The Things I'd Never Do

Fortunately for Rose, the train station was open on Hearth’s Warming day.

        She approached the ticket counter, and looked up to see a very bored-looking stallion wearing a uniform, and no one else around. The stallion didn't seem to notice her until she quietly cleared her throat.

        "Umm, I would like to buy a one-way ticket to Ponyville, if, I mean, that's okay." She said shyly.

        "Yeah," he said. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you need to go to Ponyville for? Do your parents happen to be around?"

        "No, umm, my parents sent me here to see some reletives for Hearth's Warming, and I'm on my way home." She lied.

        "Okay," he said, handing her a slip of paper "one ticket to Ponyville, the next train leaves from platform seven in about an hour, no need to rush through, there should be plenty of empty seats."

         The ride on the train was long, made longer by the fact that the three other ponies in the train car with her were spread out, silently doing their own thing, as they waited for their stop.

         Not like Rose would have had enough courage to talk to any of them, much less derive any friendly feelings from them. She was very hungry, after only having one little bit of love that day. But, Rose was used to hunger, and wasn’t currently starving like she had been merely a day ago, she could hold out for a little longer.

         The train finally pulled into Ponyvile station a few hours later, and Rose got off. She took a look at her new surroundings from the platform; it didn’t have the awe-inspiring magnificence of Canterlot. Rather, it had more of a small- town charm. The changeling foal began walking down the darkened, snow-covered street, and stopped in front of a bakery that was surprisingly still open, despite the holiday and the fact that it was about 6:00, and already dark out. “Sugar Cube corner”, the sign read.

         She poked her head into the bakery, and saw that it was mostly empty, save for a pink pony, with an even pinker mane and tail, behind the counter. There were also three fillies sitting at a corner booth, sipping cocoa, all three wearing blue capes.

         Rose walked up to the counter. “And what can I do for you cutie?” the pink mare asked in a high-pitched, singsong voice that was practically dripping with enthusiasm.

         “Uhh…, I’d like a cup of hot chocolate, and a chocolate cupcake.” Rose answered, a lot less enthusiastically than the teenager behind the counter.

         “Sure thing!” the pink pony said, and walked back into the kitchen.

         The changeling foal sat silently down in the corner booth opposite that of the other fillies. A few minutes later, the pink baker skipped back with a tray containing Rose’s order. After placing the tray on the table, she turned back to the other three foals.

         “Apple Bloom, were going to be closing early today, Twilight’s back, and she’s throwing a party at her castle. I’m going to be catering, so you and your friends should probably start wrapping up your little meeting in about 30 minutes.”

         “Okay Pinkie.” A cream-colored pony with red hair tied with a pink bow said in a high-pitched southern accent.

         Rose picked up the cup of chocolate and started sipping it. It was sweet, a completely new sensation for Rose. Love didn’t have a flavor, it was pure energy. As for the cupcake, it was also sweet, but didn’t help with the empty feeling in her stomach. Only feelings could do that, and the little changeling had only ordered it as to not arouse suspicion.

        The filly sat there for a while, sipping the cocoa and nibbling at the cupcake. After a while, the red-haired foal that had spoken early stood from her table, and began walking over to Rose’s table. The girl’s two friends, an orange pegasus with a purple mane and a white unicorn with a pink and violet mane, followed tentatively behind their companion.

        “Are you sure about this Apple Bloom?” the orange pegasus whispered.

         “Whadda ya mean Scootaloo?” Apple bloom asked.

        “I just mean that I’ve never seen her before.” Scootaloo answered.

         “Yeah Bloom,” the third member of the group replied. “We don’t know anything about her, and she looks kind of suspicious.”

        “And just how does she look suspicious to you Sweetie Belle!?” Apple Bloom whispered.

        “Well she obviously came in from off the street.” Sweetie Belle responded, still in a hushed whisper. “Just look at all that dirt she’s splattered with, she looks like she hasn’t had a bath or anything to eat in weeks.”

        “Well maybe she’s homeless, a nomad that just blew in from outta town, surely ya don’t think she’s too young. She’s at least our same age.”

        “Well, I wouldn’t want to be a nomad, but that aside. She’s obviously really hungry, but she hasn’t done much more than nible that cupcake.”

        “Well maybe she doesn't like it, maybe she’s saving it for later, are we really gonna stand around and talk about the antics of a stranger, or are we gonna extend a welcoming hoof?!

       Scootaloo “You’re right Bloom, it’s just this weird feeling that girl gives me.” . And with that the three fillies walked up to Rose.

        “Hey there,” Apple Bloom said “Ah’ve never seen ya around these parts before.”

        “No, I’ve never been here before, I just got to town.” Rose replied “Well, anyway, my name’s Apple Bloom, and these two here are my friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.”

        “Nice to meet you, I’m Rose Aphid.” Rose said.

        “We make up the Cutie Mark Crusaders, a club dedicated to earning our cutie marks. We couldn’t help but notice that ya don’t have a mark yet, and well, we’re always looking for more members. So on behalf of Ponyville, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, my friends and Ah would like to be the first ta say welcome.”

        “You, uhm, actually want me in your club?” Rose giggled, then she thought about it, to actually have friends, to be in a club, maybe even find a home? Rose had never had friends before. Even back in the hives, but these three little fillies were offering her their friendship, something that not even her own species had done. Of course, Rose couldn't actually earn a cutie mark, being a changeling, but this would be a good chance to have some fun.

