Young Equestria Young Tensionby Josh CrapoChaptersA Day with DaddyI Stayed Home TodayLife Seal's NewsWhat Happened to EveryoneLuna's ReactionVisit from Polly SpotSpending the NightGoodbye, Good Reddens?A Day with DaddyEvery day at school, ponies have never thought that I'd be a victim to what my daddy has been doing the first few weeks of him catching me up at four in the morning smiling at the moon. Rumors were going around that Luna's night was becoming unappreciated, so I wanted to contribute any way I could. I love both day and night, and I should've been able to enjoy both without caution. When I got to school, I was so early that I'd hide in the corner of the classroom until the bell rang for the first time of the day. Every night at home, I woke up and looked at the moon. Yes, even when it was the end of the year when this whole physical fiasco started. Daddy was the first to notice that I'd been up at about three thirty and looking out the window at the moon. Daddy knew how much I wanted to go outside at night. Every time I tried to look at the moon in peace, I'd hear yelling across my room. Things would happen so fast that I'd end up on my bed acting like a blubbering idiot. My Mom was almost always gone whenever Daddy came. I tried to avoid her the best I could, although I knew she was very sweet. Sometimes, when I did get caught my Mom, she'd just say hello and what other jazz was on her mind. A few times, she's noticed one thing on me each time. Every time she saw something on me, I lied and said a reason I had that something on me that didn't involve Daddy. Still, I was mostly successful in hiding everything, involving Daddy, at school. After school, I stayed after and hung out with friends I've had. School ended at about two thirty, but sometimes, I purposely lost track of time and stayed until two hours later. Mom constantly got worried about me because I got home so late. I thought there was nothing to worry about now because the sun was out for so much longer and that I was just hanging out with my friends. I'd told Mom time and time again that laughter was the best medicine... and the best element of harmony so that she thought I was talking about those somethings on me healing when I embraced laughter. The very few nights I slept over at my friends' houses, my friends started getting concerned about me. But I told them that we were just hanging out overnight during the weekend. Sometimes, I'd get a shrug signifying that what I said made sense. I don't know why, but I've been more social on purpose around my peers. But if there were any teachers in my school that I thought of as the sweetest, that would be Polly Spot. During the times that I'd hang out with my friends after school, she'd drop in and see how I was doing. Why I said I was mostly successful in hiding what Daddy did in school was because of Polly Spot. Sometimes, she'd notice my somethings on my body. She'd be especially concerned and wouldn't believe my lies. She was the only teacher who correctly guessed why I've been in this kind of state. The weekends were so much worse than the weekdays at my house, where there went from a clean floor to a cluster fly of oiznic or cider bottles on the floor. I've learned to fly but it wasn't easy to. Whenever Daddy went somewhere, he'd drag me with him every time. No, literally. I'd always say no and he took me anyway, much to my fighting back. After that, he'd rant about how he wanted me to have a social life, which I told him, time and time again, I did. Sometimes, I even pointed out that Daddy went to get something he needed, not for me to make friends outside of school, which I already did. Every time, I'd end up on the grass just like whenever I'd get caught looking at the moon early in the morning hours before I left for school. Of course, one or the other was home, so I couldn't get outside after school mostly because Daddy acted like he ran the place and made all the rules. But Mom did have a rule (that Daddy constantly broke), and that was to push myself in a direction that wouldn't be at the expense of others. I really hoped Daddy would've stopped this, but it kept getting worse. I Stayed Home TodayToday had to've been the worst day of my life. At first, I hoped that I wouldn't get caught by Daddy again by using my quiet flying ability to be as close to silent as possible getting to the window. It was almost as if Daddy stayed up that immediately after landing, he yelled. "YOU'D BETTER BE GETTING SOME SLEEP YOU FLYING FOAL!!! THERE'S SCHOOL TOMORROW!!!" I jumped. I didn't even get to look out the window this time. I got scared and hid under the covers on my bed. Suddenly, the covers lifted up. My eyes darted looking for Daddy, but he wasn't there. I was getting lifted now and my head hit the wall. "GET YOUR LITTLE SADASS INTO BED AND STAY THERE!!!" I started crying as I covered my scalp with my hooves, until I felt a slap on my left wing. Next, I felt my tail get yanked. I instantly screamed in pain with my cheeks flooding with tears. It was nearly an hour of crying before I heaved. This was where I laid, on a bed that now needed to be thrown out, unable to fly or control my sobbing. Suddenly, I heard Daddy calling. "Ms. Medium Praise, why aren't you getting up?!? Time for school!" My sobbing was halfway subsided. As he looked into my room, I got up still very misty eyed and pointed at the end of the bed near the wall. "Ugh! Seriously?!? You had to heave your FLYING heart out onto the FLYING bed!!! I've got to get to work, so you'll have to lay on that son of a mare until your mother throws it away!" The door slammed shut a little bit after Daddy left my room. I waited a little bit before making sure that I was home alone. I went into the living room slowly as I lost all my energy to heaving and crying. Walking into the living room through a puny hall passing by the bathroom, I looked at the pictures that were taken when I was just a foal. I started to cry again at the sight of a happy family of three that was once as healthy as any other. It was almost as if it wasn't me in the photo. I've always wished life would've been like those pictures, but never to this degree. I laid on the floor on my front side and covered my eyes. The door opened again. I got scared again and got to my ruined bed. "Hello?" Mom. I galloped up to her, who was surprised to see me at this kind of hour as I hugged her. "I thought you went off to school. But I guess you had to stay home because of your wing, right?" "That was part of it." "Part of what?" "What happened this morning." I walked Mom into my bedroom. "Oh, my, god. What happened in here?!?" "I accidentally hit my head on the wall last night before I got to sleep. I tripped on my tail causing me to fall and hit my wing." "I wasn't talking about what happened to you. I was talking about what happened in your room." I thought Mom was starting to see through my lies. "Looking at you, I can see that as a reason why your mane and tail is a mess, but to have a hole in the wall over your bed and your bed look like it needs to be thrown out?!?" "What do you think I should do?!?" "Come over to my friend's house. You can rest there. And secondly, when I ran into your father before I got here, he didn't look pleased at all. Any reason why?" "Not that I know of. Really, honest this time." I hugged Mom in hopes that she'd believe me. Suddenly, I felt my back touched by Mom's wing. It was a very warm and fuzzy feeling that I haven't felt since the last time she noticed something on my coat. "I believe you." Life Seal's NewsComing home from school, I had a wide smile on my face, until I couldn't find Mom anywhere. I started to think, was I home alone for the afternoon?!? I made sure I was, but as I headed for the kitchen, I heard crying. I came to the bedroom. "Mom?!? Is that you?!?" Mom looked at me past her sobbing on the bed. "I never thought it would happen, but Polly Spot was right. Do you know what happened in my past?" I shook my head. "I once lived in Trottingham. At the time, it was after a year when Equestria came to be as it is now. However, those who still clung to