Crimson Vision was young unicorn who has failed several times to enter the Order’s Academy to learn magic. It's only when he encounters a mare claiming to be one of lost four princesses that his life spirals out of control.
A young mechanic named Crimson Vision, who had struggled almost all his life with magic, always dreamed of joining the Order’s academy so that he could follow in the hoofsteps of his hero, the legendary Watcher. But, unlike his peers, he couldn't use magic like other unicorns could, he was seen as inferior by his fellow unicorns while his own family doubted him and his dream.
His life would change one fateful night when he happens upon an injured unicorn, bearing strange markings, claiming to be the Legendary Princess Celestia! Left with no other choice, Crimson must do everything within his power to be her guide in the modern world while keeping her safe and secret from an ancient evil that threatens the long lost princess along with all that he holds dear.
“Crimson! It’s time to open up shop, get your ass down here!” a loud gruff voice shouted, prompting a low groan to emanate from a pile of pillows and blankets.
“Ugh… I know, I know!” a yellow unicorn shouted as he poked his head out from under the covers and let out a loud yawn. A red aura surrounded his horn and flicked on the lights in his room. He didn’t have a lot aside from a couple of gray and black dressers, a mirror hanging next to his door, a crystal orb that connected to a gaming console, and a single poster hanging on his wall of a black unicorn with a white mane and tail, wearing white armor in a heroic pose with the words “Join the Fight!!!” written at the bottom.
He rubbed his eyelids as he climbed out of his bed and made his way over to his mirror. A yellow unicorn with crimson red eyes, a white mane with red streaks, and a large scar over his right eye stared back at him. At the start of every day, he looked in that same mirror and saw the same eyes stare back at him, wanting someone else aside from him to believe in him just once. All he could do was glare in annoyance as he levitated a comb over and began to comb his mane.
You can do this Crimson! Father may not believe in you, but you can prove him wrong today! Show everyone that you can get in!
Once his mane was neatly made, he glanced above his door where he had a digital clock hanging and with wide eyes, noticed that it was 6:30 AM.
Damn old coot! I work my ass off all night fixing that client’s rusty old car and he can’t even let me sleep in a little longer…?!
He took a deep breath and let out a loud sigh before finally making his way down a spiral staircase, making a left turn down towards the kitchen where he saw an orange earth pony with a gray and black beard, mane, and tail with specks of white, sitting down at the kitchen table. Just as he was about to start arguing, two identical fillies pushed past him, arguing about something.
“THAT’S MY BOW!!!”
“NO, IT’S MINE!!!”
“IT LOOKS BETTER ON ME!!!”
“NO, IT DOESN’T!!!”
“Fire Flower! Fire Lily! Both of you stop arguing and sit down! You two know the rules, no arguing in the kitchen!” the old stallion reprimanded with a disgruntled tone.
“Yes papa,” the two fillies said simultaneously before flattening their ears and making their way over to the kitchen table to sit down across from the older stallion.
With a loud groan, the yellow and crimson unicorn made his way over to the refrigerator and pulled out a gallon of milk with his hoof, while his horn was surrounded by a red aura and magic began to open one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled out a bowl and a box of coco cereal.
“Hey, Crim! Can we have some!?” Fire Lily asked, and with a roll of his eyes, he levitated another two bowls from the cabinet.
"Fine, but next time you need to serve yourselves," he stated with a slight edge to his voice as he began to fill their bowls up before filling up his own and pouring milk for himself.
“Don’t forget, boy, I need you to run some errands,” reminded the older stallion as he began to read his morning paper, “Picking things up, dropping things off, that kind of thing.”
“Ugh, Dad…!” Crimson groaned, “You had me working on that old car all night, I barely got any sleep, can’t I have some time to unwind?”
“You already had the weekend off! And you wouldn’t have had to work on that client’s car all night if you had gotten the correct parts I asked for!”
“You gave me the wrong address! This is why I-” Crimson rebuked.
“Now, now you two, there shouldn’t be any arguing at the kitchen table,” a soft, calming voice drew the attention of both stallions towards a pink unicorn, her mane a beautiful orange with yellow streaks had just arrived, much to Crimson’s relief.
“Morning, Mom,” Crimson smiled just before his two little sisters jumped from their seats and ran up to hug their mother.
“MOMMY!!!” They both cheered in unison.
“Inside voices…” their father reminded them, but he lowered his paper and his expression seemed to soften. “Good morning, hon,” he said with a slight smile.
“Good morning, love. Please, go easy on Crimson today. He’s taking the entrance exam and he’s going to need to be rested and refreshed,” she replied, trotting up to her husband and giving him a quick peck on the lip.
Fleet Hoof sighed while giving his son a somewhat impatient look before raising his paper again, “I suppose…”
“Oh gee, thanks so much for your consideration, Father…” Crimson responded with a slight shade of sarcasm, only to get his ear flicked by his mother’s tail.
“Respect your father, Crimson Vision,” the mare scolded with a soft playful undertone and Crimson’s sisters giggled at the flummoxed look on his face.
“Yes, Mom…” he grumbled, before giving her a grateful smile, “and thanks.”
“Sunflower, dear, shouldn’t you have breakfast before you head to work?” Fleet asked as his wife took a seat beside him.
“I am perfectly fine, I was planning on going to brunch with some of my co-workers today at a new café. Buuuuttt, I’ll help myself to a few grapes before I leave,” she replied, levitating the bowl over.
Fleet Hoof smiled for the briefest moment before his scowl returned when he turned his gaze towards his son, “Crimson, how many times have you tried that exam? What is this, the-the… eighth time you’re gonna take it?”
“Third time, Dad!” Crimson rebutted, grinding his teeth together in irritation. But before he could continue, he soon felt a painful pinch against the tip of his ear and it started to hurt more.
“OWOWOWOWW!!”
“OWOWOW! NOT THE EARS AGAIN!” Fleet Hoof started yelling in pain as he also was feeling the same pain.
“Honestly, you two bicker like a couple of school fillies! I won’t tolerate this kind of behavior at the kitchen table, especially in front of the girls!” Sunflower yelled, earning a giggle from the twins as they continued eating their cereal.
“Hehe, Daddy and Big Bro got in trouble again~” Fire Lily whispered to her sister, trying but failing to cover their giggles.
“Okay, Mom! I get it! I won’t argue with Dad!”
“Fine, you can go, but before you leave, I need you to take the broccoli casserole in the fridge I made for the Harmonic family. I know you and Mezzo are meeting up later, but I’d appreciate it if you took this for them. Especially since his mother made such a wonderful cake for the girl’s birthday party last week,” Sunflower explained.
With a quick nod, Crimson shoveled the remainder of his cereal into his mouth and made his way towards the fridge to pull out the casserole his mother made and carefully placed it in a plastic bag. With a spring in his step, he made his way out the front door, but before he could make it out, he was quickly stopped by a hoof on his shoulder.
“Crimson, you know I love you, right?” Fleet asked, his tone low and his expression held no anger.
“So whatever happens, I am here for you, even if you don’t get in.”
There he goes again, telling me again that I’m not getting in, but I’m going to show him!
“I’m going to get in this time, I’ve been practicing my magic every chance I get. I have a good feeling about today,” he replied, still hoping that he'd show some support for his dream.
"Sigh… Just don't get your hopes too high, boy. I'll see you later at the shop today, got a lot of clients that need an oil change and I could use an extra set of hooves," Fleet Hoof said, making his way back to the kitchen, shaking his head.
I'll show you Dad, I know this time will be different.
With nothing else to say, Crimson made his way out the door and onto the streets of Manehattan, ready to take on the day as he began to make his way to his friend’s home.
It didn't take too long to reach his friend's apartment building and for him to make his way up a flight of stairs to the third floor. Crimson sometimes wished at some point he could have his own apartment, away from his family, a quiet space where he could get away from all his troubles. However, before he could dwell on those thoughts, he suddenly felt something jump on his back, almost knocking him to the ground.
“Heya Crimsy!” A sweet voice called out to him as he craned his head to be met face to face with a female griffon who had bright green eyes and white feather bangs.
Crimson barely stopped himself from recoiling and opted for a slight glare.
“Really? Again?” he stated, his tone as dry as the hot sun outside.
“‘Really?’ You’re not used to it by now, bucko?” a new, sharper voice cut through the air from beyond the tall doorway; it sounded almost like someone artificially pitched Star’s voice down. The door swung open to reveal a white griffon with navy blue and red feather wings.
“You gotta always be on edge when she’s around, bro,” another deeper voice called out to him from inside the apartment. “Use the staircase as cover next time, like, get low to the ground like you’re an infiltrator or something,” he said, his voice growing louder as he walked into view. Crimson scrutinized his friend’s jet-black and blue mane, gray coat, and matching wings, opting to direct another glare into his golden eyes.
