I awoke to the sound of my alarm going off. The constant blaring was a staple of my morning routine, as was my usual habit of simply knocking it off the bedside table. It hit the floor with a muted thump, the noise coming to a stop as the impact rattled it enough that it disrupted the alarm’s wail. It would be repositioned on the same bedside table, in the same position, later today, as was custom. I wasn’t worried about it breaking, though. It had received much more abuse in the amount of time it had served as my daily wake up call, and it was specially crafted with my habits in mind.
Slowly, I got out of bed, the comforter slipping off my body as the cool morning air greeted my senses. Without wasting more time, I shimmied my way off the bed and landed with a dull thud as my hooves met the carpet. Then, with the same practiced motions as every other day, I stretched my body, working the kinks out and loosening up my muscles for the day ahead. After that, I headed towards my bedroom’s adjacent bathroom, my back hoof snagging the door and shutting it behind me as I made it inside.
My hooves clacked noisily along the tile flooring of the bathroom as I sleepily made my way to the nearby shower, my right wing unfurling and snagging a hair brush from the sink it was positioned next to. I reached forward into the shower and turned the nozzle on, bringing the brush up and straightening out any knots my mane had accumulated in the night while I waited for the water to heat up. Once again, this process didn’t take long, and neither did the ensuing shower.
Afterwards, I headed back out into my bedroom, satisfied with the clean feeling I got from washing away the previous day’s sweat and grime from my coat. I picked my saddlebags and swords up on my way out the door, hitching them onto my back with practiced efficiency, the locks snapping into place once they were secured tightly around me.
Breakfast was, once more, a quick affair. A simple serving of toast and an apple for me to tide myself over in the morning, as well as a small cup of coffee to help wake me up. ‘Luna praise whoever made coffee,’ I thought idly with a small smile as I polished off my caffeinated beverage, energy already wiring me up for the day ahead.
After all was said and done, and I had finished my morning routine, I looked up at the clock hanging on the wall next to my office desk. 30 minutes had passed since the alarm; a decent time in all honesty, and it gave me some extra time to enjoy my walk through Canterlot. With that in mind, I grabbed the keys for my apartment off the hook next to the door and exited the room, making extra sure to lock the door behind me before slipping the keys into my saddle bag and making my way down the stairs at the end of the long, carpeted hallway that my apartment room was situated in.
I made my way down the paved streets of Canterlot, taking in a deep breath of fresh air with a soft smile adorning my face. I may not have been a morning pony, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was times like these, when I was alone and out with the barely rising sun at my back, my thoughts the only company I kept, that I truly cherished. The silence of the morning would soon be broken, no doubt by the many ponies and nobles going about their daily lives in the capital city of Equestria. But right now, it was just me and the serene silence.
‘If only it could remain like this a little longer,’ I wished silently, but it was not meant to be. I had to continue, lest I be late. So with that in mind, I continued along my way, my thoughts simply wandering about of their own free will, free to roam as they saw fit.
My musings were brought to an end as I turned away from the nice, paved streets of Canterlot to enter a dark alleyway, the clean, smooth road giving way to a small cobblestone path surrounded by dirt. The rising sun was blocked out by the tall buildings on both ends of the alley, the light from said sun only reaching a few hooves forward into the alley before the shadows swallowed up the path. It almost seemed like a different world. A world untouched by light, where darkness prospered and thrived.
Shaking my head at the trivial thoughts, I made my way further into the dark alley. My destination, a dilapidated shack that looked as if it hadn’t been used in years, stood not too far down the path and to the right. As I approached, I checked behind me, out of habit, to make sure nopony had followed me. I scanned the alleyway on both ends, as well as the light source of the paved streets of Canterlot back to my left. When I was satisfied that I was alone, I entered the building.
The door creaked as I opened it, the floorboards groaning beneath my weight as I stepped inside. Nonplussed by the floor that sounded like it could give out at any time, I made my way further inside to a dirty little kitchen with a grease stained stove, a sink filled with grime, rot, fungus, and any other manner of disgusting material, and a single, off-white fridge.
Reaching behind the fridge, my hoof felt the familiar lever and pulled it down, allowing the fridge to slide to the side and reveal an opening in the wall, a set of fairly used stairs leading down into even further darkness, to which my eyes could not pierce through.