their beliefs from prior to the Windigos set up a 'camp' for every pegasus to come to. It was located at the Crystal Empire, and every pegasus in Equestria was sent there. We know it now..." Mom swallowed with tears still in her eyes. "as the Pegasus Khurbn." "The P-pegasus... WHAT?!?" I was as shocked as Mom was depressed. "The Pegasus Khurbn. It was run by servants of the leader of the Crystal Resistance formerly known as Sargent Sombra. Earth ponies and unicorns were considered one in the same to that site, and their main target were pegasi. I was one of the early ones that were sent there. I went through the many bruises you had, except they were so much worse. I still have my wings, but I can't fly now because of what happened to them." "I haven't been able to fly since yesterday when I woke up." Mom put me under her wing again. "You don't have to omit your father out of the question. I know what happened to you. Besides, I haven't flown since I first arrived at the Pegasus Khurbn." "But what about Polly Spot? What happened to her?" "She's had her wings fixed after the Pegasus Khurbn because I guess she had the money." "Oh, so we don't have as much as Polly Spot." "Trust me, all that matters is if we could get by without the expense of others. If we're able to do that, there's nothing to worry about." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something under Mom's wing. It was a bruise, a bruise that was just like all of mine. I gasped at the thought. "Mom! Under your wing!" "I know Medium. That was from Min. We're happy now, so don't worry about me unless it gets ongoing for me too." "Thanks." What Happened to EveryoneIt may've seemed like everything was going back to normal when I got to school, but as I got to my usual corner, I thought Free Grip wouldn't notice me. But as he turned around to his desk, he froze. "Medium Praise?!? What're you doing here so early?" "I come here at this time. None of my friends are here at this time, so I just hang here." "Over in the corner of my classroom?" I nodded. "You could've just sat at a desk, I wouldn't mind." "Thanks." "No problem. By the way, how do you get here so early?" "I go to bed early so I wake up early and smile at the moon. That's all I really need to get ready for school." "You love the night, huh. Now that's something I'd like to hear. Other ponies may criticize such a thing, but this sounds especially interesting for a filly to love the night." Free Grip crossed his front hooves on his desk. I scratched the back of my head for my hoof in response. "To be honest, I love both day and night. I heard Princess Luna was feeling unappreciated lately, so this would be the perfect opportunity to show that both times of day can be loved. I've been doing that since late April. But now, I have something else on my mind. What're we reviewing today and tomorrow?" After walking to my desk, I sat down. "Just look on the board," Free Grip answered. I turned around to see what was written. "The Crystal Resistance?" I looked at Free Grip. "So is that today's?" "Yeah." "So what's tomorrow?" "Just a day at a time, Medium. One day at a time." Free Grip shook his head. "Oh. Okay. Say, I haven't been able to fly since Monday. I've tried this morning when I first woke up, but even then, I wouldn't lift off." "Well, I know a few pegasi that've said they were grounded for about two and a half decades as of now. Probably due to everything that happened at the Crystal Empire. It was a good thing the Princesses defeated King Sombra." "King Sombra? As in the pony Mom told me who was formerly known as Sargent Sombra?" Free Grip nodded as I looked down on the floor. "I can't help but feel sorry for all those grounded pegasi. I wish I could do something about it." "Me too Medium. Me too." "Hey Medium. What gives?" I turned around in the hall to see my best friend right behind me. "You haven't hung out with in a while. You normally hang out with us almost every day." "Sorry Millie. Life catching up to me is all." "Oh, okay. Well, I hope it's going to look up in the end." "Thanks Millie." As I walked to the main entrance of the school, I turned around in surprise. "Wait a minute. I think I've noticed something from the previous times we hung out and what's been going on recently." "You have?" "Yeah. Firstly I've seen some bruises on you for about a little over month now. Then I remember you openly talking about your mother and our friends and teachers, but never mentioning your father. I'm wondering if you do have a father." I nodded with the fear that Millie is about to see what's been happening with my father. "Say, is there something you need to tell me?" I shook my head now. "Come on, we're best friends. You can tell me. I won't think anything negative about you." I gave in. I took a breath and a sigh before talking. I started tearing up. "The truth is, that my bruises are from my father." "Oh." I looked at Millie again, who this time looked at the floor coming up to me. "So, would that also explain your absence the other day?" I nodded with tears still in my eyes. Millie then proceeded to hug me. "I'm sorry it's happening to you, but you should never face this alone." "I know. And it's a little harder to get around now that I've been grounded the past two days." "Oh, just like a friend of Mom's." Millie put his front hooves back on the floor. My eyes shot wide open with tears immediately disappearing. "Who's this friend of your mother's?" "Life Seal." "My mother?" "I guess." "Mom said that she's been grounded since she arrived at the Pegasus Khurbn." "The what?" "The Pegasus Khurbn." "Where was that? And when was that?" "This little 'camp' led by a resistance run by unicorns and earth ponies who still clung to their pre-windigo beliefs. It was during the time Sombra had the title of a sergeant, way before he had the title of a king." "So what happened the day you weren't here in school?" "I was levitated into the wall, had my wing slapped and had my tail yanked." "Who did all that?" I looked down on the floor now. "Dad." "Your father's a unicorn?!?" I nodded. "Would you believe me that he originally wanted me as a unicorn?" "I wouldn't blame him if he wanted a filly unicorn or something like that, and thinking highly of your own kind is fine, but this is pre-windigo behavior getting in the way of your father's love for you we're dealing with. We're getting to royal pony sisters." "That's what Ms. Spot suggested." "Our gym teacher?" I nodded again. "She said omitting Dad out of what's been happening was doing just as much damage as Dad was." "Well, now's your chance to cut that damage in half. Let's talk with the sisters." Millie starts to head out of the main entrance, until I stop him. "Wait. We might need to show what Dad looks like to Celestia and Luna. I'll meet you near the Tree of Harmony." Millie salutes in response then leaves. "I'm confident Mom's home anyway." "Hello?!?" "Medium. Where've you been?" Oh no, Daddy. I gulped. "School." "Well, I'm sure all your work's caught up then." I sighed. "It has been for months on end now." "Then what were you doing staying after school?" Daddy set down his saddlebags and took out a bottle of oiznic. "Chatting with my best friend." "Who would that be?" "Millie Beginnings. I told him I'd meet him at the Tree of Harmony." "Why would you want to go there?" "Millie wanted to see what we were like when I first met him." "Well, that picture was already taken." "Oh, by who?" "Your mother." "Oh." I walked to my room to see the sleeping bag Polly Spot put in place of my old bed, only to be stopped by the sound of a crunch and the sting of my right hoof. I looked where the crunch came from and saw a glass bottle. What little liquid there was looked just like the oiznic Daddy was drinking. Then I looked at my right hoof, which now was filled with red near the tip. With just three hooves I limped over to Daddy and looked at him with tears in my angry eyes. "What the hell do you want this time?" I showed Daddy my red hoof in response. Daddy facehoofed. "So what do you want me to do about it? Pour my drink on it? Take you to Celestia and Luna to see what