All that she could remember was the warming fireplace.
Cherry Breeze squeaked out a small yawn and settled back into her comfy pillow sitting a few feet away from the fireplace. Her bright gold dress felt gray, only illuminated by the fire that danced above the cherry wood. It popped and slightly sizzled, with no other sound interrupting it.
The small unicorn filly looked dimly into the fireplace, like it was hypnotizing her. The flames mirrored into her dark blue eyes, keeping her attention on them and nothing else. Her eyes contrasted with her bright red hair, which mixed with the flaming fireplace and illuminating her cream coat.
She nuzzled her cheeks into the pillow, soaking in all the comfort that the pillow could provide her. She closed her eyes gently and opened her mouth slightly, swiping at her ears and digging her face into the pillow playfully. The fire warmed her and the pillow provided her the necessary comfort she needed.
“Breeze, dear?”
Cherry's head sprung up suddenly as she heard the faint clopping sound coming from the other room. She quickly gazed at the doorway, and found that her thin father was in the middle of it. His grey mustache curled both ways and his short black mane was combed back. It matched the professional look of his black suit that gave him a calm, but stern feel.
“Yes, father?” Cherry said meekly.
“Shouldn't you be in bed by now?” He glanced at the grandfather clock, which read that it was about to be quarter to eleven. Cherry puffed her cheeks with determination.
“But, father! I am an elegant lady! Shouldn't I be able to stay up longer?”
Her father sat there for a moment, then let out a small chuckle. He walked towards his daughter, and leaned forward. “But darling, you are not a lady until you are older.”
“That's no fair!” Cherry suddenly yelped. “I have a friend whose father lets her stay up all the time! Why don't I get the same treatment?”
Her father stood up and gazed out the window. Cherry looked at him sternly with red cheeks and a furrowed brow. The aging stallion broke out of his gaze and looked down at his daughter.
“Ah, but what happens after?”
Cherry gave him a puzzled look. “What?”
The old stallion let out a small laugh. “You see, things have effects. That means that when something happens, another thing happens as a result of that action.”
Cherry shook her head. “That sounds complicated!”
“I see. I didn't expect you to understand at first. Let me give you an example.” He went over next to a small desk and rested on the side. “Your friend stays up later than most fillies do. But that means she won't get enough sleep. And when she does not get enough sleep...”
Cherry gasped. “That means she is tired!”
He laughed. “There you go! If she keeps going on like this, she will always be tired.”
Cherry looked down at the ground and nodded her head. “I understand now.”
“And that is why you cannot stay up. You will become an elegant mare one day, but you won't be a rested one if you stay up for too long.”
With that, he started walking towards the doorway.
“Wait!”
He looked behind his shoulder. “Yes?”
“Can I at least sleep here for tonight, by the fire?”
He paused for a moment. He nodded.
“Alright. Get some sleep. Tomorrow we are going on a trip.”
Cherry grew a wide smile and her heart started beating. “Okay! I'll sleep the best I can!”
She took one last look at the fire, then gently dropped her head on the pillow. The light invaded beyond her eyelids, but she did not care. She could feel the sense of sleep washing over her body silently like the wave of the ocean.
Soon, it was not very long until she had fallen asleep.
~~
Cherry Breeze looked out the window of her carriage. Cherry Breeze looked out the window of the carriage, the view of the Canterlot streets passing by as the carriage was being pulled along. The day was starting to disappear as dusk's last hour of dim sunlight shined on the shops of the downtown district. Some ponies were starting to lock up their shops and heading home for the day.
Across from her in the carriage was her butler, Mr. Gusto. He was tall for an earth pony and wore a solemn expression. He had a black moustache, matching the look of his blue combed back greased mane. He looked out the window as well, but with less interest.
“One of these days I will own these buildings,” Cherry said. “I will have my own beauty store and I'll be famous.”
Gusto quickly glanced at her and then back at the window. “Well, you do have the fortune to do it,” he said dryly. “However, you must be older to do so.”
Cherry looked at Gusto worriedly, her cheeks turning red. “Why do I always have to wait for things, Gusto?”
He looked at Cherry with a raised eyebrow. “Beg your pardon?”
“I always have to be older to do things,” she argued. “I'm old enough. I'm a home schooled unicorn. I can handle my own responsibilities! Why do I-”
"Miss," Gusto cut in. "You should not let your temper get the better of you. It is not proper."
Cherry's mouth hung open, then she closed them and looked down at the ground. When she spoke, it was with a small tone.
“I just don't want to wait for things, that's all.”
Gusto stared at her for a good few seconds and nodded. “I can see where your distress comes from,” he said. “However, there is a saying that ponies use.”
“Yeah?” she said curiously.
“Good things happen to those who wait. Patient ponies are much more likely to get what they want if they wait for things. Constantly wanting things this very second shows that they are arrogant.”
Cherry leaned in with wide eyes and then nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”
Gusto smiled. “You are a very good girl. Most mares don't usually show signs of great intelligence like you do.”
Cherry blushed and gave a weak smile. “Why, thank you, Gusto.”
“My pleasure.” He looked out the window and nodded. “We have arrived.”
Cherry looked out the window as well and found that they had arrived at a very large mansion. It was almost as big as her own mansion, lined with marble and outlined from the from the sun. The small filly became excited because of the news of a nice backyard that she could play in.
