//------------------------------// // The truth is hard to take // Story: Cracked Horn and Ribbons: The story of Evening Dream // by guard1ans //------------------------------// "So, is my hair going to defy gravity when it rains?" "It shouldn't if you get up your hair treatments." Rarity answered. "Oh, okay. I'm tore between wanting to see it happen and wanting to keep this mane the way it is." "Why would be torn? Don't you like it?" The fashion unicorn asked. "I do, but I have a habit of tossing and turning in bed and usually my hair looks like I got hit by lightning. That is if I do even get to bed. I'm usually up till dawn writing." Evening Dream crossed the last t and dotted the last i and set her quill down. Rarity let her borrow on of her hats she brought with her to hide her horn. She still wasn't comfortable with stares at the cracks. Opal yawned and snoozed on a pillow as Rarity drank her tea. They were in front of a good Canterlot Cafe before Rarity dragged Evening along to find some fabric for her birthday gown. Evening finally gave up on trying to convince her and merely was along for the ride. "There all done. My latest work. I call it Memory Reborn." She slipped out a yellow envelope with her cutie mark on the front, slipped in the papers, and gave the seal a good lick. "Yummy, kiwi. I'm so glad I got this special from the Quill and Sofa. I must shake the hoof of the pony who invented flavored glue seals." Rarity raised and eyebrow as she addressed the envelope to the magazine and levitated a stamp onto it. "There we go, already for editing and publishing. You know what, Rarity?" "Yes darling?" "For all of this stuff, though I'm an unwilling participant, I see you get this issue first thing. Sapphire Shores is going to be on the cover ya know?" "Oh! Thank you darling. I know Sapphire, I've made some of her costumes though Sweetie Bell....Never mind. Thank you so much." "Sweetie Bell? She a friend?" "My little sister. She can both be a terror and a blessing, her and the rest of the cutie mark crusaders." She explained as she lifted the cup back up. "Oh....Oh I see...I always wanted a sibling. I take care of Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake sometimes when Pinkie Pie is....um....doing stuff..." "Oh? Do you know Pinkie?" "No....No not really, we've never met....and I kinda want to keep it that way." Rarity raised and eyebrow. "I've seen the random musical numbers and her parties from afar. She just seems...a little too...hyper active. She kinda scares me." Rarity looked at her with surprise. "Pinkie Pie....scares you?" "All the bouncing around and general...Pinkness....I'm not that type of pony. I'm not that big into...surprises." "Ah....does that have to do with...the reason your horn is the way it is?" Evening nodded. "Surprises and me don't mix anymore. Randomness doesn't either. I don't think Pinkie Pie and me would get along." "Well...I do know someone who you would get along with, Fluttershy." "You mean the one that take cares of the animals? We're neighbors. I live a trot away from her cottage. I've seen her with her rabbit outside sometimes but we never talk. I heard pinkie, you, and her are friends with the princess that lives in that crystal tree castle? That true?" "Hm? Oh you mean Twilight? Yes we're friends. Why? Do you want to meet her? I can invite her to the party?" Evening blushed. "Oh no don't do that. I just wanted to know what the library in the castle looks like. After the Golden Oak got destroyed, I've been needing to read to get my inspiration flowing again. The Quill and Sofa doesn't have a big book selection and I need some reference guides." Rarity thought for a moment. "Well....I'll what I can do, darling. Twilight was the librarian at Golden Oaks before-" "What?! She was the librarian?" "Yes, didn't you know?" Evening hung her head and blushed even more. "I kinda stopped going after I heard about a new librarian...I never returned that book I borrowed." "You still have a book from the Golden Oaks?" "Yeah. I heard all of them got destroyed so I don't know what to do with it." Then Rarity got an idea. "Tell you what. If you return that book I'm sure Twilight will let you use her library. She misses the Golden Oaks so much and I think having the only surviving book will make her very happy." "It-It would?" "Oh yes. She told me she read every book in that place three times over. She loves books." "Wow...I could make a princess happy....I wonder if I could make the other princesses happy...I wonder if I could make Luna happy." Evening muttered under her breath. "Come! We must make you perfect for your party. We're going to have it in the royal gardens after all." "WHAT?! The Royal gardens! I don't think I'm ready for having a party at that grand of a scale! What if-" "THE ROYAL GARDENS?!" Evening clamped her hooves over her mouth as the entire street stopped to look at her and Rarity. She eyes were as big as plates. In seconds a whole crowd rushed them, clamoring. "A party at the Royal gardens? For who?" "You simply must invite me!" "The princesses are going to be there right?" "Enough! Make way for the birthday girl and her personal stylist!" Rarity announced and she stood up. "Invitations will be sent out soon, I promise, but we have appointments to attend to to make this party happen. Come Evening Dream." Rarity ushered Evening through the crowd, red faced and head down. She was completely and utterly mortified. "Now all of Canterlot will be there. I don't know if I can handle that many ponies, Rarity." "You'll be fine darling. You'll be an elite, like yours truly." "That's what I'm afraid of." "What do you mean?" Evening sat down onto the street, staring at the pavement. "My mom and dad died on their way from a party....they died after our train car derailed. Their social obligations left me with out parents and left me with a damaged horn."