Screech looked around the bus stop; she mostly saw unicorns. There were earth ponies and pegasi, she could smell a changeling in the distance. She thought of Canterlot. She missed her home in Ponyville.

Screeche's hooves started to burn the moment they touched the hard ground. A stiff breeze blew salty air and tickled her nose. The sound of waves was barely audible over the joyous yells of fillies and colts reuniting with family. She missed Ponyville a little less.

"Do you see your mother?" asked Screech.

Glitter cocked her head slightly. "My mother is not meeting us here. She is wating at the house."

"Maremaw's house is only a short trot from the beach," said Second excitedly. "Have you ever seen the ocean?"

Screech smiled. "Yes. I competed in the Seaquestria rodeo. Didn't win a single ribbon. Hippogrifs have a different meaning for the word, and I was not great at dancing." Screech smiled at the fond memory. "Mama was so mad she smashed my ocarina. I was so upset for being a disappointment I could not sleep. I spent all night putting my ocarina back together. In the morning Mama took me to see the ocean. She told me she was sorry. I promised to learn how to dance and win every ribbon at the next Seaquestria rodeo." Screech laughed like her story was funny. "I got my cutiemark on that trip. I don't remeber exactly when."

"Did you win any ribbons the next time?" asked Glitter.

Screech shook her head. "Mama didn't want me wasting time learning how to dance. I had to train for actual rodeos. I have not gone back to Seaquestria yet."

"I will take you," assured Glitter.

Screech smiled. She didn't mention the fact she had to pay for the bus tickets.

"You will have to get her dance lessons first," said Second.

"I can dance now," assured Screech. "Carver's parents taught me."

The house was mostly glass. A little pink green house. If the windows were ever closed it would become an oven. Empty flower boxes sat below the big bay windows. There was no welcome mat by the door.

Glitter knocked on the door. Success flew through an open window. Second dropped his things on the covered porch and walked toward the beach. Screech grabbed Second and dragged him back to the house.

Success opened the door. "Maremaw is staring again."

The house had the same number of rooms as the house in Cloudsdale, but each one was one third the size. The closets were too small for Screech to sleep in.

Cyrstal Eyes sat on the floor and stared off into the distance. She didn't look at the sky or the ocean. Her thousand yard stare was directed at one of the only closed windows. She watched her still reflection in the pink glass.

"Mom we are here," called out Glitter. Her voice echoed in the empty house.

Something appeared in Crystal's vacant eyes. "I noticed," she lied. She pushed open the window.

Glitter looked at the bare walls. "You didn't hang any of the pictures I sent you."

"I didn't have time. I have been busy creating my own memories."

"We should go before they start fighting," advised Second.

"If they are going to fight I want to stay," stated Screech. "Don't go where I can't see you. I will lasso you."

Second scoffed. "You didn't bring any rope."

Screech smiled. "Do you think that will stop me?"

Glitter placed Gold on the kitchen counter. "I can hang the pictures. I don't have any plans for the rest of the day."

Crystal waved a hoof dismissively. "Do what you like."

"Where are the pictures?"

"In the closet." Crystal pointed to a narrow door.

Glitter opened the closet. "There is nothing in here."

Crystal shrugged.

Glitter groaned. She marched to her fillyhood bedroom and opened the door. "Mom, did you get rid of the beds?"

Crystal didn't seem to hear her daughter. Her thousand yard stare was back. She looked at the hardwood floor.

Glitter slammed the door. "I am going to the store. I need to buy something we can sleep on."

"If you don't have any money on you I will go to the bank with you," said Screech.

Glitter squeezed her eyes shut. Tears still escaped. "I am sorry."

Screech checked the kitchen to make sure there was food and to her surprise there was. "Has your mother always been like this?"

Glitter wiped away a tear. "No. Only as long as I can remember. Dad used to tell me stories about when they were young. He loved telling me about their music boxes. She used to collect music boxes." With every word Glitter seemed to lose more and more energy. "Dad made music boxes. He proposed to her by making a box that played the wedding march."

"What happened?" asked Screech. She had a feeling she already knew.

Glitter rubbed the burn scar on her foreleg. "I don't feel like telling stories right now. Go play with your brothers. I will make lunch and we can go shopping after."

Screech nodded then trotted outside.

The sand was cool under Screeche's hooves. The moon sat beautifully in the sky, bating the beach in a soft glow. The sound of gentle waves was pleasant to even Screeche's sensitive ears.

Screech flapped her wings. Her prosthetic wing was getting a bit tight. She knew getting adjustments made would be expensive. She didn't say anything to Glitter.

"Are you doing this or not?" yelled Second.

Screech leaped into the air and flew toward her brothers. "Watch closely. Loops are tricky."

