Chapter 1: An Orphan's Life
A cold spring breeze is felt through the rocky valley. A valley where remains a village habited by a crowd of horned equines. Each of them have pelts of dull colors, wearing on them clothing, which some has hoods. These equines are in movement, their hooves clopping on the flat rough ground, kicking each tiniest kernels of rock.
Among that moving crowd, two young foals sneaks through, their eyes on the direction they are walking. The sandy-colored one lifts her head and perks her ears forward. Her lavender-colored comrade flicks his ears back in tension, his eyes revealing uneasiness.
‘’I’m not really sure about this, Pen. We’ll get in trouble in huge trouble for doing that.’’ Whispers the foaling.
‘’Not with the amazing plan I have! Puffed up the other one. You brought the rotten tomatoes like I asked you?’’
‘’Yes.’’ The colt confirms his task by opening the pocket of his purse, revealing a batch of expired fruits inside.
‘’Awesome! You sure are really clever to have thought about that idea, Clever Clover! Now let’s go! I know where the trading corner is!’’
They sneakily trot past the crowd to approach a building of wood. They pop their heads to see behind the building a pile of fruits and vegetables, guarded by a gray stallion of round shapes, standing behind a flinty table. A mare carrying a purse on her back walks to the stallion. With her unicorn magic, she grabs her purse to drop off a few gems on the table. The stallion levitates these small precious stones and drops them on a bag filled with other gems. He then take an apple and dispose it on the table. The mare leaves, taking the red fruit with her.
Clever Clover glares at Pen Tips, who smirks in mischief. They turn back to their hiding place.
‘’I’ve never done this before, Pen. Usually, we must give away gems before taking food.’’
‘’Well, those meanies stole all our gems again! We spent the whole winter earning them! Plus I’m sick of these nasty gruels!’’
Clover shivers of disgust by the thought of that poor food. He can not understand why they have to trade rare items to get food of their taste. Maybe stealing without getting caught might be a good solution, besides the fact that it is violating the law of the Unicornia tribe.
‘’I’ll need just one tomato! Hoof it over!’’
Clover takes out the fruit and drops it at Pen Tip’s hooves. Pen puts her hoof on the fruit and crushes it with a lacking force. She covers some part of her body with it’s sauce.
‘’I am ready.’’ Confirms the filly in a determined tone. You know what to do, right Clover?’’
‘’Y… Yes!’’
‘’Awesome! Take the apples when they will be distracted!’’
So Pen Tips leaves the building, falsely limping toward the stallion who sells the provisions.
‘’HELP! I’VE BEEN ATTACKED!’’ She yells while faking pain.
This catches the attention of the stallion, along some other ponies who watches in horror the ‘’injured’’ filly. They rush toward her in panick.
Pen Tips whimpers and laments, to finally end up collapsing and play dead.
‘’The poor thing! Somepony get a healer, quick!’’ Screams a mare.
Pen Tips barely opens her eyes to wink at her friend, watching from there.
Clover takes the opportunity to steal a few apples. His horn glows as he lifts the first one to quickly bring it toward him. He puts the fruit in his purse before bringing another one. And another one. He then take a quick look at the scenary.
A pony healer arrived, putting his hoof on Pen Tip’s ''wounds''. He inspects the red substance on his hoof. ‘’This is rotten tomato sauce.’’ He confirms. The ponies gasps in shock.
Pen Tips raises her head, cringing. She turns to her friend, motioning him to hurry.
But as he picks on the fourth apple, Clover feels a blow through his mane. He froze at this instant. He didn’t bother to look behind him…
‘’Stealing, are we?’’
Clover’s purse is then pulled with force by magic that is not his, making the colt being pitched down. He lifts his head to see a massive dark brown stallion with a cold glare from his fire eyes. Perceiving the golden armor that is covering the body of the stallion, Clover could tell he is the captain of the guards. This one glares at the purse he is holding with the magic of his sharp horn. The young unicorn’s throat tightens as the captain turns to him, fixing him coldly.
‘’We do not tolerate little theifs like you, here. He said in a deep, threatening tone. Trading before having. That’s the law, young scum.’’
Clever Clover and Pen Tips are escorted by three guards and the captain to a large building of wood, that is the school for unicorn foalings, and their home. Out there, ponies awaits for them.
Clever Clover sadly stare at the ground nonstop during the walk.
Pen Tips, who is still covered in tomato sauce, approaches her muzzle to Clover’s ear.
‘’Well, at least we tried.’’ She whispers to him.
Clover cracks up a tiny smile of comfort. The presence of his best and only friend always eased him since the first day they met. Being an orphan is not easy, especially not when you live in a school where other foals actually have parents.
Arriving at the field where the house is situated, a red mare walks to the arrivals. The two foals lower their heads in shame. ‘’Looks like we have to deal with her.’’ Whispers Clover.
‘’Madam, we caught these two foals stealing in the trading corner, and are told that they live here under your responsability.’’ Said the dark captain.
