//-------------------------------------------------------// The Best of Friends -by AceSparkleGirl- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// That Fateful Day //-------------------------------------------------------// That Fateful Day Hi there. I’m Princess Harmony Rosalina, and yes, Princess Celestia is my mother. I bet none of you knew that she had a daughter, and that’s because she keeps me a secret. It’s not that she’s ashamed of me, or that she doesn’t want me, it’s because she doesn’t want me getting hurt. I have never met my father, mostly because mom doesn’t even know who he is. She told me that I probably happened while she was drunk… Gee thanks, mom. But whatever, because I love her and she loves me, and that’s all that matters. I don’t even care that I don’t have a father. I also don’t have many friends, but that’s because mom kept me pretty much locked on the castle grounds for the first 7 years of my life. But I wasn’t lonely, don’t get me wrong! I had mom and all of the guards, plus Twilight Sparkle, my mom’s student! Oh, and don’t forget about cousin Cadance! She’d always tell me about what she did with Twi. And then, when I was seven years old, I met her. My best friend, Rosalynn Sparkle. I don’t remember the exact day, but I remember most of the details. It was a Saturday afternoon, mid-summer, and Twilight had come over to be tutored by my mom. I would’ve stuck around, but Twi was doing some test thing and couldn’t talk to me, so I was lonely. So while mom and Twi weren’t looking, I snuck out. At first, I used the spell that I learned that hides my wings. Then I just did what I normally do. I go to the bakery, get a snack, and then I go window shopping. Occasionally I’ll buy something, but not too often. Then, on the way back home I noticed something—or should I say somepony—strange. There was a little lavender filly on the street that looked to be about my age, maybe a few years younger. She was all alone, and looked extremely sad. I don’t know what made me do it, but I approached her. Maybe it was because I felt sympathy for the young foal, knowing what it felt like to be alone, or maybe it was just because I wanted a friend. But the point is that I went to her. I guess I blocked her sun and cast a shadow on her, because as soon as I was next to her she looked up. Or maybe she just realized I was there? I don’t know… As soon as she looked up, I could tell there was something wrong. There were tears in her eyes and falling down her muzzle. The concern in my eyes grew and I looked at her. “A-Are you okay? My name’s P—” I stopped myself, realizing that I probably shouldn’t reveal myself. “My name’s Harmony Rosalina, what’s your name?” I said, giving her a kind smile. She looked at me and sniffled, probably contemplating whether or not she should answer me. But finally, she did. “I…I’m Rosalynn Sparkle… I-It’s nice to meet you, Harmony.” Rose whispered to me, voice soft and shaky. She also paused a few times to think of the words to use. “A-And I’m not okay…” I looked at her, eyes wide. “Why aren’t you okay, Rosalynn? Are you hurt?” I said, voice full of concern. I’m not sure why I was so worried, seeing as I had just met this pony, but something about her just made me sympathetic. She then opened her mouth to talk, which only triggered more tears. “I-I’m lost!” she cried out in a whisper, looking down again. Tears were rolling down her lilac coat and splashing onto the hot sidewalk. She seemed so upset about this, and I knew I had to help her. “How are you lost, Rose? Do.. Do you not know your way around Canterlot? Are you new here?” I said, tilting her chin up with my hoof. She simply shook her head, and sniffled. “I... I don’t know my way around here, but I’m not new here either… Y-You see, I just got out of a… a coma about 3 weeks ago, and I... I sort of wandered out of the house today… And… And…” I stopped her, not wanting her to cry more. I stepped forward and hugged her close to me, which made her gasp in surprise, before accepting the hug and relaxing a bit. I giggled. “All better now, Rose?” I asked her, smiling a bit and letting go of her. She released from the hug too, smiling a bit and nodding. “You know, you remind me a lot of somepony I kn—” she was the one to interrupt me this time. “Of Twilight Sparkle? Y-Yeah, I get that a lot..” she murmured, giggling a bit. Wow, quick change of attitude but… “How do you know Twilight Sparkle? I know her because my mother tutors her, but—” I stopped myself and gasped. I had just revealed that I was Celestia’s daughter. Rosalynn’s eyes shined and she looked at me, eyes