Glitter woke in pain. The bedding Screech bought for her to sleep on was soft enough. Her scars burned. She opened her bag and pulled out a bottle of burn cream which she applied liberally. She watched Screech nibble her own hoof in her sleep for a few minutes.

Glitter fed Gold and started breakfast. She wanted to make hay cakes, but her mother didn't have any frying pans, or whisks, or measuring spoons. She did find plates. She made warm hay and oats.

Screech walked into the kitchen with her Melodie plush held in one leg. She raised her nose. "Where is your mom? I can't smell her."

Glitter sighed. "I don't know. Bungee jumping in Las Pegasus. Eating her way across Saddle Arabia." She banged her wooden spoon against the rim of the pot of oats.

"I have never been to Saddle Arabia. I hear good things."

"So do I," stated Glitter acidly.

"Did you go to school around here?"

"What?" Glitter seemed caught off guard by the question. "No. I grew up in Baltamare."

"Which school did you go to?"

"You would not know it. Breakfast is almost ready. Could you wake your brothers?"

Screech nodded. "Of course." She had to swallow her follow up question. She could not ask about Glitter's papa. She did not want anypony asking questions about her papa's death. She started thinking of discreet ways of asking if and when Glitter went to boarding school.

Screech trotted into her brothers' room. "Glitter is making breakfast. Don't get up now if you want to eat cold hay."

Second pulled the covers over his head.

"I want to sleep a little longer," mumbled Success.

"I know you do. After breakfast we are heading to Baltimare and taking the train to Ponyville."

Second threw off his covers. "You can't tell me what to do."

"My friends are all excited to meet you. Melodie asked when she is going to get to sing with Success again in her last letter."

Success smiled. He gladly trotted off to breakfast.

Second didn't buy it. "I know you think I like getting in trouble but I don't. I will be fine if you leave me here for a few hours."

"You will have to answer a few really hard questions if you want me to trust you."

"I don't care if you trust me."

"Then you are coming to Ponyville."

"What is your first question?"

"What do you miss most about Papa?"

Second sat perfectly still for a few moments. "Why do you want to know that?"

"I am trying to bond with you. I miss his stories about traveling Equestria. He always told the most interesting lies."

Second frowned. "I am not playing nice with your friends."

Screech smiled. "They are not going to play nice with you either." She returned to the kitchen and sat on the floor to wait for breakfast.

The Friendship Express pulled into Ponyville station. Wild Hearts and Ham Bone threw dozens of fire crackers at the train. Hazard and Blaze stood well behind the safety line even after the train stopped. Bobo sat patiently while his tail thumped the ground two times a second.

Screech leaped off the train and tackled Wild to the ground. She gave him a big bite on his foreleg.

Wild laughed. "I am happy to see you too."

"Wild cried like a foal when you left," teased Ham.

"I cried too," stated Hazard with pride.

"I didn't cry!" lied Wild. "I am not a filly."

"I am sorry," said Screech. "I didn't want to leave without saying anything." She bounded forward and bit Bobo.

Bobo bit Screech back.

"We know," assured Wild. "We read your letters."

"What is wrong with your eye?" asked Success.

Hazard went pale. "There is something wrong with my eye!" She was wearing her spiderweb design.

Blaze looked Hazard in her eyes. "No. Both of your eyes are healthy."

Hazard breathed a sigh of relief.

Second grinned. "You must be Hazard. Screech warned us about you."

Ham threw a fire cracker at Success.

Success jumped back and flew up so quickly he nearly hit his head on the ceiling.

Screech hissed at Ham.

Ham threw a fire cracker at Screech.

Second looked around. "Where is Melodie?"

"She is at Vinyets," stated Bobo. "It is her turn to pick the berries."

Screech smiled wide. "I missed Vinyets so much. I can't wait to see it again."

"You will have to wait," stated Wild. "Carver and Scoops are waiting for us at Sweet Apple Acers."

Screech sighed. "Can't we go to Platinum Park?"

Wild chuckled. "Yes."

"No," scolded Hazard. "We put a lot of time and effort into planning your going away party. Dozens of ponies will be disappointed if you don't show up."

Screech scoffed. "Dozens?"

"You are more well liked than you think," stated Hazard.

"Fine," relented Screech. "Let's go then."

Glitter sat at a big wooden desk in a small dim room. She sorted through stacks of financial papers. After six hours she was not sure if the ice-cream shop was making money. She would have said the previous accountant was fired and went out of their way to make the job as hard as possible for the pony who was replacing them, but she thought it was much more likely there never was another accountant. Half the bank statements were shoved into a shoe box, half of them were scattered about the office and half of them were missing all together.

Glitter looked at the wall clock. She took a deep breath.

Gold swam about her bowl on the desk.

Glitter smiled at her pet. "Have I ever told you I was supposed to be a model?" She ignored her splitting head ache and the hundreds of pages financial records. She rested her head on the desk and talked to Gold.

