Ch.1 A Boring Glow
In the city of the Crystal Empire, thousands of sparkling ponies were walking around the crowded streets of the market, humming a song, simply going about their business.
"Crystal amulets!" One would call out. "Get your crystal amulets here."
"Snowglobes?" Another crystal pony would say to the small tourist crowd. "Don't leave without taking something to remember! Buy one now and get a Spike the great action figure!"
"Appleloosa apples!" A yellow earth pony with a cowboy hat cried out to passing ponies. "Try some amazing Appleloosa Apple pie!"
In an attempt to draw more customers in, he held an Apple to some foals who had just graduated that looked like they belonged to noble families. "Wouldn't you want try some of the best apples in Equestria?"
They looked at the apples for a moment, then turned their attention to a pony who was selling some local crystal candies and made their way towards them instead.
The stallion, named Braeburn, groaned and began to rub his head.
"Appleloosa you say?" an eager voice said.
The stallion looked down to see a hot pink unicorn crystal filly without a cutie mark, and a rather messy mane, look up at him with wide eyes and wonder.
"Um.. Why yes, little partner. These the best ya'll find in all of Equestria!"
He held up one of the apples and the fillies eyes went wide with wonder.
"Cool!" The filly said with a bouncy as her coat began to glow. "What's it like? Do all the ponies dress like you? Talk like you? Is it true that you fight with Apple pies?"
As much as he wouldn't have mind, he did have something he had to bring up as he saw the foals who had gone to the crystal candies head off and noticed the time. "Um, kid, shouldn't ya be heading to school now?"
The filly groaned. "Yeah, I'm late." She threw some bits on the table. "Can I at least try that apple pie I hear is so good?"
With a wave of his hoof, he got her the biggest piece he had, then waved her off.
"Sweet kid," Braeburn nodded. "I hope she goes somewhere with that kind of curiosity."
As she passed by the group of nobles at the rock candy vendor, who kept giving the little filly, named Hestia and began to hum,
"oh there she goes she's so peculiar, I wonder if she's feeling well."
Never interested in the latest trends, she rather not wear hair pins, for a rich girl is quite something."
Hestia ignored there jeers and continued on with her pie.
Meanwhile, those same ponies have her a few more odd glance, but then went back to mote idol and happy chattering about said later crystal fashions.
No longer under the rule of their former evil king, King Sombra, the crystal ponies lived in a what some were believing to be a golden age of the crystal empire. Now under the of Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, the ponies lived in peace and harmony as their prince and princess ruled their kingdom in a fair manner.
All the adults lead happy lives as their foals went to school without being afraid in a cheerful way with all of their friends.
Everypony at the crystal empire elementary, except a filly named Hestia.
As she continued to walk and eat her apples—not really caring if she would be late for school—she continued to gaze from vendor to vendor, and began to hum a tune.
"Oh look at this, my peaceful and boring, empire, let look at all this treasures from afar!
There's are some scones from Griffonstone, and a lamp from the neigherlands, and is that a Canterlot telescope I see?"
She glanced over from those who sold local merchandise, to those who sold objects from outside the empire. Though, not wanting to be any later for school she kept chewing on her pie and hurried along at a slow trot as some of the other ponies around her gave a passing glance.
One of the vendors who sold crystal plates began to sing.
"I hear she is a rich mares daughter, and yet she doesn't even care about her hair!
Well her mother has new money, which really is quite funny, because it rubs off on her daughter very well."
Though, on her way, Hestia made sure to wave back to any of the ponies who recognized her, the bad, and the good.
"She certainly is a strange one, that's said! But she's as sweet as a little bell.
For a crystal in the rough, she certainly has a soft spot, for ponies that don't jeer or treat her bad!”
Hestia would often get picked at school. Her fade toon with the outside world aside, she was more often targeted because she was the only foal left in her grade who didn't have a cutie mark.
"Oh, isn't that, depressing, how I don't have my cutie mark yet!", She chimed. "But I, know it's out there, somewhere, I just have to know, where to start! And it's certainly not around here!"
She was far different from the foals. Most of the foals would want to know everything about their Empire, while Hestia just wanted to learn everything about the outside the empire. She always saw the world in a unique way. Sometimes, she wished she could just break free from the barrier of her home, and explore all of Equestria.
However, her parents had different opinions.
