Silence

I trotted for the first few miles, still staining my coat with fresh, hot, tears. The next few, it was already approaching nighttime, and I was soon to be bathed in darkness. I stuck to the side roads, trying to avoid any large traffic. After all, seeing a little kid roaming the dirt roads raises suspicion. Despite my age, I learned much from Father when handling situations involving the outdoors. Sometimes, we would go on long hauls to major cities far away, my father hoping to attract the attention of anypony willing to hire a contract with him. We made a decent amount of earnings from the nearby settlements, but it gave little in the way of "Spoiling one's self". The wages earned would be used for the sole purpose of keeping the farm running. In my later years, I admired him for keeping a level head about it.

...I had almost broken down again, reaching the point where I considered sprinting back home to be in the loving embrace of my parents. My father's stubbornness never let me out of its grasp, however, so I wiped away my tears in a frenzied swipe, angry at the defiant drops of sorrow, and began to set up camp. I hadn't brought along a tent or any provisions that would provide comfort and ease on the road. My bedding was my mother's books, one opened to act as a makeshift pillow, a small bottle of Torchbugs to keep the darkness at bay, a blanket that everything was nestled in, and Grandmother's walking stick to keep me company. I never lost sight of that cane, even in my prime. Its mysteries and closeness to family it brought me was always the ever silent companion in my many travels.

...I want to be... buried with it. Please. I have no kin to share it with, and wish to keep it within my family, though I doubt that will happen. One day, you may find one just like myself, and on that day, tell that wonderful pony where I am buried. If there is no heir, I want somepony to pass it into their families. I want them to read this story as well. They need to know why I made my decisions- why I am leaving this world. I am a very old, and fragile, pony. My name shouldn't be in the records, at least, not how I was; I don't want them to know of my misdeeds, only to know that I was a great pony. I give my regards to the one reading this note. It might be centuries old, still preserved within my coffin, and yet, it should feel ancient upon first glance... It does to me...

I hadn't experienced many nightmares in my youth, but when I had, Mother was there to comfort me. She would curl up with me in my bed, and either read me a story or sing a lullaby to ease my passing into the dream world. Tonight, I would have neither. I awoke in a frenzy, sweat dripping off my coat as if it freshly rained. I was scared. More than that actually; I was terrified beyond belief. I shouted into the night for my mother, wishing I never had to make this perilous journey... But I couldn't risk it. No matter what, my objective was clear: Ask the Princesses for tutelage under their wings, no matter the cost. Reminding myself of what needed to be done, I shook the tears away from my young face, and pulled out a map of Equestria. Our farm was just on the outskirts of the Undiscovered West. Not many ponies would risk starting a farm out in this territory, and was widely considered Uncharted and Dangerous. We were mostly dependent on the scarce settlements that were between Los Pegasus and what is now known as the Smokey Mountains. We would trade every once in a while between those two heavily occupied areas, but none of the Nouveau Riche, and even the more established nobles and dignitaries would even give us a second glance.

They were the only source of business we could survive off of. The middle and lower classes at the time could barely afford ends meet, so it would be wrong to try to convince them of giving up a sum of their money. Father and Mother both despised the upper-class citizens of Equestria. They were "Too snobby" as it were. In my case, I adopted Grandmother's philosophy: They don't know unless you teach them. Once I was taken in by the two Princesses, I began to attract attention of the nobles, and that's when I began to use my grandmother's philosophy to better the upper echelons of society. They all wanted to "get in my good graces", which, in laments terms, just means buttering me up to get me on their side. Every time they tried, however, I shook my head. They were astounded that someone would reject their offers of money or more personal gifts, and every time, I offered the same bit of advice, hoping that my lesson I try to teach would stick to them like a strong glue, binding them to good morals for generations to come.

"Spend your time among those unfortunate to have luxury," I would tell them. "Then you will understand why such gifts dissuade me."

Most snorted in annoyance, and went about the same as usual, bribing some other official related to Celestia and Luna for a higher position in their deluded hierarchy.

I'm sorry, I seemed to have rambled on. My journey was halted this night for rest, and my stopping point in this hour was just before the fork in the main road, leading to the nearby established areas I described earlier. I marked how far away I was on the map, with a bit of crayon I brought along with me. Marking my progress... helped. It was a coping mechanism I suppose, to help rid me of a terrifying nightmare. Smiling after marking the distance I've made, terrifying nightmares haunted me no more, and was replaced with warm thoughts and imaginations that only a small child could have within their mind. I went to bed happy, even more determined than ever to make my way to the two ponies I would soon consider my closest friends...