Ponies in Mantacolt wore both sunhats and scarves like ponies in Cloudsdale wore blue and gold. During the day ponies could fry eggs under the sun. At night the eggs would freeze in the breeze. At some point ponies took to defending against both changes in temperature at once.

Screech picked up a little plastic horse shoe and tossed a ringer.

Burning Winds adjusted his hat. He threw a horse shoe as hard as he could. The shoe sailed over Screeche's head and landed about a country mile from the stake.

Second and Success both missed their throws.

Screech scored every point for her team. She and Success were winning ten points to zero.

"Why is the sand in Mantacolt so soft?" asked Screech. She intentionally missed the stake.

"What do you mean?" asked BW.

"The sand here is soft."

BW stared at Screech like she asked why tree bark tastes like worms. "Yeah."

"Sand is not supposed to be soft."

BW just stared. "Are you having heat stroke?"

"She is right," said Second. "Sand is usually hard."

"I like the soft sand," stated Success.

"I like the soft sand too," assured Screech. "I was just curious."

BW continued staring. "Hard sand?" His horse shoe bounced off the steak. "You bat ponies have the strangest ideas."

Second and Success both beamed with pride at being called bat ponies.

A white sail boat roughly the size of Glitter's mom's house ran aground on the beach. A dozen ponies hopped down to the sand.

Screech hissed. "Are they trying to hurt somepony?"

BW nodded. "They would not care if they did. They own Mantacolt."

Screech bared her fangs.

Success threw a ringer. "I did it!"

Screech patted her little brother's head. "Good job. You will be a pro in no time."

One of the first things Screech noticed about her new school was the fact she was the biggest pony in her class. She would have been the biggest creature if not for the only one of three griffons who was slightly bigger than her. She knew it would not be long before she was taller than her teachers.

When class ended the filly sitting beside Screech leaned close and asked, "Are you new?" She obviously knew the answer and it was also pretty clear she was not the best as making conversation.

"No. Are you new?"

"Nope. It is too bad you are not new. New students get cupcakes."

"I am not allowed to eat sugar."

River Read gasped. "Why not?"

"I am a rodeo pony. I have to stay in top shape."

"Don't tell Mint Leaf. Her dad works for the Equestria Rodeo Association."

"I don't think they hunt rodeo ponies for sport."

"They do. I have good news though. Not new students get cupcakes too."

Screech contemplated eating a cupcake. "I suppose one cupcake would not hurt."

"That is the spirit. By the way, why do you talk like that?"

"Talk like what?"

"You sound like you are from Canterlot."

"I am from Canterlot."

"Why in the world would you leave Canterlot to come to this dinky town?"

"My papa died." Screech answered before thinking and immediately regretted it.

River Reed gasped. "I am so sorry."

"It has not always been easy, but my friends helped me recover. Do me a favor and don't tell anypony."

"I promise."

A filly with big lenseless glasses trotted up to Screech. "Celestia, it is you. You are Screech Stormchaser?"

Screech looked around like she was confused. "Are you talking to me?"

Mint Leaf burst into laughter. It was the funniest thing she had ever heard. She stopped laughing suddenly. "Can I get an autograph?"

"No. Sorry. I only sign things at official events."

"That is okay. I am a huge fan of your mother. Can you get her to sign something for me?"

"Why do you want Glitter's autograph?'

"Glitter?"

"Oh! You want Mama's autograph. Sorry she is in Canterlot."

"Can you bring something to her next time you visit?"

"Mint Leaf, she said no!" scolded River. She turned to Screech and said, "I am sorry about her. She gets excited about the rodeo."

Mint moved closer to Screech. "Please it would mean the world to me. My dad collected all of her merchandise. We still listen to the records of her top performances."

Screech took two trots back. "No. Stop asking. You are making me uncomfortable."

Mint took two trots forward. "But-"

Screech hissed loudly.

Mint let out a shill "Eeep," and ran away.

River broke into laughter.

Screech thought River was a bit of a jerk. "Want to be my friend," she asked with a smile.

Screech sat on the kitchen floor and ate dinner. "Then the unicorns, buffalo and zebra made the sand soft so the birds could lay their eggs somewhere they would be safe from the fires."

Success stared at Screech with wide eyes. "This town is awesome."

Glitter nodded in agreement. "History is fascinating." She seemed unsettled by the story despite Screech omitting as much of the fire as she could.

Crystal walked through the front door.

Glitter glared at her mother. "Where have you been? We have not heard from you in a week!"

Crystal stared right past Glitter. "I am an adult. I can do what I please."

Glitter growled. "Are you going to join us for dinner? I made stirfry."

Crystal noticed the wall clock and family photos Glitter hung. "I can see you decided to clutter up the walls."

"You told me I could."

