Scarlet Sunrise

Chapter 4
The Home He Would Call His Own

The walk to my new boarding consisted of mostly silence and awkward looks, and we only really stopped two times, the first of which she was showing me Sugarcube Corner, which was apparently some sort of sweets shop, and the latter being where we helped out a colt, whose cart had turned over, obviously due to the fact that the roads became extremely scabrous the further one traveled from the town square. As we approached the river and the bridge that led across it, Bon Bon promptly pointed to one of the side streets. "We've arrived" she exclaimed as we trotted towards it. "Your house is on this street"
After a few houses, we came across a house that had obviously seen better days. One of the hinges on the door was broken, and paint was peeling off the walls. The grass plots off to the sides of its walkway were long dead, and looked like they hadn't been cut in years. There was a positive about the house though, and that was the fact that it was two stories tall, and, apart from its age, and considering how weathered it looked, it was still a nice, comfy feeling house. Bon Bon, who had been analyzing my expression as I scanned my new home, obviously assumed that I was quite disappointed with it. "Sorry if it looks bad" she said, pawing her hoof at the ground awkwardly, her head lowered a bit. "If it makes you feel better, this is probably one of the best rental properties we have to offer at the moment"
"No, no, I love the place!" I exclaimed, trying to get her to wear a happier expression, because her current one was bringing me down too. "I've never had a place that I could properly call home before, so this is probably the best house I've ever stayed at, ever" I said with a big smile on my face. This sentiment seemed to pick her up, as light returned back to her facial features and I was instantly bedazzled. "That's wonderful to hear, Scarlet!" she said to me in a much more happier tone, with her head held high. The sound of her saying my name sent shivers up my spine, and caused me to breathe quite rapidly. Luckily Bon Bon didn't notice, as she continued to say "The funny thing is, is that my house is directly across the street from yours! I know we are going to be great friends. The concept of that also sent a pleasurable chill down my back. She continued "Just head on inside to your place, get settled in to your new living arraignments, then knock on my front door when you are ready for that tour I promised earlier." she exclaimed happily, as she pranced off to her abode, which looked absolutely magnificent.
Her house was also two stories tall, and looked like it had only just been freshly painted a few weeks ago. She had purple drapes were open on the ground floor, and inside she had an expertly laid out, neat and tidy lounging room. After a few minutes, I started to notice the fact that I was standing in the middle of the road, staring into somepony else's house. I quickly averted my gaze back to my own house, which was depressingly boring and dull compared to its partner across the street.
I walked up, opened the door and took a good long look around inside. The place had very little furnishings, with vanilla white curtains up on each window, and scraggy brown carpets with a white circular rug in the middle of each room. The furniture was quite basic; a table and two chairs over there, a couch, and when I went upstairs, a bed with a drawers and table next to it. I unbuckled my saddlebags, and threw them on the neatly made bed, causing the sheets and blanked to become messy and ruffled, which was just the way I like it. "No hospital corners here" I chuckled to myself.
I got to work unpacking, which never took very long. All I really had was a few bits in a woven sack, a scarf, some cheap hoof mittens and a beanie. I usually never wear any of those, even when it's cold. Growing up in an orphanage doesn't exactly make you immune to cold weather, but it helps.
Last but not least, I pulled out a gray piece of cloth, in which I had the only memento referencing my real parents wrapped up inside. It was a black shard with a red streak through it, obviously a fragment of some sort of gem. I'd tried to get it identified, but all of the ponies I'd ask about it would tell me that they'd never seen a black gem before, and that with the way it was fractured, it was of no monetary value at all. I carefully placed it on top of the table that was next to my bed, and re-adorned the empty saddlebags. I walked around the house for a bit, taking in every detail; it's high ceilings, it's stiff and dull carpeting and it's lack of comfy furniture. I thought about getting some upgrades for the house while Bon Bon was showing me around, but instantly dismissing the thought, then deciding that it really didn't need any more furnishings right at this moment in time. I trotted over to the front door, ready to leave when a beam of sunlight suddenly broke through the light cloud cover and shone brightly into my eyes, which was quite irritating at first, but then, as my eyes adjusted, I noticed that for the first time in my life, the sun was shining, birds were chirping, and I felt at peace. It was a happy day.