Citrus Saplingsby IstaranChaptersAmber WavesGinger DimplesStormcloudAmber WavesThe rising sun shining through her window woke Amber Waves as it did most every morning. The earth filly stretched and yawned, and began preparing for a day like any other. She brushed her teeth first, then began styling her blonde mane into the perfectly arrayed amber waves that she was named for. Her brown fur was next, brushed from head to flank, finishing just in time for her mother to call her downstairs for breakfast. Like any other morning, she enjoyed the pancakes, and begrudgingly ate the eggs. "Ready for school my little genius?" her Daddy asked as he did most mornings. She nodded and gave her best smile as she finished chewing. Mom shot him her customary look. He couldn't help it. Daddy was a unicorn, and didn't have the same appreciation of farm work that the other earth ponies here in Citrus Hills shared. If it were up to him, Amber would be doing, well, anything else with her life. But she was an earth pony, just like Mom, and that limited her options somewhat. She certainly wouldn't be a weathermare. But there were a lot of other possibilities, and she was determined to make her Daddy proud. "On your way, then, dear," Mom said, holding out Amber's saddlebags to her in her teeth. Slipping into position, the filly accepted the heavy packs and gave her parents each a quick kiss as she made her escape, eager for another day of learning. The walk to the Orange Seeds Schoolhouse wasn't that long, but it was long enough for a brief encounter or two on my way. Long View, the green furred, thick glassed, pegasus colt who was her greatest rival descended from his flight path long enough to clop hooves with her. "Hay, Amber. See you in class!" he greeted cheerfully before climbing again. He was almost always the first in class, but that didn't do him that much good. Lemon Drop wouldn't start teaching until everypony was present. Everypony who was going to show up, anyways. As Amber rounded the last corner before the schoolhouse, she saw an unfamiliar earth pony mare approaching, moving to pass her. Black mane, white fur, and a broom and dustpan cutie mark, she swiftly memorized. A maid, perhaps? There were a few households in town big enough to appreciate such services and rich enough to afford the luxury, if they could be convinced to part with their bits. Amber couldn't help a small giggle as her mind jumped to the mystery books she was so fond of. The maid did it! The maid always did it. The alleged maid glanced at her as she giggled, raising an eyebrow slightly but carrying on. A giggling filly isn't all that noteworthy, after all. When the filly finally reached the door into the classroom, she paused, blinking a moment as she took in the sights before moving to take her seat in the front right corner. Midnight Oil, the black furred, purple maned unicorn with a distinct record of absenteeism was sitting in Long View's spot, front and center, displacing the near sighted pegasus to the back row. The other seat in the front row was occupied by a newcomer, a stark white unicorn colt she'd never met, who had instantly captured Midnight's interest. Amber made a note to thank Long for not taking her seat when he was displaced. Note? Perfect. She'd make an extra copy of all her notes for him today, to help out. He'd probably be fine on his own, but he'd appreciate the gesture. And what's the point of a rivalry if you have to take unfair advantages to beat your rival? The other unicorn in the class joined them while Amber prepared her notebook, the horned filly humming to herself cheerfully as she dance-walked her way across the room and over to the spot behind the newcomer. "Hi there! I'm Ginger Dimples!" she introduced, exchanging a clop of greeting with the white colt. "Blank Slate," he answered, before she nodded and moved on. He opened his mouth to say something else, but as she was already gone he just shook his head. "Don't mind her. She's a sweetheart, but Ginger is far too vapid for a clever colt like you, I'm sure,~" Midnight half-said, half-purred, drawing his attention back to her. Ugh. What was her game? They were all far too young for what it sounded like. None of the foals even had cutie marks yet. OJ and Summer Sun passed me on their way to the seats behind Amber. The pair of orange colored earth ponies were nearly beneath Amber's notice, something she occasionally felt guilty for. Other times she felt like they should feel guilty for wasting everypony's time in class. They were all pretty sure the two were going to marry and spend the rest of their lives tending fruit trees. They themselves were sure of it enough that they tuned out their lessons most days, and openly chatted and passed notes all day, making it that much harder for those ponies trying to actually learn. Even farmers needed to know some things, the adults insisted, or else those two wouldn't even be here. Finally, Stormcloud glided in just as Miss Lemon Drop was gathering the class roll in her magic. The pegasus filly wore more clothing than anypony else the foals knew, all of it silver-studded black-dyed leather to clash with her white-dyed fur, and match the bizarre use of makeup, black bags drawn in under her eyes, with fake black tear streaks drawn in and black lipstick. "Oh hey new foal," she greeted as she headed for her seat dead center. "Love the look." She winked at him and gave a grin as she settled into place before taking on her typical bored look for class. Midnight shot her an warning glass, while Blank Slate used a hoof to cover a bit of a laugh. This time the roll call was a bit longer than usual, with Blank Slate coming in right after Amber, and Ginger reflexively answering 'here' to his name, before catching herself with a fit of giggles. "Blank Slate, will you come up and introduce yourself to everypony," Miss Lemon Drop finally requested, when the roll was done. The colt nodded, slipped up to the front with a bit of a blush, and a timid look, he waved to everypony. "Hello. I'm Blank Slate. Thank you for welcoming me to your town," he said. "Hello, Blank Slate!" the other foals answered in unison, before each giving their names. The black and white earth mare stopped by again, at noon, offering Blank Slate a set of used saddlebags just as the class was stopping for lunch. Amber hadn't noticed until then that he had been bagless. She chided herself for her inattention, as she strolled out to see the situation. With Midnight present, that usually meant she and Ginger would pair off to eat lunch. The pegasi always ate up on the roof, and that generally left Amber eating with the tree kickers. They weren't bad ponies, just lighter conversation than she preferred. Not that Ginger was much better in that regard, but her cheerfulness was infectious, and Amber never regretted spending time in her presence because of it. Amber had hoped she could get the new colt to herself, or that Midnight would hog him and leave Amber with Ginger, but no. The three unicorns clustered together. So the earth filly sat with the orange ponies, surrounded by the admittedly delicious scent of fresh oranges from their lunch as she bit into her own carrots. She angled her ears, trying to hear what the unicorns had to say, but it was hard from this distance, especially with the side conversations going on. "Was that your mother," Ginger asked. "She seems nice. Is she a maid?" Amber couldn't hear Blank's response, or Midnight's exchange with him. It sounded a lot more complicated than a simple 'yes' or 'no', though. She hoped Ginger would catch her up later, if the ditsy unicorn could even remember it all. "Aww, that's no good. They sound like a bunch of meany pants!" Ginger complained. "Well, we'll be much nicer to you, won't we?" Amber couldn't hear the next bit either, but she didn't need to hear to make out Midnight's overly affectionate rubbing against him with her shoulder. She was definitely still after him. What was her hurry anyways? The new colt's horn began to glow green for a bit, barely visible in the sunlight, somewhat easier to see against the black background of Midnight's fur as she got all too inappropriately close. Some of the other foals here might not know, but Amber's Daddy was a unicorn himself. She had some idea what was or was not appropriate when it came to horns. Perhaps more so than Midnight, actually. The black furred filly had a pegasus for a mother, and an earth pony stepfather... but she still ought to know better. It was in some of the basic textbooks, after all. At the end of the school day, Amber stopped Long View before he could head out. "Here, Long. I made an extra copy of my notes," she explained, offering a pile of pages to him. "Oh, wow. Thanks, Amber!" he said, accepting the pages with a wing and glancing them over before slipping them in his saddlebags. He looked at her a moment, blushing for some reason before surprising her with a sudden kiss to the cheek and dashing out of the schoolhouse on wing-borne speed. Amber was stunned for a moment, processing what had just happened. He was her rival, not her love interest! Her cheeks hurt like he'd lit them on fire with his... his cooties! She let myself indulge the thought for a moment before it faded. She sighed. The little narratives in her head she had for everypony else didn't always match up to their own, she guessed. Still, she wasn't giving up on her rivalry. It