Canvas tried to burrow deeper into her blanket to escape the bitter cold of Princess Luna's night, it seemed like hours since they had left their home in Hayvale. Canvas was tired, the carriage bumped and shook on the dirt road.A reddish brown unicorn with a red mane was pulling the carriage, all they had was some clothes and blankets along with the odd trinket collected over the years so she had little problem pulling the luggage and tired filly.
"We're pretty close now Canvas, you can see the lights of the town in the distance."
Canvas didn't reply, she was buried in her thoughts (and blanket), she pulled her favorite stuffed bear, Nuggles, closer into her fur.
"What is Ponyville like?" she asked herself " I've never been any where so close to Canterlot. Its not big and fancy like Canterlot is it? No, Red said it was just a small town on the outskirts." She peeked out side of the blanket, the cold air nipped at her through the opening. They had just entered town, it being winter the night had come early, so most ponies were still awake most likely huddle by the fire reading a book and enjoying a warm drink of some kind. Soon they would be off to their warm snug beds, Canvas and Red didn't have a bed right now, they would have to sleep on the floor next to a space heater, not exactly the ideal way to spend a winter night.
She watched as the houses past by soothed by the warm lights radiating from the windows, she slowly drifting to sleep holding Nuggles tight in hoof.
A sudden halt ended her short rest and made her nearly fall out of the carriage, she poked her head out of the blanket to find herself looking at an old creepy house complete with broken windows, peeled paint, and a creaking wood door that opened and shut in the cold wind, the complete horror movie package. Canvas could only think of one thing "I'm going to die here." Red nudged her forward while positioning a suit case on her back
" Well are you going to stand there wide eyed or are you going to get out of this cold".
Canvas gave a slight whimper "You mean THIS is our house?"
Red grinned "Of course! Don't worry, it may look old but its got water, electricity, you know the works." Canvas held Nuggles tight, fearing her last night among the living had finally come.
About and hour later, Red was finishing up their makeshift beds.
"Okay, first thing we need to do tomorrow is get some furniture. Oh and maybe fix those windo-" Red paused, while looking out the window she saw Canvas still by the carriage with a death grip on her stuffed bear. "Canvas? Why are you still out there?".
"Okay. I can do this, its only a house. Houses aren't scary, though Red did say the housing market was, but this isn't a market.".
Canvas took a deep breath, closed her eyes and charged at the door. She ran blindly into the house and directly into Red making them both fall into a heap. "Hehe. Sorry Red."
Canvas trotted into the bathroom, it smelled like mildew. She felt the walls looking for a light switch, finally the light bulb dangling from the ceiling sprung to life stuttering a bit until it became constant.
She moved to the mirror, lucky it had survived the years and was still intact. Wiping the dusty coat away she looked at herself, she was brown with a short black mane, she had cut it short because she hated dealing with it.
Her short stubby horn protruded from her forehead above he large hazel eyes. Using her magic she levitated her tooth bush, she then began turned on the old rusty faucet, it made a sound that could only be described as a demon from hell and sputtered out a stream of water.
She then began to brush her teeth, she wasn't very good at levitating things in a quick motion so the brush mostly got the area surrounding the mouth. Spitting out the excess tooth paste she opened her mouth and looked into the mirror to inspect her work. That's when she noticed the shower curtain behind her.
It was grey with a pink floral pattern that not even a retirement home would accept, but what bothered her the most wasn't the shower curtain itself but what was behind it. There could be anything there, a murder, a monster, maybe the friend of that demon in the pipe, she didn't know what. All she knew was that something was DEFINITELY going to jump out and kill her. She dropped her tooth brush and ran out of there as fast as she could.
Canvas left the bathroom to find Red unpacking some paintings, most of which had been painted by her. She trotted over to help, she pulled a small painting from the box.
She had no desire to move paintings anymore, held up by her magic was a crude childish painting of a filly a couple years younger than Canvas was. She was gray with a puffy black mane and bright emerald eyes, this was the painting that she made when she got her cutie-mark, she looked back at her flank, her mark was a blank easel . Though the happy memory quickly faded and was replaced by bad memories, memories of who the filly was.
A tear began to swell in her eyes when Red called her from the other side of the room to help unpack the silverware. Whipping the tear from her eye she hurried over to her.
Both were tired and weary from unpacking, Canvas went to bed with no protest. She curled up in the huddle of blankets that was her temporary bed, Red did the same. The two "beds" were located fairly close to each other with a space heater facing them both. Wrapped in the warm blankets Canvas quickly drifted off to sleep.
Fire. Canvas was surrounded by nothing but fire. She could not move, she couldn't scream, all she could do is sit there and watch the flames, hear the screams for help, smell the stomach turning scent of burning flesh. The screams got louder as the stench got worse, they were screaming for her now, begging her to put them out of their pain. Then one by one they stopped, but the smell stayed. Eventually the fire burned out leaving Canvas alone with only the smell, that horrible horrible smell.
She woke with a scream, cold sweat running down her neck. Red tried to comfort her."Calm down. Its okay. It was only a nightmare." She was lying, and they both knew it. It wasn't just a nightmare. It was a memory.
