Legacy: The End of Harmony

Chapters

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 2 - Bloom's Books
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 3 - Confessions and Dragons
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 4 - Summer Sun
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 5 - One Small Step
Voice of Reason II - The Problem
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 6 - High Flying
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 7 - Speeding Bullet
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 8 - Ham Acting
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 9 - One Big Book
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 10 - The Real Dreamworld
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 11 - Substitute
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 12 - Group Gathering
Voice of Reason III - The Bet
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 13 - Selfish
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 14 - Judgement
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 16 - Diary of a Visionary
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 17 - Early Start
Voice of Reason I - The Arrival
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 1 - Learning The Hard Way
Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 15 - A Royal Request

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 2 - Bloom's Books

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 2 – Bloom’s Books

Rosa didn’t have a job as such; she helped her parents run their bookshop, receiving thirty bits a week without needing to pay for any bills or rent, and with access to any food within the house. It had once been forty bits a week but book sales were slowing down thanks to the recession across Equestria. Either that, or her parents were helpfully hinting for her to go out and get a real job, even though they’d not come right out and said it.

Normally she’d only need to work Monday through Friday from 9:00 until 5:00, but on some occasions there would be deliveries made at the weekend. From her own experience it was always on a Saturday, but for some reason this delivery had to be made on the Sunday.

Rosa clambered from her bed to see the royal mess she’d made when she’d come home the previous night. Her quilt had been thrown across the floor, possibly while she slept, and a few books had spilled across her desk. More worryingly, her lamp was now resting on the floor. She tentatively checked to see if the glass had been smashed, fearing the worst. There was a small crack in one of the panes, but otherwise it was still intact. Looking at the state of the rest of the room she pushed her hoof in the air at the mess as if to say, ‘I’ll clean you up later!’ and opened her bedroom door. Right now, she needed to get herself ready and presentable. That and she needed to take care of the mother of all hangovers, all within ten minutes. Her mother was such a stickler for punctuality, right down to opening their shop at 9:00 down to the second. Ten minutes meant — quite literally — ten minutes.

She could hear shuffling downstairs and imagined her mother dusting away at every available surface, acting as if the delivery pony would show up, take a look inside, snort with disgust and take his goods elsewhere while muttering about the ‘filth’ he’d witnessed. It was something Rosa would never truly understand.

Once in the bathroom she nearly recoiled in horror at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes looked as if they were drooping right out of their sockets, bloodshot beyond belief. Her normally luxurious red mane had somehow gained an enormous parting down the middle, with hairs sticking out from every which way. If it weren’t for her already chalk-white coat she could have sworn that her skin had dropped a few tones.

Pressured on by willpower and the likely patronizing talk-down from her mother, (which she half expected anyway, given her appearance) she hopped into the bathtub, drew the curtain and turned on the shower.

The warm water splashing against her face did little to alleviate her headache. She led down in the bathtub, wishing she could just lie there for a few hours and relax until she felt somewhat conscious again. She almost got comfortable enough to fall asleep before snapping herself out of it and reaching for the nearest bottle of conditioner.

She raised the bottle above her head and squeezed some across her mane, then began to lather it into her hair with one hoof. She washed it half-heartedly, shut off the shower and shook herself as dry as possible. This only worsened her headache. Groaning, she clambered out of the bathtub and grabbed a towel from the towel rack. She dried out her mane as much as she could and rubbed the rest of herself down. She was still slightly wet, but not enough to be particularly noticeable.

Grabbing a comb from the sink she went to work, styling her mane back to its usual swirl. Despite her best efforts the hideous bags under her eyes and dazed look were going to be impossible to shake off, at least for a good few hours.

“Sweetie, are you coming down or not?” her mother called from downstairs, her posh, high pitched voice grating like horseshoes on a chalkboard.

“I’m coming, just a second.”

Rosa walked back out onto the landing and trotted slowly down the stairs. Her mother was stood near the base of the stairs, a cloth in one hoof, cleaning one of the shelves with various ornaments sat upon it.

Daisy Bloom was a fair, chirpy earth pony with a light pink coat and curly reddish mane that was cut just above the base of her neck. She had exceptionally bright blue eyes and a long flowing tail that Rosa could swear was held upright at all times. Her cutie mark depicted a book, showing her love of reading — which was handy considering that she ended up running a book shop — though Rosa had joked that it should have been either a duster, cloth or a sponge. At least, she’d made that joke once, and would never make it again.

Rosa had nearly reached the base of the stairs when her mother turned to greet her with an enormous grin… Which promptly dropped.

“Rosa, darling! What on earth happened to you!?”

“I, uh… had a bit to drink last night…”

“But you knew we had a delivery today, sweetie!”

“Actually, I kind of forgot.” Rosa smiled sheepishly.

Her mother frowned, looking more disappointed than angry. “Well I don’t—” she began, before the sound of a knock at the door cut her off.

“That’s the delivery pony! Oh, we can’t have you down here like this. Go clean yourself up and come back down once I’ve sorted things out with him.”

“What point was there in me getting up if you don’t even need me?”

“That’s not the point. Now go on! I have things to do.”

She galloped back down the stairs while Rosa shook her head and wandered back into her bedroom, diving head first into her pillow. She could hear her mother making small talk with a disinterested pony, probably asking inane questions and trying to sound surprised and excited by every little thing she said. Some ponies in the past had thought her attitude was a means of flattery or flirtation, but it was just her way of keeping up appearances, trying to make herself out to be the most prim, proper and good-humored pony around.

Rosa’s mind was cast back to the night before. How had she gotten so drunk? She didn’t remember having that much to drink, but perhaps that was kind of the point. She recalled flashes of stupidity. Ferry tripping over his own hooves on the way to the bathroom. Nico laughing so hard she could swear he snorted cider through his nose. She remembered leaning across towards where Nico was sat… and promptly slapped a hoof over her face. I must have been ogling him like a love-struck filly, smiling creepily in a drunken daze. He must’ve noticed, surely. Was this a good thing then, or a horribly bad, awful thing? Her instincts screamed that it was the latter.

She led there for several minutes mentally berating herself when she heard a call from downstairs.

“OK dear, if I could just have a helping hoof now please, that would be lovely.”

“But… just a few more minutes…”

Rosa’s call either went unheard or ignored, so she sighed, psyched herself up and went back downstairs.

The Bloom family home was also their shop. The kitchen diner was at the rear of the house while the area where the living room was originally built had been knocked through and extended past the point where the front of the house used to be, creating enough room for the shop itself.

Rows and rows of mahogany bookshelves were arranged symmetrically along the room with the main path leading from the front door towards the kitchen diner, with a path veering towards the stairs. There was a space left bereft of any bookshelves at the front of the store, and on a customer’s immediate left was the cash register, sat on top of a desk reminiscent of those used by a judge in a courtroom. Next to this was a set of coat hooks attached to the wall that were supposedly for customers, but only ever seemed to be used by the Bloom family themselves.

There were posters and flyers neatly posted on the sides of each bookshelf, advertising the latest bestsellers and stating messages such as ‘Jump into a good book today!’ with pictures of happy colts and fillies reading books in a meadow.

Each genre of books had its own sign hanging from the ceiling above it, ranging from ‘children’s’ to ‘horror’ to ‘magic’ to ‘adventure’ and so forth. There was a section at the back opposite the stairs with ‘educational’ posted above it, consisting mainly of books that had been donated from what used to be the Golden Oaks library near the centre of Ponyville. It was easily the least popular section of the shop, often garnering the attention of parents trying to force intelligence onto their children, and prospective students with good intentions who would read about 5 pages before using it as a door stop.

Rosa herself was an avid reader, although perhaps that was just because she had to be, living in a book shop for most of her life. In contrast to her feminine appearance and kind nature she mostly enjoyed dark horror novels, especially those by Shetland King and Dülmen Koontz.

Her mother now stood near the front door, musing over several packages of books, some of which had been torn open to check that she had indeed received the correct order. She held up a copy of one of the latest celebrity autobiographies and muttered something to herself, possibly ‘the things that sell these days’.

Rosa wandered over to where her mother was stood and sighed deeply. “So I guess I’m putting these on the shelves?” she mumbled.

“Well if you’ll just wait a moment dear, I’m just checking through the delivery note to see if we’ve received everything as it should be and haven’t been charged for anything we don’t have.”

“Wouldn’t it have been better to do that while the delivery pony was still here so then he could get right on the case and do something about it?”

“I’ve said this before, Rosa. It’s impolite to do such a thing. Also, it makes a stark difference getting a complaint compared to having it known of on the spot. It means they’ll be much more careful in the future and will think twice before making any errors.”

Think twice before making errors? Rosa thought to herself. It’s not like they think about sending the wrong thing and then have to correct themselves.

“Well, this package is all accounted for,” her mother chimed. “So this can go at the front end of the magic section.”

Rosa held the box carefully under one hoof and began to stroll back to the magic books when her mother called over to her.

“Oh and please try not to let this happen again dear. I know you’re only young once and all that, but there’s enjoying yourself and then there’s taking it too far. We have a reputation to keep, you know.”

“Thanks for asking me if I enjoyed my night out,” Rosa muttered under her breath.

Rosa loved her mother dearly but sometimes found it difficult to like her. They were such different characters; it seemed that their only mutual interest was reading.

She knew that she disappointed her mother regardless of how often she had been reassured otherwise. She’d never said that she minded her not getting another job and getting her own place. She’d had the odd “When will we see you bring a nice young stallion home, dear?” a few times, which had only made her distressed, especially given the situation with Nico. Then she’d get the old “I met your father when I was just seventeen and we’ve been together ever since,” as if that was supposed to make her feel any better.

She began diligently shelving copies of the latest book of magic spells written by Trinket Sparkle. ‘How to magically improve your health and 100 other helpful tips’ the front cover read. Rosa was occasionally envious of unicorns. Being an earth pony made her feel like she’d been drawn the short end of the stick at birth.

She finished up and walked back to the stack of delivered books, some of which were separated from the pile to show that they’d been checked by her mother. She carried on with the task at hoof, sometimes removing some of the older books to make enough room and putting them aside to later go to the educational section.

“And once you’ve done that, dear, you couldn’t possibly go see your father, could you? I think he had something to talk to you about. He’ll be over at the training ground as per usual.”

“Anything else seeing as how I’m ‘oh so raring’ to go today?” Rosa said sarcastically.

“Oh no, I can take care of the rest. Bye now!”

And with that, her mother left, leaving no explanation as to what ‘the rest’ even was. Rosa sighed and put the rest of the books back. She then took the empty boxes and parcel paper and threw them into the rubbish bin outside the front of the house. She could see her father later. Right now, she needed food.

She walked into the kitchen diner and checked some of the cupboards. There was an array of vegetables, hay, flowers and different types of bread as well as a few containers of her mother’s pre-made soup. Not wanting to spend any time cooking her food she grabbed a few carrots and wad of hay and began to eat them, leaning on the worktop. Real lady-like, she thought.

The kitchen diner had a neat line running down the middle of it separating the kitchen area and the table and chairs set. A long oak worktop ran across the kitchen side with white, wooden cupboards above and below. Next to this was a stove, a fireplace and a sink. The floor was stone tiled on this side, a mixture of orange and red pebbles polished to a fine shine.

The room was divided by a golden metal strip, and on the other side was an oval shaped table decorated with a flower pot and four chairs placed around it. There were family pictures scattered across the walls and the floor was wooden just like the rest of the shop.

Rosa quickly finished her snack, feeling full and content. She checked that the sign on the door had indeed been turned to ‘closed’, (an incident when she was younger saw several ponies attempting to buy things early on a Saturday morning thanks to the sign being turned the wrong way) then set off to meet her father over at the training ground.

The sun was shining brightly, nary a cloud in the sky. The streets were more or less empty, save for a few elderly ponies enjoying books in the sun, two mares with sweat bands jogging around the village and some young fillies and colts playing with a ball near the park.

Many ponies and their families within the same area of Ponyville knew each other as acquaintances, but even at the best of times Rosa didn’t like to engage in small talk. Outside of Nico and Clover she didn’t have many friends. There were a few younger ponies that she knew and would talk to and play with — mostly foals from families that her parents were friendly with — but she wasn’t eager to go out and meet more ponies her age. She would sometimes talk with the neighborhood dragon, a fearsome looking but entirely docile creature called Spike. His place of abode was near the centre of Ponyville and on the way to the training ground, so Rosa took a slightly longer route to get around it, hoping to miss him completely. She just wasn’t in the mood for him to poke fun at her, which he would surely do if he saw her in her current state.

Rosa approached the training ground, essentially a large oval running track of orange stone with several lanes. In the middle was a smaller running strip leading up to a sand pit, designed for long jump events. To the side of the track was a small wooden shack where different sports and athletic equipment were kept.

Running around the track at high speed as she approached were three stocky young stallions — two earth ponies and a unicorn by the name of Sparks. She was familiar with the unicorn as he was a surprisingly good athlete, especially for a unicorn. The vast majority of athletes were earth ponies and pegasi; most unicorns were too used to using magic in place of physical labor, such as teleportation and telekinesis spells. Despite being very convenient, this dependence on magic often resulted in physically weak ponies, so Sparks had become something of a phenomenon.

Rosa spotted her father stood by the designated start line, a stop watch in one hoof.

Speedwell Bloom certainly lived up to his name. At a younger age he was the top athlete in Ponyville and one of the most legendary in all of Equestria. He had won at least a bronze medal in every single Foalympic event he’d ever entered, with over half of those being gold. He even set a world record in the 400m sprint at the age of twenty-three that went unbeaten for eight years. Quite how he ended up marrying Daisy was something that Rosa still found difficult to understand to this day, but she didn’t want to ask how they had met or she’d be met with tips on how to ‘find her stallion’ as well as a slew of unwanted information and awkward moments.

He had large green eyes, a grayish coat with a short, light brown mane that was mostly covered by his signature hat, a beige flat-top cap with a gold-colored badge in the shape of a flower pinned to the front of it. His cutie mark depicted a silhouette of a running pony, complete with speed lines behind it.

While her father would help out at the book shop from time to time he also worked as a trainer for aspiring athletes. There were around twenty or so ponies living in Ponyville that came on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Speedwell, while not quite as spry as he was several years back, could still manage to keep up with the best of them, though he made no efforts to participate professionally any more. Something about passing things on to the next generation, leaving glory days behind as just a memory.

Rosa wandered up towards him and gave a polite wave. He smiled and tipped his hat.

“Hey Dad, I heard you wanted to see me.”

“Well that depends… are you gon’ stay awake long enough to hear what I have to say?”

Rosa blushed and wiped her eyes.

“OK, so I’m a little worse for wear.” This was a glorious understatement; Rosa still felt absolutely awful.

“I’m guessin’ you had a good night, though. That’s good.”

Rosa just smiled back weakly, hoping for a change of subject. It certainly came, but not in the vein that she’d hoped.

“Well I had a little chat with a Miss Petit Déjeuner of the La Chocolat restaurant and I just might have you some part time work, little lady.”

Rosa’s smile dropped for a moment before she sheepishly brought back her grin. I guess my suspicions were right, she thought. They wanted her gone. They wanted her to start her own life, get a job, get out of their way, start a family and leave them forever. It was the only possible reason!

Her father winced and pursed his lips. “I know what that look means missy. There’s no use tryin’ to hide it.”

Rosa instantly dropped the act and sighed heavily. “I j-just… I’m worried,” she stuttered. “I have kind of got the hint that you want me to leave and start my own life but I just don’t know how to start it. I just don’t know…”

Her father sighed and shook his head. “We’re not saying we want you gone, Rosa. We just want you to get ahead in life is all. I was lucky. I found my true calling, found my talents and it was easy for me. I just did what I wanted and things kind of fell into place for the most part.”

“I’m not sure how this is helping,” Rosa admitted sheepishly.

“What I mean is we want to just give you a little push in the right direction. We’re not here to tell you what to do with your life but perhaps you should think about what you want.”

Rosa could feel a flow of unprecedented anger come over her. “I know you’re just trying to help,” she said, trying to stay as calm as possible. “I guess I just wish… that you never thought you needed to.”

Speedwell paused, looking solemnly at her before stepping closer and wrapping a hoof around her neck. “There’s no shame in needing help sometimes, missy, and just because we want to help you doesn’t mean that we’re any less proud of you. We just want you to be happy, because that makes us happy, see?”

Rosa sighed. “I know, Dad. I guess sometimes I just feel like I’m not what you expected.”

“You got that right. There ain’t no way I could’ve expected such a kind, well-mannered and respectable daughter such as yourself now, could I?”

Rosa leaned back and smiled, this time with the utmost sincerity. “Thanks, Dad. I’m sorry.”

“So am I.”

“What for?”

Just as she’d said that the three athletes had come to a halt, each gasping for breath. Sparks caught his breath quicker than the other two and wandered up to her.

“Hey… Rosa, is it? Um… I think we met a few times before,” he stammered.

Speedwell nonchalantly turned away and started walking towards the rest of Ponyville, a rather amused look on his face. Rosa rolled her eyes in dismay.

“So yeah… um… I was wondering if you wanted to get some lunch, if that’s OK with you.”

Thanks Dad… the disgruntled mare thought to herself. Thanks a bunch…

Rosa sat at the desk in her room, reading the latest book to pique her interest, a crime thriller called An Equestrian Night Mare. It centred on a pony investigating strange disappearances within the fictional village of Harley, and her friend who had suffered recurring nightmares of being butchered to pieces. She was somehow convinced that her nightmares were some form of prophecy or sign and cast suspicions onto the pony from her dream, but also cast them upon herself by being so persistent to blame somepony else. The disappearances had continued and the investigator had to consider everypony within the village to be suspects, as there seemed to be no obvious connection between those that had gone missing.

This was where Rosa was most comfortable. Wrapped up in the world of printed type she could cast her life’s worries aside in turn for caring about fictional characters that existed in her imagination. There were often times when she would purposefully read slowly through the pages and re-enact the scenes in her head over and over. Despite having ploughed her way through countless novels in her life she still felt a tinge of sadness when finishing a particularly moving or encapsulating story.

Upon reaching the end of the seventh chapter she slid a bookmark into place. It was nearly 11 o’ clock and she’d have to start thinking about sleeping soon. With a yawn, she turned off her bedside lamp and slumped into bed.

Reflecting on her day, the first thought that came to mind was her unceremonious rejection of Sparks’ advances. There was no doubt that he was a nice guy, suitably handsome and strong, as well as polite and well-spoken. He should be the ideal stallion, but there was no immediate connection. Then again, she knew that most of all it was down to her love (or perhaps the right term would be ‘obsession’) for Nico.

Sparks hadn’t done anything wrong. He hadn’t treated her like any of those sly young colts she used to know at school. He didn’t spend his time gawping at her and he certainly wasn’t one to think too highly of himself. He somehow reminded her of herself, acting nervously and desperately looking for acceptance from someone he liked. Considering the way she had looked this morning she should have been more than flattered that he’d made a move. As for the look she got from her father, it was obvious he’d mentioned something to him. Talking to somepony about plans to date his daughter? That was pretty bold.

She rolled over and covered her face with the pillow. Why couldn’t she just be normal? Normal mares her age went out on dates with attractive young stallions and had fun with their lives. She knew that she was probably wasting her time even considering Nico as a potential colt-friend and was more than lucky that he hadn’t already found a partner for himself. He had a filly-friend once while at school but it hadn’t been anything serious. It lasted all of one month before they broke it off, and neither appeared to even care.

“I’m really sorry, I’m just not interested,” she had told Sparks plainly.

“That’s... fine, really. I’m sorry for bothering you in the first place,” he had replied with a distressed look on his face.

She imagined him lying in his own bed recalling the events of the day, wondering what could have been. She certainly found him somewhat attractive, but still backed right out of dating him without any question. Why? All she had to do was spend some time with him. What’s the worst that could happen? It wasn’t like she had to agree to marry him and have kids or anything. She felt so conflicted. Was it right to date someone you hardly knew and didn’t have feelings for? Should she try and find out once and for all if Nico reciprocated her feelings for him? Perhaps she could use Sparks as a way to try and make him jealous, but would that be right? From a logical perspective? Perhaps. From a moral perspective? Not really. Would it just be a way of trying to convince her parents that she could move on with her life? To some degree, yes, it would.

Dinner with her parents a few hours earlier hadn’t been the most pleasant of experiences. Her father had talked about his chats with Miss Petit Déjeuner and how Rosa could do well starting off as a waitress. Rosa had promised to see her very soon to discuss part-time work but in truth was still feeling very anxious about it all. First of all, she didn’t really want to be a waitress and was worried she would just drop the plates as soon as she touched them. Surely unicorns would be more suited to something like that?

Her father had also asked about how things had gone with Sparks, to which Rosa’s mother let out an excited gasp, probably imagining the little pitter-patter of grandchildren at the mere mention of a stallion. Rosa explained that she just didn’t see him that way, secretly wondering if her parents thought she was interested in mares. After all, she’d never been in a relationship. Her mother gave her a lecture about letting life lead you along and grasping opportunities, taking risks and living out your life before it was too late. To Rosa, this sounded an awful lot like ‘Make sure you find yourself a nice pony soon or you’ll be doomed to die alone.’

A new job? A colt-friend? All this potential change scared Rosa and yet it was being heavily suggested, nay, enforced by her parents. They’d never made a big fuss over these things before. Perhaps they’d reached some sort of agreement over time, most likely her mother trying to coerce her father to step in and meddle with their daughter’s life. It all seemed like too much too soon.

She continued to mull everything over for a few minutes more before giving up entirely, leaning over to turn off her light and resting her head on the pillow. Tomorrow is another day, she thought to herself, wrapping her quilt around her body and getting comfortable. If she bundled the quilt up she could hold it and imagine Nico curled up around her, wrapping his forelegs around her torso. It was what she always did before drifting off, even if it made her feel somewhat pathetic. In many ways, Nico was the one thing that kept her going. That and the faint hope that he was somehow within reach. Despite the fact that deep down, she knew he wasn’t.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 3 - Confessions and Dragons

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 3 – Confessions and Dragons

Monday morning’s work went fairly well. Rosa was no longer feeling ill and the day was going by surprisingly quickly. Plenty of customers came in, most of them just browsing, but a group of three inquisitive adolescent ponies started a light-hearted but heated debate over their favourite books and authors. They spent time recommending books to a young colt who obviously didn’t have much reading experience. Rosa ended up getting involved in the conversation herself, talking them through the kinds of things to expect from certain authors. The young colt was surprised and perhaps impressed with her love for horror books, perking up significantly after she’d admitted that fact. Although it was obvious that the mares were mainly there to find their friend something to read they both ended up buying two books each on Rosa’s recommendation, and the colt bought a copy of An Equestrian Night Mare on her advice. Beaming from ear to ear, the trio happily said something about coming back soon as they left with their prized purchases in hoof.

It was around one o’ clock in the afternoon that things suddenly died down, probably because most ponies across the village were having their lunch. Rosa’s mother was depositing some of the cash in the till to a safe that they kept in a small cupboard underneath the stairs, when she stopped and started chatting.

“It’s been a good day, dear, and I was glad you could make a few friends.”

“I’m not exactly sure we’re friends just yet, Mum.”

“Well why not? I know they’re a couple of years younger but they still seemed like nice ponies. They all took a real shine to you when you started nattering away about your favourite books, and let me tell you dear, one good experience begs for another. With the way they left our shop full of smiles I can tell they’ll be back. Maybe when they do you could spend some more time with the, get to know them—”

Rosa cut her off as politely as possible. “Mum, I really wish you didn’t have to tell me how to make friends. I’m not twelve years old.”

“Oh I know, but sometimes I worry. I know you have friends like Clover and Nico but there’s no harm in making a few more, especially when you share the same interests. I haven’t seen you become so wrapped up in a conversation that you left your post and left another customer hanging.”

“Sorry! I didn’t realize,” Rosa quickly interjected.

Daisy waved her hoof above her head. “No harm done, dear. It was nice to see you so happy.”

Rosa smiled at this consideration, and then her face turned more serious.

“Mum? Why are you and Dad trying to change things for me all of a sudden?”

Her mother looked to the floor and bit her lip before locking eyes with Rosa again.

“I guess I should be honest with you. Your father and I have talked about our future and your future, and about things we’d like for you to achieve in life.”

Rosa frowned. “It almost sounds like you want to lead me down the life you’ve set out for me.”

Daisy Bloom shook her head and looked off at the wall, sighing. She had started to look strangely depressed.

“I don’t know if you can remember somepony called April Showers; you were quite young when you met her last. She was one of the ponies I grew up with and used to be one of my closest friends. When she was about your age I can remember her telling me all about her plans to become a great composer, to write symphonies and ballads that would play out all across Equestria. She was a very talented musician and could play the cello, violin, as well as the piano.

“When we were both around twenty-five years old she moved with her colt-friend. I think his name was Foster. Anyway, they moved to Muleborough to start a new life together. Money was tight, and they had to work their way around various part time jobs that only paid minimum wage. Then they had a baby, and that’s when things began to get rocky. Soon after the baby’s birth Foster was made redundant from his job at a window fitting business after a huge batch of stock was vandalized. They had to recoup the costs, which meant Foster had to go.

“Times were very tough on them, and even though I offered to help them financially they would always refuse. When April fell pregnant again, things just got more and more difficult for the pair of them from then on eventually leading to them splitting up. There was no divorce because they never had the chance to have that wedding of their dreams.

“I’d barely spoken to her in the last ten years, something that I deeply regret. Because, you see…”

She looked up at Rosa with tears in her eyes.

“Because she died a few days ago,” she finished.

Rosa put a hoof over her mouth in shock and grasped her mother in a hug.

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry! I had no idea,” Rosa said, feeling as though she was about to cry herself.

“And that…” her mother began, nearly chocking on her words, “That’s when I realised that she’d never lived the life she wanted. All those years she talked about being a composer and travelling over the world... But she never did anything about it. I guess she couldn’t do anything about it. The last time I talked to her she’d told me that she hadn’t touched her old cello in years, and that her piano had been sold to pay for food and bills. She could have been brilliant, Rosa. She was talented, clever and such a nice pony too. As for me? I stopped speaking to her, stopped even caring about her, and then I read some tiny article, smaller than the base of my hoof telling of her unfortunate death, being struck down by a speeding chariot. One tiny paragraph! That’s all she got, Rosa. One measly paragraph!”

Daisy sobbed loudly and Rosa held her tighter. A single tear now fell down her own cheek. She couldn’t remember seeing her mother like this before.

“I don’t want that to be you, dear. Right now you’re free to do anything and be anything. Even if you don’t have any grand ambitions it’s always worth trying new things, meeting new people and finding out what you want from life. There’s nothing wrong with reading books all the time. After all, it certainly helps considering where we are right now, but I don’t want you to reach fifty and look back on your life… And consider it a waste of time. I don’t want you to be left wondering what could have happened. I don’t think you realise just how much potential you really have, Rosa.”

Rosa was suddenly overcome with guilt. All this time she thought she was either being chucked out or forced to trace the path of her parents’ choosing, but that seemed rather different now. She shuffled on her hooves, a barrage of emotions battering her mind.

“Mum, I’m so sorry. I guess I did think you were just trying to control my life,” she confessed. “I’d heard you say that you were just trying to help, but I never really listened.”

Daisy Bloom gave a weak smile. “I know, dear, and I don’t mind. When I was your age I probably wouldn’t have listened to me either.”

They both chuckled before they were interrupted by an elderly stallion coming in through the door. Daisy took a spot by the till and politely greeted him with a faint smile. He nodded in response and began to browse through some of the novels at the front of the shop. She turned back to Rosa.

“You can take a break now, if you want. Maybe you finish that book you’re so engrossed in at the moment.”

Rosa pondered this, and then shook her head. “Actually, I might go for a little walk. I could do with a bit of fresh air.”

“Oh, um… yes, go right ahead dear. Just be careful and all that, OK?” her mother replied, somewhat surprised by the response.

“Are you sure? You’re going to be alright?”

“I’ll be fine, dear. Now go on.”

They exchanged a quick good bye and Rosa left, beginning a brisk walk. She didn’t want to start reading her book again; there were other things on her mind. No life ambitions had occurred to her before and she hadn’t really thought about the future in great detail. Right now she was both excited and afraid. Excited, because she wanted to pursue whatever great ambition she could discover for herself, but also very afraid of the prospect of failing and meeting a sad end like dear old April Showers. Taking a deep breath, she powered on to visit an old friend.

“Hey, big guy!” Rosa called out.

“Just a minute!”

Rosa was stood just outside a large castle-like structure made from thick slabs of rock about five times the height of any pony. The castle itself was enormous, taking up enough space for a block of thirty or forty houses. The entrance she was stood outside was an arch at least fifteen meters high and twenty meters wide. Draped above the top of the entrance was a slightly worn purple banner with golden edges.

A head popped around the entrance and smiled. Spike was Ponyville’s very own dragon and had lived in the castle since before Rosa was born. He had always been something of a tourist attraction, garnering visitors from all over Equestria and beyond, though most ponies in Ponyville regarded him as a valued member of the community.

He towered over Rosa, the enormous archway being just big enough for him to use. He had purple, scaly skin and a pale green underbelly. His claws were easily big enough to cover a pony and his fangs were almost as long as a pony’s body. Despite his intimidating appearance he was actually one of the friendliest creatures living in Ponyville.

“Well this is a welcome change,” he quipped. Despite his immense size he was able to control the volume of his voice extraordinarily well, which was a good thing considering he could probably burst anypony’s eardrums with a loud roar.

“What do you mean?” Rosa replied.

“What I mean is it’s not like you to come visit me.”

“Oh, come on! I’ve visited you plenty of times before!”

“So you say, Rosa. It just seems that most of the time you’re either with Clover or you just happen to catch me while I’m out working.”

Because of Spike’s enormous size and strength he helped carry out some of the jobs that were difficult for ponies to do. He’d helped take down trees, build houses — which in itself was something of a spectacle as it was almost like watching a foal fix together a doll house — and was an integral part of winter wrap up, tasked with melting the iced-over lakes with his flame breath among other things. His presence in Ponyville helped the village thrive financially; the influx of tourists ensuring that shop owners could expect plenty of potential buyers. In return for this he was provided with barrels full of food and water.

“Well whatever you say, big guy,” Rosa quipped as she began to very slowly turn away, holding her head low to the ground and quivering her lip.

“Oh come on! I didn’t mean anything by it, and you’re always welcome.”

Rosa smiled to herself and turned back to face him. He was so easy to tease.

“So what’ve you been up to?” Spike asked.

“Oh, not much. I had a drinking game on Saturday night which was pretty fun. Nico has this weird board game that could speak to you. It might not sound like much, but it kept us laughing the whole time.”

“Sounds interesting,” Spike mused. “I wish I could get drunk sometimes but it takes far too much cider to even get me tipsy. Also, I’d hate to think what would happen if I went stomping around the village in a drunken rage.”

“You said it takes far too much cider, so I’m guessing you’ve tried?”

Spike nervously rubbed the spines on the back of his neck. “It was quite a long time ago when there was a big festival. A few ponies had saved me a dozen barrels of cider that were left over. I kind of accidentally knocked over a few trees... and fell asleep in the park, but nopony was hurt! Honest!”

“Now we definitely need you to join in on drinking games!” Rosa said with a grin.

They both chuckled to themselves for a moment before a slightly awkward silence fell.

“So, um... did you want to come in? I mean, I don’t really get many visitors come inside my home but—”

“No, it’s OK, Spike. I kind of just came along to see a friendly face.”

Spike thought this over then stroked his chin with one claw.

“Is something wrong, Rosa? You’ve not had a falling out with you parents or something?”

“Oh no, nothing like that,” Rosa answered, shaking her head. “I’ve just been mulling things over, thinking about life, you know.”

Spike appeared slightly alarmed. “This isn’t like you. Has something happened?”

“Sort of... but not really. It’s just, Mum and Dad are trying to help me sort out my future. Normally I’d just ignore them but I guess I kind of feel the same way. I’m just not really sure how to go about it. In actual fact, I’m not even sure what I want from life. I guess I just wanted someone to talk to, is all.”

“Well I’m flattered you’d choose to talk to me.”

“Well of course, Spike! You’re a good friend!”

“Clover and Nico are working aren’t they?” the dragon said with a knowing grin.

“Yeah... That’s true.” Rosa sighed. She’d wanted wanted to talk to Clover about getting a new job and finding ambition, but she definitely couldn’t speak with Nico about it since her feelings for him were a main concern. She was wondering if she’d ever work up the guts to express her feelings, and yet she also considered the fate of April Showers. It made her think about the prospect of never knowing if she could be with him. She was lost in thought, almost forgetting that she was even in Spike’s company when he snapped his claws.

“Snap out of it!” he ordered in a raised voice. Rosa was startled back to attention. “Gee, this is really eating you up isn’t it?”

Rosa pondered on that for a moment before nodding. A lot of her recent thoughts were about Nico and whether she should even mention anything to him, whether she should consider Sparks as a colt-friend, even if she wasn’t being true to her heart. There was the prospect of getting a new job and making new friends, as well as trying to impress her parents. It was all rather terrifying.

“Hey, if it means anything to you, I’d give you a hug if I could,” Spike said solemnly.

“Thanks.”

“So is there anything you want to talk about? I mean, I’m not going to pretend I’m the best guy to take advice from but I’ll help you out if I can.”