"Geez, why didn't I think of that? Oh wait! I wasn't expecting to get jumped first thing in the morning!" he shouted, almost letting out a snarl in annoyance as Star climbed off his back. "Star, you almost destroyed my mom's casserole!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. You forgive me, right, Crimsy?" Star asked, her eyes widening and lip quivering.
"I'll forgive you… for twenty bits,"
"You're so mean!" she cried, sticking her tongue out.
Rolling his eyes, he couldn't help but chuckle as he turned back to the others. "So, Mezzo, Stripes, I take it you guys are ready for the flight exams today?"
“Fuck yeah, I am! I’m ready to reach ludicrous speed with these puppies,” Mezzo says with a grin and punctuates it with a flap of his wings.
"I'm excited, see?" She says with a quick flap of her wings with a bored expression.
"That’s probably the most excitement you've shown in a while, Stripes," Crimson stated, levitating the casserole over to Mezzo. "By the way, my mom made this for your folks, Mezz, for the cake your mom made for my sisters' birthday."
“Oh, shit, thanks,” he says with a smile and holds his wing out to catch the casserole. “By the way, you seem a little more wound up than usual. You don’t usually react that badly to Star, and you wouldn’t cause that much fuss from just a casserole. So, what’s up?”
"Yeah, you usually laugh when I jump you! What gives?"
"I'm just pumped for this exam! This is going to be the one and nothing is gonna bring me down!" Crimson declared, trying his best to force his lips to curl up. "If anything, I'm not excited enough!"
"You're bad at lying, you know that, right?" Stripes stated the obvious as she pulled out her digital scroll and went over her text messages.
“There’s always something more,” Mezzo said with a nod. “You’re not getting out of this, so you might as well just spill.”
"It’s nothing guys, just had another argument with my Pops, no biggie," he answered with a sheepish smile that soon fell into a frown. "You don't believe me, do you?"
“Yeah, imma hit you with the ‘lol, nah,’ brother,” Mezzo said, grinning.
Crimson sighed and let his shoulders drop a little. "Fine, I got into another argument about me taking the exam today. My father doesn't believe I'm going to get in. That's nothing new, but he didn’t really try to show his support, you know?" he explained as Mezzo swiveled his gaze back towards Star and Stripes who both sported sympathetic expressions.
"Well, we believe you, Crimsy," Star spoke with a smile, patting his back with her talons.
"Prove the old mule wrong then," Stripes responded, looking away from her scroll for a moment. "Get into the academy, then rub it in his fucking face."
“Exactly. While I don’t condone being an asshole most of the time, you don’t deserve that kind of negativity. When you get in, then…I dunno. Just don’t be a bitch about it to him, that doesn’t usually end up with anyone feeling happy,” Mezzo finished with a small smile.
“Sorry, I shoulda said something earlier,” he continues, waving Crimson in with his other wing. “Come on, let’s stop just standing in the doorway. So, what can I getcha? Water? Soda? Food? Snacks?” Mezzo slid the casserole off his wing and onto the kitchen counter.
"Heh, definitely some food, didn't get to enjoy my breakfast. Literally scarfed everything quickly and bolted out the door," Crimson replied as he followed his friends inside.
As they entered the apartment, Crimson began to recall all the times he visited his friend when they were young colts and how everything in the apartment was pretty much the same. From the old wooden floors to the same kitchen top counters that were right across from the living room. However, he did notice that there was a brand new gray sofa and a new glass coffee table.
"It’s been a while since I've been here," Crimson said wistfully, his gaze flowing across the walls and furniture of the apartment like waves on a tropical island.
"Probably because we're all either at your place, the diner, or that karaoke place that Star loves to go to," Stripes explained as she pulled up her scroll again and began typing away.
"Hey, Mezzo, got more of those glazed donuts?" Star asked with a wide grin, clinging to the stallion’s side.
“Fuck yeah, I do, lemme grab ‘em.” Mezzo then made his way into the kitchen and buried his head inside the pantry after motioning with a wing for the three of them to sit down in the living room. Mezzo returned with an already cracked open box of donuts by the time Crimson, Star, and Stripes plopped themselves down on the couch.
“Here, go nuts,” he said, letting them drop onto the small coffee table, only for Star to quickly grab two at once and start to devour them.
"Star, the donuts aren't going anywhere, seriously, you're going to choke if you don’t slow down-" However, before Crimson could finish, Stripes covered his mouth with her talons.
"Let her. If she wants to get fat, that's up to her." As soon as she finished, Star immediately stopped and placed the other donut back in the box.
Crimson couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he watched the twin griffons start to bicker with one another. He had to admit that being around his friends made feel less bitter about what happened earlier that morning with his folks. Despite all the negative emotions that keep pegging at his brain, he was determined to prove to everyone that he'll enter the academy and become an Arch Mage of the Order.
“You know, I’m glad to have friends like you guys,” Crimson said suddenly, as all of them turned their attention towards him.
“Dude, what’s with the sappy crap all of a sudden?” Stripes asked, her brow raised as she set her scroll down.
“No real reason, just wanted to say that is all,” he replied, his horn glowing a red hue as a donut levitated towards him.
“You such a weirdo Crimsey!” Star laughed.
“Not as weird as you Star!” Crimson joked, letting out a laugh as well.
I know I can do this, and as long as I have good friends like them by my side, there’s no way I’ll fail. I’ll become a hero just like my greatest idol, Watcher Obsidian, and become an Archmage
“So have you guys seen the news lately?” Stripes asked, opening up an article on her scroll as the four of them made their way to Manehatten’s Military academy.
“I didn’t exactly have time, why?” Crimson asked.
“Well apparently someone’s spotted a unicorn… with wings, claiming to be Celestia, Goddess of the Sun and ruler of Equestria,” she explained.
“Ay yo, what the fuck? What’s that, ten different sightings in the past six months now?” Mezzo asked with a smirk.
“Yep, honestly the whole hype about this faker should have stopped in the first month. There’s been, like, so many fakes coming and going over the years that it’s really getting annoying at this point,” Star explained as she rolled her eyes.
“Well, fake or not, doesn’t matter, the Order should be sending someone to help this mare. And hey, for all we know, she might be the real deal, you know, if she tries to prove it,” Crimson said.
“Yeah, assuming she ever gets the opportunity to,” Mezzo says, shrugging his wings.
“Everypony has been waiting for over two thousand years for the Princesses to return and restore peace to Equestria. The Order isn’t going to turn her away if it means restoring the rightful ruler to her place,” Crimson added.
"But that's just what the government wants us to think! Like how they want us to think that birds are real!" Mezzo said as best he could, his sides collapsing in laughter all the while.
“Haha! Well, either way-” But before Crimson could go on, he felt something or rather someone bump into him.
“Hey! Watch where- Oh why am I not surprised that it’s you!” A gorgeous unicorn with a dark red coat and black and white mane as bright yellow eyes glared at Crimson. She was wearing a gray uniform with a red tie and black skirt accompanied by a brown satchel hanging by her side.
Of all ponies, it just HAD to be Scarlett! Crimson thought as he glared back at her.
“What are you doing here, bitch?!” Stripes shouted, dropping her scroll for the first time, and began to snarl at the unicorn as the feathers on her neck began to ruffle.
“Oh, and you brought the useless flock with you, guess I shouldn’t be surprised that someone as useless as you would hang around useless birds,” Scarlett said, chuckling to herself as two other unicorns wearing the same uniform walked up beside her.
“Hey, isn’t that the guy who failed the magic exam twice now?” One of the mares said, letting out a laugh.
“Hey, isn’t that the mare who’s so insecure that she has to insult others to keep her social status?” Mezzo asked with a smirk and raised eyebrows.
“You stupid chicken! How dare you insult Scarlett! Why I-”
“Don’t listen to him, he’s not worth insulting, but Crimson! I thought I made it clear to you last time that I didn’t want you attending this school, only the best of the best can enter this academy!” Scarlett barked, causing him to back up a bit.
“You are even worse than these birdbrained rejects! Do you really think the academy is going to let a bug like you in when they already have someone like me?~”
“Shut up! Crimsey is just as talented as the rest of you!” Star shouted, but suddenly her beak was zipped shut while Scarlett’s horn glowed a blood-red hue.
“SCAR! Leave. Them. Out. They have nothing to do with-” But before he could go on, he was suddenly pushed to the ground by a similar blood-red glow.
“Hey, fuck outta here with tha-” Mezzo starts, but is cut off as he’s suddenly hurled to the group.
