Sky Heart stomped her hooves and kicked the front door shut, leaving the post-pony standing frozen on the weathered old outdoor welcome mat. A tear rolled shakily down her cheek, turquoise mane almost standing on end. Her dusty green coloured tail flicked from side to side. How dare he? And by letter? He didn’t even have the balls to come and do it in person. Furiously pacing around her coffee table, murmuring to herself about the audacity of her now ex-colt-friend, a little voice in the back of Sky’s head told her that stewing and making all this fuss wasn’t going to make her feel any better.
She stopped and took a few deep breaths, in and out, before settling her wings and straightening her feathers. That’s a little better, she thought, returning to the front door and swinging it gently open with a forehoof. The grey post-pony was still stood frozen in place.
“I’m sorry for yelling like that. You know how it goes when some-pony gets bad news,” she said politely.
Derpy shook her blond mane back and smiled, producing a small blueberry cake from her bag. “Muffin?” she offered kindly.
“Thanks sweetie.” Sky accepted the cake, taking it in the feathers of her wing. “That actually makes me feel a little better about the manners of some ponies around here.”
Flicking her bag back in place, Derpy trotted on to the next house and Sky stepped out. Maybe a little canter around town will help calm me down, she told herself, setting off briskly toward her favourite spot. It was strange, with nopony to talk to on her walk, Ponyville seemed to look and sound different.
Maybe it was Sky’s imagination, but it all seemed quieter. Quieter, but more peaceful than it had before. That, and she had a strange uplifting sense of... freedom? Was being with Turbo really that oppressive? With that, her scowl began to melt away.
You know what? Maybe it’s not so bad after all! I get to do what I want, whenever I want, however I want... Tartarus, I feel like I could fly to the moon and back!
Sky grinned like a mad mare, swallowing the last few bites of what was suddenly the most delicious muffin she’d ever tasted. She took off, fluttering her way to the band stand in the centre of town. Touching down and resting her forehooves on the wooden banister, she gazed around at the happy ponies in the marketplace nearby. They were merry and going about their everyday business, trading shining gold bits for fresh produce from the Apple’s farm, lush fabrics and many other wonderful things. Sky’s eyes finally rested on a slightly weathered poster of “Turbo Boost, the fastest hooves in Ponyville!”
Sky took in a deep breath, narrowing her eyes at the ragged parchment on the wall. Just across from her, a fuchsia-coated mare attempted to haggle with a sales-colt attending the stall for a new set of books for the schoolhouse. They were about to settle on a deal when they were interrupted by the howling shriek of what sounded like an Ursa minor attack. They and the rest of the ponies at the market whipped their heads around and stared at Sky, who was bawling her heart out in the band stand. Fat, salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed, completely uncaring of the many eyes fixed on her. Most of them pieced together the situation pretty quickly. Usually Sky was never really seen in town unless she was in tow of Turbo like his personal pack mule. They went back to their business, deciding that the delicate state of the weeping Pegasus was best left to the one pony standing on the steps of the band stand behind her.
A tall, gold unicorn with a shimmering silver mane reached out a hoof and cradled her crying friend. She began humming to her in sweet tones, all while her horn started to glow a bright yellow. Her magic pulled a tissue from the saddle bag adorning her back and mopped up the intense amount of fluids coming from Sky’s eyes and muzzle.
Golden Twirl was by far the sweetest and most understanding of all Sky’s friends. While most of them had turned their flanks on her when she began to isolate herself, Goldie was always there for her. Sky looked up pitifully from between her hooves.
“He... We...I...” She tried to find a good starting point, but simple Ponish had completely abandoned her.
“Don’t worry Birdie, you don’t have to say anything” Goldie soothed. “I saw that flank-hat on the way into town at the train station. I’d say I can’t believe he did this but honestly, well...” she trailed off, not wanting her little bird to feel worse than she already seemed.
“I know, I know!” Sky sobbed. “Everyone saw it coming, and I was a fool not to listen to you, Goldie.” She buried her into the unicorn’s shimmering locks.
