Good Morning
The train cut easily through the cool spring morning on it’s journey from Canterlot to Ponyville. It was an early trip, hours before the sun arose. Many of the travelers on the train were going on to different towns, but two would depart on the train’s stopover at the Ponyville station.
Near the front of the train, lounging across from each other, were two white pegasi females. The younger one had a golden mane that was swept to one side in the front and curled around her features in the back. Her flank was unusually bare for an adolescent filly, but some ponies were late bloomers. The young filly looked down, her hazel eyes filled with thoughtfulness.
“Are you well, Chimes?” her mother asked from the adjacent seat.
You’d miss the mother, even if you were looking directly at her. It was this talent that made the pegasus mare a valuable member of Celestia’s elite scouts. Her mane was a blue-and-ash duality with a more maternal style than her daughter. The mother’s eyes were also a piercing sky-blue, filled with maternal kindness edged with determination.
“Just thinking” the younger pony sighed.
The mother’s name was Prism Break, and her cutie mark was a diamond with four colored lights coming off it as a cross. White, red, brown, blue; from the top, going clockwise. You’d also have to look twice to see the image, it was mostly translucent. Her special talent was hiding in plain sight.
“Did you eat anything before we left?” Chimes looked up at her mother.
“Well, um, no; not really” Prism Looked down.
Her daughter, and her late husband, were the only ponies Prism Break ever let inside. Most others she kept at a distance. Angering her would extend that distance by six feet. She cared for her daughter, but her condition hampered everyday life.
“You really should eat something, mother” her daughter chided.
“I’ll get something when we arrive” Prism replied.
“But you failed to eat anything yesterday, or the day before,” Chimes was worried “I don’t want you passing out again.”
Approximately thirteen years ago, to within a few months, Prism Break was scouting a patch of anomalous magic in the Zebra lands. Unaware she was with foal, she picked up a nasty souvenir. The doctors in Canterlot called Anorexia Magii, and they had no clue how to treat it. Hormones made Prism sick, and most other medicines were useless. The disease made food unpalatable to the expectant mother.
Twenty-one days after that bad news, a royal guardspony brought a service banner to her door. It was through sheer willpower that Prism kept herself fed; just to bring her daughter into the world. The last remnant of her spouse, and reason for living.
Princess Celestia had medically retired Prism Break over concerns of her health. The retirement benefits were enough to cover Prism’s medical, or live in Canterlot; but not both. Once her savings were mostly gone, moving to Ponyville was a logical choice. Prism could occasionaly see the specialists in Canterlot, and live in a more affordable town.
“Here’s a dining trolly, lets get something to eat” Chime’s voice derailed her mother’s train of thought.
Prism spread her wings to hide the ribs that were lightly showing on her side. She didn’t want any undue attention if the hostess were to notice her. Some ponies had observance as their special talent, after all.
Chimes ordered for both of them, without incident, and Prism forced herself to eat most of the meal. Prism reflected that nopony noticed the adults as long as the children looked healthy. Her daughter’s health was always on the forefront of her thoughts. Chimes also kept her mother’s health in high regard. She had been trying to find some herbal cure to help her mother’s apatite, without success.
A few hours later the train arrived at it’s destination. The pair of pegasi disembarked just as the sun was rising. The town was mostly devoid of ponies, many of which were still asleep. Chimes did manage to see a few ponies on the platform; two earth ponies and a unicorn. The stallion had a noteworthy blue coat, the white unicorn with electric blue mane leaned against him, and a gray earth mare had a large case on her back. They looked like a band going to a show from the looks of things.
Prism led the way, having planned the rout to their house yesterday. Soon they were before a small, two-story cottage; their new home. Their belongings had been shipped there earlier, and had arrived intact. One of the perks of being a royal guard, was the royal shipping service. Chimes immediately started looking through her boxes.
“I’ve talked to the teacher here, you can start school tomorrow” Prism got a surprised look in Chimes’ hazel eyes.
“But, mom, tomorrow’s Friday;” the younger pony looked distraught “and spring break is just after that.”
“And you’ll have so many days to play with your new friends” Prism’s blue eyes sparkled maternally.
Chimes knew better than to argue with her mother on such matters. She went upstairs to unpack and explore the new house. She carries many of the smaller boxes on her back, taking several trips. Prism helped her daughter wit a few larger boxes, but they only unpacked the essentials.
Many of the family’s more useless belonging were sold so they could live in a smaller house, but Chimes held on to a special book. She called it the herbinomicon, and it had detailed entries on every herbal plant and remedy she had ever come across. Many were tested in her search to help her mother. A few were documented because they could be used as spices. Some were marked with warnings of possible side effects. One had the words -NEVER AGAIN- at the bottom of the page.