Rosa turned her head around and shifted her eyes to see if anypony was around. She could hear some chatter from beyond the row of houses opposite the castle and a few ponies off in the distance, but nopony was nearby. She turned back to Spike and considered what she had to say. For everything that was going on, one thing stood above all others. As of right now, Spike seemed to be the best candidate to speak to.

“Well, I guess part of it is about Nico.”

Spike rose one of his eyebrows.

“I mean, I kind of... well... I think I...”

Rosa choked on her own words, coming to terms with the fact that this was the first time she’d ever made her feelings known.

“Oh,” exclaimed Spike. “I did kind of have a feeling, but something tells me it’s more than what I thought it was.”

Rosa gasped. She didn’t exactly see Spike very often, and if he suspected it then perhaps everyone who’d ever seen the two of them together thought it too. Rosa dropped her head, feeling weak at the knees. Spike looked at her with a mix of sympathy and admiration.

“Why don’t you come inside?” he suggested. “And don’t worry, my lips are sealed. Anything you tell me will just be between us, OK?”

Rosa gave a weak smile. “Sure. Thanks, big guy.”

“I see… It certainly is a predicament.”

“And I just don’t know what to do! I mean, if I tell him, if I don’t tell him, whatever I do it seems to be the wrong thing,” Rosa fumed. “I feel so stupid being in lo—” She gulped, not wanting to even finish the sentence. “And I don’t even know if that’s true or if I’m just obsessed. I just don’t understand.”

Spike sighed, lowering his head to the floor. “I can kind of sympathise. I’ve been in a situation a bit like yours.”

“Really?” exclaimed Rosa.

“Well, kind of, but it’s a bit different... Can I ask you to promise not to tell anyone? I can keep your secret if you keep mine.”

“Yes, of course!”

“It was a long time ago, years before you were born. I fell for an absolute beauty named Rarity.”

Rosa raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t exactly sound like a dragon name.”

Spike blushed. Rosa found it strange to see such a gigantic hulk of a beast looking embarrassed.

“She wasn’t a dragon. She was a pony.”

Rosa recoiled in shock. “A pony? Really?”

“Yes, a pony. I was very young at the time and I was a lot smaller than I am now. She used to be even bigger than me!”

“Wow.” Rosa found it hard to imagine a pint-sized Spike.

“Anyway, we could never be together for very obvious reasons. We were good friends too which made it even harder to accept, but we still stayed good friends and I feel privileged to have known her.”

“Did you ever tell her?”

“Yes, I did tell her. She was flattered more than anything, but she didn’t feel the same way towards me. It was difficult trying to accept it, but she didn’t do it to deliberately hurt my feelings. And when… certain things happened, she needed me as a friend more than anything.”

Rosa looked away, a sad expression on her face. “Do you think the same will happen to me?”

Spike paused for a moment before replying. “I can’t say whether the same will happen to you. All I can say is that no matter what happens you should try and stay positive. Even though it might seem that everything depends on Nico, you’re probably not going to feel that way forever. No matter how strong your feelings are for him now, you might wake up one day and think yourself stupid for having felt this way.”

Rosa opened her mouth to speak when Spike held up a claw.

“This isn’t to say that you don’t love him. I’m just saying that sometimes the future can be surprising, very surprising, and everypony can grow complacent. Nothing is perfect in this world. I know a lot of this might sound cliché but believe me, I’ve seen it, felt it and lived it. That said, I wouldn’t be offended if you didn’t take my advice whatsoever. That’s the problem with situations like these; sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is that there’s no easy way of learning anything.”

Rosa’s ears perked up and she looked at Spike in awe. “I know that saying, but I didn’t know who’d told me that. Spike, did you say that to me when I was younger?”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck and blushed. “No, actually that was something somepony told me.”

“Oh? Who was that?”

Spike shifted his gaze away, looking distracted.

Rosa sighed. “Never mind, I was just curious. So what do you think I should do?”

“There’s no easy answer for that. Try not to think about it right now. It’s stressing you out a little too much. If it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen. Otherwise, who knows? You might meet a nice young stallion who likes you and maybe you’ll be a perfect match.”

“Sparks...” Rosa mumbled under her breath.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear—”

“There is somepony else, but I just don’t know. His name’s Sparks. He’s one of the athletes my Dad trains. I kind of blew him off though… I think he’s upset about it.”

Spike smiled. “Well maybe if you got to know him a bit more you’d have a new perspective on things. If things go well, then great. If they don’t, then no worries. You don’t have to be his filly-friend straight away. Maybe you could just speak to him and see how you feel. Regardless, it’s up to you what you want to do.”

“That’s the problem. I don’t trust myself enough to do what I want to do.”

Spike slowly lowered his claw and gently stroked her mane. Rosa smiled and hugged his claw with her forelegs.

“You’re not stupid, Rosa. Try trusting yourself a bit more, eh?” Spike whispered.

“Thanks, big guy. It was good talking to you.”

“Hey, any time. I don’t get many real visitors here apart from the gawping tourists asking my life story. It gets boring after the seventeen-millionth time.”

“You should tell them the part about having a thing for ponies!” Rosa teased.

“That’s not... Rosa, I don’t have a thing for ponies! Don’t go getting the wrong idea!”

Rosa chuckled and hugged his claw once more.

“You’re so easy to tease, big guy.”

Rosa started her journey back home. Her conversation with Spike had helped somewhat, even if she wasn’t sure why. She was peeved at the idea that her feelings were so easily subject to change, but realised that he was probably right.

Rosa tried to clear her head which was easier said than done. She wondered what her next step should be. She’d been filled with certain vigour to want to accomplish something with her life but was scared of what that could entail. The whole Nico issue was the most difficult subject to consider right now, so what about the easiest? Miss Petit Déjeuner supposedly had a job for her, though it didn’t seem like the most exciting of ventures. Then again, it might be a good place to start if she wanted to change her lifestyle. She could meet new ponies, maybe do well for herself... She continued to walk on, lost in thought when another pony hurriedly rounded the corner and accidentally bumped into her, nearly sending the red-headed mare toppling to the ground.

“Sorry, Miss!”

A familiar cream-coated unicorn stood before her with two beige saddlebags strapped to his flank that looked to be filled with groceries.

“Oh... Rosa... Hey, I’m sorry if I hurt you,” Sparks said concernedly.

“Oh no I’m fine, really,” Rosa assured, her cheeks reddening.

An awkward silence fell between them as they both pulled polite smiles, obviously aware of the slight tension.

“Well, I’d better get going,” Sparks said. “I’ll... um, see you ‘round!”

He began to trot off past her when Rosa interrupted him.

“Wait!”

Sparks turned back towards her looking confused. What are you doing? Rosa thought to herself. Sure, she’d just been talking with Spike about him, and sure, he had seemed very supportive of the idea of the two of them spending time together. That wasn’t to say that she was overly fond of that idea herself, but now that she’d got Sparks’ attention she couldn’t just drop the conversation here like a socially inept freak.

“I... just wanted to say sorry,” Rosa began. “I mean, about the other day.”

Sparks looked on for a moment in bemusement before smiling. “Oh, don’t worry about that. It’s fine, honestly.”

“I just didn’t want you to think I was being heartless. I mean, you’re a great guy, and you’re definitely... erm...” Rosa trailed off.

Sparks’ face dropped slightly and he began to blush.

“What I mean is, I just... it’s not because I don’t like you...”

Rosa began to blush herself. It was so easy to say what she thought in her own head but turning it into words was impossible. All she wanted to do was make the stallion feel better about the situation, and also to dispel his thoughts that she thought she was too good for him, if he even had those thoughts. Yeah... It definitely made a lot more sense in her head.

“What do you mean?” Sparks asked.

Rosa simply stood there for a moment, locked in his gaze before shaking her head and putting on her best false smile.

“Oh, nothing!” she shrieked, her voice suddenly jumping in pitch. “I guess I’d better go now then. Bye!”

“Goodb—”

Before he could even finish his word Rosa had shot round the street corner and powered along the road. She had gone about twenty steps before realising she’d been holding her breath, and promptly stopped in her tracks and breathed deeply.

“Idiot, idiot, idiot, what is wrong with you!?” she muttered to herself, clamping a hoof over her face. She sighed heavily and looked back on herself to see Sparks sporting a rather freaked-out expression. Rosa felt her heart leap into her throat and quickly sped off, not wanting to look back. So much for not being a social reject! Why can’t I be normal!? Why do I even bother when I just make things worse!?

“Yeah, sure I will. I’ll go see her Wednesday. I was planning on going anyway.”

“That’s good dear, I just think it would be a good experience for you and you’d get yourself a little more in the way of money.”

Rosa was sat at the dinner table with her parents. Her mother had prepared a dandelion and rocket salad with a slice of pumpkin pie on the side. Much like any meal she made it was well presented, with the salad somehow keeping a well defined shape and the slice of pie on each of their plates being precisely positioned at an angle and away from the edge. It was the kind of practice you’d expect world-class chefs to use when presenting their finest dishes, but Daisy Bloom was under the impression that it made a difference to simple recipes, even if the food often vanished within a few seconds of hitting the table.

“Did Petit even say what she wanted me to help out with, Dad?” asked Rosa.

Her father finished chewing his mouthful of pie and swallowed before answering. “I don’t know. To be honest, I have a hard time hearin’ what she says sometimes. That accent of hers comes across mighty thick. Whatever it is she wants, it can’t be too hard.”

“Oh, I was just curious, is all,” Rosa lied. In all honesty, she was worried about being completely useless. Being an earth pony meant needing tremendous dexterity to perform tasks that a unicorn could carry out with absolute ease. Being a waitress would mean carrying plates and bowls out to customers. Of course she’d seen smartly dressed waiters carry what looked like three hoof-fuls of dishes and still keep their posture and composure intact, but that was them and not her. She wasn’t sure what standard would be expected but if it was anything like her previous experiences she simply wouldn’t be up to scratch.

“When should I see her? I mean, I don’t have a time or anything.”

“Oh just show up bright and early in the morning, say... 8 o’ clock? I think that’s when they open so just head on in and see if you can help out, or maybe arrange to have an interview,” Rosa’s mother chimed.

“Oh... OK, yeah.”

Getting up extra early? Great... Rosa quickly finished her meal and wiped her face over with a napkin.

“Thanks very much for dinner, Mum. May I be excused?” she asked politely.

“Yes dear. It’s your father’s turn to wash up tonight, anyway.”

Rosa sauntered her way out the kitchen and up the stairs towards her room, the sound of her parents chatting away in her ears.

“Speedwell, you wouldn’t mind grabbing some milk while you’re out tomorrow?”

“Did we really get through so much already?”

“Milk always goes quickly.”

“Sure, fine. Oh Daisy, did you...”

Rosa closed her bedroom door and took up her place at her desk, ready to read through some more of An Equestrian Night Mare. Over the next few chapters the bloodied remains of an elderly unicorn were found in her own home, though the detective found no signs of forced entry. A family of farming ponies had locked their youngest sibling away to protect her from whoever might be out there, but they were killed by the assailant. The young filly managed to escape a day later and ran into the centre of town, sobbing, though she couldn’t be approached for questioning as she’d suffered such an emotional trauma that she could barely speak. Her family had been butchered and their remains plastered over the walls of her house. The pony who had originally accused her friend of committing these atrocities was now questioning her initial suspicions and was trying to heal the rift between them but to little avail.

Rosa glanced at the clock on her desk and saw that it was nearing eleven o’ clock. She slid her bookmark back into the book — of which she was now around two thirds of the way through — and flicked the light switch. She leapt into bed, got herself comfortable, and began to unwillingly relive her embarrassing encounter with Sparks over and over again. She shook her head as if that would get rid of those thoughts, but they still stuck in her mind until shortly before she drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow would be a better day, she hoped.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 4 - Summer Sun

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 4 – Summer Sun

“Stand up straight and keep your posture.”

“Yes, Mum.”

“OK, but not so tense.”

“How can I keep my posture like that and not be tensed up?”

“Just relax and keep your head up.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.”

“And make sure you’re polite and pronounce your words correctly.”

“Well it’s either that or pronounce them wrong on purpose.”

“No need to be like that, dear. And keep up a smile. You want to seem keen and eager!”

“OK, smiling... got it.”

“And show some initiative, they won’t like someone who seems clueless.”

“Yes, fine Mum.”

“And just be yourself, dear.”

“Well which is it!? Be myself or do all that other stuff!?”

It was Wednesday morning at 7.30am, half an hour before Rosa’s proposed time to visit Miss Petit Déjeuner. The cream-coated mare was stood out on the upstairs landing while her mother spewed a torrent of saintly but patronising advice at her.

“We don’t even know if she’ll have me work today, and she’s not going to expect a princess!”

“There’s no such thing as looking too good,” piped her mother. “I just want you to make a good impression, that’s all.”

“I understand but really, I’m not going there to apply as a model. Just because she’s foreign doesn’t mean that her expectations are through the roof.”

The two of them continued their bickering while Speedwell made his way upstairs.

“Breakfast is ready! Come on!” he called.

The family went downstairs and sat at the table, a dandelion and hay sandwich placed at each seat.

“Now be careful not to get any hay in your mane, dear!”

Rosa rolled her eyes at her mother’s comment and bit at her meal in tiny chunks. She was nervous about today, mostly because she had no idea what was in store for her. The only work she’d ever done was stacking books and helping customers.

“Good luck today, sweetie,” her father said with a warm smile. “I’m so proud of you, you know that right?”

“I’m not really doing anything, though…” Rosa stated plainly.

Her father smirked and shook his head. “Don’t be puttin’ yourself down now. I’m proud of you; we both are. I’m sure you’ll be fine so just take it easy.”

Rosa smiled weakly as her mother nodded in agreement. Hadn’t she been lecturing her about every tiny detail just two minutes ago? And now she turns full circle and agrees with a completely contradictory opinion? There was no point in trying to understand any further; her mother had always been a bit of an enigma.

“Are you sure I should get there for dead-on eight?”

“That’s when it opens, dear, so perhaps you should get there a little bit earlier to make sure that you aren’t late,” her mother replied.

Rosa thought for a moment and then left her chair. “Actually, I might just go now.”

“Oh, well you could do that dear…”

“Then it’s settled, I’ll be off then. Goodbye!”

Rosa wasn’t exactly keen to get there early, but she would also rather be out of the house than get another earful of ‘sagely’ advice from her parents. This was merely a meeting for a possible job. A few extra few bits would be nice, but she wasn’t sure what she’d spend it on. Perhaps she could save more money for when she wanted to move to her own place, but then what would happen? So she’d move out and work at her new job, her parents wouldn’t be around to run the bookshop forever… With that, she cleared the thought from her mind. She wasn’t in the mood to be thinking about such things.

“Goodbye sweetie.”

“Goodbye, dear. Do your best!”

Rosa nodded and made her way out of the house. She checked over her shoulder, half expecting her mother to follow her, spying from the shadows and the shrubs casting a critical eye on whatever she did today.

The sun shone brightly overhead from a near cloudless sky. A few pegasi were up above, flying in formation, twisting and turning and shooting off beyond her view. She assumed they were practicing for some event in Cloudsdale, or perhaps just some morning exercise.

She trotted along leisurely, stopping at one point to admire a group of bees buzzing swiftly between daisies and tulips in somepony’s flowerbed. Despite the task at hoof she was feeling rather relaxed about the situation. It almost felt like a day off, notwithstanding the rather rude awakening that morning, and she was already planning to slyly ensure that she’d not be leaping straight into a new job. She would word herself just right when speaking to Petit Déjeuner and be very insistent that she heard there was ‘part-time’ work available. Regardless of whether that was cheeky or not, she definitely didn’t want too much change so soon. Even if her time spent at the family bookshop wasn’t completely devoid of annoyances, she was somewhat content. There were no other career paths that she could really envision in the foreseeable future, at least not any that were somewhat appealing.

She pondered for a moment on her cutie mark. Most ponies gained their cutie mark and found their true calling in life, something they would do for a living. Had there been a mistake? Was her cutie mark somehow wrong? She had assumed that the simple red hearts adorning her flanks signified love and compassion, but since when was that a ‘special talent’? Of all the cutie marks out there why did hers have to be so vague? Even blank flank Clover had her place and was doing well as a weather pony, even if that didn’t pay tremendously well.

Rosa couldn’t remember the exact moment she got her cutie mark but she could remember the day. She had spotted a group of three young school ponies circled around a young filly by the name of Cherry. They were teasing her because of her condition; her eyes were off-centre, supposedly something that had run in her family. She was crying in the corner as they poked fun at her and Rosa stood up to them, pushing one to the ground and telling the others to back off. It was so out of character and she surprised even herself, but it helped to cheer Cherry up as she saw three ponies running away in terror from this unassuming, peaceful filly. Rosa talked with her for a while, reassuring her that everything would be OK and promising to help her if ever she ran into trouble again. Then the school bell sounded and they each made their way to their lessons where one of the other ponies noticed Rosa’s cutie mark.

What had made her actions so special? Was her greatest talent being able to occasionally help less fortunate ponies? To Rosa it seemed arrogant that her mark should signify that she was just incredibly nice. In fact, as far as she was concerned, her cutie mark only served to make her look prettier, and considering her luck with Nico that hadn’t helped. It should have been somepony face-hoofing. That would have made more sense, she thought to herself.

As she crossed over a small hill La Chocolat came into view. It had been built around the base of an old oak tree. The branches and leaves of the upper section of the tree were still intact, almost completely covering the roof. The outer walls of the restaurant made a complete square around the tree, pastel blue in colour and each made of smooth stone. There were a few wooden benches with embedded parasols outside the front door and a large sign showing happy looking customers and a list of meal deals and prices. The front entrance consisted of two jade green wooden swing doors with a sign above it reading ‘La Chocolat’ in large red letters. Beside it in small print read ‘True Chevalian cuisine’.

Rosa breathed deeply and headed in through the entrance. Before she could even take three steps she was confronted by a sharply dressed earth pony mare with a pearly white mane and lime green coat. She wore a formal shirt and waistcoat as well as a small pair of glasses that barely covered her eye-line, which Rosa were worn purely for decoration.

“I am sorry but we are not open yet! You have to go! This is too early!” the mare barked at her with a thick Chevalian accent.

“I... um... I’m not here for food. My Dad told me there might be some work going...”

The mare looked puzzled over this before raising her hoof in realisation.

“Ah, yes, yes, yes! You are Speedwell’s daughter, no? My name is Petit Déjeuner, owner of this great establishment.”

“My name’s Rosa, nice to meet you.”

“Rosa, yes! Now I can give you work! We go through here, come, come!” Petit ordered brashly.

With that, she turned and briskly strode towards a wooden door directly in front of them. Rosa followed, feeling somewhat intimidated by Petit’s mannerisms, barely grabbing a glance at the restaurant’s interior. Given how Chevalian food was often considered world class she had expected something a little more grandiose than the standard looking wooden tables and flowered wallpaper, but it certainly wasn’t a bad looking little place.

They made their way through the door and into a kitchen complete with multiple ovens, a large metal table covered with knives, forks, saucepans, a frying pan and various other cooking utensils. A grumpy looking unicorn was cleaning one of the gas hobs with an abrasive cloth.

They pressed on through another door and into a room with rows of sinks, wall mounted cupboards and a small table in the corner with rows of cutlery. A young earth pony who couldn’t have been any older than sixteen or seventeen walked in through a door leading out to the back of the restaurant. She had a bright yellow coat and a wild-looking orange and red mane. Rosa noticed instantly that she was bereft of a cutie mark, but brought her eyes up quickly from the mare’s flank and smiled politely.

“OK, Rose, this is Summer,” Petit said abruptly. “She can show you the rope. You help her today, yes?”

“Yes, Miss Déjeuner,” replied Rosa, ignoring the fact that Petit had mispronounced her name. It would be easier in the long run, she guessed.

“Then it’s settled, work good!”

With that, Petit darted back out of the room leaving Rosa feeling slightly confused. She wasn’t used to ponies who were so brash; she’d barely even met her yet she had handed her off onto another pony without any explanation.

“Is she always—”

“Yep, she sure is,” interrupted the young mare. “It’s taken me a while to get used to her ways but we all have to eventually. So, Rose was it? The name’s Summer Sun. It’s nice to make your acquaintance!”

“Actually my name is Rosa Bloom, not Rose. I’m not sure if she heard me properly.”

Summer chuckled. “I don’t think the problem’s her hearing, I think it’s something far more serious.”

Summer took a hoof and swirled it next to her head while making googly eyes. Rosa couldn’t help but laugh. She felt a lot better now being in the company of such a cheerful, friendly pony.

“I wasn’t even sure what I would be doing here today,” Rosa admitted. “I hadn’t even arranged an interview or anything. All I know is my Dad mentioned this place saying there might be work.”

“Well I’d say you’ve been stitched up!” Summer exclaimed with a chuckle. “There’s no permanent job going here, at least not unless you’re trying to replace me. I’ll have to keep my eye on you just in case that’s your plan!”

Rosa sighed cheerfully. “You might be right about being stitched up, though to be fair I wasn’t really expecting… or even wanting a permanent place here. No offence.”

“None taken!”

“So why isn’t this a permanent position? Why bring me in at all?”

Summer pointed over to a large white cupboard-like object underneath one of the worktops.

“We’ve got problems with the dishwasher. I’m not sure whether we’re getting a new one or getting it repaired. Petit is so tight-hoofed she’d want to take the cheap way out every time. For the last week everyone’s had to chip in to get everything cleaned by hoof and some of the staff have been less than polite about it all. Anyway, with you here we should have enough horse power so that none of that needs to happen.”

“I’m actually glad, you know. For a while I thought I’d end up as a waitress, and that’s something I really don’t think I’d be good at.”

“I don’t know... somepony like you just might grab some attention and give folks a reason to come back,” Summer said with a wink.

Rosa blushed. She tried to say something coherent but just stood there stuttering.

“Oh, I was just kidding around!” said Summer cheerfully. “I’m not trying to chat you up or anything, I’m not that kind of pony.”

Rosa smiled and shook her head. “Sorry. I guess I’m not really used to mares telling me that.”

Summer smiled brightly. “No kidding? Well whatever, I think we’re gonna get along just fine. Let me show you how we run this joint!”

Summer ran through where everything was, from dishes to utensils to everything in between. Rosa nodded to whatever she said but still didn’t feel as if she understood. Then Summer gave her a run through of what would happen in a general day, what times were busy and more importantly (according to Summer) what times they could get away with not working so hard.

“We’ll hear about orders coming up and how many plates and bowls they need in the kitchen. There’s not a lot of space there and things get used quickly se we’ll have to restock their supply pretty often. Then when meals are finished the plates will be taken by the waiters and waitresses and brought through to this worktop next to this rubbish bin. Our orders are to throw everything away but if you’re feeling a bit peckish a bit of leftover grass never hurt anyone!”

Rosa was surprised at how much she felt at ease being with this cheery mare. Despite the fact that she had what was surely a very low ranking job title and couldn’t possibly be living her dream, she still beamed from ear to ear with every utterance and looked almost as if she could never drop her smile. Surely the work can’t be that bad if she’s so happy, Rosa thought to herself.

“Just do as I do and do as I say and you’ll be fine. First, we should give these work surfaces a quick wipe over. It doesn’t do much in the long run but it keeps us busy until there’s real work to be done! Like Petit always says, ‘time to lean, time to clean’!”

The first few hours of work went by very swiftly and Rosa’s previous anxiety vanished. There was much to do; more than she would have imagined so early in the morning. By 9 o’ clock she could hear bustling and frenetic chatting from customers. Summer said she chalked it up to regulars made up of groups of elderly couples whittling away the rest of their pension. “They’d only have to leave it to their money-grabbing grandkids if they didn’t!” Summer joked.

Waiters and waitresses began shuffling their way in and out of the room, some of them hanging out at the back smoking cigarettes and nattering away whenever they could grab the chance. Rosa wondered just what Petit Déjeuner did while she worked here. She didn’t seem interested in keeping an eye on any of the staff and they were all too happy to take advantage of that fact.

One thing Rosa did find odd was the fact that nopony else seemed to converse with Summer at all. One muttered the obligatory ‘Hi’ before slinking off and never speaking to her again. Rosa wanted to press on the issue but felt that bringing up something potentially distressing to such a high-spirited pony would be a crime of sorts. She wondered how such an adorable, likable mare could ever be such an outcast in her place of work. Even when considering the fact that they were all much older than her it simply didn’t make any sense.

“So what kinds of things are you into?” Summer enquired, unknowingly pulling a peculiar face as she struggled to rub away a troublesome stain with the washcloth in her right hoof. “I bet you’re a real party animal!”

Rosa giggled. “No, I’m not really into that stuff. To be honest, I’m more of a geeky bookworm.”

“Oh I see. You’ve got the whole pent-up quiet librarian thing going on. Say no more! Nudge, nudge! Wink, wink!”

Rosa went uncontrollably red. “Oh that’s not...” she began, but quickly rearticulated herself. “You really are a tease.”

“Oh you know it!” Summer exclaimed, rocking her head from side to side. “Besides, that cutie mark of yours makes it obvious what your talent is,” she said, raising her eyebrows and smirking.

“Oh please, I’ve heard that one far too many times...” Rosa said with a nervous laugh. Her eyes involuntarily drew themselves to Summer’s bare hide devoid of a cutie mark.

“What’s this? Now you’d better stop checkin’ me out!”

“I wasn’t, it was just—”

“Yeah, well... so what if I’m a blank flank?” Summer’s tone grew serious, though she still kept up her endearing smile. “I don’t mind, I don’t see what the big deal is anyway. I don’t need some magical tattoo to say how I should live my life. Besides, a lot of ponies live lives that don’t have much to do with their so called special talent at all. Their great talent could be running a glue factory but that’s not going to make it any more appealing just because of some picture on their rump. Anyway, there’s only so many things in the world that ponies can be good at, and who’s to say you can’t be great at lots of things? If anypony thinks less of me for not having a cutie mark then that’s their loss.”

Rosa beamed at the mare that she now thought of as a newfound friend. “Well my friend Clover is a few years older than you and still doesn’t have her cutie mark. Sure, she’s been made fun of in the past but she doesn’t let it get her down and she’s the best friend I could ask for.” Rosa paused for a moment. “I could always introduce you to her,” she added.

“Well, gee, thank you!” Summer responded. “I guess I was wrong then. Seems I’m not the only blank flank in town!”

They both continued with their work, time passing by surprisingly quickly. Rosa found it strangely therapeutic. Working at the family bookshop had its pros but in the sanctum of the restaurant kitchen she needn’t worry about pushy customers, unruly foals or her mother’s critical eye. It became a little uncomfortable standing on two hooves but she felt no shame in stretching out her limbs every now and then. She had started off the day by rushing through her workload as quickly as she could but Summer had insisted that they slow the pace a little and spare some energy for the lunchtime rush.

They worked through until half past midday, to which Summer theatrically pronounced it was time for a break. “It’ll be all hooves on deck once it hits one o’ clock! Sustenance is needed!” She opened up a refrigerator in the corner of the room and brought out a plastic container filled with food. She was about to dive teeth first into a sandwich when she spotted Rosa’s disgruntled mug.

“Did you forget to bring anything?”

“I could say forget, but to be honest I wasn’t even sure what I’d be doing today. Neither my Dad nor Miss Déjeuner helped in that respect... But it’s fine. I don’t usually eat much anyway. You go ahead.” Rosa was only half lying. She never really ate much, (at least not much by her estimations) but she would probably feel quite hungry within a few hours.

Summer rolled her eyes. “Come on, there’s no need to be polite. Just have some of my hay.”

“No, I couldn’t. That wouldn’t be fair.”

“Stop it, you’re just being nice. Come on, you can have some of mine.”

“I wouldn’t want to deprive you.”

“Well in that case...” Summer put down the plastic container, a mischievous smile forming. “We’ll just have to improvise!”

She trotted quietly over to the door leading to the cooking area and slowly peeked her head around the door. Seemingly satisfied, she bolted in and burst back out with an apple dangling from her teeth, gesturing vividly with one hoof.

“Summer! What are you...? I can’t!”

Summer dropped the apple on the side next to Rosa and ran over to the opposite corner.

“Ah, ah, ah, you’re the closest! You must have taken it! Better eat up before they find out!” Summer giggled, darting her eyes about the room. Rosa hurriedly took two large bites from the apple then slid the remains across the worktop and into the rubbish bin.

“So you were a bit peckish!” Summer cried with glee.

“I... couldn’t...” Rosa spluttered, trying her best to chew through the apple chunks as quickly as she could manage. She swallowed hastily and continued. “I couldn’t just leave it there, could I?”

“There’s always a choice, my friend!”

Summer laughed as Rosa sighed and shook her head, stifling a giggle as best she could. It was short lived, however, and the two of them ended up falling to the floor clutching their sides. The grumpy looking unicorn Rosa had seen earlier that day poked his head around the door, his eyebrows forced into a ghastly frown. This only started another round of laughter causing the unicorn to snort in dismay and slam the door. Rosa tried physically retracting her smile by pushing her mouth with her hooves, her face bright red from a mixture of embarrassment and breathlessness. Eventually, the two ponies settled themselves down.

“Hey Rosa, let’s sit outside. It’s a nice day out, anyway.”

“OK, so long as you don’t get me into any more trouble!”

“Oh I can’t promise anything!”

The two of them made their way out through the back door. Summer led the charge to a large oak tree and sat down beneath the shade, setting her lunchbox beside her. Rosa refrained from mentioning her dislike for eating outdoors; she was always anxious of hungry wasps and flies buzzing around her meal, especially after an unfortunate encounter where a wasp stung the end of her tongue.

“It is nice out, isn’t it?” Rosa commented, fawning over the brilliant blue of the cloudless sky and the warm but not overbearing temperature. She secretly wished that the pegasi could keep the weather like this all year round, even though that was totally impractical. The most recent weather schedule had detailed sunny skies for the next week, which was good enough for now.

Clover had talked to her before about the state of modern climate control, how the abundance of pegasi had outweighed the overall growth of towns and villages across Equestria. Many generations ago almost every known pegasi would play their part in cloud control or wind manipulation, but eventually regulations were put in place so that only pegasi above the age of eighteen could even qualify to become a professional weather controller, and even then only a certain amount of pegasi would even be needed at any one time. This cut down on overall applicants and soon many families found work elsewhere. Pegasi made excellent couriers thanks to their speed and ability to cross dangerous terrain. They could also perform well as mountain rescue crews. Clover had never expressed interest in any of that, though, and seemed reasonably happy with her current lifestyle.

Summer munched on her sandwich and led across the grass, stretching her legs while Rosa sat up against the tree trunk. It was peaceful enough that she could have quite easily nodded off to sleep. She’d heard that in the land of Caballo — to the south-west of Equestria — it was quite common for ponies to take midday naps. Supposedly, this was healthier for you than just sleeping through the night. Regardless of how accurate that assumption was, she suddenly felt envious of their way of living.

“Sorry for freaking you out,” Summer said out of the blue.

“Huh?”

“The apple, I mean. I guess it was a teeny tiny bit crazy of me to do that.”

“That’s OK. I guess I should be thanking you, actually. I’ve been needing a good laugh like that, to be honest.”

Summer scrunched her eyebrows with concern. “How d’you mean? You’re OK, yeah?”

Rosa was taken aback by this genuine concern from a pony who had joyfully embarrassed her many times that morning. “Oh it’s nothing, really.”

Summer looked unconvinced. “Uh-huh? Just like how you weren’t hungry?”

Rosa rolled her eyes and smiled. “Well I wasn’t that hungry! I only ate it because I didn’t want to let it go to waste, and I couldn’t exactly out it back where it was!”

“Well you be sure to bring some lunch in tomorrow or I’ll have to do it again!”

“Tomorrow? Yeah, I guess you’ll still need me to help out won’t you...”

Rosa thought to herself for a moment. Originally she was dreading working in a place like this, but with Summer at her side she was finding it more than bearable. Despite her cocky and brazen nature she was still fun to be around and had oodles of personality. Perhaps they were right about changing my lifestyle, she thought.

“Incidentally, when are we due to finish today? I’m still clueless as ever about this job. Petit pretty much dragged me in here without so much as an explanation.”

“Well I expect you can finish at four, but I’ll probably stay on for a while, get some overtime in. Petit doesn’t mind, she’s not been able to get many evening workers in so it works out for both of us.”

“Really? How often do you work late?”

“Most of the time. I want the money, so I may as well.”

“Oh? Saving up for something?”

Summer sighed quietly. “Well, not quite. My Mum’s in a wheelchair and has a few issues with her eyesight so she’s not really fit for work. She does get disability benefits but that’s nowhere near enough, really. So... I like to help out, you know?” The yellow earth pony smiled weakly.

“Oh... my goodness...”

Rosa nearly fell speechless at this revelation. Summer was working her flank off supporting her mother at such a young age almost without choice. She mentioned nothing of her father, likely meaning he had either moved away or had passed on. She could have ambitions that may never see the light of day because of her mother’s dependence on her. And yet still, the pony before her was filled with such joy, such fervour, such life... Rosa felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she thought about how insignificant her problems must be in comparison and how poorly she had tackled them. A part of her wanted to embrace the pony before her as some form reward for being so inspirational, but instead she simply stared at her new friend in awe, her eyes starting to well up.

“Checking me out again?” Summer asked with a cheeky grin.

“I just... I’m surprised at how much you’re going through. You do so much and yet you’re such a friendly, happy pony. I wish I could be more like you.”

Summer began to blush. She averted Rosa’s gaze and scratched the back of her head with one hoof. “Well, um... Thank you. I mean, I’m not trying to brag or anything. I should be commending you for being so compassionate. Most ponies I know just pretend to care.”