“Yes, yes you were. Now that we're on the same page though, let’s get back to your place and pack shall we?” she chirped. Never one to let a bad situation keep anyone down for long, Goldie had an inane habit of changing the subject, no matter how serious it was.
“What for?” Sadly, it seemed to work most of the time. She followed the tall unicorn out of the stand and trotted next to her, back toward her house.
“Well, now you aren’t living under a total war lord, you’re coming with me!” she grinned back, tossing her mane out of the splash zone. “And please, darling, I’ve just had these luscious locks done. No offence, but I’d rather keep it looking nice for at least today. We will be meeting with the nobility after all.”
“What?” Sky stopped dead in her tracks, maw hanging open in shock.
“You heard me,” Goldie chuckled before halting herself. “Actually, I’m not sure whether the chief of staff at Canterlot castle counts or not, but sure as the sun rises we might run into one of the princesses. Now, close your mouth or you’ll start catching horse flies, dear. You really must work on those manners of yours if you’re to work there.”
Sky snapped her maw shut, but continued to stand affixed to the spot as though her horseshoe nails had suddenly inverted. She shook her head vigorously, just to be sure that Goldie wasn’t actually a grief-induced, very convincing figment of her imagination. Sure enough though — once her head had stopped spinning — Goldie was still there, biting her lower lip.
“Wait a minute,” Sky said soberly. “Working there? Gold, I don’t work at the castle, you do. After all these moons, all the letters in which I’ve told you how unhappy I am, you’re only just now telling me you have the power to bring in new staff?”
“Well, not exactly, sweetie. You see, when I saw Turbo at the station, he told me everything. But he did it in a way that told me he was going to try and make life hard for you. You know what he’s like; got a way with words, that one,” she explained. “Soon enough he might have everyone in town thinking you're some floozy mare that lies and cheats.”
The shock of potentially working in Canterlot castle had completely distracted Sky from her devastation. It all began flooding back, but this time, it was accompanied with a small fire burning in her chest.
“He would swing it like that, wouldn’t he?” she knickered.
It was just like him to try and manipulate other ponies to have them see things his way. Never in his life would he take responsibility for anything, or suffer any kind of consequence. No, it was always down to – in his opinion – ‘lesser’ ponies to take the load in his stead.
“Sweetie?” Goldie noticed the look of white-hot malice making its way across her friend’s face, her cerulean coat turning a shade of red.
“Are you thinking about him?” she questioned cautiously, ears flattened almost fully to her head.
“NO!” she bellowed. “I don’t think about that infuriating vessel of putrid pestilence anymore!” She held her head high and trotted on.
“It’s only been a day, Sky Heart,” Goldie cooed as they entered the Heart cottage. Sky threw a set of saddlebags from the high shelf down beside her. “No pony would blame you. After all, even your cutie mark was earned by putting your heart and soul into your relationships. Especially the one you, well, had...” she trailed off, indicating the small heart shaped cloud decorating her friend’s flank.
Sky began gathering her few things, looking back at the mark in question, then to the shimmering swirls on Goldie, representing her finesse in magical skills. “At least yours makes sense,” she sighed, looking back at her own. “I don’t even know what this means anymore. When I got it, I just took it, thinking... Well, I don’t know what I was thinking. I was an idiot!” she knickered with frustration, continuing to flitter around the small dwelling, piling up her possessions in the centre of the main room as she went.
“Stay calm, Birdie. You’ll figure yourself out again soon enough” Goldie soothed. Her magic glowed around her horn, then stemmed to the items that Sky had accumulated and began stacking them neatly into her saddle bags.
It didn’t take long. Apparently Turbo had taken it upon himself to remove a lot of their possessions before he left, not really leaving much for Sky. Golden Twirl marvelled at how the remaining things were only enough to fill two of the bags she had been given.
“By Celestia, you’ve been robbed!” Goldie exclaimed.
