//------------------------------// // Chapter Fifteen: Castle of Friendship // Story: Equestria; UNDEAD // by runningtoastgirl77 //------------------------------// We waited until afternoon to go to the Castle of Friendship. Zian seemed reluctant. I wondered why. It was a cloudy day, and I could tell despite the current situation, the pegasi still had a job to do. The trees, only dark green days before, were crisped to a bright array of hues. The air even smelt different. "Is it autumn already?" I said in bewilderment. "Yeah, " Buttercrisp smirked. "Last week of summer, n' one think Ponyvillians even in the face of the apocalypse never miss is a harvesting season." she was getting out a few pairs of wheelbarrows. "Hopefully we can get rid of all of them by Nightmare Night. Tha' school ponies always look forward to it, you know? Foals..." Whirlwind looked in surprise. "You have foals?!" "Yeah, about 20 of them." He sighed in relief. "Ohhh, your a teacher." "Yep! Er, well, teacher's assistant. I fill in for ol' Pumpkin when she's busy, help her about her business. Ol' mare is almost a hundred, but she's still as spunky as ever. I swear she never gives up. " I couldn't imagine a pony that old. Throughout my sheltered life, I never really thought about how old ponies get. "Does that mean that..." "Yep'! Ol' Pumpkin's been around since before the element of magic was even an alicorn! She's bout' the same age as that one princess, you know the one purple one!" Buttercrisp giggled. "In fact, I think she's older!" Zian Came out of the house. "We'll be back!" I frowned. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" "Neh, besides I have things to do and these two insisted on joining." Grella said, pointing to Morning Glory and Cherry behind her. "And Buttercrisp wanted my help to carry out this harvest, on account most of the family is on patrol." Whirlwind said. Zian and I sighed, and decided it was better late than never to go to the castle. For a place called 'Ponyville', it was near comparable to a thriving city. There were plenty of flowers, trees, and other kinds of vegetation, but the streets were lined with large three story cottage apartment buildings and a span from the Everfree Forest, to the train station leading strait to Canterlot, and of course the giant towering purple castle in the center. A building, despite my historical amnesia, I knew well. My father had often lectured me about his travels to the capital cities all over Equestria and beyond, always saving me posters, postcards, pictures of the magnificent marvels. He told me how much he wished I could see it with him some day, if I would be willing to leave the confines of the family bakery, of course. He had... In front of the Castle of Friendship, I felt myself break on the realization of something I had nearly completely forgotten. "Autumn?" Zian said when I stopped. "What's wrong?" "What... what's wrong with me?!" I cried. "I left them behind!" "Them?" "My PARENTS! I ran away, I abandoned them!" I felt tears run down my face as I felt short of breath. "I...I could have..." "Autumn, honey, relax, I'm sure that they made it out..." "What if they didn't?! I'm such a horrible daughter! How could I forget my family, Zian?!" I crumbled onto the ground in a crying, shallow breathing mess. I crumbled like a cake.