“I’d suggest keeping quiet, chicken, this shouldn’t take long,” One of Scarlett’s friends said, her mouth contorted into a sneer.
Mezzo could only glare back at her and purse his lips in response.
“Let them go!” Stripes flew at Scarlett, her talons ready to claw at the unicorn, but before she could, she was suddenly with Scarlett’s magic and was thrown into a nearby bush.
“Let me make this clear to you, Crimson,” Scarlett started, her voice as low as Crimson’s self-esteem. “You are nothing! No matter how hard you try, you’ll never make it with the rest of us! Even your weak-ass friends have a better shot at entering this academy than you, and they aren’t even unicorns! That’s the saddest part! So do us all a favor and just go home, the last thing the Order needs is for an embarrassment like you entering their school.”
“Hey! What’s going on over there?” An older unicorn came out from the gate of the academy, causing Scarlett to release her magic immediately while she helped Crimson to his hooves.
“Nothing, sir, just helping out an old friend!” She explained with a strained grin.
“Well, enough lollygagging! The entrance exam is about to begin, and shouldn’t you three be heading to the flight district on the other side of campus!?” the older unicorn asked Mezzo, Stripes, and Star.
“Yes, sir, we were just… trying to help Crimson out,” Stripes answered, pulling her friend away from Scarlett.
“That’s not true at all!” Star started.
“They were holding us down and about to beat up Crimson, sir. That’s it,” Mezzo stated while standing up and dusting himself off with his wings.
“They zipped my mouth shut! Threw my sister into a bush and shoved Crimson to the ground!” Star added as her wings started to flare up.
The older unicorn turned toward the trio of unicorns. “Is this true?”
“Professor Flashlight, they are simply exaggerating, it was an accident. I bumped into Crimson Vision and he fell to the ground. I was a bit distracted and for that, I apologize, Vision, I hope you’ll forgive me.” Scarlett said, smirking at the four of them.
“Well, don’t let this happen again, as for you three, get going! Sergeant Thunderstorm doesn’t like it when students are late,” The Professor said, making his way back inside while muttering under his breath “dumb birds”.
“Just remember what I said, Crimson, it’s cruel to keep dreaming about something that will never happen,” Scarlett said with a huff and trotted off with her other two friends following behind. Once they were out of sight, Crimson let out a deep sigh as he sat his flank to the ground in defeat.
“So much for having a good day,” he muttered.
“Hey,” Mezzo started, placing a wing over Crimson’s shoulder, “don’t let them get to you. You know they’re full of shit, I know they’re full of shit, the only thing that isn’t full of shit is the endless pit of despair they’ve fallen down. Though, I think that’s more so because they’ve fallen into Tartarus, but that’s not the point.”
“Mezzo’s right, and we’re here for you Crimsey,” Star added, sitting next to him and placing a wing around him as well.
“Tch! This is such bullshit! What gives them the right to treat you like this!? Not to mention, even when you two tried to explain things, they only got a warning! And did you hear what that professor called us when he walked off!?” Stripes shouted, pacing back and forth.
“He wasn’t really nice, was he?”
“Nice or not, nothing we can really do about it now, I shouldn’t be that surprised that he’d take her side. She always did have a way of putting on a show when she wanted to,” Crimson explained, before finally standing up once more. “Once all of us get in, we’re going to make real changes for a better future. I don’t care what everyone says, no one tells me what I can and can’t do and no one gets away with calling you guys dumb birds or chickens!”
“Soooooo… Prank the teacher later on?” Star asked, grinning.
“Prank the teacher later on!” Crimson said confidently. “Alright guys, I better get going, and you should too!”
“Alright, we’ll see later, just promise me we’ll get back at that bitch, too!?” Stripes asked, barely managing to smile at him for a moment.
“It’s a… promise,” Crimson said, only smiling when Stripes’ mockery of happiness morphed into a true smile.
“Anyway, good luck at your exam, bro,” Mezzo said with a smirk before retracting his wing and standing up. “See ya on the other side.”
“See ya on the other side,” Crimson replied.
“Sorry, kid, but you aren’t cut out to enter this academy,” An old unicorn mare stated as she looked down at her clipboard.
“W-What? I haven’t even started yet!?”
“Crimson Vision, you’ve been coming here every year for two years, and for two years you have failed to meet the requirements to enter this academy. I just don’t see a point in even bothering to go over this exam with you.” She explained.
“Are you kidding me right now!?! The requirements are right here on your entrance forum for this school!” He replied, pulling out the forum from his saddlebag and slamming it onto the table. “Requirements for entrance exam: must have mastered five different spells and maintain spells for thirty seconds.”
“Ugh! I thought we had retracted those old forums, sorry for the misunderstanding, but the requirement to enter this academy is to have learned ten spells and maintain them for two minutes. I’m sorry, but you can’t take this exam Crimson Vision, it’s best that you return home,” She explained, trying to be apologetic towards him. “If it makes you feel better, we won’t put this on the record and you can apply at a different school.”
“Oh, bullshit! Several other unicorns came in here and performed five spells, and you didn’t bother mentioning this to any of them!”
“You want the truth? Okay, here it is then, our school has a reputation to uphold and we already let one low-class unicorn into this academy and we don’t plan to bring anymore! We require pure pristine unicorns who have class and elegance. Not some downtown garbage boy! Now if you are done wasting my time, get out while I’m still in a good mood.”
“Fine… But do know that you’ll regret this someday,” Crimson stated, making his way out of the testing area as another unicorn began to make their way inside to take the test.
“Replace bolts on tires, install new tires… and oil change,” he muttered out loud as he looked over the checklist for the client’s car, putting on his apron as he began making his way towards the garage, but before he could enter, he felt a hoof grab his shoulder. Looking behind him in annoyance, he saw his father who looked distressed.
“Crimson, are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah… I’m fine, just gonna take care of this last car for the day and then I’ll head home,” he answered, doing his best to hide his anguish and misery.
“Son, you can head home for the day, I’ll close-”
“I’ll handle it, Dad! Sorry, just- I need to be alone right now, I’ll close up shop for the day,” he said in a strained tone, as a red hue began to tie the straps of his apron around his waist and he made his way inside the garage.
Holding the door open, Fleet Hoof struggled to find the words he needed to say to him, but nothing came out as he saw his son checking the dipstick to the oil. “J-Just be careful when you come home, there’s supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight. So if you get caught in it, you can stay in the spare room we have here. A-and don’t forget to take the trash out please,”
“Yes, sir,” he replied, and as soon as his father left, he was about to start working on the oil change, but his scroll started to vibrate.
The Group!!!
Mezzo: Passed the flight test
Star: Same!!! And same with Stripes!!!
Stripes: You don’t have to put so many exclamation points you know. One is enough, but hell yeah! Same here!
Crimson couldn’t help but laugh at the messages as he leaned against the car, sliding against it as he plopped down in defeat. Tears began to form as the messages kept coming in.
Star: Hey Crimsey!!! How did the test go!?
With a deep sigh, Crimson began typing away.
Me: Everything was good, I just have to wait for now.
Stripes: Hey, I know you are going to get in dude, don’t worry, and if you ever need someone to talk to, we’re here for you.
Mezzo:Yeah, we’re here for you, if you want we can all go out to celebrate once you get in
Me: Sure, anyways gtg, need to finish work.
Stripes: Have a good night Crimson
Star: Night, Crimsey!!!
Mezzo: Night
Crimson did everything in his power to force himself to stop crying, and despite hearing the sounds of tapping against the glass window as rain began to pour down. He didn’t realize that some time had passed and despite all his efforts, he couldn’t help but just let it all out.
And so he cried, letting out the pain as he sat alone in the garage, tears finally flowing freely as they hit the ground.
It hurts… Despite having the support of his friends, it wasn’t enough.
Damnit! Why!? WHY IS EVERYTHING GOING SO WRONG!?!? I couldn’t get in! I couldn’t tell my friends what happened!?!? I couldn’t even protect my friends!! I couldn’t even stand up to Scarlett of all ponies!!! It sucks even more that my own family couldn’t even support my dream!!!
Can’t the universe just throw me a bone just this once!?!?!
*CRACKLE BOOM*
Crimson immediately jumped to his hooves after hearing the sound of thunder screamed out. Seeing that the storm was getting worse, his horn began to glow and he lifted the trash bag out and began to take it out, hoping to get it over with quickly, but just as he was about to make his way out.
*CRASH*
I swear this just isn’t my day! THANKS UNIVERSE!!! Now I have to deal with those dumb raccoons again!
However, he didn’t find any raccoons when he got outside, instead he found a white mare wearing an old dirty brown cloak, laying over the garbage from his trash cans. He was surprised at first, but just as he was about to go inside and pretend that he didn’t see anything, his conscience stopped him from doing so as it had always told him to help.
