The youth of Jack Sparks

Jack awoke in a messy room. It had been three years since his horn had started growing in a new way. Growing upwards instead of like usual unicorns, straight out. His mother, Aura Cali, had told him that that was how he was born. So, Jack Sparks believed it to be somewhat of a birthmark.

"Hum" Jack groaned, another boring day, better get busy before... Jack thought. A yelling could be heard from downstairs. The young colt stretched, looking to the ceiling with a frown. Might as well go down before father comes up and hurts me thinking slowly was his morning thing. As Jack made his way downstairs, he heard his father, Clad Stone, laughing. Uh oh. If father is laughing, it can't be good Jack thought with a shiver through his spine. He slowly made his way into the kitchen. Clad Stone was sitting at the table, with a newspaper held in a blackish-blue aura. Jack looked at the front page of the paper and saw a picture of a school building.

"Bout time you got up." Clad said with a scowl. "You'll have to learn to get up early, from now on. Since we decided to enroll you in the newly made school here in town."

"Oh, be nice to Jack, honey. After all you only go to school once in your life." Aura said, smiling. Between both of Jack's parents, his mom was more caring than his dad ever was. 'Do you want some pancakes? How about something really special for your first day of school?"

Jack nodded happily. Out of all breakfast meals, pancakes was his favorite. "Wait, I gotta go ta school? What's that?" Jack asked. looking curiously.

"It's where all young ponies go to learn and were you learn what you do with your lives," Aura said with a smile.

"Or they fatten you up to chop you on Graduation Day," Clad said, sneering. A look from his wife made him retort. "What? Oh fine, they don't do that." Clad smiled behind the newspaper.

"Anyways," Aura Cali reasoned, "I know without a doubt, you'll make some friends."

'What's friends?" Jack Sparks asked. The whole time jack Sparks had lived in the village of Clotstown he had never made a single friend. He was not able to go outside a lot, his father said that Jack might be coltnapped or killed, so Jack Sparks had lived mostly indoors, away from the outside world.

"Fiends are ponies who will like you for who you are," Aura Cali reassured Jack with a smile. "No matter what, they will never leave you crying."

"Enough talking, your food is getting cold," Clad Stone said, looking over his paper.

"Okay dad," Jack said happily. He quickly ate his fill of pancakes and hurried to the door, where his mother was waiting patently. Jack Sparks always thought that his mom looked pretty in a darkish kind of way. Her mane was a greenish blue and her coat, a brownish red. She gave off a rustic vibe just by looking at her.

"Ready to go?" Aura Cali asked, "Since this is your first day and don't know where the schoolhouse is, I'll walk you to the building and get you all set up." She walked next to Jack slowly. "Oh, wait a second, I got to talk to your father." She went back inside the house and shut the door. "Not a word." Aura's calm voice turned harsh. "I am not trying to be nice. I gotta put on this facade, around the colt."

"I know," Clad's raspy voice quieted Aura immediately. "Get going, before I beat you up." Aura nodded and left the house with a happy Jack Sparks trotting behind her.

"Okay class, quiet down. We have a new pony in our room today." A grey earth pony with a scroll on his flank, said in the front of the room full with young foals talking to each other. "I said QUIET!" The whole room became quiet. Nopony said a word. "Now that I have your attention, I'd like to introduce your new classmate." A gold pegasus looked on in interest. "Can you come here, lad?" Jack S[arks slowly walked up to stand next to the older pony. "This is Jack Sparks. His mother has informed me that he has no friends. So let's welcome Jack into the school."

Jack Sparks looked upon the room full of ponies. There were five earth ponies, two unicorns and three pegasi. The one who stood out the most was a young colt pegasus that had a golden coat, green mane and tail. His eyes were sharp like a hawks. Looking at him, Jack felt a little nerved.

"You can call me Mr. Dlob," The grey stallion said. "Now, you can take a seat. Pick any that is open."

Jack walked around the room, looking for a desk he could sit at. There was only one vacant seat, next to the gold pegasus. Jack Sparks slowly took the seat, not looking at the pony

"I'm not going to bite," a raspy, shy voice came from beside Jack. Jack looked to his side, and noticed that the pegasus's eyes were not sharp, instead red and emotional. They still had that sharp look, but looked more caring, than stern. "Um, hi. M-my name is Zach Ray, my father tells me that I should be friendly with more ponies my own age. I have to admit, your horn looks strange."

"Oh, thanks. My horn is a birth thing, according to my mom," Jack said. "I gotta admit, your eyes look cool, also. Here I thought that you were stern, and your really nice." Jack smiled happily. He could not remember when was the last time he was smiling like this. Zach was easy to be around, sort of like the pegasus knew where he came from. "You seem nice. Say, do you want to be friends?

"Really?!" Zach Ray blurted out. Mr, Dlob looked at him with a scowl on his face. "Oops, sorry." Zach looked back at Jack, whispering, "Really? I never had a friend who looks as cool as you. Actually, you'd be my first friend. Everypony here doesn't like me. My dad is not a likeable pony. He is the sheriff of a far off town. Let's just say, after hours aren't pretty."

After school, Jack and Zach both walked home with a smile on their faces, and a new bond of friendship that made both ponies happy.