“I’m not so great. I get all down in the dumps over such trivial things and yet really I’m very lucky. I think you could teach me a lot about keeping a bright outlook on life.”

The two mares shared a respectful glance at one another and resumed their relaxed poses, sharing a comfortable silence as they looked out across the village. Rosa stared at the various landmarks in the distance: Spike’s castle, the bakery two streets from her house, the stadium on the outskirts of Cloudsdale and all the homes of ponies she knew.

“Hey, Summer, are you free on weekends?”

The young mare beamed from ear to ear, a look of pure excitement on her face. “Well, sometimes I am. Why?”

“I just thought you might like to meet up or something. If I’m not going to be working here long we won’t have much chance of seeing each other very often. I mean, we can’t go out for drinks but... well I assume you’re underage?”

“Yeah, I’m only sixteen, but that doesn’t mean I can’t partay! And I thought you said that you weren’t a party animal? Now the first thing on your mind is getting wasted?”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Rosa said with a dismissive gesture. “I just wanted to know your age without being impolite!”

“Well I wouldn’t have been offended, why would I be? Anyway, there’s more that we could do than go drinking, I’m sure there’s plenty of crazy things we can do in Ponyville! And even if there isn’t, who says we have to stay here anyway?”

“Don’t set your expectations too high; I don’t have any crazy trips planned as it were.”

“You mean you don’t have any crazy trips planned yet!” Summer exclaimed, rubbing her hooves together. “Hey, we’ve got time; I can show you where my house is. It’s only a short walk from here and we can be back in time to work no problem!” Summer got to her hooves, gesturing for Rosa to do the same.

“Sure, OK. Lead the way!”

Summer bounded on ahead, taking Rosa over the grassy knoll behind the oak trees surrounding the back of the restaurant. Instead of bearing right towards the cobbled streets, Summer kept ahead across a large field speckled with molehills. There was a barely traceable path of crushed grass and hoof prints that meandered through a group of willow trees. Rosa didn’t say, but she felt quite disoriented taking such an offbeat track rather than sticking to the roads.

Within a few minutes they reached a wooden gate surrounded by a row of hedges. Summer gracefully jumped and easily cleared the gate by at least a hoof-length. She beckoned Rosa to follow suit, but Rosa shook her head and clambered over it awkwardly.

“Oh, come on! That way’s for wimps!” taunted Summer playfully.

Rosa rolled her eyes at the energetic earth pony before returning to her side. The two mares made their way down a narrow footpath and emerged onto a modernised housing estate.

“Now, this way!” Summer commanded, leading Rosa through the entire street and out into a familiar marketplace. A cacophony of chatter and furious bustling assaulted her senses.

“Are you sure we won’t be late back?”

“Don’t be such a worry wart! We’re nearly there anyway.”

They passed by various stalls and carts with ponies hollering about their collections of trinkets, toys, tools, foodstuffs, clothes and various other bits and bobs. The street was densely packed with prospective buyers. Most of them would merely browse before heading off to specialist stores in other parts of the village.

“Just for you we’ll stop here since you’re so worried about being late.” Summer poked her tongue out childishly. “If you look over there you can see my house on the left-hand side, the one with the green fence out the front.”

Rosa peered over towards where she was pointing. It was a fairly small semi-detached house with a slated roof and lime green outer walls at odds with the white and cream-coloured houses that surrounded it. The green fence in question outlined a small patch of garden and a stone footpath leading to a weathered, magenta painted door. The curtains of each of the visible windows were drawn, and there appeared to be no lights on in the house making Rosa wonder just what kind of condition Summer’s mother suffered from.

“You see the one I’m on about?” asked Summer loudly, raising her voice over the swarm of nattering ponies surrounding them.

Rosa nodded. “Yeah, I see it. It’s actually not too far from where I live, maybe a fifteen or twenty minute walk. Thanks for showing me!”

“No problem! Now I guess we’d better get back, eh?”

They both jostled their way through the crowds and retraced the route that they’d made. Having been accustom to refraining from taking her hooves off the road during her time in Ponyville, Rosa felt as though she was somewhat naive not knowing such shortcuts or off-beaten tracks within the only village she’d ever lived in.

They made it back to their posts and took a glance at the clock above the doorframe.

“Five minutes to one! Get in!” Summer cheered exuberantly. “I’m going to be honest, I thought we’d be a few minutes late but thanks to you, Strider, we did just fine.”

Rosa shot Summer a puzzled look. “What do you mean Strider?”

“Seriously? You take such huge strides when you walk, for a while I thought you were trying to race me or something.”

Rosa pondered over this. “Do I really walk that fast?”

“Yeah you do. I didn’t take you for a fitness freak.”

“I’m not a fitness freak at all! You should meet my Dad; maybe you’ve heard of him? Speedwell Bloom?”

Summer shook her head. “Can’t say I have. But seriously, you got some legs on you girl!” Summer shifted her eyebrows and waggled her head side to side. Rosa wasn’t sure if that was some sort of gesture, a mock dance move or just Summer being random for the sake of it, so she simply smiled in response. Strider, she thought. Not exactly a bad nickname.

The two of them got back to work as a stream of dirty plates made their way in courtesy of the lunchtime rush. Rosa could hear the grumpy unicorn from the next room cursing to himself as he attempted to prepare the smorgasbord of dishes that had been ordered. At one point she heard what could have been a pan or a saucepan fall to the floor with a clang, followed by a brutish growl from the stallion. Summer stifled a laugh and shook her head in dismay.

“Ebby’s always doing that,” she whispered to Rosa. “He always tries to do more than he’s capable of. No matter how magical you are there’s only so much a unicorn can take.”

“Ebby?” Rosa questioned.

“Ebenezer, but most folks call him Ebby. It’s less of a tongue twister.”

Rosa once again felt envious of unicorns’ innate abilities. Just about anything an earth pony could do a unicorn could do better and with much less hassle. She wondered how the different breeds of pony had come about in the past. From an evolutionary perspective, shouldn’t earth ponies have been pretty much wiped out? And yet still the majority of Equestrians were earth ponies, if only by a relatively small margin. Surely the genes for either wings or a horn would be dominant, but perhaps earth ponies had a survival advantage many generations ago? Pegasi needed to consume more calories on average to deal with flight, and perhaps unicorns were more unfit than earth ponies... Her brain spiralled as she tried to recall information and envision population dynamics over the years. She would have to research the details some other time or risk getting a headache.

“OK Strider, we’re gonna need to pick up the pace a bit here!”

The workload rapidly increased, more than double the number of dishes being delivered by waiters and waitresses bustling in and out of the room. Amongst the havoc Rosa accidentally chipped a china cup around the rim. She winced at the chink against the side of the sink and brought the cup to her eye. The missing piece was small, but more than noticeable. She nervously held it up to Summer who responded with a roll of the eyes and shake of the head.

“Don’t worry; it’ll only come out of your wages,” she said slyly.

Time whizzed by as they worked side by side in silence for the next two hours, slowly but surely eradicating the seemingly never ending mountain of washing up. Rosa was starting to feel the effects of her foray into physical labour and realised how unfit she must be. Either that, or she was far lazier than she ever knew. Standing on her hind legs all this time had given her a throbbing ache across the mid-section of her back. She felt a strong urge to step down and stretch out her torso, unknotting her muscles and clicking her spine. Her parents had never really tolerated her forced joint clicks, convinced that she was grinding the bones or shredding the nerves over time. No matter how many times she told them it was just the burst of gas pockets around the joints, their opinions stayed the same.

Eventually, the tidal wave of cutlery and crockery subsided giving the two mares some breathing space. Rosa gave in to her urges and stretched her body out, relieving the build up of tension with a satisfied sigh.

“You feel better now, Strider?”

“Yeah, much better,” Rosa answered with a grin, now responding to her new nickname without a second thought. “But can I go home soon? Where’s Petit?”

“She’s probably either out at the bar chatting to customers or upstairs moping about. You might as well try and find her while you can.”

Rosa nodded and crept through the adjacent door, smiling sheepishly as Ebby shot her a disgruntled look. Wandering out to the bar area, she quickly noticed Petit sifting through a wad of receipts.

“Um… Petit? I was wondering when I was due to leave.”

“Yes, yes, OK, you leave soon, yes? You come in tomorrow at nine o’ clock, yes?”

“Umm... yes?” Rosa answered dumbly.

“Good, good, and Friday too. Now go and finish, I can get you money on Friday. Many thanks and see you tomorrow.”

Petit Déjeuner waltzed past Rosa before spotting somepony out from the queue of customers and hurriedly trotting off to say hello. The pony in question looked understandably uneasy as Petit loudly greeted her and shook her hoof. Was this how most Chevalians acted or was Petit just a complete oddball? Surely there were contracts that needed signing, health and safety training, some sort of information pack that she could read to try and understand what in Equestria was going on? Rosa suspected that her processes of employment lacked a little something in the legal department, but she had neither the heart nor the guts to confront Petit about that.

Rosa quickly made her way back through to see Summer. “I swear I just don’t understand that mare,” she muttered. “No interview, no forms, no sense—”

“I’d keep it down just a little bit. Her and Ebby know each other quite well.”

“Oh?” gasped Rosa, toning her voice down a notch. “Sorry, I didn’t realise.”

“Yep, they were lovers once....” Summer grandly began. “They ran this place together happily, their faces beaming each and every day. Those were the glorious days of yore. They would dance and sing and make love by the fire... until one day Petit caught Ebby with another restaurant and things were never the same again.”

Rosa did a double take before breaking out into a chortle. “You had me going for a second there.”

“Oh, what gave it away?” Summer said with a cheeky smile. “So what’s the dealio? You a regular dish washer now?”

“I guess so. At least, she said I’d be here tomorrow and Friday from nine o’ clock onwards. Who knows what’s going to happen, eh?”

“So are you finished for the day?”

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Rosa shuffled on one hoof, never one for goodbyes. “So... I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning. It’s been great meeting you. We should meet up sometime soon!”

Summer brought a hoof to her face and performed a mock salute. “Aye aye, Captain Strider! I shall see ye again in the morn’! Be careful out there on the open seas!” she scowled with a crass pirate impersonation.

Rosa gave a fake chuckle out of politeness before saluting back. She just gets crazier and crazier. “See you soon!”

Rosa made her way out past Ebby who was now multitasking between frying some eggs and mulling over a worn hardback novel with scuffed edges. Not one from our place... she thought. He glanced up and she nodded courteously, raising her hoof as a goodbye. He nodded back before burying his muzzle between the pages once more.

She walked out through the bar area, a queue of customers being served by a pegasus stallion. Petit Déjeuner was now chatting away to a different group of ponies from before, talking about her life in Cheval from what Rosa could gather. Deciding that her previous goodbye had been enough she quickly trotted out through the main entrance. Having made only a few steps outside she was effectively ambushed by a familiar cream-coated unicorn.

“Hey, Rosa! Your father said you might finish around this time.”

“Oh... hey Sparks...” Rosa stammered, part wondering why her Dad seemed so adamant to set her up with this stallion and part wondering why he knew more than she did about the very job she had obtained. Perhaps her father was being a little wilier than he let on; the idea he might have suddenly gained a motherly craving for grandchildren made Rosa feel somewhat uneasy, and the premise that he thought she was too old to have never had a colt-friend was enough to make her feel both embarrassed and annoyed. Either way, she wasn’t all too happy. Falling deep into her thoughts had left Rosa oblivious to the awkward silence between herself and her companion.

“Um, Rosa?” Sparks waved a hoof in front of her face, blushing at her apparent dismissal of his presence. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. I’m just... It’s been a long day is all.”

“Oh sure, so how was your new job? I hope it wasn’t too boring.”

“Not bad I guess. It went by fairly quickly to be honest.”

“Great... great... So anyway, I was wondering whether you’d be up for going out some time. I know I’ve asked before, but after what you said the other day I just...”

Rosa’s concentration fell from Sparks and over towards a suspicious shape in one of the hedges not far from the restaurant’s entrance. Within a split second of Rosa shifting her gaze, Summer Sun lifted her leaf-covered head out from the bush and gave a gleaming smile. How did she get back there so fast? Wait... what is she even doing over there in the first place!? Rosa cried inwardly. Summer began nodding towards Spark and raising her eyebrows, pulling a face that Rosa could only assume was meant to signify a silent wolf whistle. Summer mouthed something with a seductive look on her face. It could have been ‘that flank’ but she wasn’t too sure. Regardless, she was now growing redder with every passing moment.

“... so what do you think?” Sparks finished, anxiously waiting for an answer.

“Oh, um...” Rosa stammered, still flicking her eyes between Sparks and Summer. Sparks noticed her line of eyesight and craned his hulking neck around. Mere fractions of a second before he could spot Summer the yellow mare ducked back into the hedge, effectively becoming invisible. Sparks turned back, a look of bemusement on his face. And now he thinks I’m crazy. This is all going just peachy.

“Is something going on here?” Sparks asked in a more serious tone.

“Sorry, I think you’ll find that there’s a rather nosy pony hidden in the hedge over there who’s been distracting me. You can come out now, Summer!”

They both looked over at the row of hedges, but nary a leaf was rustled at Rosa’s outburst, though it did alert a few passersby.

“She’s persistent, I’ll give her that.” Rosa sighed, hoping that the mare could still hear her.

Sparks chuckled to himself. “Well it’s so nice to have an audience, it’s not like this is making this conversation any more nerve-wracking than it already is, is it?” he remarked sarcastically. “So, what’s your answer? I don’t want to be too forward or seem too obsessive, but if I never cut to the chase I would consider that even creepier, and I wouldn’t want to offend a beautiful mare such as yourself. Not that that’s the only reason I... wait, can I start again? My name’s Sparks. Hello there.”

Rosa couldn’t help but chuckle. Was he even more of a social outcast than she was? She cleared her throat dramatically. “Hello Sparks.”

“Amateurs!” shouted a voice from the bushes.

Sparks gave a weak smile. “So, moving on then... Um... what do you think?”

“Well I...” she began, her mouth starting out before her brain could catch up. Her natural reaction would be to just say ‘no’ and go back to dreaming about a fantasy life with Nico, imagining miraculous scenarios that would lead to the perfect romance, none of which would be likely from a realistic perspective. That in itself brought on a tinge of depression alongside the nagging voice in the back of her head that told her that the rumour-mill grew ever busier with each passing day that she failed to date a stallion.

She involuntarily looked over the unicorn’s body, considering the fact that most mares her age would be lining up to see a stallion with such prominent muscles. Then again, you’re not most mares and you’re proud of that! another voice in her head blurted out. So, she wasn’t one to fawn over ponies with stellar physique, but she couldn’t convince herself in that moment that it was because she wasn’t as shallow or was more conscious of personality. Sparks had displayed quite clearly on every occasion that she’d met him that he was as polite as anypony could be, and despite objectively being quite a desirable stallion he showed plenty of signs of nervousness and fretfulness around the opposite sex, rather than an unwelcome enthusiasm or boisterous attitude. If it wasn’t for her questionable actions the last time they met, he probably wouldn’t have made another move.

He’s perfect, she thought, but still don’t have feelings for him. Not like Nico...

Sparks was almost expecting another rejection as Rosa was once again entranced by her own thoughts. He looked down disappointedly, awaiting her answer.

Summer’s head popped up from her hiding place, her mane now sporting green streaks and an unwelcome beetle. She eyed Rosa, gesturing for her response with two hooves and nodding approvingly. A number of ponies had caught wind of the situation and were also watching anxiously, trying to look as if they were just passing by but moving slower and slower so that they might catch the end result.

Rosa’s mind was swimming with possibilities as the urgency of her decision hung in the air. She couldn’t leave him hanging after all that’s happened, could she? He was a great guy, but could she like him? What of Nico? Did she want to be alone forever? Would she regret meeting up with him? Would she regret not meeting up with him? What? What? WHAT?

Sparks was about to speak once again when Rosa hastily blurted her answer.

“Yes! OK, I’ll, um... we can see each other some time.”

Sparks was taken aback at first but quickly straightened up and stretched his mouth into a glorious smile. Summer leapt from the hedge and began to dance energetically. The inquisitive ponies around smiled commendably, one younger mare stamping her hooves on the ground. The pair locked eyes just as Summer leapt to Rosa’s side and shook her violently.

“Nice going, Rosa! You sure know how to bag ‘em, eh? So who’s this handsome hunk you’re gonna introduce me to?”

Rosa eyed Sparks nervously and received a similar look in response. “Summer, this is Sparks. Sparks, this is Summer. She’s my work colleague.”

“It’s... a pleasure to meet you Summer,” Sparks greeted anxiously.

“Oh the pleasure is all mine Mr. Sparks! Make sure you show my friend a good time, eh? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge...”

“Summer, what were you even doing spying on us?” Rosa interjected, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“Oh, I was gonna jump out on you as you went home, and then this happened! I’m glad I got to see the whole thing too.”

“Well, I think Petit needs you to get back to work, doesn’t she?”

“Oh, say no more, say no more, I can see the two love birds want some time to themselves!” Summer ran back into the restaurant humming loudly to herself. “See you again Mr. Sparks! See you tomorrow Strider!” she called back as the door closed.

Rosa and Sparks returned to each other’s gaze. “Sorry about her. She’s... excitable.”

“I can see that! Isn’t it a bit difficult working with her for a full day?”

“As wild as she is, she’s still a nice pony, and she’s cheered me up today to be fair. Just... give her a chance.” Even as she said this Rosa knew that she sounded regrettably unconvincing.

“Seeing as how you’ve given me a chance I can’t see why I shouldn’t.”

They shared a surprisingly comfortable chuckle, the atmosphere feeling much lighter.

“So... what happens now?” asked Rosa, mentally berating herself for seeming like such a child.

“Well I guess this is the part where I ask what day is a good day for you?”

“Well, I don’t think I’m up to anything on Sunday...” Rosa replied, knowing full well that she had no plans for Saturday. That was her day, on which she could do whatever she wanted without adhering to others.

“Oh, Sunday, that’s cool. I’ll just have to... I mean, I don’t know which places are open on a Sunday...”

Rosa suddenly reconsidered her original strategy, not wanting to enter a situation where the two of them had nothing but each other’s company. If it had been awkward enough so far, how bad would it be if there was no way out?

“No, you know what, Saturday then. Saturday afternoon sometime,” Rosa corrected. That means I’ll at least have the morning to laze about.

“Oh, OK, that’s better. So what do you want to do? We could go for something to eat or... go visit some place... what do you think?”

“Surprise me,” Rosa answered wryly. She hoped it would give the impression of somepony who was willing to try anything, rather than — the truth — somepony with such a lacklustre range of interests that she was unable to make a decent suggestion.

“Wow, OK. I’ll do just that!” Sparks exclaimed cheerfully. “I’m sure I can come up with a wonderful surprise.”

“Sounds good. I look forward to it.”

“Fantastic!” Sparks remarked overenthusiastically, toning down his excitement a smidge before continuing. “I shall see you Saturday then?”

“Absolutely. But… I’d better get going now. I’m kind of tired.”

“Of course,” Sparks replied. “Goodbye!”

“Bye!” Rosa echoed, gently waving a hoof as the unicorn smiled and turned back, paving his way down the road. As he trotted on she took notice of his unique cutie mark. It depicted two streaks of fire with glittering white spots spewing from them. Sparks moved jauntily across the pathway, an obvious spring in his step. He moved his neck, possibly to turn around and Rosa darted down a different pathway, hoping he hadn’t noticed her staring at his flank.

The path twisted round awkwardly, taking Rosa past unfamiliar stores and a museum. This route would take her out of her way, adding a few minutes to her journey home. Of course, she couldn’t take her normal route as that path had already been taken by Sparks, and she couldn’t bear to elongate the events of the day.

She quizzed herself over how she was feeling about all of this. Surely ponies get excited before a date and imagine beautiful, romantic scenes being played out. That likely wouldn’t be the case, and even then those scenes only felt desirable if Nico was involved. Still, there was at least some pride in finally getting a date after all these years.

Rosa looked out at the route before her and tried to pinpoint the quickest route home. It was at that point that she internally face-hoofed. If Sparks had been speaking with her father, he would know where she lived. So he would know exactly which route she would take and would wonder why she’d deliberately walked off in the wrong direction.

Rosa the socially awkward pony strikes again.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 5 - One Small Step

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 5 – One Small Step

Rosa groaned lightly, holding a hoof to her forehead. “Summer, please. It’s not that exciting. So Sparks and I are meeting up this weekend; I think you’re blowing this all out of proportion.”

“Oh come on! Cheer up, Rosa! This isn’t just some colt you’re dating; I mean have you seen those thighs...”

Rosa glared angrily at Summer, an eyebrow twitching vividly.

“Oh I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that! I’d be no friend if I was to try and bag him myself, I’m just happy for you! And since you’re glum for whatever reason I need to have enough happiness for the both of us!”

“Yes, I understand. But please, it’s nothing I really want to talk about.”

Summer put down her washcloth and eyed Rosa suspiciously. “Something’s up, isn’t it? Why aren’t you happy about this? I mean, you do like him, don’t you?”

Rosa sighed briefly. “Yeah, I do. I just don’t know why this is such a big deal to you.”

Summer smiled slyly. “Well I guess this can’t be a big deal if you’ve had more than a fair share of flank in your time.”

Rosa spluttered, her cheeks growing red with embarrassment. She shook her head. “No! I’m not like that! I’ve never even been on a—”

Before Rosa could even finish her sentence Summer interrupted, pointing a hoof at Rosa’s face and beaming with glee. “I knew it! I knew you would be! I just had a feeling! It’s nothing to be ashamed of, you know.”

A waiter stood by the back entrance poked his head around the door frame, becoming increasingly intrigued as he eavesdropped unsubtly. Rosa rolled her eyes knowingly as she was well aware what Summer was getting at. She turned back to the dishes in the sink and began her next sentence softly.

“Well yes, that’s true. And no, I’m not ashamed. I’ve never really thought about it as much of a big deal, and I don’t see why I’d talk openly about that stuff either way. Sure, I’m a little bit nervous about going on a date for the first time but it’s just one of those things I have to get through.”

Summer pondered over this for a brief moment. “Well gee, Rosa. If you were nervous about it then you only had to say. I could help you through it, give you a few tips, lend an ear. That sort of thing!”

“Well that’s very kind of you, really it is,” Rosa said sharply. “Though I’ve had enough of being told the ‘tricks of the trade’ by my mother. Then there’s the fact that my Dad tried to set me up with Sparks in the first place. I guess that’s another reason why I’m so antsy about all this. It feels so... staged.”

“Well it’s better than setting you up with the village idiot, isn’t it? I’d say your folks have good taste in ponies!”

Rosa nodded. “I guess you’re right. Still, it just feels so weird. They’ve been trying to change me and my life a lot recently. I only have this job because of them, otherwise I’d still be working at the family bookshop.” Rosa glanced over towards her friend. “And I wouldn’t have met you.”

“Sounds like your parents did the right thing then!”

“Perhaps, but I’ve never been one to embrace change if I’m honest. I’ve always favoured consistency. It’s... comfortable to say the least.”

Summer shrugged. “It’s always nice to have a bit of change every now and then. Having you as a new friend is certainly a turn up for the books! Get it? Because your family runs a bookshop?”

Rosa chortled and gazed fleetingly at her colleague. “You should be a stand up comedian,” she said dryly. She hoped the conversation would turn from its current topic, especially since she couldn’t discuss the real reasons for her apprehension. Her feelings for Nico, the thought running through her head that she wouldn’t have the guts to cut ties with Sparks if she felt unwilling to have any kind of relationship, the pressure from her parents... Even Spike had suggested that she pursue any potential colt-friend. Was this because he thought her strange to be perpetually single at her age? What would Clover’s reaction be? More importantly, what would Nico’s reaction be? Approval? Jealousy? As much as she hated to admit it, that second one seemed desirable.

“You gotta be yourself and you’ll be just fine, Strider. Just be sure not to tire him out.”

“Oh come on, I know I walk quickly but I’m not that bad. Plus he is an athlete and—” Rosa stopped as she noticed Summer’s raised eyebrows and mischievous smile. “Oh, Summer! Is that all you can think about?”

Summer combed a hoof through her mane and grinned smugly. “Hey, I’m a teenager. I’m allowed.”

That doesn’t mean every pony was like you at your age, Rosa said inwardly, wondering just how many lewd jokes would be in store for her in the coming days. It wasn’t something she was used to. Clover and Nico were much more conservative when it came to such subjects, which she was incredibly thankful for. “So anyway,” Summer began, “I was thinking, maybe we should do something on Sunday. I mean, we did say we should do something, right? Plus, you’ll definitely have to spill all the juicy gossip of your night with the super stud!”

Rosa winced at Summer’s emphasis on the word ‘juicy’ and shook her head in dismay. “Like I said before, it’s not a night. I’m meeting him some time in the afternoon.”

“Meh, whatever. We should still do something on Sunday. That is, assuming you’ll have the strength left?”

Rosa sighed. For such an inspirational and care-free young mare Summer was still rather juvenile. “Of course we can do something Sunday. I’ll look forward to it. But please, no more innuendos for today. I just find it too hard to deal with.”

Summer raised a foreleg and opened her mouth, about to spout out something else when Rosa forced a hoof into her jaw. “Don’t,” Rosa whispered, shaking her head. Summer smiled sheepishly and went back to her work, realising a little too late that she’d crossed the line.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I was just trying to make conversation. Good luck on Saturday, really.”

Rosa — unsure as to whether Summer was serious or not — politely smiled and replied with nothing but silence.

Rosa made her way home, the small sign reading ‘Bloom’s Books’ above the door frame greeting her return. Her mother waved exuberantly as she approached and went back to speaking to an elderly unicorn mare about their current selection of literature. Rosa trotted upstairs, the strain of the past two days taking its toll. She wasn’t exhausted, but physical labour was still an unfamiliar feeling to her. She flopped like a rag doll onto her bed, almost wishing she could fall asleep in an instant.

A week ago, life was simple. She would wake up, serve indecisive customers and chat to fellow bookworms from Monday to Friday. At the weekend, she’d mostly waste time being cooped up in her room reading the latest novel or occasionally agreeing to whatever day or night out that Nico and Clover had planned. She would spend a few hours hoping for something to happen between her and Nico, and eventually wallow in disappointment. Ever since she left school this was how it had always been, and even if it wasn’t the greatest of lives she at least knew where she stood. The life ahead of her was daunting and scary. It was times like these that a great ambition served its worth, but she had nothing of the sort.

The sky outside her window was painted with splatters of orange and mauve, the wisps of cloud slowly passing their way across the skyline, twisting and fading as the sun dipped further down towards the horizon. It was a picturesque scene that would move even the most emotionally stunted of ponies. Rosa took notice of the magnificent view and smiled to herself, thinking how uncannily romantic a backdrop this would be.

She began to daydream a scenario where her and Sparks were sat atop a hill gazing across the landscape such as the one before her, gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. Sparks raised a hoof to her head and stroked through her mane, curling a bunch of hair behind her ear. She grinned bashfully, resting a hoof of her own on the base of his neck. As they shared this tender moment, Sparks pulled her head towards his and...

Rosa snapped back to reality. And then what? She wasn’t even sure how she would feel about this, whether she would find herself going through with whatever predetermined circumstance came up simply because it would be the ‘normal’ thing to do. At what point is it expected for dating couples to exchange a first kiss? It wasn’t an unpleasant thought, but her conflicting emotions stifled any excitement she could possibly have.

The saddened mare led back onto her pillow, massaging her temple in a vain attempt to soothe her troubled mind. She knew her problems were trivial compared to that of others like Summer, and that she should be looking at her life in a more positive light.

In an effort to take her mind off things she grabbed her copy of An Equestrian Night Mare and flicked to where she had left off. After a few paragraphs her mind was still flitting back and forth, spoiling her reading experience. Disgruntled, she growled and tossed the book back onto her desk.

For a while she simply lay there, replaying past events in her head and pondering on her future. It wasn’t a feeling of depression that washed over her, more a wave of confusion and anxiety. She closed her eyes as if to appear to be asleep, lost in her daydreams when she heard a hoof rapping on her door.

“Rosa, darling, can I come in?”

“Yeah, come in,” Rosa replied, secretly hoping that she would be left to her own devices soon enough. She didn’t want to deal with a conversation about Sparks, about her job, about when she was planning to move out... She had a hard enough time expressing her feelings to her friends, and would probably find it more comfortable telling complete strangers instead of her parents, as odd as that seemed.

Her mother sauntered in wearing a civil smile. Rosa noticed that her reddish mane was straightened out towards the front, a little different to its usual manner. If it went unnoticed her mother would surely grow more annoyed as time went on, ultimately leading to an outburst of “Is nopony going to ask me about my mane?” followed by the obligatory sulking period.

“How was work, dear? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Mum. I’m just a little tired is all,” Rosa replied, sitting upright. “It was quite busy today, but it was fine, really.”

“Oh that’s good to hear. I was just wondering how you were doing. Also, I think Sparks is coming back from training with your father for a quick visit. Maybe he could stay for dinner?”

Rosa’s heart nearly leapt from her chest and she involuntarily held her breath. Her mother smirked at her reaction, pressing a hoof to her lips as if to physically push the laughter back into her system. “That’s... nice...” Rosa remarked, unable to hide her nervousness.

“Well, well, well... It looks like you’re quite smitten! Oh don’t worry, darling. Everything will go just fine. Though maybe you could do a little something with your mane? Lying down on that bed has ruffled it just a tad.”

“Sure thing,” Rosa said dryly, brushing back her hair with a foreleg which had virtually no effect on her appearance.

“Excellent. They’ll be here in about an hour or so, so make sure you’re ready!” With that, Daisy gently closed the door and trotted back downstairs.

Rosa turned herself over and buried her face into the pillow. It wasn’t that Sparks was coming to see her that made her displeased. It was the fact that she would have her parents as an audience judging her at every turn. Now that her mother was convinced that she was besotted she would surely put her unwanted nose in to their every move. Her father had been the one to set this up in the first place, and now he would be hoping for the perfect fairytale to play out before his eyes. Please don’t stay for dinner, she repeated to herself, holding her hooves together in prayer.

“Hello Sparks! Welcome to our humble abode! I’m Rosa’s mother, Daisy Bloom.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs Bloom. Your husband has told me so much about you.”

“Not too much I hope. Anyway, I think Rosa is just upstairs. I’ll go get her for you.”

“Thank you ma’am.”

Rosa had her door left ajar and was eavesdropping on the conversation. Taking a deep breath she headed down into the shop area smiling as convincingly as possible.

“It’s OK, Mum. I heard you,” she called cheerily. She appeared at the bottom of the stairs to see her parents and Spark stood by the counter. They all smiled back at her, Sparks adding a courteous wave. His forehead was drenched in sweat and his blonde mane seemed both unkempt and heavily stylized at the same time, possibly the result of both hair gel and some questionable advice on what mares wanted in a stallion.

Rosa consciously slowed down her usual walking pace, trying not to seem too keen. She could see Sparks tapping his back legs gently against the wooden floorboards, due to a case of the nerves, perhaps, or excitement?

“Hey Sparks, it’s nice to see you again,” she beamed, if a little falsely.

“Nice to see you again too! I hope you don’t mind me dropping by. I just thought it would be a bit better than passing a message on like some school foal.”

“That’s fine. I don’t mind, really.”

They locked eyes for a moment in silence, when Speedwell entered the conversation.

“Well I guess we’d better give these kids some space. Don’t ya think so, Daisy?”

“Quite right! We don’t want to crowd around the youngsters. Just a quick question first. Would you not care to stay for dinner, Sparks?”

Sparks shook his head. “Sorry Mrs. Bloom. My mother will be expecting me back soon, but thank you kindly for the offer.”

“That’s quite alright; I wouldn’t want to impose. I’ll let you and Rosa have a little chat then.”

Daisy and Speedwell smiled before quickly shuffling their way to the kitchen diner. Rosa kept them in her eyesight, waiting until they had closed the door behind them to turn back to Sparks and utter a sigh of relief. The unicorn grinned knowingly and stroked his chin.

“And I thought it was the stallion who was supposed to be nervous about meeting a mare’s folks,” he declared.

Rosa smirked, surprised by how easily he had read her emotions. “I guess it’s that obvious, huh? Just don’t make an ‘I can read you like a book’ joke because I’ve heard that enough times.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sparks chuckled. “So anyway, getting down to business... Well actually maybe that’s a bad way of putting it...”

“It’s only a bad way of putting it if you go on to say that it is, you know,” Rosa pointed out, amused by his demeanour. In some strange way his uneasiness actually made her more comfortable. Sparks closed his eyes and smirked, as if readying himself.

“OK, I understand. So getting down to... the matter at hoof...” Sparks raised his eyebrows comically, bringing a genuine smile to Rosa’s face. “I’ll be picking you up from here at precisely one o’ clock on Saturday. I should hope that’s enough time for a lay in.”

Rosa furrowed her brow. “Lay in? Let me guess… My Dad mentioned my laziness?”

Sparks chortled and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Maybe,” he confessed.

Rosa rolled her eyes. “Thanks Dad,” she muttered, but loudly enough for Sparks to hear. “So what do you have planned?”

Sparks raised a hoof and grew a mischievous grin. “You said to surprise you, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it?”

“Oh, I see. OK, well it had better be a good surprise because I hate being disappointed.” she said deviously.

“Oh I’ll be sure to exceed all expectations,” replied Sparks, pulling a look of terror and biting at his hooves farcically.