they can do about it?" I made myself fall on the floor, covering my eyes with my good hoof. "Anything it takes to heal my hoof!... That's what!... Absolutely anything... that'll do the job!" I sniffled as I spoke, to which my scalp suddenly stung, causing me to cover it with just my left hoof. "Ready now?" "Uh-huh." Suddenly, my left hoof started to lead my way, dragging me on the floor. I thought for sure I was going to get rug burn on the front of my back hooves the next day. "It's in there pretty deep." My right hoof stung again from all the glass shards being pulled out. "What happened to my right hoof?" "Well, it has to be stitched." I jumped at the word I repeated. "STITCHED?!?" "Yes. The cuts are too deep to be bandaged alone. I promise you, it won't hurt your hoof anymore than it already has been. I also had the wings checked out. They looked..." I lost sound of Front Aid's voice. Then I woke up feeling sore in the right hoof. It wasn't stinging like it was when the glass was in it or when the glass was pulled out. I looked at it. All I saw was white. "Where am I?" "You haven't moved for a while there Medium. I had a nurse call over your mother, who was with another pony." I turned over to my belly and saw Mom and Millie in front of me. "Who would leave an oiznic bottle on the floor in your room?!?" "Daddy," I responded to Mom, who looked more shocked than anyone I've seen. "That's it. That's the final straw! We're going to castle of the two sisters right now!" "Hey don't worry about anything, I got this. But before we go..." Millie turned to me. "Hey Medium, do you know if there's more magic here since you arrived with your cut hoof?" I nodded. "Everywhere I went I felt more magic surrounding me." Millie turned to Mom now. "She wasn't just bleeding normally. She was shedding magic. How about the doctor?" In response to Millie, I teared up again. But I shook my head when the question was brought up. "How could he've missed it?" "I don't have the slightest clue." "Well, I definitely feel the magic in here. Maybe it's enough to teleport. Hold on, your eyes may sting." Suddenly, the magic I've been feeling drains right out. A sudden flash made my eyes hurt and I fell onto what should've been the hospital floor but was instead soil. As quickly as they hurt, the pain in my eyes disappeared. I opened them to see that we were in front of the sisters' castle. Author's Note Just to note, this Millie doesn't have anything to do with the Millie mentioned in Should Equestria Be Home. Also, Spongebob reference. How does a pony lose magic without Tirek involved? The loss of magic can occur to a pony if a cut they obtain is deep enough to require stitching. Luna's ReactionAs we walked in the castle of the royal pony sisters, I looked at Millie. "How'd you learn to teleport like that?" "I did it back when I was around a year old. Back then, it was so easy to do. But now, unless there's a lot of magic in a small area, I can't." "Few unicorns perfect that kind of magic. All I know who would've done it with no trouble would be Star Swirl, Celestia and Luna." I turned around ahead again to see the two thrones in the background, only to be stopped by the guards. "Who goes there?" Suddenly, Luna came in and signaled the guards to fold their wings once more. "You are free to pass my subjects." We all smiled and entered the throne room following Luna. "So what brings you all here today?" "We've come here because of the ongoing behavior of my daughter's father. Even more so, he was the particular reason that Medium stayed home from school the other day as well as me and Polly Spot replacing Medium's bed with a sleeping bag." "So is this father of yours also the reason why you have your hoof bandaged?" I nodded. "He's left oiznic bottles everywhere and I stepped on one, causing it to break under the hoof." Luna cringed at the thought of what I said implied to her. "Rarely anyone drinks such a beverage. Only on special occasions is oiznic, of all drinks, available." "Wait, what?!?" Life Seal got shocked again. "If that's so, then how'd he get so many of them?!?" "I know. Oiznic and cider bottles pile up quickly at my house because of Dad." "Perhaps this was the cause of this unacceptable behavior of this pony's. What's his name?" "Min Praise. In fact, I have a picture of the three of us, including him, in this here picture." Mom took out that same photo I once looked at in between Daddy's departure and Mom's arrival the day I stayed home. Luna levitated it out of Mom's hoof. "Say, when was this picture taken? This filly looks a lot younger in this." "About five years ago." "Long before this all started," I added. "Luna!" Everyone looked up, including me, at the guard who entered with Daddy behind him. "What is it?" "We have had a report from Dr. Front Aid." "And..." "Wait a minute! I was just with Dr. Aid." "What'd he report?" "He examined the shards he removed from Medium Praise. The shards belonged to a broken oiznic bottle that was left in the Praise family home. And we examined the saliva from it, which belonged to Min Praise." "Exactly what I've heard from these pegasi over here. Do you suppose we should run a session?" "It's the only option. We've filed Min for buying a drink only legally sold in bars: half a bottle at a time." "Then we shall run it tomorrow morning." "Very well." The pounding of a gavel from a unicorn judge signaled guards to close all doors to the room. "The Sisters' Royal Court is now in session for the trial of Min Praise. Would the prosecution make its opening statement?" The earth pony to the right of the judge stood up straight. "No problem. On Wednesday, June 4, Medium Praise was sent to the hospital by her father, Min Praise. What Dr. Front Aid had found on Medium's hoof were cuts too deep to just be bandaged, because not only was Medium bleeding normally after stepping on a bottle empty of oiznic, but she was shedding magic. This phenomenon has never occurred before; it's a mystery of how shedding magic works. But we do know that this broken bottle we examined at the Praise family home had saliva at the tip of it that matched that of Min Praise, which brings us here." "My word! I surely hope Medium Praise is alright now." I nodded. "I am now." "We've gathered here a few witnesses in the audience. First witness is Millie Beginnings." Millie came to the witness' seat and sat down. "So Millie, tell us any information you know about from last night that you heard about or witnessed. Then there could be questions from the defense, so make sure to answer them." "No problem. It all started on Monday, the day that Medium was absent; at that point, I figured something was up, but I didn't know what. Then, I figured it out the next day; Medium's father was still clung to his pre-windigo belief that his kind is better than the other two. I don't see anything wrong with that alone, but I do if it gets in the way of the love of his own filly. So, let's go over the list, shall we? Medium told me that: she was hit into the wall on the scalp, then her wing got slapped so hard that she's been grounded for three days now, then she had her tail yanked. To top it off, Medium accidentally stepped on an illegally bought bottle of oiznic nearly destroying her hoof. Now, I have a yes or no question for Medium; did he call you any names throughout this time?" "Yes." "That covers all four types of abuse. The first one is Medium's scalp hit into the wall along with her wing being slapped, physical abuse. The second one, which shall not be named, is when Medium's tail was yanked. The third type is name calling, emotional abuse. Finally, the fourth type is when Medium stepped on the oiznic bottle that was clearly in the way, neglect." The defense spoke up with this. "How bad was Medium's hoof hurt?" "It was so badly wounded, she was shedding magic." "Did it have to be stitched, and was it?" "Yes and yes. It had to be stitched, which it was." The judge pounded his gavel one more time. "Mr. Ridge, this information had so quickly come together, and this is the first witness of a mere three. Are you sure about this Mr. Beginnings?" Millie