Cherry's mouth was agape. The pony that pulled the carriage opened the door and stretched his forearm to the entrance of the mansion. Gusto leaped out first, and then assisted Cherry Breeze out of the carriage. Gusto tipped the carriage driver and led Cherry to the doorstep of the mansion.
Gusto knocked three times. The two waited patiently until the door opened. Standing in the doorway was a pudgy cream unicorn stallion with a top hat and a pair of small round glasses. His mustache was bushy and a small goatee stuck on his chin. He looked at the two and gave out a low hardy laugh.
“Ah! You have arrived! I believe it was Gusto, wasn't it?”
“Indeed it is, Mr Bumble,” he nodded with a relaxed smile.
“And what have we here?” He looked down at Cherry Breeze, who had already performed a welcoming motion.
“Greetings, Mr. Bumble,” she said in an official tone. “It is lovely to meet you.”
Bumble bellowed a laugh. “We can just skip the formalities, young child. Please, come in.”
Bumble led the way inside, and the pair followed. Immediately, Cherry Breeze's eyes were wide with wonder. The entrance room was large enough to rival even Canterlot Castle. The ceiling was extremely high, with a chandelier hanging motionless above them. The entire room appeared to shine like it was made out of gold bars.
“I see this impresses you,” Mr. Bumble said. Cherry Breeze turned around and squealed with delight.
“Your home looks amazing!”
“Ha ha! Yes it does, my dear. A pile of fortune and a bit of luck in the business side of things has allowed me to own a mansion such as this.”
Gusto tapped on Bumble's shoulder. “I do admire your mansion as well, sir. But I believe Miss Breeze was to meet somepony here.”
Mr. Bumble nodded. “Ah yes. I believe she wanted to see my son, Emerald.”
Cherry widened her eyes. “Do you know where Emmie is?”
“Heh heh, I will never get old of his nickname you gave him,” Mr. Bumble said. “I will fetch him.”
He then walked down a hallway, leaving Gusto and Cherry Breeze alone in the entrance room. Cherry stared up at the ceiling in amazement. Gusto kept his eyes half opened.
“Cherry!”
Cherry twirled her body, and found him. Emmie was a unicorn just like her though his fur colour was a bright blue. His head was skinnier than most colts, and he wore a white caped uniform that gave him a composed look. His brown mane was shaped in the form of a bowl, to which gave him his second nickname, chocolate cake bowl.
“Emmie!” Cherry ran over to her friend. Emerald smiled at her as she approached her.
“Hi, Cherry! It's been a long time since I've seen you.”
“Yes, it has been waaay too long!” Cherry replied.
Gusto glanced at his wrist watch and then at Mr. Bumble. “I am assuming that one of your butlers will escort her back at approximately eight o'clock?”
“Yes, of course. I'll be sure that my butlers are not tardy.”
“Good. You have a nice day then, Mr. Bumble.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gusto.”
~~
“What do you want to do then, Emmie?”
The two sat in a large and spacious bedroom that belonged to Emerald. They both sat in comfy red chairs . Tea had been served to them, but the cups and saucers lay motionless on the table with the vapour of steam slowly disappearing. Emerald shrugged.
“I don't know,” he said. “Do you want to play a game?”
Cherry's eyes widened. “What kind of game?”
Emerald put his hoof on his chin and looked up thoughtfully. “Maybe we can play tag?”
“That would be great! Inside the mansion?”
Emerald shook his head. “No, no. In the forest!”
Cherry's excitement faded. She peered out the window that showcased the backyard. The well kept grass and shrubbery ended at a dry wooden fence, and beyond the fence was an overgrowth of thin dead trees and black chasms of emptiness that were hidden by the lack of sunlight.
Cherry gulped and gazed back at Emerald. “Um, are you sure that's a good idea? It looks scary.”
Emerald sat up and stood straight with confidence. “Don't worry. I've gone inside so many times I can't count! There's nothing in there!”
“I don't know,” Cherry said uncertainly. “It's getting late, and I definitely don't want to get your father mad.”
“Oh, come on. Are you scared?”
Cherry gasped and growled at Emerald. “How dare you! I'm not scared! In fact, I do this everyday!”
Emerald sneered. “Then prove it to me.”
He started over to the window and unlocked it. Cherry stayed with a puzzled look.
“Aren't you going to ask your dad for permission?”
Emerald shook his head. “Naw. He'll probably say no, and then we'll be sitting here bored out of our minds.”
“But that's dangerous!” Cherry yelped. Emerald rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder, annoyed.
“Oh, come on. You just wanted to prove to me that you are not a scaredy cat.”
Cherry started to say something, but no sound came out. She sighed, and then nodded hesitantly.
“Fine, I'll do it.”
“Great! Keep your voice down and make sure nopony sees you.”
Emerald raised the window and jumped out. Cherry gasped, but settled down once she saw a blue hoof wave outside. She approached the window and climbed up. A wave of fear suddenly enveloped her, and she was starting to have second thoughts about going out at all.
She carefully pinpointed the steps for the other side of the window. She breathed a relaxing sigh as she saw that the window was only a couple feet high from the ground. With a small leap, she landed on her hooves to the ground.
Cherry looked around for Emerald, and saw that he was nowhere to be seen. She was about to call his name, but remembered that she had to keep her voice down. She scanned the backyard, and saw that he was already on the other side of the fence. He smirked at her, and weakly waved his arm.
