A Blooming Hope

January 12th, 7 years ago

I fling my bags over my back and shove on my armor, placing my helmet on my head and looking in the mirror.

“Pretty sharp if I do say so myself.” I say, grabbing my spear from off the wall with a wing and opening my door.

“C’mon Lumius!” I call to my owl, he flies over and sits on my back as I grab my list of todos from the back of my door.

“Alright, today we have to guard the third gate of the palace. Piece of cake!” I say trotting down the stairs and out of the Guard’s quarters. I’d been working here for a whole year now and I fit right in. As boring as the job was it gave me a purpose, a reason to be there. So I continued on, doing as I was told, and making myself useful.

I marched over to my post and swapped with the guard already there. And I stood, as I had, every day for the past year. And seconds turned into minutes into hours, when suddenly I spotted a familiar face walking to the palace. It’s been two years but I’d know her from anywhere.

“Cella?” I take a step foreword and she looks at me, then giving me the brightest smile in all Equestria.

“Willow Bloom!” She exclaimed, galloping over to me, “why didn’t you tell me that you joined the royal gaurd! We could’ve hung out!”

“I guess I kinda got distracted” I said.

“Well we’re gonna have to hang out later, there’s a lot we need to talk about!” She said with a smile, “when are you free?”

“Um, well, I have my lunch break in two hours, ya free then?” I ask.

“I’m free whenever I want to be Willow, so yeah, I’m free in two hours, I’ll meet’cha right here so don’t go anywhere!” She said trotting off towards the castle.

“I didn’t plan on it!” I called to her smiling. The guard beside me gave me a weird look. “Oh! That’s just my friend from a couple years back!” I said quickly.

“Uh yeah, sure,” he said turning back to face Canterlot.

***

“Willow Bloom!” Cella trotted out of the palace grounds and over to me, I hadn’t noticed it before but she was wearing a pretty white dress.

“Hey Cella!” I said with a smile, “why are you so dressed up?” I asked her.

“We’ll I was just preforming with my quartet for Princess Luna, we’re auditioning to play at the grand galloping gala.” She said.

“Really!? The grand galloping gala?” I asked with surprise.

“Yeah! It’s a lot of pressure, especially since I’m the youngest pony to ever even audition, but the princess seemed to like our performance.”

“Why’d you never send me a letter? I would’ve loved to come listen to you play!”

“I guess I just got distracted.” She said, smirking at me.

“Now I get it.” I say, “Where are we gonna eat?”

“I know just the place.” She said trotting to a back ally, where a beautifully decorated restaurant sat. “Welcome to the Tasty Treat! The best food in all of Canterlot is served here!”

We walked into the restaurant and were greeted by a smiling face.

“Welcome to the Tasty Treat!” The pony said, she opened her eyes and smiled ever brighter, “Cella Strings!”

“Hello Saffron!” Cella said with a smile, hugging the pony, “Saffron meet my Fillyhood friend Willow Bloom! Willow Bloom, this is my friend Saffron Masala.”

“Pleasure to meet you!” I say, shaking Saffron’s hoof.

“It’s a pleasure for me as well.” She said with a smile, “Welcome, again, to the Tasty Treat, you two can sit right over here and I’ll be right back out with your menus.” She said, leading Cella and I to a table.

We sat down and Cella smiled at me, “So how have you been?” She asked, “I hope life wasn’t too rough for you without me.”

“It was fine, I was really upset at first, but things got better. I didn’t really make too many new friends though.” I said, sighing.

“That’s really too bad,” she said, “i wish I could’ve been there, but I wouldn’t want to give up all that I’ve gotten in Canterlot either.”

“What all have you gotten here?”

“New friends I can introduce to you, a new group to play with, and… well, I got my Cutie Mark.”

I sighed, “Still waiting and hoping on that last one.”

“It must be so hard, I mean, I didn’t have mine for a long while, until just a few months ago, I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through.”

“Oh it’s not too bad! Besides, I have a purpose now, I’m a royal gaurd, and I’m really good at it.”

“But it’s still gotta sting. Besides that, how’s your family?”

“They’ve been well, I write to them weekly, my brother started school this year, I’m very excited for him.”

“That’s nice.”

“How’s yours been?”

“Oh, I moved out!” She said, “don’t get me wrong, I love my parents, but they were way too overprotective. We still talk and their proud of me taking steps to declare my independence.”

“Must be freeing not to be stuck in a house full of bubble wrap huh?” I asked with a smirk.

“Yeah,” she chuckled, “I don’t really wear my Prosthetics anymore, you might not be able to tell since I’m wearing one right now. But I only wear them when I’m playing, and ya know, just got back from doing that.”

“You seem very happy,” I said, “I’m glad you’ve found who you are.”

“I’m happy too, and I’m gonna help you find who you are as well.”

“But I do know who I am.”

“Not really, you see your scars and let them tell you what to do! But that’s not the Willow Bloom I know! She’s never let anything get in her way!”

“I tried to look past it, I am looking past it, but I thought I was supposed to fly, but I can’t, not with my injury.”

“So what if you can’t fly!? Try other things!”

“But what if I just fail?”

“Then try again!” She said, standing up, “it’s time we break these chains and see who you really are.”