"She's a disgrace to all dignified, ponies!", A group of fancily dressed stallions mutter as she passed by
"Why can't her parents keep her in line?"
"Maybe she isn't theirs, or maybe she just fell right on her head, as long as she doesnt affect our foals."
Along the way, she said hi to some of the passerbys.
"Good, Morning Hestia", snag out the librarian, "how is your life!"
"Good morning, madam," a seamstress shouted, “how is you mom?"
"Are your lesson going well?"
"Are you done with that book as well?"
Hestia turned a brighter red on the checks.
"Oh, um, I really must be off, fare thee well!"
She then continued her trot until she passed by Crystal Garden's gardener. He was a dark green crystal earth pony stallion with a brown mane and a watering can as his cutie mark.
"Morning Mr. Hedge Trimmer", called Hestia out. "Got anything new in the gardens today?"
"Oh Good Morning Hestia", replied Hedge Trimmer. "Afraid not. But I hear we may get something from Zebrafica next week.
Hestia squealed in delight.
“Hey, should you be off to school?"
Hestia sighed.
"I know, but have a good day!"
"Oh, wait!" He liked some flowers from the groves. "Would give this to your lovely teacher, Hestia?"
Hedge Trimmer tossed a flower to Hestia and she caught it.
"I will", replied Hestia running off.
Hedge Trimmer shook his head and went back to work. Although, as he always did after Hestia passed by, he began to sing.
"Oh such a sweet girl, she's a real sweetheart. I hope her those flowers impress Ms. Peridot!"
Such a lovely mare is she! Oh I hope she would love me! Because what a wonderful pair we would be then!"
Hestia trots soon turned into a quick kept run, while all the whole, ponies everywhere began to stare and sing in tune.
"Oh look there she goes, late for school again! When will she even learn?
"Who know, maybe soon, when she's older she aspire, but for now she is a funny girl—
A beautiful but oddly girl!
"A peculiar and funny little girl!"
As they finished, a school bell range in the distance.
"SHOOT I'M LATE", yelled Hestia running off like the wind.
As Hestia raced into the school yard, all of the other foals looked at her and started giggling and whispering things to each other. While Hestia couldn't hear them, she could let her imagination come up with a few things as she tried to block them out.
"You have some apple tart on your lip," a voice she could block out said.
Hestia jumped to attention, and stood straight up at her teacher.
"Heeeeeey, Ms. Peridot"
Ms. Peridot was an orange crystal earth pony with a peach mane. She had dark blue glasses and her cutie mark was an apple with a pencil in it.
"Hm," she huffed, "almost late again I see. What would your mother say?"
Hestia’s ears dropped.
"Yeah, I know."
She began to walk inside, when her face lite up when she remember something.
"Oh, but Mr. Hedge Trimmer wanted me to give you this!"
Using her magic to levitate the flower to her teacher, Mr. Peridot held it in her good as if they were a mouse caught in a trap.
"Er, thanks," she responded. With a flick of her hoof, she tossed them to the ever growing pile of dead as dying flowers. "Now get to your seat!"
"Yes, ma'am", replied Hestia walking to her seat while hearing the foals talk about her.
As she tried to ignore them, she suddenly was tripped by a couple of fillies.
One of them, a crystal unicorn filly that has a lavender crystal coat and a teal crystal mane with a pink star as her cutie mark named Gem Worthy along her side were two other crystal fillies, snicker at her misfortune.
One was a red earth pony filly with a purple mane with a couple of crystal berries as her cutie mark named Berry Sweet, while the other one was a yellow pegasus with a green mane and a circle of feathers as her cutie mark named Citrine.
"Nice mane, Blank-Flank", Gem whispered as her stooges laughed with her.
Fighting off the urge to scream and attack Gem. Hestia stood up, and walked to her seat.
"Now, let's continue our lesson on the Rebirth of The Empire", said Ms. Peridot said as she began to write on the board.
As soon as she began the lesson, Hestia couldn't help but get sleepy.
"Crystal Empire...boring", thought Hestia falling asleep "NO, GOTTA STAY AWAKE"
She then looked out the window, and saw a bird flying by. It sat on a branch, looked at the classroom for a moment, then flew off.
"At least someone gets to be free", thought Hestia.
"HESTIA", yelled Ms. Peridot "PAY ATTENTION"
Hestia shuffled to attention as she held her hooves together. "Yes, Ms. Peridot."
