Chapter 1: My Life Starts To End
This wonder we find in hope, that she is both a flatterer and a true friend. How many would die did not hope sustain them; how many have died by hoping too much! -Owen Feltham
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"Uh... Mom?"
"Yes?
"Mom, the red frosting kind of got all over me."
Pinkamena, my mother, walked in and sighed. She wiped the frosting off of my face.
My mother looked me in the eye. "Honey, those are for a very special customer."
I laughed. "Who are they, zomponies?"
My mother laughed. She always did when I made a crack, that's the main reason I made them. "You have to get over this thing with frosting."
I pouted. "It's not me, frosting just goes all over the place when I'm around!"
Pinkamena stared at me. "Well, you aren't going to get your cutie mark in putting on frosting, that's for sure."
I scoffed. "Don't think I don't know it."
"Alright," My mother said, "I'll refrost these and deliver them, you go to the Canterlot store and get some cake batter, ok?"
"OK!" I said in a sing-song voice. I loved being able to leave the house, but the experince could be bad or good.
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Don’t think I haven’t noticed. All the looks of fear.
Ponies seemed to run away quickly at my approach, looking at me in horror. This was going to be one of the bad days.
I grabbed two bags of batter, one vanilla and one chocolate. "How much for these?"
The store clerk shivered. "Um...Um um um... S-S-Six bits, Miss Crimson."
I pulled out six bits and dropped them on the counter. "Here!" I said with a smile.
"T-T-Thank you, Miss Crimson," he said, giving me a bag, "H-H-Have a nice day."
"Bye-Bye!" I said, walking out of the store. As soone as he was out of earshot, I did the only thing I could think of.
Cry.
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My life is at the bottom of a well. Nothing can get it back.
I ran in the house crying. My mother embraced me. "Sweetie! What's wrong?"
I sniffled. "It's just like always. They run away from me. They're scared of me, Mom. I'll never fit in!"
My mother pulled away from me. "Crimson Tide Pie, never think that again. One day, they'll accept us. We're ponies just like them. They're the ones being silly.
I smiled, a little weakly. "Ok mom. I'll be fine."
She smiled back. 'I know you will. Now, go out and play.
"Ok." I walked outside. Once I was sure the coast was clear, I gave a whistle.
I looked around. Yep, there she was, the stunning all-black filly with the purple dreamcatcher cutie mark. Her name was, in fact, Dreamcatcher, my only friend and a unicorn. She trotted to me.
Dreamcatcher smiled. "Hi! I wondered where you were."
I smiled. "The store. I had to get some batter." Then I noticed something was missing. I checked her. It was there, the bronze hunting knife she always carried.
She looked at me. "What, you didn't see the knife? You know I take it everywhere."
I laughed. "Yea, silly of me. So, what do you want to do?"
"I think we should go to the section of Canterlot near the cliff."
"Alright," I said, let's go."
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Every time ponies run or scream, they take away some of my hope. Untill just a sliver is left.
Dreamcatcher walked to the cliff, slowly and evenly, shaking her shaggy mane.
I shook a bit. "Can we leave now?"
She sighed. "If you want to be brave this is the perfect time to practice." The knife, strapped to her leg, glinted in the light.
I walked up to the cliff. "Um... So now what?"
She smiled. "We leave."
I was shocked. "Why?"
She laughed. "Because you proved you were brave enough to stay."
So we left. I didn't know WHAT Dreamcatcher was doing, but it worked. I felt good. Freaky.
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Hope is a fragile thing. It can break at the slightest touch.
At home, I decided to read. Read a book on cutie marks. Mine wasn't coming anytime soon. All it had was a bunch of junk on, 'this is the hardest test for anypony' and, 'a pony's special talent is revealed.' Yea, I knew that. Books. Who needs them?
Experince. That's what I need. But if I leave the house, everpony will scream and point and Dreamcatcher will have to step in. She is pretty popular but I want to solve my own problems. So, I did what I always do when I need a problem solved. Go to Mom.
There she was. Mom's cutie mark, a cupcake, slid in the door. "Mom?" I said. "Dreamcatcher's getting freaky."
My mom sighed. "Honey, don't you know? Dreamcatcher is practicing therapy. She sees you, slightly miserable, and is trying to help."
I laughed. "Slightly miserable? I can't even walk out of the door without somepony screaming, or pointing, or running. I just want to be normal!"
Pinkamena sighed again. "Why don't you go outside and think things over."
I walked slowly out of the door. My problems couldn't fix themselves. Mom was right.
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Sitting outside was a little boring, but it gave me time. To wonder. Then, the cat. The tiny brown kitty.
"Oh, Strudel," I sighed. "What do we do now?"
She meowed against my hooves.
I jumped up. "That's a great idea! I'll just bake a cupcake!"
Yea Strudel. Thanks a lot. All I got was frosting everywhere and a small, circular vanilla cake. Wow. I'm so talented. Then I picked up the red frosting bag. I smeared some frosting on my face. Then on my flank, right where my cutie mark should be.
It's Crimson Time.
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When I got mad, being an Earth Pony, I simply knocked down trees. Then, the kitty came out again.
"Strudel, you need to work on your ideas."
She meowed again.
"Yes, I know, I'm a jerk."
"Meow."
"Alright, I'm sorry, do you forgive me?"
"Meow."
I exhaled. "Good. But why am I talking to you? You're a cat."
"Meow."
"I know I like to pretend you can talk, but it's getting ridiculous."
"You're the one who's ridiculous."
I jumped, but it was just Dreamcatcher. "Jeez, are you trying to kill me?"
She laughed. "No, I want your laser monkey. Just kidding, you know I can't kill you."
I thought over this. "True, but a least snap a twig so I know you're coming."
"No, then I couldn't be stealthy!"
"You're not a ninja!"
"I could be!"
We did this all the time. On again, off again arguing. We could never stop. I sighed. "What, you want to do something again?"
"No, I just have news."
Suspicious. "What kind of news?"
"It depends."
I sighed. "What is it?"
"Your life is going to change, Crimson, in ways you could never imagine. We're moving. Both our families. To Ponyville. To live with your aunt Pinkie Pie."
I fainted.
