Make myself a winner

Dear Misty Flare,

I have three details to tell you.

1. Luster Dawn and her friends are okay. According to Tatin, Gina and Yafa are moving into a house by themselves. They haven't noticed Gina is not wearing her usual scarf, or they are afraid to ask. Tatin is an excellent source of info, but he doesn't know everything.

2. We are learning about different villains in school. I have enclosed a book about villains. If you are to eat the Fire Flower and make your own city, you should read the section on Our Town. (I have also enclosed ten madeleines, a scroll on something that could be the Fire Flower. I used a spell to keep the madeleines fresh. I hope you enjoy them).

3. As per your last letter about Leafy, I have a few suggestions: give him to your Mom, kill him, or leave him behind. He's a plant, and he doesn't have a body capable of locomotion, making it easier to kill him. Splitting the Fire Flower's power with him will only dilute it.

I hope with the Fire Flower's power, you can help me. Unicorn magic can only go so far.
It works for a time, and then I am empty. My life is perfect, I am even perfecting my magic and working on my Prance desserts, but I still feel nothing.

Perhaps with your town in the future, I will feel whole. To be able to break creatures pleases me, especially if I'm breaking them with you.

Sincerely,

Savarin

Misty cracked a shell-shaped madeleine in half, popping a corner in her mouth.
It was sweet, with a hint of lime.

It was the weekend after the first week of school.

She was still grounded, and now she was grounded in her room in Mom's flat.

Crumbs dusted Savarin's letter, and she flicked them away with her hoof.

Savarin's hoofwriting was tidy, printed as if it were typed with a typewriter. She truly was a genius, and she truly did belong at the School for Gifted Unicorns, unlike Misty.

Misty sniffed, hugging the letter to her chest. She set it down when she heard Leafy say: "are you done?" His voice came from the closet in the corner of the room.

Misty opened the closet and set him on her table with her telekinesis while she casually popped a madeleine in her mouth.

"I can't believe you're grounded," he said, tilting his flower head. Very recently, he had flowered, and his head was a white bloom.

It was shaped similar to a rose.

"Do you want to go back in the closet?" Misty asked.

Leafy's flower shook back and forth, his line of a mouth twisting. "No. Ooh, what are those?"

"They are a kind of cake from Prance." She smiled and wrapped them up. "Don't try to change the subject."

She hovered the book, scroll and several potions Savarin had given her to the empty bookshelf. All of her favourite books were at home.

The shelves were empty, and the Savarin's book looked lonely without company.
Misty carefully penned a letter, frowning when she dripped ink on the parchment. She told her friend how she was grounded and how she was still thinking about what to do with Leafy.

She didn't know why she kept him around. It reminded her she was fallible, that she cared for her Mom... Her Mom was the only reason Leafy was still alive.

Misty's letter was nowhere near as tidy as Savarin's.

Still, she sealed it in an envelope and dripped hot wax on the seal and pressed it down with the mark of the family crest.

"Can I talk now?" Leafy asked.

"No."

"But... you're grounded. How are you going to go out?"

Misty tapped one of Leafy's leaves with her hoof. His cartoony eyes met hers. "So many questions. If you're good, I'll get you some of your favourite tea, or I'll bring you with me."

Leafy twisted his lips, scrunching his eyes closed. He sagged and nodded, looking up to face the sun.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Mom's flat was filled with things, decades worth of life stuffed into a few rooms.
The only room that wasn't full of things was Misty's.

The living room consisted of a sofa and a coffee table. There were also paintings lining the wall, depicting castles and the sea.

There were other things too; old masks shaped like scary birds, Mom's old guitar decorated with stickers and paint hung on the wall, a dragon statue on a pedestal in the corner, several model ships on top of the bookshelf, and a large vase decorated with old carvings of niriks breathing fire with a red hibiscus plant in it.

The coffee table was the only thing clear.

Mom was sitting on the couch, reading over a letter she had written.

Misty sat on the couch, waiting for Mom to notice her. It didn't take long. Mom finished rereading her letter and looked up at Misty.

"Who's your letter to?" Misty asked.

"Your cousin Basil." Mom pointed at a new painting on the wall. It depicted ships on the sea, a glorious sunset turning the water orange. "I'm thanking him for his new painting."

"It's a nice painting." Misty smiled. "Mom, I was drunk when I said those things about how Leafy would be a better daughter than me."

"It was Leafy you were talking about?"

