Gleam

Fair Weather had never been outside of the castle walls before, and he worried about making such a big splash in Legacy’s small home. He had no idea how to wash or do any dishes. He could possibly hire a maid. Trepidation came first, then worry. However, would he fit in here? He'd never given much thought to how ordinary people lived; the thought of living without his silk sheets and soft pillows made him dizzy. The prince was waiting for his carriage, having just finished packing.

His mind was swirling with so many ideas at once that he was almost delirious with worry and excitement. It had never occurred to him that not everyone had the same level of comfort as he did. He was determined to spoil his spouse, no matter what. He was still in disbelief. He couldn't dress his children in low-class attire, so he began to wonder if there was nice enough food or enough clothing options. What if there were no cucumbers available? What kind of respectable place didn't have cucumbers? He tried to cram more cream into his bag while forcing himself to push the idea of vegetables to the back of his mind. Perhaps he could offer Tropical Storm a reward in exchange for sending him more. His worries returned. What if they didn't take care of their skin properly? He would wither! He'd shrivel up! He-

He was startled out of his reverie by a timid knock on the door. A small servant girl was standing on the other side and was meekly staring up at him. A pang of sorrow ran through his chest; he knew his presence could be quite intimidating to normal ponies. Some part of Fair Weather was still terrified; he'd never been out on his own. He made the decision that it wouldn't stop him as he nervously shuffled around. Using his magic to levitate his luggage, he took one final breath.

The dark tones of the evening had been replaced by the rich violet hues of the early morning. The bleak blues would soon give way to oranges and greens as the sun slowly climbed over the horizon.

Fair Weather was unsure of what he was anticipating—perhaps something small but not filthy.

Watching with wide-eyed terror at the muddy, dirty, filthy roads. Fair Weather thought he was going to faint. Preposterous! How could any pony who respected themselves live in such squalor? The elderly man started to tremble as tears filled his eyes. How could he let his child grow up around such ruffians? Fair weather thought he looked quite silly crying at his age, but nonetheless, the sight upset him beyond words. He needed to find his fiance and be out of these streets now!

The midday heat was bearing down on him, making him woozy and disoriented. He emerged from his carriage with some trepidation. Wincing at the dust covering his hooves, he resisted the urge to press his weight on a different one, lest he muddy his luggage. He spun around in panic and smacked a foot servant in the face with the suitcase. Mortified, he began apologizing profusely. Get yourself together! Come on, one foot in front of the other. SlowHe willed his fiance to arrive sooner as he trotted slowly toward the town square to wait. Fair Weather wanted to be away from the horridness of this town.

Settling down near the statue, he did his best to shield himself from the sun; never had he seen such sweltering weather; dear lord, it was the middle of fall! A large mare came trotting towards him. Her coat was white-dusted, and she had a creamy brown color. Deliriousness mounted; the prospect of having to interact with someone so soon mortified him. One hundred and one possibilities tore through his head, each more terrifying than the last. What if he fumbled with his words? God forbid he even offended her. The mare in front of him now smiled broadly. Are you new around here or what? Fair Weather's face contorted in horror at what the woman had just said. What kind of dreadful accent was that? He fidgeted, struggling with what to say. Wordlessly, he turned on his heels and fled.

The mare behind him watched him with her mouth open.

Legacy should hurry, perhaps. After feeding a very angry baby, he was now tasked with retrieving his fiancée. Everything had gone according to schedule; every detail had to be carefully timed and put in place. He had made a strenuous journey to what might be regarded as the best restaurant in town and had ordered sandwiches with lettuce and cucumbers. his favorite. Legacy expected nothing less than chaos in response.

There was a breeze, swift and brief, and it brought the smell of metallic sky with it.

Perhaps time had indeed diluted his senses until it was already too late to turn back the clock. stabbing at the fringes of his scrambled memory. Legacy tried to envision what would be with him soon
A twitch of the tail, a swish of soft hair against his fur, the twinkling of his eyes, and a strained sigh escaped his cracked lips. Legacy adored that idiotic, idiotic man. The world could cave in and the sun implode before anyone could ever sever him from what he could finally callhis. Fair Weather's smile was the kind that transcended time and space. You saw it in other people when they were at their happiest. Legacy debated going to the town square for a long time before hearing screaming—shrieking would be a more accurate description.

All throughout the town, there were loud banging and thumps. Legacy galloped as quickly as he could in the direction of the sound of the commotion, cursing himself for not cooking faster. The sound of produce being scattered across the ground had been transformed into a strident cacophony by ponies scrambling to retrieve their dropped possessions. The centerpiece of the pandemonium remained Fair Weather himself.

The blue unicorn's eyes were wide with fear as he stumbled, his horn buzzing with each step and the air trembling with ambient energy. He stepped back and forth to avoid stepping on the smaller ponies running frantically around him, kicking up rocks and dirt as their hooves dragged along the ground. They careened around the younger man, a spark of golden magic flitting out of his horn. Legacy frowned: ponies, for better or worse, were naturally magical creatures. More lightning began to erupt all around them at this point in a frenzy. Sulfur and smoke from the fires filled the air. This was a terrible idea. Legacy's appreciation of his hefty weight was limited to this moment. He shifted most of his weight to his front legs and sped up into a faster gallop, cursing the cumbersome, slow-moving wheels as he did so. A tremendous crash from the other side of the town square made Legacy leap into the air. He landed on his front hooves and crumpled face-first onto the street. He tensed every muscle in his body in an attempt to gain some kind of leverage and make his hulking mass move once more. No luck. Inhaling deeply, Legacy continued. in through the nose. out through the mouth. This feeling was an illusion. The anticipation was all in his mind. Legacy jumped over him and slammed into his future fiancée. A wet crack filled the air.

Hocus Pocus had come to the conclusion that he loathed poor people. The stale air of the small town surrounded him, making the situation unbearable. The entire place smelled completely rancid. He had no intention of ruining his clothes with the grime from the uneven, broken pavement. So instead, he watched the bustling nightlife from several paces away. His yellow eyes glinted in the dark like a cat. Interesting indeed. Although he knew his mother would be absolutely furious if she found out he was gone, the excitement had overcome any hesitation he may have had. He was intrigued by how normal ponies lived. As he approached a group of houses, the sound of his hoof steps resembled the cracking of a ruler. He was starving, but he had used up all of his bits getting here. Pocus wasn't particularly opposed to stealing. Not particularly royal, but he didn't care. He looked at the tiny cottages in the dark, choosing one that was a little nicer than the others. "Take from the rich and give to the poor," he bitterly reflected. Would he not count as rich? Whatever. He had crept up to the window and was just beginning to carefully remove the window pane when he lost patience and simply blasted it off the windowsill. The realization that he could have simply teleported in there hit Pocus like a ton of bricks. Embarrassed, he shuffled inside and opened the refrigerator, looking through what would have been his stolen possessions. What poor people had cheese?. He stuffed as much bread and oats as he could into his saddlebag. Although the bread was coarse and of poor quality, he was too hungry to object. He laughed at the idea that his father would die of a heart attack if he saw his son right now. One of the highest-ranking equestrian heirs is stealing!
When he heard a creak behind him, Hocus Pocus froze.
A filly who couldn't have been older than five was watching him with wide eyed wonder.
Pocus took a moment to think before shooting her with magic.