Cherry carefully treaded across the backyard and approached the wooden fence. She was given a nod of assurance from Emerald that he would catch up as she climbed over. With a leap, she grabbed the top and looked to Emerald for help. She was practically glided down as she touched the ground, and they exchanged pleasant glances.
After a quick lookout of the backyard to make sure that nopony had seen them, they entered the forest. Instead of the nice well-kept grass that was the backyard, it was almost immediately replaced by a messy green moss. A dirt trail was all that led them into the forest.
Fallen trees were scattered everywhere, forcing the pair to tread over them. The trees that were still planted in the ground were void of any leaves, and their branches were a strong reminder of thin bony fingers that belonged to a terrifying fingered creature. The air was stronger in the forest, and Cherry could have sworn that there was a green vapour floating above them.
Cherry felt an odd mushy substance below her feet. She looked down and stuck out her tongue in disgust as she discovered that she had come across a patch of mud. It stained her white hooves with an ugly splotch of brown, and it had started to dampen on her equally white dress.
“This place is gross,” she said. “I really do not want to be here.”
“Cherry, you haven't given it a chance yet! It's just one mud puddle.”
“Yeah, well I bet there are many more out here.” She turned around in the direction of the fence. “I am going back to the mansion.”
“Wait! Come on, Cherry! At least one game of tag, please?”
Cherry looked over her shoulder and glanced at Emerald's pleading expression. She sighed and turned around.
“Not it!” she said quickly.
“Aw...” Emerald turned to a tree and closed his eyes. “One hundred,ninety nine,ninety eight,ninety seven...”
Cherry quickly darted away as fast as she could manage with her dress on. She started descending down a hill and glanced down at the ground to make sure that she would not trip over any branches or rocks. She surveyed the forest in hopes for a good hiding spot, but with no luck.
Cherry decided to keep moving, realizing that Emerald could possibly be halfway done counting. She kept looking for an acceptable hiding spot, but nothing was good for her. Things were suddenly looking slim for her. She stopped in her tracks and took a deep breath. In the distance, she could hear the familiar battle cry of hide and seek, and she realized that she had not found a good hiding place.
There just had to be a perfect hiding spot. There just had to be! Cherry Breeze looked all over, not minding that her dress was attracting sticks and brown leafs. She breathed faster, and sweat was coming down her brow as she darted around the forest looking for an acceptable hiding spot.
She did notice, however, that the light was starting to disappear. The day was inching closer to concluding, the evening waiting to take its place. She stared up at the sky and gulped.
Snap
Cherry twirled her body towards the source of the noise, but she didn't find anything. She surveyed the clearing she was in, hoping to find something that may have made the noise. Nothing was visible. Her ears perked up, trying to find another noise.
There wasn't. In fact, there wasn't a noise at all. Only the soft and fast breaths coming from Cherry was the only thing that she could hear. There was no wind and there was no animals shrieking its cries.
There was no noise in the forest at all.
Cherry wished that Emerald would find her soon. The game of tag had run its course and it was no longer fun in the forest. The last minutes of daylight slowly disappeared from view. Cherry wandered in the forest, shouting Emerald's name.
Had he abandoned her? Perhaps he got bored and he figured that she could get out of the forest herself. Maybe he was mean spirited and he was playing a joke on her. Emerald could not have left Cherry in the forest by herself.
Or could he? The air became chilly. Cherry shivered alone in the forest, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. Her dress could not ward off the cold by itself, and she was as skinny as a rake. Tears swelled in her eyes, as she could not bear the frigid temperatures.
She was never getting out of here, she deduced. She was going to spend the rest of her days in this forest, eating sticks and never wearing another beautiful dress. She trudged through the forest, her soft whimpers echoing across the damp landscape.
She had lost all sight above her. Cherry could see only a few feet in front of her and there was no illumination that could lead her back to the mansion. She stopped at a tree and leaned against it to catch her breath..
“This is all your fault, Emerald...” she muttered under her breath. “This is all your fault...”
Crunch!
A loud noise sounded only a few feet behind her. Cherry let out a quick shriek and hid behind the tree. She held her breath and squeezed her eyes closed. No other sound could be heard, and there were no more sudden noises.
Maybe it was Emerald? Perhaps it was one of the butlers sent out to find her in the middle of the night. It could not have been a wild animal; as far as Cherry could tell, she would have heard them if there were any animals in the forest.
Cherry exhaled, and peered beside the tree with squinted eyes. Her eyes had to adjust to the darkness, now that there was no longer a visible light. She surveyed the clearing for a few seconds. Then she saw it.
A colt stood in the middle of the clearing. He was breathing rapidly and heavily, skipping a few beats. His hair looked messy, but Cherry couldn't make out the colour. She looked carefully, and noticed that his coat colour was a dark gray, or that could be just because she had a butchered vision.
Cherry bit her lip. She wanted to help him and see what he needed, but at the same time was concerned that maybe he was not friendly. He sure did not look like any of the colts that she had seen before. It also raised the question, why was he there in the forest in the first place?
Maybe she could slip away without making a sound and she could continue searching for a way to exit the forest. But then, if the colt was in the forest, perhaps he knew a way around it? Cherry had only treaded here in the forest for the very first time in her life, and perhaps the colt could help her back on her way.