“Hey are you okay?” he asked, getting closer to the mare and it was there that he noticed upon closer inspection when she looked up to him that she had a pure red mane and strange tattoo markings across her face. He also noticed that she had beautiful magenta eyes, the most beautiful he had ever seen.
“I-I’m sorry, I’ll go-” She tried to stand, but fell back down and he noticed that she had injured her leg.
“H-Hey it’s okay, it was an accident… and if you want I have a medkit back inside, we can treat your injuries, if you want of course?” he offered, extending his hoof out to her.
“W-Why are you helping me?” She asked, her eyes narrowing as she began wondering if he had ulterior motives.
Crimson only stared at the mare baffled by what she had just said. He had heard about those that pose as the long-lost princesses. He just didn’t think he’d ever meet anypony like that.
What?
“What do you mean by “Princess”? He asked, his eyes wide and his mouth struggling to keep closed.
The mare who claimed to be Celestia started again with her sloppy wet ears folded back.
“I-I mean…nothing. Never mind. You said you have a medkit?” She asked with a small smile, raindrops still beating down on her.
I don’t-what?
“Wait, backup, you’re not one of those posers, are you?” Crimson asked as he brought a hoof up to wipe the soaking wet mane out of his eyes.
“Can we go inside, please?” she asked quickly, her front hoof raised slightly.
She’s shaking…
“Right, sorry.”
With all the haste of somepony fleeing the scene of a crime, they scrambled back into the garage. Crimson tapped his hoof against a small button on his way in, causing the door to rumble slightly before slowly closing behind them.
Now that the sound of the rain had been reduced to a meer pitter-pat on the roof, it was much easier to hear.
Namely, the mare’s incessant shivering.
Uh-oh.
“Wait, don’t-” he called out, but it was too late.
The white mare claiming to be Celestia started to shake her whole body, turning the garage into a pseudo-storm front for a moment. Luckily, Crimson had lit his horn and brought up a small shield in front of him to shield himself. When he let his magic go, the accumulated water on the shield hit the concrete ground with a resounding SPLAT!
“-shake yourself off yet,” he said, deadpanning.
The mare smiled sheepishly and folded her ears back again.
“Right, sorry, it’s just…”
“It’s cold out, there,” Crimson finished for her, “I get it. Don’t worry about it. Just stay here while I get the medkit and a towel. For now, you can sit inside the break room we have.”
“Thank you, Mr. Vision, I really appreciate your hospitality,” she replied, bowing her head down, much to the discomfort of the stallion.
“Just call me Crimson,” he said, giving her a gentle smile before entering the breakroom, giving him a moment to collect his thoughts as he started looking for the medkit.
Okay, Crimson, don't freak out, you are only helping a crazed pony claiming to be the long lost Princess Celestia! he thought to himself as he looked under the kitchen sink only to find nothing but cleaning supplies and paper towels, he turned his attention to the kitchen cabinets and began checking the left side.
“Where is that damn medkit!?” he mumbled to himself, as he searched every part of the kitchen since that's where they usually kept it. However, seeing as he had spent more than five minutes searching for the damn thing, he opted to give her a towel from the upstairs bathroom.
Not wanting to leave the stranger alone a minute longer, he made his way back out to the garage to find that she was sitting quietly, shivering before she directed her gaze over to him. He knew this was a bad idea, but he decided to do what others wouldn't do and he hoped that he wouldn't regret it later.
Fuck, what am I getting myself into?
“Hey, sorry it's taking so long, I think my dad misplaced the medkit, but if you'd like, you could use our shower we have upstairs, just until I find the medkit of course?” Crimson offered, surprising the stranger as her magenta eyes widened.
“A-are you sure?”
“Yeah, I mean it's not an issue at all, and you look like you could use one. Unless smelling like garbage is the new trend now~?” Crimson teased, the stranger's cheeks turning a bright crimson red as she began to snarl in annoyance.
“I-I don't find that to be funny, Mr. Vision!”
“Hahahahahaha! Come on, no need to yell, Celestia, I’m only teasing you,” he replied, motioning his hoof for her to follow him.
“Seriously though, your gonna need to clean up while I look for the medkit,”
“Thank you,”
“No problem,”
Once Celestia had entered the shower, Crimson was finally able to find the first aid kit and after waiting patiently for her to finish.
“Maybe I’ll make the two of us some hot chocolate and cookies to pass the time,” he said to himself.
Once she finishes taking her shower, I’ll try to put her at ease and find out what’s going on. She obviously doesn’t trust me, but hopefully, she’ll at least answer my questions.
With a flicker of his horn, Crimson pulled out a gallon of milk and some cold disk bars of chocolate from the fridge with his magic while he set up a pot on the stove. With a satisfied huff, he began to turn the knobs of the kitchen stove and began to pour milk into the pot. After that, all he had to do was wait for his unexpected visitor to arrive.
If there’s one thing that can cheer anypony up, it’s my mother’s recipe for her famous hot chocolate. I just have to wait for the milk to heat up for a good five minutes and it’ll be good for me to put the bars in.
Ten minutes had passed since Crimson had started making the hot chocolate, and as he began to pour himself a mug, he heard the sound of hoof steps coming down the stairs.
“Vision? I hope I’m not intruding,” she asked, entering the room with a towel wrapped around her mane and waist. The stallion couldn’t help but feel his cheeks heat up at the sight of her. It was strange having a mare he had only just met in his family’s workshop in a bath towel. He was actually wondering if he had a thing for tall mares with wet manes.
“O-Oh! Not at all! I was just about to call you actually, I made us some hot chocolate,” he said, scratching the back of his head as he began to pour her a mug. “And you can just call me Crimson. By the way, I managed to find that medkit, it was under the bed upstairs. My dad tends to misplace it from time to time.”
Crimson was expecting to hear some kind of thanks or refusal, but instead saw the mare before him look down in shame. Her ears were folded back as she just stared at the warm mug in front of her.
“Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, I'm just a stranger you had only met. Everypony else either ignored me, screamed, or chased me away. So why help me?”
“Well, if I'm being perfectly honest, I couldn't ignore you because you looked like you needed help. My mom taught me to always be kind to others, and I guess I always did it because that's what a hero would do. If that makes sense?”
“A hero?”
“O-oh, right… um, well that doesn't really matter at the moment.” He explained, his expression saddening as his ears folded back. “Let’s focus on you for right now okay?”
The mare nodded as Crimson let out an exasperated sigh, before taking a sip from his mug. “So, care to explain why you were lying in the garbage?”
“I-I ran into some trouble with the local auth-”
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
“OPEN UP IN THE NAME OF THE ORDER!”
“W-What the?!” Crimson uttered, only to see his guest immediately duck under the table, spilling her mug of hot chocolate as he looked under the table confused.
“Please! D-Don’t turn me in!” she begged, shaking in place as tears filled her eyes. Crimson looked at her and instead of turning her in like others had or looking at her with fear and disgust, he gave a reassuring smile to her.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
“OPEN UP!”
“Hey, you don’t have to worry, okay? I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he assured, before standing up straight and making his way to the main entrance and eyeing the two uniformed officers at the door. Not wanting to keep them waiting any longer, his horn glowed and unlocked the door. He greeted the two Order members with a small smile.
“Hello. Sorry about the wait, I just finished up in the garage. Can I help you, officers?”
“Can the small-talk, citizen,” said one of the Order Officers, a pegasus mare with a gray coat, black mane, and green eyes. She wore a white uniform with gold buttons and a white beret hat. Her cutie mark was a magnifying glass with a white notepad beside it. Standing next to her was a white unicorn stallion with a dark blue mane and tail. He was wearing the same uniform as the mare with a pair of sunglasses on.
“We’re looking for an offender we believe is in this neighborhood somewhere, so we’re canvassing every residence until we find whatever rathole she squirmed into.”
“Well, no one is in here but me,” Crimson responded in a level tone, “and do you have any proof she’s even in my family’s shop? Otherwise, I wonder if you even have the authority to just barge in here and search my private residence.”
“As a matter of fact,” the mare sneered while speaking to Crimson as though he were an ignorant schmuck, “we do. This offender is another of those charlatans that dare to impersonate the ancient alicorns, and such a crime merits these… measures. It’s for your own protection, after all. So why don’t you just sit back and let us do our job. I promise we’ll be… respectful of your property.”
Crimson narrowed his eyes, but even he knew not to push his luck. He had to handle this with the utmost care. After all, he did say he would keep Celestia safe.