helped motivate her, kept her sharp. And he was the only pony in the class who could compete with her academically. Midnight was smart and worked hard, but missed too much class, placing a distant third in the grades. Amber gathered her own copy of her notes and gave them her customary review before putting them away and heading out the door. She was typically the last one out of the schoolhouse, but this time she noticed a pair of unicorns sitting outside, a dozen hooves from the doorway. Midnight Oil and Blank Slate were there, facing each other, talking. That only became more surprising as she overheard some of their conversation. "Seventeen!" Midnight said, clopping her hooves as he nodded in the affirmative. "Now it's your turn. One, two, three, four... four seconds, not bad. Alright, give it a rest a bit." She counted off as his horn glowed bright for a bit, before dropping down to a faint, almost invisible light, not completely at rest. "Whew... getting a bit better... alright now, listen carefully. What's six times seven minus fourteen divided by two?" he inquired of her. She wrote in the dirt with her own magic quickly, working her way through the figures. "Fourteen," she concluded, her face looking crestfallen when he shook his head. "Look back to the top. You had it right at that point. Don't forget the order of operations," he tutored. They were tutoring each other. Amber was a bit jealous... Midnight could have asked her for help anytime, even if she couldn't really help the new colt with his horn problems. She shook her head, and headed for home, not wanting to dwell on it too long. "Welcome home, honey. Your snack's on the counter. Eat up and do your homework. Daddy will be home in a few hours," Amber's mom greeted her. She repaid the words with a loving nuzzle before taking the offered food to the table and getting out her books. "There's a new colt at school," Amber informed her mother. "Unicorn, white furred. Midnight's really taken a liking to him. A bit too aggressively, I think." "You aren't jealous of her, I hope?" her mom asked, "There's plenty of earth ponies to chose from, you don't need to fight with her over the only unicorn colt your age." She shook her head quickly, even as she blushed. "Mooom! No! Anyways... I think Long View might try courting me. He snuck a kiss on my cheek, even though all I did was given him an extra copy of my notes." Her mom laughed at that. "And why were you being so generous with your 'eternal rival' to begin with? I thought you were trying to beat him in grades?" "I was. I am! But it has to be fair. Midnight stole his seat, and he got stuck in the back row, and Stormcloud kept blocking his view with her wings. She thought is was funny! I'm amazed he even ate lunch with her today. I bet he was so mad," Amber explained. "Anyways, how was he supposed to take notes if he couldn't see the chalkboard, and how is it a proper competition if he can't even have notes to study from?" "You're a good filly," her mom said, pleased, before kissing her on the top of the head and squeezing her hard in a hug. "And that's what makes me proud of you. Now do your homework, dear. And I'll do mine." She grabbed the broom and started sweeping, while her filly grabbed quill and ink and began answering Miss Lemon Drop's questions for the day. Ginger DimplesGinger awoke with a smile on her lips and a hum in her throat, the familiar melody repeating itself again and again as she lit her horn and brought her brushes to bear. "Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling, showing your grin," she sang aloud when her tooth brush had finished its job, while the hair brush continued working toward its usual ends. The words seemed a bit more sincere today than usual. There was a new colt in class, a unicorn at that! Of course, Midnight had practically thrown herself at him already, but that was okay. The dark furred mare wouldn't begrudge her a new friend, and Ginger didn't mind leaving it at that. She had yet to see the appeal of romance, and wondered if she ever would. Friends though... a new friend! She still had a few hours before school as she trotted downstairs. Great! She got to work in the kitchen, making preparations. Ingredients mixed in several bowls as she heated the oven. A few trays full of little round indentations floated from the shelves to the counters before being filled. Glancing at a clock, she noted the time before sliding the trays into the oven. Whew! That was a bit of work, but no problem. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. She sat down at the kitchen table while her books drifted over from her saddlebags. Most foals she knew did their homework in the evening, but she preferred to do it in the morning, so it was fresh in her mind when she went in. Besides, her father came home late and woke late, and this way she could mostly avoid him, being in bed when he got home. It was so nice and peaceful here in the morning while her parents slept. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. A glance at the clock when her homework was finished showed she still had another fifteen minutes. Time enough to review the reading a little more and read ahead for the day. The teacher could be so fast when she covered the materials, it helped to at least skim it in advance and have some idea where she was going with it. Oops! Let the time get away from her a bit there, better hurry before the food is overdone. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. The two trays slid out of the oven and onto the counter. It was a good thing levitation magic couldn't be burned! The muffins, however, could have been. They were slightly overdone, but not so much she couldn't be proud to give them away. She'd get back to them in a moment. The baked egg dishes she served up onto three plates, leaving two on the counter as she moved to feed herself. Mmm. Those came out perfect. Maybe mom would sneak in a genuine smile this morning. She chose to believe so. Oh! Time to put the coffee on. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. Glancing at the clock again, Ginger quickly packed her bags for school, nearly overflowing with the extra muffins. Her mom sleepily stumbled down to the landing of the stairs just as Ginger was on her way out. They nuzzled each other, trading smiles. "Heading out already? Have a good day at school. I love you, Ginger Dimples," her mom said cheerfully. "I love you too, mom," Ginger said cheerfully, taking a moment to wipe off a bit of the makeup that had transferred from her mom. Oops! She'd need to put a bit more back on to properly hide that bruise. "Coffee's brewing now, breakfast is waiting for you. See you tonight!" They smiled at each other as they parted ways, humming the same tune. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. Ginger hummed her way into class, prancing about in her usual fashion as she got to her seat. "Hi Blank Slate!" she greeted cheerfully, glad to see the new pony was there on time, before trading greetings with her other friends and taking her seat. Midnight hadn't shown up yet today, so Long View was back in his usual spot in the front row. Good for him! Miss Lemon Drop glanced around, watched the seconds mark on the clock reach the appointed time, and then coughed gently to draw attention, before commencing the calling of the attendance roll. It was a silly ritual, as she knew who was there or not at a glance, but she did it every morning anyways. Perhaps it was a good reminder that she was paying attention, and would notice if you skipped class. "Amber Waves?" "Here," the earth filly said firmly. "Blank Slate?" "Present," the unicorn colt said with exaggerated calmness. "Ginger Dimples?" "Here~," the unicorn filly sang out. "Long View" "Present," the pegasus colt said, mimicking Blank Slate. "Orange Juice" "Yo!" the earth colt said, earning a giggle from Summer Sun. For some reason, this caused Blank Slate to frown as he looked back around the room. "Stormcloud" "Here," the pegasus filly said from outside before landing in a run halfway into the room, wings spread to brake as quickly as she could. She collapsed into a heap in front of Blank Slate, who offered her a hoof up, before slipping back to her desk, doing her best to recover her air of dignity. Miss Lemon Drop glared at her a bit for her tardiness and sloppy entrance, but moved on without a word. "Summer Sun" "Yo!" the earth filly said, doing an impression of Orange Juice and getting a chuckle from him in return. As Miss Lemon Drop turned to the board and began our lessons for the day, Blank Slate frowned anew, giving another look around the room and then at the door before settling uncomfortably into splitting his attention between the lecture and his books. It took me a while to realize why he was so unsettled. We were all so used to Midnight Oil's absences that the teacher had simply taken to not calling her in the rolls when she didn't show up. But he was new here, and he didn't know how you're supposed to react to those things. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Show your grin. As we filtered out into the yard for lunch and recess, I slipped up to Blank Slate and gave him a hip bump. "It's a beautiful day! What's got you so down?" Ginger asked with a smile. "I'm just worried about Midnight Oil," he said. "The teacher didn't even call her for attendance. Is that normal?" "Aww, that's sweet. She's gone sometimes," Ginger said with a smile and a shrug. "Here, have some muffins," she offered, deploying the tray of baked goods. "Thanks," he said, taking two of them and starting into one. His eyes darted around the yard for a moment as he chewed, before swallowing a mouthful. "These are quite good. You brought enough for everypony?" "I guess so, why?" Ginger asked. "I baked them for you. Oh! I'm not trying to steal you from Midnight, or anything! I just wanted to welcome you to Citrus Hills." "Mind if I share these then?" Blank asked. "Not at all," Ginger permitted. "I'm sure the earth ponies would be happy for a few." It was silly to suggest the pegasi, since they were up on the roof, as usual. Though Ginger supposed he could call up to them. They were distant, not deaf. Instead, Blank walked over to the downspout of the rain gutter, gave it a couple experimental taps, and then proceeded to walk up the spout, while balancing the muffin tin in one hoof. Ginger blinked in surprise, then smiled broadly and clopped her hooves together at the impressive feat. She half expected a cutie mark to appear in response, but none was forthcoming. Oh well! The pegasi were clearly surprised to have a visitor, but it seemed to go well, and before long Blank dropped to the floor with only a half dozen muffins remaining. It seemed like it should have hurt him a bit to fall so far, but he did so with grace and no apparent sign of harm. It was like he was an earth pony. Or maybe an alicorn! A wingless alicorn! Ginger giggled at the silly thought. Left alone, she started on her lunch, eating the vegetables she had packed along with the muffins. It was kind of a shame she hadn't had any left for herself. Even now, Blank was heading toward the three earth ponies, and while Ginger wasn't great at math, she could easily understand the fate of her muffins. She had originally thought the three unicorns could each have four, six apiece if Midnight was absent. It might sound like a lot, but unicorns could burn up a lot of calories with their horns. Oh well. Nice, healthy, bland carrots and cucumbers. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling, while you chew. The sounds of hooves on the table beside her caught her attention and caused her to open her eyes, just as she swallowed the last bite. Blank Slate had a bag, and was deploying some vegetables of his own, when he drew out a pair of chocolate muffins, offering them to Ginger. "Here. They're store bought, so I doubt they're as good as the ones you made, but it's the least I could do." Between the gift and the compliment, Ginger didn't have to hum to keep her smile up for the next few hours. Ginger didn't come home right away. She usually didn't, especially not when Midnight was absent. She wandered around the streets in the small cluster of buildings that were the core of the town. The path between Midnight's family's house and the clinic figured prominently in her route, her hooves treading that stretch more often than the other paths in town. She smiled and waved at everypony she encountered, humming and occasionally singing as she went. Blank's kindness was fading from her mind though, and Midnight's absence was playing more heavily. Her smile now was more mask than genuine. Not that anypony noticed. Midnight came around a corner up ahead, trotting toward her house. At least she wasn't coming out of the clinic this time. That was good! The black furred mare finally noticed her brightly colored classmate as they got closer. She smiled at Ginger, a mask every bit as false as the other unicorn's well practiced facade. Ginger's smile grew a few inches as her heart sank. Normally Midnight wouldn't bother with such a mask, especially not between the two of them. Whatever it was must be really, really bad. "Hi Ginger," she said, the mask creeping into her voice as well. She lifted a hoof, and gave a clop that was far too gentle for Midnight. Oh Celestia, was her mom hurt? Midnight herself showed no signs of injury. "Hi Midnight! You want to go hang out together?" Ginger offered cheerfully. "I can't, I'm too busy right now," Midnight excused vaguely. "But I'll see you in school tomorrow." "Promise?" Ginger requested. "Promise," Midnight confirmed. "I can promise you tomorrow." The mask faltered a moment. If she was going to wear one, she'd have to learn a helpful ditty like Ginger's or some other trick to keep up her focus. "See you then." The mares parted ways, with Midnight heading back into her house, and Ginger finally turning toward her own home. Dinner was on the table when Ginger got home, her mom and father already eating. "You're late," pointed out her father, disapprovingly. "Where were you?" "Midnight was absent today," Ginger pointed out, before turning to her mom. "You'll never guess what the new unicorn colt did at school today." "Did he ask you out?" Mom asked with a playful titter and a smile. "No, I think he's going out with Midnight. But he climbed up on the roof during lunch! Just walked right up the wall like it was flat," Ginger said with a clop and a smile. "Oh, wow! Some kind of spell?" Mom inquired with an impressed smile. "It must have been, but it didn't look like it. He's still learning how to glow his horn!" Ginger said before breaking out into a ditty with a familiar tune. "Just keep glowing, just keep glowing, just keep glowing. Glow your horn!" the two mares sang together, glowing their horns in unison. A sharp stomp on the table from father got them both to stop before they could start another chorus, turning their smiles on him. "Eat your food, and don't waste it lighting up the room. We pay enough for electricity to keep this place lit," he said. That said, he got up from the table, heading to the refrigerator for a bottle of hard cider. Ginger noticed there was already an empty bottle by his place setting. Only one! A good sign. The food disappeared, while father only had time to get through a second bottle before Ginger helped her mother clean the dishes, and had barely opened the third when the filly yawned loudly and headed up to bed. The sun swiftly sank, and the moon rose to its place as she entered her bedroom, and minutes later she sank into bed. Focusing on her little ditty in her head, she lulled herself to sleep, ignoring the sounds from the rest of the house. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Show your grin. StormcloudThe rising of the sun stirred the pegasus to wakefulness instantly, as it did every morning. Sleeping on top of a cloud would do that: with nothing above her but stars and moon, or the sun, the sudden shift of brightness was completely unhampered, and hit her like a slap to the face. Just how she liked it. Stretching like a cat, she hopped off her cloud, onto a lower, broader one. The former served as her roof, the latter her floor including what would be a yard, or perhaps patio, on a terrestrial home. She pulled aside the piece of wood that served as her front door, and stepped inside the fairly large room that was her house. She started with a shower, the running of the water turning her roof from black to white, while her floor grew darker as it absorbed the water back in, along with the remains of yesterday's makeup. The white dye that hid her natural lime fur color was cheap and rinsed out every morning, already running from the dampness of her cloud bed, but with practiced ease she replaced it as soon as she was dried out. The dark lines she under her eyes, extending down like tear tracks frozen in time, were made of much longer lasting stuff. A few had faded out from visibility recently, she noted, as she prepared herself in the mirror. The memories they represented were fading too, lost into the haze of time. But she looked over the other, darker lines, and took a moment to recall each. Turning to her other eye, she saw the two vertical scars beneath it. Those had been there much longer. Those she wouldn't ever forget. With a careful wing she touched up the black makeup that highlighted them, lest they become lost in the white. Next it was time to don her armor. The spiked necklace that would repel any would-be nibblers, changeling or otherwise. The leather vest the held back the world, kept it from getting into her heart. And the leather skirt, itself well spiked, that would turn aside any interested stallions. Everything ready, she opened her front door again. As usual, there was a steaming plate of food there, alongside a brown sack. She took her time, enjoying the hot offering before storing the cold offering in her saddlebags. She'd have to thank him again... she took a moment to consider what she'd have to do if he didn't keep delivering meals to her. It was tempting to take him for granted, so she made a point not to. Taking flight at last, she descended in a long glide toward the school house, hoping she would be on time this time. "Midnight Oil," the teachers voice said from within the classroom. Yes! The extra few seconds from calling the unicorn filly's name would give Stormcloud just enough time to reach her desk before she herself was called. "Thanks for the meals," she whispered to Long View as she passed him on the way to her seat. "No problem," he whispered back as he did every morning. "Mom says we're having fifteen bean soup tonight, I hope you make it." "No promises," she whispered as she sat down behind her desk, just in time to call out "Here!" in response to their teacher. "I wonder if Blank Slate will bring us more treats," Long View idly commented between bites of his sandwich. "Maybe," Stormcloud allowed. "But he said Ginger made them, right? So I guess it's up to her. Oh, hay, here he comes now." The rhythmic metal clanging announced the arrival of the unicorn colt, who promptly settled down before the two pegasi, drawing a simple roll of bread from his saddlebags. "How's it going?" he questioned simply before starting to eat. After a few moments where it became clear no offering was forthcoming Stormcloud broke the awkward silence. "What are you doing up here, pointy?" "Is it that weird to eat lunch of classmates of a different tribe?" Blank asked pointedly. Stormcloud flinched as if struck, then settled down with a sigh. "That all you have? Here..." she tossed him a could of apples from her own lunch. "But, Storm..." Long View began, only to be silenced with a look. "They're mine to do with as I please," the filly declared. Long looked a bit concerned but finally shrugged it off. "Thanks," Blank said once the exchange was done. "The horn practice really takes a lot out of me. I imagine using those wings of yours must be the same, especially when you aren't used to it. What about cloud walking though?" "Nah, that's nothing. Getting the weather into shape though, can be a bit taxing. Especially making it hard, you know like making buildings out of clouds," Stormcloud said. "Have you done that yourself?" Blank asked, intrigued. "I made my own house," Storm said, puffing up a bit proudly. "I mean... it's not exactly a mansion or anything..." "Still," Blank said, clearly impressed for a moment. "What about your parents?" he questioned after a moment though. Long View flinched as if struck. "You really shouldn't..." he began. "No, it's fine," Stormcloud insisted. "My parents disappeared about a year and a half ago. Monster attack. That's what they say, anyways. That was... that was when I started paying attention." "Paying attention to what?" Blank questioned. "The disappearances. Our town's had trouble with them for longer than I've been alive. My parents weren't the first, but they were the first I recorded," Stormcloud said. "Rain Storm and Cloudy Day," she said, pointing at the painted scars with a primary feather. She then went on to pointing out each of the other stripes and naming them. "Crabapple, Lemon Juice, Shooting Star, Glitterbug, Moon Shadow, Tree Shaker, Rolling Stone, Mossmeadow, and... this one's fading out. There were others, as well. I can only remember them so long." "You could write them down," Blank offered quietly. "I have. Maybe somepony will read up on them someday, but I can only remember them so long. A few of them I never even met. Crabapple and Tree Shaker were travelling farm workers. Tree Shaker didn't even disappear around here, but I count him because he was a part of the community, at least twice a year. They don't deserve to be forgotten so easily, just because they don't live in one place. The planting and the harvest wouldn't be possible without the help of ponies like them," Stormcloud explained, passion welling up in her voice. Blank nodded somberly, with a seriousness uncommon in a colt his age. Stormcloud wondered what Midnight oil saw in the colt... from what she saw, he'd be a better match for herself. Still, no use getting jealous. She let the armor around her heart do its job. He was taken, anyways. "So... do you have another color for when somepony moves away?" Blank Slate questioned. "You don't need to mourn them, at least not the same way, but you should still try to remember them." Stormcloud hmm'd before shaking her mane. "It's never really come up, why?" Blank didn't answer, turning instead to look off the edge of the roof, at the unicorn fillies chatting in the yard below. "You know, if you ate lunch down there with the others, I bet Ginger would be happy to make some more muffins for you. Maybe not every day, but if you ask..." he changed the subject. "They were excellent muffins," Long View pointed out neutrally. "I guess so," Stormcloud said noncommittally. "Sure we won't be crowding out all your hornheads?" "Ponies are very social creatures," Blank replied. "And I think she'll be lonely." "Why, aren't you and Midnight going to be eating with her?" Storm questioned, raising a brow. "I think Midnight and I are going to be eating lunch together," Blank pointed out, a hint of sadness in his voice. There was something more to it, but he wouldn't spell it out. Storm thought a moment before replying. "How is that any better than us hanging out up here on the roof?" she asked, thinking she had caught him in a bit of hypocrisy. "It's not the same," Blank said, shaking his head. "Goodbye Stormcloud, Long View," he added before dropping into the school yard below and heading into the building, just before Miss Lemon Drop began ringing the bell to call the students back to class. "Come on," Long View said, before descending. Storm didn't come down right away, thinking over their conversation. "I get the feeling I'm going to need that new color," she finally said with a sigh, before gliding down herself. Stormcloud perched atop the schoolhouse roof again as soon as she was let out. A few adults were approaching, she noticed. One was familiar but not close, a pegasus mare with clearly crippled wings and a cutie mark showing dancing shoes. Fog Dancer, she remembered, Midnight Oil's mother. She couldn't fly for as long as Stormcloud could remember, but helped out the weather team by bringing in the fog in the late night that helped deposit dew and keep the plants hydrated before driving it off first thing in the morning so everypony could see what they were doing. She seemed to be moving with a bit springier step than Stormcloud could remember, something good must have happened. Ironic, since the mare was covered in bandages. But that wasn't all that uncommon of a look for the grounded weather mare. She was known about town for her epic clumsiness. The other adult was an earth mare with white fur that Stormcloud's dyes couldn't match, and a black mane. The broom and dust pan cutie mark helped the filly remember her name: Clean Sweep, Blank Slate's mother. The two headed into the mostly vacant classroom together, engaging the teacher in conversation while their foals played in the school yard, lingering longer than usual, but not getting tied up in tutoring as they had before. Stormcloud was curious, but didn't want to get caught prying, so she kept her distance, but kept her eyes on them. The four left the schoolhouse together, almost looking like a family as they moved off through the sparse woods that separated the schoolhouse from the town center. Storm drifted over them, watching as Clean broke off from the group, heading deeper into town while the others skirted the outskirts. Following the larger group, Storm noted Oak Breaker, the massive earth stallion that had married Fog Dancer, joining the group on the far side of town as they trotted off toward the distant rail station. Their body language felt all wrong to Storm. For one, Midnight hated Oak with a burning, burning passion. Everypony knew that. But now they seemed to be one big happy family all the sudden? Something else though... the formation they moved in. It had been exactly the same before and after passing the town, with Oak Breaker merely taking Clean Sweep's place. Taking her place. The thought stuck out in Storm's mind. Changelings. Many ponies insisted they were nothing but myths, but around these parts they were common knowledge, and blamed for more than a few disappearances, as well as a fair number of inappropriate appearances. Those were... probably cheap attempts for wayward spouses to get away with something even after they had been caught. She followed them a bit farther, until she was convinced of their destination, before turning back, heading for the center of town. If she was right, Clean Sweep and Oak Breaker were one and the same, a changeling in the middle of foalnapping one of her classmates, and her mother as well. Blank Slate was probably in on it too, he had to be, whether he was a changeling himself or not. One filly was not a good match for two changelings. So she did the best thing she could think of. She burst into the sheriff's office. "Sheriff Longhoof! I think Oak Breaker's been replaced by a changeling. He's taking his family to the train station right now, and they're all acting really strange!" she declared. "Is he now?" the sheriff said. "You just leave it to me. I'll go talk to my deputies and we'll check into the matter right away." "Thank you! I don't want to lose anypony else," she said before trotting out, relieved to know she had done her part. But something didn't sit right with her as she winged away. Hadn't that been a bit too easy? She had been a bit nervous about it going in, wondering if she could come up with enough reason to convince him to action, but here he was, going on a changeling hunt on her say so. Ugh. The whole thing gave her a headache. Nevertheless, she let it go for now, trusting to the long hoof of the law to deal with things better than she could. Instead, she went shopping, heading to the little boutique that sold her makeup. She'd probably end up picking a different color for what she had discussed with Blank earlier. But to remember him and his mother she purchased some changeling green.