Cherry took a step, and the colt started to cry.
It came as a surprise to her. She immediately tensed and dodged back behind the tree and held her breath once more. Cherry listened as the colt whimpered softly and sniffled in the cold atmosphere. Cherry dropped her eyes in understanding.
Perhaps she could make him feel better? Maybe if she presented herself in a pleasant way, she could get his trust and he would eventually show her the way out of the forest. Making up her mind, Cherry sighed and stepped out from behind the tree.
“Hello?” she called gently.
She noticed the trembling in her voice, and mentally slapped herself for that. The colt looked up, and Cherry could finally get a good look on the colt. His eyes were red with streaks of tears rolling down his face. He was noticeably pale, almost like he was frightened by something like a ghost.
“Hello? Are you hurt?” she said to the colt.
Like a deer staring with blinded eyes, the colt did not reply. He only looked at Cherry with a blank expression. Cherry gulped and took a few steps close towards him. He snapped back quickly, making Cherry tense. She reached out her arm slowly, and the colt followed it with his eyes.
“My name is Cherry Breeze. I am lost in this forest. Are you too?”
The colt did not respond again. He was definitely scared of something. Was it the forest? Was he scared of the lack of sound in this place as well? Cherry gave a small gentle smile and still stuck out her arm. He was not behaving like a regular pony. It was almost as if he was raised by wild animals or something of the sort.
“Are you alright? Do you know a way out of this forest?”
The colt looked down at the ground with tired eyes. His breathing had returned to normal, but he was still exhausted. Cherry figured that he was running from something. But if there was nothing in the forest, then what could he be running from?
“Please,” continued Cherry. “I must know how to get out of this forest. It is getting cold out.”
The colt looked up, and his eyes grew wide. He quickly turned and sprinted away into a bush. Cherry took a step forward and shouted at him, but he was long gone. She looked behind her shoulder, and saw that there was a light.
A butler levitating a lantern stared at Cherry Breeze with an unimpressed look. Cherry gasped as she saw him, but was almost as relieved to see somepony that looked normal.
“There you are,” he said with a low and tired tone. “Been treading this forest for a bit too long, have you not?”
Cherry shook her head. “You misunderstand, I was playing a game with Emerald, and I-”
“I do not need to hear it,” the butler interrupted. “It is not in my interest to know what you have been doing. I am here simply to retrieve you. Your chaperone, Gusto I presume, has been hysterical about your whereabouts.”
“But I was trying to get back to the mansion, and I was lost!”
“Again, I have no interest in the matter. You will have to explain this to your chaperone once we return.”
Cherry started to say something else, but nothing came out from her mouth. She drooped her head and nodded glumly. The butler sighed and turned in the opposite direction.
“Let's head back. It is late enough as it is.”
The walk back to the mansion was silent, just as much as the forest was. Cherry stared down at the ground to not just look for things that could possibly trip her, but also in shame. She was at least happy to see that there was a proper light.
~~
“But I said that I was sorry!”
Mr. Bumble shook his head. “It is nothing to be sorry for. I am simply informing you that your father might be displeased with what happened tonight.”
Cherry looked down at the ground in regret. Thoughts swirled in her head, with theories of how badly her father would take the news. Emerald stood beside his father, his eyes averted away from both of them.
They all stood in the mansion entrance, where Cherry had originally admired its beauty. Now it seemed like it was the start of her path to her death. Every second felt like forever as she waited for one of her butlers to arrive. There was a change of plans, as the butlers in Mr. Bumble's mansion were busy with an incident in another room.
Cherry assumed that Gusto was dispatched to get her. The anticipation of seeing his face was turning her inside out in fear of what was about to happen. She could feel her heart pounding at the thought that he was going to relay this information to her mother and father. She stood there, shame enveloping her whole.
"This is odd," Mr. Bumble muttered. "Normally, your butler isn't this late. I was sure that the message had pulled through..."
Cherry breathed easy for a moment. She was relieved that she would not have to see Gusto. The thought was instantly dashed as the rapping of the door echoed across the entire mansion. Mr. Bumble perked his ears up in delight.
"Ah, he has arrived," he said. He turned to the door and Cherry followed. Emerald stayed behind them, and Cherry gave one last look. Emerald did not even meet her eyes. Mr. Bumble opened the door to reveal an unimpressed Gusto standing near the doorway.
"You are a tad late," Mr. Bumble said. "What for?"
"I am terribly sorry, Mr. Bumble. However there has been a small event that required my attention for a while. Please excuse my tardiness."
Mr. Bumble smiled and nodded his head. "Do not worry. I don't hold a grudge."
Gusto looked down at Cherry. She frowned as she met his gaze. He cleared his throat and turned to the carriage parked outside.
"Then I suppose we shall leave now. Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Bumble."
"As long as it doesn't happen again. Goodbye, Gusto. Goodbye, Madam Cherry."
Cherry Breeze did not hear the farewell. She was too concerned about what sort of punishment she would receive once she arrived home. Gusto opened the door to the carriage and Cherry reluctantly jumped in. He entered through the door opposite and ordered the carriage carrier to start. He looked out the window, and then at Cherry. She was looking down at the ground with a face of shame.
"What is the matter?"
"I'm going to be in a lot of trouble once we get back," Cherry said sadly.
Gusto raised a brow. "And what makes you think that?"
"Because I went into the forest when I shouldn't have."
