Faded Star
Artwork by me
Chapter 1: Memories
***
Tuquorise! Why are you slacking off?! Get to work!” My lady boss, Belinda McKennly hollered at me. I was struggling really hard to keep up with all the countless orders and the continuous ringing of the bell, informing me of a fresh order ready to be served to a drooling,hungry customer. My hooves made soft stomping sounds as I trotted from table to table, placing arrays of dishes on them, earning growls from the stomach of hungry customers.
After a few minutes, I stopped at a dull corner at the back of the restaurant to catch my breath. Even with the air conditioning, my snow white coat was drenched in sweat. I panted heavily. my hoof slippers were torn from tripping over for almost the sixth time. Yes, I can be very clumsy whenever I'm in a rush. Yet, I didn’t realise a gloomy figure approaching me.
“Tuquorise! How many times do I have to tell you?! No slacking and more working! The orders are piling up you know? Get back to work right this instant!” Belinda snapped at my face. As the restaurant was full of chatting and buzzing, one could not hear Belinda’s hollering.
“Y-yes Ma’am. I’ll get b-back to work.” I stammered as I rushed to the counters to serve the dishes. There was no way that I can make my lady boss trust me. She always treats me like some sort of robot made to do endless work.
Belinda cursed me with vulgarities like a machine gun under her breath. With a last glare, she scoffed, tilting her snout up arrogantly and stormed to her office.
***
After a tiresome day of work, I slumped myself on a cushion. The restaurant was closed, and the cleaners were hastily washing the dishes, cleaning the tables and sweeping the floor.
“Miss Starlight, please move out of the way. I need to sweep the floor.” One of the cleaners said politely.
“Oh sure.” I replied as I stepped back. The cleaner levitated a broom using her magic and swept up the remains of food left by customers.
I knew I was not needed here anymore, so I made my way back home.
***
The wooden door of my house creaked open. I gingerly stepped into my house, trying my best not to make too much noise, least I wake up my father. I tried to fly. I flapped my wings vigorously for a few seconds, before realising I couldn’t fly. Yes, I had wings, even though I’m not a pegasus. The reason that I have wings, is mainly because of a twisted spell I accidently cast on myself.
“Now concentrate on the spell that you are casting. Make sure that you only focus on that and nothing else. Once you feel that you are ready to release the spell, let all your emotions flow through your body. Any questions?” Princess Celestia instructed in a calm yet stern manner.
“Nope!”
“Alright then. Miss Starlight, would you mind to be our first candidate?”
I settled myself in the station, inhaled deeply before exhaling. Locking my eyes on my target; a dozen of cardboard changelings, my horn glowed pale cornflower blue, sparks scattered everywhere. A sphere soon formed on my horn. It grows bigger as I casted the spell longer. Sweat trickled down my coat. Soon, I heard Celestia shouting.
“Release!”
Using up all the energy I had left, I tried my very best to allow my emotions to flow through my body. Out of the blue, a blurry picture flashed across my mind. I gasped. It was my mother in bed. She was ill, so very ill. Her breathing rate was drastically slow. Medicines were scattered all over the drawer top. Her life was dangling by a thread. Suddenly, her body drooped...
I shrieked. I felt the spell returning to my horn once more. I panted and struggled to control the spell that was running wild over my body that I had no control of. The students widened their eyes in horror. Some screamed.
Celestia gasped as she watched her student being swallowed by her own spell. “Tuquorise! Get a grip on yourself!”
But I couldn’t. I could only fall a victim to my own spell. suddenly, a blinding light covered the hall, and soon it settled.
Groaning, I got up on my hooves. Somehow I felt my body having a query feeling. My eyes shifted to my back to reveal...wings! What the hay is going on? “It must be the spell.” I heard Celestia’s voice echoing through the now silent hall. “The spell must have given you wings.”
Suddenly, a hoarse voice snapped me back to reality.
“Hey! Lass, where’s the money? I need it, PRONTO!” It was my drunk father,Grayland, again.
It’s almost the same cycle every month. Whenever I return from work, he would always demand me for my salary. I would always give him 20% of my salary, but to my father, it was never enough. Beer, cigarettes and pub admission fees are expensive, mostly causing a pony to spend at least fifty bits in total. To me, it was a total waste of money, but to my father, it was pure bliss. If he never went to the streets to buy either cigarettes or beer for a day, he would go on a rampage and destroy the furniture with his magic. I knew very clearly that there was no way in dragging him out of his addiction.
Reluctantly, I levitated ten bits from my saddlebag and strew them on the old and dusty floors of the house. “Here!” I retorted. “Take them and do whatever the hay you want! Just leave me alone!” Grayland eagerly scooped up the bits like a childish filly picking up sweets that dropped from somepony’s bag and scrambled out of the door. I sighed. It was a long day, and I needed my rest.
I trotted to my bedroom, opened the door using my magic and shutting it behind me. Removing my hoof slippers, I slipped into the covers and snuggled in the warmth of the bed. Shutting my eyelids, I drifted off to sleep.
***
With a sickening groan, I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. I used my magic to snooze the alarm clock, before reluctantly getting out of bed.
Another dull and boring day, perhaps.