Amber WavesThe rising sun shining through her window woke Amber Waves as it did most every morning. The earth filly stretched and yawned, and began preparing for a day like any other. She brushed her teeth first, then began styling her blonde mane into the perfectly arrayed amber waves that she was named for. Her brown fur was next, brushed from head to flank, finishing just in time for her mother to call her downstairs for breakfast. Like any other morning, she enjoyed the pancakes, and begrudgingly ate the eggs. "Ready for school my little genius?" her Daddy asked as he did most mornings. She nodded and gave her best smile as she finished chewing. Mom shot him her customary look. He couldn't help it. Daddy was a unicorn, and didn't have the same appreciation of farm work that the other earth ponies here in Citrus Hills shared. If it were up to him, Amber would be doing, well, anything else with her life. But she was an earth pony, just like Mom, and that limited her options somewhat. She certainly wouldn't be a weathermare. But there were a lot of other possibilities, and she was determined to make her Daddy proud. "On your way, then, dear," Mom said, holding out Amber's saddlebags to her in her teeth. Slipping into position, the filly accepted the heavy packs and gave her parents each a quick kiss as she made her escape, eager for another day of learning. The walk to the Orange Seeds Schoolhouse wasn't that long, but it was long enough for a brief encounter or two on my way. Long View, the green furred, thick glassed, pegasus colt who was her greatest rival descended from his flight path long enough to clop hooves with her. "Hay, Amber. See you in class!" he greeted cheerfully before climbing again. He was almost always the first in class, but that didn't do him that much good. Lemon Drop wouldn't start teaching until everypony was present. Everypony who was going to show up, anyways. As Amber rounded the last corner before the schoolhouse, she saw an unfamiliar earth pony mare approaching, moving to pass her. Black mane, white fur, and a broom and dustpan cutie mark, she swiftly memorized. A maid, perhaps? There were a few households in town big enough to appreciate such services and rich enough to afford the luxury, if they could be convinced to part with their bits. Amber couldn't help a small giggle as her mind jumped to the mystery books she was so fond of. The maid did it! The maid always did it. The alleged maid glanced at her as she giggled, raising an eyebrow slightly but carrying on. A giggling filly isn't all that noteworthy, after all. When the filly finally reached the door into the classroom, she paused, blinking a moment as she took in the sights before moving to take her seat in the front right corner. Midnight Oil, the black furred, purple maned unicorn with a distinct record of absenteeism was sitting in Long View's spot, front and center, displacing the near sighted pegasus to the back row. The other seat in the front row was occupied by a newcomer, a stark white unicorn colt she'd never met, who had instantly captured Midnight's interest. Amber made a note to thank Long for not taking her seat when he was displaced. Note? Perfect. She'd make an extra copy of all her notes for him today, to help out. He'd probably be fine on his own, but he'd appreciate the gesture. And what's the point of a rivalry if you have to take unfair advantages to beat your rival? The other unicorn in the class joined them while Amber prepared her notebook, the horned filly humming to herself cheerfully as she dance-walked her way across the room and over to the spot behind the newcomer. "Hi there! I'm Ginger Dimples!" she introduced, exchanging a clop of greeting with the white colt. "Blank Slate," he answered, before she nodded and moved on. He opened his mouth to say something else, but as she was already gone he just shook his head. "Don't mind her. She's a sweetheart, but Ginger is far too vapid for a clever colt like you, I'm sure,~" Midnight half-said, half-purred, drawing his attention back to her. Ugh. What was her game? They were all far too young for what it sounded like. None of the foals even had cutie marks yet. OJ and Summer Sun passed me on their way to the seats behind Amber. The pair of orange colored earth ponies were nearly beneath Amber's notice, something she occasionally felt guilty for. Other times she felt like they should feel guilty for wasting everypony's time in class. They were all pretty sure the two were going to marry and spend the rest of their lives tending fruit trees. They themselves were sure of it enough that they tuned out their lessons most days, and openly chatted and passed notes all day, making it that much harder for those ponies trying to actually learn. Even farmers needed to know some things, the adults insisted, or else those two wouldn't even be here. Finally, Stormcloud glided in just as Miss Lemon Drop was gathering the class roll in her magic. The pegasus filly wore more clothing than anypony else the foals knew, all of it silver-studded black-dyed leather to clash with her white-dyed fur, and match the bizarre use of makeup, black bags drawn in under her eyes, with fake black tear streaks drawn in and black lipstick. "Oh hey new foal," she greeted as she headed for her seat dead center. "Love the look." She winked at him and gave a grin as she settled into place before taking on her typical bored look for class. Midnight shot her an warning glass, while Blank Slate used a hoof to cover a bit of a laugh. This time the roll call was a bit longer than usual, with Blank Slate coming in right after Amber, and Ginger reflexively answering 'here' to his name, before catching herself with a fit of giggles. "Blank Slate, will you come up and introduce yourself to everypony," Miss Lemon Drop finally requested, when the roll was done. The colt nodded, slipped up to the front with a bit of a blush, and a timid look, he waved to everypony. "Hello. I'm Blank Slate. Thank you for welcoming me to your town," he said. "Hello, Blank Slate!" the other foals answered in unison, before each giving their names. The black and white earth mare stopped by again, at noon, offering Blank Slate a set of used saddlebags just as the class was stopping for lunch. Amber hadn't noticed until then that he had been bagless. She chided herself for her inattention, as she strolled out to see the situation. With Midnight present, that usually meant she and Ginger would pair off to eat lunch. The pegasi always ate up on the roof, and that generally left Amber eating with the tree kickers. They weren't bad ponies, just lighter conversation than she preferred. Not that Ginger was much better in that regard, but her cheerfulness was infectious, and Amber never regretted spending time in her presence because of it. Amber had hoped she could get the new colt to herself, or that Midnight would hog him and leave Amber with Ginger, but no. The three unicorns clustered together. So the earth filly sat with the orange ponies, surrounded by the admittedly delicious scent of fresh oranges from their lunch as she bit into her own carrots. She angled her ears, trying to hear what the unicorns had to say, but it was hard from this distance, especially with the side conversations going on. "Was that your mother," Ginger asked. "She seems nice. Is she a maid?" Amber couldn't hear Blank's response, or Midnight's exchange with him. It sounded a lot more complicated than a simple 'yes' or 'no', though. She hoped Ginger would catch her up later, if the ditsy unicorn could even remember it all. "Aww, that's no good. They sound like a bunch of meany pants!" Ginger complained. "Well, we'll be much nicer to you, won't we?" Amber couldn't hear the next bit either, but she didn't need to hear to make out Midnight's overly affectionate rubbing against him with her shoulder. She was definitely still after him. What was her hurry anyways? The new colt's horn began to glow green for a bit, barely visible in the sunlight, somewhat easier to see against the black background of Midnight's fur as she got all too inappropriately close. Some of the other foals here might not know, but Amber's Daddy was a unicorn himself. She had some idea what was or was not appropriate when it came to horns. Perhaps more so than Midnight, actually. The black furred filly had a pegasus for a mother, and an earth pony stepfather... but she still ought to know better. It was in some of the basic textbooks, after all. At the end of the school day, Amber stopped Long View before he could head out. "Here, Long. I made an extra copy of my notes," she explained, offering a pile of pages to him. "Oh, wow. Thanks, Amber!" he said, accepting the pages with a wing and glancing them over before slipping them in his saddlebags. He looked at her a moment, blushing for some reason before surprising her with a sudden kiss to the cheek and dashing out of the schoolhouse on wing-borne speed. Amber was stunned for a moment, processing what had just happened. He was her rival, not her love interest! Her cheeks hurt like he'd lit them on fire with his... his cooties! She let myself indulge the thought for a moment before it faded. She sighed. The little narratives in her head she had for everypony else didn't always match up to their own, she guessed. Still, she wasn't giving up on her rivalry. It helped motivate her, kept her sharp. And