A Shadow in the Night

“Nngh…” A pale purple mare groaned, waking up and sitting up in her soft, pink and purple bed. Night Gem groggily rose to her hooves to get herself ready for the day ahead. Slowly, she made her way to the bathroom and flicked the switch.

The CFLs came to life, bathing the pale purple earth pony in a bright light. Her hooves clacked against the pink and purple tiles of the bathroom floor. A soft shadow was cast against the pink and purple striped wall as she started up her shower.

Brushing her light blue mane out of her blue-gray eyes, she stepped into the pink porcelain shower and closed the glass door. Night Gem opened a pink and purple bottle with a click and squeezed an egg-sized amount of purple shampoo into her hoof. As she worked the shampoo through her mane and tail, the shower was filled with the sweet scent of lavender, iris, and grapes. She sighed contentedly as the warm water rinsed away the fragrant soap. After she made sure she had gotten it all, Night Gem turned off her shower, opened the door, and reached for her white towel rack.

The purple mare hummed to herself as she dried herself off with a warm, fluffy, pink towel. She made sure to fold the towel up into a tight square and put it in her hoof-woven wicker hamper. Reaching for a purple wooden brush with soft, white bristles, Night Gem smiled and began to work brush through her mane and tail, gently smoothing her blue hair out and getting rid of any tangles.

“There,” she smiled to herself a little more and put the brush back in its proper place. The mare turned the lights off and trotted out of the bathroom.

She walked downstairs and took a deep breath as she turned the lights on in the kitchen. Night Gem smiled to herself as she got her loaf of whole grain bread out and placed two slices carefully into the silver toaster on the smooth marble countertop. She wrapped the loaf back up, making sure to vacuum-seal it, and placed it back in the basket. The purple mare grabbed her vegan butter spread and smiled even more as the toast popped, comically landing onto a white china plate. Taking a silver knife, she took a dab of the spread and covered the majority of one piece of whole grain toast before putting the other piece of toast on top of the one covered in vegan butter. As she set the plate down at the oak table, the earth pony took the silver juicer and ran a long, orange carrot through it. The tall glass filled up with carrot juice, which Night Gem enjoyed very much.

“Everypony should start their day the healthy way,” she chirped, sipping her carrot juice and taking bites of her toast.

The orange, vitamin A-rich liquid was sweet. It tasted a bit like soap, like some carrots bought at the store.

The toast was crunchy and a reddish-brown. It didn’t taste all that bad, actually.

“Now to get my morning routine finished,” Night Gem smiled, putting her dishes in the polished silver sink.

She filled up one side of the sink with warm water and squirted a little bit of hibiscus-scented soap into the water. Taking a soft washcloth, she gently rubbed away the crumbs and carrot juice residue from her dishes. She wiped her butter knife clean, rinsed the three items in the other side of the sink, and carefully placed them in her drainer so they could dry in the sun.

After reorganizing her oak cabinets, she went back upstairs and turned the bathroom lights on. Night Gem squeezed a pea-sized drop of mint toothpaste onto a purple toothbrush and gently scrubbed her teeth in little circles. After three minutes, she spat into the purple porcelain sink and washed out the inside of the basin. She sighed, trotted downstairs, grabbed her bits, and went outside to start her day.

“Okay, first, get my morning shopping done,” Night Gem said to herself, trotting into the market.

She approached a sturdy, wooden cart with produce stacked neatly and carefully. The purple earth mare smiled and looked over her choices.

On the cart were bright green heads of leafy cabbage and lettuce; long, orange carrots; big, shiny, red apples; ripe, yellow bananas; fresh blueberries; and bunches of deep purple grapes.

A green pony with red dreadlocks smiled, “Would you like some organic produce, man?”

“Yes, please,” Night Gem replied, “how much for everything?”

“Free of charge,” the other mare answered, “I only wish to promote healthy living and being one with nature. Allow me to get you a complimentary hemp tote.”

“Thank you, Miss…”

“Tree Hugger,” the green mare replied, “enjoy your day.” She filled up a large, brown, hemp tote with every piece of colorful produce and handed it to the purple pony.

Night Gem smiled and trotted off to a boutique. Opening the door, she was greeted by a white unicorn filly with green eyes, a pink and lavender mane, and a bright pink overnight bag.

“Hi, Night Gem!” the filly squeaked, smiling.

“Hello, Sweetie Belle,” Night Gem smiled, “I need to talk to your sister about something important.”

Sweetie Belle nodded and left, her curls bouncing as she did. The door slammed shut behind her.

A white unicorn mare with a curly, deep purple mane stepped into the room and smiled warmly, hugging Night Gem. “Hello, dear!”

Night Gem grimaced, “I, uh, need tips on stain removal.”

“What stains, darling?”

The purple mare’s eyes flashed green for a moment as she replied, “Bloodstains.”

Rarity’s eyes bulged. She shook it off and answered, “Try soap and water, then try bleach to make absolutely sure it’s gone.”

Night Gem smiled, “Thanks. That’s all I needed.”

As the pale violet earth pony left, the alabaster unicorn pondered. She asked the white Persian cat on a red couch, “Whatever did she need tips on bloodstain removal for, Opalescence?”

Opalescence rolled her bright yellow eyes and went back to sleep. She couldn’t possibly care less.

Night Gem smiled to herself as she went back into her home on Mane Street.