Apropos of the Sinners

by SpitFlame

Introduction – Chapter V – Airglow Sky

I will end this introduction by discussing Airglow Sky. She grew up in the care of this simple-minded servant, who was only capable of teaching her basic things like arithmetic, and eventually gathered the money owed to her by her mother’s dowry. This dowry came from the benefactress, who, I may add, was terribly enraged to hear that Petal Breeze had passed away, and soon afterwards visited Ponyville for the sole purpose of delivering a hard slap to Bronze Pocket’s portly face. Airglow gathered what was ultimately a chunk of the benefactress’ capital—by the latter’s consent, naturally—and went off to get her education.

But Airglow never quite finished her studies. She was a distracted filly, the sort characterized by a curiosity in life, as it were; the type of pony to always be absorbed in thought, absorbed in something inward and important. She reflected her mother in many ways: quiet, never looking to compete with others; at the same time, one could hardly describe Airglow as “shy” or the like. She was terribly kind to ponies, and during her education in elementary school many of her classmates liked her very much, to varying degrees. Her primary characteristic was her supreme modesty and introversion. But because of this things began to change in middle school, when Airglow was teased, not strictly out of malice, but simply naive amusement for the other kids. It was the same in the beginning of high school, though she seemed to be just one of those fillies who were distrusted, sometimes ridiculed, and even disliked by their classmates.

She was dreamy, for instance, and rather solitary. From her earliest childhood she was fond of creeping into a corner to read, and yet over time she became a general favourite in high school. She was rarely playful or merry, but anypony could see at the first glance that this was not from any sullenness. On the contrary, she was bright and good-tempered. She never tried to show off among her classmates. Because of this, the other kids eventually came to understand that Airglow was not particularly proud of anything, and did not take offence to anything. Oh, of course, much like any awkward, quiet colt or filly, she had her fair share of being bullied behind the backs of teachers, sometimes even quite mercilessly, but in the end she never showed signs of resentment, to the point where her bullies left her alone, and the rest were captivated by her.

When she was only fourteen, the funds for her education ran out, and upon realizing that she could no longer afford to stay in high school, she was at last forced to work full-time with Shovel Rod. However, not even this lasted for very long. Almost every day, for hours on end, Airglow sought out work for herself; but who in Equestria would hire a fourteen-year-old filly? Bronze Pocket didn’t even know she existed. And even if reminded, he would absolutely refuse to help; if anything, he was probably too occupied with pondering the idea of a third wife. It was during this deep glum that one of Ponyville’s high ladies, a middle-aged mare who went by the name of Olva Velvet, offered our Airglow an assistant role in the town’s library. That is to say, Olva Velvet was Ponyville’s sole librarian. She was generous, well-respected, even a confidante to some; but she overlapped into a personality of, at times, silliness; she was quite meddlesome, too. She had hysterical fits when frustrated or confused, but she was kept in check by her ill daughter Twinkie, who from the very first day of work Airglow befriended. The two got along very well.

A year later, more or less, Airglow was informed that her brothers (both of whom she had never met face-to-face before) had arrived in Ponyville, and learned vaguely that it was to meet their father in some manner or other. She did not know why they were visiting; strangely enough, they had written only a couple of times to one another, very sparingly, and even then only as a means for establishing long distance ceremony, or whatever you call it. Airglow wanted very much to see her brothers for the first time in person.

Their arrival made a very strong impression on her. She managed to make friends with Nova, but did not have so much luck with Cluster—although that, I suppose, could be boiled down to their disparaging difference in not only age but education. At the same time, Nova spoke very highly of Cluster, seemed to respect his contributions greatly, and often made enthusiastic references to their older brother. This struck Airglow most of all, since Nova was, compared to Cluster, almost uneducated. And the two brothers were such a contrast in personality and character that it would be difficult to find two stallions more unlike.

This family gathering of sorts was supposed to take place at their father’s house two days from then, largely planned out by Nova who, along with his brother, arrived in Ponyville separately a whole month before. They were staying in separate rented lodgings for some reason. It was during this month that Airglow got to know her brothers.

Incidentally, it was only two days before the Summer Sun Celebration, which was scheduled to be held in Ponyville that year. But I think I have said enough; that is, by now I’ve noted the essentials. Now to get on with the story.