Legacy: The End of Harmony

by Ficta_Scriptor

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 5 - One Small Step

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 5 – One Small Step

Rosa groaned lightly, holding a hoof to her forehead. “Summer, please. It’s not that exciting. So Sparks and I are meeting up this weekend; I think you’re blowing this all out of proportion.”

“Oh come on! Cheer up, Rosa! This isn’t just some colt you’re dating; I mean have you seen those thighs...”

Rosa glared angrily at Summer, an eyebrow twitching vividly.

“Oh I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that! I’d be no friend if I was to try and bag him myself, I’m just happy for you! And since you’re glum for whatever reason I need to have enough happiness for the both of us!”

“Yes, I understand. But please, it’s nothing I really want to talk about.”

Summer put down her washcloth and eyed Rosa suspiciously. “Something’s up, isn’t it? Why aren’t you happy about this? I mean, you do like him, don’t you?”

Rosa sighed briefly. “Yeah, I do. I just don’t know why this is such a big deal to you.”

Summer smiled slyly. “Well I guess this can’t be a big deal if you’ve had more than a fair share of flank in your time.”

Rosa spluttered, her cheeks growing red with embarrassment. She shook her head. “No! I’m not like that! I’ve never even been on a—”

Before Rosa could even finish her sentence Summer interrupted, pointing a hoof at Rosa’s face and beaming with glee. “I knew it! I knew you would be! I just had a feeling! It’s nothing to be ashamed of, you know.”

A waiter stood by the back entrance poked his head around the door frame, becoming increasingly intrigued as he eavesdropped unsubtly. Rosa rolled her eyes knowingly as she was well aware what Summer was getting at. She turned back to the dishes in the sink and began her next sentence softly.

“Well yes, that’s true. And no, I’m not ashamed. I’ve never really thought about it as much of a big deal, and I don’t see why I’d talk openly about that stuff either way. Sure, I’m a little bit nervous about going on a date for the first time but it’s just one of those things I have to get through.”

Summer pondered over this for a brief moment. “Well gee, Rosa. If you were nervous about it then you only had to say. I could help you through it, give you a few tips, lend an ear. That sort of thing!”

“Well that’s very kind of you, really it is,” Rosa said sharply. “Though I’ve had enough of being told the ‘tricks of the trade’ by my mother. Then there’s the fact that my Dad tried to set me up with Sparks in the first place. I guess that’s another reason why I’m so antsy about all this. It feels so... staged.”

“Well it’s better than setting you up with the village idiot, isn’t it? I’d say your folks have good taste in ponies!”

Rosa nodded. “I guess you’re right. Still, it just feels so weird. They’ve been trying to change me and my life a lot recently. I only have this job because of them, otherwise I’d still be working at the family bookshop.” Rosa glanced over towards her friend. “And I wouldn’t have met you.”

“Sounds like your parents did the right thing then!”

“Perhaps, but I’ve never been one to embrace change if I’m honest. I’ve always favoured consistency. It’s... comfortable to say the least.”

Summer shrugged. “It’s always nice to have a bit of change every now and then. Having you as a new friend is certainly a turn up for the books! Get it? Because your family runs a bookshop?”

Rosa chortled and gazed fleetingly at her colleague. “You should be a stand up comedian,” she said dryly. She hoped the conversation would turn from its current topic, especially since she couldn’t discuss the real reasons for her apprehension. Her feelings for Nico, the thought running through her head that she wouldn’t have the guts to cut ties with Sparks if she felt unwilling to have any kind of relationship, the pressure from her parents... Even Spike had suggested that she pursue any potential colt-friend. Was this because he thought her strange to be perpetually single at her age? What would Clover’s reaction be? More importantly, what would Nico’s reaction be? Approval? Jealousy? As much as she hated to admit it, that second one seemed desirable.

“You gotta be yourself and you’ll be just fine, Strider. Just be sure not to tire him out.”