"First time you listen to me in your life and you clutter up my walls."

"I don't think she wants to join us," said Screech.

"I don't think she wants us living here," mumbled Second.

"Why don't you and your grand ponies do something together tomorrow?" asked Glitter.

"Fine. Those two could use proper parenting."

"I am going to visit my friend tomorrow," said Screech. "She has board games, a pet cat and furniture."

Glitter bit her tongue.

"I don't need things," said Crystal. "One moment you have stuff the next moment you don't."

"You don't have money either," said Glitter pointedly. "Not like you are going to have a future so why not spend every bit you have."

"You didn't move in here because you wanted to see me," spat Crystal.

"I thought we had money. My husband kept secrets from me."

"I told you he was a louse. You never should have married him."

"Why didn't she trust you?" asked Screech.

Crystal flinched. "It is not my fault she ruined her life."

"Her life is not ruined," stated Screech. "She married too young. You didn't stop her. Now she has three children and she works for an ice-cream shop. There is no need to assign blame. That is just life."

"Three children? You only told me about two!"

Glitter rolled her eyes. She pointed at Screech. "Three."

Crystal shook her head and went to her room.

"Can I spend the day with Hazard too?' asked Success.

Glitter and Screech both said, "No. Your maremaw needs this."

Screech and Melodie were lying in the soft sand. Screech bit Melodie's hoof. Melodie bit Screeche's ear. Screech bit Melodies shoulder. Melodie bit Screeche's neck.

Screech kissed Melodie. She tried to stay calm. She fought the urge to lock up like a rusted bike chain. All of her practice on her plushie amounted to almost nothing. The kiss felt good, but it also felt horrible. Dread and anger and despair filled her head until it felt like her eyes were bleeding.

Melodie hugged Screech and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "I am sorry."

Screech sniffled and choked back a sob. "I kissed you."

"I am still sorry."

"I will get past this. I promise."

"Take your time. I don't mind not kissing."

"I know. I do."

"I know."

Screech threw four bags of soil down on the floor of the covered porch.

Carver gently placed a stack of two-by-fours. She looked around the big sunny room. "Have you decided what you are going to grow?"

"I was thinking of growing roses and black berries. I want to grow cashews, but that will have to wait until we have more space."

"Speaking of food," said Carver as if she did not bring up food in the first place. "We passed a cake shop on the street where the ponies were throwing stones at each other."

"I am going to have to do something about those pirates," thought Screech out loud.

"Sure," said Carver. "Want to go to the cake shop and look through the trash?"

Screech smiled. She remembered all the times they ate themselves sick on old cake in Canterlot. She also remembered the taste of her mama's hoof. Cake didn't taste as good coming back up. "No. I ate a cupcake four days ago."

Screech returned to the glass house from her third trip to Ponyville in four days. She was sure Glitter would notice and she would be upset. Screech could live with the guilt.

"Where is your wing?" asked Glitter. She sat on the porch playing jacks with Second. She had a little bit of pudding on her snout. She must have had a rough day at work.

Screech felt her stomach squeezed into a tiny ball. "Ponyville," she answered honestly.

"Why is your wing in Ponyville?"

"I needed to have a few adjustments made."

Glitter squeezed her eyes shut and fought the urge to groan. "How much does that cost?" She tempered most of the frustration from her voice.

"Nothing."

Glitter's expression changed. She could not sperate the looks of hurt and sadness. "I know how expensive those things are. It has to cost something."

"I know a pony who is an expert in committing insurance fraud. It will not cost a single bit." Screech tried to sound both casual and proud.

"You should not be committing insurance fraud." Mumbled Glitter.

"My doctors appointments would cost a fortune if I didn't. Neither of us can afford to pay my medical bills," said Screech assuringly and defensively.

"Soon I will be able to," whispered Glitter.

"I am sorry but I need my wing now."

"No. I am sorry."

"Glitter, you have done everything right the past few weeks!" Snapped Screech. "There is nothing you could have done to help with my wing. Not everything is your fault!"

Glitter nodded and turned her attention back to the game of jacks.

Screech stomped off to her make shift bed. She fought to breath. Her head tried desperately to crack open like an egg. Her heart refused to beat until it beat so quickly it hurt. She desperately wished the entire world would end so she could exist in an empty void where she could breath. She just wanted to breath. She tasted blood.

Screech bit down on her foreleg. She didn't notice she had her own limb in a vice grip until the pain was so unbearable it outweighed the pain of not being able to breath. She easily took a deep breath and relaxed her jaw. This was nice.

After an hour with her teeth in her leg Screech decided to remove her fangs from her leg. Her lungs seized. Her head throbbed. Her heart threatened to quit. She could not stop biting herself.

Author's Note

Adventures Are No Fun will be going on a short hiatus. Maybe a few weeks. Thanks for understanding.