        “Yeah,” Scootaloo said, interrupting Rose’s thoughts. “we flightless pegasus fillies got to stick together, right?” Rose looked down at her wings, she was actually fully capable of flight despite her age, though she didn't get much practice. Changelings typically mature faster than most ponies, but Rose wasn’t about to say that she could fly in present company.

        The changeling thought about it some more, she really didn’t have anywhere else to go, so why not? Then Rose took another look at the Crusaders, they were her age, but they hadn’t seen all the things  that Rose had seen, and had probably never felt true starvation. They were Rose’s age physically, but mentally, Rose was older. These three were still innocent and naive.

         Rose didn’t want them to get hurt, and she knew, deep down, that if she stayed with them they were bound to get hurt. What’s more, she noticed that she felt the same thing she had felt when she saw the lavender alicorn back in canterlot. The hatred was less angry, less present, but it was there,and Rose didn’t like it.

         “Well, I have to thank you for your generous offer, but  I must respectfully  and regretfully refuse. I don’t know how long I’ll be in ponyville, and to be fair to everyone  involved, I think it would be best if I didn’t make any commitments.”

        “Uhhh… are ya sure?” Apple Bloom asked.

        “Yes, I’m positive.” Rose answered, trying to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes as she walked to the counter and paid for her order with the money Joe had given her.

        And with that, Rose left the bakery

…

        The little changeling trudged through the knee-deep snow in the center of town. She was exhausted, hungry, and soaking wet. Finally, she reached a lamppost that was as good a spot as any to sleep, and collapsed. It being all she could do just to keep her disguise.

        She lay there for a while, shivering, and finally could bear the cold no longer. She pulled out Joe’s apron, and bundled up. If I don’t starve the cold will kill me first. Rose thought.

        It had been about an hour since Rose left the bakery, and she had been trying to find a place to sleep, while keeping her mind off of the offer that the crusaders had given her. But now, she could hold it back no longer.

        Rose cried. She cried because the three fillies had been so nice to her, and she had had to refuse them. She cried for the home she didn’t have, and for the family that wasn’t her’s. She cried for the inexplicable hatred she felt for ponies that she didn’t even know. And she cried because she was going to die, alone, her life having never meant anything to anypony.

        By the time Rose ran out of tears, she was already asleep

…

Ohhh… that was not a good idea. Twilight Sparkle thought. It was twelve o'clock, and she was out on a midnight stroll. Her Hearth’s Warming party had ended thirty minutes ago, and the purple alicorn was feeling a bit buzzed.

        After having returned from Canterlot and hosted a party the same day, she did what any responsible pony would do. She left the clean-up to to her baby dragon, spike, and had gone on a walk in hopes that the cold air would help clear her head of the sugar-induced fogginess.

Okay, note to self: next time, make sure to tell pinkie NOT to bring her ultimate nine-layer party cake, too much sugar. This was an empty promise of course, Twilight loved Pinkie’s party cake. She had made the same “note to self” last time, but had conveniently forgotten about it when sending out invitations earlier that day.

        Twilight knew that next time she hosted a party, she would “forget” about her promise, and end up paying for her “forgetfulness” in the same way she was now.

        The princess was roused from her waking coma by a small sound. She listened closer, and realized that the sound was slow, ragged breathing, coming from the direction of a nearby lamppost. She inched closer, her guard up now, ready for anything.

At first, she didn’t see anything. Then she noticed something, barely visible against the white snow, was the Logo for Pony Joe’s donut shop. Then the purple alicorn realised that the Logo was printed on an apron that was wrapped in a ball, half sunk in the snow. What's more, the apron was rising and falling with the rhythm of the breathing.

        Twilight tentatively reached out a hoof, not sure what to expect to find under the apron. Finally, she psyched herself up, and, ready for absolutely anything, whipped back the cloth.

        Underneath, Twilight saw a tiny white pegasus. It had very light pink hair, and was covered in dirt. The little thing appeared to be sleeping, and to have been sleeping for a while, curled up under the apron. It’s face was covered in drying tears, and it must have been very tired, as the purple alicorn hadn’t disturbed it’s sleep.

        Wow, Twilight thought, I guess I wasn’t prepared for absolutely anything.

        If Rose had been awake at that point, she would have laughed at the irony. This was almost the exact situation Pony Joe had found her in behind his shop. That time she had been conscious of course, but just barely, and too incoherent to even notice Joe.

        Twilight looked down at the helpless sleeping filly. She had never seen it before, and she doubted that it had a home or a family, or at least not in ponyville. The little thing was obviously hungry and freezing, not to mention in desperate need of a bath.

        The princess made up her mind, and magically lifted the filly onto her back. It squirmed a bit in it’s sleep, but didn't wake. She picked up the girl’s apron in her mouth, and turned back towards her castle on the outskirts of town.

I’ll just bring her in for the night, so she doesn't freeze. I’ll give her time to build up her strength, and then I’ll help her find a home, and I've got plenty of room for her until then. What could possibly go wrong?

        Twilight stopped in front of the castle looked back at the sleeping foal on her back, and thought about that last sentence. Ohhh Spike is gonna kill me!