"And why would that get you in trouble?"
Cherry looked up, puzzled. "What?"
"I know your father very well, Cherry. More than you know. This is among the worst things you have done."
Cherry was going to cry her eyes out.
"But you have not done anything bad."
Cherry did not cry. She just stared at her butler in a different way.
"What are you talking about?"
"You have not done a single bad thing in your life, Cherry. I do not think you have realized that. There are several fillies and colts that have done bad things. You have not."
"But wasn't me going into the forest a bad thing?"
"Absolutely not. In fact, anypony could make that mistake. A bad thing would be robbing a pony, destroying property, or even harming somepony. Those are bad things. You going into the forest is not a bad thing."
Cherry stared at Gusto with wide eyes. But she could not shake an odd feeling. The only way to make it go away was to ask a question.
"What happens to ponies who do bad things?"
Gusto did not speak for a moment. "Perhaps that is a question for another time."
"Please," Cherry said. "I know I am not old enough, But now I need to know. What happens to bad ponies?"
Gusto gazed into the cold and damp night outside his window. Then he sighed.
"They are removed from society for a set amount of time, depending on the things that they do. This is to ensure that these ponies do not commit crimes again, and they do not harm other ponies. This is called a prison, where several of these ponies go for the crimes they commit."
Cherry nodded. "I see."
Gusto gave a weak smile. "You going into the forest at night is not something to go to prison for."
Cherry, for the first time in a while, smiled as well.
~~
She forgot all about the little colt in the forest.
~~
Cherry Breeze grew up to adulthood, though she stayed at the wondrous mansion that was her home. The property sat on top of a lonely hill, making visitors climb their way up the dirt road and descend again. It had a marvelous view of the city of Canterlot, Like Emerald's, it was lined with the elegance of white marble that subtly masked any sense of imperfection of the building. At the front were statues that acted as devices to spew out water into a collection of fountains. They were posed as elegant mares although their faces were nondescript and barely comprehensible. The grass was well kept, and shrubbery was properly maintained.
At the back of the mansion was a beautiful garden. Flowers of every colour lined up and sprouted in different directions. It was a beautiful sight to behold for visitors that come from time to time. Everything about the mansion was amazing. It was astounding. It was brilliant.
To Cherry Breeze, however, it was her empty home.
Before dawns colours could illuminate the towering house, Cherry Breeze woke up in her bed. She felt an odd sense of discomfort that negated her will to sleep. Her eyes were only halfway open, but she was wide awake. Cherry stood herself up, and looked out the window. Through the window panes, the black night was turning a dim yellow and it was threatening to become morning in less than an hour.
Cherry did not bother to look at the clock that stood leaning against the wall. She also did not care to check herself in the mirror. She pushed the door open and started down the winding hallways of her mansion. The house was dark, with small lights on either side of the hallways glowing up only a fraction of the wall. Cherry did not mind this as she gotten used to it, as her night wanderings grew more frequent by the day.
Eventually, Cherry found herself exiting the house and setting foot into the garden at the back. A bee zoomed past her, causing her to gasp. She settled down and explored the garden. Each flower popped in dim colour from the moonlight, which gave them a darker shade. Cherry swiftly gazed at each flower, shifting to the next as she passed by them. It was a slow process that she almost felt like she was a small ballerina dancing in the night.
Cherry looked at one particular rose. It was slowly wilting away, but its colour still remained. The mare approached it, and breathed in its scent. It settled her sinuses, and ultimately comforted Cherry into a near comatose state.
A small creak snapped Cherry back into reality and she twirled her body to meet the gardener, an elderly old earth mare, standing in the doorway. She was thin and her skin was spotted with wrinkles, although a vibrant yellow dress blanketed the small flaws.
The gardener glanced at Cherry in surprise. "Oh! You are up awfully early!"
"Yes," Cherry said sheepishly. "I suppose I am."
The old mare chuckled softly. "Did you not get enough sleep?"
"I suppose you can say that."
"Ah. I guess the flowers are just too intoxicating to ignore, aren't they?"
Cherry returned with a small laugh at the joke. "Well, you do a very fine managing this garden I just could not keep away."
"Aw," the gardener blushed. "You don't have to compliment me."
The old mare approached Cherry and looked beyond her. She frowned.
"Something wrong?" Cherry asked.
"This one is starting to die." The gardener pointed at the rose that Cherry had been studying. Cherry nodded.
"Yes, I can see that."
The aging mare studied it more closely, then shrugged. She staggered off to the shed. "I suppose some things have to die someday, no matter how good it is."
Cherry took a quick look at the flower, then without a word entered the house. She did not recall having a more weird conversation with the gardener than before. Then again, Cherry hardly ever talked to the gardener at all. It was these thoughts that troubled her until she saw that a door had been left open. Cherry went to close it, until an odd sense of curiosity took over her.
Cherry did not realize she had entered her mothers room until it was too late. The room was bare and the paint chipped away, eventually falling into small strips on the dusty cherry red floor. Only a small carpet remained which lay on the centre of the room. Cherry walked towards it and picked it up. Something fluttered to the ground as she did so. Cherry tossed the carpet to the side and picked up the object.
It was a photo. It must have been left behind after the moving of all the furniture. The photo was of Cherry's mother. There was no colour to the picture, but Cherry could recall the colours of her mother. Her coat was a pale white, brighter than Cherry's own dampened cream colour. Her imperfections were masked with the help with a massive slab of makeup that set on her face and she wore an exotic hat.
