Roses and thorns

by LunaMint

The Edge of the Shear

The willow trees of the mansion garden, towered over me; with my small stature and feminine abode. The shadows lingered as I recalled their warmth towards me. The trees have always given me the comfort I needed. They were my only friends, my family.

I was lucky to have any happiness, as a slave to the richest family in Equestria, other than Princess Celestia; I didn't have much of a wonder filled life as those I worked my tail off for. The longings to have a better life, never appeared to me as a child. I was too young to understand the true pain my Master and Misses inflicted upon the other slaves. Well, when I was a child that is.

I stepped away from the trees, and picked up a bucket filled of soapy water in my mouth, and walked to the work field. When I appeared, one of the slaves, Topaz Stone, called my name, "Joy! Give me a hand ova here will ya!"
She was chopping wood with an axe she held with her magic, I put down the bucket and ran to her side. I picked up a few pieces of the chopped wood and put it in a pile.

Joy, an ironic name nonetheless. My cutie mark, a flower with a smile, from making sure the other slaves were cheery. So, we would no longer be upset as the day went by.

As I ran to pile more wood back and fourth, I heard Misses yell from inside the house, "All of you shall report inside the house, immediately! We have a troublemaker in our midst!" her tone was harsh as ever, holding an excessive amount of anger. We all began to rush inside the house. Well, all of us but one. An earth pony going by the name, Humming Weed, was creeping behind a work shed. I turned around when I noticed him. I walked up to him, and he backed away with a snarl, "Get back, I swear to Celestia if you tell Misses about my stealing of her favorite cloth, you'll have dues to pay!" I just stared at him with a concerned expression.

"I, don't understand. Why are you just admitting to stealing, and of all people, the most honest of us!? Not to mention why you're putting yourself in possible trouble!" I whisper-yelled.

"Well, I'm not just going to tell you that easily," He said back.

I just sighed and turned back to the house. I walked to it with an expressionless face, and a wonder of what was going to happen next.

---

When I entered the house, Misses was standing with her hooves over the second floor rail, connecting to the stair rail, looking down on me and the 4 other slaves in the room below.

"I would like to know the one responsible for stealing my golden, 1,000 thread count fabric, it has gone missing from the study," every pony was silent, "Either you admit that you stole it, or we have ways of making you talk."

That sentence has haunted me forever.

Then, without thinking and knowing that I didn't, "I did it!"

"You, Joy, I would never expect such a thing from a girl so young such as you!"

That pulled the trigger, "young", I was practically a mare, the age of 17 years. Then, I spoke up, stood up for myself, something no pony did.

"I, am not, young!"
Her eyes widened in surprise, "Sweet Celestia, what has gotten to your head child!?"

She said it again!

"I am not a child, and I certainly care that I'm 17, as you can tell!"

I was ready to pounce, fly into the air and nock her clean off her haunches, but I stood my ground.

"Silence!"

"No!"

"Excuse me!?"

"I said, "No!"

I saw her nod to someone behind me, and before I could do anything, I was pulled backwards. I struggled to get out of my captors grip, but couldn't escape. I was dragged away, and pushed into a tree. They tied a rope along my middle, and had Misses walk outside to spread my wings, and hold them in place with her unicorn magic. I saw a pony standing right at my wings, and he held shears in his hooves. I tried to break free from Misses's magic hold, but it was no use. I was tied to a tree, and my wings were of no use.

I looked over at my left wing and watched as the stallion cut off a few of my feathers. They were clipping my wings, and I couldn't do anything but accept the fate.

As he sliced off one last feather, the shear cut deeply into my wing. I screeched in pain, and felt my legs give away.
Then he began to clip my other wing. I just waited as tears streaked my pain-filled face.

I didn't even notice that they untied the rope around me, and procured a bandage around my cut wing.

This, not the shear itself, but this, was the edge of the shear. Painful, and cutting deep. So deep, that you fall to the floor, and everything joyful slips away.

Author's Note:

I got the inspiration for this story from one of my favorite books; it's an intriguing novel, so I hope I can make this story just as interesting to you guys!
By the way, the title of the book is not: it's an intriguing novel. Oh and Misses's name is Misses. I'll be sure to clarify that at some point!
Have a great day!