//-------------------------------------------------------// The Broken Home -by FireflyLake- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// The Start //-------------------------------------------------------// The Start A unicorn mare sat down in a chair. She had been waiting for only a few minutes when another older mare walked in. She was a regular earth pony. Her coat was grey and she had brown eyes that matched her mane. She took the seat across from the young mare, pulling out a clipboard and pen. The unicorn fidgeted in her seat, but kept her face blank as she waited for the other to talk to her. She watched her scribble some things down before looking at the clock on the wall. She was tracking the time. The unicorn stared blankly at the wall behind the pony in front of her. The older pony cleared her throat. "Shall we begin?" She looked at her ready to listen and write. "We can start whenever you're ready. Remember we can talk about whatever you want." Shifting in her seat once more the young unicorn looked down at her hooves. "Wherever I want to start?" She knew it would be too confusing so she thought about where to begin. She looked dead on at the pony in front of her. "Let's start from the beginning then." Sweet Heart was a light brown pegasus with light blue eyes and a wavy brown mane. She grew up the youngest of an ordinary family. She worked hard her whole life, now and then allowing herself to hangout with friends or to go to parties. She was smart with a bright future ahead of her. She graduated the top of all of her classes, but never went to college. She had taken a turn down a dark road before she ever got to discover the rest of Equestria. Why she took a turn for the worse is unknown. Maybe she was depressed? Her father loved her, but he never showed it like he did for her brothers. He gave them all the attention in the world and looked to her like she was the problem child, at least that's how she felt. For a while she depended on herself. She would draw and write to keep herself sane. It was her only escape. Sometimes she would foalsit just to get away and earn enough bits to leave Cloudsdale. At some point she met a stallion when she was teenager, almost a mare. He was her new escape. She depended on him, hoping her dream would come true with him. She was head over heels for him and had his child, Pallet Dream. Her son was her world. So when his father started to get drunk and beat her in front of him she took Pallet and left to live with one of her brothers over in Manehatten. She was good for almost two years. She had a boyfriend and was building her life again. He cheated on her and when his mistress became pregnant he chose her over Sweet Heart. She was devastated and again left with another foal. This one was a filly she named Lullaby Dream. She started working full time trying to support her children. Luckily they got along well together. It was about five years later when she met a unicorn that promised her the world. She felt loved and happy. He was good to her kids and good to her. She married him then moved into a house in Ponyville with her parents. Not too long after she had another daughter, Sweet Dream. Their happy marriage and family didn't last long though. He gambled, drank and grew violent. When she was pregnant with a second child from him he left her while she was in the hospital. Once her father found out he was staying with another mare he threw his stuff out and kicked him out. It's not that he didn't care for his daughter, it's just that they were too similar that they ended up being polar opposites. They did everything different, but for the same reasons which made them but heads here and there. This time however, she was grateful for him stepping in. She would never say it, but she knew she wouldn't be able to otherwise. After the birth of her last foal, Gallant Dream, her now ex-husband had not only wanted to have both foals tested to see if they were even his, but he also wasn't allowed to see them. The foals being young, they hadn't fully understood it. At least Sweet Dream had not understood. The unicorn was lost in a daze. A buzzer went off sounding the end of her session. Shaking her head she looked up to the older mare. The whole time she had been able to keep a blank face as there was no response or question as to how she felt. "I'm a little unclear about why this is important, but I have made a note of everything." The mare continued to scribble in her notepad. She looked happy to be there, like she was doing good in the world. "Maybe next time we can talk more about you. I'm sure you have your own problems you would like to discus." She continued to scribble down notes before looking up. "Sweet Dream?" The unicorn looked out the window of the small room. "It's important. It's where my story begins and where I fear it will end." Her eyes closed and she remembered a soothing voice. Flickering her ears she opened her eyes and shook her head. "I'll come back next week. Is two O'clock good with you?" The mare nodded and watched as the unicorn moped out of the room in a tired daze. Once outside she looked up at the cloudy sky. A warm breeze blew through her mane revealing her grey-green eyes. She let out a sigh and trudged on towards the train station. Happy couples and families walked past her making her look the other way. "Dear Celestia. Will this day ever end?" She paid for her ticket and took a window seat. She was on her way home to Ponyville. Closing her eyes she fell asleep, dreaming of another life. A life where she didn't have to be afraid.