook that off, though. Twilight Sparkle didn't get nightmares; she gave them. Of that I was sure. Sure enough, the neat bed was mine, and I set my stuff down. “Dinner will be ready soon, so you can unpack, read, sleep, whatever you want to do.” “Thank you,” I said. Twilight cocked her head. “For dinner?” I laughed. A true laugh for the first time in I don't know how long. “No. Yes. Maybe. What I meant was, thanks for getting me out of that place.” A look flashed briefly across her face. I didn't recognize it. I thought I might have just imagined it. Either way, she smiled. “You're welcome.” This tender moment was interrupted by a loud crash from downstairs. I dropped into a defensive stance, while at the same time wondering who would be stupid enough to break into the house of Twilight Sparkle. Twilight, on the other hoof, reacted not with magic but with a sigh and a facehoof. “Ugh, not again...” she mumbled. She looked back at me and gave me a half smile. “Welcome home, Cherish,” she said with a shrug, before turning and heading downstairs. Home? Home... Home. I liked the sound of that. Still, was home often riddled with crashes like that? I followed her down the stairs, not really knowing what to expect, but feeling fairly confident anyway, that no matter what, I was safe, because I had finally come home. Heh... I was a funny little kid, wasn't I? I followed Twilight downstairs, but when I got to the landing, I froze. It wasn't Twilight yelling at a rainbow-maned pegasus that surprised me, nor the books scattered everywhere that made it look like a tornado had just run through. No, what shocked me was the pegasus filly pulling herself out of the bookcase, because I'd recognize that fuchsia tail with a pink zigzag running through it anywhere. Zoom pulled her head out of the wall (don't ask me how, I don't know) and made an adorable squeak. “I think that's the fastest I've gone!” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Speed is nothing without control, Zoom. Something Rainbow here seems to keep conveniently forgetting to teach you.” “Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. “I'll get around to it later. Now I wanted to meet the pony you adopted.” Twilight gave Rainbow a flat look that clearly said, 'this is not over', but she turned to me up on the staircase. “Come down and introduce yourself,” she said. I watched Zoom, but she didn't seem to recognize me. The other pegasus spoke first. “I'm Rainbow Dash, as you probably already know,” she said, with no small hint of pride. “Zoom!” Zoom said proudly. (1) Would she know me? I swallowed and spoke. “Cherish.” Zoom's eyes widened, and for the second time that day I was squinted at and examined closely. Unlike Pinkie Pie, though, Zoom's verdict was much quicker and more favorable, if the tackling hug was any indicator. “Cherish! It's really you, isn't it?” “It is!” She pulled back and gave me an askance look. “You've changed,” she said, bringing a hoof up and poking at my greasy mane.. I shrugged and brushed my mane out of my face. “It's a phase.” “Well, it sucks,” she said, sticking her tongue out playfully as she helped me up. “You need a mane cut and a bath, pronto.” She struck a dynamic pose. “To the spa!” “Spa's closed,” Twilight said dryly. “It's eight; it closes at six thirty.” Zoom's face fell, but she perked back up right away. “Then we'll go the first thing in the morning!” I gave a wry smile. “I can hardly wait.” We chatted for a while, and then after the best dinner I had ever eaten, I got to go sleep in the best bed I had ever slept on, (only the second I'd ever had, to be honest), and that's how I started my perfect life. Oh, don't go anywhere. My story of lies and betrayal is just getting started.