“I know.” Sky sighed again, ears drooping as the impact of her changing life began to really set in. Everything seemed different now, like she was going to have to start again from the ground up. Part of her was still trying to convince herself that it may be a good thing, that this was her chance to do things right. The rest was still swinging back and forth between the five stages of grief.
Goldie shook her head. “This is unbelievable. Tell me Turbo didn’t do this to you.”
“Do you really need to ask?” Sky buckled up the saddlebags, giving the straps a firm tug and allowed Goldie to levitate them onto her back. She folded her wings neatly as the satchels settled into place behind them.
“He must have been like a spoiled filly going through the ‘mine’ phase this morning. Of course he would take as much as he could. He’d have taken it all if I hadn't woken up in time to hear the door shut behind him.”
At least what's left is what I would save if the house burned, Sky pondered.
Namely, a few books on flight physics and a small mane clip adorned with silver, set with three emeralds, a larger sapphire in the centre.
Sky Heart thought back to the clip’s previous owner, her Grandmare. A wise old pony who certainly would have had a few things to say about her Grandfilly’s submission to such a dreadful pony as her ex. She glanced back at the saddlebags; at least it’s less to carry, and I’ve got what’s important. “It’s like Grandmare Cloudbank used to say, water off a pegasus’s wing. I can’t let the loss of a few material things and one asshole wear me down.”
“Sweetie, with your ears all droopy like that, it’s hard to believe you,” Goldie said sympathetically “Now come on, we have a train to catch”.
“So, what exactly have you signed me up for here Goldie?” Sky asked impatiently. She trusted that Goldie had her best interests at heart, but the last time she tried to ‘surprise’ her with anything, Sky had to explain why the cottage was bursting with expanding foam. Shaking the memory of Goldie’s experimental spells from her head, she pressed on. “I at least want to know what to expect”.
Around them, steam swept the floors of the platform as they made their way to their carriage. Sky marveled at the two guard ponies in royal armour who stood either side of the carriage doors. She’d never been this close to the engine before, a place usually reserved for more important members of the community.
“Well,” Goldie started, with a cheeky side-smile. “I was talking to Princess Luna about her need for a stronger sleep spell when she mentioned a severe lack of pegasi able to stay up all night and assist her with the royal duties.” She quickly nodded her head, greeting the guard ponies, before hopping up the first step and leading Sky to their seats.
“No… shut the hay up…” She tried her best to find the lie in Goldie’s eyes, but the sparkle that was there told Sky she’d really done it. “You got me… a job… as an attendant?” She fumbled around with the idea that her friend might be over exaggerating.
“Yeah, you get it!” Goldie chirped happily. “You just gotta follow her around, do what she asks and make sure she has everything her royal highness needs for a night’s work! I’d have asked Celestia, but I know you aren't exactly an early bird..”
As the engine tooted out it’s final call, the girls felt the floor beneath their hooves judder to life. Sky kept nodding in agreement in the right places as her friend continued to describe castle life, her gaze drifting to the scenery outside as they began to slowly leave it all behind. Goldie’s voice became quite faint as Sky honed in on the rhythmic beat of the rail cars, chugging her along to a new job, maybe a new life, and a fresh chance to make something of herself. She wondered what working for Princess Luna, and indeed what the Princess herself, would be like. She began to think about the stories her father would tell her, about Princess Twilight’s humble beginnings. Anything that gets me out of here, she thought.
Sky’s thoughts had drifted off so far, she barely noticed Goldie halt her tirade of castle instruction and enchant the small ornamental mane clip to float out from the saddle bag and pin itself delicately behind Sky’s ear. It’s gems glistened hauntingly as Goldie pulled her blue friend into a tight embrace.
“Soon, Birdie, soon it’ll all make sense and you’ll know…”
Author's Note
Big thanks to my guys for helping me edit and proof read!
Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Defo check out some of Bikerpon3 's work when you're done here, he was a huge help and inspiration to me <3