‘’That is exact. Claimed the mare. Thank you for bringing these uneducated orphans back, Captain Fiery Granite. I will make sure that they won’t cause any trouble again.’’ She launches a severe glare down Clover and Pen.
‘’It better be so.’’ Snorts the Captain.
One of the guards push Clover forward with an hoof kick. Captain Fiery Granite and the guards then leave.
Clover takes a deep breath before taking a speech to the disgruntled mare.
‘’Miss Scarlet Gaze, we can exp—‘’
‘’SILENCE! She interrups him. I don’t want to hear your worthless excuses! Not only you have left without permission, but have violated the law of Unicornia by committing theft! This foolishness of yours does not go unpunished. Clever Clover, for stealing, you will clean up the dirtyard on the left. And you Penny Tips, not only for being an accomplice in the theft but also for establishing panick in the village, you will clean up all the rest of the dirtyard. But go clean yourself up first, you are filthy.’’
‘’…Yes, Miss Scarlet Gaze.’’ The filly tries to retain from tearing up. She runs to the direction of the pool, with foals laughing at her.
‘’Silence, everyone! Clover, you go now.’’
‘’But Miss Sca—‘’
‘’NOW!’’
The colt sighs, then obey. As he walks, he overhear two foals whispering.
‘’Normal that they messed up, they’re orphans.’’
‘’Yeah, they don't have parents like us.‘’
Clever Clover is installed on a mattress of silk, reading a book, with a lit candle next to him. The door creaks as it is being opened. Pen Tips enters the room, with Scarlet Gaze standing behind her, holding a lantern with her magic.
‘’Go to sleep, now.’’ Orders Scarlet Gaze before closing the door and leaving.
Pen Tips leaps herself on her mattress. She comfortably places herself on her back.
‘’Finally! Rejoices the exhausted filly. I cannot describe how much I hate this witch! She’s always so harsh with us! My mother was much nicer than she is! She then sighs. I wish she was still here.’’ Her eyes start to produce water of grief.
‘’You actually have some luck, Pen. I never met my parents. I was found at the door of the school when I was a baby. I really wonder why they left me.’’
A moment of silent crying takes place, but that does not include Clever Clover as he didn’t tear up a bit, but still felt some sorrow. He wants to comfort Pen, but does not feel comfortable enough to do so.
‘’Hey Clover’’. Whispers Pen while whipping away her tears.
‘’Hm?’’
‘’Do you think I played the wounded pony well?’’
‘’Yes you were perfect, Pen. Everypony flipped when you ''hurt'' yourself!’’
They softly snicker.
‘’But I’ll never get hurt for real, because one day, I’ll be a brave warrior! I will serve the King Bullion and protect our tribe from any monster that I’ll defeat heroically!’’
‘’But if you choose to be a guard, you know that means you’ll fonction under the commands of Fiery Granite, right?’’
‘’Yeah, what?’’
‘’Well, he caught us stealing, and the way he grunts scares me, it sounds like a growling bear.’’
‘’Well, that’s how a captain of an army is like: scary and strong! That’s exactly how I would like to be, one day! Plus, we shouldn’t have been stealing anyway. How about you, Clover? Will you also fight by my side as a guard?’’
Clever Clover opens his mouth, but no word came out. He thinks for a moment. Then:
‘’No. Not really. I’d like to do magic.’’
‘’You already do, silly! You’re an unicorn!’’
'’No, I mean, well… doing m-magic tricks… Something like that.’’
‘’You mean, being a wizard?’’
‘’…Sort of.’’
Pen Tips stared at him for an awkward moment, squinting. Like if she was judging him...
‘’Cool! She responded unexpectedly with a smile. But I still want to be a guard. When I get older, I will be formed as a new recruit, learn magic attacks and all that stuff! I hope I’ll grow up fast, because that day, Scarlet Gaze will no longer spoil my days, make a fuss about everything like: ‘’Peny Tipz, ur late!’’ ‘’Peny Tipz, do that!’’ ‘’Peny Tipz, act liek a lady’’!’’
They almost laugh out loud after that impersonation of the school’s sour headmistress.
‘’But, continues Pen Tips, that won’t happen very very soon as growing up is very long. But also, I don’t want to say goodbye to my very best buddy.’’
Clever Clover looks at Pen Tips and blushes from these heart-warming words she gave him.
‘’Well, adds Pen in a yawn, we should better get to sleep. Another day awaits us. I hope it’s going to be a better one. 'Nighty night, Clover!’’
Pen turns her back and quickly fell asleep.
‘’'Nighty night, Pen.’’ The colt responded softly. He blows off the candle. Everything is dark.
But then, Clover lights it up again with his magic.
He then pull the sheets of the mattress to grab a book that was hidden under. He dispose it at his hooves.
The book has the title of ‘’Witchcraft For Apprentices’’. The colt opens the book with a poke of his muzzle. The pages illustrates incantations of spells.
Clever Clover pay attention to his study, spending nearly two hours of sincere concentration.
He then collapses of exhaustion, with the candle blowing off.