"Yes." She shifted on the couch, inching closer to Mom, averting her eyes to show she was sorry. "I want to deliver a letter to Savarin, and I can deliver your letter too."

"Misty-" Mom's face was contorting, curling into something ugly. "You'll just meet up with your friends."

"Mom, no. I want to regain your trust. Think of this as a test. Is there anything else you need? Shopping? Dinner? If I fail, you can ground me for the rest of the month. I could even bring somecreature with me- like Leafy."

For a moment, Misty thought Mom wouldn't go for it, but Mom sagged against the couch, gathering her letter up in a cloud of magic to pass it to Misty.

Misty hugged Mom and ran into her room.

She packed her red saddlebags, put on the clean dress she got from Ponyville (it was a Rarity original, patterned like the starry sky), and hovered Leafy onto her back.

It would be an acceptable way to get him to forget the hours she'd locked him in the closet and make it up to him because as much as she hated him, Mom liked Leafy.

She needed Mom on her side.

Misty stepped out of the small tree Mom's flat was inside, walking down the slight hill incline to the main path.

The weather was residually warm from the summer, with the slight tinge of rain in the sky.

Mom's flat was in the centre of town, unlike the mansion, so she could see how busy it was.

Misty waved at everycreature she saw with a smile. She needed this to feel the sun on her face. She passed by stalls and huts. The post office was a two-minute walk from Mom's flat.

In that time, she pointed out anything of note to Leafy.

"There's my school," she said. The school was in several different huts, set back from the main path because of a large schoolyard. Some of the higher up buildings were connected with rope bridges, slung from one tree to another. "I have Mr Bee for homeroom this year. He's a dragon."

"I thought he was a bee," Leafy said.

Misty's lips quirked before she burst out laughing.

"You're in a good mood."

"I am... There's the library."

Legs wrapped around Misty, and just in time, she managed to grab Leafy before he fell off her back.

"Misty," drawled Pearl, dabbing at her eyes with a hoofkerchief. It disappeared in a poof, and she grabbed Misty around the neck. "I'm so sorry you got grounded!"

Misty hugged her back, giving her a few pats. "Where are the others?"

"Also grounded. My Mom doesn't care, so like, I'm fine, I guess."

"If you ever need to talk about that, I'm here," Misty lied.

Pearl's parents were neglectful. They let Pearl do her own thing. She had basically raised herself. However, Pearl never did want to talk about it, besides a few select off-hoof comments, so Misty was off the hook.

"Hi," said Leafy. "We need to get moving, Misty."

Misy set Leafy on the ground, her eyes narrowing at him.

"Is that a talking plant?" Pearl asked. "He has a face."

"He does," Misty said. "He's a magic plant. I need to do some errands. You can walk with me if you like."

"I'd, like, love to!" Pearl exclaimed.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"This is so good, Ms Flare," Pearl said, twirling her spaghetti up with a fork. "Like, I didn't know spaghetti could taste this good. Next time, Icicle and Anise should come!"

"Hmmm," was the only sound that came from Mom. "Don't mention it."

Misty smiled into her spaghetti. She was smiling a lot lately. For some reason, despite being grounded, she was in such a good mood. Plus, with Pearl here, Mom couldn't get mad at her.

"I didn't know you had a magical plant," Pearl continued.

"Now you know."

Pearl blinked a few times before giggling. "Where did you get one? I totally want one."

"Do you want some more tomato sauce? Or cheese?"

"What kind of cheese is this? It's so good. As I was saying, you didn't get to tell me about your trip. How's Savarin?"

Misty went into a few fake stories before she finished her meal.

Pearl nodded along. "You need to date her. Like, get on that already."

Misty made a show of looking outside at the darkening sky. "Should I walk you home?"

"No, I can totally find it."

Misty saw Pearl out into the night. The lanterns were being lit so that she could see her way home.

Misty closed the door quite firmly, moving pots and pans to the sink using her telekinesis. She took a seat while she did the dishes. "Am I in trouble, Mom? I just came across Pearl, and you know how her family is."

"Don't call me that," Mom said.

"What's going on?" Leafy said, while simultaneously, Misty said: "are you going to tell us?"

Mom moved, setting the letter from Savarin on the table.

Misty opened her mouth, but Mom shook her head. "Don't you dare lie to me, Misty Flare. You're a monster, and you're not getting away with whatever the hell this is."

Misty's stomach dropped down into her hind hooves. She dropped a pot in the sink with a clatter. She burned with flames, her dress whispering away into ashes. "You read Savarin's letter. How dare you?! And you made me ruin my dress!"

