The sky was a brilliant blue with splashes of oranges and reds on the horizon, signaling that a sunset was very near. As birds chirped and flew overhead, a very light pink pony trotted happily through the sparkling city of Canterlot. The clip-clopping of her hooves echoed off the countless buildings and cafes, and the mare’s curly pastel pink mane bounced in time with her trotting as she passed by.
The streets were surprisingly empty for so late in the day, so she didn’t see too many ponies out there; only the shop and store owners closing up early.
“Hello Mister Store Owner!” She called happily, waving her hoof at the store owner. He smiled and waved back.
“Hello there, young’in!” The mare smiled again and continued down the street, saying hello to the little bit of ponies she passed by. She finally stopped her trotting hooves in front of a small house on the corner. A delicious smell of chicken and vegetables drifted through the air towards her nose and filled it with its scent.
The young mare’s mouth watered as she began to make her way up the old concrete path leading up to the door. The house was a very simple building; much simpler than the rest of the grand city it sat in. It had a cracked path cutting through the middle of the shaggy yard, ivy vines twisting their way up the sides, broken shutters, and an old, creaky door.
It seemed more of an old, abandoned shack than a house.
The mare picked up her pace when she was halfway across the yard. She walked up to the door and pushed it open. It was very warm inside, and she continued to follow the wondrous smell which led her to the kitchen. In there, there was another mare standing in front of a worn stove and countertop; cutting vegetables and throwing them into a big metal pot sitting on the fire burning from one of the heating elements.
Sitting at a sagging table not far from the stove sat two fillies; one a little smaller than her mother, and the other practically still a baby. The older one at the table jumped out of her seat and ran over to the newcomer excitedly. “Hi, Tia!” She shouted, clinging to the mare’s legs.
The sudden noise startled her mother, for she jumped and turned around quickly. Her gaze softened as she spotted the mare in the doorway. “Welcome home, Celeste. I take it you had a pleasant walk this evening?” Her mother said, turning back to her cooking.
“It was very nice, mother.” Celeste replied, gently pushing the filly that was clinging to her legs off before going over and sitting in a vacant chair at the table.
The filly bounced along behind her and jumped back into her original chair, resting her head on her hooves and staring intently at the mare.
Celeste caught her stare and turned her head. “What’s gotten you so excited today, Dreamer?”
The dark coated filly grinned widely before replying. “School!”
Celeste looked confused. “School?”
Dreamer nodded quickly. “Mhm! I’m going to finally get to go to school! I won’t be stuck here all day with nothing to do anymore!”
Their mother turned around with a mock hurt expression on her face. “B-but what about me?” She asked; a hint of playfulness in her voice.
Dreamer was about to reply when the young filly in the highchair squealed loudly. There was an awkward silence after that, and everybody looked at the filly. Everyone then turned and looked at one another before bursting out into a loud laughing fit.
“Really Twilight? You gotta go and make everypony be quiet just for you?” Her mother said, wiping a tear from her eye. Twilight Sky smiled and pounded her hooves on the worn down tray in front of her; a little drool dripping from her mouth as she talked gibberish to herself. Their mother chuckled again and turned back around to continue her cooking again.
Celeste turned back towards Dreamer. “That’s right! You do start school in a few days!”
Dreamer grinned widely again. “That’s right, Tia! I’m going to Kindergarten!”
Celeste sighed and caught a glance of her mother coming towards them with four soup bowls sitting on a tray on her back. She turned sideways and challenged, “Alright! Which one of you can pick up their soup bowl with their magic-”
“Oh oh oh! I can! I can!” Dreamer interrupted, jumping up and down in her chair.
“-without spilling it all over me?” She finished, giving the little filly a look.
Dreamer got flustered and sat down quickly. “Uhhh….”
Their mother chuckled and turned her head and looked at Celeste. “What about you, hun?”
Celeste nodded and lit up her horn. Sparkles faded in around the cracked bowl, and picked it up slowly. “Very good, Tia. Now…” She said. “Your turn Dreamer.”
Dreamer nodded as well and lit up her horn with a little more difficulty. Soon after, sparkles floated around her bowl, too. It lifted it up into the air slowly; the bowl wobbling a little.
“Good job, my little filly!” Her mother congratulated wholeheartedly. “That’s the first time you haven’t spilled your soup all over me.” She tilted her body so that the tray on her back could slip off and onto the table. She, too, lifted a bowl with her magic and put in on the tray in front of the baby filly in the highchair.
Twilight looked at it, then gave her mother a blank look.
Their mother then sighed and lifted a spoon.
Celeste began to eat her soup as soon as she knew Dreamer had gotten hers. Both of them ate quickly and finished before their mother had the chance to eat soup herself.
“I’m done, mother! Thank you for dinner!” The two sisters called in unison over their shoulders as they raced out of the kitchen and into the family room. Celeste quickly rushed over to a radio they kept in there and turned it on. It came to life a few moments later to say, “-d it’s time for your regularly scheduled program ‘Hiker’s Amazing Adventures’—”
“Yay!” They whooped, plopping down on the floor so they could listen. “Welcome back to your favorite hero, Hiker the Daring Pony, and his amazing adventures. We left off with him—”
Their mother came out a few minutes later with Twilight on her back. She squealed, climbed off, and crawled towards her sisters. She lay down in Celeste’s lap and fell alseep.
With eyes sparkling a perked ears, the rest of the family listened to the fantastic adventures of Hiker the Daring Pony.
“What will happen to our hero next? Tune in next time to find out!” The radio said at the end of the hour. Dreamer sighed when Celeste turned off the machine and headed towards their room. “I could listen about Hiker’s adventures all night!” She exclaimed.
“Oh, me too!” Celeste agreed.
They both walked into the room that they shared with one another and closed the door behind them. Dreamer trotted over towards their bunk bed and climbed into the bottom bunk.
Her sister came up and tucked her little sister snuggly. Celeste kissed the top of her sister’s head and climbed up the ladder to the top. She then laid her head on her pillow and closed her eyes.
She then felt the bed move.
“I’m sorry, sis, but...do you mind? I’m trying to go to sleep…” Celeste said when the shaking didn’t seize.
“Sorry, Tia…I...I’m just not comfortable enough...” Dreamer said as she tossed and turned.
Celeste sighed and climbed down the ladder and stood next to her sister’s bed. Dreamer’s eyes had a watery glaze over them, as if she was about to cry.
Celeste smiled comfortingly and walked over silently to their bookcase. She then browsed the contents and picked one out. She trotted back over and sat down on the floor; gesturing to Dreamer to join her.
Dreamer climbed out of bed and cuddled up to her sister.
Celeste then opened up the book and began to read aloud. She read for about an hour; until Dreamer finally fell asleep.
Celeste yawned wide, and used her magic to gently lift up the sleeping, midnight blue filly from the floor. She then got up silently; leaving the book lying on the floor, and climbed up her ladder as carefully and quietly as she could. As she snuggled into her covers, Celeste peeked over the side of the bed to see Luna sleeping peacefully.
Goodnight, Starry…