Rosa laughed once more, holding her chest with one hoof. It was uncanny how easy it was to talk to Sparks despite her previous reservations. In a way, his apparent flaws made him seem more trustworthy, more real. Rosa wondered if he had never been on a date before either, but kept that question to herself. A pang of suspicion ran through her spine and she turned to see if her parents were spying on her. Thankfully, her suspicions were wrong.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you on Saturday then,” Rosa said cheerily, hoping to not prolong the conversation too long and let it divulge into awkward small talk. That could wait until the day of the date.

“Oh, yeah, I’ll see you Saturday,” he gasped, stroking through his mane involuntarily. “Um... yeah, OK...”

For a moment he stood stock still, looking pensively over Rosa’s shoulder. Intrigued, she once again turned around, expecting to see a head poking around the kitchen door, but there was nothing. Turning back towards Sparks, the stallion grinned nervously and edged a hoof towards her. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, leaving Rosa confused but also expectant of what was to come. After opening his eyes again he leaned forward, and gently clasping his left foreleg around Rosa’s neck and pressing the side of his head into hers.

“See you soon,” he whispered, stroking through her mane.

Before Rosa could mentally process the event, Sparks withdrew, wearing a joyful but considerably more serious face as he gazed thoughtfully into her eyes. Dumbstruck, Rosa’s jaw drooped, her focus switching between each of Sparks’ facial features. Mindful of her potentially dim-witted expression she snapped her jaw shut.

“Yeah, see you soon,” she mustered, feeling the rising heat from her cheeks.

Sparks beamed back and turned on his heel, casually strolling into the street with a new air of confidence about him. Seemingly transfixed, Rosa continued watching as he made his way past the now lit streetlight, and cast a glance over his shoulder. Her heart jolted into a new beat as she smiled back instinctively. Sparks’ own smile widened and he strode on into the opposite street, his head held high.

Rosa exhaled with relief and closed the door on the rest of the world. She sat for a moment in the doorway, trying to get her head around what had just happened. She was considerably flustered, but felt elated, as if somepony had gifted her with temporary weightlessness. What stuck in her mind was the earthy smell of Sparks’ coat and the warmth of his cheeks as he pressed up against her. It shouldn’t have been a peculiar sensation; after all, she had received hugs from various ponies throughout her life.

The ponderous mare scratched her head, trying desperately to find reason amongst the confusion clouding her thought. Upon thinking of Sparks she felt a minute, but noticeable rush. She pushed aside the idea that she could have fallen for him because of such a small gesture. After all, she didn’t feel as if she wanted more from him. That short hug had made her feel vulnerable but comfortable, nothing more than a sense of well-being.

Shaking her head at her own uselessness at trying to deal with such simple incidents, she took a deep breath and readied herself for the inevitable probing conversation from her parents. She had little doubt that her mother had been listening in. Creeping forward into the kitchen, Rosa was unsurprised to see her parents sat at the dinner table. Her mother had her hooves pressed together and bared her teeth in an excited grin. Her father cocked his head and pursed his lips to a small extent, looking as if he was either silently judging or simply analysing her expression.

Rosa shuffled forward casually, grabbed a carrot from one of the cupboards, leant onto the worktop and began munching away nonchalantly.

“What?”

With this, her parents burst into a torrent of laughter.

Rosa awoke abruptly, a piercing birdsong from outside her window tearing her away from peaceful slumber. She rubbed her eyes and allowed for her vision to adjust. The multicoloured blurs began to solidify and take the shape of her familiar bedroom door, bed posts, desk and mirror. She yawned unenthusiastically, feeling as if she had barely slept. Stretching out her legs did little to alleviate the aches and pains of her lower body. She still wasn’t used to standing on two legs for long periods of time. Three days in a row had taken their toll, and she dreaded the thought of doing it for the whole five days.

She glanced over at the clock above her mirror. Twenty five past ten. She couldn’t remember her alarm going off that morning, meaning she must have turned it off in her sleep. Again. Groggily, she dragged herself from under the duvet and onto the hardwood floor. Grabbing her white faux leather money pouch and fastening it around her left foreleg, she threw open her bedroom door.

Today’s the day, she thought.

She hastily showered herself and combed through her mane. It had been getting difficult to handle as of late, though she always disliked the look of her hair after it had been cut short. It always became a chore trying to style it accordingly rather than brush through it and let it fall into place naturally.

Still bleary eyed, she trotted downstairs and into the kitchen diner. Her mother was sat at the table sipping a mug of tea, looking perky as ever.

“Morning dear. Sleep well?”

“As well as I ever do,” Rosa groaned. “I think I could use a cup of tea myself.”

“Now I know you must be nervous today but all you need to do is just be yourself. Remember that he’s the one who’ll be trying to impress you, so don’t worry about anything.”

“Are you sure that’s not just an old fashioned way of thinking?” Rosa quipped.

“You’d be surprised,” her mother began. “Some say it’s just natural, but I like to think that it’s an etiquette embedded into society over the years. I guess it’s something of a price to pay in exchange for the pain of childbirth.”

Rosa murmured in fake agreement, hoping that this was the last she would hear of the subject. Ever since she’d become properly acquainted with Sparks she could swear that her mother suddenly started viewing her like a genetic time capsule. It was a scary thought.

“I was thinking maybe you could wear one of your nice dresses. Perhaps your nice pink one? You know the one I mean.”

“Are you sure that’s not a little too much?” Rosa asked, sitting down with her newly poured mug of tea. “Plus, didn’t you say that I needed to be myself? Also, I don’t need to be the one to impress him?”

“Yes, well... It never hurts to put in a little effort, dear.”

Rosa sighed, once again bewildered by her mother’s unwavering contradictions. “But Mum, I never wear dresses. I don’t feel comfortable in them. I’ll be fine just going as I am.”

Her mother furrowed her brow and bit her lip. “Well I suppose if you insist, but surely you could spruce yourself up just a tiny bit. What about that lovely bow? Oh, when you wear that in your mane you look absolutely beautiful.”

“I haven’t worn that thing in years; I’m not even sure where it is,” Rosa lied, remembering that she’d seen it under a pile of clutter in her wardrobe. “Like I said, I’ll be just fine going as I am.”

“Please Rosa,” her mother said sternly. “I’m just trying to give you a helping hoof. I want this date to go as well as you do, so will you please at least look for it because I am really not in the mood for your usual attitude. For all you know this young stallion could be the one you end up spending the rest of your life with. Your father and I met out of pure coincidence and look at us now! We run a business together and even have a lovely daughter. You need to start thinking about your future, Rosa!”

Awestruck by her mother’s sudden outburst Rosa backed off. Of course, she could just go against her mother’s advice. After all, it was just some date with somepony she hardly knew. She bit her tongue, knowing that she would only be letting herself in for more grief if she tried to challenge her mother like this.

“OK Mum, I’ll see if I can find it.”

“Thank you, dear. I do think it’s for the best.”

Rosa begrudgingly paced back upstairs and rummaged around in her wardrobe. The bow in question was hot pink and made of smooth silk. It was around five inches in width and had heart shapes embroidered along the ribbons. Surprisingly, it was barely creased save for a slight crumple along one of the seams. She grabbed it in her mouth and brought it downstairs, making no attempt to tie it on herself. She’d only be told that she should have put it on differently and have to have it rearranged as her mother tutted in disappointment.

“Mum, could you help me put it on? I don’t know how I should wear this thing.”

“Well how do you want to wear it?”

“Whatever looks best,” Rosa replied, trying her best not to become aggravated. Why would I know how I’d want to wear it when I never wanted to wear it in the first place?

Her mother walked over and effortlessly fastened the bow onto the left side of her mane at Rosa’s eye-line. She stepped back to appreciate her work. “Now that does you so much justice, dear. You look so very sweet.”

Rosa brushed through her mane, feeling the bow tightly bound to her hair, two ribbons dangling to its side. Thankfully, it wasn’t too imposing and felt almost weightless. “Does it really look that good?” Rosa asked, trying to visualise her appearance.

“Go and have a look for yourself dear. It really compliments your features; you look ever so pretty. I dare say that Sparks will find you absolutely gorgeous.”

The next two hours passed by swiftly as Rosa clock-watched amidst her reading of An Equestrian Night Mare. The novel’s story had taken an unexpected turn, the main protagonist becoming captured by the perpetrator while the two friends who were once at odds worked together to find her. The mayor was now at her wits end, passing a motion on a town-wide curfew in case ponies were getting snatched in dark alleyways at night. There was still no reveal as to who had committed the crimes and Rosa was fresh out of ideas, hoping that the book didn’t finish with some unheard of character making an appearance with a tacked-on back story.

Noticing that it was now quarter to one, Rosa put down the book and wandered downstairs. Sitting patiently beside the counter, she could watch the citizens of Ponyville go about their daily lives. A group of fillies were playing tag, a young couple walked past — the stallion’s wing curled around the mare’s side. A distressed mother called angrily out after her son as he skipped down the lane, nearly knocking into an older pony who seemed to be amused by the incident more than anything.

She stared blankly into the distance, the mishmash of colours from the various ponies, houses and surrounding flora in the midday sun making the outside world look appropriately inviting. Just as her mind began to wander, a recognizable unicorn poked his head around a street corner and strode towards her. Feeling both apprehensive and excited, Rosa readied herself for her first date. Even if it wasn’t with Nico, she had at least made some kind of progress in her life worth any merit. Putting her insecurities to rest, Rosa smiled and opened up the door to greet Sparks. She could feel that it was going to be an interesting day, to say the least.

Voice of Reason II - The Problem

Voice of Reason II – The Problem

Five and a half months before the end of harmony

Princess Celestia knocked gently on the dormitory door, her breath held as she readied herself. She’d done this before so many times. She shouldn’t be fazed by this anymore. Her instincts, however, told her that this shouldn’t come naturally, that it shouldn’t simply be another act she had to carry out. It wasn’t just anypony behind that door. It was a friend.

“Come in,” came a voice barely above a whisper.

Celestia pushed open the door to find scattered papers, disorganised living space and a pony hunched over a desk at the end of the room, staring out of the window. She stepped towards him, nodding to her guards for a moment’s peace.

“I never noticed how beautiful this place was,” the stallion remarked, his smile overshadowed by the barrage of tears across his face. “Even when you first took me in I could hardly even see it. The way the pillars twist and turn. The way birds circle the trees in the courtyard. The way the sky contrasts against the earth…” He turned towards the Princess, taking a deep breath. “It puts things into perspective.”

“I take it you already know what I’m about to tell you.”

Voice of Reason smiled harder, his eyes swelling to near bursting point. “Thank you for trying, Princess. I really do mean that.” He looked away for a moment, taking in the view outside once again. “How long do I have?”

Celestia moved closer, draping the tip of her wing on his back. “We don’t know for sure,” she said softly, feeling the onset of anxiety. “At best, you’ll live another two or three years. At worst…” She cleared her throat, regaining her composure. “Six months. Once the tumour grows large enough, your brain function will begin to deteriorate. After that, you’ll lose control of your bodily functions. I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

There was a moment of tender silence before the Princess spoke again. “There was something you wanted to do, wasn’t there? In case this happened.”

“If it’s not too much to ask.”

“By all means.”

Voice of Reason arched his back, stretching his weary limbs. He’d been sitting in that same spot for almost two days. “I was never fortunate enough to have friends. After what happened with my father, I found it difficult to do anything. It’ll come as no surprise that I never really formed any kind of relationship with anypony. After something like that, I couldn’t trust anyone.” He gazed deeply into Celestia’s eyes, forcing the corners of his mouth into a grin. “But you showed me that I should learn to trust. I… I think I’m ready.”

Celestia smiled comfortingly. “I know you are. I’ll make the arrangements. I think you and I both know what needs to be done.”

“It would mean the world to me.”

“Then I’ll write a letter to Twilight about your situation. If there’s anypony I trust, it’s the Elements of Harmony.”

“Please, don’t!” Voice cried with exasperation. “I don’t… I don’t want them to pity me. That’s why I don’t want any more doctors or shrinks. I want to experience the magic of friendship the way it should be. And when the time comes, I’ll tell them myself. Please… At least let me have this.”

It took all of five seconds for the Princess to mull things over and nod sagely. “As you wish.”

“Thank you! Thank you!” Voice leapt from his seat and embraced Celestia’s foreleg. “You truly are a saint. Thank you! Thank you!”

“It is the least I can do.”

Celestia trotted back into the hallway and reunited with her guards. As she paced her way back towards the exit, she was met with her sister walking towards her. The Princess of The Night looked furious.

“What brings you here, dearest sister?” asked Celestia.

“Have you already spoken with him?” Luna blasted, her face tensed.

“Yes. And I have decided to let him stay with the Elements for a while.”

“Don’t be so foolish, Celestia! Do you really not see the problem?”

The royal guards appeared unsettled, as if they were expecting a full-on brawl between the two alicorns. A small gesture from Celestia, and they backed off. “I do not think the problem is as big as you seem to believe. Twilight is stronger than you know and her friends are just the same. I owe this stallion.”

“You say that the Elements are strong, and I agree with you. However, this is far too reckless. To palm off a dying pony and expect them to cope—”

“Voice has requested that we do not tell them, and I have given him my word. He will tell them when he is ready.”

“You did what?” Luna shook her head in disbelief. “I hope you understand what you are doing, sister, because I do not. The Elements are not experimental guinea-pigs for you to prod; they are not here to be tested for such things as this!”

“Calm yourself, Luna. You and I both know that Twilight will eventually become one of us, and she’ll have to deal with these things in due time. Out of all the ponies I know, they are the ones most likely to give Voice the final few days that he deserves. I am doing this out of kindness, not cruelty, and certainly not stupidity.”

Luna backed away, refusing to face her sibling. “I hope you’re right,” she seethed, and began to walk in the other direction.

Celestia reassured the guards, but reminded them to keep quiet about this affair. Equestria would surely overreact to the bickering of its two rulers. She sighed, and carried on with her day, trying to forget what Luna had said.

Meanwhile, Voice had bolted the door to his room. He had cleared the desk entirely save for a single leaf of parchment. The stallion smiled to himself, tossing aside his quill and picking up a small pack of crayons from the floor. He singled out three colours — purple, pink and blue — and began to draw.

He was a dead pony walking.

And he couldn’t be happier.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 6 - High Flying

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 6 – High Flying

“Afternoon!” Rosa chirped, flinging open the door just as Sparks reached the porch.

“Yeah, good afternoon to you too.” The two ponies traded cheery expressions. Sparks was wearing a lightweight woven black jacket with a golden badge pinned to the front. After all the fuss she had made about not wearing anything special she felt a slight tinge of regret in front of the well-dressed stallion. “I like what you’ve done with your mane; that bow looks good on you.”

Rosa instinctively brushed a hoof through her hair and through where the bow was hinged. “Thanks… Apparently it’s been passed down through the family for several generations.”

“Well isn’t that something...” Sparks said, inspecting the bow.

“So… What’s today’s big surprise?”

“I can’t tell you that just yet,” Sparks replied with a sly grin. “All I can say is that we have a train to catch, and don’t worry, I’m paying.”

“A train? Where are we going?” Rosa asked, her interest piqued.

“Canterlot, but that’s all I can give away right now,” Sparks said with a wink.

“Canterlot? Wow!” Rosa exclaimed, her eyes brightening. For some reason, the idea of visiting some far away land didn’t feel all that daunting. There was something about Sparks that told her she’d be taken care of. “OK, now I’m really curious about what’s going on.”

Sparks chuckled. “Well you won’t have to wonder for too much longer, but we’ll have to make a move. The train leaves in about forty minutes.”

“See you later, Mum! Bye!” Rosa called over her shoulder, not really caring if her mother heard her or not. She turned back to her companion. “At least, I assume I’m back later, right?”

Sparks blushed slightly at her words. “Well, yes. Of course you’re coming back tonight—”

“I didn’t mean that!” Rosa blurted, feeling her cheeks grow hot. “I just... oh never mind. Let’s just get going.” Rosa closed the door sharply and strode forward quickly as if in an attempt to outrun the awkward situations that followed her every step. Then just as she was about to make off down the street, she stopped and turned back, looking flustered. “Which way is it?”

Sparks dipped his head, a smirk across his face. He trotted slowly up to her and pointed a hoof in almost the complete opposite direction to where she’d been walking. Feeling another wave of embarrassment wash over her, Rosa draped her mane over the left side of her face to conceal Sparks from her view.

“OK, you lead the way,” she muttered.

His face scrunched up in mirth, Sparks took his place beside her and led on. He started out slowly, acting in politeness for the young mare but soon sped up to match her lengthy strides and fast-paced walk. Rosa kept herself quiet, trying not to instigate another uncomfortable moment.

“You... don’t know the way to the train station?” Sparks asked quietly, offering a weak smile.

Rosa kept her head down, a little ashamed of her own answer. “Well, I haven’t really gone travelling, so I haven’t needed to know where it is.”

“Um, OK...”

They walked in silence for a minute more, passing by a patch of farmland where several earth ponies were collecting potatoes and tossing them into large brown sacks. A young colt was struggling, a potato slipping from his hooves and over his head, leading him into a spin as he tried to catch it. Sparks chortled and drew the pony’s attention to him. The colt blushed at first, then swiftly tossed the potato into his sack with a back leg. He peered over the fence where Rosa and Sparks were and waved exuberantly.

Sparks waved first, ushering Rosa to follow suit. She looked over at the cheeky yellow pony and was brightened up by the picture of beautiful innocence before her. Grinning, she raised a leg of her own and waved gingerly. The colt clapped his hooves together excitedly and turned back to his work, the surrounding ponies — likely members of his family — beckoning him over.

The ice broken, Rosa and Sparks exchanged glances as the heavy atmosphere was slowly lifted.

“So... you’ve never been to Canterlot? This will be even more of an exciting day out for you.”

“Well we’ll see about that won’t we...” Rosa said slyly. “I’m certainly looking forward to seeing if everything they say is true. I just hope I don’t look too common for all the fancy folk.”

“I shouldn’t think that was even possible,” scoffed Sparks. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. Also, Canterlot isn’t quite as snooty as some ponies make it out to be.”

“Well that’s a relief.”

“Hey, you don’t need to worry at all.”

“Easier said than done I’m afraid,” Rosa said with a smirk. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I kind of have a knack for making a fool of myself.”

Sparks stifled a laugh and forced a more serious expression. “Without flaws there is no beauty, only blandness. Perfection is overrated if you ask me.”

“Thanks... I think?” Rosa replied, raising her eyebrows.

“I did mean that as a compliment!” Sparks clarified, his voice rising in pitch.

“No, I realise that. If anypony called me perfect I’d know they were lying anyway. If anything, I should be thanking you for your honesty.”

“Well so long as you’re not offended either way.”

Rosa flashed an amused glance back at him, flattered at his never-ending attempts to make her feel respected and admired. Unlike a lot of attention she’d had from colts and stallions this was anything but creepy or juvenile. In fact, she realised her own obsession with Nico was probably a lot weirder. At least Sparks’ feelings fell into the realms of reality.

“So what kinds of things are you into, Rosa? I mean, in terms of hobbies and things.”

Rosa was snapped out of her daydream of Nico walking by her side instead. “Oh, um... Well I guess I like reading a lot, though you’ve probably already guessed that.”

“Yeah, I think I realised that. So...” Sparks started.

Don’t ask me what else I like doing because I won’t have an answer, thought Rosa in that fraction of a second.

“So... what kinds of books do you like?”

“Oh, yeah, of course!” gasped Rosa a little too excitedly. “I’m kind of into crime stories and also a few horror novels,” she said, deliberately underplaying her love for horror.

“Wow, that’s kind of a surprise! I didn’t take you for a crime buff.”

“I guess I enjoy trying to decipher mysteries. I usually fail, but… It’s still fun.”

“I see. So you’re not into all that girly romance stuff?”

Rosa cocked her head and smirked. “No, I can’t say that I am. I guess that’s partly because... well...” she trailed off.

“Go on,” said Sparks with a curious look on his face.

Rosa sighed, knowing that she couldn’t think of an appropriate lie. “It’s because I don’t really want to read about fictional characters having relationships when I’ve not been in one myself. Now that I’ve said that, cue awkward moment number fifty-seven, courtesy of yours truly.”

“I don’t think that’s weird,” declared Sparks, unfazed by her comment. “I could see why you wouldn’t want that. If anything, I think you should be proud not to have had relationships. I know that must sound strange considering that we’re, um... out on a date, but I really do think so.”

Rosa blushed. “Thanks Sparks, but you’re right. It does sound strange saying it considering the circumstances.”

“Oh, who cares?” Sparks quipped, grinning coltishly.

Rosa smiled back, realising that she had an opportune moment to ask a question of her own. “Now, without trying to intrude too much, have you ever been with anypony before?”

Sparks became flustered in an instant. “Well, no. This is the first date I’ve ever been on.”

“Oh, sorry to have brought it up! I mean, just because you’d brought that up and I just wondered, that’s all.”

In truth, the fact that he was in the same boat made her feel at ease. Somepony with a long list of ex-filly-friends would undoubtedly compare her to past experiences, which would be worrying. Plus, she imagined that ponies who had already been in relationships would have some kind of expectation regarding how quickly a relationship should progress and...

“That’s OK, Rosa, I don’t really mind. It’s a new experience for us both, so let’s try and enjoy it.”

Startled out of her train of thought, Rosa simply smiled and nodded in response. This wasn’t so much a date for her, but more of a trial she had to pass. For all she knew her feelings for Nico could be replaced by feelings for Sparks. She had had dreams in the past of marrying Nico and greeting ponies as ‘Mrs Demus’, revelling at the prospect of spending her life with her beloved friend only to be awoken and face the much less appealing reality of her life. Perhaps things would change from here on out.

The two of them walked past several housing estates and rows of cottages that Rosa was familiar with, before Sparks led her through a trodden path beside a large field dotted with daffodils and poppies. Rosa was never sure exactly what was legal to eat out in the countryside. She knew that in the village district it was forbidden to eat any of the plants or grass that was owned by anypony, and this included those found in parks and communal gardens. She had heard of a few cases where some troublesome colts and fillies had torn away at patches of grass in some areas only to later be found puking themselves silly. This was thanks to some kind of supplement added to the soil.

Supposedly the new rules were brought in after settlers moved to Ponyville many years ago and promptly ruined vast rows of hedges and flowerbeds that were owned by the state. Before that it was simply out of politeness and respect, but after settlers were able to evade the law lots of ponies were soon in on the act, and the regulations had to be changed. For one thing, a free for all on vegetation would certainly ruin many potential businesses and cripple the already dwindling economy.

As Rosa peered out, the landscape became less and less recognisable, eventually becoming almost alien, despite the fact that they hadn’t even left Ponyville.

“We’re almost there, Rosa. To be honest we’re here quicker than I thought we would be, so we might have to wait at the station a while.”

“Well apparently I’m a fast walker, so you can blame me for that!” Rosa chuckled.

“I had noticed. I guess you’re a natural athlete like your father.”

“Athlete? Me? I just don’t like dawdling. I don’t know whether that’s a sign of impatience, but I sometimes find that walking slowly is almost more tiring than walking quickly. If I’m walking with somepony who’s just shuffling along at a snail’s pace I get frustrated!”

“Well you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“I don’t try and pretend to be normal. That would be too difficult, anyway.” Rosa smiled knowingly. Sparks threw back an amused glance as they made their way around a street corner, the train station coming into full view.

The main building in front of them had an old-style slatted roof with bold red shingles and a bricked wall with various oranges, browns and other earthy colours. There were large windows along the front wall a wooden revolving door at the entrance. A few ponies were stood around chatting to friends and family, some with saddlebags and satchels from their recent journey.

The two of them sauntered inside. The floor was a stone marble with chequered black and white tiles that was a little dizzying to stare at. To the left was a ticket master doling out tickets to a small queue of ponies and to the right was a set of stairs with signs for ‘Platform 2’ and ‘Toilets’. In front of them was a food vendor and a pathway that led to an outer section.

“I’ve already got our tickets so we can just head on out,” Sparks declared. “Did you want something to eat first?” He gestured towards the vendor, stood with an array of muffins, cakes and fresh smelling vegetable pasties. There was also a line of bottles arranged like a rainbow, with orange, apple, pineapple, blackberry juices.

“Um, maybe something to drink?” Rosa suggested, unclipping the clasp on her money pouch.

“Oh no, you don’t need to worry about that!” said Sparks, waving his hoof. “I can get you anything you want.”

“Sparks, you’ve paid for the tickets and presumably whatever it is we’re doing in Canterlot. It wouldn’t be right for me to just sit back and let you pay for everything.”

“Oh, but it wouldn’t be right if I did that. I wouldn’t want to—”

Rosa rolled her eyes and swiftly interrupted him, but kept her voice calm. “Sparks, I can buy myself a drink. I know you’re trying to be polite but I feel guilty enough having you pay for everything else as it is.” This was partly true, but mainly Rosa didn’t want to start acting like the fabled ‘gold-diggers’ that would drip a stallion’s wallet dry and giggle stupidly as they continued to fawn over them. She’d met a few mares who gave that same vibe and she certainly didn’t want to become like them. “Thank you very much for the offer, Sparks. I know you mean well, but please, I would rather buy something myself.”

Before the stallion could interject again Rosa walked up to the cheery purple unicorn mare stood at the counter.

“What can I get ya, sweetheart?” the older mare asked with a silky smooth country accent.

“Just some pineapple juice... and whatever he’s having.” Rosa replied, gesturing over her shoulder at Sparks.

“Oh, I don’t want anything! I’m fine!” he spluttered. Rosa could swear that he was deliberately lying just so she wouldn’t have to pay, but she didn’t press the issue any further. She thought of how her mother would be advising her to ‘let the young stallion pay’ and laughed internally.

“Well, just the one juice then please!”

“That’ll be two bits!”

Rosa paid for her drink, wrenched the top off the bottle with her teeth and knocked back half a bottle-full. The juice was slightly warm, but was refreshing enough. She twisted the lid back on and shuffled back to Sparks with the bottle held in her mouth.

“I can get that, not to worry,” said Sparks, and gently lifted the bottle away with a pearly white tendril of magic.

Rosa frowned. “I wish I could do that,” she mumbled.

Sparks’ face turned sheepish. “Would you rather I didn’t use magic?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s like saying I shouldn’t walk about if there’s somepony who’s disabled.”

“I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”

As they made their way outside they saw a brightly coloured train pull up onto the opposite platform, the carriages painted with hot pink, deep red and pastel green. Ponies of all description poured out of the carriage doors, some greeting family and friends and others hurriedly making their way over the bridge with suitcases and bags. A loud whistle was blown and the train slowly chugged its way to the left and sped off into the distance.

“You ever been on a train before?” Sparks asked as the sound of the distant locomotive fell to just a murmur.

“I don’t think so. I might have when I was really young, but I certainly can’t remember it. Weird, I know.”

“Don’t worry about it, some ponies just haven’t done things that other ponies have, it’s no big deal.”

Summer Sun would have some sort of comment to make there, Rosa thought as they sat down on a wooden bench. At the other end sat a disgruntled looking stallion dressed all in black, with metal earrings resembling wind chimes. He turned towards her and Rosa quickly brought her gaze back to the train tracks, feeling a little intimidated.

“Nice weather we’re having,” whispered Sparks in a vain attempt at small talk.

“Yeah, it really is nice out.”

“I wish the pegasi could just leave it like this all the time, but then I guess that wouldn’t be so great in the long run, huh?”

“I’ve thought the same thing before,” Rosa said with a chuckle. “I have a friend who works as a weather controller and I’ve joked about it with her a few times.”

“That sounds interesting!” Sparks exclaimed. “I don’t really know many pegasi that work on the weather and I’ve always wondered about it. Uh... I mean, it’d be great to meet your friends some time. Maybe it would make things more comfortable for you if we hung out as a group.”

Rosa’s heart leapt inside her chest as she envisaged Sparks and Nico meeting face to face, Nico shaking him by the hoof and thinking nothing of the affair, leaving her alone with Sparks and forever erasing any possibility of romance. They’d become ‘bros’ as time passed, joking about their supposed ‘activities’ and life going on normally for everypony but her. But what if Sparks became enraged by Nico’s presence and stopped her from seeing him again? The possibilities ran through Rosa’s mind at break-neck pace.

“Yeah, that’d be good,” Rosa replied dryly.

Sparks eyed her nervously and turned to his own hooves, gently knocking them together in thought. Rosa knew it would be better to say something now like ‘I’d like to meet your friends too,’ or ‘It’d be great for us to hang out with everypony,’ or something, but she couldn’t bring herself to that. They spent the next few minutes in mutual silence, the hoof beats of commuters and announcements from personnel being the only things to pass their ears.

Sparks was the first to break the peace. “Hey, cheer up. It’s no fun seeing you look glum.”

“Sorry I’m, uh... I’m just thinking about things is all.”

“Oh, OK.” Sparks breathed in deeply then exhaled, stretching out his legs. “Anything you want to talk about?”

Rosa smiled weakly and shook her head gently from side to side.

“That’s OK, I wouldn’t want to impose or anything. I mean, I don’t like it when everypony constantly heckles me so I wouldn’t want to do that myself.”

“Thanks,” Rosa said approvingly, meeting Sparks’ gaze once more. She was reminded how easily he was able to cut through a bad atmosphere. He seemed strangely knowledgeable and wise, even if at a first glance he could be mistaken for a brainless meat-head. Come to think of it, the two of them both shared similarities in that their appearances were deceiving, giving off certain impressions that were far from the truth.

He’s like me, she thought, now staring out across the platform as rows of ponies trotted across the bridge. She considered her own feelings for a moment, whether she felt any kind of spark, (a pun that Rosa acknowledged with silent mirth) and whether she should be listening to hear head or her heart. She hated to admit it, but she would have preferred Sparks as a friend and Nico as a lover. But would the situation have been the same? Would she have just developed feelings for Sparks instead, just because he’d be unattainable? She felt guilty for spending so much of her time thinking about Nico when she was here with somepony else, somepony who really did like her, and yet she could only seem to look at him objectively.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of several commuters standing to attention and looking out into the distance as a train began its way towards them.

“This is our train!” Sparks announced.

They hopped to their hooves as Sparks readied two tickets from his jacket pocket, floating them in front of him with wisps of white magic alongside Rosa’s bottle of juice.

“I can take that if you want,” she piped up, taking the bottle from his telekinetic grasp. It was a strange sensation, feeling his magic unravel like twine across her mouth. Rosa didn’t know many unicorns and so was unfamiliar with what magic even was, even if she did crave their abilities. She gasped a little as it flowed across her lips, feeling for one moment as if Sparks was somehow using his magic to ‘touch’ her.

“Oh sorry, did I not let go soon enough?”

Rosa placed the bottle down. “No, it’s fine. I’m just not used to magic.”

The train’s brakes screeched before it came to a halt. After a few seconds the carriage doors opened and a sea of ponies disembarked, hurrying out towards the exit. Rosa and Sparks paused as a group of bolshie mares pushed their way through the crowds to reach the doors first, a few obscenities being uttered by neighbouring ponies.

As they finally made their way inside Sparks glanced down the aisle and pointed out two empty seats. The train was tightly packed; barely any seats were left and the luggage area was a mountain of bags and suitcases that was still receiving additions from passengers.

They quickly claimed the seats, Sparks offering up the one next to the window by extending a hoof. Rosa happily obliged and sat down, tilting her head back in an effort to relax. It was surprisingly comfortable, with more than enough legroom.

“You’re not going to fall asleep at this time of day are you?” Sparks chortled.

Rosa smiled and shook her head, but the more she thought of it the more sleep seemed appealing. She refused to believe that you could get by with only six hours sleep a night and still be completely fine, although perhaps it was just one of those things that differed among different ponies.

As the last of the passengers came onto the train a whistle was sounded and the carriage doors closed. The train began to chug along, numerous colts and fillies waving wildly at each other through the windows. It picked up speed, bolting out of the station and through a tunnel. Upon exiting the other end Rosa was greeted by a view of a vast forest that looked both intimidating and enticing. Her hooves pressed against the glass, she watched as the enormous forest passed her by in a matter of seconds, rolling hills and multi-coloured fields stretching out from the horizon. She could see a large windmill spinning in the distance and what could have been either a pegasus or a large bird circling it.

“You’re enjoying yourself I see,” Sparks noted, laying back into his seat.

“I just love the view,” replied Rosa, spotting what looked like a camp site in the middle of a wood. “I’ve rarely been outside Ponyville so it’s weird seeing an unfamiliar landscape.”

“I sure hope your highlight of the day isn’t the train journey,” said Sparks in a mock groan. “Though actually, it could make things a lot cheaper. I could just send you on a return journey to Manehattan and back and call it a date.”

Rosa laughed and rolled her eyes. “I’m not quite sure why I’ve not been on a train before. I feel like I’m a little foal having never done such trivial things.”

Sparks simply smiled, supposedly not wanting to comment. As the journey went on Rosa tore herself away from the window and began looking aimlessly up and down the carriage for a while. After growing tired of that she stared at Sparks’ reflection in the window as he gazed onwards looking relaxed, occasionally glancing in her direction. A sudden realisation swept over her and she turned to face him.

“I feel like I’m just forgetting something you’ve already told me, but I can’t recall it. What’s your last name?”

Sparks paused and brought a hoof to his face with a pensive expression. “Now that you mention it I don’t think I have told you. Never mind, I guess it’s good that you realised sooner rather than later. My last name is Fly.”