Canvas hated shopping, doing nothing but walk around and trying to decide which wall paper will look the best. Red had accumulated an order of wall paper, two beds, several window panes and a couch.All of which would be moved to the house by some employees who Red would inevitably flirt with. Canvas did not want to be there for that, so she was secretly coming up with a plan to explore the town while the furniture was moved into the house.
"Red do you think I could-"
"Leave the house while the furniture people are there?"
Canvas was shocked "How did you know?"
"I don't know any filly who would want to stay around while a mare entertains guests"
Canvas wanted to gag, all that couch is going to remind her of is Red "entertaining" guests. She took the offer great-fully and when on her way.
Canvas was in the middle of Ponyville, the square was buzzing with life. Ponies gathered at picnic tables to discuss the local gossip, weather pegasi flew across the sky breaking any stray cloud, various merchants argued over prices. Canvas had never seen so much life going on in in Hayvale.
Hayvale was a military town, ponies who weren't soldiers were mostly blacksmiths and alchemists, neither of which were very friendly. Canvas decided she was really going to like it here despite her inevitable death which hid behind that shower curtain.
She decided that she would do some shopping, but not boring shopping like Red does, she was going to buy cool. In fact, she was going to buy the coolest thing in the market, what that was she didn't know. She looked around the various shops looking for something that radiated coolness, gems were to fragile, knives were to scary, and potatoes were, well potatoes. Nothing looked right, she was beginning to give up hope.
"Iv'e been searching for five minutes now, surely Iv'e seen the entire market in that time." Her slim attention span was drawing to a close when she saw it. It was the coolest thing she had ever seen, it was a...a...thing, a small metal stick thing with a green light on the end, it made all sorts of high-pitch noises and beeps.
"What is that?" she asked the salespony.
He was fat and yellowish with a blue mustache and a receding mane line. "Er um, that there's a um, magic amplifier, yeah a magic amplifier."
"What does it do?"
"It um, amplifies magic."
Canvas starred with amazement, "Whoa! How much is it."
"Fifty bits."
"But I only have twenty." Canvas looked up at the merchant with tearing eyes.
He looked behind him and got a panicked expression."Okay okay, twenty bit, just take it and go."
Canvas gave a sequel of joy and put the item in her saddlebag. Saying thanks to the fat merchant she went on her way. Canvas wondered around the market to see if there was any thing else to do in the meantime. She found herself in the section of town where ponies sold home grown foods. There was all sorts of wonderful smells and sights, that made her realize she had just spent all of her money Red gave her for lunch. Her stomach growled and gurgled in protest.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw an orange earth pony sporting a old western hat waving in her direction, weary of the stranger she approached slowly and made sure she was visible to the crowd. The pony was selling apples, they lowered their head removing their hat to revel a bright red mane.
He addressed her in a thick southern accent "Well howdy there little miss. I noticed you over yonder looken hungrier than a mongoose in a snake snake pit."
"Why would a mongoose be hungry in a snake pit?"
"That there's a metapher little missy. Anyway, I was wonderen if you want bit of vittles to tide you over."
Canvas had no idea what vittles were but anything sounded delicious right now. The southern pony reached into one of the baskets around his booth and pulled out a bright red apple. Canvas ate it viciously while the pony talked.
"You know I got a little colt back at home around yer age, he don't say much but hes a bright little fella, maybe you'l meet him at some point. Oh and don't go tellen my wife about me giving you that apple, she'd pitch a fit if she found out I was given away free apples. Luckily fer you shes at home taken care of the new babe and applejack. That little filly's got so much energy she could raise a whole barn if we gave the tools for it."
Canvas listen attentively to the rambling pony, anypony who gave her food definitely deserved her full respect. Once he was done talking she thanked him for the apple and went on her way. Passing back the way she came
she noticed the fat merchant from before talking to someponys. One was a colt, he was a light chocolaty color with a dark brown mane. He had an angry look on his face that seemed very scary to Canvas, the other pony however didn't even look like she was paying attention. She was a grey pegasus with bright googly eyes and a bubble cutie mark. Canvas decided not to get involved and left contemplating what a bubble cutie mark might mean.
By the time she arrived home the movers had left and the new windows appeared out of place compared to the ruin they were attached to. Red was inside siting on the new coach and reading a book.
"How was your day?" she asked barley looking up from the book, she had a disappointed look in her eyes.
"Good, is something wrong?"
Red laid down the book and took a pitiful expression."Both the movers were mares."
Canvas stopped herself from throwing up and awkwardly went upstairs to inspect her new bed. It was a small bed, not the kind that they would keep but until she grew bigger it would do. She laid down her saddle bag and climbed onto to her new bed, using her magic she levitated the magic amplifier in front of her. This was the best deal she ever made, she could imagine using her new found magical powers to create the most detailed paintings Equestria had ever seen. Bringing every image in her mind to life on paper, she would attend the classiest events and eat the finest of foods. She would be admired by every young artist in Equestria, no the whole world!
She couldn't wait any longer, she inspected the odd device and found a small button.She was nearly squealing with anticipation. She pressed the button and a loud high pitched noise erupted fro the device. The newly installed windows completely shattered. Canvas let go of the button. Something told her that this wasn't a magic amplifier.