Without waiting, I proceeded down the stairs into the rooms below, where I knew my destination awaited. I could hear the fridge sliding back into place behind me, what little light from the musty kitchen area now blocked off from the absolute darkness I presently found myself in.
Ten seconds. That’s all the waiting I had ever allowed myself. Ten seconds, and my eyes had adjusted enough for me to see the stairs beneath my hooves, the room ahead not lit up like it usually was. Though to be fair, not many ponies would be up at this hour, even for the ones that made this location their home. After those brief ten seconds, which seemed to drag on for an hour in my mind, I continued down the stairs. I learned my lesson after the first time here that if I did not allow myself that small window of time to adjust, I would end up tripping over my own hooves and crash down into the room below.
As I made it to the bottom of the stairs, a light blinked into existence above a small folding table. My hood flew to my face to shield my eyes from the sudden light, as the vague shape of another pony registered in my vision. I knew who it was before my vision readjusted. There was only one pony who would deign it worth their time to greet me.
“Hello, my child. Are you doing well this morning?” a deep voice rumbled out from the pony in front of me. It sounded like a genuine question, with a concerned tone and everything, but I knew that wasn’t the case. This was a formality at best. I would question why he had decided to blind me by turning the light on, but it would be a futile effort. It would be answered with either a full out denial, or an evasion to the question itself; probably with another question.
So, deciding to fall back on my tried and true practice of ‘roll with it’, I answered him back. “Fine, same as every morning. Is Plush in her room?” Straight to the point, with a yes or no question. He preferred this way over all else, as I had to learn through many aggravating conversations with him that had him leading me around in circles, only for me to be deterred after realizing that I had somehow answered my own question. I didn’t know how he did it, but he did it well, and it annoyed me to no end.
By now, my eyes had readjusted to the light in the room, and I allowed myself to bring my hoof down to the floor beneath me. The stallion sitting in front of me was old, evidenced by his slightly muted brown coat and his graying hair that slicked backwards as if held there with some gel; it probably was. His mouth and eyes conveyed an outward appearance of a kind old man who merely cared about how I was feeling. No doubt he had many years to perfect that mask.
“Yes, she is. She should be waking up soon. And Joxer’s probably on his way down as well. If you hurry, you might be able to beat him there.”
Nodding in thanks to him, I headed off towards Plush’s room. As I left, I could feel his eyes on me. Now, while I was used to drawing an amount of stares from other ponies, usually because I had my swords strapped at my sides almost always, his stare was the only one that managed to unnerve me. It was not the stare of a curious pony, nor of lecherous stallion. It was a stare that seemed to crawl it’s way underneath my coat and into the depths of my soul. It was not something you would expect a stallion of his apparent age and demeanor to have… and it scared me. Barely suppressing a shiver, I managed to make my way around the corner of the room quickly, but not before hearing a quiet chuckle coming from the stallion as he watched me leave.
I stared at the door in front of me, the polished oak wood contrasting greatly with the shoddy looking walls and creaky floorboard. I briefly contemplated why they gave her door this much effort, but shook my head to clear the thought from my head. It was best not to question why they did the things they did.
I knocked lightly on the door, the sound echoing around the hallway I was standing in, before quickly entering and shutting the door behind me. “Plush? Are you in here?” I called out to the room softly. I reached behind me and unclasped my saddlebags and swords from my body, the harnesses for both falling off of me as I felt the noticeable weight fall to the floor beside the door with a soft clunk. After relieving myself of my burden, I walked further into the room. “Plush?” I called out again.
No sooner had I said that, then a speedy orange blur collided with my side and I felt myself tumbling head over hoof as the orange missile launched me sideways. When the world stopped spinning around me, I looked up and spotted one of my best friends, Plush Ramen, beaming down at me. Her orange coat seemed to glow slightly in the dim lighting, as her raven colored mane outlined her face.
“Swift!” she called out, a happy smile on her face as she hugged me from her position. “It’s so great to see you again,” she commented as she let go, allowing me to get back to my hooves. I did so without any rush, and I looked to her with a smile in return.
“It’s good to see you too, Plushie,” I said, using the nickname I had given her a while back as I leaned forward and hugged her myself. It had been a while since I had seen her. As far as I knew, she was out on an errand for Don, the aged stallion who had greeted me earlier. I don’t know if that was true or not, as he would never give me a straight answer, and I didn’t want to press Plush for information. If she shared it with me, she would do it of her own volition.
