Chapter 1
By Rose
“Rose! Come on! They’re finally playing SnowBlind in the Theater!” Apple yelled, and I galloped off my porch with my mother waving goodbye.
SnowBlind was a movie about a young Pegasus who was blind, and lived before Princess Luna was banished to the Moon as Nightmare Moon. And it was popular EVERYWHERE! And the Whinny-Sham Movie Theater had finally gotten a copy!
Barley was standing in front of the theater waving three tickets—She had gotten there first and had bought them. Apple and I would buy the drinks and snacks so we all bought part of it.
“I’ll get the drinks this time, Apple. You get the snacks ok?” I said after hugging Barley and taking my ticket and putting it in my saddlebags before the three of us headed in to the snack bar, Apple buying us some popcorn and candy, while I bought us each a soda. With the drink tray balanced on my back, we all trotted into the theater to find a seat and watched the movie.
While we waited for the movie to start, I glanced at my friends, and wondered how in the name of Celestia I had ever survived without them at the School. No one there cared about me, they just cared about using me for their jokes, and I often ate from the kitchen in the dorm then going to the cafeteria for ANY of the meals. I only interacted with the teachers, or ponies who asked me for help on the schoolwork.
I was so glad I ran away. The months of work to save up the money to get home was well worth it—I got to see my friends again everyday, hug my mother and father every time I needed one… I got to be me… I didn’t have to learn about politics or how to properly backstab someone when my rank would never get me to that level of Royalty, or repetitively study how to work the earth when what I’d love to learn is how to control my visions—but then here I don’t need to try and control them. I don’t need warnings for humiliating pranks—the only ones who would prank me are my friends, and even then I’d laugh my rump off with them.
After the movie we all walked down the street with smiles, talking about how awesome the movie was, and how it was sad and happy all at the same time. I could live like this until I die—I don’t need anything else in this world; no husband, no foals, no political position, no large extravagant mansion that all the other Royals had—I just needed afternoons with friends like I just had. My life was already perfect to me—Anyone else could buck off.
As Celestia lowered the sun and Luna raised the moon, I waved goodbye to Apple-Fritter and Barley Flower before I walked inside and joined my parents at the table for supper. Nothing fancy—no butlers, no maids, no cooks. My mother was probably one of the few Royal Ladies who could still cook for herself and her family. And so could I. My mother made sure of that.
After supper, I sat and told my parents about my day, then we sat and read for a little while, before we all said goodnights, hugged, and went to bed… ready for another day in our happy little town…
My eyes slowly opened, and I stared up at my ceiling as a soft smile spread on my face. That is gonna be my life again soon… just one more week of work.
I got up with a yawn, and then proceeded to get ready to head for work. First I spent twenty minutes hoofbrushing my hair. Then I took the time to put it up and make it look nice before getting my work clothes on, and then trotted down the stairs from my small apartment to the outside world.
My soft gray coat was clean, and matched the fog in the air. My blood red mane and tail stuck out slightly in the dark foggy air, but the way I had it up ensured my ears stayed warm.
I worked as a barista at a nearby coffee and teashop, earning money for a train ticket home… a place I never should have left three years ago… but those damn ponies at the place I ran away from…
No. I will stay calm. I will not think about that school. Home… Think about home, I thought as I rounded a corner, noticing a stallion standing at a curb next to a bus stop in the distance.
I thought back to my home. A nice, small, sweet town out on the edge of the desert, built on a rich oasis. Our towns produce were the best in Equestria—well, everything but the apples. Those were a close second to Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville. My parents were the richest and highest ranking ponies in our town… Though in the Royal ranks, we were among the lowest ranking Royals. Not that I cared. I loved my town. I loved my parents. I loved my friends… Apple-Fritter—a distant cousin of the Apple Family in Ponyville, and Barley-Flower, a grain farmer’s daughter who could make the best barley malts in all of Whinny-Sham. I missed them all so much…
That was why I was in this town, and not in that cursed school that I was dragged to “so I would be safe while I learned to control my magic.” What a load of horseapples. If anything all of us “princes and princesses” were sitting ducks if the Shadow Ponies decided to amass their numbers and attack. The number of Guardians would be easily overwhelmed, and all of the students would either be turned or slaughtered.
A brief vision flashed in my mind’s eye, and I paused for a moment to shake my head. I didn’t get a good enough look to know what it was—I hardly ever did unless I was bored and not thinking of anything else.
I took a breath, and kept trotting quietly down the street. As I looked at the stallion at the bus stop, I noticed a shimmer, and I frowned. He was using an illusion spell… making himself appear normal and smaller than he really was, a spell often used by…
Guardians…