Breakfast is placed on the table. A perfect breakfast consisting of salad, cooked beets, spinach, radish and carrot miso soup, and yam soup.
“Thank you for the meal.” Sweetie and I bow and start our meal quietly. The sounds of our utensils echo. Sweetie isn’t the talkative type, and I’m not versatile enough to talk while eating. Naturally, mealtimes are quiet. Usually it’s louder, but today, the loud pony is… She must have been watching spy movies last night as she’s eyeing us while hiding behind a newspaper.
“Pinkie Pie, don’t you think you shouldn’t read the newspaper during meals?”
“……” Pinkie Pie ignores Sweetie’s question. She’s acting weird, but Pinkie Pie always acts in suspicious ways during breakfast. Sweetie must be used to it, as she continues to eat with no particular care. Sweetie prefers to make Canterlot foods. She learned to cook Ponyville food after she started coming here to help. Pinkie Pie and I preferred Ponyville, so Sweetie learned to make Ponyville food for our breakfast. Now she’s so good that she’s almost surpassed me, her teacher.
The beets are especially good as it’s cooked to perfection. Her miso soup is tasty, and she has shown some capacity even for making yam soup by grinding yams. Actually, I think this is the first time she’s made it.
“Sorry, Sweetie, can you pass me the soy sauce?”
“There you… oh wait, Storm. Your soy sauce is empty.”
“Pinkie Pie will do then. Can you get it?”
“May I, Pinkie Pie?” Pinkie Pie nods. Her newspaper trembles. “There you go. Are you going to use it on the yam soup?”
“Yeah, you usually put soy sauce on yam soup, right?” I put the soy sauce onto the white yam soup. After stirring it, I put it on the rice and take a bite. Mm, the stickiness of the yam and the taste of the soy sau… “Ugh…! This is terrible! This is lemon juice!” I almost throw it back up.
And then, “Haha, ahahahahaha!” Pinkie Pie throws her newspaper away. “How’s that? It was my plan to switch the labels this morning!” The mare spy throws up her forehoofs to show her happiness.
“W-What are you thinking? You’re always like this even though you’ll be turning twenty-five this year!”
“Haha. Did it teach you a lesson for what you did yesterday? It’s divine justice for picking on me with everypony else.”
“Divine justice doesn’t come from ponies! I thought you were calm, but this is what you were thinking about!?”
“That’s right. That’s why I have to go and start grading the exams now. Yup, I should hurry up.” Pinkie Pie sits back down and finishes her breakfast quickly. “Thank you. Breakfast was lovely as always, Sweetie.”
“Ah… thank you, Pinkie Pie.”
“I’m going on ahead then. I’ll get mad if you two are late.” And she runs off. …There’s something wrong with a world in which that thing is a teacher.
“…Um, Storm?”
“Sorry about that. Pinkie Pie didn’t really take the time to enjoy your breakfast.”
“No, it’s not that. Um… did you do something to her yesterday? It’s a bit much for Pinkie Pie to play with food.”
“Uh… well, yeah. I accidently called her by her nickname.”
“I guess it can’t be helped in that case. You didn’t apologize to her, did you, Storm?”
“Sorry. I forgot since it happens all the time.”
“You mustn’t. Pinkie Pie doesn’t like you calling her so, Storm. You made her cry again, didn’t you?”
“…I made her run away too. Yesterday’s English lesson was a self-study because of it.” And I was awarded a student honor written on note paper, but I threw it away.
“Geez. It was all your fault, then.” Pinkie Pie is like a big sister for Sweetie, so she’s basically on Pinkie Pie’s side. That’s good in its own way, but I wish she’d consider my situation where I have to deal with Pinkie Pie 24/7.
Pinkie Pie was originally an acquaintance of Father’s, and she’s been coming to the house a lot since I was adopted. She started to show up more after Father died, and she’s now almost a dependent, eating breakfast and dinner here. …No. Maybe she’s why I was able to make it on my own even after my father died.
Pinkie Pie, Sweetie, and I are now the residents of the Whooves household. …But I’m the only one who knows that my father was a mage. It’s said that mage must hide their identities. That’s why I’ve been hiding the fact that I’m learning magic ever since I became my father’s student. I say I’m learning, but I can’t even cast a single magic spell properly. With this kind of a skill, it wouldn’t make much difference whether I hide it or not. But because it was how my father wanted things, I’ve trained secretly since then.
I finish breakfast and prepare for school. I clean the dishes with Sweetie while listening to the news on TV. “……” Sweetie is staring at the TV screen. Over the screen runs an exaggerated teletype reading “Gas Leak Accidents Continue”. It seems there was a big accident in the neighboring town of New Ponyville. It happened in a building in the business district. It seems a whole floor of ponies ran out of oxygen and fell unconscious. They’ve called it a gas leak, but this kind of accident is happening often recently.
“Are you worried about the news, Sweetie?”
“Eh? No, not really. I just thought it’s near… Storm, your workplace is in the New Ponyville area, right?”