he was the only pony in the class who could compete with her academically. Midnight was smart and worked hard, but missed too much class, placing a distant third in the grades. Amber gathered her own copy of her notes and gave them her customary review before putting them away and heading out the door. She was typically the last one out of the schoolhouse, but this time she noticed a pair of unicorns sitting outside, a dozen hooves from the doorway. Midnight Oil and Blank Slate were there, facing each other, talking. That only became more surprising as she overheard some of their conversation. "Seventeen!" Midnight said, clopping her hooves as he nodded in the affirmative. "Now it's your turn. One, two, three, four... four seconds, not bad. Alright, give it a rest a bit." She counted off as his horn glowed bright for a bit, before dropping down to a faint, almost invisible light, not completely at rest. "Whew... getting a bit better... alright now, listen carefully. What's six times seven minus fourteen divided by two?" he inquired of her. She wrote in the dirt with her own magic quickly, working her way through the figures. "Fourteen," she concluded, her face looking crestfallen when he shook his head. "Look back to the top. You had it right at that point. Don't forget the order of operations," he tutored. They were tutoring each other. Amber was a bit jealous... Midnight could have asked her for help anytime, even if she couldn't really help the new colt with his horn problems. She shook her head, and headed for home, not wanting to dwell on it too long. "Welcome home, honey. Your snack's on the counter. Eat up and do your homework. Daddy will be home in a few hours," Amber's mom greeted her. She repaid the words with a loving nuzzle before taking the offered food to the table and getting out her books. "There's a new colt at school," Amber informed her mother. "Unicorn, white furred. Midnight's really taken a liking to him. A bit too aggressively, I think." "You aren't jealous of her, I hope?" her mom asked, "There's plenty of earth ponies to chose from, you don't need to fight with her over the only unicorn colt your age." She shook her head quickly, even as she blushed. "Mooom! No! Anyways... I think Long View might try courting me. He snuck a kiss on my cheek, even though all I did was given him an extra copy of my notes." Her mom laughed at that. "And why were you being so generous with your 'eternal rival' to begin with? I thought you were trying to beat him in grades?" "I was. I am! But it has to be fair. Midnight stole his seat, and he got stuck in the back row, and Stormcloud kept blocking his view with her wings. She thought is was funny! I'm amazed he even ate lunch with her today. I bet he was so mad," Amber explained. "Anyways, how was he supposed to take notes if he couldn't see the chalkboard, and how is it a proper competition if he can't even have notes to study from?" "You're a good filly," her mom said, pleased, before kissing her on the top of the head and squeezing her hard in a hug. "And that's what makes me proud of you. Now do your homework, dear. And I'll do mine." She grabbed the broom and started sweeping, while her filly grabbed quill and ink and began answering Miss Lemon Drop's questions for the day.
Ginger DimplesGinger awoke with a smile on her lips and a hum in her throat, the familiar melody repeating itself again and again as she lit her horn and brought her brushes to bear. "Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling, showing your grin," she sang aloud when her tooth brush had finished its job, while the hair brush continued working toward its usual ends. The words seemed a bit more sincere today than usual. There was a new colt in class, a unicorn at that! Of course, Midnight had practically thrown herself at him already, but that was okay. The dark furred mare wouldn't begrudge her a new friend, and Ginger didn't mind leaving it at that. She had yet to see the appeal of romance, and wondered if she ever would. Friends though... a new friend! She still had a few hours before school as she trotted downstairs. Great! She got to work in the kitchen, making preparations. Ingredients mixed in several bowls as she heated the oven. A few trays full of little round indentations floated from the shelves to the counters before being filled. Glancing at a clock, she noted the time before sliding the trays into the oven. Whew! That was a bit of work, but no problem. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. She sat down at the kitchen table while her books drifted over from her saddlebags. Most foals she knew did their homework in the evening, but she preferred to do it in the morning, so it was fresh in her mind when she went in. Besides, her father came home late and woke late, and this way she could mostly avoid him, being in bed when he got home. It was so nice and peaceful here in the morning while her parents slept. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. A glance at the clock when her homework was finished showed she still had another fifteen minutes. Time enough to review the reading a little more and read ahead for the day. The teacher could be so fast when she covered the materials, it helped to at least skim it in advance and have some idea where she was going with it. Oops! Let the time get away from her a bit there, better hurry before the food is overdone. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. The two trays slid out of the oven and onto the counter. It was a good thing levitation magic couldn't be burned! The muffins, however, could have been. They were slightly overdone, but not so much she couldn't be proud to give them away. She'd get back to them in a moment. The baked egg dishes she served up onto three plates, leaving two on the counter as she moved to feed herself. Mmm. Those came out perfect. Maybe mom would sneak in a genuine smile this morning. She chose to believe so. Oh! Time to put the coffee on. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. Glancing at the clock again, Ginger quickly packed her bags for school, nearly overflowing with the extra muffins. Her mom sleepily stumbled down to the landing of the stairs just as Ginger was on her way out. They nuzzled each other, trading smiles. "Heading out already? Have a good day at school. I love you, Ginger Dimples," her mom said cheerfully. "I love you too, mom," Ginger said cheerfully, taking a moment to wipe off a bit of the makeup that had transferred from her mom. Oops! She'd need to put a bit more back on to properly hide that bruise. "Coffee's brewing now, breakfast is waiting for you. See you tonight!" They smiled at each other as they parted ways, humming the same tune. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Showing your grin. Ginger hummed her way into class, prancing about in her usual fashion as she got to her seat. "Hi Blank Slate!" she greeted cheerfully, glad to see the new pony was there on time, before trading greetings with her other friends and taking her seat. Midnight hadn't shown up yet today, so Long View was back in his usual spot in the front row. Good for him! Miss Lemon Drop glanced around, watched the seconds mark on the clock reach the appointed time, and then coughed gently to draw attention, before commencing the calling of the attendance roll. It was a silly ritual, as she knew who was there or not at a glance, but she did it every morning anyways. Perhaps it was a good reminder that she was paying attention, and would notice if you skipped class. "Amber Waves?" "Here," the earth filly said firmly. "Blank Slate?" "Present," the unicorn colt said with exaggerated calmness. "Ginger Dimples?" "Here~," the unicorn filly sang out. "Long View" "Present," the pegasus colt said, mimicking Blank Slate. "Orange Juice" "Yo!" the earth colt said, earning a giggle from Summer Sun. For some reason, this caused Blank Slate to frown as he looked back around the room. "Stormcloud" "Here," the pegasus filly said from outside before landing in a run halfway into the room, wings spread to brake as quickly as she could. She collapsed into a heap in front of Blank Slate, who offered her a hoof up, before slipping back to her desk, doing her best to recover her air of dignity. Miss Lemon Drop glared at her a bit for her tardiness and sloppy entrance, but moved on without a word. "Summer Sun" "Yo!" the earth filly said, doing an impression of Orange Juice and getting a chuckle from him in return. As Miss Lemon Drop turned to the board and began our lessons for the day, Blank Slate frowned anew, giving another look around the room and then at the door before settling uncomfortably into splitting his attention between the lecture and his books. It took me a while to realize why he was so unsettled. We were all so used to Midnight Oil's absences that the teacher had simply taken to not calling her in the rolls when she didn't show up. But he was new here, and he didn't know how you're supposed to react to those things. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Show your grin. As we filtered out into the yard for lunch and recess, I slipped up to Blank Slate and gave him a hip bump. "It's a beautiful day! What's got you so down?" Ginger asked with a smile. "I'm just worried about Midnight Oil," he said. "The teacher didn't even call her for attendance. Is that normal?" "Aww, that's sweet. She's gone sometimes," Ginger said with a smile and a shrug. "Here, have some muffins," she offered, deploying the tray of baked goods. "Thanks," he said, taking two of them and starting into one. His eyes darted around the yard for a moment as he chewed, before swallowing a mouthful. "These are quite good. You brought enough for everypony?" "I guess so, why?" Ginger asked. "I baked them for you. Oh! I'm not trying to steal you from Midnight, or anything! I just wanted to welcome you to Citrus Hills." "Mind if I share these then?" Blank asked. "Not at all," Ginger permitted. "I'm sure the earth ponies would be happy for a few." It was silly to suggest the pegasi, since they were up on the roof, as usual. Though Ginger supposed he could call up to them. They were distant, not deaf. Instead, Blank walked over to the downspout of the rain gutter, gave it a couple experimental taps, and then proceeded to walk up the spout, while balancing the muffin tin in one hoof. Ginger blinked in surprise, then smiled broadly and clopped her hooves together at the impressive feat. She half expected a cutie mark to appear in response, but none was forthcoming. Oh well! The pegasi were clearly surprised to have a visitor, but it seemed to go well, and before long Blank dropped to the floor with only a half dozen muffins remaining. It seemed like it should have hurt him a bit to fall so far, but he did so with grace and no apparent sign of harm. It was like he was an earth pony. Or maybe an alicorn! A wingless alicorn! Ginger giggled at the silly thought. Left alone, she started on her lunch, eating the vegetables she had packed along with the muffins. It was kind of a shame she hadn't had any left for herself. Even now, Blank was heading toward the three earth ponies, and while Ginger wasn't great at math, she could easily understand the fate of her muffins. She had originally thought the three unicorns could each have four, six apiece if Midnight was absent. It might sound like a lot, but unicorns could burn up a lot of calories with their horns. Oh well. Nice, healthy, bland carrots and cucumbers. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling, while you chew. The sounds of hooves on the table beside her caught her attention and caused her to open her eyes, just as she swallowed the last bite. Blank Slate had a bag, and was deploying some vegetables of his own, when he drew out a pair of chocolate muffins, offering them to Ginger. "Here. They're store bought, so I doubt they're as good as the ones you made, but it's the least I could do." Between the gift and the compliment, Ginger didn't have to hum to keep her smile up for the next few hours. Ginger didn't come home right away. She usually didn't, especially not when Midnight was absent. She wandered around the streets in the small cluster of buildings that were the core of the town. The path between Midnight's family's house and the clinic figured prominently in her route, her hooves treading that stretch more often than the other paths in town. She smiled and waved at everypony she encountered, humming and occasionally singing as she went. Blank's kindness was fading from her mind though, and Midnight's absence was playing more heavily. Her smile now was more mask than genuine. Not that anypony noticed. Midnight came around a corner up ahead, trotting toward her house. At least she wasn't coming out of the clinic this time. That was good! The black furred mare finally noticed her brightly colored classmate as they got closer. She smiled at Ginger, a mask every bit as false as the other unicorn's well practiced facade. Ginger's smile grew a few inches as her heart sank. Normally Midnight wouldn't bother with such a mask, especially not between the two of them. Whatever it was must be really, really bad. "Hi Ginger," she said, the mask creeping into her voice as well. She lifted a hoof, and gave a clop that was far too gentle for Midnight. Oh Celestia, was her mom hurt? Midnight herself showed no signs of injury. "Hi Midnight! You want to go hang out together?" Ginger offered cheerfully. "I can't, I'm too busy right now," Midnight excused vaguely. "But I'll see you in school tomorrow." "Promise?" Ginger requested. "Promise," Midnight confirmed. "I can promise you tomorrow." The mask faltered a moment. If she was going to wear one, she'd have to learn a helpful ditty like Ginger's or some other trick to keep up her focus. "See you then." The mares parted ways, with Midnight heading back into her house, and Ginger finally turning toward her own home. Dinner was on the table when Ginger got home, her mom and father already eating. "You're late," pointed out her father, disapprovingly. "Where were you?" "Midnight was absent today," Ginger pointed out, before turning to her mom. "You'll never guess what the new unicorn colt did at school today." "Did he ask you out?" Mom asked with a playful titter and a smile. "No, I think he's going out with Midnight. But he climbed up on the roof during lunch! Just walked right up the wall like it was flat," Ginger said with a clop and a smile. "Oh, wow! Some kind of spell?" Mom inquired with an impressed smile. "It must have been, but it didn't look like it. He's still learning how to glow his horn!" Ginger said before breaking out into a ditty with a familiar tune. "Just keep glowing, just keep glowing, just keep glowing. Glow your horn!" the two mares sang together, glowing their horns in unison. A sharp stomp on the table from father got them both to stop before they could start another chorus, turning their smiles on him. "Eat your food, and don't waste it lighting up the room. We pay enough for electricity to keep this place lit," he said. That said, he got up from the table, heading to the refrigerator for a bottle of hard cider. Ginger noticed there was already an empty bottle by his place setting. Only one! A good sign. The food disappeared, while father only had time to get through a second bottle before Ginger helped her mother clean the dishes, and had barely opened the third when the filly yawned loudly and headed up to bed. The sun swiftly sank, and the moon rose to its place as she entered her bedroom, and minutes later she sank into bed. Focusing on her little ditty in her head, she lulled herself to sleep, ignoring the sounds from the rest of the house. Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Show your grin.
StormcloudThe rising of the sun stirred the pegasus to wakefulness instantly, as it did every morning. Sleeping on top of a cloud would do that: with nothing above her but stars and moon, or the sun, the sudden shift of brightness was completely unhampered, and hit her like a slap to the face. Just how she liked it. Stretching like a cat, she hopped off her cloud, onto a lower, broader one. The former served as her roof, the latter her floor including what would be a yard, or perhaps patio, on a terrestrial home. She pulled aside the piece of wood that served as her front door, and stepped inside the fairly large room that was her house. She started with a shower, the running of the water turning her roof from black to white, while her floor grew darker as it absorbed the water back in, along with the remains of yesterday's makeup. The white dye that hid her natural lime fur color was cheap and rinsed out every morning, already running from the dampness of her cloud bed, but with practiced ease she replaced it as soon as she was dried out. The dark lines she under her eyes, extending down like tear tracks frozen in time, were made of much longer lasting stuff. A few had faded out from visibility recently, she noted, as she prepared herself in the mirror. The memories they represented were fading too, lost into the haze of time. But she looked over the other, darker lines, and took a moment to recall each. Turning to her other eye, she saw the two vertical scars beneath it. Those had been there much longer. Those she wouldn't ever forget. With a careful wing she touched up the black makeup that highlighted them, lest they become lost in the white. Next it was time to don her armor. The spiked necklace that would repel any would-be nibblers, changeling or otherwise. The leather vest the held back the world, kept it from getting into her heart. And the leather skirt, itself well spiked, that would turn aside any interested stallions. Everything ready, she opened her front door again. As usual, there was a steaming plate of food there, alongside a brown sack. She took her time, enjoying the hot offering before storing the cold offering in her saddlebags. She'd have to thank him again... she took a moment to consider what she'd have to do if he didn't keep delivering meals to her. It was tempting to take him for granted, so she made a point not to. Taking flight at last, she descended in a long glide toward the school house, hoping she would be on time this time. "Midnight Oil," the teachers voice said from within the classroom. Yes! The extra few seconds from calling the unicorn filly's name would give Stormcloud just enough time to reach her desk before she herself was called. "Thanks for the meals," she whispered to Long View as she passed him on the way to her seat. "No problem," he whispered back as he did every morning. "Mom says we're having fifteen bean soup tonight, I hope you make it." "No promises," she whispered as she sat down behind her desk, just in time to call out "Here!" in response to their