“Oh come on, I know I walk quickly but I’m not that bad. Plus he is an athlete and—” Rosa stopped as she noticed Summer’s raised eyebrows and mischievous smile. “Oh, Summer! Is that all you can think about?”

Summer combed a hoof through her mane and grinned smugly. “Hey, I’m a teenager. I’m allowed.”

That doesn’t mean every pony was like you at your age, Rosa said inwardly, wondering just how many lewd jokes would be in store for her in the coming days. It wasn’t something she was used to. Clover and Nico were much more conservative when it came to such subjects, which she was incredibly thankful for. “So anyway,” Summer began, “I was thinking, maybe we should do something on Sunday. I mean, we did say we should do something, right? Plus, you’ll definitely have to spill all the juicy gossip of your night with the super stud!”

Rosa winced at Summer’s emphasis on the word ‘juicy’ and shook her head in dismay. “Like I said before, it’s not a night. I’m meeting him some time in the afternoon.”

“Meh, whatever. We should still do something on Sunday. That is, assuming you’ll have the strength left?”

Rosa sighed. For such an inspirational and care-free young mare Summer was still rather juvenile. “Of course we can do something Sunday. I’ll look forward to it. But please, no more innuendos for today. I just find it too hard to deal with.”

Summer raised a foreleg and opened her mouth, about to spout out something else when Rosa forced a hoof into her jaw. “Don’t,” Rosa whispered, shaking her head. Summer smiled sheepishly and went back to her work, realising a little too late that she’d crossed the line.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I was just trying to make conversation. Good luck on Saturday, really.”

Rosa — unsure as to whether Summer was serious or not — politely smiled and replied with nothing but silence.

---

Rosa made her way home, the small sign reading ‘Bloom’s Books’ above the door frame greeting her return. Her mother waved exuberantly as she approached and went back to speaking to an elderly unicorn mare about their current selection of literature. Rosa trotted upstairs, the strain of the past two days taking its toll. She wasn’t exhausted, but physical labour was still an unfamiliar feeling to her. She flopped like a rag doll onto her bed, almost wishing she could fall asleep in an instant.

A week ago, life was simple. She would wake up, serve indecisive customers and chat to fellow bookworms from Monday to Friday. At the weekend, she’d mostly waste time being cooped up in her room reading the latest novel or occasionally agreeing to whatever day or night out that Nico and Clover had planned. She would spend a few hours hoping for something to happen between her and Nico, and eventually wallow in disappointment. Ever since she left school this was how it had always been, and even if it wasn’t the greatest of lives she at least knew where she stood. The life ahead of her was daunting and scary. It was times like these that a great ambition served its worth, but she had nothing of the sort.

The sky outside her window was painted with splatters of orange and mauve, the wisps of cloud slowly passing their way across the skyline, twisting and fading as the sun dipped further down towards the horizon. It was a picturesque scene that would move even the most emotionally stunted of ponies. Rosa took notice of the magnificent view and smiled to herself, thinking how uncannily romantic a backdrop this would be.

She began to daydream a scenario where her and Sparks were sat atop a hill gazing across the landscape such as the one before her, gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. Sparks raised a hoof to her head and stroked through her mane, curling a bunch of hair behind her ear. She grinned bashfully, resting a hoof of her own on the base of his neck. As they shared this tender moment, Sparks pulled her head towards his and...

Rosa snapped back to reality. And then what? She wasn’t even sure how she would feel about this, whether she would find herself going through with whatever predetermined circumstance came up simply because it would be the ‘normal’ thing to do. At what point is it expected for dating couples to exchange a first kiss? It wasn’t an unpleasant thought, but her conflicting emotions stifled any excitement she could possibly have.

The saddened mare led back onto her pillow, massaging her temple in a vain attempt to soothe her troubled mind. She knew her problems were trivial compared to that of others like Summer, and that she should be looking at her life in a more positive light.