nodded. "How'd you know about all this, much less remember every single detail?" "I just said what Medium herself, the victim of this case, had told me." The judge shook his head. "Hm... a victim of abuse may not be that reliable though." "But judge, what Millie said was the honest truth; I didn't just tell him, I experienced them!" "Are you sure?" Mom stood up. "Of course she is! Millie and I saw the aftermath of the procedure!" Another pound of the gavel silenced Mom. "Ms. Seal! You're to remain seated unless called upon the witness' seat!" "Objection. No need to. I call Life Seal to the witness' seat. Continue your claims, Life Seal." The prosecutor pointed to the stand, which Mom proceeded to walk to. "Thank you. Continuing on. I've seen the damages that Min made, and this is what happened to my daughter. She's experienced nearly the same trauma as I have with the Pegasus Khurbn alongside so many other pegasi. But one thing I do agree with is that it was only half the trauma that was by Min; the other half was Medium herself, putting on a facade that nearly tore her apart, that could've killed her! I don't want my daughter to ever be hurt like that again! If someone does something to true that fear, then they'll be sorry they did. Would you affect the whole town just because you're love for your own daughter was blocked off by your own ludicrous beliefs, or would you let that victim of abuse stay somewhere she is safe? If home isn't safe, nowhere is." Everyone teared up at the speech, especially me. Mom proceeded to walk over to me, leaving the defense with nothing to say. This was my Mom, right? A tomboy? "Well, I guess that solidifies everything. I think I can reach my verdict. Mr. Ridge, you won't anymore witnesses to testify." "Quite alright. Those were all the witnesses I intended to bring to the chair." "This court finds the defendant, Min Praise, guilty. Any word before I give my sentence." I raise my hoof. "Do you know whether or not my father took me to the hospital or not?" "No, I don't know. Did he?" "Yes." "Well, that won't sway my sentence then." "But you don't understand. If he'd not bring me to the hospital there'd be no court case like this." "Well, that does make sense. But that still doesn't sway my sentence." "I understand. I'm ready for whatever sentence you give him." Visit from Polly SpotA knock on the door scared me as I went to my bed again. Mom just answered the door. "Hey Life Seal." Polly Spot?!? Was that her?!? I ran to the living room to see if it really was Polly Spot. "I just came to tell you that Medium Praise was missing in our- oh hey Medium." I waved hello. "Sheesh! What happened to you?!?" "I just got back out of bed. Long story short, I got sick." "If only it applied to your wing as well. I may know who did this." "Trust me Polly Spot. You haven't seen that much yet. Take a look into Medium's bedroom." I ducked under as Polly Spot flew over to my bedroom. "Oh Sweet Celestia, you're right!" Polly Spot comes back again. "Medium, you're going to my house. I'm not taking anymore of your father's drama. You need help. I'll do whatever it takes to crack through that skull of his." "How could you talk about her father like that?!?" "I noticed that she'd openly talk about you and her friends, but not her father. And she's been getting some bruises since late April. Maybe they both would've had a connection." "I could see where you're coming from. She has been getting plenty of bruises for a little over a month. But why would you think Min of all ponies would do that?!? They looked like they could've easily been from bullies at school!" "I have bullies at school?!? I don't know anyone at school who is a bully." "Neither do I, Medium. Like I said Seal, she'd openly talk about her friends. That facade of Medium's has damaged her just as much as her father has. Things could only get worse if I wouldn't have Medium sleep at my house." I gasped. "Does that mean..." "Only as long as you go to bed early, you can wake up to see the moon." "I won't let you down, Ms. Spot!" I stood on my hind legs to briefly salute Polly Spot with a wide smile on my face. After that, I was squeeing with joy all day, ready to go to Polly Spot's house. Spending the NightPolly Spot and I got to her house which was very far from my house as I checked the time there. "Six thirty. Plenty of time. That walk over here seemed a lot quicker than I thought it was." "I'm afraid not. That clock hasn't been adjusted to Day Light Savings yet." I looked at Polly Spot. "What time is it then?" "Seven thirty." I looked down onto the floor now. "Oh. Well today was an exceptionally bad day for me. I'm sorry about staying home today." "I entirely understand." "But now that I"m staying here, how'll I get to school? I mean, when I sleep at my house, I usually know my way. But I've never-" "I'll drop you off. I know the way from here." I felt something fuzzy on my back now. It was Polly Spot's wing. As I went to bed, I blew out the nearby candle putting myself in the dark of everything. It was to check how far into twilight I was. But this time, the sun was out and ready to set. But I thought to myself. This was what I wanted. To get to bed early, to get a good amount of sleep, to have a real parent, a worthwhile guardian. Realizing my dreams came true, I also realized, these came true whenever I wasn't home. One last dream I need to true was to make everything else come true at home. Feeling comfortable at home was the only thing I asked for, a stable life. But what came into my mind now was that Daddy was always there at night. I couldn't have any comfort in even my own room, at night. At this thought, I started to cry at the fact I didn't have a real home. Not even here. Here was a place to stay for a night, not to make a living out of. The law didn't work like that, unless one of the royal pony sisters straight up knew about my father's drama. I stopped. These new thoughts went into my head. What if I told Princess Luna about Daddy? It was so good of a plan that I started to smile. I smiled even wider when I knew that I could get to sleep tonight and wake up early in the morning to look out the window tonight and see the moon. As the sun set, I closed my eyes. Author's Note I actually referenced an episode of Crazy Maze, on an MLP fan fiction. I see the plot similarities between A Worthwhile Guardian and this, but they have different inspirations. AWG was inspired from what Barsi went through. This was inspired from the book Ellen Foster. As a bonus, we had a research project to present a topic and everything to note about it. I chose the best topic I could've ever done to do this. Goodbye, Good Reddens?Daddy was sentenced to be exiled out of Equestria for twenty years to life. Mom had to stay overnight in the house I slept in. As of me, I saw the doctor again, who said that I lost so much magic, that I possibly won't be able to fly for the rest of my life; all that I've become now is just a weak earth pony with wings and a possibly permanent blank flank at that. Today was my last day of school, so I got home as soon as possible; I was so excited that I could stay up late instead of waking up early to look at the moon. Then I realized that I wouldn't hanging with my friends that much for the next three months. I guess they could "get over here" when they want. I stopped to think though. Who else was in my life? Who else were friends that I didn't hang out with in any relation with school? I was drawing a blank. I knew Daddy had heart, but I never knew he was right about what I was about to think. I didn't have a social life outside of school. I spent so much time with my school friends, I didn't have any time to go out and meet ponies just outside. These next few months was my chance to do just that. Finding new friends and keeping my school ones too. This was a new life for me that I'd never forget, one that I've been dying to have, one I chose to have. "Hey Mom?" "Yes, Medium?" "Any next door neighbors around here I could meet?" "Well, you can go outside. I'm sure there are, but you need a wing to get under, you can always ask me." "Thanks."