“It’s been so boring without you to talk to. Joxer kept me company, but sometimes a mare just needs another mare to converse with, you know?” she asked me with a sly wink, her tongue sticking out playfully. She knew that I knew what she meant. She and I both cared for Joxer. He was the third member in our little group, and we wouldn’t trade him for the world.
Speaking of Joxer, it was at that moment that another knock echoed throughout the room. Plush’s eyes widened slightly before giving me a mischievous grin and motioning for me to join her. Doing as she requested, I snuck along with her towards the doorway, pushing my belongings out of sight as we both hid behind where the door would open up.
A few seconds later, the door opened and in walked a tan unicorn stallion with glasses. He looked around the room curiously, not spotting us in our hiding spot. Just as I had done, he walked further into the room and called out for Plush. At that moment, said mare signaled for us to move, and we both sprang forward silently.
I noticed with satisfaction that he never saw us coming, nor did he expect to be on the receiving end of a double mare glomp assault. We all tumbled head over hoof, just as I had earlier when Plush had done this to me, before we all ended up in a small pile, Plush and I giggling as we laid on top of the stallion.
For a moment, the only sound in the room were the two of us giggling, until Joxer let out a quiet groan beneath us, before speaking. “Could you two please get off? You’re kind of heavy.”
At that, Plush and I turned our gazes to the stallion beneath us. We knew he didn’t mean it in a bad way, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t mess with him.
“Are you trying to say something, Joxer?” Plush asked him with a glare that could normally send ponies cowering into a corner.
“Yeah! Maybe you wanna be more clear?” I echoed in with my own glare, my wings twitching at my sides, an ingrained response to agitation, which Joxer knew all too well.
His response was expected, in all honesty. His pupils shrank slightly and he tried to back away ineffectually, as he was pinned beneath us. “N-n-no,” he managed to stutter out. “You know I didn’t mean it that way! I mean, Swift, you’re like, pretty strong, so you’ve probably got a lot of muscles, and you know muscles do weigh more than fat. And Plush, you know you’re not all that heavy, right? I mean, I could totally carry you normally, but the two of you together are…” He stopped talking, obviously knowing what his mouth was about to say.
We continued to glare at him for a while longer, though Plush was the first to break the tense silence as she snickered lightly. I followed not long after, my glare breaking as a smile threatened to break out on my face as I futilely tried to hold back my amusement at his distress.
In the end, both of us ended up collapsing on top of him in a fit of laughter, tears leaking their way out of our eyes as we let out our amusement at our little joke on Joxer. Said stallion was giving us both a bemused face, though I noticed that the corners of his mouth were twitching slightly. It wasn’t long before he joined us in our laughter.
We spent the next few minutes like that, enjoying each other’s company while still quietly laughing. Afterwards, Plush and I climbed off of Joxer, who we helped to his hooves before walking over to the side of the room and gathered on Plush’s admittedly comfy bed. And by admittedly comfy, I mean this thing beat my bed by a mile. It was so soft and plush, no pun intended, that I could feel my hooves sinking into the mattress as we relaxed on top of it.
We stayed like that in silence for a minute or two, before Joxer decided to break the silence. “So we finally have a day off,” he said shortly, letting the end of the sentence hang there. His eyes glanced from me to Plush a few times, waiting for one of us to respond.
Plush was the one who chose to do so. “Yeah! We should do something fun, like maybe going out and having lunch at that new Neighponese restaurant!” she exclaimed excitedly. I would agree to that, but we had still not heard input from our third member, so both of us turned to face him with expectant gazes.
As predicted, Joxer didn’t even put up a shred of resistance to our silent please, immediately nodding his head. “Yeah, we can do that. But isn’t it a bit too early to be eating Neighponese? I mean, it’s not even ten yet.”
He had a point. And I had eaten breakfast, however small it was, so I wasn’t all that hungry. “So what do we do until then?” I asked aloud to my two best friends. Surely one of them could provide an answer to that question.
Though I guess my expectations were too high, as they both seemed just as stumped as I did. I don’t recall how long we spent brainstorming, but the idea eventually came across that we could hang out in Canterlot Park, which resided near the edge of a cliff that dropped down to the base of the mountain below. Within no time at all, we had grabbed what we needed; me with my saddlebags and swords, and Plush with her own set of saddlebags. And without further ado, we crowded around Joxer, whose horn lit up in a bright show of light before he teleported us out of the room.