Mom burst out laughing, wiping tears from her eyes. "No, it's over, Misty. It's over."

Misty's fire crackled and burned, her pure white eyes narrowing. She held onto the anger, cradling it within her chest.
Beneath her, wood started to burn.

Mom filled a bucket of water with her telekinesis and dumped it over Misty in a split second, leaving Misty spluttering. She was a kirin again, yet soaking wet.

"Mom!" she cried.

"You're going to be in a dungeon, in Tartarus, or whatever they do with kirins like you."

"Guys, guys," Leafy babbled. "We can talk about this."

"Leafy, you're not part of this, and you never were," Misty snarled.

"Don't talk to Leafy that way," retorted Mom.

Leafy looked between the two of them, his mouth dropping.

Misty lunged at Mom, trying to wrench the letter from her with magic and hooves, but Mom was stronger, kicking her with one hoof.
She skidded across the room, hitting the coffee table with her back.

Mom was reaching the front door, the doorknob glowing blue- Misty lunged, pinning Mom to the ground.

Something shoved into her stomach, and Misty staggered back, unable to breathe.

Mom had bucked her.

Misty let out a cry, running at Mom, using telekinesis to grab a butcher knife from the kitchen.

Mom dodged, and the knife twanged, sticking straight into the door, and there it stayed.

Mom giggled, which made her roar, Misty's fire sputtering out because of her wet fur.

"Such simple magic," Mom said.

"Kirin magic is weak," Misty replied.

"Not so. It's all in how you use it, daughter."

The entire flat shifted and moved under Misty's feet, the table, chairs, everything jumping into the air. The knife fell out of the door with a clatter.

Something wriggled along the floor, stretching out giant petals. It was the hibiscus, except growing rapidly, its flower head the size of her head. It was coated in Mom's blue magic.

The hibiscus wriggled toward her, wrapping green leaves and its stalk around her body.

"Go Mom," said Leafy, pumping his leaves in the air.

Misty squirmed, trying to find anything in the thick stalk to give. Nothing. Her fire kept sparking and sputtering.

Mom crept toward her and stopped a metre away. "Stay here. I'm going to go get the authorities."

"M-Mom," whispered Misty. Tears filled her eyes. "Don't do this. Talk to Dad first."

Mom stroked Misty's cheek, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "It took me ages for me to get your Dad even to ground you. You know that, right? He wouldn't let me."

Misty sniffled again, her tears miraculously drying up, and she smirked while her horn started to glow.

There was a whoosh sound, and Mom gasped, almost falling on her but swaying on her four hooves.

Her magic gave, and the hibiscus plant around Misty slumped to the ground, skittering back while Mom fell onto her face.

A knife stuck out of Mom's back.

"Nooo," wailed Leafy. "Misty!"

"Do you want me to kill you too?" Misty asked.

That shut him up.

Misty crept closer, moving around Mom to peer at the knife. Blood was welling up around the blade, gushing along the floor. It was so red, Misty marvelled.

"M-Misty," Mom said raspily.

Misty grabbed a few other knives from the kitchen. "Mom, since you're dying- I want to say I wasn't going to kill Leafy. I was going to go and change the world and leave him with you. And then you had to ruin that. You just had to be nosy."

Misty twirled the knives, stepping until she was above Mom. "Don't scream, or else I'll make this worse than it already is." She wrenched Mom's face up to the ceiling and stabbed one of the knives right down Mom's throat.

Mom gurgled, blood washing over the floor, over Misty's hooves and her blue, blue fur.

"I love you, Mom," Misty whispered into Mom's ear.

Mom's eyes widened, and she tried to shape words around the knife jutting down her throat. "You're a liar," was all that Misty managed to decipher.

"I do, I love you as I hate you, but I won't miss you."

Mom's body dropped to the floorboards, life fluttering at her throat until she stopped breathing and her eyes stared gormlessly up at the ceiling.

The sound of Leafy crying filled the room.

And that was when the front door opened to show Rain Shine, the kirin leader.

Misty moved, knives zipping toward Rain Shine. She didn't wait to see if they hit her- Misty knew they wouldn't.

She ran into her room, closed the door, and wedged a chair underneath the doorknob.

Misty shoved her suitcase out the window, waiting until it hit the bushes down below before she flicked water from her hoof. A spark formed at the tip of her hoof, and she held it against the wooden bookshelf.

It went up in flames.

Misty squeezed out of the window, grabbed her suitcase, and galloped for her life.