A Day with DaddyEvery day at school, ponies have never thought that I'd be a victim to what my daddy has been doing the first few weeks of him catching me up at four in the morning smiling at the moon. Rumors were going around that Luna's night was becoming unappreciated, so I wanted to contribute any way I could. I love both day and night, and I should've been able to enjoy both without caution. When I got to school, I was so early that I'd hide in the corner of the classroom until the bell rang for the first time of the day. Every night at home, I woke up and looked at the moon. Yes, even when it was the end of the year when this whole physical fiasco started. Daddy was the first to notice that I'd been up at about three thirty and looking out the window at the moon. Daddy knew how much I wanted to go outside at night. Every time I tried to look at the moon in peace, I'd hear yelling across my room. Things would happen so fast that I'd end up on my bed acting like a blubbering idiot. My Mom was almost always gone whenever Daddy came. I tried to avoid her the best I could, although I knew she was very sweet. Sometimes, when I did get caught my Mom, she'd just say hello and what other jazz was on her mind. A few times, she's noticed one thing on me each time. Every time she saw something on me, I lied and said a reason I had that something on me that didn't involve Daddy. Still, I was mostly successful in hiding everything, involving Daddy, at school. After school, I stayed after and hung out with friends I've had. School ended at about two thirty, but sometimes, I purposely lost track of time and stayed until two hours later. Mom constantly got worried about me because I got home so late. I thought there was nothing to worry about now because the sun was out for so much longer and that I was just hanging out with my friends. I'd told Mom time and time again that laughter was the best medicine... and the best element of harmony so that she thought I was talking about those somethings on me healing when I embraced laughter. The very few nights I slept over at my friends' houses, my friends started getting concerned about me. But I told them that we were just hanging out overnight during the weekend. Sometimes, I'd get a shrug signifying that what I said made sense. I don't know why, but I've been more social on purpose around my peers. But if there were any teachers in my school that I thought of as the sweetest, that would be Polly Spot. During the times that I'd hang out with my friends after school, she'd drop in and see how I was doing. Why I said I was mostly successful in hiding what Daddy did in school was because of Polly Spot. Sometimes, she'd notice my somethings on my body. She'd be especially concerned and wouldn't believe my lies. She was the only teacher who correctly guessed why I've been in this kind of state. The weekends were so much worse than the weekdays at my house, where there went from a clean floor to a cluster fly of oiznic or cider bottles on the floor. I've learned to fly but it wasn't easy to. Whenever Daddy went somewhere, he'd drag me with him every time. No, literally. I'd always say no and he took me anyway, much to my fighting back. After that, he'd rant about how he wanted me to have a social life, which I told him, time and time again, I did. Sometimes, I even pointed out that Daddy went to get something he needed, not for me to make friends outside of school, which I already did. Every time, I'd end up on the grass just like whenever I'd get caught looking at the moon early in the morning hours before I left for school. Of course, one or the other was home, so I couldn't get outside after school mostly because Daddy acted like he ran the place and made all the rules. But Mom did have a rule (that Daddy constantly broke), and that was to push myself in a direction that wouldn't be at the expense of others. I really hoped Daddy would've stopped this, but it kept getting worse.
I Stayed Home TodayToday had to've been the worst day of my life. At first, I hoped that I wouldn't get caught by Daddy again by using my quiet flying ability to be as close to silent as possible getting to the window. It was almost as if Daddy stayed up that immediately after landing, he yelled. "YOU'D BETTER BE GETTING SOME SLEEP YOU FLYING FOAL!!! THERE'S SCHOOL TOMORROW!!!" I jumped. I didn't even get to look out the window this time. I got scared and hid under the covers on my bed. Suddenly, the covers lifted up. My eyes darted looking for Daddy, but he wasn't there. I was getting lifted now and my head hit the wall. "GET YOUR LITTLE SADASS INTO BED AND STAY THERE!!!" I started crying as I covered my scalp with my hooves, until I felt a slap on my left wing. Next, I felt my tail get yanked. I instantly screamed in pain with my cheeks flooding with tears. It was nearly an hour of crying before I heaved. This was where I laid, on a bed that now needed to be thrown out, unable to fly or control my sobbing. Suddenly, I heard Daddy calling. "Ms. Medium Praise, why aren't you getting up?!? Time for school!" My sobbing was halfway subsided. As he looked into my room, I got up still very misty eyed and pointed at the end of the bed near the wall. "Ugh! Seriously?!? You had to heave your FLYING heart out onto the FLYING bed!!! I've got to get to work, so you'll have to lay on that son of a mare until your mother throws it away!" The door slammed shut a little bit after Daddy left my room. I waited a little bit before making sure that I was home alone. I went into the living room slowly as I lost all my energy to heaving and crying. Walking into the living room through a puny hall passing by the bathroom, I looked at the pictures that were taken when I was just a foal. I started to cry again at the sight of a happy family of three that was once as healthy as any other. It was almost as if it wasn't me in the photo. I've always wished life would've been like those pictures, but never to this degree. I laid on the floor on my front side and covered my eyes. The door opened again. I got scared again and got to my ruined bed. "Hello?" Mom. I galloped up to her, who was surprised to see me at this kind of hour as I hugged her. "I thought you went off to school. But I guess you had to stay home because of your wing, right?" "That was part of it." "Part of what?" "What happened this morning." I walked Mom into my bedroom. "Oh, my, god. What happened in here?!?" "I accidentally hit my head on the wall last night before I got to sleep. I tripped on my tail causing me to fall and hit my wing." "I wasn't talking about what happened to you. I was talking about what happened in your room." I thought Mom was starting to see through my lies. "Looking at you, I can see that as a reason why your mane and tail is a mess, but to have a hole in the wall over your bed and your bed look like it needs to be thrown out?!?" "What do you think I should do?!?" "Come over to my friend's house. You can rest there. And secondly, when I ran into your father before I got here, he didn't look pleased at all. Any reason why?" "Not that I know of. Really, honest this time." I hugged Mom in hopes that she'd believe me. Suddenly, I felt my back touched by Mom's wing. It was a very warm and fuzzy feeling that I haven't felt since the last time she noticed something on my coat. "I believe you."
