Chapter One: Welcome Home
Little Lexi pushed her way through the ponies of Canterlot while running to the train station. Her pastel blue and red mane flew and waved by in the wind. Her purple coat, glistening lighter than it usually was from the cold. Lexi’s glasses jiggled on top her muzzle, tickling her face. But right now, stopping to giggle wasn’t the option.
Earlier this week Lexi had decided to visit her parents for a few days; sense they moved out of Ponyville to leave Lexi to take care of herself, she had not seen them from then on. When she first got in Canterlot, she wanted to get out right away. About three days she stayed, probably the longest and most tear filled visit of all time. Her parents were growing into the fancy life style of the capital city. Even more than when she used to live in Canterlot when she was a filly, to be more exact.
The thought was forgotten just as Lexi saw that she had reached the train station, and that it was her last chance to leave. Quickly, Lexi rushed on the train with luggage and all to sit in one of the carts. She took deep breaths, knowing that she would be home soon. She kicked her legs onto the seat, laid her back down on the cushion, put her jacket on her body, and closed her eyes. The soft sounds of the train starting off got to her, and finally relaxed after countless hours of crying.
Lexi used her magic to take her glasses off and put them on the yellow, wooden table that separated the two seats in one cart. After a slight movement explaining that the train was taking off to set in Ponyville, the bump caused Lexi to drift in a relaxing, blank minded sleep.
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Lexi woke up to find herself on the floor of her cart, and that the train was slowing down. She got up and looked out the window to see the familiar surroundings of Ponyville in the middle of winter. Reminded of that, she made sure that her jacket was still on and that she put her boots and scarf on. As the train stopped completely, Lexi got up from her ‘hiding place’ in the middle of the floor.
She heard the train door opening at the front, and got her luggage with her magic. Lexi trotted the rest of way to the train station. She got out the door and was welcomed by a cold blow of wind and snow along with something else; her best friend Swirl Gum.
“Hi!” Swirl yelled. “Lexi! Lexi! I’m over here! How was your trip?”
Lexi galloped over to her over excited friend, and smiled. “Hi Swirl! And my trip?” she said going into a frown. “Let’s just say, not well.” But Lexi still tried to keep up the cheery attitude so she smiled and looked at her friend.
Swirl Gum frowned a little but got back her fun self at seeing her friend’s smile. Swirl Gum was a white unicorn with a curly blue and green mane and tail. Her personality- well, let’s just say that she was a happy-all-the-time kinda pony.
“Let’s talk about it over at your house. I’ll wait!” said Swirl Gum.
Lexi smiled at the fact that Swirl was her best friend. “You’re a good friend, and always have been for being so kind,” she stated.
She saw Swirl blush a little bit then motioned with her head that they should get going. Lexi, still with luggage, nodded back and trotted ahead.
Noticing that not much ponies had left the train, she began to wander around in her own mind asking, where are the ponies on the train they going? Lexi was a reader, but not on cities. Most towns she knew were Manehattan, Trottingham, and Canterlot. But where could they be going? Somewhere else?
She was retracted out of her thoughts when Swirl Gum had stopped in front of her, pointing to a door. Lexi quickly realized that this was her house and took the keys out with her magic. She unlocked it and, trotted into the front room.
Her front room was a small room with three small dark brown wooden tables, paintings of the elements of harmony, a few bookshelves filled with fictional and nonfiction, and some soft blue chairs that gathered around the tables.
Swirl ran off for the opening on the left side of the room that led to the kitchen and dining room. Lexi, not ready to just gallop around her house, laid down on one of her blue chairs.
Hearing the sounds of her best friend humming in the kitchen along with smelling the sweet smells of hot chocolate and the feel of home again, Lexi was definitely relaxed completely. Never will I go somewhere else again, she thought slowly.
Snorts and horns were heard from the kitchen with sizzles and plops as well. The song sung from Swirl Gum’s hums was like a sweet lullaby to a baby. The sweet smells- there were nowhere to begin to tell you how sweet they were. Beautiful, sugary, hot, marshmallowey, chocolatey- the adjectives were almost endless.
The aroma of relaxation was so strong Lexi almost forgot about everything that happened before the moment. She closed her eyes, hummed along with Swirl’s song, and took in the deep breaths for her nostrils to suck in and smell with pleasure. Amazing, relaxing.
All of a sudden a white unicorn came in with two cups of hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows held strongly in her light blue glow of magic. She smiled, delighted, and set one of them on the table in front of Lexi.
Lexi sat up at Swirl Gum’s hot chocolate, getting ready to take one sip of the usually delicious liquids her friend offered. While the white unicorn found a seat of her own, Lexi used her magic to pick up her cup, and tip it slightly at the edge of her lips. The brown liquid spilled onto her taste buds, with ever most sweetest hot chocolate delighting her mouth. The word, “Ah,” escaped her lips calmly after she swallowed the drink.
Her best friend, delighted that she liked it, smiled and took a sip as well. Lexi smiled back and stated, “I still can’t believe that they turned your job down at Sugarcube Corner. This is good hot chocolate.”
For the second time in the day, Swirl Gum blushed. “That means a lot, explaining that you don’t like most foods,” she replied, and both of them chuckled.
They drank their drinks sip, by sip, each giggling at each other’s emotions after the unicorns swallowed the drink. It was weird, and maybe a little silly, but that’s how they were friends together.
After both finished their drinks, it appeared that Swirl had remembered one topic: “What happened on your trip?” she asked.
The light purple unicorn did an ever slightest sad look. “Umm, emotions, I guess you could say it,” Lexi replied.
Her friend set down her empty cup on the table and said, “Talk to me.”
Lexi smiled and began the story, but her expression was immediately interrupted by sadness. “I got off the train to Canterlot, to see my parents waiting there, waving elegantly. They wore some fancy scarves, and talked to me in the Canterlot accent. When we walked home, I was bored so I splashed in some mud puddles only to be scolded at by another group of ponies. I- I cried for hours. I don’t know why, but I did.”
Lexi sniffled a little before moving on. “The next day, when it was breakfast, I ate the way ‘dirty ponies’ ate and my parents scolded me and didn’t talk to me. Just because I didn’t eat ‘their way’. It was so DEVASTATING!” and Lexi broke into tears.
“I just KNOW that they don’t even except me any more! They scolded me EVERY SINGLE HOUR after that, and NOW I KNOW they won’t let me come back! I hate being not excepted!”
Swirl widened her eyes at her pastel red and blue maned friend. She walked over to where her friend sat and hugged her. “It’s ok, Lex. You have me, and lots of other ponies that except you perfectly. Don’t worry,” Swirl whispered.
Lexi returned the hug and sobbed into her the white unicorn’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she replied.
Swirl Gum smiled at her friend and said, “Any time.”
The rest of the night the two giggled and talked while watching a couple of movies and eating a couple of sweets made by Swirl Gum. They slept with each other and woke up in the morning happy. They were always good friends, and they both truly knew how to cheer each other up. Their lives were normal as friends.
Most of the time.