Cherry remembered that hat. She was always curious of what kind of feathers populated the top of it. What birds were they from, she always wondered. Her thoughts wandered as she stared at the photo.
"Cherry, dear?"
Cherry looked behind her shoulder and saw that her father was in the middle of the doorway. His eye lines dropped down considerably, possibly because he was tired. He was wearing his morning clothes, coloured in blue that matched his own coat hue. He stared at Cherry's nightgown and raised a brow.
"What are you doing up so early?" he asked.
"I am sorry, father," Cherry replied. "I could not sleep."
Cherry's father gazed at her for a moment, then sighed. "Breakfast does not start until a few hours. Go back to your room and get some sleep."
Cherry nodded, and her father walked away. She travelled back to her room and locked the door behind her. Cherry leaped on to her bed and dug her face into the pillow. She kept the photo on her bed, then drifted back to sleep.
~~
After spending the morning performing trivial tasks and later finishing lunch, the mare chose to spend most of her time in the downtown district of Canterlot. Many beauty and dress stores operated in the district and many were reputable establishments. With her seemingly never ending flow of wealth, Cherry would buy any sort of dress she desired.
It also meant that the district was packed with shoppers at the same time. Canterlot's stores were some of the most notable ones in the entire nation of Equestria, and citizens from all over flocked to them with loads of bits in their brown sacks. Cherry did not seem to mind, having almost become numb to it.
That day was no different. Normally, a butler would accompany her on her shopping trips. On that day, however, she chose to travel alone, claiming that she could handle her own. With a small talk from her father, she ordered a carriage and travelled to the downtown district of Canterlot.
The sun shined down on the buildings of the downtown district brightly. Swarms of ponies travelled from one point to the other along the stone road, chattering voices filling the air. Populating the noisy streets were vendors selling high quality products behind makeshift counters. The downtown district connected to the market district, where several restaurants competed for the most patrons in an endless battle for profits.
It was an aggressive place, on the business side of things at least. For Cherry Breeze, it was candy for her eyes. Display windows showcased the most extravagant of products, things that only the most wealthiest kind of ponies obtained.
Ponies like Cherry, for instance.
Cherry Breeze exited her carriage, tipped the driver and continued down the downtown district. She walked to her right, remembering that it was the proper way of traveling down busy places such as these. Her dress, which was a shining white colour and matched the cadence of her hat topped with exotic feathers, rested under her knapsack. The knapsack contained an unimaginable amount of bits, all for Cherry's purchasing pleasure.
In the downtown district were more industrial vendors than before. Not long ago, more and more ponies discovered the use of coal and steel machinery that was on its way to replace magic. It was specifically useful for those who had no horns, however Cherry had a hard time figuring out how these vendors could sell to a unicorn dominant market.
Coal and steel had its uses, however. Whereas there usually had to be a magic user or a pegasi to operate travel machinery, with the latest invention it was useful for all races. Since there was high demand for this type of resource in earth pony populated regions, Canterlot entrepreneurs hastily opened up businesses capitalizing on the new discovery.
It was not before long until the industry took off, and the companies became huge in Canterlot. High profile unicorns worried about the city's image, concerned that it will (literally) stain the place and brand it for lower income ponies. But these worries were soon alleviated as the industry started making a large profit. Coincidentally, the image of the city was nearly untouched as a designated sector of Canterlot was instated outside the major streets.
It was also notable mentioning that the job market widened because of the industrial boom. As demand increased and supply decreased, eventually companies started building factories and hiring several ponies to work in those factories. It was a good time for many, but not all.
Cherry replaced her thoughts with ones about clothes and materials. She made dresses as a distraction for the formalities of her high class life. Cherry spent numerous hours in her room, perfecting her craft. Although she was not at a high level of skill, the dresses were considered exceptional Each dress were adored and cared for in the hands of Cherry.
The young mare walked alongside several ponies whose ages were higher than hers. Cherry felt that she was the only girl her age that made trips like this daily. Cherry kept her eyes in front of her, but subtly reminded herself to keep her eyes on the display windows. Thoughts turned to ways on how to save the most money on her purchases.
To her dismay, Cherry's favourite stores did not have the products that she desired in stock. She looked into the various stores, scanning the different displays and surveyed for good buys. Nothing turned up.
I need to find something, Cherry thought. Anything would be nice!
Cherry spent an entire hour in the downtown district, finding absolutely nothing. Clouds hovered above the sky, a dark shade of grey threatening to bellow a storm. The young mare knew that it was about to rain sooner or later and she wondered if the search was a lost cause.
It did not make things easier when Cherry felt the first drop of rain tap on her hat. She exhaled a small sigh as the rain picked up. Other ponies noticed and quickly shuffled out of the streets like a swarm of insects. Cherry looked for a place to escape the menacing rain. There did not seem to be too many options for her.
Made from a very quick decision, Cherry pushed her way through a door to a small shop. She had passed this store several times and never paid it any attention until now. The door bell gave an ambient cheer, reminding Cherry where she was.
With a quick look, Cherry saw that the store did not appear ordinary. The shelves were lined with odd bronze and silver gizmos, with varying shapes and sizes. Some appeared to be toys with windups, like the ones she saw in hobby stores. They were dimly lit only by the natural light coming from the windows that flanked the front door.