Life Seal's NewsComing home from school, I had a wide smile on my face, until I couldn't find Mom anywhere. I started to think, was I home alone for the afternoon?!? I made sure I was, but as I headed for the kitchen, I heard crying. I came to the bedroom. "Mom?!? Is that you?!?" Mom looked at me past her sobbing on the bed. "I never thought it would happen, but Polly Spot was right. Do you know what happened in my past?" I shook my head. "I once lived in Trottingham. At the time, it was after a year when Equestria came to be as it is now. However, those who still clung to their beliefs from prior to the Windigos set up a 'camp' for every pegasus to come to. It was located at the Crystal Empire, and every pegasus in Equestria was sent there. We know it now..." Mom swallowed with tears still in her eyes. "as the Pegasus Khurbn." "The P-pegasus... WHAT?!?" I was as shocked as Mom was depressed. "The Pegasus Khurbn. It was run by servants of the leader of the Crystal Resistance formerly known as Sargent Sombra. Earth ponies and unicorns were considered one in the same to that site, and their main target were pegasi. I was one of the early ones that were sent there. I went through the many bruises you had, except they were so much worse. I still have my wings, but I can't fly now because of what happened to them." "I haven't been able to fly since yesterday when I woke up." Mom put me under her wing again. "You don't have to omit your father out of the question. I know what happened to you. Besides, I haven't flown since I first arrived at the Pegasus Khurbn." "But what about Polly Spot? What happened to her?" "She's had her wings fixed after the Pegasus Khurbn because I guess she had the money." "Oh, so we don't have as much as Polly Spot." "Trust me, all that matters is if we could get by without the expense of others. If we're able to do that, there's nothing to worry about." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something under Mom's wing. It was a bruise, a bruise that was just like all of mine. I gasped at the thought. "Mom! Under your wing!" "I know Medium. That was from Min. We're happy now, so don't worry about me unless it gets ongoing for me too." "Thanks."
What Happened to EveryoneIt may've seemed like everything was going back to normal when I got to school, but as I got to my usual corner, I thought Free Grip wouldn't notice me. But as he turned around to his desk, he froze. "Medium Praise?!? What're you doing here so early?" "I come here at this time. None of my friends are here at this time, so I just hang here." "Over in the corner of my classroom?" I nodded. "You could've just sat at a desk, I wouldn't mind." "Thanks." "No problem. By the way, how do you get here so early?" "I go to bed early so I wake up early and smile at the moon. That's all I really need to get ready for school." "You love the night, huh. Now that's something I'd like to hear. Other ponies may criticize such a thing, but this sounds especially interesting for a filly to love the night." Free Grip crossed his front hooves on his desk. I scratched the back of my head for my hoof in response. "To be honest, I love both day and night. I heard Princess Luna was feeling unappreciated lately, so this would be the perfect opportunity to show that both times of day can be loved. I've been doing that since late April. But now, I have something else on my mind. What're we reviewing today and tomorrow?" After walking to my desk, I sat down. "Just look on the board," Free Grip answered. I turned around to see what was written. "The Crystal Resistance?" I looked at Free Grip. "So is that today's?" "Yeah." "So what's tomorrow?" "Just a day at a time, Medium. One day at a time." Free Grip shook his head. "Oh. Okay. Say, I haven't been able to fly since Monday. I've tried this morning when I first woke up, but even then, I wouldn't lift off." "Well, I know a few pegasi that've said they were grounded for about two and a half decades as of now. Probably due to everything that happened at the Crystal Empire. It was a good thing the Princesses defeated King Sombra." "King Sombra? As in the pony Mom told me who was formerly known as Sargent Sombra?" Free Grip nodded as I looked down on the floor. "I can't help but feel sorry for all those grounded pegasi. I wish I could do something about it." "Me too Medium. Me too." "Hey Medium. What gives?" I turned around in the hall to see my best friend right behind me. "You haven't hung out with in a while. You normally hang out with us almost every day." "Sorry Millie. Life catching up to me is all." "Oh, okay. Well, I hope it's going to look up in the end." "Thanks Millie." As I walked to the main entrance of the school, I turned around in surprise. "Wait a minute. I think I've noticed something from the previous times we hung out and what's been going on recently." "You have?" "Yeah. Firstly I've seen some bruises on you for about a little over month now. Then I remember you openly talking about your mother and our friends and teachers, but never mentioning your father. I'm wondering if you do have a father." I nodded with the fear that Millie is about to see what's been happening with my father. "Say, is there something you need to tell me?" I shook my head now. "Come on, we're best friends. You can tell me. I won't think anything negative about you." I gave in. I took a breath and a sigh before talking. I started tearing up. "The truth is, that my bruises are from my father." "Oh." I looked at Millie again, who this time looked at the floor coming up to me. "So, would that also explain your absence the other day?" I nodded with tears still in my eyes. Millie then proceeded to hug me. "I'm sorry it's happening to you, but you should never face this alone." "I know. And it's a little harder to get around now that I've been grounded the past two days." "Oh, just like a friend of Mom's." Millie put his front hooves back on the floor. My eyes shot wide open with tears immediately disappearing. "Who's this friend of your mother's?" "Life Seal." "My mother?" "I guess." "Mom said that she's been grounded since she arrived at the Pegasus Khurbn." "The what?" "The Pegasus Khurbn." "Where was that? And when was that?" "This little 'camp' led by a resistance run by unicorns and earth ponies who still clung to their pre-windigo beliefs. It was during the time Sombra had the title of a sergeant, way before he had the title of a king." "So what happened the day you weren't here in school?" "I was levitated into the wall, had my wing slapped and had my tail yanked." "Who did all that?" I looked down on the floor now. "Dad." "Your father's a unicorn?!?" I nodded. "Would you believe me that he originally wanted me as a unicorn?" "I wouldn't blame him if he wanted a filly unicorn or something like that, and thinking highly of your own kind is fine, but this is pre-windigo behavior getting in the way of your father's love for you we're dealing with. We're getting to royal pony sisters." "That's what Ms. Spot suggested." "Our gym teacher?" I nodded again. "She said omitting Dad out of what's been happening was doing just as much damage as Dad was." "Well, now's your chance to cut that damage in half. Let's talk with the sisters." Millie starts to head out of the main entrance, until I stop him. "Wait. We might need to show what Dad looks like to Celestia and Luna. I'll meet you near the Tree of Harmony." Millie salutes in response then leaves. "I'm confident Mom's home anyway." "Hello?!?" "Medium. Where've you been?" Oh no, Daddy. I gulped. "School." "Well, I'm sure all your work's caught up then." I sighed. "It has been for months on end now." "Then what were you doing staying after school?" Daddy set down his saddlebags and took out a bottle of oiznic. "Chatting with my best friend." "Who would that be?" "Millie Beginnings. I told him I'd meet him at the Tree of Harmony." "Why would you want to go there?" "Millie wanted to see what we were like when I first met him." "Well, that picture was already taken." "Oh, by who?" "Your mother." "Oh." I walked to my room to see the sleeping bag Polly Spot put in place of my old bed, only to be stopped by the sound of a crunch and the sting of my right hoof. I looked where the crunch came from and saw a glass bottle. What little liquid there was looked just like the oiznic Daddy was drinking. Then I looked at my right hoof, which now was filled with red near the tip. With just three hooves I limped over to Daddy and looked at him with tears in my angry eyes. "What the hell do you want this time?" I showed Daddy my red hoof in response. Daddy facehoofed. "So what do you want me to do about it? Pour my drink on it? Take you to Celestia and Luna to see what they can do about it?" I made myself fall on the floor, covering my eyes with my good hoof. "Anything it takes to heal my hoof!... That's what!... Absolutely anything... that'll do the job!" I sniffled as I spoke, to which my scalp suddenly stung, causing me to cover it with just my left hoof. "Ready now?" "Uh-huh." Suddenly, my left hoof started to lead my way, dragging me on the floor. I thought for sure I was going to get rug burn on the front of my back hooves the next day. "It's in there pretty deep." My right hoof stung again from all the glass shards being pulled out. "What happened to my right hoof?" "Well, it has to be stitched." I jumped at the word I repeated. "STITCHED?!?" "Yes. The cuts are too deep to be bandaged alone. I promise you, it won't hurt your hoof anymore than it already has been. I also had the wings checked out. They looked..." I lost