Rosa recoiled unintentionally at this. “That’s a bit strange considering you’re a unicorn, not a pegasus.”

“Well my Dad is from a long line of pure-breed pegasi, so it hasn’t been strange until I came along and ruined it. Still, as far as names go it could have been worse.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Oh, and don’t forget my middle name either.”

“Your middle name? What is it?”

“Will.”

After an hour and a half’s journey the train came to a halt in the Canterlot train station. Rather than the solitary shack and outdoor platforms of Ponyville they pulled up into what looked like a palace. Much of the outer wall and ceiling was made from tinted glass that helped filter out the sunlight. Chandeliers hung from chains above each of the platforms, accompanied by ornate lamp posts, the light from which bounced across the multi-coloured marble flooring. Banners were spread out across the walls reading ‘Welcome to Canterlot’ and ‘The home of her majesty The Princess’ among other things. It was a far cry from Ponyville.

As Rosa and Sparks disembarked they could see another train on the opposite side of the hall chuffing its way to its destination. The sound of the bustling ponies was almost deafening; a cacophony of hollers and hooves against stone amidst loudspeaker announcements that were almost unintelligible. For Rosa, it was an assault on the senses. She’d seen busy marketplaces and the like, but this was far beyond anything she’d witnessed. Passers-by barged past the two of them, knocking them as they attempted to meander through the crowds as quickly as possible. Sparks loyally paced along next to her, occasionally raising a hoof to prise through groups of travellers, though not forcefully. Most ponies would think twice before getting in the way of such a large, muscular stallion and obediently stepped aside after catching sight of him. If there was one thing that struck a chord with Rosa’s base instincts, (as much as she hated to admit it) his way of acting very convincingly as a bodyguard was almost enticing.

“Looks like we came in rush hour,” Sparks called out, doing his best to overcome the intense noise without full on shouting in Rosa’s face. He paused and looked over at the surrounding tunnels. “We need to go out through there,” he said, pointing in the direction of one of the pathways. “That’ll take us to the central sector. From there we can get to the main foyer and then out of this place.”

They made their way through the tunnel, equine traffic moving along slower than Rosa wished given her apparent ‘Strider’ walking status. Politeness seemed to be thrown out of the window as ponies barged through the crowds. Despite the sheer volume of travellers Rosa could make out a few paintings of the Canterlot Palace and one of Princess Luna surrounded by a mosaic of brightly coloured pebbles that lined the tunnel walls.

Breaking through into central sector the two of them were greeted by an enormous hall with chandeliers much like before, but what stood out were stone statues of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna at the centre. Rosa had always been an admirer of Princess Luna, partly because of the age-old tale of how she had become a fearsome menace known as Nightmare Moon, only to become a respected ruler whom anypony could trust. She wasn’t sure just how much of the stories were true, but regardless, the grand tale was a testament to the comforting idea that anypony was capable of doing good deeds, that forgiveness could help bring everypony closer together and great things could come of it.

The two ponies shuffled out past the ticket vendors, billboards, shops and food counters. They passed through a set of automatic doors, something Rosa had not actually encountered, though she had heard of them before. They were powered by a magical field that opened up the doors when ponies stepped on rubber mats embedded in the ground, though they seemed redundant in such a place given that they were almost permanently open.

As they stepped outside the sun shone brightly in the sky, basking them both in a warm glow. The light reflected off the cream-coloured, ornate buildings that stood before them. The roads were of polished grey cobbles, the lampposts curled into wondrous shapes and the houses were a mix of white and cream marble, some with mahogany balconies jutting from the outside. The city itself stretched itself out into the horizon, curving its way into a large mountain and around the mountainside. At what point did the train get to such an altitude? Rosa wasn’t sure, but didn’t quite care given the awe-inspiring sight before her. She stood, dumbstruck, surrounding ponies looking at her awkwardly and pushing past as she stay stock-still.

“Rosa, we need to get moving,” Sparks said, trying to hurry her along.

“It’s just so beautiful,” she exclaimed. “I’d seen pictures of Canterlot and read things about it, but actually being here...”

Sparks eyed her curiously as she continued to gaze out into the distance, then placed a hoof on her shoulder and smiled. “I’m glad you’re loving it here, I really am, but we do need to get a move on.”
Without waiting for a reply he charged off, his expression becoming more serious than usual. Rosa followed doggedly, catching up to his stride quickly.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Sparks said slyly, picking up the pace.

Sparks took her along a winding road, past a row of houses that were practically mansions. Everything here looked fit for royalty. The one alarming thing that stuck out to her was the lack of grass, or any kind of vegetation. There were a few blossoming trees that lined the roads and flowers hanging from baskets outside the houses, but the rolling hills, meadows and vast fields of Ponyville were strictly absent. She found this somewhat troubling, which surprised her given how little she had thought she cared about it all when she was back home.

Nearly every citizen Rosa walked past was wearing a posh looking suit or dress, including the young foals. Top hats, gold necklaces, diamond bracelets and glittering earrings could be seen all around. While Sparks wasn’t dressed anywhere near as immaculately as the masses that surrounded them Rosa felt herself sticking out like a sore hoof ever so much more. She felt decidedly naked. Of course, most ponies in Ponyville didn’t wear clothes, but here she felt bare — uncovered. She wasn’t sure if it was just paranoia but she had a nagging feeling of being watched — being judged. For the first in a very long time she berated herself for not taking her mother’s advice. Just as that thought crossed her mind she spotted an elderly stallion stare at her as she walked past, his jaw dropped and his brow furrowed as if he was looking at some kind of strange creature, and was racking his brains to think of its name. Blushing, Rosa huddled closer to Sparks for protection.

“So what do you think?” he asked. “Great place isn’t it? I used to love coming here when I was younger. Even during the great depression things always seemed brighter here.”

“It’s an amazing city,” Rosa beamed. “I do feel a bit out of place though. An old country bumpkin like me.”

Sparks chuckled. “There’s no need to think like that. I’m aware of the stereotypes, but ponies here aren’t that bad.”

Rosa considered telling him about the old stallion staring curiously at her, but held herself back and simply murmured in fake agreement.

The roads here were much narrower than those in Ponyville. Despite the much needed wider pathways given such a high population density they couldn’t have been much more than five metres in width. It made her feel a little claustrophobic being packed on to these tiny paths with little room to move. Heavens knew what would happen if a foal became lost here.

While Ponyville had certainly grown in size over the years, gaining many settlers from other provinces and the co-called ‘foal-boom’ that occurred around forty years ago, Canterlot made Ponyville look like a mere spec of land in comparison, and the population difference had to be insurmountable.

There were no homely market stalls or young foals playing catch, no comforting hum of insects buzzing around, and if ever there were chirps and squawks of birds they had to have been drowned out by the drone of hoof-steps and chatter. Rosa’s first impressions of the city had effectively been shattered in a matter of minutes. While the city itself was undoubtedly beautiful, awe-inspiring and was an architectural marvel in more ways than one, the bustling and oppressive noise gave her a headache. Whatever it was that Sparks had planned, she hoped that it would be enough to take her mind off it all.

“I can’t believe you’ve never been here before,” said Sparks, his voice just audible enough over the surrounding racket. “I could’ve sworn your father mentioned something about this place.”

“Well whatever it was it was probably before I was born,” Rosa dismissed nonchalantly, not really caring where her parents could have gone in the past.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Hey, you should see this place during Winter Moon celebration. This place lights up like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Yes, I guess that would be nice,” Rosa said, trying to underplay her general dislike of the place. “Hey, didn’t there used to be a Summer Sun celebration? I mean, in the olden days.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“Well I guess that explains where Summer got her name from.”

“That yellow pony from the restaurant? Her name’s Summer Sun?” Sparks asked.

Rosa nodded, thinking how her friend’s name had to be more than just a coincidence. Whatever, she’d just ask her another time.

They took a route down a slightly less populated path and into a town square, (or at least, what could have been many of thousands of town squares for all Rosa was concerned) peppered with silver coated paving slabs with hoof prints of famous ponies etched into them. Before them was a gigantic peach-coloured building bearing the words ‘Royal Canterlot Auditorium’ written in gold along a large, blood-red silk banner.

Posters and billboards jutted out from the side, advertising various theatrical performances and a magic show by the great ‘Hoofdini’, supposedly showing ‘amazing feats that your eyes will not believe’. Given that magic was pretty commonplace Rosa wasn’t sure how such a statement could hold any truth.

“We’re here to see a magic show?” she asked curiously.

“Well... something almost as good, and yet even better!” Sparks exclaimed melodramatically, causing Rosa to smirk at his poor joke.

“I won’t bother asking again because I have this inkling you’ll say, ‘it’s a surprise’ again.”

They trotted up the semicircle of primrose steps that led up to the entrance. An access ramp for disabled ponies was also present, something that Rosa found rather alien. They pressed on through the doors and into a lush foyer, a red carpet with a swirling gold pattern running through it. The wallpaper was gold and had a leaf pattern, with red wisps flowing throughout, possibly to represent air currents. Whoever had designed this place certainly had something for red and gold, though it was eye-catching enough to understand why.

Stood at a brass-edged desk was a gloomy looking unicorn mare with her violet mane tied back in a bun. She was lazily looking through various slips of paper looking suspiciously like she was just pretending to work. There were no customers present, though a family was milling about looking at paintings on the wall of different performers, the youngest colt racing around shouting ‘woo woo’ while pretending to be a train. Sparks walked casually up to the desk and waved a hoof to get the mare’s attention. She looked dozily up from her paperwork and removed a pair of glasses, not making even the slightest effort to smile. Whatever reasons ponies came here for, customer service was not on the list.

“Welcome to the Royal Canterlot Auditorium. How can I be of service?” she droned, as if reading from a script.

“I was hoping to get two tickets for Foal Gallagher’s high flying birds.”

The mare raised an eyebrow. “You were hoping?”

“I mean, I’d like to buy two tickets for Foal Gallagher’s high flying birds,” Sparks corrected uneasily, obviously confused as to why she would even need to question his wording.

Rosa racked her brains. Had she ever heard of this ‘Foal Gallagher’? Was he a singer or something? And what about these ‘high flying birds’? Perhaps being such a shut-in had made her lose touch with celebrity culture.

“OK, that’ll be a hundred and eighty bits,” the mare announced as Sparks pulled some notes from his jacket pocket.

Rosa’s jaw dropped as she watched him hand over the money. A hundred and eighty bits! She hadn’t seen so much money be passed so casually. Was Sparks rich? Don’t let that entice you! Rosa shouted in her head as she found herself instinctively impressed. Just because he’s wealthy doesn’t mean you should like him! How stereotypical would that be? Get a hold of yourself!

“Thanks!” Sparks said enthusiastically as he floated over two brightly coloured tickets, then noticed Rosa’s expression. “What’s up?”

“A hundred and eighty bits!” she exclaimed. “Sparks, you’re spoiling me.”

Sparks scratched the back of his neck. “Come on, it’s nothing too much. Besides, it’s our first date and I do want to make the best impression.”

Rosa smiled, once again flattered by his actions, even if she hated herself for it.

“Anyway,” Sparks began. “I can tell you’re happy now that you know what the surprise is.”

Rosa looked to the floor and shuffled a hoof looking flustered. “Actually... I don’t even know who Foal Gallagher is.”

The mare at the desk behind them scoffed loud enough for the two of them to hear. She began to chuckle behind a wad of papers. Rosa grew annoyed and stomped a few steps towards her.

“Well it’s nice to see misery guts here finally smile, I guess!” she rasped angrily.

The mare dropped the papers from her face and grew a furious-looking expression. The family behind them looked around with raised eyebrows. Sparks stood at the wayside with a nervous look of his face, about to break the two ponies up. The mare squinted, and stared into Rosa’s eyes without blinking.

“Touché...” she muttered, and watched cautiously as Rosa backed away, gazing back at her in a similar fashion. She paced around the corner, out of sight, and exhaled.

“What was that?” Rosa asked aloud, looking up towards Sparks. She couldn’t tell if he found her little outburst funny, embarrassing or disrespectful. His face was contorted into what could have been a smile, but it certainly didn’t look natural.

“Well it was certainly... something...” he muttered.

Rosa leant her head back against the wall and breathed deeply. “I’m sorry I got like that. I don’t know what came over me.” She shook her head, wondering if she could ever go a single day without embarrassing herself. “I don’t even know why I got so angry.”

“It’s alright. She shouldn’t have laughed at you like that. Not everypony can know everything.” Sparks put a hoof on her shoulder to try and comfort her. Surprisingly for the pair of them, it worked. Rosa looked up and smiled warmly at the pale-coated stallion, suddenly reminded at this moment that they were on a date. Of course she was always aware of this, but for a while she’d only really been viewing him as a guide taking her on a journey. Thinking of this fact made her blush, though not for the reason Sparks would have assumed.

“See, all better!” he exclaimed, winking cheerily. “And you know what this means?”

“What?” asked Rosa, furrowing her brow.

“It means it’s still going to be a surprise!”

Rosa rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Next time, no surprises.”

“So there’s going to be a next time?” Sparks chimed, raising his eyebrows and grinning. “I’m quoting you on that!”

Rosa shook her head in dismay, trying to hold back the laughter. “We’ll see, Sparks. We’ll see...”

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 7 - Speeding Bullet

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 7 – Speeding Bullet

Rosa and Sparks were sat in the third row from the front in the centre section of plush red seats, complete with gold-painted metal support beams. The auditorium itself was massive, with two tiers of seats that stretched around the centre stage and back at least twenty metres towards the entrance. The stage was currently veiled by a red curtain; the clatter of stage-hooves moving props and faint chatter and chirps could be heard behind it.

Thanks to their early arrival the pair had spent a good half an hour making small talk, Sparks asking Rosa about her life in Ponyville and Rosa erring at every turn, trying to make her life not seem as boring and pathetic as she knew it was. He knew a lot already from her father which only made things worse as Rosa was left backtracking on a statement or two, including one about her love of nature despite the fact she was barely even aware of the Ponyville nature reserve.

Rosa had chatted to Sparks about his life, learning that he was still living with his parents but did want to move out pretty soon. I hope he doesn’t expect me to move in with him, she thought nervously, evading the subject as soon as she could. She’d learned that he worked at the Ponyville leisure centre, a relatively new establishment and one that Rosa had never been to either. She saw couples kissing in other rows and immediately felt awkward. One stallion in particular bore a resemblance to Nico, and Rosa nearly felt her heart jump out of her chest, only for him to lean back and reveal an entirely different face. She’d always wondered in the back of her mind if Nico was off gallivanting with randy mares, though nothing had ever come of those fears, at least to her knowledge.

Sat to Rosa’s right was a plump, middle-aged mare wearing a large floral hat and thick shades (which seemed completely inappropriate attire in an auditorium) who had done nothing but complain to her husband since she had arrived. As much as Rosa tried to keep her attention to Sparks she could still hear the warble of high-pitched moaning as the mare talked about how she’d blasted a sales-pony at a trendy clothes shop for not being able to recall certain brands of dress. The mare’s partner was completely disinterested, letting out faint hums and droning “Oh I see” to whatever she said. Rosa felt herself getting irate just being sat next to the mare, clenching her muscles with a minute sense of anger. Just being in Canterlot was having some kind of effect on her. From her outburst at the receptionist to her immense irritation in that moment, something was obviously different.

Just as Rosa had reached a new level of discomfort the lights on the walls dimmed and the entire auditorium quickly fell into silence as ponies hushed each other. Small lights dotted around the edge of the stage switched on, followed within moments by two spotlights being manipulated by stage-hooves pointing at the centre of the curtain.

Sparks gave Rosa a nudge and an approving smile, and then whispered in her ear, “You’re going to love this.”

Just as he’d said that a booming voice echoed around the hall. “Mares and Gentle-colts! Welcome to the Royal Canterlot Auditorium! Today we have the most awe-inspiring show on Earth for your viewing only!

“The pegasus wonder-colt with extraordinary gifts the likes of which you will have never seen before! Part pony, part bird, all talent! Please put your hooves together for Foal Gallagher and his high flying birds!”

With this announcement the crowd clapped their hooves and stomped their hind legs, some cheering and whistling as the curtain slowly rose from the floor. Stood before them was a white pegasus hovering just above centre stage, his back turned to the crowd. He wore a black coat covered in rubies, sapphires and diamonds that sparkled in the spotlight. The back of his jacket read ‘HIGH FLYING BIRDS’, each letter alternating in the type of gem. His tail was a sky blue with a jade green stripe through the middle, much like the back of his mane.

While the back-end of the stage was kept in darkness, Rosa could see that in front of the pegasus was a painted backdrop depicting an aerial view of Equestria, showing Canterlot curving its way around the mountain, Ponyville down below and various other towns and villages dotted beside meadows and forests.

The pegasus gestured with his hooves for even more cheering which had the appropriate effect on the crowd. Rosa sat smiling, gently clapping her hooves together while Sparks had his hooves raised over his head, clapping more enthusiastically. The pegasus slowly turned around in mid air revealing an enormous grin on his face. He was young; from what Rosa could tell he was no more than sixteen years old. A mare near the front stood up and shouted something that was inaudible against the din of the rest of the crowd. The pegasus waved back to her — prompting a loud pitched scream from the star-struck fan — then bowed to the audience. He stood for a moment, admiring the warm reception then began to gesture with his hooves for the audience to quiet down. Sure enough, the commotion began dwindling to quiet whispers as the pegasus on stage spoke, his voice loud and clear.

“Hello mares and gentle-colts! My name is Foal Gallagher, though you probably already knew that. I’m here to show you the time of your life! But I can’t take all the credit…”

As he trailed off, the rest of the stage lit up to reveal an orchestra at the back split into two groups, each on either side of the stage on a set of steps. There was an arrangement of cellists, violinists, trumpeters and flutists, plus one or two playing instruments that Rosa couldn’t recognise. Most were unicorns, though an earth pony mare with a light brown coat and chocolate mane stood out.

“Please give a warm welcome to Canterlot’s very own Treble Clef Symphony Orchestra!”

The musicians rose from their seats and bowed as the crowd applauded in response. They sat back down and Foal Gallagher turned to the audience.

“And let’s not forget the high flying birds!”

At this, more lights came into action as several flocks of birds flew onto the stage from the sides, a flurry of cockatoos, parrots, owls, doves, eagles, blue jays and a barrage of other, exotic birds in a spectrum of colours. Some of the audience gasped in surprise and awe; Rosa’s mouth was agape as she watched the majestic creatures, of which there were at least fifty, obediently perch themselves atop the set of steps that the orchestra were seated at while Foal directed them with his hooves. It was almost like watching a master puppeteer manipulate the birds with mind control. Whoever this pegasus was, it was obvious that he had a special bond with these animals.

“These birds are my friends, my inspiration. Without them I wouldn’t be the pony I am today. So let’s hear it for Frederick, Boston, Watson, Adam, Jerry, Thrifty, Bagel, Fizzy...”

Foal inhaled deeply, arching his back dramatically.

“And the rest!”

Faint chuckles emanated throughout the auditorium.

“Now since we’re only just warming up I guess we should start with something a little softer than usual. Ready, fellas?” One of the birds squawked angrily back at him. “Sorry! Ready, fellas and ladies?”

Foal turned back to the perched birds and nodded, to which they all chirped in response. Some flew out of sight, into the darkness at the back of the stage leaving a small group of doves. Foal approached them and held out his hooves, the doves circling around his head like a halo while string instruments played an angelic chord. The birds darted off, and then swooped back to land perfectly on his spread forelegs. This elicited more gasps from the audience, but there was a lot more to come.

A new set of coloured lights sprang into action at the back of the stage, spots of blue, yellow green and red swishing across the hall as Foal took the standard flight position and swooped forward, the doves still hanging onto his legs as he twirled in the air. It started slowly at first, gradually gaining speed as the music followed suit, the string play getting consistently more rapid. Suddenly, the doves burst from Foal’s grasp and flew out above the front row of the audience, dipping and diving as the trumpets came into play, the music and pulsing of the coloured lights flowing in time with the beat of the birds’ movements. It was like nothing Rosa had ever seen before; she could hardly believe her eyes.

Foal and the doves flew right up to the ceiling and stopped just as the orchestra fell quiet. With but a moment’s pause, the pegasus and birds fell from the sky as if they had all been killed mid-flight, their bodies spinning and splaying out like ragdolls. There were a few gasps from the audience and even Rosa felt herself holding her breath as they fell. It was unnervingly convincing.

Just before the pegasus and his loyal birds could hit the ground they shot up again, just as the symphony was kicked back into full swing. The performers flew out to the back rows prompting many ponies to clamber out of their seats to get a better look. The doves flew back towards the stage, spiralling and criss-crossing their paths just as Foal reached them and spread his wings, descending slowly to the floor as the doves took their places along the edge of his wings, keeping their position as he gently flapped and brought himself down to touch the stage’s wooden floor. The sound of trumpets echoed around the auditorium, holding their notes until Foal lifted his head in triumph. The orchestra fell silent.

The audience’s reaction was an explosion of cheers, whoops, claps and stomps that was almost deafening. Rosa found herself stood on her hind legs, clapping furiously at what she had just witnessed. It was by far the most amazing thing she had ever seen, and if this was only the beginning...

She noticed Sparks smiling admirably at her, obviously happy that she was enjoying it as much as he had hoped. She smiled bashfully in response, the stress of the ‘first date’ scenario and the headache of navigating through Canterlot’s busy streets becoming distant memories. It was the happiest she had felt in a long, long time.

In a flash, the doves were accompanied by a rainbow of different coloured parrots and cockatoos that landed on stage, followed by a beautiful crimson-coated pegasus mare wearing a silk pink dress. Foal took one look at her and glanced back at the audience, raising his eyebrows and smiling mischievously, eliciting a small laugh from a few ponies.

The music started again, this time more upbeat than the previous piece. Each parrot and each dove shuffled around, pairing up with one another and lining up along the front of the stage. Foal and the mare locked forelegs and began to dance, Foal twirling her around until she span into the air, then leapt and caught her before swinging her back out again in an array of complex hoof-work. The birds at the front mimicked these dance moves, spinning and fluttering into the air with amazing grace, each of the bird ‘couples’ precisely timing their movements with the music. There were no missteps and each performer held their own, shuffling and bounding, twirling and flapping as the music constantly changed pace.

Before long, the bird couples split apart as the two pegasi took places at either side of the stage. The parrots lined themselves up on Foal’s head, shoulders and wings while the doves did the same with the mare. The music was reduced to a simple, slow beat of cello strums. The two pegasi walked slowly towards each other and met in the middle, playing out a silent, pseudo-acting part as the two of them exchanged glances, portraying two would-be lovers struggling to express their feelings. The violinists began to play along to the tune, then accompanied by the flutists, the music gaining in complexity as the scene played out.

Suddenly, the sound of trumpets echoed throughout the auditorium as the birds burst from their respective ponies like confetti and flew in formation, drawing two hearts in the air as the mare literally leapt into Foal’s forelegs. He spun her around and took flight, mimicking fancy hoof-work on just thin air. The two of them then leapt through each heart of birds, scattering them as they did so. The mare landed daintily at the edge of the stage while Foal purposefully tripped, landing in a heap. He looked around suspiciously and clambered to his hooves in time just before the mare could turn to see his ‘mistake’. They then turned to face the crowd and bowed while the birds circled above, the coloured lights cascading across them.

Rosa clapped enthusiastically, much the same as the rest of the crowd followed by the obligatory cheers and wolf whistles. As she placed her hooves back down it came into contact with Sparks’, who wrapped his hoof around hers and gave it a loving stroke. Rosa’s expression was one of shock, much like when he had embraced her a few days previously. However, the sheer joy that she was feeling at that moment disintegrated her usual awkwardness, even though her heart was thumping inside her chest, still audible despite the surrounding racket.

As Sparks smiled, gazing deeply into her eyes, she could do nothing but respond with the same action, beaming from ear to ear. This was the stallion who had brought her here and made her witness the most spectacular thing she had ever seen. She felt such happiness that she could only have dreamed about when her life was just a never-ending cycle of working, sleeping, reading and the occasional day out with Clover and Nico.

Rosa had no idea whether she was falling for Sparks or simply falling for these wondrous experiences, but whatever it was, it felt good. Nico had never made her feel this way, at least not in reality. Simply dreaming about events such as these couldn’t compare to the real thing.

Rosa held Sparks’ hoof and turned back to see Foal getting ready for the next performance, the doves fluttering away as the parrots and cockatoos were accompanied by two majestic, but fierce looking hawks. Sparks turned back too, caressing Rosa’s hoof with his own. For perhaps the first time since she could remember, Rosa was no longer just acting the part. She wasn’t returning Sparks’ gesture because of peer pressure or parental advice. For once, she was doing something because it felt right. Not for anypony else, but for her.

The show continued with more dazzling displays of aerobatics, impressive dance moves, creative bird formations and heavenly music. At one point, flocks of birds orbited Foal in separate rings, curving their way around him at different speeds and in different directions as the lights bore down on him, creating the most unusual effect. It was still a wonder how the birds could have been trained so well. Other pegasi joined Foal on the stage, one notable piece being one where they threw him around in the air, spinning him into dizziness as he performed all the wrong dance moves, but obviously just as part of the show.

With each separate ‘act’ Rosa would applaud the performers and rest her left hoof in Sparks’ right, almost as if it were natural. Of course, at a time like this it should be natural, but to Rosa the sensation was something otherworldly that barely clawed its way into the realms of normality.

As the show came to an end, Foal, the birds, the numerous pegasi who had performed at intervals and the entirety of the Treble Clef Symphony Orchestra came to the front of the stage, lined themselves up and took a bow, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd that must have lasted at least two whole minutes.

“Thank you for coming and I hope you’ve had an amazing time!” Foal announced, sweat pouring from his forehead. “So from me, the lovely ladies, the Treble Clef Symphony Orchestra and the high flying birds, I bid you farewell!”

They swiftly left the stage as the lights dimmed, the cheers and claps from the audience eventually dying down.

“So you enjoyed it, it take?” Sparks asked slyly.

“That’s the understatement of the year!” Rosa chuckled. “I loved it, Sparks. Thank you.”

Rosa looked around as the majority of ponies headed for the exits, many of them chattering ecstatically.

“How long were we here for?” she asked curiously.

“I’m not sure. Two hours, perhaps?”

“It went by much faster than that. I guess that’s the price for having such a good time.”

Sparks brought Rosa’s chin up with a hoof and she smiled. She expected herself to blush as always but found that she wasn’t flustered at all. She did feel a slight pang of anxiety, but it was somehow different from what she had come to expect.

They left the auditorium, Rosa making sure not to make eye contact with the mare at the front desk, and walked out into the sunlight. It was still as beautiful a day as it was when they had arrived in Canterlot. Sparks began leading the way back to the train station.

“Shall we?”

The walk back was a much more pleasant experience than the trip there. The two of them chatted excitedly about their favourite parts of the performance. Both of them found too many to list, as if every moment could have been considered the best moment.

The streets were less crowded now. They were still far busier than Ponyville had ever been but it was at least somewhat tolerable. It was much easier to appreciate the stunning architecture of the city, not that this was Rosa’s main focal point. She was starting to look at Sparks in a different light. Even if he had simply coaxed her with money, perhaps she should stop looking at it in that way. Maybe... she should stop trying to actively decide on her feelings and just let things flow. She was tired of being confused, tired of feeling awkward all the time. If there was a way to make it so that she wouldn’t have to ever feel like that...

They took the train back to Ponyville after waiting a few minutes at the station. The two of them continued to chat quite happily, Rosa inquiring about Sparks’ knowledge of the auditorium and how often he had been there before.

“I’d been a few times with my parents as a foal, though mostly we just saw opera. It’s been a while since I’ve been back, but when I heard that Foal Gallagher would be performing there I knew I had to see him. Not that I only brought you here as an excuse to see him, of course.”

On the train journey home Rosa questioned Sparks on his family, surprising him by being the instigator of conversations for once. In a way, she was surprised herself. She was genuinely intrigued, wanting to get to know him better for reasons that felt right. Foal Gallagher’s show had broken the ice between them like nothing before. It was almost as if Rosa was a different pony from the one that crawled out of bed this morning. She learned that he had a twelve year old sister called Crane who practiced ballet. According to Sparks, she was looking forward to meeting Rosa some day, if only to judge her.

“She might think you’ll try and take me away from her,” he said, half smirking despite being serious. “Though I’m sure if she met you she’d be fine with it.”

Rosa had deep down always wanted a sibling, though she could hardly blame her parents for not providing her with one. It would’ve been nice to have somepony to talk to who could understand her better than her Mum and Dad. It was a thought that hadn’t crossed her mind in years.

The sun was beginning to set as the train pulled up close to Ponyville station, a splatter of beautiful orange tones decorated the sky, just a sliver of the sun still visible. A few clouds dotted the heavens, wisps of translucent fluff glowing like hot coals in an open fire. A few pagasi above were manoeuvring some of the plump white masses, spreading them across the entirety of the village. It was such a peaceful view, a stark contrast to where they had just been.

As they disembarked the train amongst the groups of other passengers Rosa’s eyes fell down to Sparks’ flank, or to be more specific, his cutie mark. The two rows of fire surrounded by tiny sparks was a certainly a peculiar mark to have and didn’t speak for itself, though the same could also be said of her own of which she was still unsure about. She didn’t know what she would say when she was asked the inevitable question about her own mark, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She wanted to know what made Sparks so special, as if to confirm her newfound feelings. Not that she was even sure if she had begun to care about the stallion in that way, but a bond was certainly forming. Time was flying by ever so quickly; Rosa almost didn’t want the day to end.

“I was just wondering about your cutie mark. I would’ve thought your special talent had something to do with athletics.”

Sparks glanced at his flank apprehensively. “Oh, um... Well I guess I can show you.” He paused as they exited the station. “But we’ll have to take a walk over to the training grounds. It’s not something I can just do anywhere.”

Rosa gave him a puzzled expression. “What do you mean, ‘show me’? I’ve seen you run before.”

Sparks sighed and shook his head. “Well yeah, you have, but this is different. It’s up to you though; I can walk you home right now if you’d like.”

Rosa thought this over for a moment and then smiled cheerily. She was tired, but going home meant the day coming to an end. Plus, Sparks’ cryptic comments had piqued her interest. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to see this special talent of yours. You’ve got me intrigued.”

Sparks grinned bashfully, scratching the back of his neck with a hoof. “Since you’re so interested I’ll show you, but then I’m walking you home.”

“Deal!” said Rosa matter-of-factly, and the two of them walked uphill towards the training ground.

The light breeze cooled their exhausted bodies, rustling nearby trees and bushes. There were no birds chirping or bugs humming around the plants they walked by and any citizens of Ponyville were milling about in the distance. All Rosa could hear was the rush of the wind and the shuffle of hers and Spark’s hooves. The two ponies kept a comfortable silence and their pace had slowed from Rosa’s usual rush to a leisurely trot.

This is nice, thought Rosa, who on most days like this would either be reading or perusing the various new books that had come into their family’s possession. Either that, or she’d get the odd visit from Clover or Nico to come join them in some inane activity. Even though part of her would wish to be left alone, she did often enjoy the little get-togethers with her friends, but she was hardly ever the one to instigate them herself. She’d been more sociable in the past, trying her best to spend as much time with Nico as possible but had begun to realise that since her only reason was hopeful romance…

Rosa shut her eyes and tried to throw these thoughts from her mind. She couldn’t spend her time thinking of Nico — not anymore. Things had changed; she had changed.

The two ponies descended upon the training ground, the sun just barely visible now. Sparks headed to the ‘start’ marked by chalk on the ground and lined himself up.

“Just so you know,” he said solemnly, “I’m not much of a show off, so don’t go getting that impression. I’m only doing this because you asked.”

“OK, Mr Show off, I understand,” Rosa chortled.

Sparks smirked in response, and then turned his head to face the track out in front of him, a look of steely determination appearing on his face. He shook each leg out in turn to loosen up his muscles while Rosa watched curiously.

Sparks began to head off around the track, building up speed. He had gotten around half-way when Rosa rolled her eyes, wondering exactly what was so special. He was a fast runner, there was no doubt about it, but if that was his special talent then why didn’t he just say so?

Just as disappointment set in she noticed something happening to Sparks in the distance. His head was held lower, his face appeared contorted, and a small, white glow materialised around him. She watched in awe as his horn lit up like a fire-cracker and he began to charge around the last half of the track even faster than before. He kept building speed, tearing past the start line. He kept getting faster and faster, his horn glowing brighter and brighter until he was moving so quickly Rosa’s jaw was about to fall off.

He was a blur now, whizzing round the track at least three times as fast as he was when he started and he wasn’t slowing down. It was dizzying just watching him and difficult to make out his features with him moving so quickly, but she could see his teeth clenched and his lips tightened. His speed kept increasing and increasing, the light from his horn enveloping his entire body. Then, something else happened.

As he tore down the straight next to Rosa she saw sparks being cast from his hooves, flying out in all directions. Within a few seconds he was back on the straight, charging past and leaving two ethereal trails behind him. With each lap the trails became a brighter and brighter white until suddenly, flames began to erupt from behind him as he passed, sprouting for a moment before disappearing. He made his final lap, fire spewing from the orange stone. Within a moment the flames died down, the trail disappeared and Sparks slowed himself to a mere ‘sprint’. He left the track, slowing to a stop on a patch of grass just shy of where Rosa stood. After a series of quick breaths, he collapsed.