"Well, I don't have anything to hide, and you two don’t have a warrant to search my dad's shop. So I'd appreciate it if you all left peacefully, "
"Actually we can, as we have approval forums from the High Council to search the property if false idols, criminals, and heretics have been sighted. It's nothing personal, just following orders," the mare said, shoving past Crimson with her partner following right behind her, scowling at him.
"You can't just do this!" Crimson shouted, about to run towards the mare, but he was suddenly enshrouded with the white unicorn’s mana before he was telekinetically slammed against the wall, dazing him.
“I strongly advise that you comply. After all, you wouldn’t want to be charged with obstruction, now, would you?” she mocked before speaking to her colleague, “Search the whole place!”
“Hm!” The unicorn grunted and then used his magic to throw open every door and cupboard and shelf there in the room, causing a few things cluttered inside of those compartments to spill out.
Crimson winced at the mess these jerks were making, but he knew if he argued he would only make things worse. Still, he had to think fast. If they went upstairs to the spare room where Celestia (Or whoever she is) was, it would all be over.
“Nothing in here,” the unicorn stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Take the basement then, I’ll search upstairs,” the mare ordered before throwing a piercing glare at Crimson, “and you will stay here if you know what’s good for you…”
Crimson gulped nervously as he watched them go, the unicorn towards the basement door and the mare already beginning to ascend the staircase. He had only minutes to think of something before it was too late. As he tried desperately to come up with a quick save, he felt his heart jump into his throat when he saw the mare was already up the stairs and going straight for the spare bedroom door.
It’s now or never…! Crimson thought before he was suddenly struck with an idea.
“Wait! Now that you mention it…” Crimson spoke up in a tone as though recalling something, “I did hear some noises outside the shop earlier.”
The mare’s hoof had been but inches from the door handle when she halted and looked down the staircase at Crimson with a raised brow, “Did you now…?”
“Yeah, I went to my window, and although it wasn’t totally clear,” Crimson explained, “I saw somepony outside. It looked like they bumped into my trash cans before getting up and then hurrying off down the street. They seemed like they were running scared or something. I opened my door to yell at them for spilling my trash, but they were long gone.”
“Well then why didn’t you just say so instead of wasting our time?!” the officer snapped rudely, rushing down the stairs before gesturing to her partner who waited patiently by the basement door that it was time for them to go. Once they made their way to the exit, she peered back at Crimson and said, “The Order thanks you for your cooperation and bids you a good night.”
"Wait! What about the damages to my dad's shop!?" Crimson shouted.
"We'll be sure to send somepony over to pay for the damages tomorrow morning, "
“Greaaaat…Hope you catch that faker,” Crimson offered a strained smile and waved farewell to them. He waited a moment to check out the window after the mare closed the door. He peeked ever so carefully and was glad to see them leaving in a hurry.
Phew’ing in relief, Crimson looked back and called out, “The coast is clear. They’re gone!”
He heard the door open and tentative hoofsteps approach and descend the staircase as the hesitant mare looked upon Crimson with a mixture of emotions. In her face, he saw incredulous gratitude and weary relief.
“Thank you, Crimson... I’ve had a run-in with those two before. It hasn’t been easy since waking up and being treated like I don’t belong anywhere,” she explained, looking down at the floor as tears flowed out. He noticed that her whole body was trembling.
Over an hour ago, he was crying in the garage about how he couldn't do anything and not feeling like he belonged anywhere. But now here was this unicorn before him, crying about how she wasn't welcomed anywhere, it was something he could relate to. Not in the same way, as it was obvious she'd had it worse than him, but he couldn't just let her feel like this.
“I-I know how you feel, believe me. I've felt like that for the past eleven years, but no matter what, you just have to keep pushing with all your might.” he encouraged, walking up to the mare and patting her on the back. “It also helps to have someone give you that push, you know?”
Wiping away her tears, she looked up at him and gave the stallion a small smile… when a light grumble interrupted the moment, and she blushed a bit.
“Heh, if you like I can whip us up a little snack or something,” Crimson offered with an understanding smile. “A little food in your belly will make you feel a lot better.”
“I would… appreciate that,” she replied before hesitantly asking, “have you… any cakes or the like?”
Dear goddess, how much can one mare eat?! Crimson had kindly obliged the request for cake from the mare, who he was still doubting to be Princess Celestia, and he could only look on, feeling a strange mixture of being weirded out and impressed at the same time, as she practically inhaled every cake he’d baked for her, and still showed no sign of being full after her fourth entire cake.
She gorged on every succulent baked good with exquisite enjoyment, only pausing every now and then to take a breather or wash it down with the lemonade he’d had in the refrigerator.
Thankfully, after the fifth or sixth cake, she slowed down and sat back in her chair, rubbing her tummy as she sighed in relief, softly saying, “Thank you… oh, I can’t even remember when last I had some sweet succulent cake…!”
She then let out a cute little ‘urp’ and blushed a bit as she covered her mouth and titered, “Excuse me.”
The sight of it snapped Crimson out of his stupor… and he couldn’t help but let out a burst of laughter, perplexing the mare for a moment as she waited for him to stop, and he finally took a breath and said, “Haha, well… I’m glad to see my mom’s lessons in the kitchen paid off! As… impressive as your appetite is, I can’t help but feel honored by your complimenting my baking.”
“Oh, you would have done well in my kitchens back when I…” she paused and her uplifted demeanor immediately seemed to deflate as she remembered her present situation. Her eyes lowered sadly before she stood up, and cleared her throat, “I… I am deeply grateful for your help, Crimson. I don’t know what would have happened to me had you not protected me from those ponies, but I can’t ask any more of you, especially after you gave me something to eat.
“Once the rain lets up, I will leave and trouble you no more.”
“Actually, it’s okay for you to stay the night in the spare room upstairs, though I do want to know who you really are. Why were you running away?” he asked, rubbing the back of his head.
The mare’s gaze remained downwards, and Crimson felt his heart twinge a bit when he saw her cheeks trail with more tears as she despondently responded, “Why bother…? You won’t believe me. Nopony believes me…”
“Maybe you’ll be surprised? Look, I know what it’s like to not have anypony believe in you, to feel like you are alone, but whether you believe me or not, I think there was a reason we met the way we did tonight,” Crimson stated, speaking frankly but kindly.
“I can’t explain it, but we met under the weirdest circumstances on probably the worst day of our lives, so, believe me when I say that I trust you.”
The mare’s gaze hesitantly peered up to look at Crimson, but he saw there was yet doubt in her soft magenta-purple eyes. So he continued.
“I promise you that I’ll listen to you and keep an open mind.”
The mare’s doubt began to waver as she looked into Crimson’s eyes and saw the encouragement in them, along with his smile. For a moment, she was reminded of someone she once knew. She wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and stood up straight before she looked Crimson in the eye and began.
“I am Celestia. Princess of Equestria, Bringer of the Day, Keeper of the Sun, and once upon a time I ruled Equestria from Canterlot Castle alongside my sister, Princess Luna,” she declared, speaking truly and with a tone of gentle yet impressive authority, “Later on, I mentored and promoted two of my students to the title and responsibility of Princess. My adoptive niece, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadance as she preferred… and my faithful student, Princess Twilight Sparkle.
“Together, we brought about an age of harmony, glorious, prosperous, and fair to all. Until, out of nowhere, it all ended…”
She’s either delusional or a scary-good actress, but I promised, Crimson thought to himself before asking, “What happened?”
“...Grogar happened,” answered ‘Celestia’ with a look of bitterness but also fear and regret. “He appeared from the sky like a fallen star and he brought death and destruction with him. Because of him, all of the friendships that were built, the families we had made, and the peace we’d established, it was all taken in the war. And now, I’m… I’m alone here.”
“I… I didn’t know… I’m sorry you had to go through that,”
“I-It’s fine, I just needed to let it all out, I’ll be fine,” she said, wiping away her tears.
I want to help her, but I don’t even know if what she’s saying is true. For all I know she could be lying to me, but whenever I look into her eyes, I see the same desperation for someone to believe in them like me. I just can't abandon her, it would go against everything I've strived to be.
Crimson sighed, getting up from his seat across from her and sitting beside her. "I can't say I fully believe you yet. I mean it sounds straight out of a fantasy book, but I will say that I want to help you."
Sniffling, the mare turned towards him and gave a deadpan stare. "I… suppose it would be hard to believe."
"However, I am willing to try, and I never said I didn't fully believe you," he said, smiling.
"You, believe me?"
"You have the same look in your eyes that I have. Wanting someone to believe you, I know that look all too well. So, I'll help you," Crimson said, extending his hoof out to her.
"I can't offer you a place to stay for a very long time, but you can stay the night in the extra room we have here in the shop. At least until I explain everything to my parents. Until then, I think we should head to bed, I'll take the couch."
