Broken Crystal

I sigh as I look at my text-book. This class was so boring. The teacher was droning on and on, as always.

I shifted as I tried to get my wings to stay still. I was aching to fly. Since they cancelled recesses, my wings had gotten no excessive exercise.

"Teacher! Dawn won't sit still!!"  a whining voice called.

I turned around sharply to see my nemesis glaring at me from three seats down. She was the typical nemesis: The bully, the popular girl, the one that got on my nerves the most

Her name was Crystal Blossom and she was waving her hoof at the teacher, who looked back at her with mild concern.

She seemed too depressed to care to much, and it showed.

Most of the adults in the Empire looked depressed, and I have no idea why—its kind of scary.

"Dawn, will you please stop squirming and learn all about our great King's rule?" Ms. Sapphire asked.

I nodded meekly and she nodded and turned back to her lesson. I sighed as I got back to stretching my wings, more discreetly this time.

I didn't need a detention. I've already been busted three times this week, for stupid things naturally.

Ms. Sapphire sighed and looked at the clock, it looked like she was bored like the rest of us. I knew we all missed our old lessons, how to make crystal berry pies or how to tie crystals into things. Those were better days.

Things change. I know this from experience.

Even though I'm only nine and I don't have a cutie mark, I'm pretty mature for my age I guess. Ponies say it's because I'm adopted; but I don't care  I think my family is the best in all of Equestria!

I sat quietly for the next thirty minutes. In that time I learned that the Empire didn't fall; It was saved; saved by King Sombra. I wonder how many times they're gonna drill that story into us before we all believe it, because I don't think it's working.

Ponies are talking of rebellion, at least they are where I live. We were was kicked out of our old, nice home and forced to live in the 'slums'. Well, the slums in the Empire aren't that bad, we have running water and plenty of food it's just when the old ruler ruled us, we had much better jobs and more freedom.

"Well... We're done for the day, class. Please hand in your text books and leave in an orderly fashion, one at a time." Ms. Sapphire droned as the bell rang.

I jumped—I had no idea it was time to leave. Usually I'm looking at the clock all day, waiting for something interesting to happen. Huh, weird how I didn't notice.

"Oh, and Dawn?"Ms. Sapphire asked, crossing my path as I tried to leave.

I smiled at her. She was very pretty, if her coat was her regular shine  She was a unicorn, and her coat was now a dull blue-gray when it used to be bright baby blue.

Her mane is a gray color, now. It used to be pure white.

"Yes?" I replied, smiling up at her. She sighed as she tried to smile back.

"Try to not cause any more problems going home today, okay?" She replied with a sigh.

Wow, Ms. Sapphire was sighing a lot today.

Okay thatwas weird. Not that I don't cause trouble—I do.  I guess she saw me steal that one berry from the berry stall last Monday. In my defense I didn't have anything for lunch and I was starving.

Yeah, that's a lame excuse.

It's not like I steal anything more  than a berry. I'm not stupid: if I stole anything bigger than a shoe, I'd be caught and thrown in jail. I'm pretty fast though, so nopony sees me. At least I thought they didn't.

So I smiled innocently at her while she waited for a response. I shrugged and laughed nervously.

"Well.. You know how I love to eat healthy, right?" I misdirected.

Ms. Sapphire sighed and nodded for me to leave.

School seems to last forever. I leave the school gratefully and flap my wings freely. They are so stiff I could almost hear a crack.

I really want to fly right now, but I can't. I can only fly near my house or ponies will see me and report me.

Then I'll be in trouble. Wow, I'm getting into a lot of trouble lately.

I smile as my only friend walks out of the school. Her name is Cheery Flame and we've been friends since the first grade. She smiles at me when she sees me and trots over.

"Hey, Dawn!" Cheery calls as we hoof bump.

"Hey! Want to walk home with me again? It'll be fun!" I entice her.

Cheery seems to think about it for a while and she gives me a curious look.

"What're we gonna do?"