“Yeah, but it’s not really a big place. I don’t think an accident like that would happen there.” …But it’s not a risk I can completely ignore. Gas leaks can happen in any building, and on top of that, it hurts to think that hundreds of ponies are suffering. It’s said that the accidents are happening often because of defective construction work during the rapid development of New Ponyville. Whether that’s true or not, I certainly don’t want any more victims…
“…It is dangerous. We’ll have to be careful here too.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Storm. I check the gas twice every time.” Sweetie boasts with pride.
“No, that’s not the point.” …Yeah, I’ve thought so before, but Sweetie is a bit off too.
“Storm, did you lock the back door?”
“I did. I bolted it. Is there a problem?”
“Not at all. Then I’ll lock the front door now. When will you be home today, Storm?”
“I think I’ll be a bit late. What about you, Sweetie?”
“I’ll be back at the usual time. I’ll probably be here earlier, so I’ll start getting dinner ready.”
“…Yeah, that’ll help. I’ll try to come home early too.” We lock the gate. Sweetie and Pinkie Pie also have keys to my house, and the rule is that the last pony out locks up.
“Let’s go. You won’t make it to morning practice unless we hurry.”
“Yes, let’s hurry then, Storm.” We walk down to the town together. Passing the long wall and going downhill, we reach the residential district. My house is on top of the hill, far away from the center of town. Going down the hill takes us to the residential district, and beyond that… We reach the crossroads at the center of town. From her, there are many roads: a big bridge leading to the neighboring city… …A hill road that leads to Sweet Apple Acres… …The residential district on the other side of town… …The shopping district Sweetie and I always use… …And the school we’re headed to right now.
We head for the school without stopping elsewhere. We don’t talk much as we walk up the hill. Since it’s still seven o’clock, there aren’t many others on the road. Other than us, all you can see are a few others heading to their morning practices.
“Well, see ya. Have fun at your club.” I part with Sweetie at the school gates like usual. Sweetie’s in the archery club, so we have to part here in the mornings.
“……” But today, Sweetie doesn’t go.
“Sweetie? Are you not feeling well?”
“…No, that’s not it, but… um would you like to come to the gym?”
“No, I’ve no business there. Anyways, Applejack asked for me, so I have to go to the student council room today.”
“…I-I see. Sorry for troubling you then.” Sweetie bows.
“Hm?”
“I’ll be going now. Please look forward to dinner tonight.” Sweetie runs off like she’s ashamed of something.
“…?” Hm? I wonder what that was all about…? (OH MY GOD SO DENSE)
516407 thanks make sure you only choose one decision...
516409 U evil. If I did that then I can't check your other chapter for editing. Unless you have someone else checking that for you
516413 you can check it's obvious your going for a sweetie belle point :P
516414 No... It just happened to be the next chapter... that's all. *shifts eyes*
Also no more mistakes... so far >.>
516418 Ha, don't worry, picture Sweetie Belle as a 16 year-old mare.
I'm curious, how many people went for the muscle point. :D
520529 Both :D
520609 Interesting... I wonder who Twilight will be.
520529 I usually post new chapters around midnight.
520617 The I'll catch up now and read more in the morning. I can't stay up past midnight reading, I have college to worry about.
520626 understandable.
520726 you'll figure it out... I'll give a hint you better hope your mare likes you or... >.>
I think I figured out who Twi is. All I had to do was remember that she's an obscenely powerful mage and practically unnatural magical focus. Who in the original series qualified? Only one comes to mind... and I pray the fate of that character doesn't follow the blade works route in this story. No one should die like that.
No one.
520726 I'm gonna have to make this mature once I write the first dead end...
520761 Gotcha there. Gore isn't pretty in this series.
But I really do have to ask, which route are you leaning towards with this series anyway? UBW, Heaven's Feel, or Fate... or will it be an amalgamation of the three or something totally off in left field?
And how often do you post these?
520790 the last word of the title should give you a hint.
520798 You'd think, but so far it's still pretty up in the air. Really, it would make more sense if you used the branching system to allow for various routes.
And how can you get ALL THE MARES to like you?! Remember how many there are in this bloodie thing?!
520808 that's what I plan. and you only need a few selected mares to like you in order to live.
520824 screw that. They are all... going... TO LOVE MEE!!!
Plus, it's more fun that way, even if I truly suck with regards to relationships... maybe Storm will be luckier. Have I mentioned that I REALLY like how you pulled that one? considering Dr. Whooves's abilities, he's a shoe-in for that particular character.
Hmm.... interesting idea just popped into my head.
520868 It was all thanks to people who got me started when I was writing the prologue chapters, I had people post character suggestions in a thread, which is now deleted due to spoilers. Melancholy and refferee help me quite a bit to find the perfect pony for each character.
520954
Makes sense. Hmm... I think I figured out who Rider's master is too. Not sure though. Logic isn't foolproof, but then nothing is when you consider that everytime you try to make something foolproof, nature makes a better fool.
Dang that idea really is bothering me... I feel I should say it but I think that if I do I'd end up imposing and being a jerk, and I don't want that. I suppose I'll just go read more literature