What is it Good For?

   In a nutshell, life was not good. Ponyville was bedraggled, scruffy and tired. Most ponies that bothered trying to keep the cheer, like Cheerilee, and thought they were doing any good were fooling themselves. Life for us was looking dim.

   Derpy Hooves, with her own way to view things, did actually do some good. She would buy a hoof load of muffins and leave them at random pony's hooves. She was a real glimmer of a real neutral in Ponyville. Most had already chosen a side, but when asked she answered with a simple, "You need more muffins." Then she would derp away. Off to the bakery. Off to bring a little happiness to a dull existence.

   I suppose I should introduce myself. Angel Heart, the pony of art and a love of animals. My cutie mark, a paw print upside down, with a blue-violet half and an aqua half, baffles some. But, my "two" special talents are one and the same. I draw, paint, sculpt clay with my magic, mostly of pets or animals. Sometimes i paint landscapes. Not often.

   Back to the present. The war had just begun. Celestia had caved, allowing there to be a war over who shall rule. Those who, in my opinion, had any sense of equality were on Luna's side. Celestia allowed some to be above others without trying to equal it out. She also allowed some to be complete snobs instead of making it all the same. Luna, however, her designs show a slow, but gradual decent into equality. That much I wanted... I had been through too much.

   "You want snobs roaming out streets, too?" One blue stallion with a few notes as a cutie mark shouted at a waiter stallion.

   "At least Celestia knows what it means to have good manners!" The waiter humphed, lifting his nose and trotting regally away.

   Aqua Heart, my best friend, let out a sigh and continued walking along beside me. "I'm tired of all the shouting. It's like being in the palace or something!"

   I knew what she meant. The palace had been a war zone lately, guards snarling and stomping as they guarded their halves of the room. "You would think they're deaf by now." I commented.

   Aqua snorted in amusement, then nearly crashed into the two fillies I'd heard about from my cousin, Jewel. The pale magenta filly with the purple and white mane reminded vaguely of Sweetie Belle, while the pale gray filly with the mane of two lighter gray shades looked slightly like Octavia. They looked at us in distaste, me with my scruffy, curly pale royal purple mane and light purple coat, and Aqua with her light blue coat and midnight blue and black mane, perfectly trimmed.

   "Gee, look what Applejack found smeared on her wall!" Diamond Tiara sneered. Silver Spoon chuckled.

   "At least I don't have heaps of ice cream for a mane." I remarked. They glared at me.

   "By the way, the jerk store called. Their running out of you." Aqua, not in a good mood, said grudgingly.

   The two fillies, defeated, haughtily walk around us and trotted away, looking madder than a bag full of Discord's snakes with cat heads. And that is saying something... believe me, I have the scars to prove it.

   Besides, with all the quarrels and shouts, and ear-ringing yell-offs, it was hard to stay cheery. And neither of us could have predicted what happened next.