I am really bored.
This happens a lot. I can't really justify being bored, aside from claiming that I only have one friend, and she's always busy with other things.
Ari and I have been best friends since before she had a cutie mark. I still don't have mine. Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but I'm in my 20s. I should have gotten one by now.
Ari got hers when she rescued a family from a burning building last year. She was destined to be a hero. Ever since then she's been taking up jobs all over the place.
It's bad enough that she's always super busy with her destiny, but what makes it worse is that she's a SUPERhero. You see, when Ari got her cutie mark, she also got a pair of wings to go with it. This means she has magic AND flight at her disposal.
I have neither.
She was always plenty heroic. She didn't need those wings. But she certainly didn't complain about them.
She's had her mark for a year, and she usually pops up every now and then just to check in on me. But for the past month, she hasn't so much has sent me a scroll.
My alarm clock goes off. I bang at it, and it finally stops after a few misses.
I may not have a life worth living without Ari's awesome light to bask in, but I still have a life. I have 5 part-time jobs that keep me occupied. I used to have just 2, but then my slacker brother moved in, and now I need double the bits to support him with.
Blank Canvas is my brother. He's an artist, and a really good one, but he's too lazy to finish any of his pieces. My mom called me up around the time Ari disappeared and told me to take him in. He's been here for just over 3 weeks now, and he's already making my life a wreck.
I walk down the stairs silently. I didn't want to wake my brother. He gets crabby in the morning, especially when he's been drinking all night.
Which is what he does every night.
I swear I haven't seen my brother sober since we were kids. He's always out at some bar or another, drinking his mind out.
Despite my efforts to remain undetected by his drunken ears, I trip on one of the stairs and fall down the entire flight.
My flank knocks into a vase with flowers in it on my way down, and it shatters into a thousand tiny pieces, some of the shards sticking themselves in my mane and flank.
"OW!" I scream.
As I begin to brush myself off, I hear the figure on the couch shuffle upwards and groan.
I wince as he turns around. He's grown a little stubble since yesterday, and he has heavy bags under his eyes.
"Prim, get me a bucket," he groans as he starts to turn green.
"Get your own bucket," I snarl at him. "I have to get to work."
I grab my five uniforms for my five different jobs from a hook in the hallway and swing open the door.
I duck just as an empty beer bottle comes whirring past my head. It shatters behind me on the lawn outside.
"Bring me a bucket!" He screams.
"Never!" I yell back. I run out the door and slam it shut just as he throws another bottle. I can hear it shatter from the other side just as I bolt it shut.
"Right," I mutter to myself. "Now that he's out of the way..."
I hail a taxi passing down our street and give the driver the address to my first job.
"Time to get to business," I sigh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My first job is at an art camp. I teach kids how to act in my acting workshop. The foals love having me teach them the skills of the stage. Today I'm teaching them the importance of never leaving your back to the audience.
"It makes the story lose its focus if the actors face away from the audience," I explain to the children. The lines can't be heard as well, and the expressions you learn for the part become meaningless."
After instruction time, they do a few practice scripts. I correct them and give them pointers on how they can be better. I like to think that in this way, I am like Ari. I'm changing lives, after all. I'm providing these foals with a future.
But I know that nothing I could do could ever compare to what Ari does on a daily basis. I wonder what she's doing right now...
I snap out of my fantasies of Ari flying over some busy metropolis skyline, taking down evil pegasi in a fit of heroism when I feel a tug at my long, translucent mane.
"Miss Prim?" It's one of the students.
"Yes, Sana?" I'm all too familiar with Sana. She's very accident-prone, and extremely sensitive. She needs constant attention or she's in constant danger.
"Kitty hit me," she whines, pointing an accusing hoof at the troublemaker in the group, Kitty Travels.
"I did not," Kitty growls. "She's just trying to attract attention."
While I do believe that Sana would do that, I also could believe Kitty would hit someone for fun.
"Why don't you two both sit in time out for a few minutes?" I say.
"No way!" Kitty yells. "This is so unfair!"
"Well, I guess you could apologize to each other instead?" In order to get them to make up, it's important to appeal to both their desires to get out of trouble while still learning a lesson.
"Sorry," they both half-heartedly grumble.
"You are free to go," I say.
They then gallop along. I glance at the clock.
"Okay, kids, line up here! It's time to go home!"
All of the foals file outside the door, waiting for their parents or older siblings to pick them up. While we wait, I sing songs to them and read stories to pass the time. This only takes a few minutes, however, and then it is time for me to head home for my lunch break. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note
This is only chapter one, and I will add new chapters as soon as I can. It might take a while, though, because right now my top priority is finishing A Good Mare Goes to War.
When I returned home for my lunch break, I found a scroll waiting for me. My heart leaped with excitement. Maybe it's from Ari!
Dear Pastelle,
It's me, Ari! I regret to inform you that I won't be coming home for my weekly visits for a while. There's been a boost in business down here in Manehattan, and it's probably going to keep me busy for a long time. I expect I'll be here at least two more months.
On the bright side, I finally got a superhero uniform from a popular boutique in Canterlot last week. Enclosed is a picture of me wearing it.
Oh, and another thing. I've saved the best news for last. I've met this really great hero guy. His hero name is Supertrap, but his real name is Vincent. I think he might really be, you know, the one! If you write back, make sure to send it to my office in New Colt. I won't be in Manehattan for too much longer.
Sincerely,
Ari the Amazing
I couldn't help but start crying after I read the scroll. Ari the Amazing? Why did she sign it as her hero name? I'm her best friend! I know who she is!
And who's this "Supertrap?" What's his superpower? Where's he from?
And since when does Ari call me Pastelle? To her and everyone around me, I've always been called Prim or Primrose! I haven't been called Pastelle since I was an infant!
And since when does she have an OFFICE in New Colt? I know that's one of her busier cities, but does a superhero really need an OFFICE? Wouldn't a simple apartment do?
And what's with the 'Sincerely?' In all of her other scrolls she's always signed it off with 'Love' or 'Missing You' or something that showed a mutual relationship.
I cried for hours afterwards.