How do I describe being teleported? It’s an odd feeling, and I do not recommend it for ponies who are squeamish or motion sick. The first time I was teleported, I ended up depositing my lunch into a nearby flower bush. But how to describe the sensation of teleporting? It’s like you’re being squeezed through a really tight straw, your body squishing together and being slurped along by some invisible entity, drawing you towards your destination where you pop out into existence and back to normal.
So that’s what I felt as we were teleported to the park. After we managed to regain our bearings, we looked around to see that the entire park was deserted, and we had it all to ourselves. Plush, grinning broadly, leaped forward and began to run around in circles around a small patch of flowers. I don’t remember what they were, only that they were yellow, which contrasted with the bright green of the grass it laid upon.
Seeing Plush run around like that, I felt the urge to join in, and, with a happy cry, I lept into action and started to chase after her. Joxer must have felt it too, because he joined in shortly after me. We spent a long while doing just that; having fun, running around, and enjoying the fresh air. At one point, Plush and I spread our wings and took to the air, leaving behind a crestfallen Joxer, only for him to start in surprise as we swooped down and collectively picked him up, his size not a problem for our combined strength.
We flew through the sky, carrying Joxer, for who knows how long. At one point, we all landed on a cloud, Joxer quickly donning a cloud walking charm I passed him from my saddle bag. We laid there at peace, enjoying the refreshing quiet in the air as we all gazed out into the clear blue sky, the only sound coming from the occasional breeze that whipped through out coats and manes, and our quiet breathing.
As we stayed there, relaxing, all three of our stomachs let out a resounding growl as they voiced their need for nourishment. Grinning sheepishly, we all agreed that it would be good for us to grab lunch as we had earlier planned. Getting down from the cloud we had managed to relax upon for the past who knows how long, Joxer hoofed me back my cloud walking charm, which I slid back into my saddlebag, then joined them in the walk towards our chosen destination for lunch.
An hour later, we returned to the park, our bellies filled with good food. As we returned to our old spot, we found that we once again had the park to ourselves. Nopony had seen fit to visit this spot today, so we all gathered near enough the edge of the cliff overlooking the town below and a part of the Everfree Forest, yet not close enough that we might accidentally fall off.
As one, we remained silent as we stared out across the little town, our side pressed close together. From up here, we couldn’t make out any details, but it was still a nice view.
“You know, this spot is really comfy,” Plush decided to say with a slight yawn as she nestled in closer to me and Joxer. We reciprocated the action, allowing the sense of security we got from being so close to one another to lull our minds into a sort of trance. Joxer and I both yawned at the same time, and all three of us snickered lightly.
“It might not be so bad just to take a nap here,” Joxer supplied.
“Yeah. The grass is comfy, the company’s great, and the wind is giving us a nice breeze,” I spoke up with a happy smile as I let my eyes shut softly. “I can’t really ask for a more relaxing way to spend my time.”
“Agreed,” Plush said from my side.
And, as if in some kind of silent agreement, all three of us gently drifted off to sleep. Nothing could disturb us. We were simply relaxing in our own little world, the park in which we chose to spend the day the only world we needed.
‘I wish we could spend every day like this,’ I remember thinking shortly before sleep took my mind.
Hours later, as the sun was setting, I awoke from my slumber, my head lifting up and surveying where I had slept. Noticing my two best friends sitting so close to me, I smiled as I remembered how I ended up here. The day of playing in the park and the subsequent nap were foremost in my mind, and my smile only grew wider as the seconds passed.
As if roused by my own lack of slumber, the other two gently drifted awake and observed their surroundings, doing pretty much the same thing I had done not a minute ago. They turned to face each other, then me, and we all shared a moment of silent understanding.
‘This day was probably the best day ever.’
I knew we had all thought it, just as they knew we did as well. It was a special little moment of clarity we all shared, and apparently one of us had a momentary epiphany.
“Hey, guys, we should commemorate this,” Plush suggested as she yawned and stretched out.
“How?” Joxer and I both asked at the same time.
She giggled slightly as we both turned to look at each other, the synchronization of our thoughts throwing us off guard. “We should do something. Make a mark, or plant a seed, or something else. Just something to remind us of this day.”
At her idea, I spotted a rather large tree sitting by the cliff edge, it’s leaves swaying in the wind. A smile crept onto my face as I motioned for the other two to follow me over to it, Joxer a little more unwillingly since it was so close to the multi story drop to the mountain base below.
