Author's Note

Chapter title is from the first line in the song Home by Zero 7.

8. Lost in cheap delirium

The summer holidays ended.

Misty had her suitcases packed for when she headed back to Kirin Grove, and Savarin had hers packed for when she went back to school in Canterlot.

Misty did spot Nettle once, but Nettle quickly disappeared back into her house. She heard from Tatin Nettle had even mysteriously dropped out of the School for Gifted Unicorns.

Before Misty knew it, she was on the train ride home.

Dad was waiting for her when the train pulled up, and a newspaper was spread open on his lap. He folded it up when she stepped off the train with her suitcases. "Kiddo! How was your trip? You're just in time for the festival."

He was talking about the end of summer festival.

Misty usually ended up helping out, handing out samples of beer to festival-goers, or operating their stall.

Kirin Grove was adorned with ribbons and streamers. Stalls were peppered everywhere, selling all manner of things from clothes to food.
On a stage further on, a play was happening. It was Taming of the shrew by William Shakespony.

Misty managed to get some bits from Dad to go around the various stalls. She bought a hoof-stitched dress from one of the clothing stalls, pulling it on. The dress was green and patterned with flowers.

While munching on some popcorn, she saw her school "friends": Pearl Love (unicorn), Icicle Wind (Kirin) and Anise Swirl (Kirin).

"Misty, you're back," exclaimed Pearl, gathering Misty up in her perfumy grip.

"Like, I had so much fun. I do need a drink. Should I get some, like, from my Dad?" Misty said.

Pearl let Misty go. "Anise got some. Her boyfriend gave it to us. He's so hot, and you need to meet him."

Anise tossed her straightened mane. The curls were already reforming.
It was nearly impossible to keep kirin hair straight.

The group moved through the crowd, away from the stalls to the very fringes of the festival.

Here, the music barely reached, instead turning into a dull thumping. Many teenage creatures were also making out in the bushes.

Misty found some overturned logs, and they sat down on them. Icicle lit a cigarette while Anise poured each of them a cup of beer.

"We missed you so much," said Pearl.

"I did too," lied Misty. "Ponyville is soooo boring without you guys. I can't believe Daddy forced me to go. Tear." She ran her hoof down her face and puckered her lips. She gulped beer before gulping down the rest. She held her cup out for some more, and Anise topped her up.

"Life was so boring without you," Anise said.

"Seconded," said Pearl.

"Thirded," added Icicle.

Pearl told her all the gossip she had lost out on; Anise's boyfriend. He was a cute dragon that worked at the library.

"He's so, like, nerdy," said Pearl.

"Glasses?" Misty asked.

Pearl nodded. "He's, like, thirty."

Misty wrinkled her nose. "But he's old."

"He's cute. You have to meet him."

Misty stuck out her tongue and wrinkled her nose. "Anise, let me guess, he says you're mature for your age?"

Anise looked put out, tapping her hooves together. "He got us alcohol."

"Honey, my Dad works at a brewery, and I have him wrapped around my hoof," Misty drawled. "Break up with him, or else you're out of our group."

"Fine," said Anise, hanging her head.

Icicle's cigarette glowed in the dark.

Misty started a fire with her hoof, shadows making monsters squirm around the trees, scaring away any forest critter stupid enough to come close.

Underneath a full moon, Misty and her "friends" danced.

Icicle's hoof-held radio belted out tinny tunes into the night.

Anise had brought marshmallows for them to roast, and Misty ate so many she felt like she'd throw up.

She had to sit down, leaving the others to dance. Anise stopped dancing to sag next to her, beer sloshing down her front and staining her fur.

Misty stroked her hoof down Anise's thigh, along her tail. Anise gurgled, her fourth cup dropping from her magic.

Misty pressed her mouth to Anise's. Anise tasted of beer and marshmallows, her mouth opening and closing. Her gorge rose, and she threw up into Anise's mouth.

Anise staggered back while spitting vomit out of her mouth. She groaned and slumped on the log.

Misty wiped at her mouth, spitting until she couldn't taste vomit. Her throat burned. "I'm going home."

"See you in school," Pearl slurred, swaying from side to side. She popped another marshmallow in her mouth.

Misty staggered home, bumping into trees.

The festival was finished. Almost everyone was back in the houses. A few stragglers sat in a circle, strumming a guitar and singing in low voices.
They paid her no mind.

She stopped to throw up once more in the bushes, before staggering the long route up to the mansion.

The lights were still on, and Misty walked inside.
Sitting at the table were Mom and Dad.

"I'm going to bed," Misty said, moving toward the stairs.

"Hold it. What time do you think it is?" Mom asked. "Are you drunk?"

Misty stopped at the foot of the stairs, looking between her parents. "Why are you here, Mom? He's a better daughter than I'd ever be. That's why we stopped having mother-daughter days, isn't it?"

Mom opened and closed her mouth. "It's two in the morning! No warning, nothing."

"Daddy, you're not going to ground me, right?"

Dad tugged at his bow tie. This one was decorated with mini-beers. Mom's attention turned to him.

"Kiddo," he said. "I understand how hard it is, being a teen. You can stay out as late as you want, but no more drinking."

"Oak-" began Mom.

"You're the best daddy." Misty's tone chilled when she said to Mom: "goodnight, Mother."

Mom's eyes narrowed at Misty, but Misty stared right back. Mom looked away first.

Misty walked up the stairs and went into her room.

Dad had put away all her dresses, and her suitcases were sitting near her door.

"I thought that was you," Leafy said from his bedside table spot. "Man, your Mom really doesn't like you."

Misty flopped into her bed, wriggling out of her dress. She tossed it into the hamper and rolled onto her back.

Mom and Dad had started arguing downstairs.

She crept out of her room and sat at the top of the stairs, just out of sight.

"Can I go to bed now? She's home, isn't she?" Dad was saying.

"You're the one who called me in a panic when she wasn't home tonight." Mom paused. "Oak, she questions my authority all the time, especially when she stays the weekend at my place. She needs rules, guidelines."

"But it's so hard."

"Try harder," Mom said. A chair was pushed back, screeching across the floor. Mom's shadow moved. "She's almost an adult, and she-she scares me. I'm scared of what she'll do when she's independent."

Misty stole back into her room and turned out the light, and she dreamed of her city of pure gold where her subjects would worship the ground she walked on.

She'd be a goddess and Savarin would be her prophet.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

To Misty's dismay, Dad did try to ground her for staying out too late.

She laughed in his face until Mom came by and enforced it.

It meant Misty spent more time in her room, with Leafy, who was way more annoying than she remembered so she put him in her closet and closed the door.