Celestia sat there in complete disbelief for a moment before following the stallion upstairs to the room. It had been a long time since she met somepony kind enough to lend a helping hoof. Even if he didn’t fully believe her, he was still willing to help her out.
"Anyways, how long have you been… alone? You don't have to answer if you don't want to," He asked, rubbing the back of his head, which was something she noticed he did often around her.
"Six months…"
"Damn!" He blurted out, his eyes widening before he realized what he had said. "Oh, sorry! Sorry! I just wasn't expecting that."
"No, no, it's okay,"
"You mean to tell me that this whole time, you were out there on your own for six months with no food, water, or a place to stay?!?" He asked, receiving a nod in response. "You are one tough girl."
"H-Huh?!" Celestia blurted out, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to say that out loud!"
"N-No, it's fine, I'm flattered, let's get to sleep," she said, climbing into the bed as she tried to calm the rising heat in her cheeks. "T-Thank you, Crimson, I can’t express my gratitude enough for this kindness."
"It’s not an issue, I actually like to help others. Feels like my calling, you know?" He replied, his horn surrounded by a red hue as he switched off the light and made his way over to the couch.
Fleet Hoof was not a happy pony as he glared intently at Crimson Vision and this strange mare sitting beside him on the sofa in the break room, both of them avoiding his gaze. He found it odd when he came in this morning to find that Crimson never finished the oil change like he said he would. In all honesty, he believed that Crimson turned in early due to the storm, couldn't make it home, and instead fell sound asleep.
Instead, he came to a wrecked shop and found his son underneath a tall white unicorn on the floor in the upstairs bedroom. If his wife saw this, she'd most likely murder the two on the spot… or maybe faint. Either way, he had dragged the two unicorns downstairs to get some answers.
"Care to explain why there's a complete stranger in the spare bedroom with you?" Fleet Hoof asked, his stare growing more intense.
"W-Well, it's a long story-"
"And why is the lobby in shambles?!"
"That’s because-"
"And why weren't you using protec-"
"STOP!" Crimson shouted, his face turning completely red. "Please! Just let me explain!"
“Well, I’m listening,” Fleet Hoof responded, tapping his hoof against his forehoof as he glared at the two unicorns.
"S-So, this all started last night when I was taking out the trash,” he began. The nervous sheen of sweat across his forehead forced him to choose his words carefully. He couldn’t reveal her secret, not now. It’d jeopardize everything.
Crimson did, however, have to explain that the Order was looking for her. That they had mistaken her to be one of the posers pretending to be the real Princess Celestia and how he had to hide her while the officers trashed the shop. After hearing that, Fleet Hoof stood up suddenly, his face turned a dark shade of red as he began grinding his teeth.
He looked absolutely livid.
"Unbelievable! This is a complete violation of our rights! Your rights!" He shouted, pulling out his scroll. "You can bet their arse that they're gonna be hearing from me!"
"Uh, Dad, I don't think that's necessary! They said they're gonna send somepony over to cover the damages-"
"Crimson Vision, I'd focus more on taking care of your new marefriend than fret over this matter. I'll handle it from here on out. Just take the day off, I'm gonna make sure these assholes pay for all this!" He all but shouted. In return, his son's face turned bright red in embarrassment.
"She’s not my-" Crimson started, but not before the orange earth pony left the room.
Leaving the two unicorns alone.
"And he's gone. Great!"
However, before he could offer to make Celestia breakfast, he was suddenly facing a furious princess whose gaze was piercing through his very soul. If looks could kill, he'd be incinerated into ashes and then those ashes would get incinerated again and be tossed into the Sun.
"A poser, hmm?" She seethed.
"I had to come up with a believable story! Otherwise, my dad would send the both of us to the loony bin. And I ain’t ready to spend twenty-five years with a cellmate named Buffalo Bill!" He tried to explain, but his horn was suddenly flicked by Celestia’s hoof. "Agh!! I'm sorry! It was a split-second decision!"
Crimson rubbed his horn gently as he glared at the princess in annoyance. However, seeing the look in her eyes and how hurt she looked, he could understand from experience that it's not fun getting called something you obviously weren't.
"H-Hey, I'm really sorry, but we didn't exactly come up with a backstory for you, so I had to think on the spot."
"It's okay, and I'm sorry for hitting you. I'm normally not like that, it’s just… be sure to tell me your plans in the future. I really don’t like being called a fake or poser. It's…it hurts so much to hear that it's… it’s just unbearable to hear," she explained, her ears folding back as she looked away. Seeing her saddened expression really made him feel like a jerk.
"Celestia, I'm sorry, and I'll try not to call you that again," he said with a frown as she continued to look away from him.
But, after a moment, there was one idea that came to mind. "Would buying you cake make you feel better?" He asked, his frown flipping around.
After hearing the soft growls of her stomach rumbling as it echoed hunger in the air, Crimson couldn’t help but try and hold back a laugh. Celestia’s cheeks reddened, turning her glaring gaze away from him in embarrassment. Seeing the princess put in front of him from her plight was enjoyable. "A triple dark chocolate with strawberries please?"
"Heh, your wish is my command, your majesty!" He bowed exaggeratedly with a fake accent. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to suppress his laughter.
"Keep acting like that, smarty-pants, and it'll be three slices of cake you'll owe me."
Rolling his eyes, Crimson stood up from his chair and made his way back upstairs, deciding that he was well overdue for a shower. "Give me fifteen minutes to get ready and we'll both get breakfast."
"Very well, thank you, Crimson," she said, smiling at him. His face began to feel very hot from the warmth radiating from her.
"N-no problem…" He squeaked.
Rushing quickly to the bathroom. He couldn’t help but feel his face flush from his voice cracking.
Of all times for my voice to crack! Goddesses, that's so humiliating! He thought to himself.
After taking a quick shower, and getting ready, Crimson decided to take Celestia to one of his all-time favorite diners. It was called the Al’s Family Diner, and what made it so great to Crimson was that it wasn’t far from the workshop and the food was pretty good in his opinion. They had been known for their good customer service and great food. They were also good friends of his parents, for the past twenty-five years since they first got married.
“I’m telling you, Al's has pancakes to die for.”
“So, this “Al’s” has the best food? And you aren’t exaggerating?” Celestia asked, her eyebrow and tone being rising.
Giving a sheepish grin, Crimson couldn’t help himself as he let out a quiet chuckle. “W-Well, it’s… got a lot of good food… A-And a great atmosphere.”
“Well, I’ll believe it when I try it,” Celestia said with a chuckle.
Rounding a corner, Celestia was finally able to lay her eyes on Al’s. It was a small, white building establishment with a very colorful red and white roof. It had “AL’s FAMILY DINER” written in bold red letters hanging just above the restaurant. Crimson couldn’t help but have a nervous grin plastered on his face as he led his new friend/former princess inside.
Noticing this sudden change, Celestia couldn’t help but be concerned as she reached out her hoof. “Hey, Crimson, are you okay? Or are you normally this nervous?”
“O-Oh, do I? I g-guess I’m kinda nervous… It’s just that there’s this-”
“Well, howdy Crimson! Haven’t seen ya’ for a while, how have ya been?” A brown mare with a white mane and brown striped accents tied in a ponytail approached the two of them. It was then and there that Celestia immediately understood why he was nervous now. The look on Crimson's face said it all with how red it had turned.
Celestia wasn't sure why, but she couldn't help but side-eye this mare. She was wearing a red apron with white stripes with a matching bandana tied above her head. She had yellow eyes and white freckles on her face. It was a strange feeling she felt inside as she hasn’t felt negative emotions for a very long time towards one of her little ponies, but believing it was a fleeting moment, she ignored them for the time being.
"O-oooh! H-Heyy… Cocoa, I-It’s been a while…" Crimson stuttered before he was suddenly pulled into a tight hug by the earth pony.
"It’s good ta see ya, Crimson," Cocoa said with glee as the sounds of Crimson’s ribs began to crack from her hug.
Celestia winced at the sound before he was suddenly released.
“Ugh… G-Good to… see you too…” Crimson heaved, gripping his sides. After taking a moment to catch his breath and compose himself, he continued on. “S-So, how’s your dad doing Cocoa?”
“He’s still the same, but he’s actually lightened up a bit. I’ll tell you more in a sec, let me handle taking care of these kind folks real quick and I’ll get ya and your new marefriend a table,” Cocoa said, trotting away towards one of the tables, leaving the two unicorns alone as they awkwardly avoided each other's gaze. Their faces are red, from Cocoa's remark.
“Ahem… Well, she seems like a nice mare, is she a friend from school?” Celestia asked.