Cheery's a great friend, but sometimes she can be such a worry-wort. She nods, she mostly agrees with my adventurous attitude as long as she doesn't get into trouble.

"Nothing, I promise!" I say with a smile.

Cheery just sighs and nods. Cheery and I walk towards my street and she smiles at me.

Cheery is really nice, but sometimes she doesn't like to talk.

"So how did your day go?" Cheery asks, knowing my mom probably doesn't care. None of the adults do now.

"Oh, same old same old." I reply with a small grin.

It's nice that they put me in the same grade with such a great friend.

"Did you see Diamond's new saddlebag?" I start gossiping, trying to fill the now awkward silence.

Cheery just rolls her eyes, she's not fond of gossip like I am.

"What are they like?" She asks anyway.

"Bright blue with diamonds on them,duh." I reply, Cheery smiles at this—she knows I'm trying to be funny.

Cheery and I sigh as we finish laughing together, we're always laughing even when our world seems too dark to even crack a smile.

"So, how's your mom dealing with... you know," Cheery asks with a pitying look.

I sigh. She's talking about my dad being captured. Again. Mom says he deserved it: he broke the law. How he did this, I have no clue, and nopony will tell me.

"I think she's just mad about it now, I'm with her: we shouldn't be imprisoned!" I say with a triumphant smile.

I've been thinking of saying something like that for the past week, I just needed somepony to bring the topic up, this was perfect.

"Ssh!!! Will you keep your voice down! Sompony's gonna hear you!" Cheery hissed at me.

I smiled meekly again as we continued our walk.

Actually, behind my cocky attitude I'm afraid. Afraid for my dad and afraid that I'll get caught too. My mom says that if I don't shape up, they'll come after me next, but I think she's afraid of them too.

So I just smile bravely as we pass a few inspectors. They wear a drab gray uniform with scary looking spikes on their uniforms, mostly on their vests and hats. I'm not afraid of them, but I'm afraid of the King.

Some say that the King will punish you if you do anything happy, that's not true. Mostly what we get in trouble for is breaking the law and being too rowdy, since most crystal ponies like me love to party.

But that all stopped when he arrived and enslaved all the grown-ups.

I smile as I keep walking through the slums. The slums of the Empire was like my second home.

I know every inch of it. The graffiti sprayed allies, the dead flies on the window of the apple cart. You name it, I'll take you there.

Cheery's not from here though, she lives in a good neighborhood because her family is connected and they don't break the law, like mine.

I sigh with relief as a couple of inspectors pass us. There are a lot stationed here because this is where most of the crime happens.

I should know—I do some of it.

"Why d-do you think there were ) so many guards out today?" Cheery asks me nervously as we start to move again.

She's right, usually there's only a couple of the patrols around but today there was were like twenty of them. That couldn't be good.

"I'm not sure, but I should get home soon or my mom'll be worried," I say, and as we pick up the pace.

Cherry sighed with relief as we finally reach my crappy little house. It's only one floor, where hers is about three.

My house is a dull brown painted mess. It even has a stray cat wandering around my backyard.

My mom thinks it has rabies, so I'm not allowed outside at night.

"Well, here's you're chateau, madame!" Cheery said as she raised her hoof dramatically.

I laugh, Cheery always tries to make me feel better about  my house by using fancy words.

"Why thank you darling!" I reply as I flip my short purple mane in her direction.

She laughed as she gets a face full. "You really need a mane-cut." She nags as she blinks the hair out of her eyes.

I smile at this as I walk into my house

My mom isn't in the living room and this worries me. Usually she's there sitting on the couch or sipping apple-juice in the kitchen. I frown and try to see where she could be, checking her usual places.

"My mom's not here." I say to Cheery who looks at me surprised.

"She usually is though, right?" Cheery replies with a hint of worry, she knows my mom can be a little spacey. Sometimes she'd be gone for a whole night, with us not knowing where she is.

"Yeah, usually.. Hold on I have an idea." I reply with a small smile. I have an idea, its a long shot, but it might be where she is.

My parents' old bedroom