Cherry realized that she had an umbrella in her knapsack and that there was no need to be in this store in the first place. She opened up the knapsack and pulled out her umbrella. Seeing as the counter was absent of an attendee, Cherry went for the door and opened it mid way.
"Hello?"
A tired and scratchy voice called behind Cherry. She turned around and saw that an old earth stallion attended behind the counter. He had a grey beard that dropped down to his knees (or at least to Cherry's perspective). He was skinny almost to the bone, although it was masked by his ugly brown vest, contrasted by his grey colour. The vest matched the colour of his unusually large top hat with a pocket watch embroidered in the center.
Cherry gulped and stumbled on her words at first. "Um..,h-hello?"
The old stallion studied the young mare with squinted eyes. Cherry darted her eyes, never meeting eye contact with the stallion.
"Heavy storm, isn't it?" the stallion said.
"Uh, yes," Cherry said. "I do agree."
"I do not believe that your umbrella will be able to weather the storm," the stallion said. "Literally."
Cherry gazed at her thin umbrella and shook her head. "Well, I suppose it is a bit light. May I ask who you are?"
"Ah yes," the stallion answered. He cleared his throat and stumbled his way around the counter. "I have not seen you in my store before, and I would happen to know. I usually have a good memory on visitors."
The stallion gazed at Cherry. She stared with wide eyes as she closed up her umbrella. The stallion gave a small smile and cleared his throat again.
"My name is Bolt Lock. But nopony calls me that. Call me Gizmo, it's shorter."
Cherry nodded, placing the umbrella back into her knapsack. Gizmo made his way to one of the shelves and pulled a small windup toy off from them. He twisted the knob and placed it on the counter. The toy shook its way across the wooden surface and dropped off the edge. It shattered to pieces on the ground. Gizmo frowned and turned around to face a confused Cherry.
"Not all my inventions work," he said. "as you can clearly see. I am not entirely proficient with my hobby, but I get by."
"What do you sell here?" Cherry asked.
Gizmo studied the toys, focusing on different angles. "I sell whatever comes to mind."
Cherry raised a brow. "If you do not mind me asking, what does that mean?"
"I make metal toys and different inventions, then I sell them." Gizmo gazed at Cherry. "It is sort of like crafting dresses or something similar."
Cherry gasped. "That's what I do!" She noticed her outburst and composed herself. "I mean, I make dresses."
Gizmo nodded and made his way behind the counter. "Yes, yes, I understood what you meant." He crouched down out of Cherry's view. She moved in slowly as several gears and trinkets flew up into the sky, Gizmo grumbling to himself. He popped up and yelled out a cry of victory.
"Ah-ha! Found the piece!" Gizmo walked past Cherry, never making any contact with her. Cherry noted that for an old and frail man, he was surprisingly energetic. Gizmo walked to another toy and fiddled with it. He stuck out his tongue while focusing his eye. Cherry walked around the store and studied the various different things in the store.
"Where do you get all these pieces?" Cherry asked.
Gizmo snapped out of his hypnotic gaze and flashed a glance at Cherry. "Oh, I have a supplier of sorts. But I usually find the pieces myself." He continued his work on the gadget.
Cherry paused before continuing. "I hope this is not intrusive," she said. "but who is this supplier?"
Gizmo stopped and sighed a sound that could have came from a dust ball. He placed the gadget on a shelve and made his way back to the counter. Cherry leaned forward, awaiting his response. There didn't seem to be anything else that remotely interested her, so she thought it would be a nice idea to strike up some conversation until the storm withered away.
"I don't know quite how to explain him," Gizmo said, his eyes staring into space. "He is a bit eccentric, I would suppose. He is not like a regular pony, much like how you and I are."
Cherry leaned in intriguingly. "What do you mean by that?"
Gizmo scoffed at her. "My, you seem like a very snoopy mare, I see."
"I am not snoopy!" Cherry exclaimed. "I'm just curious."
"About what? What is so interesting about the supplier of my metal that fascinates you?" Gizmo looked at her up and down. "You're not a police mare, are you?"
"No!" Cherry sighed. "I just want to know who this 'supplier' is, nothing more."
"Alright then," Gizmo murmured. "If that is what you want, then I suppose there is no harm in telling you."
Cherry nodded and leaned her forelegs on the wooden counter. Gizmo cleared his throat one more time and then started speaking.
"He goes by the name of Sprocket. He is a unicorn who lives in the slums of Canterlot. Well, not necessarily in the slums, but in a more exotic location."
Cherry already decided that hearing about this stallion was nothing more than a waste of her time. She heard stories about the slums, stories that it was a dirty and poor place. It was described as a home for the drunks, wanderers and ponies with no future. Surely this stallion was nothing more than just another drunk scavenging for dated parts.
But what exotic place was Gizmo referring to?
"Exotic?" Cherry echoed.
Gizmo nodded. "Indeed. Sprocket does not live in the slums of Canterlot. Rather, he claimed Big Lulu as his own."
Big Lulu? As in the clock tower?
"The clock tower?" Cherry said. "But that big old piece of junk has not ticked for years!"
Gizmo nodded in agreement. "That much is true. You see, Sprocket has an obsession with clocks and working machinery, almost like me. But he has taken this obsession to much larger scale." He leaned in, inviting Cherry to come closer. "Sprocket's goal is to fix the clock and make it work once more."