“She’s a foalhood friend is all, my family came here a lot and that was how Cocoa and I met. Actually, she’s one of the ones who encouraged me to take the entrance exams to join the Order’s academy and-Oh, the exam… I… Almost forgot about that,” Crimson said, his ears drooping as his vision cast down.
"Exam?"
"Well it's-"
"Sorry to interrupt, but your table is ready now," Cocoa said, appearing suddenly with a pair of menus in hoof. "If you two lovebirds could just follow me, please~"
"C-Cocoa! We're not-"
"Come on, don’t be modest. Every colt gets nervous every now and then," she said, ushering the pair towards an empty booth with red cushion seats. "So, what would you two like to drink?"
Seeing that she wasn’t going to let them explain, Crimson and Celestia took their seats before glancing at their menus. It wasn’t long before Celestia spoke. "Could I have an ice tea, please?"
"Sounds good, and for you, Crimson?" Cocoa asked, quickly jotting down Celestia’s order.
"J-Just a root beer for me, please?"
"You got it!" Cocoa replied gleefully and quickly making her way towards the kitchen.
With the two alone once more, Crimson immediately facehoof himself as he slouched back into his chair, letting out a groan of annoyance. Celestia couldn’t help but feel her lips curve upward at her friend.
"Sooo… care to explain what that was all about?" Celestia asked with a playful smirk on her face.
"Mmm… She’s Cocoa…"
"I am aware of that, I mean who is she? From what I can tell, you clearly-"
"P-PLEASE! D-Don’t!" Crimson begged, quickly covering his mouth with his hooves while glancing around the room, finding only a few ponies staring before rolling their eyes at him. "I'll tell you, but please don't say anything. It's already bad enough that I get teased about it by Mezzo and Star."
"Alright, I'll keep the teasing to a minimum. Now, what’s the history behind you two?"
Taking a deep breath before exhaling, Crimson mentally prepared himself for only more teasing, but figured it was a good way to lighten the mood. "We're foalhood friends… Like I mentioned before, my family visited this diner quite often. Cocoa, is… also who I'm crushing on."
"Oh, my~" Celestia couldn’t help but cover her mouth as her eyes lit up with curiosity. "Tell me more."
"Not much to tell, I've known her for a long time… never made a move. Mezzo says it's obvious to everyone, except for her," Crimson said, the words seeming to pour out of his mouth. He let out a chuckle as he cast his gaze down again. "She’s been very adamant about assuming I've found a marefriend or crushing on someone else. As you've clearly seen, she always jumps the gun, despite her good intentions. They've kinda painted me in a negative light to those from my old school."
Celesta could feel her stomach churning more and more as Crimson kept talking. It was like his words were a lit fuse, and they were closely approaching the gunpowder. She wasn’t sure why; call it a gut feeling. "How… so?" Celestia asked hesitantly.
"Sigh… They call me a playboy… two-timer… or my personal favorite… the dirty charlatan. High school… wasn't exactly great for me, dating wise I mean. It's really not her fault though, she's just overly excited about dating and stuff like that," he explained. Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, Cocoa reappeared, placing both beverages on the table.
"Have ya'll decided what to eat?" Cocoa asked, grinning at the two.
"O-Oh right… Can we get two pancake specials? With fruit on the side, please?" Crimson asked.
"Coming right up! And, do ya’ll want anything else?" Cocoa asked, pointing her pen at Celestia.
"No, that'll be all," Celestia quickly said, before taking a sip from her iced tea.
Cocoa simply nodded and made her way back to the kitchen. Once she was gone, Celestia looked back at the colt sympathetically. Not wanting to pry any further, quickly began to rack through her brain to change the topic.
"Y-you mentioned that I needed an alias if I was going to blend in… As much as I detest it, maybe you're right," she suggested, causing Crimson’s ears to perk up suddenly.
"I've actually got a few good names and backgrounds we could go with!" Crimson said excitedly.
"Really? I'm so…thrilled," She uttered bitterly as she strained her cheekbones to keep smiling in a pathetic attempt to mask her emotions.
"Ahem… So the first name is Bright Sundew. You are twenty-four and you are from Vanhoover. You love plants and tea. Oh, and just so you know, I only had a limited amount of time to come up with them, so… sorry if they aren't that detailed," he explained, grinning at the princess as he awaited her response.
"M-maybe something else… I’m not a big fan of that one."
"What about… Sunset Shimmer-"
"Absolutely not!” she shouted, slamming a hoof on the table. The silence that followed was deafening, forcing her to cower back into her seat in hopes that the rest of the restaurant patrons would look away.
She continued after a sigh. “That's the name of an old student of mine. I'd rather not disrespect her, by using her name."
"S-Sorry, I didn't know…" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I know, it’s okay…”
As she trailed off, Crimson brought a hoof to his chin. It was then that it occurred to him that he never did ask her what she wanted. "Hey, I know… this is a difficult transition for you and I know you don’t want to hide who you are. Sooo… what's a name that has meaning to you?"
Celestia’s eyes widened for a brief moment before she smiled at him, a name already in mind. "This is a name my sister gave me… it’s a bit foalish, but it's something that I truly love. Call me Tia."
Crimson couldn’t help but smile as he nodded in agreement. "Tia it is… maybe we can just say you're from Fillydelphia."
"Order up!" Cocoa shouted, placing two four-stacks of pancakes, covered with strawberries, and blueberries, with pink syrup poured on top.
The two unicorns both said. "Thank you" in unison, only for Cocoa to giggle in response. Before making her way to greet other guests, she turned back to say, “Let me know if you need anything else."
With a nod, Crimson couldn’t help but eagerly levitate his fork to his mouth, a thick chunk of pancake hanging off of it. He licked his lips, and just as he was about to bite down-
“Sup, you come here often?” Came a playful voice from behind him. It only served to prick a little further into his patience.
"Sigh… so much for enjoying a peaceful meal."
“Mezzo, shut up,” came a sharper voice. Crimson whipped around, fork still in his magical grasp, to lay his eyes on his three friends. Star was beaming at him with the brightest smile he had ever seen on her, Stripes had her head buried in her scroll, and Mezzo still had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face that quickly broke down into laughter.
Crimson’s expression softened a bit at the display. "What are you guys doing here?!" he asked, letting out a laugh.
“Why, we wanted to see The Order's Magic Academy's newest student! We’re so proud of you!” Stars exclaimed.
“We were going to find you at the shop and take you out somewhere, but you weren’t there. Your Dad told us you were here,” Mezzo added with a smile.
“O-oh… right… So about that… I actually need to tell-
"Hey, hey, who’s that?" Star asked, pointing her talon at Celestia. "Is she one of the new students from The Order’s magic academy? Oh! I'm Star and this is my twin sister Stripes!"
Looking up from her scroll for a moment, Stripes only scoffed at the sight of her before returning back to her screen. Star elbowed her twin, forcing a weak chuckle from her.
"Sorry about her," Star apologized for her sister. "She’s not exactly sociable."
"Y-yeah… so this is Tia… we actually met yesterday," Crimson replied, feeling sweaty all of a sudden.
“Yep, nice to meet you,” Mezzo replied, reaching his hoof out to shake.
Celestia returned the gesture with a smile, reaching out her hoof to shake his. Immediately after, Star extended her talons out, eagerly awaiting a shake of her own.
"Tia, was it? This is the part where you run away. My sister is crazy," Stripes said, not looking away from her scroll.
"Well, I think she's rather eccentric. It's really nice to meet you too, Stripes." Celestia said, extending her hoof out towards Stripes.
Rolling her eyes, Stripes shook Celestia’s hoof before looking back at the screen. She muttered "whatever" under her breath, her cheeks slightly tinged red.
"Anyways! When do you guys start classes?!" Star nearly shouted.
A few painful seconds dragged by as Crimson trailed and failed several times to say something. But every time, something would force his mouth shut again. Mezzo, Stars, and Stripes’ confusion began to grow all the while. A pit began to form in Mezzo’s stomach.
"Guys… I'm… Not attending the academy," Crimson finally said.
“What? What are you talking about? I thought you got in?” Mezzo claimed, his brows furrowing. The pit was widening.
"T-They… changed the rules on me… saying that I needed to master ten spells instead of the requirement of five. Honestly, they just didn't want anyone… likeme to attend their school," Crimson explained as best he could while holding back his tears. The words sounded like they were being forced through a cheese grater, as if it was never something that was supposed to happen.
"I… I won't be going to the academy, I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner… it's just… you were all so happy about getting in. I just didn't want to ruin things for you guys."
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Mezzo exclaimed, his jaw clenched.
“I understa-”
“Why? What reason did they give?” Mezzo was nearly shouting at this point.