Hestia started falling asleep on her desk while Ms. Peridot continued on with whatever she was teaching.
Time went by as the lesson drove on. Then after about half an hour, she finished her lesson while Hestia is slept with her eyes open. One of the few lesson her mother's books had taught her.
"And that was how King Sombra was defeated by our very own Princess Mi Amore Cadenza", explained Ms. Peridot.
Most of the class clapped their hooves together—if not because it was a grey lecture but simply to be polite—except for Gem, who's claps were genuine, and except for the young sleeping pink filly who didn't clap at all.
"Now, tell me who brought the Crystal Heart to the Princess in order to defeat Sombra?"
A couple foals raised their hooves. Ms Peridot looked around for a bit, until her eye laid on the one foal who she wasn't surprised to see not raise their hoof.
"Hestia, Ms. Peridot said.
Hestia didn't listen, and even began to snore.
"HESTIA!"
Hestia jolted awake."MOBU TOFU!"
The foals started laughing, until Ms. Peridot silenced them.
"Hestia, since you were paying, 'such' attention, why don't you answer the question."
Hesitant began to nervously look around the room.
"Um..."
"Who brought the Crystal Heart to The Princess in order to save the Empire?"
Hestia gulped and shrunk into her seat. "Um....can I get a life line?"
The foals around started laughing even louder.
After Ms. Peridot silenced them, she rubbed her temples before addressing her 'trouble student.
"No, the answer is Spike the Great and Mighty. If it weren't for him, we would still be living in darkness."
Hestia shuffled her hooves. "Oh....I knew that."
She winced as she felt more students snicker at her.
Done with Hestia, Ms. Peridot made her way to the front of the class.
"Now then, before we move on to the next subject, do you have anymore questions?"
To her surprise, Hestia rose a hoof into the air.
"Um, yeah," Hestia asked nervously. "When can we learn about something different."
It had taken all of her courage to ask that, but somewhere between her nap and just then, she decided to ask if they could learn more history outside of the empire.
While she hang paid much attention in class, her mother had made sure she'd kept up her homework to know that they had to be done with everything crystal empire history after Spike.
"Oh," Ms. Peridot said with a grin that should've, but didn't, make Hestia feel better. "you mean like the science of crystal agriculture? Oh, I knew you would come to love—"
"Actually... What I meant by that is... Can we learn about other places? Like...Canterlot, Manehattan, Appleloosa? Or maybe the Everfree forest?"
Everypony in the classroom was silent for a moment. The foals stared at her as if her head was about to exploded, while Ms. Peridot looked like her head was about to do just that.
"Now, young lady," she said at last, in an unrealistic—but none-the-less forced—calm tone. "You will learn what is required of a young mare your age."
Heard this all before
"If you keep such childish nonsense up, you'll never become a proper mare!"
Like I wanna
"I though when you began you'd just be a difficult case. A filly of some new money mare who I just had to be patient with!"
How unfortunate
"But now I'm beginning to wonder if you're even worth my time! Constantly ignoring lesson, and now thinking you know what's best for me to teach?
Guess I’m not worth your time
"Now, are you going to pay attention to my class, and follow what I am here to teach, or will I have to summon your mother?”
Hestias hooves began to tighten on the desk.
"I mean, if you don't stop now, you may not even get a cutie mark of a proper young crystal mare.
Hestia slammed her hooves onto her desk.
"Well maybe I don't wanna cutie mark of a 'proper mare.' Maybe I don't want to learn about the Crystal Empire anymore. In fact, maybe I just don't want to go to school anymore!"
Everypony gasped as Ms. Peridot began to fume.
"Young lady!"
"No!" Hestia defined as she stood on top of her desk. "Maybe all I wanna do is..."
"All I wanna do is see something new besides the Empire,
Besides the Empire
All I wanna be is someone who gets to see outside the Empire"
Hestia then jumped off her desk and walked out the front of the school.
"Young lady!" Ms. Peridot called out as all of the student gathered around to watch. "Get back here this minute and I might not expel you!"
She ran out of the school grounds. Wind in her mane, feeling not a alive than ever, she sang.
"All I wanna do is see something new besides the Empire,
Besides the Empire
All I wanna be is someone who gets to see outside the Empire
Oh I know it'll be great and I just can't wait to see all things that are undiscovered
Like Canterlot's castles and Appleloosa, and a million other places!"