In an effort to take her mind off things she grabbed her copy of An Equestrian Night Mare and flicked to where she had left off. After a few paragraphs her mind was still flitting back and forth, spoiling her reading experience. Disgruntled, she growled and tossed the book back onto her desk.

For a while she simply lay there, replaying past events in her head and pondering on her future. It wasn’t a feeling of depression that washed over her, more a wave of confusion and anxiety. She closed her eyes as if to appear to be asleep, lost in her daydreams when she heard a hoof rapping on her door.

“Rosa, darling, can I come in?”

“Yeah, come in,” Rosa replied, secretly hoping that she would be left to her own devices soon enough. She didn’t want to deal with a conversation about Sparks, about her job, about when she was planning to move out... She had a hard enough time expressing her feelings to her friends, and would probably find it more comfortable telling complete strangers instead of her parents, as odd as that seemed.

Her mother sauntered in wearing a civil smile. Rosa noticed that her reddish mane was straightened out towards the front, a little different to its usual manner. If it went unnoticed her mother would surely grow more annoyed as time went on, ultimately leading to an outburst of “Is nopony going to ask me about my mane?” followed by the obligatory sulking period.

“How was work, dear? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Mum. I’m just a little tired is all,” Rosa replied, sitting upright. “It was quite busy today, but it was fine, really.”

“Oh that’s good to hear. I was just wondering how you were doing. Also, I think Sparks is coming back from training with your father for a quick visit. Maybe he could stay for dinner?”

Rosa’s heart nearly leapt from her chest and she involuntarily held her breath. Her mother smirked at her reaction, pressing a hoof to her lips as if to physically push the laughter back into her system. “That’s... nice...” Rosa remarked, unable to hide her nervousness.

“Well, well, well... It looks like you’re quite smitten! Oh don’t worry, darling. Everything will go just fine. Though maybe you could do a little something with your mane? Lying down on that bed has ruffled it just a tad.”

“Sure thing,” Rosa said dryly, brushing back her hair with a foreleg which had virtually no effect on her appearance.

“Excellent. They’ll be here in about an hour or so, so make sure you’re ready!” With that, Daisy gently closed the door and trotted back downstairs.

Rosa turned herself over and buried her face into the pillow. It wasn’t that Sparks was coming to see her that made her displeased. It was the fact that she would have her parents as an audience judging her at every turn. Now that her mother was convinced that she was besotted she would surely put her unwanted nose in to their every move. Her father had been the one to set this up in the first place, and now he would be hoping for the perfect fairytale to play out before his eyes. Please don’t stay for dinner, she repeated to herself, holding her hooves together in prayer.

---

“Hello Sparks! Welcome to our humble abode! I’m Rosa’s mother, Daisy Bloom.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs Bloom. Your husband has told me so much about you.”

“Not too much I hope. Anyway, I think Rosa is just upstairs. I’ll go get her for you.”

“Thank you ma’am.”

Rosa had her door left ajar and was eavesdropping on the conversation. Taking a deep breath she headed down into the shop area smiling as convincingly as possible.

“It’s OK, Mum. I heard you,” she called cheerily. She appeared at the bottom of the stairs to see her parents and Spark stood by the counter. They all smiled back at her, Sparks adding a courteous wave. His forehead was drenched in sweat and his blonde mane seemed both unkempt and heavily stylized at the same time, possibly the result of both hair gel and some questionable advice on what mares wanted in a stallion.

Rosa consciously slowed down her usual walking pace, trying not to seem too keen. She could see Sparks tapping his back legs gently against the wooden floorboards, due to a case of the nerves, perhaps, or excitement?

“Hey Sparks, it’s nice to see you again,” she beamed, if a little falsely.

“Nice to see you again too! I hope you don’t mind me dropping by. I just thought it would be a bit better than passing a message on like some school foal.”

“That’s fine. I don’t mind, really.”

They locked eyes for a moment in silence, when Speedwell entered the conversation.

“Well I guess we’d better give these kids some space. Don’t ya think so, Daisy?”