sound of Front Aid's voice. Then I woke up feeling sore in the right hoof. It wasn't stinging like it was when the glass was in it or when the glass was pulled out. I looked at it. All I saw was white. "Where am I?" "You haven't moved for a while there Medium. I had a nurse call over your mother, who was with another pony." I turned over to my belly and saw Mom and Millie in front of me. "Who would leave an oiznic bottle on the floor in your room?!?" "Daddy," I responded to Mom, who looked more shocked than anyone I've seen. "That's it. That's the final straw! We're going to castle of the two sisters right now!" "Hey don't worry about anything, I got this. But before we go..." Millie turned to me. "Hey Medium, do you know if there's more magic here since you arrived with your cut hoof?" I nodded. "Everywhere I went I felt more magic surrounding me." Millie turned to Mom now. "She wasn't just bleeding normally. She was shedding magic. How about the doctor?" In response to Millie, I teared up again. But I shook my head when the question was brought up. "How could he've missed it?" "I don't have the slightest clue." "Well, I definitely feel the magic in here. Maybe it's enough to teleport. Hold on, your eyes may sting." Suddenly, the magic I've been feeling drains right out. A sudden flash made my eyes hurt and I fell onto what should've been the hospital floor but was instead soil. As quickly as they hurt, the pain in my eyes disappeared. I opened them to see that we were in front of the sisters' castle. Author's Note Just to note, this Millie doesn't have anything to do with the Millie mentioned in Should Equestria Be Home. Also, Spongebob reference. How does a pony lose magic without Tirek involved? The loss of magic can occur to a pony if a cut they obtain is deep enough to require stitching.
Luna's ReactionAs we walked in the castle of the royal pony sisters, I looked at Millie. "How'd you learn to teleport like that?" "I did it back when I was around a year old. Back then, it was so easy to do. But now, unless there's a lot of magic in a small area, I can't." "Few unicorns perfect that kind of magic. All I know who would've done it with no trouble would be Star Swirl, Celestia and Luna." I turned around ahead again to see the two thrones in the background, only to be stopped by the guards. "Who goes there?" Suddenly, Luna came in and signaled the guards to fold their wings once more. "You are free to pass my subjects." We all smiled and entered the throne room following Luna. "So what brings you all here today?" "We've come here because of the ongoing behavior of my daughter's father. Even more so, he was the particular reason that Medium stayed home from school the other day as well as me and Polly Spot replacing Medium's bed with a sleeping bag." "So is this father of yours also the reason why you have your hoof bandaged?" I nodded. "He's left oiznic bottles everywhere and I stepped on one, causing it to break under the hoof." Luna cringed at the thought of what I said implied to her. "Rarely anyone drinks such a beverage. Only on special occasions is oiznic, of all drinks, available." "Wait, what?!?" Life Seal got shocked again. "If that's so, then how'd he get so many of them?!?" "I know. Oiznic and cider bottles pile up quickly at my house because of Dad." "Perhaps this was the cause of this unacceptable behavior of this pony's. What's his name?" "Min Praise. In fact, I have a picture of the three of us, including him, in this here picture." Mom took out that same photo I once looked at in between Daddy's departure and Mom's arrival the day I stayed home. Luna levitated it out of Mom's hoof. "Say, when was this picture taken? This filly looks a lot younger in this." "About five years ago." "Long before this all started," I added. "Luna!" Everyone looked up, including me, at the guard who entered with Daddy behind him. "What is it?" "We have had a report from Dr. Front Aid." "And..." "Wait a minute! I was just with Dr. Aid." "What'd he report?" "He examined the shards he removed from Medium Praise. The shards belonged to a broken oiznic bottle that was left in the Praise family home. And we examined the saliva from it, which belonged to Min Praise." "Exactly what I've heard from these pegasi over here. Do you suppose we should run a session?" "It's the only option. We've filed Min for buying a drink only legally sold in bars: half a bottle at a time." "Then we shall run it tomorrow morning." "Very well." The pounding of a gavel from a unicorn judge signaled guards to close all doors to the room. "The Sisters' Royal Court is now in session for the trial of Min Praise. Would the prosecution make its opening statement?" The earth pony to the right of the judge stood up straight. "No problem. On Wednesday, June 4, Medium Praise was sent to the hospital by her father, Min Praise. What Dr. Front Aid had found on Medium's hoof were cuts too deep to just be bandaged, because not only was Medium bleeding normally after stepping on a bottle empty of oiznic, but she was shedding magic. This phenomenon has never occurred before; it's a mystery of how shedding magic works. But we do know that this broken bottle we examined at the Praise family home had saliva at the tip of it that matched that of Min Praise, which brings us here." "My word! I surely hope Medium Praise is alright now." I nodded. "I am now." "We've gathered here a few witnesses in the audience. First witness is Millie Beginnings." Millie came to the witness' seat and sat down. "So Millie, tell us any information you know about from last night that you heard about or witnessed. Then there could be questions from the defense, so make sure to answer them." "No problem. It all started on Monday, the day that Medium was absent; at that point, I figured something was up, but I didn't know what. Then, I figured it out the next day; Medium's father was still clung to his pre-windigo belief that his kind is better than the other two. I don't see anything wrong with that alone, but I do if it gets in the way of the love of his own filly. So, let's go over the list, shall we? Medium told me that: she was hit into the wall on the scalp, then her wing got slapped so hard that she's been grounded for three days now, then she had her tail yanked. To top it off, Medium accidentally stepped on an illegally bought bottle of oiznic nearly destroying her hoof. Now, I have a yes or no question for Medium; did he call you any names throughout this time?" "Yes." "That covers all four types of abuse. The first one is Medium's scalp hit into the wall along with her wing being slapped, physical abuse. The second one, which shall not be named, is when Medium's tail was yanked. The third type is name calling, emotional abuse. Finally, the fourth type is when Medium stepped on the oiznic bottle that was clearly in the way, neglect." The defense spoke up with this. "How bad was Medium's hoof hurt?" "It was so badly wounded, she was shedding magic." "Did it have to be stitched, and was it?" "Yes and yes. It had to be stitched, which it was." The judge pounded his gavel one more time. "Mr. Ridge, this information had so quickly come together, and this is the first witness of a mere three. Are you sure about this Mr. Beginnings?" Millie nodded. "How'd you know about all this, much less remember every single detail?" "I just said what Medium herself, the victim of this case, had told me." The judge shook his head. "Hm... a victim of abuse may not be that reliable though." "But judge, what Millie said was the honest truth; I didn't just tell him, I experienced them!" "Are you sure?" Mom stood up. "Of course she is! Millie and I saw the aftermath of the procedure!" Another pound of the gavel silenced Mom. "Ms. Seal! You're to remain seated unless called upon the witness' seat!" "Objection. No need to. I call Life Seal to the witness' seat. Continue your claims, Life Seal." The prosecutor pointed to the stand, which Mom proceeded to walk to. "Thank you. Continuing on. I've seen the damages that Min made, and this is what happened to my daughter. She's experienced nearly the same trauma as I have with the Pegasus Khurbn alongside so many other pegasi. But one thing I do agree with is that it was only half the trauma that was by Min; the other half was Medium herself, putting on a facade that nearly tore her apart, that could've killed her! I don't want my daughter to ever be hurt like that again! If someone does something to true that fear, then they'll be sorry they did. Would you affect the whole town just because you're love for your own daughter was blocked off by your own ludicrous beliefs, or would you let that victim of abuse stay somewhere she is safe? If home isn't safe, nowhere is." Everyone teared up at the speech, especially me. Mom proceeded to walk over to me, leaving the defense with nothing to say. This was my Mom, right? A tomboy? "Well, I guess that solidifies everything. I think I can reach my verdict. Mr. Ridge, you won't anymore witnesses to testify." "Quite alright. Those were all the witnesses I intended to bring to the chair." "This court finds the defendant, Min Praise, guilty. Any word before I give my sentence." I raise my hoof. "Do you know whether or not my father took me to the hospital or not?" "No, I don't know. Did he?" "Yes." "Well, that won't sway my sentence then." "But you don't understand. If he'd not bring me to the hospital there'd be no court case like this." "Well, that does make sense. But that still doesn't sway my sentence." "I understand. I'm ready for whatever sentence you give him."