That day, both ponies took most of the morning to unpack what was needed, and then spent time touring the town. Their first stop was the school so Chimes could find it easily tomorrow. The red, single-story schoolhouse was easy to recognize with it bell and playground. A white fence surrounded the schoolhouse and the road to it. School was still in session, so Chimes would meet the teacher and students tomorrow.
They made their way lazily through town, taking in the sights. Chimes marveled at a few of the themed buildings; one even looked like a carousel. Their last stop was a bakery that looked like a gingerbread house. Inside the lighting was warm a welcoming. A chubby blue mare with a swirled pink mane stood behind the counter looking bored and sleepy. She perked up at the arrival of guests.
“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner,” the mare enthused “I’m Cup Cake; how may I help you?”
“Do you sell cupcakes?” Chimes chimed. He mother facehoofed.
“Sure sweetie, what flavor do you like?” Cup Cake’s pink eyes beamed.
“A dozen chocolate cupcakes please!” Chime’s hazel eyes had an insane look.
“Up-bup, one will be fine.” Prism had a stern look in her blue eyes.
“One chocolate cupcake coming up!” Cupcake ducked under the counter to retrieve the confection as chimes groaned.
“I added something special” Cup Cake whispered as the filly took the container.
Prism paid for the treat, reminding her daughter that it was for after dinner. They left for home, both smiling from the day’s events.
Inside the bakery a pink pony snout appeared from the back kitchen and took a sniff.
The nasal owner spoke solemnly “I smell new ponies”.
Dinner for the pair was a vegetable stir fry. Afterward, Chimes got her treat and opened the box. The gold-maned filly gasped at what she found. Inside were two cupcakes, a tiny one next to the normal one.
“There are two cupcakes,” Chimes looked to her mother “Here, you can have the bigger one” she offered, tilting the box toward the older pony.
“No thanks, you go ahead and eat both of them” her mother responed.
“But you barely touched your food” Chimes argued.
“I’ll be fine, besides, I bought the cupcake for you being so well-behaved” Prism motioned for her daughter to eat.
Chimes knew not to argue with her mother on food. Past attempts to get her mother to eat were met with failure. She quickly ate the smaller chocolate cupcake and saved the larger one for her mother. The box containing the cupcake was placed in the fridge, and Chimes told her mother she would eat it later. Many times before, this just resulted in Chimes eating stale food a couple weeks later.
After dinner, both ponies played some board games before heading to bed. Chimes spent a few minutes looking through her herbinomicon, in case she missed something. As her eyes blurred with sleep, she cave up and went to bed. After school tomorrow, she’d check out the town library and any garden shops.
___
Chimes stared sleepily at her reflection in the mirror. She used her hooves and wings to run a brush through her golden locks and brush her teeth. Unicorns might have magic, but adept pegasi still had two more appendages than other ponies. Still, Chimes sometimes wished she had earth pony magic.
After preparing for school, Chimes bounded downstairs for breakfast. A stack of wheat pancakes with eggs, juice, cereal, and milk greeted her. Her mother always said that her daughter could eat for the both of them. Chimes wished it were true.
“Remember to eat something” Chimes called back as she left.
“Okay, honey” her mother replied.
“And maybe you’ll find some friends that will keep you out of mischief” Prism muttered under her breath.
Shortly after, Prism began snooping. Chimes had a skill with plants, more-so than any other pegasi. This meant that Prism would find plants growing almost everywhere at their previous home. She had even discovered a closet that had lights set up to grow small plants. Prism often encouraged her daughter’s biology, and some of the teas were tasty, but after the incident; Prism became cautious.
Chimes had to sell most of her botanical equipment before the move, but Prism wouldn’t put it past her daughter to have managed some mischief the night before. Prism just wanted to make sure she knew what was coming, before she was asked to consume another strange plant. The maternal pony paused upstairs; something was amiss. Yes, breakfast, that was it. She’d have an egg and a few veggies, for her daughter’s sake. Right after she bludgeoned the intruder that just trotted into her home.
It was going to be a good morning.
Author's Note
I'll be updating this whenever, and editing it. This is mainly a first-draft of this chapter, I just wanted something new on my account. I have to work, so I'm not sure when I'll get time to write more. It's thin, but the next chapter will add some surprises. I'll try to stuff some BG ponies in as well. I've done one-shots and grimdark, time for some light-hearted episodes, Time for the Planetkiller to Write Back.
Annd, minor edits to expand chapter. Second chapter coming when I write it.