“Quite right! We don’t want to crowd around the youngsters. Just a quick question first. Would you not care to stay for dinner, Sparks?”

Sparks shook his head. “Sorry Mrs. Bloom. My mother will be expecting me back soon, but thank you kindly for the offer.”

“That’s quite alright; I wouldn’t want to impose. I’ll let you and Rosa have a little chat then.”

Daisy and Speedwell smiled before quickly shuffling their way to the kitchen diner. Rosa kept them in her eyesight, waiting until they had closed the door behind them to turn back to Sparks and utter a sigh of relief. The unicorn grinned knowingly and stroked his chin.

“And I thought it was the stallion who was supposed to be nervous about meeting a mare’s folks,” he declared.

Rosa smirked, surprised by how easily he had read her emotions. “I guess it’s that obvious, huh? Just don’t make an ‘I can read you like a book’ joke because I’ve heard that enough times.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sparks chuckled. “So anyway, getting down to business... Well actually maybe that’s a bad way of putting it...”

“It’s only a bad way of putting it if you go on to say that it is, you know,” Rosa pointed out, amused by his demeanour. In some strange way his uneasiness actually made her more comfortable. Sparks closed his eyes and smirked, as if readying himself.

“OK, I understand. So getting down to... the matter at hoof...” Sparks raised his eyebrows comically, bringing a genuine smile to Rosa’s face. “I’ll be picking you up from here at precisely one o’ clock on Saturday. I should hope that’s enough time for a lay in.”

Rosa furrowed her brow. “Lay in? Let me guess… My Dad mentioned my laziness?”

Sparks chortled and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Maybe,” he confessed.

Rosa rolled her eyes. “Thanks Dad,” she muttered, but loudly enough for Sparks to hear. “So what do you have planned?”

Sparks raised a hoof and grew a mischievous grin. “You said to surprise you, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it?”

“Oh, I see. OK, well it had better be a good surprise because I hate being disappointed.” she said deviously.

“Oh I’ll be sure to exceed all expectations,” replied Sparks, pulling a look of terror and biting at his hooves farcically.

Rosa laughed once more, holding her chest with one hoof. It was uncanny how easy it was to talk to Sparks despite her previous reservations. In a way, his apparent flaws made him seem more trustworthy, more real. Rosa wondered if he had never been on a date before either, but kept that question to herself. A pang of suspicion ran through her spine and she turned to see if her parents were spying on her. Thankfully, her suspicions were wrong.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you on Saturday then,” Rosa said cheerily, hoping to not prolong the conversation too long and let it divulge into awkward small talk. That could wait until the day of the date.

“Oh, yeah, I’ll see you Saturday,” he gasped, stroking through his mane involuntarily. “Um... yeah, OK...”

For a moment he stood stock still, looking pensively over Rosa’s shoulder. Intrigued, she once again turned around, expecting to see a head poking around the kitchen door, but there was nothing. Turning back towards Sparks, the stallion grinned nervously and edged a hoof towards her. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, leaving Rosa confused but also expectant of what was to come. After opening his eyes again he leaned forward, and gently clasping his left foreleg around Rosa’s neck and pressing the side of his head into hers.

“See you soon,” he whispered, stroking through her mane.

Before Rosa could mentally process the event, Sparks withdrew, wearing a joyful but considerably more serious face as he gazed thoughtfully into her eyes. Dumbstruck, Rosa’s jaw drooped, her focus switching between each of Sparks’ facial features. Mindful of her potentially dim-witted expression she snapped her jaw shut.

“Yeah, see you soon,” she mustered, feeling the rising heat from her cheeks.

Sparks beamed back and turned on his heel, casually strolling into the street with a new air of confidence about him. Seemingly transfixed, Rosa continued watching as he made his way past the now lit streetlight, and cast a glance over his shoulder. Her heart jolted into a new beat as she smiled back instinctively. Sparks’ own smile widened and he strode on into the opposite street, his head held high.