As we reached the tree, I pulled one of my swords from its sheath and gripped the handle in my teeth. Angling my head in just the right way, I set to work. Scratching noises could be heard as I worked away, parts of the tree chipping away as I continued. Joxer and Plush tried to look over me to see what I was doing, but every time they did, I moved so that their view was blocked. Then again, they didn’t try all that hard to peek.
As I finished, I pulled back and blew away the slight coating of sawdust that had gathered on my sword, before stowing it back into it’s sheath. Moving back with the others, I grinned as they got to look at what I had decided to work on.
Scratched across the tree’s trunk were three miniature versions of our heads, all sporting happy smiles. Underneath the picture, words were clearly scrawled into the bark.
Plush Ramen/Joxer/Swift Gale
Best Friends For Life
They smiled at what I had done, apparently agreeing with my idea. We all looked towards each other as the sun began to set in the horizon, and Joxer stuck his hoof out in front of us. Plus joined hers with his, and I joined the two of them shortly afterwards. We all had the biggest smiles on our faces as we all said, “Best Friends Forever.”
That day was forever burned into our minds, and into our hearts. And even if we did lose the memory from our minds as we grew old, that tree would remain standing for years and years past when we died. It was our memento for the future, to show that we would always stick together, that we would never lose the bonds of friendship that held us together so tight.
We spent the last waning hours of daylight in each other’s company, once more staring off into the sky, side by side. By nightfall, we would return back to Plush’s room… but for now, this was all that there was. Just us, the sky, and our friendship.
25 years later
I stood upon the same hill where me, Plush and Joxer once pledged our unending friendship together to each other. The tree was still there, and the same image and words I had carved into the tree so many years ago still remained. The sky was the same color as that day, with the sun beginning to dip down beneath the horizon and setting the area around it in a deep orange hue. The wind still blew through the park like it had so long ago, as did the relative quiet that came with it. However, there were a few things that had changed.
I stood by myself, much taller and a lot less scrawny of a mare than I used to be. My sky blue coat was slightly shaggy and unkempt, though it was mostly hidden beneath a black cloak I had decided to wear for the day; It was the only article of clothing I actually had that would protect me from the wind that was already starting to become colder as winter approached. My silver mane hung down messily in front of my face and obscuring my left eye, the signature swirl missing. And placed right in front of me were two slabs of marble, neatly polished and kept in place by an inch of dirt where they had been embedded into the ground.
My eyes lazily traced over the two slabs, reading the small inscriptions on both of them. Both of them had a single daffodil laid before them. The slab on the left read:
Plush Ramen
1990-2034
I looked to the slab on the right and read that inscription as well.
Joxer
1991-2033
Tears slowly came to my eyes as I continued to stare down at the graves of my two best friends. “It’s not fair,” I said quietly as I fought to hold back a sob. “Why did they have to die, and not me? Why couldn't they be the ones to live?”
I had asked myself this very question time and time again over the past decade. Why had I been allowed to live, while they died. Why couldn't I have gone with them, or better yet, kept them from being taken? Even after all this time, I didn't really have an answer. Fate had decided that it was their time to go, yet not mine.
I hurriedly wiped a hoof across my face to remove the tears, and looked on in silent determination, and a slight bit of guilt. I had come here to visit their graves once again, just like I did every year. Though this time I came to pray. I prayed that they were happy wherever they were now, and I promised them I would continue to live to the fullest… for them.
I was broken out of my thoughts by a black hoof being gently placed on my wither.
“Have you made peace with them?” a deep yet wise voice spoke from behind me.
“Yes,” I responded softly. “I have. I just pray that they have the patience to wait for me.”
The voice behind me spoke once more. “Are you ready to leave then?”
I nodded solemnly. “Yes, master.” And with that, I stood up and turned around to face him, my eyes set into grim determination.
“Good,” my master replied with as much caring and kindness as I had ever heard from him. “It will be a long journey ahead. We must leave now.” He then turned around and strode away, leaving me behind. I took one last glance back at the graves of my two best friends and nodded once before pulling the hood of my cloak over my head and rushing off to catch up with my new master. I would see them again, some day. When my time came, I would welcome death with open hooves.
But until then, I would live my life to the fullest under my new master. I would make a name for myself that ponies would be speaking of for generations to come. I would become a legend, just as my master had already become.