"They… didn't want… A low-class unicorn… entering their prestigious academy.”
“I’m going to fucking kill those bastards! Someone stop me before I commit a felony!” He ended his tirade with a long sigh, letting his hooves land on the backrest of their booth.
"Mezzo! There's nothing we can do… they were adamant about not letting me in," Crimson explained, letting his utensils clatter onto the table.
"Unbelievable!" The sound of hooves slamming against their table immediately drew their attention toward Celestia as she launched up from her seat. Mezzo’s eyes widened and a small sheen of sweat coalesced on his brow while Stars visibly flinched at Celestia’s reaction. Even Stripes finally looked up from her scroll for more than a moment, as if this grand display demanded–no–necessitated their attention.
"How dare they! How can they do that to you, when you've met all the requirements they asked for!? If I was there, I would've made sure that you were given a fair chance to take the exam to enter that magic academy!" She shouted.
It was there that Crimson began to notice Celestia’s once beautiful magenta eyes began to immediately change colors to a frightening black and orange with slit pupils. A chill went up Crimson’s spine as he suddenly felt the fur on the back of his neck stand. Is this the reason why those guards were after her… It feels like my whole body is getting… cold for some reason!?
Even though they had only known each other for a short time, Crimson never once imagined that Celestia could ever make him tremble in absolute terror. Something was wrong, very wrong. Whatever this feeling was, it wasn’t Celestia.
I need to fix this!
"C-Tia… c-calm down. I-It's aaalright!”
"Crimson, we may not have known each other long, but please, stop putting yourself down. You deserve a chance to show them what you can do! UNDERSTOOD!?” Celestia shouted, almost roaring. Crimson was now shaking in his seat, nearly petrified.
She’s terrifying! C-Come on Crimson… you can’t… back down now. Even though I really want to! Crimson thought as he tried his hardest not to sound so frightened.
“T-Tia… please… I know it’s horrible, but I’m… n-not b-backing d-down. I c-can still apply for other schools-”
“Crimsey! Y-You can’t!” Star yelled, stuttering a bit as she tried to calm herself. “W-We made a promise to attend the same academy together.”
“Well… it’s not like they’ll let me take the test again,” Crimson replied, noticing Celestia’s gaze start to soften as her eyes began to return to their original magenta color.
Mezzo could only sigh and fold his ears back in response.
“What can we do to help?” Star asked.
“Unless I can try and convince one of the instructors to let me take the test, I’m not going to be able to take the exam,” Crimson began, his head facing down at the table. “Not to mention, even if they let me take the exam, they’re going to make me perform ten advanced magic spells instead of the standard five. They already have one… “low-class” unicorn attending the academy already. I doubt they’re going to allow a second one in.”
“What if I help you?” Crimson heard, his head jolting up as he looked at Celestia with bewilderment.
“Huh?”
“I said, I can help you, if you want?”
“Nonono… I don’t want to burden you with that C-Tia… You’re already having a tough time and-”
“Buddy, she’s offered about twenty times already.” He paused for a moment. “Alright, maybe it wasn’t twenty, but who cares, jJust accept it,” Mezzo interjected, leaning on the table right in front of Crimson. “If this is the only way to get you in, then do it! You want to get into the academy right? This is your chance! Don’t pass it up!”
“Mezzo’s right,… just shut up and take the help,” Stripes stated bluntly as she placed her talons on his right shoulder. “Red stripes here wants to help, so let her.”
Crimson wanted to say no again, that it’d only be a waste of Celestia’s time, but the looks of eagerness and anticipation from his friends prevented that. How could he refuse when everyone was staring at him like that? “A-Alright… I’d be happy for you to teach me… TiaAH!”
“Well then, what’re we waiting for!? I have so much to teach you!” Celestia shouted with glee as she yanked the stallion from his seat immediately and flew out the door.
“W-Wait! MY PANCAKES!!!” He shouted.
“Hot damn is she fast,” Mezzo said, slightly bewildered, as Crimson’s cries faded into the distance.
“At least he’s getting help,” Stripes said absentmindedly.
“Come on, guys, let’s go after them! They’re gonna need all the help they can get!” Star announced and was about to start prancing out the door.
“Wait!” Mezzo called out, stopping Star in her tracks. “Did either of you see Tia’s eyes during that whole shouting match?”
“Oh yeah! I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Star replied. “What was up with that?”
Stripes merely rolled her eyes as she put her scroll away in her satchel bag. “It was fucking terrifying is what it was. You guys felt it too right? It was like I was being choked, and even though I tried to look away… I couldn’t.”
“Y-Yeah… That was scary, really scary,” Star added, rubbing her arm softly. “B-But, she did it on Crimsey’s behalf, right? So she can’t be all bad?”
“I sure hope so. I mean Crimson, trusts her, so shouldn’t we?” Mezzo asked with a shrug.
“Tia and Crimson are reallllly far away now guys,” Stripes stated with a bored tone as she stared out the restaurant door past Crimson and Stars.
“Oh, right! Let’s go!!!” Star shouted, a grin plastered on her face as she dashed after the pair of unicorns.
“I’ll pay for them, then we can go,” Mezzo said quickly, pulling out his wallet and leaving 20 bits on the table. “Plus tip for all the trouble.”
“Kinda feel bad he didn’t finish these, he always loved eating Cocoa’s pancakes,” Stripes said, looking at the uneaten pancakes. “Sigh… I’ll ask for a to-go box, keep an eye on those three. Text me where they’re headed.”
Before Mezzo could give a response, Stripes was already making her way to the kitchen counter to ask one of the waitresses for a box. Mezzo could only shake his head and smile. With a final glance back at her, he rushed out the door.
Before he could look both ways before turning out of the diner, however, he collided with a large pink immovable object and fell to the concrete sidewalk below. When he heard an oomph that wasn’t his own and the clattering of metal, his eyes shot open.
“Oh my goddesses, I’m so sorry, I was in a hurry,” he said with a nervous grin. He scurried to his hooves and held one out for whoever he bumped into. But, as he cast his gaze down, he couldn’t help but eye her.
The creature he had bumped into was a pegasus mare with matted pink fur and dirt splotches that looked violently out of place. Her tri-colored mane looked riddled with split ends and lackluster self-care, as if she had more important things to worry about. The mane itself seemed haphazardly stuffed underneath an ugly brown cap that looked like it belonged to a train conductor.
For a moment, his eyes were focused on the bag of tools that had once been slumped over her back that was now on the floor. He was about to cock an eyebrow, but something much more important caught his eye–namely, her eyes. They were like dulled flames in their intensity, as if whatever driving them had gone out long ago. Though they were a bright magenta, that only seemed surface level. The bags under her eyes only served to further that thought.
After observing her for a heartbeat, she reached out her hoof and pulled herself up with a sigh.
“It’s fine,” she said in a low voice, averting her gaze and quickly brushing past him.
“Hey, wait, let me make it up to you. Would you like some help with that bag?” He called out but to no avail. She simply kept walking, as if it was all she could still do.
What? He thought. What’s her problem? He almost called out to her again, but he stopped himself. No,no one’s just like that without a good reason…
Mezzo could only purse his lips and lower his hoof before turning around to follow after his friends with the mare still on his mind.
However, he was blissfully unaware of a slim, gray mare with a long black mane & tail with bat wings who sat perched on a rooftop watching them from above. Her red piercing eyes followed the pink mare as she disappeared into a crowd of ponies before turning her gaze in the opposite direction where the ponies and griffons had gone.
Humming to herself, she gently pressed her hoof into her ear where a small device was placed. "Commander Battra, I've located two of our targets. Celestia of the Sun and Cadance of Love are here… in Manehattan."
"Are you certain, Melancholy Vice?" A female voice asked through the device. Her voice sounded… intimidating, strong, and regal. The severity that each word carried pounded against her like a series of freight trains. It was enough to force her to understand and carry out the order to a tee, whether she liked it or not, though she almost never had a problem with that.
"Yes, especially about Celestia of the Sun, she has the cursed markings on her body like you described. Shall I pursue her?" Melancholy asked.
"There is no need for that, she is my prey after all. Continue monitoring the Princess of Love, find out where she's been hiding all this time. In the meantime, send out the Yaoguai to deal with Celestia. She cannot hide forever."
"As you wish, Commander," Melancholy replied, pressing a button on her wristband.
Three words appeared on the small screen that shook the planet to its core. Those three small words spelled disaster for anyone and everyone unlucky enough to be in their path. Melancholy almost smiled as she imagined the fate of those creatures, but it was something else that actually brought a smile to her face: her imaginings of the beautifully violent end to that wretched Princess’ pathetic life!