Rosa exhaled with relief and closed the door on the rest of the world. She sat for a moment in the doorway, trying to get her head around what had just happened. She was considerably flustered, but felt elated, as if somepony had gifted her with temporary weightlessness. What stuck in her mind was the earthy smell of Sparks’ coat and the warmth of his cheeks as he pressed up against her. It shouldn’t have been a peculiar sensation; after all, she had received hugs from various ponies throughout her life.

The ponderous mare scratched her head, trying desperately to find reason amongst the confusion clouding her thought. Upon thinking of Sparks she felt a minute, but noticeable rush. She pushed aside the idea that she could have fallen for him because of such a small gesture. After all, she didn’t feel as if she wanted more from him. That short hug had made her feel vulnerable but comfortable, nothing more than a sense of well-being.

Shaking her head at her own uselessness at trying to deal with such simple incidents, she took a deep breath and readied herself for the inevitable probing conversation from her parents. She had little doubt that her mother had been listening in. Creeping forward into the kitchen, Rosa was unsurprised to see her parents sat at the dinner table. Her mother had her hooves pressed together and bared her teeth in an excited grin. Her father cocked his head and pursed his lips to a small extent, looking as if he was either silently judging or simply analysing her expression.

Rosa shuffled forward casually, grabbed a carrot from one of the cupboards, leant onto the worktop and began munching away nonchalantly.

“What?”

With this, her parents burst into a torrent of laughter.

---

Rosa awoke abruptly, a piercing birdsong from outside her window tearing her away from peaceful slumber. She rubbed her eyes and allowed for her vision to adjust. The multicoloured blurs began to solidify and take the shape of her familiar bedroom door, bed posts, desk and mirror. She yawned unenthusiastically, feeling as if she had barely slept. Stretching out her legs did little to alleviate the aches and pains of her lower body. She still wasn’t used to standing on two legs for long periods of time. Three days in a row had taken their toll, and she dreaded the thought of doing it for the whole five days.

She glanced over at the clock above her mirror. Twenty five past ten. She couldn’t remember her alarm going off that morning, meaning she must have turned it off in her sleep. Again. Groggily, she dragged herself from under the duvet and onto the hardwood floor. Grabbing her white faux leather money pouch and fastening it around her left foreleg, she threw open her bedroom door.

Today’s the day, she thought.

She hastily showered herself and combed through her mane. It had been getting difficult to handle as of late, though she always disliked the look of her hair after it had been cut short. It always became a chore trying to style it accordingly rather than brush through it and let it fall into place naturally.

Still bleary eyed, she trotted downstairs and into the kitchen diner. Her mother was sat at the table sipping a mug of tea, looking perky as ever.

“Morning dear. Sleep well?”

“As well as I ever do,” Rosa groaned. “I think I could use a cup of tea myself.”

“Now I know you must be nervous today but all you need to do is just be yourself. Remember that he’s the one who’ll be trying to impress you, so don’t worry about anything.”

“Are you sure that’s not just an old fashioned way of thinking?” Rosa quipped.

“You’d be surprised,” her mother began. “Some say it’s just natural, but I like to think that it’s an etiquette embedded into society over the years. I guess it’s something of a price to pay in exchange for the pain of childbirth.”

Rosa murmured in fake agreement, hoping that this was the last she would hear of the subject. Ever since she’d become properly acquainted with Sparks she could swear that her mother suddenly started viewing her like a genetic time capsule. It was a scary thought.

“I was thinking maybe you could wear one of your nice dresses. Perhaps your nice pink one? You know the one I mean.”

“Are you sure that’s not a little too much?” Rosa asked, sitting down with her newly poured mug of tea. “Plus, didn’t you say that I needed to be myself? Also, I don’t need to be the one to impress him?”

“Yes, well... It never hurts to put in a little effort, dear.”

Rosa sighed, once again bewildered by her mother’s unwavering contradictions. “But Mum, I never wear dresses. I don’t feel comfortable in them. I’ll be fine just going as I am.”