Rosa quickly broke into a sprint herself and made her way to where Sparks was led, puffing and panting like some kind of beast.

“Are you OK?!” she cried, resting a hoof on his shoulder. He didn’t reply for a while, but kept inhaling deeply, his eyes steered to the skies above. Finally, he turned to Rosa with a cheeky grin on his face.

“That was nothing. I could’ve gone a million times faster than that!” he said with a deadpan face. Rosa simply gasped, but Sparks threw his head back in a fit of laughter and Rosa quickly joined in, realising just how ridiculous that statement was. They sat there on the grass, laughing themselves into breathlessness until the sun finally left the sky, night officially beginning. Sparks was the first to speak.

“So what did you think?”

“What do I think? Sparks, how fast was that!?”

Sparks smiled proudly. “Well I’m not sure exactly, but I think my best recorded lap time on this track is 9.3 seconds, so if this track is one kilometre...”

Rosa’s eyes lit up as she did some rough calculations. “But that’s over one hundred metres a second! How is that even possible?!”

“Magic!” Sparks grinned, and began to laugh again.

“You’re the fastest pony alive! You should be winning every award going!”

“Not quite,” Sparks revealed. “In every official event no participants are allowed to use wing-power or magic to enhance their performance. I’m not the only pony who can do things like this and some are even able to teleport across absolutely ridiculous distances. There was a unicorn your father knew who he said could run a thousand metres in just 4 seconds. And there have been a select few pegasi who have been able to break the sound barrier. So… I’m not really the fastest pony ever.”

“You know what? It’s a shame they don’t let you use your magic in races. I actually think I‘d watch the Foalympics if that were the case.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve hoped for some kind of separate event for years, but I guess it wouldn’t be too fair on earth pony folk who are genuinely great athletes. If I had more incentive to practice I’m sure I could attain higher speeds, but it’s pretty risky. If somepony comes crashing off the track at two hundred miles an hour a broken hoof would be considered a lucky escape.”

Rosa thought this over, realising just how much danger he had put himself in. Of all the amazing things she’d seen at Foal Gallagher’s show, the most awe-inspiring act she’d witnessed that day had been from Sparks. My colt-friend, she thought, acknowledging it for the very first time.

“I guess I’d better get you home before it gets too dark,” Sparks proclaimed, standing himself up. “I imagine your parents will be wondering where in Equestria you are.”

“Yeah, I guess I’d better go back. Are you sure you’re OK to walk? You did kind of run a dozen or so kilometres back there.”

“Oh that? That was nothing!” Sparks joked, his back legs visibly trembling.

“Seriously Sparks, are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. But I definitely won’t be going for extra practice tomorrow morning! For once, I think I’ll stay in bed.”

“Now you’re turning into me,” Rosa chuckled, taking to Sparks’ side as they sluggishly soldiered on home.

The moon had come into full view now, a beautiful gift of night from Princess Luna. Millions of stars twinkled above them, their sparkling beauty creating the perfect backdrop for what Rosa had to consider as the perfect end to the day.

They stopped just outside Bloom’s Books, Rosa glancing inside to catch her parents waiting for her. She saw her father leaving the kitchen door, only to notice the two of them and smile with relief. Rosa grinned back and watched her father return back to the kitchen, probably to let her mother know that she’d returned.

“So I guess this is the bit where we say goodbye,” said Sparks, his body trembling with aches and pains from his little stunt.

“I had a wonderful day, Sparks. To be honest, I’m sad to see it end. Thank you. I mean it.”

Rosa looked up at the blonde-maned stallion, wondering how in Equestria she had gone from casually dismissing him to having the time of her life with him. She was reminded of Spike’s words, how he had said that the future could be surprising, very surprising. She didn’t love Sparks, but maybe that was the point. Maybe it meant not having to deal with soul-crushing anxieties like with Nico.

“I’m glad you had a great time. I did too.”

Rosa paused for a moment and then bravely leapt around the stallion’s neck, holding her forelegs around him tightly, accidentally blinding him with her long, fire-red mane. He wiped it from his face in surprise and then responded with his own embrace. They stood there for a few moments, locked together. Sparks’ breathing in her ears, Rosa felt a warm sense of satisfaction flow through her.

As they finally let go of each other, Rosa saw Sparks’ stupid grin and couldn’t help but smirk. The stallion made an effort to compose himself and took a step back.

“So I guess I’ll see you again some time?” he asked.

“I guess you will,” replied Rosa, walking towards her front door but keeping an eye over her shoulder to watch the giddy stallion. She opened the door and waved slowly, watching as Sparks did the same and started walking down the road.

“Hello darling. How was your day?” her mother asked, peeking out from the kitchen door as Rosa walked in. Her father was just behind her.

“It was great! We went to Canterlot and—”

“Canterlot!?” her mother interrupted, a somewhat worried expression appearing on her face.

“Yes, Canterlot. We went to see Foal Gallagher. Oh, he was amazing! I’ll tell you all about it!”

Rosa told her parents of the time her and Sparks spent in Canterlot, recalling all of the incredible dances and aerial acrobatics of Foal and the birds. She didn’t know why, but she had some kind of feeling that in amongst all of the pride and happiness that they felt for her, that there was something else. Apprehensiveness, maybe? It could have been that he’d taken her far away from Ponyville, or that they were simply surprised that for once, she genuinely wanted to talk to them and discuss her experiences. But as far as Rosa was concerned, it didn’t matter. This was the best day Rosa had experienced since she could remember and nothing was about to ruin that.

After eating some potato and leek soup Rosa confidently declared that she was going to bed. After such a tiring day the sanctuary of her bedcovers was all that more enticing. Walking into her room she completely ignored her copy of An Equestrian Night Mare despite being so enthralled by it that very morning. She had wanted to know how it would end so badly, and now she didn’t even care.

She turned out the light, curled up into her duvet and quickly drifted off to sleep. That night she dreamed of her and Sparks running through an empty Canterlot, devoid of any other ponies, laughing and watching as birds fluttered around them, chirping and whistling a song made from her own subconscious.

Life couldn’t be better.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 8 - Ham Acting

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 8 – Ham Acting

Rosa felt lighter than a feather, gleefully galloping across the cobbled stone pathway, breathing in the fresh air and beaming from ear to ear. She knew that she must have looked like a playful filly in a grown mare’s body with the spring in her step, but she didn’t care. For once, the idea of not caring about anything but her own joy seemed unusually natural.

Most of the village was quiet barring the buzzing and chirping of wildlife. It was around 10 o’ clock, and Rosa was fully awake thanks to her early night. Her back muscles ached from the strenuous day just gone by but she ignored the pain; she was in too good of a mood to let that keep her from the outside world. She would’ve been out sooner, but she thought it best not to go banging on Summer’s door too early. Rosa was truly excited to be visiting her newfound friend instead of being disappointed at losing out on a day to herself for the week. If anything, the idea of spending her time sat alone in her room just wasn’t all that tantalising anymore. She wondered how Summer would react to seeing this side of her. One thing was for sure; that little yellow pony was in for a surprise.

Rosa spotted the odd looking lime green house out in front of her, the magenta coloured door being in stark contrast to the houses that surrounded it. It reminded her of Summer’s personality; bright, colourful and just a little bit strange.

She pushed open the dark green gate and walked to the step at Summer’s front door. There was an old style brass knocker at its centre in the shape of a griffin’s head. Rosa never saw the need for knockers; a hoof was the perfect tool to knock on a door with, so why make something else to do the job? She imagined a group of business ponies coming up with the invention as some kind of scam, and convincing everypony that door knockers were essential. Has this ever happened to you? She imagined a spokespony saying as he rapped on a door, feigning a pain in his hoof. With these new door knockers, hoof-ache will become a thing of the past!

Out of irony, Rosa tapped the knocker against the door making a tap, tap sound that was far quieter than if she’d just clobbered it with a hoof. The curtains were closed just as they were when she had last seen the house, so she couldn’t see if there was anypony coming. Suddenly, she felt a surge of guilt, imagining Summer’s mother in agony at the mere sound of somepony at the door this early. Oh, stop it! she told herself. She’s just disabled. She’s not some kind of freakish creature!

After a few moments she could hear hoof-steps coming towards the door. A latch was flicked on the other side and the door was pushed ajar, an orange eye peering out from behind it.

“Aha!”

Summer threw the door back and promptly leapt at Rosa, giving her an energetic hug.

“Rosa! You’re here! Hang on, just two seconds!”

Summer raced back into her house and into a room down the hallway. Rosa could hear some murmuring, then Summer burst back out and pranced her way through the front door, closing it behind her with a thud. The two ponies trotted out onto the road.

“You’re earlier than I thought you’d be,” Summer said with a raised eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t want to keep you waiting; that would be rude of me.”

“Hang on a second...”

Summer stood back and examined Rosa with a discerning gaze, her eyes lighting up.

“Well this is new,” she said, brushing a hoof through Rosa’s mane. “So was this a gift from your lover-colt?”

“What, this?” Rosa brought the pink ribbon in her mane to her eye line. She had gotten used to wearing it now and almost considered it a lucky charm after the amazing day she’d had. “Oh no, I’ve had this for ages. Do you think it looks good?”

“Good? Good!? Yeah, it looks OK I suppose... Oh I’m kidding, it looks great!”

“Thanks,” Rosa smiled back. “So where do you want to go?”

“Hmm...” Summer squinted and scratched her head. “You know, I hadn’t really thought about that!”

Rosa rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Well we can’t just stand here all day, unless I come inside?”

“Nah, sorry. My Mum could do with a bit of a rest, plus there’s not much we can do inside. Ah, there’s a nice cafe down the road that opens on Sundays. The stallion who works there is a real hunk too, though I guess that’s not really an issue for you, is it? And you can tell me all about your hot date. How does that sound?”

“That would be great,” remarked Rosa, happy to see that Summer was still her usual upbeat, spontaneous and somewhat perverted self.

“Excellent! Then we’d better get going Strider; I just hope I can keep up with your pace!” Summer began to skip down the road as fast as she could, trying to make it look as if she was walking normally. “This is my normal walking pace, I swear!”

Rosa laughed and raced up to her, following as she took the route to the cafe. Despite knowing that her friend was more than likely to crack a slew of rude jokes she was still excited to tell her all about the date. Simply relaying it in her mind brought a smile to her face.

The cafe in question was a modern building with stonework that resembled those she had seen in Canterlot, albeit nowhere near as flamboyantly designed. The words ‘GET STUFFED!’ were painted onto a sign hanging from the roof alongside a picture of a gluttonous pony in the middle of wolfing down an entire buffet. The front facing windows were enormous, with more glass on this side than there was wall. Summer entered first, pushing open the wood-framed glass door, setting off a small bell as she entered. There was a couple sat in the corner and an elderly stallion at his own table mulling over some kind of leaflet.

“Good morning, Earl!” Summer spouted to the unicorn stallion behind the counter, underplaying the fact that she was out of breath. He had a light green coat and a short mane with red and white stripes. He looked up from the newspaper he was reading and gave Summer a nod.

“Morning, Summer,” he said in a tone much lower than would be expected of his appearance. “If it isn’t favourite customer number thirty-two. Who’s your friend?”

“Earl, this is Rosa. Rosa, this is Earl.”

The two ponies shook hooves.

“Nice to meet you Earl.”

“Nice to meet you too, little lady,” Earl replied with a wink. Summer immediately stepped in and broke the hoof-shake.

“Oh don’t you be getting any ideas! Rosa isn’t single there, partner!” she mocked in a fake southern accent.

“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you two were...”

Summer began to blush immediately and stood stock still for a moment. Rosa laughed off her embarrassment, wondering if she too was as red as her friend. Without warning, Summer launched at Earl and slammed her hooves against the counter, gaining the attention of the other ponies in the cafe with her outburst.

“NO! She’s not my filly-friend! I meant she’s seeing somepony else!” she bellowed, taking both Earl and Rosa by complete surprise. Earl’s smile had quickly faded into a look of absolute terror.

“It... it was just a joke,” he stammered, sweat pouring from his brow. “Summer, I was just kidding.”

Rosa looked on in awe as Summer’s eyes darted around the room, seemingly searching for answers. The couple in the corner were gazing at her with smirks on their faces. At last, she locked eyes with Earl again and smiled unconvincingly.

“Right! Right... I knew that. You’re always such a jokester aren’t you?”

Summer began to walk over to the table situated as far from the other customers as possible, her breathing now completely irregular. Rosa was surprised to see the usually cool and outgoing mare get so hot under the collar. She turned to Earl who was still sporting a rather scared-looking expression and tried to snap him out of it.

“I... guess we’d like two cups of tea? One sugar in mine, but I think she’s had enough for today.”

“Oh... yeah, right on it,” he stuttered, quickly gathering two tea bags with telekinesis and stirring them as he added boiling water. “That’ll be two bits.”

Rosa handed over the two coins and looked over at her friend who shrugged and grinned back, her face still red.

“Tea will be fine! I’ll owe you one later!” she called from the corner, swinging on her wooden chair like a temperamental foal.

Earl had finished preparing the two cups and started levitating them over to Summer’s table.

“Sorry about that,” Rosa whispered.

“That’s OK,” Earl whispered back. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I’ve always kind of known she likes me so it was a bit unfair of me to say something like that. Anyway, let’s keep that between you and me.”

Rosa nodded and took her place opposite Summer at the table as the tea cups floated over and landed perfectly at each side.

“So what was he whispering to you about, eh? Trying to chat you up?” Summer said gleefully in an obvious attempt to reaffirm her position of being the jokester. Rosa found it amusing that despite being so confident, her friend still had that awkward teenage mare side to her that reminded her so much of herself.

“Something like that,” Rosa chuckled. She wondered how often her friend had paid a visit to this place if Earl was so aware of something that Summer had only just hinted at. Surely she had a thing for every stallion out there.

“So anyway, how was your date? Did the two of you share a romantic kiss under the stars? Did he sweep you off your hooves? Did he go down—”

“Well if you’d let me speak maybe I could tell you,” Rosa interrupted.

“OK Strider, I can tell you’ve got stories to get out into the open. Shoot!”

Rosa excitedly told her about Foal Gallagher’s show and was surprised to hear that Summer already knew about him and was supposedly a ‘big fan’.

“Foal Gallagher? Are you kidding me?! He’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to see him perform? Is he as cute as everypony says he is?”

As always, that seemed to be the most important thing on the teenager’s mind. Rosa told her about the various tricks and impressive moves of Foal and the birds, and of how the music was better than anything she’d ever heard. She almost felt like she was doing Summer a disservice by telling her all this given how the poor mare worked so hard and had little time or money to ever do any of this, but the mare was as inquisitive as ever, ushering Rosa to keep doling out more information and asking questions about Canterlot and the high flying bird show. Rosa was as truthful as she could be, but didn’t make any effort to mention Sparks’ little performance at the training ground. She didn’t want Summer demanding to see it for herself, or indeed making some kind of jibe about his speed.

“So did he kiss you? Come on, spill the beans!”

“No, we didn’t kiss.”

“Did he try to?”

“No... I don’t think so.”

“Did you try to?”

“Why is it so important to you?” Rosa fumed, getting a little flustered from Summer’s interrogation. “It was a first date; there’s no need to rush these things.” In all honesty she was anxious about when such a time would come. Just thinking about it made her feel uneasy; all these years the only pony who she had ever thought about in that way had been Nico, but now she was having to force those feelings away.

“I’m only asking, Strider, there’s no need to get your tail in a twist. Besides, I don’t know how you could resist it after holding hooves with him for so long.”

Rosa sighed and buried her head into her hooves. She looked down at her tea and gave it a sip, finding that it was slightly too cold to her taste. She’d spent so long nattering that she’d forgotten it was even there.

“Is there anywhere else you want to go?” she asked drearily.

After a few minutes of aimless walking and general banter, (most of which consisted of Summer blabbering on about fictitious romantic outings and ‘words of wisdom’ for Rosa to take heed of when dating Sparks, all while Rosa shook her head in dismay and humoured the peppy pony) Rosa suggested going to visit Spike, simply for something to do. It was difficult trying to come up with something productive to do with a new friend. After all, even when it came to spending time with Clover and Nico it was mostly a case of meeting up for drinks or the occasional trip because of a family event. Rosa’s interests in reading weren’t exactly the kind of thing that could be shared, and she didn’t really have any other hobbies. If ponies were to ever ask her about her favourite pastimes she would mention something about swimming on occasion even though she’d not been swimming for nearly a year.

Going to see Spike seemed like a good idea anyway; the lovable purple dragon may have gotten a lot of tourist attention over the years but he still gave off a vibe of loneliness. He couldn’t simply ‘hang out’ with other ponies and while he had the chance to speak to various citizens of Ponyville because of the work he was doing for the village it couldn’t be the same as having friends to talk to. Rosa wondered how he would handle Summer...

The energetic yellow mare was bounding along the road and making up some nonsensical song as she went along.

“We’re gonna see Spike, a big purple dragon!
He’s as big as you could ever imagine!
I’m gonna see him breathe fire and flames!
If he burns down the village I’ll say Strider’s to blame!”

According to Summer, she’d only met Spike once when she was just a little filly, but she could hardly remember it. She’d seen him helping to build houses, (much like just about every pony in Ponyville) but was too nervous to actually go and meet him.

Rosa couldn’t help but smirk at the idea of a ‘nervous’ Summer as it reminded her of the debacle in the cafe that seemed a lot funnier now that they were out of there. She didn’t seem the type to be so anxious about things, but perhaps it was just a case of coming out of her shell or toughening up. After all, Rosa was starting to feel like she was becoming a new pony who wasn’t afraid of change anymore.

They approached the archway of the castle; the size of it was always impressive, even though Rosa had been here numerous times before. She thought of what it would be like when Spike was even smaller than a pony like he had claimed. It seemed almost impossible, though a few decades worth of eating mountains of food had to have some kind of repercussions.

Summer was smiling as wide as she could possibly manage, running in circles around Rosa who had been forced to slow her pace of risk knocking heads with the mare.

“Summer, will you just calm down for a second?”

“But I can’t! I’m so excited! I still can’t believe you’re friends with the Ponyville Dragon! I used to think you were a bit of a square, but you’re definitely the coolest pony ever!”

“Thanks... I think?”

Summer turned her attention away from Rosa and towards the open entrance.

“Coo-ee! Mister Spike!”

Rosa immediately grabbed her and clasped a hoof over her mouth.

“You can’t just go shouting his name! He might be resting or something. Dragons tend to sleep a lot longer than ponies and you never know, he might have been working hard...”

As Rosa continued to lecture Summer they both failed to notice a large purple head peer out from the archway and smirk at the scene before him.

“AHEM!” Spike said gruffly, making the two ponies jump in surprise. “Well, well, well. This is rather unexpected. So who’s your filly-friend, Rosa?”

Rosa turned to her friend to see that she still had one hoof pushed against the mare’s face and the other around her neck. At this sudden realisation the two ponies sprung away from each other and began to blurt out explanations in unison.

“No, Spike! This is my friend Summer! I wasn’t cuddling her or anything...”

“No! Me and Rosa aren’t together! We’re just friends!”

Spike’s head fell to the floor as he began to laugh heartily, tears in his eyes. The two ponies at first looked shocked, then they both began to frown with annoyance. Spike eventually stopped laughing and wiped away a tear, flicking it onto the ground. It quickly evaporated with a loud hiss. He pointed at the two ponies with his long, scaly claw.

“That’s for all the times you’ve teased me. I’m sorry if I offended you little one; I haven’t had many chances to get her back for all the things she’s said to me.”

At first the two mares traded peeved glances but Summer broke out into a grin and began to chuckle along with the dragon.

“Oh that’s OK Mister Spike! Yeah, she’s so easy to tease, isn’t she?”

Rosa could only shake her head as her two friends continued to chortle.

“Are you finished yet?” she scolded, stamping a hoof.

“OK, OK, I’m sorry,” Spike said, calming himself down. “So who’s your friend and what brings you here?”

“Spike, this is Summer. She’s a work colleague of mine. What brings me here is just getting her to meet you. You know, something nice like a good friend would do,” Rosa scowled, half-joking.

“Nice to meet you Mister Spike!” Summer said, raising a hoof for Spike to shake.

“Nice to meet you too, but I’d better not shake anypony’s hoof. These claws are annoyingly sharp and I wouldn’t want anything to happen. Also, just Spike is fine. I haven’t been called Mister in a long, long time.”

Summer raised a hoof to her forehead in salute. “Okie dokie, not Mister Spike!”

Spike gave a slight grin, a pensive expression appearing on his face. Rosa had seen that same face on only a few occasions, as if he was reminiscing about something.

“So what is it like being a dragon?” Summer blurted out excitedly.

“I don’t know... what’s it like being a pony?”

“It’s pretty good, especially when you’re an awesome pony like me! So is it just you that lives here or do you have yourself a lady dragon?” Summer said, raising her eyebrows.

Spike gave Rosa an anxious look, as if to say ‘help me!’

“She’s always like this, don’t worry. I’ve been getting an earful ever since I went on that date.”

At this, Spike’s eyes lit up.

“A date? Was it with that, erm... what’s his name? Sparky? The one you mentioned before?”

“Sparks, actually, and yes, we went on a date yesterday in Canterlot,” Rosa said proudly, unsure why she even considered it an impressive feat after so much talk of being proud not to have ‘been around’.

“Well isn’t that something,” Spike mused, scratching his chin. “Did you have a nice time?”

“You bet she did!” Summer butted in. “She saw Foal Gallagher’s high flying birds!”

“Yeah,” said Rosa, shooting Summer an annoyed look. “He took me to see Foal Gallagher, and it was amazing! Those birds were so well trained and did all kinds of aerial tricks, twirling and dancing all over the place!”

“It sounds like you enjoyed yourself,” murmured Spike approvingly. “So what is this Sparks guy like?”

“Oh, he’s great. I mean, it was kind of awkward at first but he’s really nice.”

“I see... Well, I’m really happy for you. You deserve that special somepony; you always have.”

Rosa blushed slightly at those words and looked to the ground. “You’re flattering me again, Spike; I guess you have a thing for ponies after all,” she teased.

Summer looked up at the dragon curiously as he rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, I can see why you’d look at ponies in that way. It’s always the most unattainable ones that are the most enticing, isn’t it?” Summer noted plainly.

Spike cleared his throat ready to explain as Rosa chortled under her breath. The laughter was cut short as she began to think of how much that rang true of her own life. Were her feelings for Nico apparent just because he was ‘off-limits’?

“Oh for crying out loud, I don’t have a thing for ponies! You see, Summer, this is what I have to put up with.” Spike gave Rosa a discerning look. “So what does Clover think of this new colt-friend of yours?”

“Clover? Oh, she doesn’t know yet...” Rosa muttered, feeling a little guilty for not having mentioned it to her best friend.

“Really?” asked Spike, surprised. “I thought you must have been with her this morning.”

“What do you mean?” Rosa asked curiously.

“Well I saw her earlier; she was lining up for some kind of audition or something. She mentioned the theatre.”

“What? What do you mean, audition?”

Spike gave a slight shrug, as much as he was able to from where he was positioned. “I thought you would’ve known; as I say, that’s where I thought you’d come from.”

Rosa couldn’t help but feel a little betrayed, but she guessed she couldn’t say much because she was also guilty of not keeping her friends in the ‘know’.

“Clover, huh? Isn’t that your blank flank friend you mentioned before?” asked Summer, her interest piqued.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Rosa replied, wondering about her friend. “We can go meet her if you want; the theatre isn’t too far from here.”

“Oh, that would be neat-o! It was very nice meeting you Mister Spike, I mean Spike! You’re even cooler looking up close than you are from far off!”

“Well thanks,” chuckled the now bashful looking dragon, stroking the scales on the back of his neck.

“I hope you find a nice lady dragon soon,” Summer added, waving a hoof. “Now then Strider, let’s go meet Clover!”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Strider?”

“Because of the way I walk—”

“Oh, that.”

The two ponies said their goodbyes and headed out towards the theatre, Rosa wondering what her friend would be doing at such a place.

The Ponyville theatre could have been considered almost non-existent. Rosa could hardly remember the last time it was even accessible, let alone open to the public. Despite the fact that it was pretty much derelict it was a well-known building thanks to the huge sign jutting from its side with the word ‘THEATRE’ written vertically.

The last time it had actually operated as wasn’t open very often and was eventually closed down because hardly any ponies would go there anymore. The recession had hit Ponyville harder than most places, meaning such luxuries as going to see a play simply weren’t an option. There had been rumours about a grand re-opening in the past but they were met with little more than a flicker of interest. Sure, ponies would have liked to have the theatre open again but more for the novelty than the commodity.

“Why would Clover be at the theatre?” asked Summer.

“I have absolutely no idea. There’s no way it could be opening again, is there?”

“Crazier things have happened. I mean, you went out with Sparks and didn’t try to kiss him!”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Rosa mused, ignoring her friend’s joke entirely. “Why would they open it up again? And why would Clover be there?”

As they turned the corner to face the theatre the two ponies stopped dead in their tracks. Stretched out from the theatre entrance was a long queue of ponies that stretched the length of half a dozen houses. Near the front of the queue, Rosa noticed a familiar green pegasus staring into space with a pensive expression.

“Clover?” Rosa said aloud, catching her friend’s attention.

“Rosa? What are you doing here?” the pegasus asked, a smile coming across her face.

“That’s just what I was going to ask you!”

Rosa and Summer shuffled along to where Clover was standing, making sure not to make it seem as though they were jumping the queue. Before Rosa could ask her friend about what was going on Summer extended a hoof towards Clover.

“Nice to meet you Clover! My name’s Summer Sun! I would say Rosa’s told me all about you but she doesn’t talk very much.”

Clover smirked and happily shook the mare’s hoof. “Nice to meet you too, Summer.”

Rosa once again opened her mouth to speak but was again beaten to it by her yellow friend.

“So what’s happening here then? I thought this place had closed down; is it opening back up? Are you here for a job?”

“Summer, one question at a time,” Rosa butted in with. She turned back to Clover. “So what are you doing here?”

“I’m here for an audition. It’s for a play called Dreamworld. Maybe you’ve read the book?”

Rosa shook her head. “It rings a bell, but I’ve definitely not read it. It sounds like some kind of fantasy thing and I’ve never really been into that. So are they really opening up the theatre after all this time?”

“No, not exactly. They’re holding auditions here but it’s unlikely that anypony will actually perform here.”

Rosa furrowed her brow. “I... don’t get it.”

Clover rolled her eyes. “There’s some hotshot director who’s adapted Dreamworld into a play, but obviously can’t do anything about it in Ponyville given the fact that the theatre’s been closed since forever. There are places like Canterlot where you can find theatres, but the director lives here in Ponyville and would have a hard time convincing anypony there to let him set up auditions just like that.

“Here in Ponyville there are no such issues and because the theatre isn’t in use, so he can use it to his heart’s content. But since the theatre here is closed and officially re-opening it again would also be a hassle, he’s holding auditions here with the idea that he could convince ponies from these other places if he already has the cast and crew who can perform the play.”

“That sounds awfully complicated,” shrugged Rosa. “So you’re trying for an audition? I never knew you were into this kind of thing.”

“I’ve always had a slight interest in acting, but there was never any way for me to pursue it with the theatre being closed down and all, so I guess I kind of forgot that I had ever even wanted to do anything like this. That is, until I heard about what was going on. Who knows? Acting could even be my special talent.”

Clover glanced at her bare flank, bereft of a cutie mark. Rosa could tell that she still felt disappointed with herself, even if she put on a brave face and spoke about being a blank flank as if it was no big deal.

“Aww, but if you find your special talent we can’t be blank buddies!” Summer piped up.

Clover gave a friendly grin at the comment. “Well if you want to find your special talent you can always try and audition yourself. There’s sure to be a part for somepony like you.”

Summer shook her head. “Nah, that stuff isn’t really my cup of tea. I don’t want to be memorizing lines and acting the way somepony else wants me to. I’m a free spirit!”

Clover chuckled. “I can definitely see that.”

“Since when was this going on? I never heard about any of this.” Rosa asked.

“I’m surprised you haven’t. There were ponies going around the whole village spreading the word and hoofing out leaflets. You didn’t stay in all day, did you?”

“No, of course not!” Rosa exclaimed. “I was out with...” She paused, trying to think of the best way to say what she was about to say. “I was in Canterlot with Sparks Fly, maybe you’ve heard of him?”

Clover eyed her friend knowingly. “Sparks Fly? The unicorn athlete? You were in Canterlot with him?”

“Isn’t it obvious?!” Summer blurted out. “They were out on a hot date!”

Rosa began to blush as Clovers eyes widened. Neither of them had ever had a colt-friend before and rarely even talked about the subject. As happy as Rosa was about where her life was heading she couldn’t help but feel awkward in that moment. I’m not sure how I’d feel when…

“You were out on a date with Sparks? Oh Rosa, that’s great! I’m so happy for you! I can’t wait to tell Nico!”

...when Nico finds out…

“Well, thanks. He took me to see Foal Gallagher, which was amazing.”

“Foal Gallagher? You lucky mare, you!” Clover lunged forward and gave Rosa a big hug, catching the earth pony by surprise. “I always knew you’d find somepony nice.”

“Nice? That guy is mint,” Summer interjected. Rosa wondered if having a friend who openly swooned over her colt-friend was such a good idea, and also wondered at what point the word ‘mint’ had come to describe anything other than flavour. Either slang words had evolved more among the younger generation than Rosa had realised or Summer was just making attempts to coin a new phrase.

Clover released her vice grip around Rosa’s neck and shuffled back into the queue, which had begun to move.

“You two can watch my audition if you’d like. I think they’ll allow it, and it’d be nice to have some support.”

Rosa shrugged. “Well if you don’t mind that, Summer?”

“Of course I don’t mind! Any friend of Rosa’s is a friend of mine. So when can I meet this Nico character?”

Rosa laughed nervously as Clover gave her a discerning look. “At some point in the future Summer; I can’t just gather my friends at the drop of a hat for your amusement.”

The queue lumbered forward once more leaving the three mares only a few feet from the entrance. It extended beyond it and to another set of doors inside the building.

“Well thanks for both tagging along, just make sure you make it clear that you’re not auditioning yourselves. Some ponies who have been queuing a long time might get a tad annoyed otherwise.”

“No problem,” Rosa said, nodding her head.

“And you can tell me more about your date. That is, if you want to.”

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

“And by the way, you look great with that pink bow.”

As the queue moved along, Rosa could see exactly why the theatre wasn’t going to be reopened. The interior was almost completely dilapidated. Cobwebs cluttered the ceiling and nearly every surface was lined with a thick layer of dust. The wallpaper was cracked and torn, in some places revealing scratches and broken stone in the walls. The floorboards were rough and uneven with rusty nails jutting out from them. The air was musty, accompanied by an earthy smell that bore into Rosa’s nostrils, making her feel grateful for the fresh air of the outside world. The only things that were at all preserved were numerous framed pictures and photographs pinned to the walls of the corridor beyond the entrance, depicting scenes from age-old performances. To renovate a place like this would take an inordinate amount of money and likely wouldn’t see a decent return if it was ever finished.

As they waited in the queue, Rosa told Clover all about her time in Canterlot with Sparks. The pegasus was unusually inquisitive, asking various questions about Foal Gallagher’s show, what Canterlot was like, and most of all, what Sparks was like and how Rosa felt about him. These questions made Rosa feel more uneasy than any as she imagined Clover spreading the word to Nico and repeating everything she had told her.

Even Summer with her juvenile attitude hadn’t made her feel uncomfortable like this. Clover was undoubtedly happy for her and was incredibly supportive, talking about possible future get-togethers and praising her for finding a stallion like Sparks. Clearly, she had known about him because she seemed to know a fair amount of information about his achievements, even more so than Rosa had. The idea of introducing Sparks to Nico scared her. Rosa didn’t want to think about it, but scenario after scenario ran through her mind uncontrollably. She couldn’t shake the thought that by doing this Nico would never consider her as a possible filly-friend, but given past experiences it wouldn’t exactly be causing any change.

Summer was occupying herself by butting in with comments about Sparks’ ‘glorious plot’ among other things and giving Rosa suggestive winks and gestures. If anything, Rosa hoped that the yellow mare would find herself a colt-friend just so she would be more interested with her own live life.

Some of the surrounding ponies gave a mixture of disgruntled glances and small smiles at their conversation making Rosa feel even more on the spot as they trudged along the corridor and into a large foyer with an old wooden staircase leading to the next floor with rotting wood and missing struts. They had been queuing for about half an hour now, with the supposed ‘end’ being a large door in front of them with a unicorn mare at its side, handing out scripts from a large wad of papers. Her eyelids were barely open and she stared at the floor in apparent despair. She looked even more bored and irritable than the receptionist at the Royal Canterlot Auditorium.

Ponies were passing through the door ahead in small, seemingly random groups. Clover became increasingly anxious as the three mares edged their way towards the door, knowing that they would be the next to go through.

Rosa and Summer politely declined the scripts levitated into their face and explained that they were only here to spectate, bringing a frown to the face of the grumpy young unicorn. Summer in turn pulled a similar face and crossed her forelegs angrily when the mare’s back was turned, immediately dropping the facade as soon as she turned back, nearly making Rosa burst into laughter.

Clover was diligently reading through the script, breathing deeply and trying to shake off her nerves.

“What’s in the script?” asked Rosa.

“It’s an excerpt from Dreamworld, something about an enchantress and two friends so far. It doesn’t say anything about which race any of these characters are supposed to be. I just hope they don’t need all unicorns; I know how it’d be easier for them if that were the case. The part of Esmeralda the enchantress seems interesting, but if any of the characters are going to be unicorns it’ll probably be her,” Clover responded glumly.

