Crimson Sunrise

980 ALB, Crystal Empire, Feldspar Fields, Ponytown

Ponytown, where all fates converge in one.

Acornage was always very monochromatic for me, even in the summers, the sky was gray because of the western clouds, Ponytown, on the other hand, had very lively colors.

From the carriage in which I was transported, I could glimpse the life and harmony of this place.

The sun rays pierced through the planks, illuminating the pages of the pamphlet I was reading about Ponytown.

It didn’t have nothing important, just information about the lands around the town and its agricultural benefits.

The carriage stops, I hear a knocking in the planks, and shadows cover the sun rays, “We have arrived,” It was the cabcolt speaking, “You can get out now.”

I put my saddlebags on, and I get out the carriage.

I was greeted with a little school in the middle of some plains with a little number of trees, the road was made out of gravel, “Well, goodbye little foal.” Said the cabcolt, and went back to the road where we come from.

I walked inside the school, there was a long corridor and everything was strangely silent, I walked directly to the principal’s room to get myself registered.

As I was getting closer to the principal’s room, I began to hear a lively symphony at the end of the corridor.

I checked the last door of the corridor, I saw a lot of ponies, singing and playing instruments in harmony, the conductor was a pink, tricolored mane, pegasus filly, like the same age as me.

But then I saw something on that filly, she wasn’t just a pegasus, she was an alicorn.

I was stunned, this was impossible, an Alicorn, so young?

I had to focus, I went directly to the principal’s room, and i got myself registered.

“So, Young, you come from Acornage?” – Asks the principal – “That’s pretty far away from here, I’ll have to give you a room in our residences… Let me see which ones i have free,” He opens a cabinet and pulls out a file, he reads it, “Let’s see…” He grins and drags a sheet of paper across the desk towards me, “You got lucky little foal, room 7, you’ll have a great companion.” He gave me a copy of the keys to that room.

I went to the residences next to the school, I looked for room 7, and I found it.

I got in the room, there was a lot of posters of popular artists of the time, and it had a lot of pink items, some even with jewelry.

The residence hallway blasted with shouting and ovations since the school hours had ended.

I looked through the window, ponies walking on the road of gravel, to their ho-

“Who are you?!” – A strident voice spoke to me from behind me – “This is MY room!”

I turned my head towards her, it was the alicorn, I walked towards her and I give her the papers the principal gave me, she rolls her eyes, “Who the hay are you?!” She asks, “Are you new here?” I nod my head in response, she seems to be turning her voice down a little. She sighs, “Sorry I presented myself like this, I never expected to have a companion,” – She shook my hoof – “My name is Mi Amore Cadenza, but you can call me Cadance! I come from Equestria.”

I nodded, “My name is Landmarks.” I began to unpack my stuff with my magic, she stared at me with a confused face.

“That’s all you’re going to say? Not a big fan of words, eh?” She giggled, and began to help me unpack, “Well, Landmarks, where are you from?”

“Acornage.”

“I’ve never been in Acornage. How is it there?”

“Cold, cloudy.”

Cadance sighed, she was getting a bit exhausted, “Why did you choose this school and not the ones in Acornage?”

“I was sent here.”

“Why, is it because of your talking problem?”

I stared at her, annoyed, “I guess.”

“Ok… I’ll leave you with your things, have a nice afternoon!” She then left the room, I took my books, drawing kit and my family pictures.

I didn’t touch a thing from her side of the room, everything was in place, yet my side of the room was a little darker than Her’s, and I didn’t want to ruin her… ambience.

So, with my magic, I turned some objects from my side to red.

For some reason, when I was 5, or 6 years old, I was extremely talented in control of magic, and my school average was outmatched.

Hours passed, I was drawing on a desk, it was nighttime, I hear a knock, “Pass.”

The door opened, it was Cadance, and some friends of her, “This is my new roommate! Landmarks!” Her friends entered the room, “Landmarks, these are my friends! Lemony Gems and Diamond Rose.”

“Hello Landmarks!” They both say in unison, I’d wave at them

“Today we have a party and… I was thinking you could come with us!” She puts her hoof my shoulder, “Maybe that could cheer you up…”

I saw a spark in her eyes, she was doing her best to make everypony happy, I just couldn’t say no, “Sure, I’ll go.”

“Amazing! You’ll go like that?” She meant my look, I wasn’t wearing nothing, I pull out with my magic, from my cabinet, a yellow shirt with palms, and I wear it, “Erm, I guess that’s fine! If you like it.”

I grinned, for the first time in 8 years, she pushed me outside the room with a smiley face, we all went to that party.

We chattered on the way there, me as usual, I said little to no words, Cadance didn’t seem to care, but her friends were trying to ignore me.

We arrived to a big house, “Wither’s house is so big,” said Lemony Gems.

“Yeah! And he’s so nice though…” Replied Diamond Rose, Lemony gasped

“Girls, keep it cool, we haven’t even got inside yet,” said Cadance, trying to tranquilize the situation, her friends were the first ones to get in, Cadance and I were next.

There were ponies dancing along the music, some were drinking apple juice on a bar, A big foal came towards us, “Hey Candy…”

Cadance rolled her eyes, but replied with a smile, “Hello buck! Nice party you are throwing!”

“Only the best for an alicorn,” – He glances on me – “Who is the new pimp!?”

“His name is Landmarks, Buck, and he is no pimp!” Cadance was starting to get annoyed, “Landmarks why don’t you go do some friends? I bet you may find something fun to do.”

I walked away, she stayed and chatted with Buck Withers.

I sit on the bar, “Can I get an apple juice, please?”

The bartender gives me a glass with apple juice, “Who are you!? I’ve never seen you around!” Said a foal that was sitting next to me, he seemed a bit threatening.

“I am Landmarks,” I replied, “from Acornage.”

“What is doing a pimp from Acornage over here in Ponytown?!”

“Study.”

“Well, let me tell you something, pimp, we don’t like changelings over here, neither changeling lovers like the ponies from Acornage, like you.” After saying that he remains quiet, waiting for my reaction.

“You can’t do nothing about it.” I say, he stares at me for a second, as I take a sip from my glass, he pushes me off the stool.

I land on the floor, dropping my glass of apple juice over myself, I try to get up but he pushes me down every time I stand.

Cadance shows up, she protects me with her wings, “Stop it now, Gallopard!”

“He’s a Changeling Lover!” – He accused – “The creatures that steal love in cold blood, to satisfy their need of violence!”

I could hear mumblings surrounding us, about me and Cadance, as she defended the so-called changeling supporter.

I stood up, “So what if I lived among changelings?! They feed on love to survive, not because they have fun with it!”

“Shut up, Changeling lover!”

“Yeah! We don’t like you around here!”

“He’s trying to brainwash us!”

“I bet 5 bits on that he’s an infiltrated changeling!”

I left the place, as hate comments surrounded me.

I went back to my residence, and rested, Cadance came hours later, she sat next to me, “Landmarks...?”

I turned my head towards her, “Mhm?”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that…”

“It’s not your fault,” I turned my head back, thinking she’d just accept it.

“No! I shouldn’t have invited you… I knew they were a bunch of meanies and…”

“What you did was nice, don’t blame yourself for things other ponies did.”

“So… can we still be friends?”

“Sure, Cadance.” I smiled at her, only so she could stop blaming herself, and I tried to go back to sleep.

She then hugged me.