teacher. "I wonder if Blank Slate will bring us more treats," Long View idly commented between bites of his sandwich. "Maybe," Stormcloud allowed. "But he said Ginger made them, right? So I guess it's up to her. Oh, hay, here he comes now." The rhythmic metal clanging announced the arrival of the unicorn colt, who promptly settled down before the two pegasi, drawing a simple roll of bread from his saddlebags. "How's it going?" he questioned simply before starting to eat. After a few moments where it became clear no offering was forthcoming Stormcloud broke the awkward silence. "What are you doing up here, pointy?" "Is it that weird to eat lunch of classmates of a different tribe?" Blank asked pointedly. Stormcloud flinched as if struck, then settled down with a sigh. "That all you have? Here..." she tossed him a could of apples from her own lunch. "But, Storm..." Long View began, only to be silenced with a look. "They're mine to do with as I please," the filly declared. Long looked a bit concerned but finally shrugged it off. "Thanks," Blank said once the exchange was done. "The horn practice really takes a lot out of me. I imagine using those wings of yours must be the same, especially when you aren't used to it. What about cloud walking though?" "Nah, that's nothing. Getting the weather into shape though, can be a bit taxing. Especially making it hard, you know like making buildings out of clouds," Stormcloud said. "Have you done that yourself?" Blank asked, intrigued. "I made my own house," Storm said, puffing up a bit proudly. "I mean... it's not exactly a mansion or anything..." "Still," Blank said, clearly impressed for a moment. "What about your parents?" he questioned after a moment though. Long View flinched as if struck. "You really shouldn't..." he began. "No, it's fine," Stormcloud insisted. "My parents disappeared about a year and a half ago. Monster attack. That's what they say, anyways. That was... that was when I started paying attention." "Paying attention to what?" Blank questioned. "The disappearances. Our town's had trouble with them for longer than I've been alive. My parents weren't the first, but they were the first I recorded," Stormcloud said. "Rain Storm and Cloudy Day," she said, pointing at the painted scars with a primary feather. She then went on to pointing out each of the other stripes and naming them. "Crabapple, Lemon Juice, Shooting Star, Glitterbug, Moon Shadow, Tree Shaker, Rolling Stone, Mossmeadow, and... this one's fading out. There were others, as well. I can only remember them so long." "You could write them down," Blank offered quietly. "I have. Maybe somepony will read up on them someday, but I can only remember them so long. A few of them I never even met. Crabapple and Tree Shaker were travelling farm workers. Tree Shaker didn't even disappear around here, but I count him because he was a part of the community, at least twice a year. They don't deserve to be forgotten so easily, just because they don't live in one place. The planting and the harvest wouldn't be possible without the help of ponies like them," Stormcloud explained, passion welling up in her voice. Blank nodded somberly, with a seriousness uncommon in a colt his age. Stormcloud wondered what Midnight oil saw in the colt... from what she saw, he'd be a better match for herself. Still, no use getting jealous. She let the armor around her heart do its job. He was taken, anyways. "So... do you have another color for when somepony moves away?" Blank Slate questioned. "You don't need to mourn them, at least not the same way, but you should still try to remember them." Stormcloud hmm'd before shaking her mane. "It's never really come up, why?" Blank didn't answer, turning instead to look off the edge of the roof, at the unicorn fillies chatting in the yard below. "You know, if you ate lunch down there with the others, I bet Ginger would be happy to make some more muffins for you. Maybe not every day, but if you ask..." he changed the subject. "They were excellent muffins," Long View pointed out neutrally. "I guess so," Stormcloud said noncommittally. "Sure we won't be crowding out all your hornheads?" "Ponies are very social creatures," Blank replied. "And I think she'll be lonely." "Why, aren't you and Midnight going to be eating with her?" Storm questioned, raising a brow. "I think Midnight and I are going to be eating lunch together," Blank pointed out, a hint of sadness in his voice. There was something more to it, but he wouldn't spell it out. Storm thought a moment before replying. "How is that any better than us hanging out up here on the roof?" she asked, thinking she had caught him in a bit of hypocrisy. "It's not the same," Blank said, shaking his head. "Goodbye Stormcloud, Long View," he added before dropping into the school yard below and heading into the building, just before Miss Lemon Drop began ringing the bell to call the students back to class. "Come on," Long View said, before descending. Storm didn't come down right away, thinking over their conversation. "I get the feeling I'm going to need that new color," she finally said with a sigh, before gliding down herself. Stormcloud perched atop the schoolhouse roof again as soon as she was let out. A few adults were approaching, she noticed. One was familiar but not close, a pegasus mare with clearly crippled wings and a cutie mark showing dancing shoes. Fog Dancer, she remembered, Midnight Oil's mother. She couldn't fly for as long as Stormcloud could remember, but helped out the weather team by bringing in the fog in the late night that helped deposit dew and keep the plants hydrated before driving it off first thing in the morning so everypony could see what they were doing. She seemed to be moving with a bit springier step than Stormcloud could remember, something good must have happened. Ironic, since the mare was covered in bandages. But that wasn't all that uncommon of a look for the grounded weather mare. She was known about town for her epic clumsiness. The other adult was an earth mare with white fur that Stormcloud's dyes couldn't match, and a black mane. The broom and dust pan cutie mark helped the filly remember her name: Clean Sweep, Blank Slate's mother. The two headed into the mostly vacant classroom together, engaging the teacher in conversation while their foals played in the school yard, lingering longer than usual, but not getting tied up in tutoring as they had before. Stormcloud was curious, but didn't want to get caught prying, so she kept her distance, but kept her eyes on them. The four left the schoolhouse together, almost looking like a family as they moved off through the sparse woods that separated the schoolhouse from the town center. Storm drifted over them, watching as Clean broke off from the group, heading deeper into town while the others skirted the outskirts. Following the larger group, Storm noted Oak Breaker, the massive earth stallion that had married Fog Dancer, joining the group on the far side of town as they trotted off toward the distant rail station. Their body language felt all wrong to Storm. For one, Midnight hated Oak with a burning, burning passion. Everypony knew that. But now they seemed to be one big happy family all the sudden? Something else though... the formation they moved in. It had been exactly the same before and after passing the town, with Oak Breaker merely taking Clean Sweep's place. Taking her place. The thought stuck out in Storm's mind. Changelings. Many ponies insisted they were nothing but myths, but around these parts they were common knowledge, and blamed for more than a few disappearances, as well as a fair number of inappropriate appearances. Those were... probably cheap attempts for wayward spouses to get away with something even after they had been caught. She followed them a bit farther, until she was convinced of their destination, before turning back, heading for the center of town. If she was right, Clean Sweep and Oak Breaker were one and the same, a changeling in the middle of foalnapping one of her classmates, and her mother as well. Blank Slate was probably in on it too, he had to be, whether he was a changeling himself or not. One filly was not a good match for two changelings. So she did the best thing she could think of. She burst into the sheriff's office. "Sheriff Longhoof! I think Oak Breaker's been replaced by a changeling. He's taking his family to the train station right now, and they're all acting really strange!" she declared. "Is he now?" the sheriff said. "You just leave it to me. I'll go talk to my deputies and we'll check into the matter right away." "Thank you! I don't want to lose anypony else," she said before trotting out, relieved to know she had done her part. But something didn't sit right with her as she winged away. Hadn't that been a bit too easy? She had been a bit nervous about it going in, wondering if she could come up with enough reason to convince him to action, but here he was, going on a changeling hunt on her say so. Ugh. The whole thing gave her a headache. Nevertheless, she let it go for now, trusting to the long hoof of the law to deal with things better than she could. Instead, she went shopping, heading to the little boutique that sold her makeup. She'd probably end up picking a different color for what she had discussed with Blank earlier. But to remember him and his mother she purchased some changeling green.