Cherry's eyes widened. Sprocket sounded like a very interesting stallion. Her imagination started to swim in thoughts of what this stallion would be like. If he spent his life working on a goal such as resurrecting the oldest clock tower in all of Equestria, he must have been covered in dirt and not seem very charming.
"That seems like an awfully huge task," Cherry said. "Do you suppose he'll ever finish?
Gizmo shrugged. "He has the willingness to do it. I can see him completing the job in maybe a few centuries."
The old stallion chuckled with a slight wheeze. Cherry nodded and glanced at the window. The rain stopped and rays of golden sunshine seeped through the windows.
"I suppose the weather has cleared up," Gizmo said. "I suppose you must want to return home."
Cherry nodded absent minded. "Indeed."
She walked to the door and stood in the doorway. Cherry took one final glance at Gizmo. He had a tool in his hoof and fully concentrated on a toy on the counter. With one move, she exited the store.
~~
Cherry Breeze left downtown after a quick lunch and returned to her mansion on top of a lonely hill. She did not obtain some of the materials that she wanted, but the mare did not mind. Cherry headed back to her room and worked on her dresses for the majority of the afternoon. Afternoon came dusk and dusk became night shortly after.
In the dim light of her room lit by a few candles that surrounded her dresser, Cherry wove the delicate fabric on her desk. Materials bordered around her in a circle, untidily blocking her escape from her work. Mannequins stood solemnly, only illuminated by the weak light. A medium sized machine rested on top of her desk and moved its gears into motion as Cherry guided the fabric with her hooves.
While she worked on her dresses, Cherry always focused on nothing more but her dresses. But that night was different. Her mind was on other things instead. Specifically, she was thinking about Gizmo and the stallion he described in the store. Cherry did not know why she gave it a second thought. There was something so odd about the stallion that it somehow held her mind hostage in a state of near obsession.
Cherry thought that she was growing delirious. His name was Sprocket. He lived in the clock tower in the poor district of Canterlot. For all she knew, Sprocket could be a drunk who somehow made the clock tower his home. As she worked on her project, Cherry contemplated whether or not thinking about this stallion had any logic to it. Everything seemed to point in the different direction, that this "Sprocket" was no more than a peasant living in something that has not worked for years.
Yet Cherry could not help but let this mystery pony intrude her thoughts. She stopped working and gazed at her closed window. The mare walked to her window and opened it. The cold evening breeze chilled Cherry to the bone, but she did not care. She forgot about her candles as they blew away and sent Cherry's room into darkness.
Now it was dark inside her room, the only source of light coming from the moon. Cherry looked at the sight of the magnificent evening. The moon shined its light down on the rich buildings buildings of Canterlot. They shimmered and glowed as the tall structures powered by potent magic towered above even her mansion on top of a hill. Cherry was blessed with the view of the entire city.
It also gave her a sight of the poor district. Thankfully, Cherry could not smell the polluting factories from her mansion. They bellowed large clouds of black foulness which smell compared to the district itself. It seemed as if every day it rot further, deepening into a gross yellow colour.
To Cherry, it looked like a disgusting place to reside. The residents of the district made poor life decisions and as a result lived in the dirty slums. Cherry tended to forget about the place and move on with her life. But more and more it became a bigger eyesore and the government officials of Canterlot were doing nothing about it.
Sprocket, Cherry thought. Why do I even care?
A knock on her door pulled Cherry away from her thoughts. She turned around to see that her father stood in between the doorway. His expression showed he was tired as the night grew on. Cherry perked her ears up. "Hello, Father. What is it?"
The old stallion cleared his throat and surveyed the room. "Nothing really. I wanted to see if you were doing all right."
"I'm doing fine," Cherry said. "How are you?"
"Fine," he said. "Doing just fine."
A silent ambience overtook the two. Cherry avoided her gaze and opted for the open window. Her father cleared his throat again and started for the door. "Well, I should be going now."
Cherry agreed with the statement. However, she wanted something from him. "Wait!" she yelled.
Cherry's father stopped and turned around. "Yes?"
"I was just wondering," Cherry started. "if I could make a trip over to the other side of the city for a few hours."
Her father blinked twice. "You mean the poor district?"
"Yes?"
"Why would you want to go there?" he asked. "There's nothing there to see except pollution and filth."
In her mind, Cherry agreed with what her father was saying and she wondered what was the point of stopping him. But there was something there that needed to be done. Cherry could feel it.
"I just want to check something out," she said, avoiding the real reason for her trip.
Cherry's father looked at her up and down. He squinted his eyes, making Cherry nervous. The old stallion sighed and nodded.
"Fine. You are grown up and you are of course allowed to go wherever you wish."
Cherry exhaled with relief.
"However, you are only allowed there for two hours and no more."
"Two hours?" Cherry said. "Why can I not stay longer?"
"Because you might catch something over there," her father replied. He turned around and looked over his shoulder. "And please, be careful. There are some odd ponies over there."
With that, Cherry's father exited the room. Cherry closed the door and went to her desk. She stared at her machine glumly. The mare lost motivation to finish her dress that night. She went over to the window and took one last look at the poor district of Canterlot.
"Sprocket," Cherry said quietly. "What an odd name for a pony."
