Aegis turned 10 this year. For a normal Filly this would be one of the best times of their life. It was Double Digits. The time you can now classify yourself as a big girl, the time you would get presents, the time where you're surrounded by friends and family, and the time where nothing can go wrong. That though, was not the case for little Aegis.
Aegis wondered around her house, it was nothing glamorous. It was a small house, and luckily, her parents were out. That was a good enough birthday present. She felt great, that was a one off, normally she would be hiding away or playing with her friend Silver. Aegis was an outside pony but she was scared of other things. You see, Aegis was growing up in a different community, not Ponyville, not Manehatten, not Hoofington, and not Canterlot. Any of those places would be heaven compared to where she currently was, She was in the Wastelands, nothing special, it was relatively horrible. The community she was growing up in, refer to themselves as 'Pures'. It was a community of Earthponies who see both Unicorns and Pegasi as mutations; Creatures who should not exist.
Aegis heard a pebble ping off of the window she was near. she flinched, as the sudden noise surprised her. There was another ping of stone on glass, a moment later.
"Silvaria could you quit that?" Aegis spoke, she was mildly annoyed. Her worst fear was the consequences that followed if the glass had broken. Another stone pinged on the window and she shuffled over to it to look out. "Silvaria!" Her young normally quiet voice squeaked. Aegis looked down at the smaller but older grey pegasus. "Do you not understand Equestrian?" She said with a sigh and gave a small smile.
Her arrogant friend was on the same boat as her, except that she was a pegasus and she could more or less fly from her problems. Even though she could fly, she chose not to most the time as she was trying harder to fit into the all Earthpony community but never had any luck. She unfortunately, by this time, had given up all together.
"I was trying to get your attention!" Silver said with a stupid smile on her face. She flew up to the window and slid it open and she hugged Aegis. "Happy Birthday!" Both Aegis and Silver were now hugging and giggling like the fillies they were.
Silver was Aegis's only friend and vice versa. They always looked out for each other like close sisters, and never the "despise each other" kind of sisters.
"So how's your birthday been?" Silver broke the hug with a soft smile. Silver always had a smile.
"Like every other day, quiet." Aegis sat down. She was slightly on edge, as this was about the time of day that her parents would return home. She had memorized the time they got home, which was between 3 and 3:30pm.
"Aegis calm down." Silver rolled her eyes. She always thought that Aegis was being silly when they are about to get home. In Silvers eyes, Aegis was a Unicorn. A Unicorn had a direct advantage against Earthponies. But Silver was 12 and immature, and Aegis was the mature one.
"No Silver please." Aegis was scared for Silver. Aegis was always scared for her, due to the fact that Silver never stayed with her family. Instead, she lived off the streets, or the rock path that was considered the street. Aegis was afraid of losing her only friend, because the ponies in the town were tracking the filly and hoping to catch her and get rid of her. Aegis had picked all this up when she listened to her father after dinner and was left in her room.
"Aegis, Aegis, Aegis", Silver replied and patted her head, "They can't catch me, I have wings." Silver had her 'Oh-So-Cocky' tone in full swing.
"C'mon Silver! You can't be like this all the time!" Aegis swatted at Silvers hoof. Getting head pats made her feel way younger then she already was, and she hated that feeling.
Aegis jumped when she heard the opening, then closing of the front door. Her worst thought was happening so quickly. Her parents were home and if they caught silver in the house, she would be screwed. She listened for her parents walking through the house, and her eyes went wide as her father knocked on the door of her room.
"Aegis no one better be in there.", He spoke in a stern voice.
At this point, Silver herself began panicking. When Silver couldn't stay within her chilled laid back attitude, she'd get too nervous and flying would become a thing of the past. She looked at Aegis wide eyed and waited for an idea. Aegis too was in panic, but she could think under the strain.
"Aegis I'm coming in when I get to 10.", Her father spoke again, "1.." He had begun to count and time was rapidly running out. "2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 6.. 7.."
Aegis quickly went beside Silver and whispered in her ear, "Get under the bed and don't make a move!"
"8.. 9.."
Silver did exactly as she was told. Aegis then quickly jumped onto the bed and levitated a notepad and a crayon. "10." At this point he had finished counting and stepped into the room, right as Silver had gotten into position. All the Adult saw was his 'Not-So-Wanted' child laying on the small single bed drawing. Him or his wife had no clue that Aegis was capable of magic yet as it had never been presented to them. Everything seemed normal to him and he stepped back out of Aegis' room, trading places with her mother. Aegis turned her head to face her mother putting on a completely believable innocent look. Meanwhile, Silver was under the bed holding her breath, begging that the parents don't start asking questions. Silver was very lucky that Aegis' Mom cared more than her Dad.
"Happy Birthday sweetie." She said quietly enough for the father not to hear, as she ducked out the room closing the door.
Aegis moved to the side of the bed and threw her head over to look underneath. Silver let out a loud sigh of relief when she saw the face of her best friend.
"So... Can I stay over tonight?" Silver said shakily, but smiling that she wasn't caught.
"Silver...Please...Go home", said Aegis in a sorry yet serious tone, without smiling. "Please, you nearly cost me dinner." Aegis looked upset. She had nearly lost her best friend, and she felt bad. She needed space.
Silver crawled out from under the bed and stood up. She didn't say a word. she had felt as if it would be best just not to say anything. Silver nodded slowly and sadly, as she jumped back out the window. Aegis looked down at her best friend, and felt so guilty, so.. terrible...
Silver was merely trying to be a friend and she sent her out.
And that was the last Aegis saw of Silver...