wide. “Y-You’re Celestia’s daughter? That means that you know your way to the castle right? Ohh that’s good! Big sister Twily’s probably there, right?!” the filly said, practically jumping up and down in excitement. I blinked and nodded. “Y-Yeah… you’re Twilight’s little sister? That explains it… Hmm…” I took Rose’s hoof and began to walk towards the castle with her. “Come on, Rose. I’ll take you to your big sister in no time. I know my way back home.” Rose looked at me with her big pink eyes and grinned. “R-Really? Oh thank you, thank you Harmony! You’re the best!” she cried out, giving me a quick hug before resuming the walk home. I knew two things for sure that day. The first thing that I knew was that Rose and I would become the best of friends, and the second thing was that I knew—I just KNEW that I would be in big trouble when I got home. By the time we reached the castle gates, I used the spell to return my wings, and walked forwards, Rose in tow. Well, time to get the speaking to of a lifetime… I had thought to myself as I walked through the doors of the castle nonchalantly. “Mo-om, I’m home!” I called out, cautiously. My mother and Twilight walked towards me and Rose, my mother’s eyes full of disappointment just like they were two years ago… //-------------------------------------------------------// It Begins //-------------------------------------------------------// It Begins Have you ever gotten in trouble, and worried that what you did was so bad that you’d be punished equally as bad? Well, I want you to take that level of worry and multiply it by about ten, then add the fact that your mother is the princess, and you made a promise that you just broke. That’s the worry level I’m at right now. All because I was sick of being locked up in that darned castle. I stood there in the doorway of the study room, Rose beside me, and my mother glaring at me. Twilight was just surprised to see her little sister here. Just about as surprised as I was to see that my mother was holding back her frustrations. She was not, however, going to hold back on the lecture. “Harmony Rosalina, I CANNOT believe you disobeyed me and left the castle yet again! You promised me two years ago, and I thought that you would actually stay true to that this time! I don’t know why I believed you, I just did! What a fool I was to think that you’d actually be truthful. Go up to your room right no—” Celestia was cut off by a small voice. Smaller than Twilight’s when she first met me. “U-Uhm… e-excuse me, Princess?” We all looked down at the source of the small voice. It had just so happened to be Rose. She was looking up at Celestia shyly. I could tell that she was just barely working up the strength to speak. “I-If it weren’t for your daugh—err, if it weren’t for Harmony, I wouldn’t have made it back home myself. I… I was lost, because I kinda forget my way around Canterlot, and I was silly enough to leave home… Harmony found me, and when she found out I was Twily’s baby sister, she brought me here. S-So please don’t punish her, because even if she broke a rule s-she also saved me.” Rose said, her voice escalating with the last sentence. My mother looked at her with kinder eyes, and then back at me. “…Is this true, Harmony? Did you really save her?” she asked me, voice no longer as strict as it was previously. I nodded rapidly. “Yes. Yes it is. I know I disobeyed you and broke the rules, mom, b-but if I hadn’t, who knows when Rose would’ve found her way back home?” I said, trying to keep my voice at an audible pace. My mother looked at me skeptically, then rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine, you’re not grounded. But you can’t leave the castle this time, unt—” this time I was the one who cut off my mother. “B-But mom! We both know that if you make me stay here again I’ll probably just—” My mother cut me off with a hoof to the mouth. “You didn’t let me finish, Harmony. I was going to say that you cannot leave the castle until I think it over and decide when a good time is to finally let you go. IF I decide to let you go.” The last words totally bypassed me as my eyes widened and I began to jump up and down. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, mom! I’ll be good this time—I promise! Oh, thank you so much!” I jumped up and hugged her leg, and she nuzzled me. “You’re welcome, Harmony, but I really must get back to tutoring Twilight… We’ll talk later, okay?” she said, turning to leave. “Come on, Twilight.” “Y-Yes, Princess!” Twilight said, before turning to run off. But before she left, she turned to me and smiled. “Oh, by the way, thank you so much for saving Rose, Harmony.” I nodded and she hugged me before running off. Then I turned to Rose. “Gee… Thanks Rose. You really saved my flank there. I don’t know how long I would’ve been confined to my room if you hadn’t spoken up!” I said, voice nearly inaudible at the speed I was going. She giggled and nodded. “Hey, what do you say we go up to my room and play for a bit while my mom tutors your sister? We have at least an hour or two before you parents get here.” I said, taking Rose’s hoof. Her eyes widened, followed by her nodding, and then I took her upstairs to my bedroom. By the time we got into my room, Rose was in major shock at the size of it, and the amount of stuff I had. I skipped in front of her and smiled, taking her hoof and touring her around the place. We stopped a few times for her to actually play with the things, and after a while we finally settled down and started playing. I must say, looking back on it now, I realize that this is probably the first time I had this much fun since I met Twilight. We played until my mom came up with Rose and Twi’s parents, announcing that they had to go. After about ten minutes of begging and pleading that “No! I don’t want her to go! Can’t she play a bit more?” her parents finally had to take them home. Shortly after, I collapsed on my bed, falling into the nicest sleep I’ve had in a while. I had finally done it—I had made a friend all on my own. That day wasn’t the last time I saw Rose. We sort of made it a tradition to get together every time Twilight came over to be tutored. Every time, we’d go up into my room, and we’d play until her parents got home. We thought of each other as sisters, even though sometimes Twi would get jealous. I thought of Twilight as my sister too, but Rose and I were closer. About 2 weeks after meeting Rose, we were getting closer and closer. Then one day something happened. The day started out normally. Twilight and Rose came over so that Twilight could study more, and Rose and I went up to my room. Rose had told me she was feeling tired that day, but that she would be fine and that we should play dress up. I agreed, and we began to play. After about a half an hour of playing, I had run downstairs in a fit of tears. “MOM!!” I had screamed, flying down the stairs and into the Study. She and Twilight looked up at me, concern in their eyes. “Mom! S-Something’s wrong with R-Rose!” I exclaimed through tears. A/N: Well, there you have it. Chapter 2! I'd like to thank everypony who has read the story thus far, and I'd also like to thank NGLG for proof-reading! ^3^ However, I must also thank my friend who's OC gave me the initial idea to actually write the story. That's you, Lyssie! I know that you're reading this right now, so thanks! :3 I have a few things in mind to add o the story, and I'm pretty happy with where it is going so far. So thanks again, everypony! //-------------------------------------------------------// The Lie That Started it All //-------------------------------------------------------// The Lie That Started it All She stood there looking down at me with her purple eyes boring into me, disappointed. “Harmony Rosalina,” she began, using my full name. I immediately knew I was in big trouble. “I thought that I have TOLD you not to leave the Castle, have I not?” she said, voice strict and demanding. I just stood there looking down, and nodded. “Yes mother and I’m sorry that I disobeyed. I just… uhm…” I hesitated, thinking of a reason that I could have left. “I… I saw a little kitten running down and the street, and it was just… sooo cute that I couldn’t help but so after it!” I looked up at my mother, magenta eyes shining. She simply rolled her eyes and ruffled my mane. “Harmony, I think I know you better than to believe that. Now, can you promise me that you won’t go out again?” she said, chuckling a bit. I looked down, considering the question. Would I stay inside and not go outside again? I already knew the answer, but I took a deep breath, looked back up at Celestia and sighed. “Yes Mother, I promise you I won’t go outside ever again.” I murmured, looking up at my mother sadly. She bent down and nuzzled me, smiling. I nuzzled back, smiling a little. “Thank you, Harmony. Now, Twilight’s here for her studying, so you can either come down with me, or stay up here and play.” She said, getting up and walking out of my bedroom. I nodded, following her, and the whole time I was smiling. That was the very first time I lied to my mother. The very same lie that two years later earned me my best friend, and the lie that I will never, ever regret.