“Oh don’t worry about that,” Rosa said supportively. “Just do your best.”

“We’ll be cheering you on!” added Summer. “Just imagine you are in Dreamworld and you’ll be fine!”

“Don’t actually cheer her on; we don’t want to disturb anyone.”

“OK Strider, whatever you say. I’ll just cheer her on in silence, so you’ll just have to imagine that I’m making some noise, just like you’re imagining that you’re in Dreamworld!”

“For once, I completely agree with you,” said Rosa, raising her eyebrows.

Eventually, a young earth pony stallion nudged the door in front of them and signalled to the unicorn mare. She nodded, and ushered in the next group without uttering a word, simply swaying a hoof as the queue shuffled forward and then gesturing for them to stop. Rosa, Clover and Summer passed through, accompanied by two stallions and three mares, one of which was with her daughter who couldn’t have been older than twelve or thirteen.

Before them was a dimly lit wooden stage with two large red curtains draped either side. A dozen or so plastic chairs faced it, one taken by the earth pony from before and the other by an older looking unicorn stallion sporting a green fedora. There were no rows of plush seats like there were in the Royal Canterlot Auditorium, just marks and cracks left on the floor where the previous fixed seating had been removed. The theatre itself couldn’t have allowed for more than around eighty ponies, even with the upper balcony above them.

“This place is a dump,” Summer whispered, looking around with an unimpressed expression on her face.

“Hush!” Rosa exclaimed, even though she thought the exact same thing.

Summer smiled back. “Nopony even runs this place any more, there’s nopony to get offended by me saying that.”

Rosa frowned, but realised that her friend was right and let out a sigh.

The unicorn stallion glanced nonchalantly at the group and whispered to his companion. The earth pony turned to them and called out across the room.

“All those auditioning, please make your way to the stage where I’ll talk you through the parts I’ll want you to act out. Any friends or family spectating can take the seats behind me.”

The mare with her daughter shared a big hug as the mother gave a few words of encouragement. Clover looked at Rosa and Summer as the other ponies made their way to the stairs beside the stage.

“This is it, I guess.”

“Oh you’ll be fine,” encouraged Rosa.

“Yeah, go get ‘em, tiger!” Summer chimed in, emitting a quiet roar.

“Come on please, I have lots of ponies waiting outside,” the earth pony called, making his way to the stage. The young filly scurried on after him, followed by Clover.

“Good luck Berry!” the mother called out, and the filly waved back happily.

Rosa and Summer sauntered over to the row of chairs behind the unicorn who was looking through a script and scribbling notes with a quill. His eyes hadn’t even looked up at any of those who were auditioning; he simply sat there and muttered to himself, furiously flicking through the pages. Beneath his fedora was a short blue mane with a strand that ran down his nose. His coat was hot pink, meaning he could have easily been mistaken as a mare from afar.

“Could this guy be the director?” Summer whispered. “He looks like some washed up circus clown.”

“Summer, don’t be so judgemental,” Rosa quipped back, eliciting a playful smile from her yellow friend.

“You see, you’re speaking your mind to me now. Could it be that the great Sparks has filled you with confidence? I guess it’s the first of many things he’ll be filling you with...”

Rosa choked on her own breath and began to cough violently as Summer laughed, clutching at her sides. This gained the attention of the mother sat next to them, but the unicorn stallion still didn’t flinch.

“I just can’t take you anywhere, can I?” Rosa sighed, catching her breath.

“Hey, I was talking about hope, vigour, a new outlook on life and stuff like that. You’re the one with the dirty mind.”

“Somehow I don’t believe that.”

After a few more minutes of bickering, Rosa and Summer fell silent as three of the ponies came out onto stage, including the young filly from before. The mother clapped giddily in here seat as her daughter pranced out cheerily, clutching a script in her teeth alongside a pegasus mare and a unicorn stallion. The tall earth pony stallion went to each of them in turn, setting out their positions on the stage.

“Roadie!” the pink unicorn called out, taking Rosa and Summer by surprise. “Move her to the left!” he ordered, gesturing towards the young filly.

“No problem, Floyd,” the earth pony called back, and shuffled her a few paces.

“How rude!” Summer whispered. “Why can’t he just ask her instead of using his buddy as a go-between?”

The stallion known as Roadie stepped off stage and started playing a record; a soft piece of classical music played mainly by string instruments. The other stallion and mare on the stage nodded to Roadie and stepped forward, looking around the room in wonder.

“I don’t remember this being here before!”

“No, I was never... it was never anything more than an old dumping ground.”

The stallion’s acting was a little too over the top, but it was at least somewhat realistic. The mare stumbled over her lines and put emphasis on the wrong words leading to painfully awkward dialogue between the two. Summer was literally cringing with each mistake that the pair made.

“Even I could do better than that,” she murmured into Rosa’s ear.

It was apparently too painful for Floyd to watch as he sat, wordlessly shaking his head in disapproval, a melancholic look across his face. Rosa thought he looked like somepony who had just been told he was adopted.

“I think we should go back; we don’t know what we might... might find here.”

“Maybe you’re right, but what’s that?”

Admittedly, the script itself was less than stellar. Rosa suspected that it was merely adapted from the novel with identical dialogue rather than having been appropriately revised for a live production. She knew that in many books she had read, dialogue could be mundane but still allow for an enticing story because the reader would be spending time piecing together the scene and imagining the setting. With these things taken away, characters’ speech becomes everything, for better, or in this case, for worse.

“Who... what are you?”

The young filly on stage sprang to her hooves and threw her forelegs theatrically into the air.

“I am Esmeralda!” she squealed in a voice as sweet as sugar. “I have travelled this world, seeking to help those in need. I have the power to grant any wish that you—”

“STOP! STOP!” Floyd interrupted, a hoof flaying in the air. “That’s enough, thank you.”

The filly sat with her mouth agape while the other two trudged off to the side, their heads held low. Her mother shifted in her seat, a look of horror washing across her face.

“Please, Sir! My little Berry deserves another chance, just a few more lines. She’s very talented!”

“I’m sorry ma’am but I don’t have time to humour every pony who comes here. She’s too young for the part anyway,” he said drolly without even turning to look at the mare.

The filly’s eyes began to water. She rose to her hooves and bolted down the adjacent stairs, tears streaming down her cheeks. The mother leapt from her seat, a look of despair across her face, and caught the upset filly in her forelegs.

“I’m so sorry Mummy. I tried, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s OK, everything’s OK Berry,” the mother comforted, stroking the back of her daughter’s mane. “Don’t worry, Mummy’s got you. You did your best and that’s all that matters.”

“But that’s not what matters!” the filly shrieked. “I wanted to be in the play, and now—”

The mother quickly escorted her daughter from the theatre as she howled and wept, striking Floyd with an almighty glare as she passed. The stallion barely responded, merely shifting his fedora and gesturing to Roadie for the next batch of auditions.

As insensitive as it seemed, Rosa could understand why he had to act like this. He was brave to be holding auditions like this in hope of outsourcing the so called ‘talent’ to other theatres in Equestria, and having sub-par actors line up must be disheartening.

“Next please,” Roadie called, and Clover came on stage beaming from ear to ear, the other mare and stallion just behind her. Rosa grinned at her friend, nodding approvingly. Clover took the area of the stage where the filly had just been and crouched down, covering her face with her wings.

“She’s gonna be the enchantress!” Summer gasped, clapping her hooves together. “That’s the one she really wanted, right?”

“Shhh!” Rosa mocked pulling a zip across her mouth. “Yes, now be quiet. We don’t want to distract her.”

“You know earth ponies can’t use zips with their hooves right?” Summer taunted.

Rosa rolled her eyes and looked back to the stage as the audition started.

“Wait... I don’t remember this being here before?”

“Me neither. This was never more than an old dumping ground.”

“How would all of this have even gotten here?”

The acting this time around was at least bearable, but not astonishing. Then again, Rosa wasn’t sure what she would even class as ‘astonishing’ at this moment in time. She’d never been to see a play in her entire life, and secretly had only learned the meaning of the word a few years prior.

“Wait a second, what’s that?”

“I see her... it...”

Clover slowly rose to her hooves.

“Who... or what are you?”

Clover gracefully brought her wings downs from her face and sprung them high into the air, creating an air current that could even be felt from where Rosa and Summer were sat. She straightened her legs and gently shook her head, shuffling her mane lightly. Then she slowly opened her eyes and smiled brightly.

“I... am Esmeralda,” she said softly, then took a step forward to the other actors. “I have travelled this world seeking those in need of my help. I have the power to grant any wish that you may ask of me.”

Rosa’s jaw had dropped as she watched her friend command the stage, an air of unusual confidence about her. Even the stallion that faced her was gawping, transfixed by Clover’s grace and beauty. Silence fell; not even a breath could be heard for a few moments until the stallion was nudged by the accompanying mare.

“What... w-what do you mean, ‘grant us any wish’?” he stammered, his attention clearly fixed on the pale green pegasus in front of him rather than the task at hoof.

“I mean just that, young one. Any wish that you can think of; and dream that you might have, I can turn into a reality.”

Summer tapped Rosa’s shoulder. “She’s amazing!” she whispered gleefully. “You can tell that guy really wants a piece of her!”

“Uh-huh,” Rosa responded, only half listening to what Summer was saying. Right now she couldn’t help but stare blankly at Clover.

“Anything that you could possibly imagine is possible,” Clover explained, flapping her wings casually and taking to the air a few inches above the floor. “Though each choice comes with consequences. You must be careful what you wish for, young ones.”

“How do we even know you’re telling the truth?” the mare scoffed. “Grant us wishes? Make our dreams come true? I’ve never heard of anything so absurd! Come on Reverie, let’s get out of here.” The mare began to storm back to the edge of the stage.

“Veracity, wait!” the stallion cried out. “I know as well as you do that this doesn’t make sense, but it couldn’t hurt to try.”

The mare eyed Clover suspiciously, squinting with anger, then wandered to the stallion’s side. It was almost as if Clover’s display of acting prowess had made the audition seem much more real to them, as if they were now part of a real scenario. Far from the debacle of the ponies on stage previously, Rosa was actually enjoying what she was watching.

“You think you can change your life because of somepony claiming to be able to grant wishes?”

“You can see this place, right? It makes no sense, and yet it’s here, before our very eyes.”

“There’s a difference between the unexplainable and the impossible!”

Clover turned her back to the pair and began a slow retreat. “I see that you don’t believe me; that is understandable. It is a response I have become familiar with over the years. Nonetheless, I do not seek your trust or approval, merely your dreams and desires. Perhaps you could settle for that.”

The actors each stopped in their tracks, signalling the end of the scene.

“Thank you very much,” Floyd commented nonchalantly. “If the two mares would like to record their names and addresses on the forms held by Roadie, please? As for you.” Floyd pointed a hoof at the stallion, “I’m afraid that randy young ponies aren’t part of my plan. I wouldn’t want any kind of mishap centre-stage for everypony to see.”

The stallion blushed brightly and looked to the floor in embarrassment, but nodded in acceptance. Clover and the other mare each hopped over to where Roadie was now stood, at a small table beside the stage while the stallion began to slowly make his way down the steps, his hind legs clenched together, as stiff as iron bars.

“Clover! You go girl! You were incredible!” Summer shouted, now prancing around like a lunatic. “You’d better get that part!” she bellowed, turning to Floyd and gesturing with one hoof, which was met with a frown that could frighten scarecrows.

Rosa quickly stepped up to the yellow mare and flashed an apologetic smile in Floyd’s direction. “Sorry about my friend here, she’s very excitable.”

Floyd’s frown dropped for a moment and he stared, a puzzled expression across his face. “You...” he began, shooting Rosa a look that made her feel most uncomfortable.

“Me?” she replied childishly, pointing a hoof at herself even though she knew who he was talking about.

“You... when was your audition?”

Rosa gulped. “My audition? I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t come here to audition; I just came to see my friend perform.”

Floyd stroked his chin and shifted his gaze to where Clover was now stood, looking over some forms. “And why aren’t you auditioning?”

“I guess because I’ve never really thought about it.”

“Perhaps it’s something you should think about.” Floyd dropped down from his chair for the first time since they’d been there, revealing a prominent scar across his left side that measured at least 3 inches in length. He began to inspect Rosa’s appearance; she could almost feel his eyes crawl across her body. “I think you could be a great enchantress. Your posture, your physique, there’s just something ‘right’ about you that would fit my vision.”

Rosa didn’t know whether to be flattered, thankful or frankly disgusted at Floyd’s comments and merely feigned a weak smile. “Well, I don’t know if I’d be able to act that well anyway.”

“Well, you could at least give it a try.”

“I don’t really know...”

Summer leapt between the two ponies in Rosa’s defence and snarled at Floyd, trying her best to pull an intimidating face. “If Rosa says no, that means no. Get it?”

“Just hold on,” Rosa stepped in with, surprising both Summer and Floyd. “I didn’t say ‘no’, but I didn’t say ‘yes’. I just... I’m not sure.”

Rosa considered her options. She’d never had an opportunity to try and do this kind of thing and probably wouldn’t have another chance, at least judging by the current state of the theatre. She’d never thought herself to have any kind of acting skill, especially when it came to embarrassing situations in life. There was also the fact that Clover had given such a magnificent performance, and she couldn’t even dream of doing such a thing herself. Why would Floyd care about me after he’d just seen that? she thought to herself.

“What is it about me?” she asked sternly. “What is it that you see?”

“Depth,” Floyd muttered naturally.

“Well now that’s just being perverted,” Summer quipped.

“Mystery,” Floyd continued. “Something intangible. It’s up to you whether you decide to audition, I guess I just hoped that I could find my ideal cast.”

“Hey, what’s up?” Clover chirped, gazing at Rosa as she mulled things over. “What did you think?”

“You were great, Clover!” chimed in Summer. “I really think you deserve a part.”

“Yeah, you were really good,” Rosa agreed, though Clover appeared somewhat unconvinced.

“Really? You’re not just saying things?”

“Oh don’t mind her, she’s just got her mane in a knot because Mister Pink over here wants her to audition.”

Floyd shot her with an annoyed look which was met with a cheeky smile.

“Oh really?” Clover asked. “That’s... interesting. So will you do it?”

Rosa cocked her head. “I’m not sure. I just... I have no idea.”

“As I said, the decision is up to you,” Floyd said ominously, setting himself back down in his chair and flicking through his script. “If you can’t act, you can’t act, and that’ll be the end of it. But if you can, your life could be changed forever.”

“That’s kind of sugar-coating it a bit, isn’t it?” Rosa commented.

“I don’t sugar-coat, my dear.”

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 9 - One Big Book

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 9 - One Big Book

“He was sugar-coating it, wasn’t he?” Rosa commented flatly, blowing a strand of hair from her eye.

“Hey, I thought you were really good! The both of you have some serious acting talent!” Summer assured jubilantly, smiling brightly to the two other mares.

They had just left the theatre and were now walking aimlessly, just after Rosa had attempted to follow in Clover’s hoof-steps as Esmeralda the enchantress. Floyd and her two friends seemed impressed, but Rosa couldn’t tell how much of that was just empty support. She had played the part as well as she could, though very different from the way Clover had portrayed her. Rosa’s enchantress was bolder, sterner and less dramatic. She didn’t think that she was necessarily a terrible actress, but the part of the enchantress should be mysterious, much like Floyd had said, and she didn’t feel as if she came off this way. Floyd had showed his appreciation for her participation and asked her for her name and address, letting her know that she would be contacted by post as soon as a decision had been made regarding the casting. In all honesty, it didn’t matter that much to her. This was Clover’s dream, not hers.

“I still think Clover was far better than I was. I was really amazed with what I saw; I could tell you really put your all into that role.”

“Thanks, Rosa, but you didn’t do as badly as you seem to think. I really liked your performance.”

“Please, I don’t need your compliments. I only did it because I thought, ‘why not?’ You’re the one with the talent.”

“Yeah, I think that stallion would have to agree as well.” Summer chirped. “Didn’t you see how excited he got!?”

“Well you of all ponies would have to have been looking hard enough to notice that,” carped Rosa, shooting the mare an all too familiar unamused glare.

“You’re such a prude, Rosa! And you’re dating Sparks for Luna’s sake. I don’t even know how you could keep your mind off it with him beside you. Don’t you agree, Clover?”

Clover became flustered and gave Rosa a bashful glance. “I wouldn’t say she’s a prude. She’s just more… conservative with her thoughts.”

Rosa was well aware that her friend was giving her a well-meant compliment, but still felt a tinge of insult. She knew though that Clover was right about her, showing just how well she could attune to her feelings, even if they weren’t openly discussed. Surely she knows about my feelings for Nico then, she thought, keeping her head facing away from the two mares as she mulled over her predicament, Summer already leaping in with a rebuttal to Clover’s statement.

“Oh, but it’s only through talking about our perversions that they’re any fun at all! I guess I’ll just have to get Strider drunk so she spills the proverbial beans.”

Clover chuckled, but Rosa barely took notice. She was too busy overthinking things as usual.

“So what about you then, Clover? Any hot stallion in your life?”

“Wha… me?” Clover gasped in surprise.

“There’s nopony else here called Clover, is there?”

“Well… no. There’s nopony in my life,” she said dully.

“Seriously!?” Summer exclaimed, throwing her hooves into the air. “You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m afraid not.” Clover flashed an uneasy glance towards Rosa who merely gave a slight shrug. She was too caught up in her internal musings to attempt to save her friend from Summer’s ‘onslaught’. She knew that the news of her date with Sparks would eventually reach Nico, and she was trying to decipher just how she felt about that.

“Oh, that sucks. Well actually, that’s great!” Summer rejoiced. “We could go hunting for stallions, just the two of us! Think about it, two sexy young blank flanks out gallivanting, catching the eyes of everypony who sees us…”

Rosa observed Clover as she appeared ever more anxious. Part of her wanted to step in and help the poor pegasus, but the other part was curious as to how Clover would handle Summer’s ramblings.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine…. really.”

Summer’s face dropped in disappointment. “Aw, that’s not the kind of attitude I was hoping for!”

“To be fair,” Rosa interjected, “You’re too young to go ‘stallion-hunting’ with Clover anyway. You’re… how should I put this? You’re barely even legal.”

Summer blushed, a wave of distress and surprise washing across her face as Rosa had so easily called her on such a fact. Rosa couldn’t help but find it amusing how the mare reacted when her façade was broken down, as cruel as it was. “Well… maybe you’re right, but that’s not to say I couldn’t meet a charming young stallion and have a nice time…”

“A nice time? Is that meaning what I think it means?” Rosa taunted, astonished at her own ability to turn the tide on her young friend. “And the fact that you’re sixteen wouldn’t make a difference?”

“Hey, don’t tease me like that! Who’s to say I couldn’t meet somepony?”

“I’m not saying anything,” Rosa quipped, and turned her head away dramatically, smiling to herself.

“Hey! Stop being mean!”

“Sorry girls,” Clover piped up with, stopping her friends’ bickering in its tracks. “I really should get going. My parents will be wondering where I am if I stay out much longer, and I really want to tell them about my audition.”

“Oh, OK. Goodbye, and see you again soon.” Rosa stated, smiling gently.

“Yeah, see you round Miss Leaf,” Summer grinned, giving the mare a quick hug. Clover was startled by this, but quickly complied.

“I think we should all meet up some other time,” suggested Clover.

“Me too,” Rosa agreed. “See you soon!”

The mares waved goodbye as Clover effortlessly took to the skies, darting through the air towards Cloudsdale. Rosa turned and noticed Summer still watching Clover as she became a mere spec on the skyline, a light grin across her face.

“Don’t you ever wish you could fly?” she said thoughtfully with a dazed expression. “Sometimes I wish I could just fly away and go wherever I wanted to go. I hate feeling restricted.” That line in particular touched Rosa’s heart as she was vividly reminded of Summer’s quandary, having to work her flank off to support her disabled mother. “Don’t you wish you were a pegasus?”

“If I’m honest, I often wish I was a unicorn. Even the simple act of picking something would be so much easier, and there are so many things that magic can achieve that we with our mere hooves can’t even come close to doing. Sparks showed me that—” She cut herself off, realising that she would expose Sparks’ talent to Summer, something she had wanted to avoid if she could manage it. The perky young mare would hassle him about it all day long if she could—

“What? Sparks showed you what?” Summer responded curiously.

“He… he just showed me some magic and stuff, that’s all.”

“Oh, no, no, no! He showed you something special, didn’t he? Come on, what was it!?”

“I’d rather not say—”

“Oh come on, tell me! Unless it was something, private?” she goaded, winking suggestively.

Rosa was about to instinctively roll her eyes and try to blow the conversation past them when a crazy idea popped into her head. She pulled as serious a face as she could manage, and pressed a hoof to Summer’s shoulder, prompting a confused reaction.

“OK, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anypony.”

“Oh I’ll never tell! I swear it!” the yellow mare gasped.

Rosa forced her eyes shut and tensed up her face, readying herself. Then she began to speak in as stern a tone as she could muster.

“Summer… He showed me his fifth leg.”

At first, Summer stared blankly, as if still waiting for a response. After a few seconds, her smile began to widen, and her chest expanded and contracted with contained laughter. Rosa’s own face curved its way into a smirk uncontrollably, and the pair exploded into horrendous guffaws in unison. Passing citizens watched with a mixture of awe and inquisitiveness as the two earth ponies fell to the cobblestone road in fits of laughter.

Rosa wasn’t used to this; the natural act of laughing with friends was far too uncommon in her previous life. Not that she was about to blame Clover and Nico, mind you. As she rolled on the ground, almost out of breath, she thought of how recent events had changed her more than she could have ever anticipated. Both Summer and Sparks, two ponies who she was barely even aware of not that long ago had managed to show her the kind of joy that she hadn’t felt in so long. The drunken nights spent fantasising about Nico, general chit-chat with Clover, or the day in, day out routine at the family bookshop had always seemed enough for her, but now she realised that she was foolish.

Even though she was still in several minds about her feelings towards Sparks, and even though Summer could be a little obnoxious at times, her life was now better, and she was better. It was as if she had been sleepwalking her way through life for the past few years and had only just begun to wake up. She hated to admit it, but everything her parents had said to her about her lifestyle was right, and she’d been too stubborn to even notice.

“I can’t… stop… help… me…” Summer pleaded, trying to force her laughter away by pressing her cheeks with her hooves.

“I can’t breathe…” Rosa giggled, gasping for air as if she’d just been underwater. She wasn’t one for laughing at her own jokes, but to see Summer’s ludicrous reaction was too much for her.

Eventually the laughter died down into faint snickers, and the two ponies manage to meet eyes once again without being set off.

“We’re so alike,” Summer started, combing her mane back into place. “Even if you don’t like to think so.”

“I just said something dirty out of irony, don’t tar me with that brush,” Rosa retorted, smirking to herself.

“Well now I see what Clover meant when she said about keeping things to yourself. But relax, you don’t need to be shy around me!”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Oh, and sorry if I upset you a few minutes ago.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Summer said dismissively. “I should learn to keep my trap shut sometimes, but I am who I am.”

Rosa gave the mare a friendly glance before looking skyward as groups of clouds began to assemble above Ponyville, a few pegasi darting to and fro between them. It had been a pleasant past few days as far as the weather was concerned, so a bout of rain was likely overdue if the village’s crops and plants were to have any say.

“It looks like it might rain soon,” Rosa said glumly. “Is there anything else you think we could do?”

“I’m not one for ideas unless they involve stallion hunting, remember? Since that’s not an option… I’m pretty much stumped.”

Rosa furrowed her brow, not wanting to cut the day short and send Summer home simply because they had nothing to do. That’s something the old Rosa would have done, she said inwardly, looking back on all the times she had spent cooped up in her room, lost in some fantasy world of her own or somepony else’s creation. She didn’t want to go back to that.

“Well, I could show you round my family’s bookshop, but you have to promise to behave in front of my parents.”

“Oh, oh yes! Yes please! And don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behaviour!” Summer piped up, swishing an invisible halo above her head and sitting obediently.

“That’ll have to do,” Rosa said with a wry smile and they trotted off down the road, Summer bouncing along like a foal with a sugar rush. What have I let myself in for? she thought to herself.

“Nice to meet you Mrs Bloom! The name’s Sun, Summer Sun.” The peppy yellow pony loudly introduced herself, extending a hoof to a startled-looking Daisy Bloom. Rosa was already face-hoofing in her own mind.

“Nice to meet you too, my dear.” The light pink mare accepted the gesture and shook her hoof gently. “I’m so happy my young Rosa has found herself a new friend. And a friend of Rosa’s is a friend of ours.”

“Well thank you very much Mrs Bloom,” Summer replied, nodding politely.

“And the same from me an’ all,” Speedwell Bloom chimed in, tipping his hat suavely.

“Ooh, well aren’t you a real charmer,” Summer exclaimed, and shook his hoof cheerily.

Rosa shot an anxious glance at both her mother and father, but they seemed completely accepting of Summer’s personality, each smiling naturally. Rosa knew her mother in particular had her little way of ‘fake smiling’, something all too familiar when an unruly customer comes into the shop and she forces herself to keep up the charade. So long as Summer was kept on a leash, (a metaphor that Summer herself would probably have some kind of comment to make about) everything should go smoothly. She wasn’t ashamed of her new friend, but she knew how judgemental her mother could be at times.

“Well now that we have the introductions out of the way,” Rosa began, “Why don’t I show you around? It’s alright if I show her our stock, isn’t it Mum?”

“That’s fine dear, your father and I will be in the kitchen if you need anything.”

“Thanks Mum.”

“Oh, just one quick thing. Will your friend be staying for dinner?”

Summer shook her head before Rosa could comment. “I’d love to Mrs Bloom, but I promised my mother I’d cook her a Sunday roast this evening. Thanks for the offer though!”

“Oh, that’s quite alright.”

I know what you’re thinking, Rosa reasoned as her mother shot her a quick glance. You’re thinking I should start cooking for you now, aren’t you? You’re thinking how Summer is a better pony than me, aren’t you?

“It was nice to make your acquaintance little lady,” Speedwell said softly, giving a slight nod.

“You too, Mr Bloom!”

Rosa’s parents wandered off to the kitchen door at the back-end of the shop-floor and slipped inside.

“They seem really nice!” Summer remarked, beaming.

“They are… most of the time.” Rosa was glad that thanks to the house’s older build the walls were thicker and more sound protective. She wouldn’t have gotten away with a comment like that in Nico’s house, or some of the more recently made cottages.

“So what’s it like living in a bookshop?”

“I don’t know. I guess that’s like asking a pegasus what it’s like to be able to fly. I’ve lived in this place for as long as I can remember. I know my Mum and Dad have mentioned living in Canterlot when I was very young, but I’ll be darned if I can remember that far back.”

“Your parents lived in Canterlot? Why would they move here?”

“I never thought to ask them; I’ve never been interested enough to want to know. Besides, after my experience of that place I wouldn’t blame them for moving here what with all the hustle and bustle. Plus, I don’t think a homely book store would fare well in such a place. I expect they have entire warehouses filled to the brim with books of all kinds.”

“I guess there’s that, but I’d still like to go there someday; my Mum speaks fondly of it.”

Summer began inspecting the rows of books near the front of the shop, stopping once on a new bestseller called Fifty Shades of Hay.

“And before you ask, we don’t sell any copies of The Pony Sutra,” Rosa quipped with a smirk.

“Huh? What’s that?” Summer responded, completely oblivious to the reference.

“Oh it’s nothing… So, do you read much?”

“Not really. My Mum’s got a load of boring old history books about The Royal Family, The Elements of Harmony, stuff like that. I can’t be dealing with that kind of thing; what’s in the past is in the past as far as I’m concerned.”

Rosa smiled, thinking of how she too shared a similar outlook. Summer began shuffling along, looking curiously over the rows of autobiographies and self-help books that cluttered the front end bookshelves.

“I haven’t even heard of most of these ponies. Fetlocks Braithwaite? Who even is that?”

“No idea.”

“So do you have any books that are actually interesting around here?”

Rosa’s eyes lit up. “I may just have something.” She gestured Summer back to the shelves stacked with horror and crime novels. This would be another chance to mould a friend into having the same interests as she did. Clover and Nico had always been aware of Rosa’s reading habits and had accepted books in the past, but their interest had never been anything more than fleeting — a mere act of politeness towards her until they decided that they had better things to do than sit on their rears reading books all the time.

“Well now we’re talking!” Summer beamed, rushing to a series of books with pictures of grotesque monsters on the front cover. “The Horrors of the Deep! You’d think authors could come up with less generic titles than that.”

“You’d be surprised,” Rosa chuckled, sidling up next to her friend.

“So this is what the sweet and timid Rosa is into? Blood, gore and scary beasts!”

“Well, not so much that. Not all horror novels are about terrifying monsters. I prefer psychological horror, the stories that make you think, the kinds of tales that could actually be possible.”

“Wow, and you think you know somepony,” Summer said, shooting Rosa a nervous look.

“Oh come on, liking horror doesn’t make me creepy!”

“I’ll be sure to make a note of that when Sparks shows up at the bottom of a lake.”

Rosa giggled to herself again, astounded at Summer’s ability to speak her mind so easily and make a joke out of anything.

“So which books do ya’ll recommend then, Creepy Strider? Hey, that could be your… what’s it called? When you have a different name for writing?”

“Pseudonym.”

“Pseudonym? Oh wow, I was way off. I thought it was something beginning with ‘B’!”

“You really want to know what books to read? Are you actually considering the act of sitting still for long periods of time?”

“Hey, I resent that!” Summer called out playfully. “Anyways, if my Mum can do it, so can I!”

Rosa didn’t know whether to laugh at the potentially offensive joke, even if it was coming from Summer herself, so she feigned a quick grin and said nothing more of the matter. She’d never even met her friend’s mother, and would rather leave the subject of disability alone if she could manage. Despite Summer’s gleeful, outgoing nature, it couldn’t be easy being depended upon by her only close family member. That, and the fact that she never mentioned her father could only mean that he was either dead or had left of his own will. Rosa’s face grew solemn as she imagined what life would be like if either of her parents passed away and the eventual consequences, but she was quickly snapped out of her train of thought.

“So are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna name some good books?” Summer mocked jubilantly.

Rosa thought about all of the books she’d read over the years, trying to categorize her so-called ‘favourites’, but there were too many to list. To make things easier, she decided to name the one she’d been enjoying most recently.

“Well there’s a book called An Equestrian Night Mare that I’ve been reading.”

“Still a bit of a generic title, but go on.”

“It’s more of a crime thriller than a horror, but it’s still pretty creepy. I’d explain what it’s about, but I wouldn’t want to spoil any surprises.”

“OK, sure, I’ll take your word for it. So… do I have to pay for a copy or something?”

“I have a copy of my own in my room that you can take. I’ve nearly finished it so I’ll just sneak one from the shelves at some point.”

“Inviting me up to your room? But Rosa, we barely know each other!” Summer joked in a Chevalian accent.

Rosa shook her head and chortled as she made her way up the staircase and through the door in front of her. She couldn’t remember whether she’d left her room in an untidy state but was glad to find that aside from an out of place duvet cover it was pretty much spotless. It had just started raining, a light drizzle rapping against her window with almost melodious consistency. Rosa flicked on her lamp and pulled over her copy of An Equestrian Night Mare from her desk, then turned to Summer who was led flat on the floor, looking under Rosa’s bed.

“What are you doing!?”

“Summer’s journal, article fifty three,” Summer rasped in a gravelly voice. “Sparks’ body is nowhere to be found under Creepy Strider’s bed. The investigation continues.”

“Are you seriously going to keep that up?”

Summer propped herself back up and smiled suggestively. “Well it’s not like you’re not going to hide him under your bed at some point. How else are you going to keep your folks from knowing about your ‘private time’? If they ever come creeping in with a black-light you’ll be in so much trouble!”

Rosa rolled her eyes. “You know, I really hope you do find yourself a colt-friend. Anyway, this is the novel I was talking about.” She sat on the edge of her bed just as Summer followed suit, and handed the book over. Summer examined it closely, flicking through the pages and stopping at a point near the end.

“This is quite a big book,” she commented, squinting at the print. “There are nearly six hundred pages.”

“Does that really make that much of a difference?”

“Well it seems like an awful lot, and the writing is pretty small too. How long does it take to read one of these?”

Rosa buried her head in her hoof. She didn’t want to openly mock her friend but she was finding it difficult to sympathise with Summer’s argument. “Books are as long as they need to be. Some books might take a few hours to read and some might take several days. If you don’t like it I can see if we’ve got some shorter novels dotted around the place.”

“Oh no, no, no, you don’t need to do that!” Summer exclaimed, clutching the book to her chest. “I’ll read it, honest. I guess I’ve just never read such a big book before, but I’ll try it, for you.”

Rosa felt herself swell with an unusual sense of pride at the mare’s words, realising that Summer was willing to do things for her sake as an act of friendship. Outside of acquaintances like Earl from the café, Summer didn’t seem to have any other friends. She would have to learn to be a bit more accepting of her primrose-coated friend, Rosa decided.

“Well that’s good to hear. Trust me, reading can get really addictive, and sometimes even the longest of books can seem really short when you don’t want them to end. I’ve not actually finished that book yet, but from what I’ve read I don’t think that the ending will disappoint.”

Summer flipped furiously through the book to a spot near the end. “A-ha! The butler did it!”