Visit from Polly SpotA knock on the door scared me as I went to my bed again. Mom just answered the door. "Hey Life Seal." Polly Spot?!? Was that her?!? I ran to the living room to see if it really was Polly Spot. "I just came to tell you that Medium Praise was missing in our- oh hey Medium." I waved hello. "Sheesh! What happened to you?!?" "I just got back out of bed. Long story short, I got sick." "If only it applied to your wing as well. I may know who did this." "Trust me Polly Spot. You haven't seen that much yet. Take a look into Medium's bedroom." I ducked under as Polly Spot flew over to my bedroom. "Oh Sweet Celestia, you're right!" Polly Spot comes back again. "Medium, you're going to my house. I'm not taking anymore of your father's drama. You need help. I'll do whatever it takes to crack through that skull of his." "How could you talk about her father like that?!?" "I noticed that she'd openly talk about you and her friends, but not her father. And she's been getting some bruises since late April. Maybe they both would've had a connection." "I could see where you're coming from. She has been getting plenty of bruises for a little over a month. But why would you think Min of all ponies would do that?!? They looked like they could've easily been from bullies at school!" "I have bullies at school?!? I don't know anyone at school who is a bully." "Neither do I, Medium. Like I said Seal, she'd openly talk about her friends. That facade of Medium's has damaged her just as much as her father has. Things could only get worse if I wouldn't have Medium sleep at my house." I gasped. "Does that mean..." "Only as long as you go to bed early, you can wake up to see the moon." "I won't let you down, Ms. Spot!" I stood on my hind legs to briefly salute Polly Spot with a wide smile on my face. After that, I was squeeing with joy all day, ready to go to Polly Spot's house.
Spending the NightPolly Spot and I got to her house which was very far from my house as I checked the time there. "Six thirty. Plenty of time. That walk over here seemed a lot quicker than I thought it was." "I'm afraid not. That clock hasn't been adjusted to Day Light Savings yet." I looked at Polly Spot. "What time is it then?" "Seven thirty." I looked down onto the floor now. "Oh. Well today was an exceptionally bad day for me. I'm sorry about staying home today." "I entirely understand." "But now that I"m staying here, how'll I get to school? I mean, when I sleep at my house, I usually know my way. But I've never-" "I'll drop you off. I know the way from here." I felt something fuzzy on my back now. It was Polly Spot's wing. As I went to bed, I blew out the nearby candle putting myself in the dark of everything. It was to check how far into twilight I was. But this time, the sun was out and ready to set. But I thought to myself. This was what I wanted. To get to bed early, to get a good amount of sleep, to have a real parent, a worthwhile guardian. Realizing my dreams came true, I also realized, these came true whenever I wasn't home. One last dream I need to true was to make everything else come true at home. Feeling comfortable at home was the only thing I asked for, a stable life. But what came into my mind now was that Daddy was always there at night. I couldn't have any comfort in even my own room, at night. At this thought, I started to cry at the fact I didn't have a real home. Not even here. Here was a place to stay for a night, not to make a living out of. The law didn't work like that, unless one of the royal pony sisters straight up knew about my father's drama. I stopped. These new thoughts went into my head. What if I told Princess Luna about Daddy? It was so good of a plan that I started to smile. I smiled even wider when I knew that I could get to sleep tonight and wake up early in the morning to look out the window tonight and see the moon. As the sun set, I closed my eyes. Author's Note I actually referenced an episode of Crazy Maze, on an MLP fan fiction. I see the plot similarities between A Worthwhile Guardian and this, but they have different inspirations. AWG was inspired from what Barsi went through. This was inspired from the book Ellen Foster. As a bonus, we had a research project to present a topic and everything to note about it. I chose the best topic I could've ever done to do this.
Goodbye, Good Reddens?Daddy was sentenced to be exiled out of Equestria for twenty years to life. Mom had to stay overnight in the house I slept in. As of me, I saw the doctor again, who said that I lost so much magic, that I possibly won't be able to fly for the rest of my life; all that I've become now is just a weak earth pony with wings and a possibly permanent blank flank at that. Today was my last day of school, so I got home as soon as possible; I was so excited that I could stay up late instead of waking up early to look at the moon. Then I realized that I wouldn't hanging with my friends that much for the next three months. I guess they could "get over here" when they want. I stopped to think though. Who else was in my life? Who else were friends that I didn't hang out with in any relation with school? I was drawing a blank. I knew Daddy had heart, but I never knew he was right about what I was about to think. I didn't have a social life outside of school. I spent so much time with my school friends, I didn't have any time to go out and meet ponies just outside. These next few months was my chance to do just that. Finding new friends and keeping my school ones too. This was a new life for me that I'd never forget, one that I've been dying to have, one I chose to have. "Hey Mom?" "Yes, Medium?" "Any next door neighbors around here I could meet?" "Well, you can go outside. I'm sure there are, but you need a wing to get under, you can always ask me." "Thanks."