Her mother furrowed her brow and bit her lip. “Well I suppose if you insist, but surely you could spruce yourself up just a tiny bit. What about that lovely bow? Oh, when you wear that in your mane you look absolutely beautiful.”

“I haven’t worn that thing in years; I’m not even sure where it is,” Rosa lied, remembering that she’d seen it under a pile of clutter in her wardrobe. “Like I said, I’ll be just fine going as I am.”

“Please Rosa,” her mother said sternly. “I’m just trying to give you a helping hoof. I want this date to go as well as you do, so will you please at least look for it because I am really not in the mood for your usual attitude. For all you know this young stallion could be the one you end up spending the rest of your life with. Your father and I met out of pure coincidence and look at us now! We run a business together and even have a lovely daughter. You need to start thinking about your future, Rosa!”

Awestruck by her mother’s sudden outburst Rosa backed off. Of course, she could just go against her mother’s advice. After all, it was just some date with somepony she hardly knew. She bit her tongue, knowing that she would only be letting herself in for more grief if she tried to challenge her mother like this.

“OK Mum, I’ll see if I can find it.”

“Thank you, dear. I do think it’s for the best.”

Rosa begrudgingly paced back upstairs and rummaged around in her wardrobe. The bow in question was hot pink and made of smooth silk. It was around five inches in width and had heart shapes embroidered along the ribbons. Surprisingly, it was barely creased save for a slight crumple along one of the seams. She grabbed it in her mouth and brought it downstairs, making no attempt to tie it on herself. She’d only be told that she should have put it on differently and have to have it rearranged as her mother tutted in disappointment.

“Mum, could you help me put it on? I don’t know how I should wear this thing.”

“Well how do you want to wear it?”

“Whatever looks best,” Rosa replied, trying her best not to become aggravated. Why would I know how I’d want to wear it when I never wanted to wear it in the first place?

Her mother walked over and effortlessly fastened the bow onto the left side of her mane at Rosa’s eye-line. She stepped back to appreciate her work. “Now that does you so much justice, dear. You look so very sweet.”

Rosa brushed through her mane, feeling the bow tightly bound to her hair, two ribbons dangling to its side. Thankfully, it wasn’t too imposing and felt almost weightless. “Does it really look that good?” Rosa asked, trying to visualise her appearance.

“Go and have a look for yourself dear. It really compliments your features; you look ever so pretty. I dare say that Sparks will find you absolutely gorgeous.”

The next two hours passed by swiftly as Rosa clock-watched amidst her reading of An Equestrian Night Mare. The novel’s story had taken an unexpected turn, the main protagonist becoming captured by the perpetrator while the two friends who were once at odds worked together to find her. The mayor was now at her wits end, passing a motion on a town-wide curfew in case ponies were getting snatched in dark alleyways at night. There was still no reveal as to who had committed the crimes and Rosa was fresh out of ideas, hoping that the book didn’t finish with some unheard of character making an appearance with a tacked-on back story.

Noticing that it was now quarter to one, Rosa put down the book and wandered downstairs. Sitting patiently beside the counter, she could watch the citizens of Ponyville go about their daily lives. A group of fillies were playing tag, a young couple walked past — the stallion’s wing curled around the mare’s side. A distressed mother called angrily out after her son as he skipped down the lane, nearly knocking into an older pony who seemed to be amused by the incident more than anything.

She stared blankly into the distance, the mishmash of colours from the various ponies, houses and surrounding flora in the midday sun making the outside world look appropriately inviting. Just as her mind began to wander, a recognizable unicorn poked his head around a street corner and strode towards her. Feeling both apprehensive and excited, Rosa readied herself for her first date. Even if it wasn’t with Nico, she had at least made some kind of progress in her life worth any merit. Putting her insecurities to rest, Rosa smiled and opened up the door to greet Sparks. She could feel that it was going to be an interesting day, to say the least.