She then made her way throughout the empire. All the while, feeling lighter than she had even been in a long while.
"I might even like being free! and if you don't that's fine with me
But if it were me, I'd really like to be, outside the Empire
Outside the Empire
All I wanna do is see something new besides the Empire!"
Suddenly, there was a loud snap, and Hestia woke to see Ms. Peridot standing over her.
"Well," she asked, "are we going to have anymore outburst?"
With a groan, Hestia looked at her blank flank, and shook her head, as all the fillies and colts snickered at her.
"No, madam."
"Ok class that's enough, and Hestia if you fall asleep or make try to tell me what to do again, then I'm gonna have to give you detention. Understood?"
Ha aria nodded her head. "Crystal clear, Ms.Peridot."
Ms. Peridot nodded approvingly. "Now then, let's get to the coronation of Prince Mia Amore Cadenza into our new crystal princess."
Hestia slammed her head onto the desk.
After school let out, all the foals ran out into the gorgeous day. Hestia, meanwhile, slumped out the classroom, wanting nothing more than to just go home. She started walking home until she was blocked by the same crystal unicorn from before and her friends.
"Hello Hestia", said Gem Worthy with a smirk.
Hestia rolled her eyes and picked up the pace. "What do you want, Gem?"
"Oh nothing BLANK FLANK", insulted Gem Worthy as her friends laughed. "We just wanted to know if you wanted to get a cutie mark in 'making the teacher mad."
Hestia kept her head down and kept walking.
"Hey," Berry Sweet said, "maybe she can get one shoveling coals on a train. Then she'd be far away from us as well as get the only job someone would take her on as."
As Hestia began to cry, the bullies began to laugh.
"Oh, I don't know, girls. I mean, would anypony want a weirdo who never get's their cutie mark?", insulted Gem
"Stop it!" Hestia spat. "Go pick on somepony else!"
"Um, aren't you the only filly in our class who doesn't have a cutie mark?", asked Citrine
"How sad," Gem said as she outed her lips. "But what are you going to do about it? Tell your mommy, weirdo blank flank?"
Hestia was about to say something, but instead, ran off as fast as she could. All while Gem and her friends continued to shout at her, "Blank flank! blank flank! forever a freak and a Blank Flank!"
Hestia continued to run. She didn't know or how long, or how far. When she dared to look up, she saw that she wasn't to far from the library, which she could make it back home easily enough from there.
"I'll show them." She said as she picked herself up. "I'll get my cutie mark, they'll see,. THEY'LL ALL SEE", yelled Hestia with a face of determination while walking around the Empire.
"Why do they have to laugh at me,
At my face or behind my back.
Don't you know that an ego that big
Comes with a bigger expense?"
She then stopped at a spa and saw several mares getting their mane done. While she looked inside, she saw how much more messed up her own mane had become while she ran.
"And can't you see that its out of my control and overzealous?
I'm telling you for your own good,
And not because I'm-WHOA”
She then fell down, to which a of passing foals laughed at her. With a sigh, then a grunt, she picked herself up.
"I could show you how I am strong...
In my own way.
And I know that I can be strong
In the real way.
And I want to show you
That I'm more of a pony then the three of you combined into one"
All of the sudden, Hestia was brought to a hault as trumps began to play.
She, along with everyone other crystal pony, looked to the balcony of the crystal place, where their Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, began to wave and addressed her nation.
"Citizens of the Crystal Empire!", announced Cadence before singing
"I can make this Empire strong...
In the real way
And I know that we can be strong
In the real way
And I want to inspire you
I want to be your rock
And when I talk
It lights a fire in you"
Upon hearing and seeing their princess in such high spirits, every crystal ponies' coat began to shine brightly. Everyponies, except for Hestia.
"What I would give to have been to all the place the princess has been." She sighed.
Hestia then stopped at another mirror, this time, one that hung about one of her mother's business banner, Crystal Gems. She looked up at the sign and thought about what it meant, and worse of all, what she would still have to put up when she got home.
"I want to show you all,
That I'm more of a pony then all of you combined into one"
Aside from her messy hair, it was Wednesday. After finishing her song, Hestia looks up to the clock and the banner as her eyes began to widen.
"OH NO! MOM AND DAD ARE PROBABLY WORRIED ABOUT ME"
She then raced off as fast as a could with what little breath she had left.