“There isn’t even a butler mentioned in the story, but nice try,” Rosa said with a smirk.

“Well that just makes it all the more unexpected! You’re just reading the story and then BAM! Killer butler!”

“I sincerely hope that’s not the case…”

The two friends sat up against the wall and relaxed themselves a little. Summer began discussing ideas for a novel that she would want to write, about a noble prince who would secretly sneak out at night and woo unsuspecting mares. Rosa had no idea just how much of it was serious and how much of it was a joke designed to take her out of her comfort zone, but found Summer’s over-the-top descriptions and outlandish characteristics of the prince amusing to listen to regardless.

The conversation soon turned to work at La Chocolat and Petit Déjeuner’s oddities. Summer talked in great length about how Petit had once dealt with an inspector’s visit by ordering staff to hang pictures in spots where there were cracks in the wall and importing higher quality products for that specific day. The problem was that now there were pictures dotted around the restaurant in completely random places, meaning that he sussed out the feeble attempt at trickery almost immediately.

She also talked about times when Petit would ask for meals to be prepared for friends of hers, even though the meals didn’t even exist on the menu. This included an incident where a griffin from the Griffin Kingdoms came to the restaurant and ordered beef steak, seemingly oblivious to the fact that almost nowhere in Equestria even sold meat. Instead of telling her that they only served herbivore food Petit insisted that Ebby try and prepare a ‘fake’ slice of meat using sweet potato and spices.

“What was funny was that Petit was too scared to say ‘no’ because the griffin was so big and bulky, but the griffin herself was too scared to complain!”

Rosa spent most of her time listening rather than talking, but she didn’t mind that. She didn’t think she could say more about her life other than ‘I came, I saw, I read books and I gained a colt-friend because of peer pressure’. There was always the subject of her feelings for Nico, but that wasn’t something she would want to even hint at. She’d only barely felt comfortable explaining that to Spike, and even then he’d been the one to guess what she was talking about.

Because he was the only dragon she had even known, speaking to him about something was almost as if she was consulting some otherworldly being. She did think of him as a friend, but the fact that he was of an entirely different species and was hundreds of times bigger than her muddied the connection between them somewhat. Telling a pony about her true feelings would be a completely different matter, even if she knew it was unfair for Spike that he was ostracised in this way. She wondered if he viewed ponies as beneath him, as he would outlive them all many lifetimes over. Not wanting to depress herself or her friend with such thoughts she pushed them away.

The rain outside was starting to diminish and Summer had begun to talk about Sparks again, though this time with surprising tact. Instead of spouting more obscene jokes she was genuinely inquisitive about when Rosa planned to see him again and what it was like to have somepony that you cared for. That’s not to say that she wasn’t adverse to peppering the conversation with compliments about Sparks’ appearance, but it was a lot more controlled than usual.

Rosa answered as much as she could, wondering herself what the next step would be after Sparks set the bar so high with their first date. She was still anxious about what would be expected of her in the future, but refrained from mentioning that to Summer. Having a colt-friend was still a new concept for her, and she couldn’t help but feel that the way in which her and Sparks were going about it was entirely unnatural. She supposed that most couples would meet up on off-chances that they would get to spend time with each other and just enjoy time in their own company. This kind of scenario didn’t seem entirely desirable, especially considering that she wanted a certain degree of time to herself.

“You’ll be meeting his parents next! Doesn’t that worry you?”

“A little… To be honest, I’m more nervous about his little sister, Crane. She’s apparently worried that I’m here to take her big brother away.”

“Oh you’ll be fine! They say the stallion gets a much tougher time meeting the parents than the mare, for obvious reasons.”

For once I’m glad that’s all you’ve said on the matter, Rosa thought to herself. “You’re forgetting that I’m one of the most socially inept ponies on the planet.”

“Oh you’re not that bad! You just need to loosen up a bit more.”

“Thanks… I think.”

They chatted for a while longer without any kind of awkward pauses that Rosa had come to expect from her time spent with Sparks and her other friends. She realised that they had been talking for almost two hours, and at the same time as this the realisation seemed to hit Summer as well.

“Wow! I’ve been here a long time! Sorry Strider but I’d better be on my way.” Summer attempted to grab the book in her mouth but found that the spine was too large to grasp between her teeth and it slid onto the bed. “Ugh! I guess I’ll have to carry this one by hoof. Didn’t I say something about the book being too damn long?” She hoisted the book into her left foreleg and held it against her chest.

“Sorry about that,” Rosa said with a chuckle. “It was lovely for you to come visit, and I’ll um… I’ll show you out.”

They both trotted down the stairs, Summer managing to walk on three legs extremely well. Rosa took her to the front door and saw that the sun had come out once again, lighting the wooden floorboards with a faint glow as the door was opened.

“You know what, Strider, it’s been fun!” Summer declared, beaming. “I met a dragon, I got to see you act, and I learned just how creepy you are! I’d give you a hug but it’s a bit difficult with this trillion word epic in my possession.”

“Well you insisted on reading it.”

“That I did, that I did.”

Summer stood for a while at the open door, staring judgementally at Rosa who felt rather confused.

“Take care!”

“Wait, really?” the yellow earth pony scoffed. “You’re not even going to give your old pal Summer a hug goodbye?”

Rosa squinted and observed Summer’s expression, trying to make out if she was being serious or not.

“Well I guess that’s a ‘no’ then,” Summer said, rolling her eyes.

“I… can’t say I’m much of a hugger.”

“No kidding. Well whatever, I’ll see you tomorrow at work!”

“Of course! See you tomorrow! Bye!”

Summer trotted out into the street, hopping elegantly over a puddle while still keeping the book safe. “Au revoir Strider!” she called, then galloped down the road and out of sight.

Rosa passed her way into the kitchen to see her mother tending to a teapot and her father at the table mulling over a newspaper.

“She seemed really nice!” her mother remarked.

“She is… most of the time.”

Clover swooped down into the archway leading to Spike’s abode. Shuffling her wings to relieve some pent-up muscle tension, she cheerfully paced towards the dragon in question, who appeared to be carving a rock with his bare claws. From the collection of shards beneath him it looked as though he’d been at it for a while, but the greyish stone still bore no discernible shape.

“Spike?”

Startled by her voice, the scaly beast’s right claw swiped clean through the boulder, splitting it almost exactly in two. He groaned disappointedly, dropping the remains to the floor with a crash. The fallen ‘pieces’ stood almost four times the height of a fully grown pony.

“Sorry,” Clover said with a nervous grin, her cheeks glowing. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Spike quickly replied, scraping the mess aside. To see him do so with such ease made Clover wonder just how much destruction he could cause if he ever went on a rampage, but she’d never felt threatened by his presence. If anything, he was a textbook gentle giant.

“I just thought I’d drop in to share some news,” the jade-coated pegasus began, taking a few steps closer.

“If it’s what I think it is, I just might know already.” Spike grinned mischievously. “She dropped by earlier — couldn’t wait to brag about her date.”

Clover sighed. “So you knew, huh? There goes my chance at delivering some hot gossip.”

“Still, it’s good news, right? She certainly seems happy enough.” The dragon shifted on his haunches, getting into a more comfortable position. “I’d say it’s all going better than expected.”

Clover nodded, smiling nervously. “I certainly hope so.”

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 10 - The Real Dreamworld

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 10 – The Real Dreamworld

“No more work for you Rose, dish washer is fixed.”

“Oh… really?”

Rosa was stood in the middle of La Chocolat with a saddlebag on her flank as Petit Déjeuner rushed about the place, ordering other members of staff around and checking the positioning of the various tables. Petit had scarcely even taken notice of Rosa’s presence as she walked through the door, seeming to be far more worried about whether there were enough salt pots.

“So… I don’t work here anymore?”

“That’s right, thank you for helping us. Goodbye,” Petit snapped hurriedly, barely giving her a moment of eye contact.

Rosa stood for a moment in shock, coming to the steady realisation that she would be going back to the life she had once before. Despite the fact that it was less than a week ago that she even started work in the restaurant it felt like an age had passed. So much had happened at the weekend and so much of her life had undergone change to the point where her previous life felt as if it belonged in a different era.

“I just need to get something,” she called out, but Petit either didn’t hear her or didn’t care. Rosa shrugged, and carried on through the kitchen where Ebby was filing through drawers and into the next room. She wasn’t about to ditch Summer without at least saying goodbye.

As she slowly pressed the door open her primrose coloured friend welcomed her with a bright smile, but Rosa could tell that there was a hint of sadness in her eyes, as if their orange glow had grown dimmer.

“Mornin’ Strider,”

“Good morning Summer. I just wanted to see you because… well, I’m technically no longer working here.”

Summer cast her gaze across the room to the once broken dishwasher, and then looked back. “I did have an inkling,” she said softly. Rosa could hear the disappointment in the mare’s voice, which was usually as far from monotone as one could get. “Well, I can’t say I thought you’d stay here forever. Besides, the dishwasher doesn’t mind when I make rude jokes so I guess there’s some improvement.”

“Oh, thanks a lot!”

“Yeah, well… I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

Rosa looked onward at her friend, blatantly trying not to look as glum as she felt. She smiled, and swiftly walked up to Summer and grasped the mare in a tight hug. “There! Now you can’t say anything about me not saying goodbye properly!”

Summer laughed and wrapped a foreleg around her, her expression brightening up considerably. “OK, all is forgiven! Goodbye, Rosa.”

Rosa let go of her friend and sighed. “This isn’t really ‘goodbye’. I can write to you and vice versa, and who’s to say we can’t visit each other?”

Summer looked down at the ground with a pensive expression, her cheeks glowing red. “Really? You promise?”

“Ye… yes, of course I promise,” Rosa said, confused at the mare’s comment. “You didn’t expect me to ditch you, did you?”

“No, no of course not!” Summer cried defensively.

She’s lying. But… What if she was ditched before? Rosa asked herself, thinking about how Summer never really mentioned other friends and didn’t even interact much with other members of staff at the restaurant. It was a harrowing thought.

“Anyway, I’d best be getting on with my work. I’ll write you a letter as soon as I get home!” Summer grinned, walking back to a stack of plates and cutlery.

“OK Summer, I’ll see you again soon. Take care!”

“You too! Oh, just one more thing!”

“What is it?”

“That book you gave me yesterday is awesome!”

“Oh, really? You like it?” Rosa asked in surprise. “How much have you read?”

“I’m on chapter 6 right now. I’ll admit that chapter 1 kind of bored me, but it’s getting really interesting now!”

“I’m glad to hear it! I hope you enjoy the rest if it; I know I certainly have.”

The cold breeze wafted across Rosa’s face in the warm glow of the sun, cooling her just enough to let her power along the road at her infamous walking speed without having to worry about soaking herself in sweat. She was thinking foremost about her experience reading the final few chapters of An Equestrian Night Mare, and the dark turn that it had taken from an already bleak setting.

After being captured by the perpetrators, the inspector awoke to find herself on a torture table with three innocent looking fillies at its side. They had each been members of three families that had been slaughtered. In actual fact, they were changelings that had murdered the fillies in secret while they played near a forest and stolen their forms, wreaking havoc as much as they pleased, safe in the knowledge that they wouldn’t be suspected.

Before the inspector could be killed, the mare who had spent nearly the entire book suspecting her friend of committing the crimes burst in and saved her. The changelings attacked them, and in an act of defence, the two ponies had no choice but to subdue them with the various torture tools littered around the hideout. Two of them were killed, while the other was mortally wounded and killed itself in an act of defiance to avoid a life in prison.

While that scene was brutal enough, the epilogue told of something ever creepier. The innocent mare who had been accused of the crimes since the beginning of the story had actually kidnapped a pony amongst the chaos, one now believed to have been killed by the changelings. She revealed to her dying victim how she had always dreamed of acting out such horrific deeds, how she thought her friend had finally figured her out after the ranting and raving about a dream she had, but could now get away with it scot-free, thanks to the actions of the changelings. At the chapter’s climax, the victim’s torture is explained in great detail as her organs are ripped and twisted while she was still alive, unable to scream because of her vocal cords being severed.

Rosa couldn’t decide what was more horrific; the concept of other ponies being body-snatched by changelings or friends harbouring secret murderous tendencies. The former could well be possible, and she wouldn’t even know it…

These kinds of powerful thoughts and feelings were what made reading so enticing for her. Even though she knew that they were just stories, after being so invested in the characters and the setting everything seems real enough to actually make her question things in her own life. This particular book had accomplished that task and then some, sparking an emptiness in her heart both from the end of a gripping story and the implications that the ending had. Part of her wondered if she would look at the story differently if she read it again, noticing all of the minute hints to the truth, but she wasn’t one to re-read novels. Why bother when you can read something new? she had always thought.

She didn’t know how Summer might react to the ending, but it was certainly a very deep end to jump into in the world of thrillers. If she’d read the book in its entirety she might have reconsidered recommending it to her.

Rosa trudged on home, wondering what she would say to her always inquisitive mother about no longer having a job. She hoped that this wouldn’t mean being forced into another line of work. Spending the day cleaning dishes with Summer actually wasn’t half bad now that she looked back on it.

She opened the front door of Bloom’s Books and immediately stepped on something with a different texture to the hardwood floor. Looking down, she noticed a small brown envelope with her own name squiggled on the front.

“That’s weird,” she said aloud. Rarely would she see any post for her outside of things like birthday cards, and it couldn’t possibly have been Summer or the peppy mare was somehow even faster than Sparks.

Laughing off her preposterous theory, Rosa picked the letter up with her teeth and tore at the edge. Out fell a white slip of paper, which she propped up on the shop’s front desk and began to read.

Dear Rosa Bloom,

It is my great pleasure to inform you that thanks to your impressive audition you have been selected as a candidate for the upcoming production of Dreamworld. There is a meeting due to be held at 7:30pm on Thursday the 5th of April at the Ponyville theatre, whereby the chosen candidates will meet and find out their designated roles.

If you make no appearance at this meeting we will assume that you are unable to take up our offer. If for any reason you are unable to make the visit on the time and date requested but would like to participate, please send a letter explaining your reasons to:

P. Floyd
37 Cranberry Grove
Ponyville
PN1 2AB

I will contact you as soon as possible to see whether we can organise another meeting time more suited to you. Please be aware that you will be required to attend numerous rehearsals on various evenings, so keep this in mind if you have a busy schedule. We will not tolerate those who refuse to show up numerous times.

If all goes well, the production should reach full swing in just over a month. The payment scheme has not been decided upon as of yet, but if all goes well we can provide a decent wage packet for all performers and other staff.

Thank you for your interest, and we hope to see you soon.

P. Floyd

He wants me to star in it? Rosa said internally, her heartbeat increasing as she finished reading. She had never even thought about receiving feedback from Floyd, and certainly not so soon after her audition. Despite the fact that he’d asked for her name and address, she was sure that there were better actors and actresses out there.

Skimming the letter again, she took note of his apparent plans. One month to ready the play for public performance? According to Clover, he had only spread the word of the auditions two days ago, and the actual auditions were yesterday. He would have had to decide almost immediately who he wanted to perform and sent out the letters straight away. It was obvious from the quillwork on the letter that all except her name was printed, meaning that every letter must have been pre-written.

“What’s wrong, dear? What are you doing home?”

Rosa looked up to see her mother trotting gracefully towards her with an inquisitive expression. She eyed the letter suspiciously, as if she had expected her own daughter to open up something that belonged to either herself or her husband. “What’s that you have there?”

“It’s a letter about an audition I did.”

“An audition? You never told me you’d auditioned for anything. What kind of audition? What is it?” he mother probed worriedly.

“It’s nothing, just some thing they were doing yesterday for a play called Dreamworld. Sorry I never told you, but I didn’t really plan to audition for it in the first place. Clover was there, and then I kind of got roped into doing it.”

“Oh, that’s a relief!” her mother cried, sounding exasperated.

Just what kind of audition did you think it was? Rosa thought, not even wanting to imagine whatever her mother might have been hinting at. “So, yeah… they said they want me to go to a meeting about playing one of the parts.”

“What, really? Where is this?”

“Well, the meeting’s at the Ponyville theatre, just like the audition was.”

“The Ponyville theatre… they’re not opening it back up again, surely?”

“Honestly, from the looks of it that place would need a miracle to get up off the ground. I swear, even the mothballs have mothballs. No… I remember Clover saying something about an attempt to put the production on someplace else, however that’s supposed to work.”

“I see…”

“I can’t imagine it ever working at the Canterlot Auditorium. A bunch of Ponyville amateurs in a classy place like that?”

“Yes, let’s hope so,” her mother muttered, appearing deep in thought.

Rosa glanced at her suspiciously. What is that supposed to mean? Whatever it was, she didn’t care enough to ask. She wasn’t in the mood to be dealing with her mother’s roundabout explanations.

“So what are you doing home, my dear? Is there no work for you today?”

“Actually, there’s no work for me ever again. They had a problem with the dishwasher, and now that it’s fixed they don’t need me anymore.”

“Oh that’s a real shame,” her mother uttered, strangely nodding in some kind of approval at the same time. It was just another one of her famous contradictory moments. “I can’t say I know of any other jobs going but it’s always worth checking around the village.”

“Actually,” Rosa said, folding the letter back up, “I might not have to.”

“Is there anything else I can help you with, Miss?”

“I’m fine, thanks. Thank you very much for your help.”

“Well, don’t be afraid to come and ask if you need something.”

Rosa nodded politely and passed the receptionist’s crescent-shaped desk which was littered with documents and forms, each more clutter-stuffed with words than the last. There were also a few books scattered behind her arranged in random piles.

She was now at the Ponyville library, located towards the southern edge of the village. She had checked the bookshop’s stock for a copy of Dreamworld but with no luck. The only other option was to scour what was available here.

In some strange way, it almost felt like committing some kind of treason just by being here. It was no longer free to the public; there was a small fee of two bits a month for registered members, but this allowed almost unlimited access to thousands of books and magical tomes, as well as an insurmountable amount of historical articles and collected media in the reference section. Thankfully, the library did allow a free trial month, which was lucky as she’d not brought any money, convinced that the library must be free. Despite the monthly cost — which according to the receptionist mare was put in place just under two years ago — it made her family bookstore feel redundant in comparison.

The bookshelves were at least ten feet high, and extended as far as the entire length of her house. The wood was darker and less polished, though Rosa supposed that that could be chalked up to her mother’s excessive cleaning. Each aisle was wide enough for about five ponies stood side by side, with long, thin fluorescent lights dangling above them. The carpet was hedge green with a rough, slightly prickly texture. There were a few spots on the floor where the carpet had been torn or cut improperly, but given the scale of the building a few errors were to be expected.

The library was divided into four main sections. A foal-book area closer to the entrance where the shelves were smaller and more spread out, many of them showing off the book’s front cover instead of the spine. The reference area was the largest of the three with narrower aisles, many of them still empty as more material was added with each week. The non-fiction section and fiction sections were opposite each other, with books arranged in mini sections depending on genre arranged in alphabetical order.

Rosa’s mother hadn’t seemed too happy about her coming here, but didn’t put up any sort of fight. It was natural, she supposed, that somepony who’s life revolved around selling books would resent the mere existence of libraries.

After spending a few minutes deliberating on whether to pursue the idea of playing a part in the production of Dreamworld, she decided that she would more likely reach a decision if she knew what she would be letting herself in for. There was that, and the fact that her mother had instantly started talking about looking for new work, and that wasn’t exactly ideal. As for becoming an actress, that would still encompass her parents’ desires for her to step outside her comfort zone and change her life. Anything to stop them from moaning.

Rosa’s mind quickly turned to Clover. She was the one who’d wanted this chance all along, and her audition was immediately impressive. The idea that Clover could have been neglected while she went ahead and lived her friend’s dream was not a welcome one, but after a performance like hers, there was no way she could have been turned down. If she could float up to Cloudsdale and visit her friend this morning, she would.

Rosa scoured the bookshelves of the fantasy section, searching for the novel in question. After a minute or two of eyeing books that actually seemed like they would be an interesting read, she discovered two paperback copies of Dreamworld. Intrigued, she scooped up a copy with one hoof and glanced at the front cover.

Dreamworld
Written by Tassel Windrush

The picture on the front depicted the back view of two ponies, most likely Veracity and Reverie, stood atop a hill, gazing out at the night sky where the outline of a mare’s head could be seen amongst the stars. It had oil painting-like qualities, with a mishmash of swirling colours that blended together between objects. The only things that were depicted with any sense of realism were the two ponies, though even their shadows were distorted by the unique art style. It was certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the minimalist appearances of most modern novels.

Rosa carried the book back to the receptionist’s desk and asked to check it out. The receptionist deftly stamped the inside cover and updated the information on her file, wishing her a nice day as she left, the book clutched between her teeth. It wasn’t a large book, and was one she supposed wouldn’t take her long to get through, especially now that she had all the more reason to do so.

It was early evening, and Rosa had just finished helping out with things at the bookshop. There wasn’t exactly much to do, and she spent a decent amount of time poring over the first few chapters of Dreamworld, which was interesting enough, despite the fact that it seemed predictable.

So far, Veracity — a unicorn mare — and Reverie — an earth pony stallion — had been introduced as good friends. He was a lot more impulsive, brash and confident while she was a more serious, pompous character. They had come across Esmeralda in a similar fashion to the scene used in the audition. She had promised them a way to live out their fantasies, and had fulfilled a request from Reverie to see his past as an observer, as if they had travelled through time.

Rosa thought it was painfully obvious that Reverie would end up wishing for ridiculous things while Veracity would hold him back, making him realise what there was to be had in the real world. Her character had been a lot less accepting of Esmeralda’s powers than he had, and the enchantress knew it, trying to convince Veracity at every turn to make a wish. Esmeralda’s motives were somewhat unclear, though it was blatant that the character was doing this for some kind of personal gain. All in all, it didn’t appear to have as gripping a plot as she would have hoped.

Rosa paced up to her room tossed the book onto her desk, flopping her body onto the bed and burying her head into her pillow. She had always been much more used to lazing about during the weekends and the past few days of staying on her hooves had taken its toll. Falling asleep at this time of day wasn’t exactly possible, but it was definitely desirable.

Soon, her mind drifted to the upcoming play. It would hardly be a walk in the park, and putting in all that effort could well be a waste of time. Learning her lines, going to regular rehearsals… and that wouldn’t even include the actual performances themselves. She wondered what kind of audience would willingly sit and watch something based on a source material that nopony had ever heard of before. (At least, she’d never heard of it before and would know straight away if it was an even remotely popular book)

The storyline itself was fine for now, nothing extraordinary. The two main characters were decently fleshed out but still offered areas for open interpretation. Of course, there was still more to plough through, and for an avid reader it wouldn’t exactly be a tall order. From a quick glance at the back of the book it reached only 187 pages, which was essentially pittance.

Just as her mind was drifting away into nothingness and bordering on flat-lining, a sudden thought struck her like a knife. What if it would impress Nico?

She imagined the scene; her in the theatre as Nico cheered from below, his eyes glistening as he watched her command the stage. He would witness the birth of a new Rosa, somepony who had flowered into something of true beauty, something more than the lay-about daughter of a pedantic mare with a chip on her shoulder and an old stallion whose achievements were lost to a bygone era. She could be so much more, and he would finally realise it.

Snap out of it! a voice at the back of her head told her. It’s you and Sparks that are together!

Rosa sat up and exhaled deeply, damning herself for even becoming depressed about her life. She was dating the most wonderful unicorn who adored her. He had shown her true happiness, something she had only dreamed about with Nico. Sparks cared about her more than anypony she had even met; she could see it in his eyes. In fact, he was so great that even her father had approved of him before she ever had. He had proved himself with his acts of kindness and respect. He had done what she would be trying to do for Nico if she…

There was a call from downstairs. “Rosa, dear! Your friend is here to see you!”

Who could that be? Sparks? Nico? Her heart skipped a beat in a moment of panic.

“Just a second!”

Rosa sat up and took a few deep breaths to ready herself. Getting caught up in the realms of her own imagination always had and always would be one of her greatest downfalls. She pattered on down the stairs to see Clover stood at the door. Feeling relieved, her mouth burst into a giant smile. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

“I just thought I’d pop along to see you. I’m so pleased; I just have to tell someone!”

Rosa’s ears perked up. “What is it?”

“You know that audition I did yesterday? I got in! I really got in!” The young pegasus looked on top of the world, her wings beating excitedly as she galloped over.

“That’s… great! That’s amazing news.”

Rosa felt a lump form in her throat as she stood on the edge of dampening her friend’s joy. She would have felt guiltier if Clover hadn’t have made the cut. That would have probably made her quit the idea of going to the meeting altogether. It was Clover’s reaction that she hadn’t been ready for; the mare looked as though she could burst with happiness. It had been such a long time since she’d seen her like this. Would telling her the same in return rain on her parade? Just like that old saying she could never forget, there was no easy way of learning that answer.

Clover had apparently read her reaction and had stopped prancing about. Taking a step closer, she looked curiously into Rosa’s eyes.

“Rosa, is something wrong?”

“I’m just… I’m really happy for you, honestly I am. It’s just that, I got a letter from Floyd as well. Looks like we were both accepted.”

Clover stared blankly for a moment, but a smile slowly began to form on her face. “That’s excellent news! Oh Rosa, why did you think I’d be annoyed if you told me that? You should know me better!”

“I just… I guess you’re right. I just wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

Rosa was now feeling another kind of guilt. She should have known her friend better. Was she really that bad a judge of character that even her best friends were mysteries? Or was it just a case of unneeded paranoia? Judging by her overthinking of the matter at this very moment, she supposed the latter was the most likely truth.

“So I’ll see you this Thursday then?” Clover asked. “Oh, it’s going to be so much fun!”

“I haven’t decided yet whether I’m going to do it, actually.”

“Oh?” Clover looked puzzled. “Why not? You do have some talent Rosa. You’re better than you think you are.”

“It’s not really that,” Rosa said, despite the fact that Clover’s point held some truth. “I just don’t know if I want to do that sort of thing; I’ve never even considered acting before.”

“Well it’s entirely up to you, but I still think it’s worth giving it a shot. Plus, it’ll give us something to do together.”

Rosa gazed curiously at Clover, wondering if she could justify not going to the meeting when it meant deliberately not spending time with her best friend. It was true that they only ever seemed to meet up when drinks or parties were involved, but she’d also felt more than enough peer pressure in her time.

“I’ll definitely think about it,” she sighed. “I’m reading through the novel of Dreamworld at the moment to see if I like it.”

“Oh really? I never thought of doing that actually… I don’t suppose you have any copies here that I could buy?”

“I’m afraid not. I got mine from the library, and there was still another copy left. They might still be open so you could try your luck. Just so you know, you have to sign up but you get your first month free.”

“Great, thanks! I’d better get going just in case they close soon!”

“OK, I guess I’ll see you soon… maybe Thursday.”

“I hope so!” Clover began to trot off to the front door, then quickly stopped and turned. “I almost forgot! I was wondering if you and Sparks were interested in meeting up this Friday at Nico’s place. It’s not going to be a heavy drinking night or anything like that, I just thought it would be fun for us all to meet up! You could even bring Summer along if you wanted.”

“Wow, that sounds… awesome.” Rosa gritted her teeth. All this time this had been what she’d been dreading. “I don’t know where Sparks lives though, so I can’t even send him a letter.”

“Then you can just meet up with him at tomorrow’s training session.”

“Oh… yeah, I can, can’t I?” Rosa began to blush, thinking how stupid she was for not realising that.

“Well, I’d better get going. I hope to see you Thursday and Friday!”

“Yeah, take care.”

Clover closed the door behind her and took to the skies with a running start. Rosa walked back up to her room and slumped down on her bed. She just wanted to rest now and not have to think about her future trials. Of course, this was all inevitable, but everything was happening far too quickly. She didn’t want a stressful life with so much going on, but at the same time living a mundane life of uncompromising consistency left her feeling depressed.

She would have to decide what to do rather quickly, as Sparks’ training session tomorrow would be the only chance to catch him before Friday’s meet-up. That is, unless she wimped out of the theatre meeting. She couldn’t skip out on both events or she’d be letting Clover down, and she’d be letting herself down.

She ate her dinner that evening — potato wedges seasoned with thyme and some steamed carrots — in almost complete silence. Her mother had asked her about Clover’s visit, and she answered with minimal effort. Her parents said very little after that, either respecting the fact that she didn’t really want to talk or just not wishing to get into a deep conversation themselves.

Shortly after, she slunk up to her room, stuck in deep thought about two particular stallions. How would it feel to be in the company of both Sparks and Nico? Maybe Nico would get jealous and she’d read the signs? Though she’d always been terrible at reading Nico’s emotions anyway, so why would that situation make it any easier? And did she really want to just use Sparks for that reason? That was something only the mares with no morals would consider.

You’ll be at the gathering no matter how you feel about it, her mind told her. Just get it over and done with. Would having Summer there with her make things easier? As embarrassing as she could be sometimes, she just might take some attention away from ‘the new couple’.

As she lay there, slowly drifting to sleep, a sudden thought jumped to the forefront of her mind. It was something Clover had said before leaving — something odd.

Just how did she know when Sparks’ training sessions were?

Author's Note

How, indeed! Set speculation machines to maximum!

Sorry for this chapter being so uneventful. =( I know... I know... I've spent a hell of a lot of time setting things up, but it'll be worth it! Worth it, I tell you! In fact, here's a spoiler from chapter 12:

Nico stood over Sparks' lifeless corpse, blood dripping from his mouth. He turned to the two mares and scowled, his eyes filled with burning desire. "If I can't have Rosa, no-one can!"

OK, so that's not really going to happen. But admit it, I had you going for a second! =P

Interesting fact: An Equestrian Night Mare was originally a story that I cooked up based on Cupcakes, where the events of that fic were actually Rainbow Dash's recurring nightmare, so when ponies began disappearing she instantly blamed Pinkie. The three changeling fillies would have been the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Twilight the 'inspector', and it would have been Derpy who was murdered by Pinkie in the epilogue. However, I decided against writing it because it felt like a cop-out to base something on Cupcakes. Also, it seems that 'the changelings did it' is an overused cliche that I'd rather avoid.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 11 - Substitute

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 11 – Substitute

After much deliberation, Rosa headed to La Chocolat, intent on inviting Summer along to Friday’s gathering. It wasn’t so much that she really wanted her there (which caused a pang of undesired but well-deserved guilt) but after realising just how much their friendship meant to her, it would be a crime not to invite her. There was also the issue of Summer’s lack of other friends and her mother’s dependency, neither of which could be easy to deal with. Rosa found it slightly strange, though. Surely it would make more sense for Summer to be timid and shy, considering her circumstances.

It was around 9 o’ clock by the time Rosa reached the back entrance of the restaurant, early enough to avoid the rush. A suited waiter and waitress were stood just outside, their faces bearing nothing but disheartening gloom. Ignoring them, Rosa poked her head around the glass door to see her friend diligently stacking some plates with a morose expression.

“Summer, over here!”

The mare spun around, beaming from ear to ear. “Rosa!” Summer skipped over excitedly, wrapping her hooves around Rosa’s neck and giving a tight squeeze. “What are you doing here!? You do know what it means when you lose your job, right?”

Rosa pushed the yellow mare off and rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, I’m not that stupid. I just came to ask you a question. I can’t stay long.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“A couple of my friends are having a little get-together this Friday evening. I was wondering if you were available.”

Summer leapt into the air and grasped her in another tight hug, almost squeezing the lungs out of the poor mare. “Oh Rosa, of course I’ll come! I don’t know what time I can make it, but definitely, yes!”

“OK… just let me breathe…”

Summer recoiled, realising that she’d been choking her friend. “Sorry, I just got excited.”

“That’s OK, I should’ve been ready for your reaction.”

“So who’s gonna be there? Clover?”

“Well, it’ll be me, Clover, Sparks if he’s able to come, and Nico.”

Summer scrunched her face up. “Nico? Who’s that?”

“Nico… Have I not mentioned him before?”

“No, I don’t think you have. Who’s he?”

Him? Oh, he’s just the stallion of my dreams, the one I love with all my heart. “Oh, he’s just another friend of mine,” Rosa finally said, finding it difficult to believe that she’d not even spoken about him before. Admittedly, she didn’t speak about him very often unless she was with Clover, and even then there would be something in the back of her mind, reminding her not to even mention his name in case somepony might discern her feelings for him.

“Oh really? Is he cute?”

“Summer, I’m not going to answer that. To you, every stallion with four hooves and a pulse is cute,” she joked, doing her best not to let slip that Summer had struck an emotional nerve. Judging by the mare’s reaction, the deception had worked just as she’d hoped.

“Hey, I have standards! I was just asking a very simple question!”

“Well I’m afraid you’ll just have to make your own judgement when you meet him. It’s at his house, so I’ll have to come to yours and escort you there.”

“Sure thing! I’ll have to find out when I’m available from, but it’ll probably be around half six. I’ll let you know in the next few days, OK?”

Next on the agenda — asking Sparks to come along. It was the evening, and Rosa was accompanying her father along to the training grounds. The sun had begun its slow descent towards the horizon. The resulting colours lighting the sky meshing with the cool breeze blowing against her fur made this an altogether pleasant stroll. A good omen for the future, perhaps. Not that she was superstitious, but there was always some kind of psychological effect that came from the weather.

She had told her father about the plans for Friday and he was supportive, even if he didn’t say much about it. It was always one of his qualities; he wouldn’t have to use words to get his point across, instead you’d only need to look into his eyes to gauge how he was feeling.

They both approached the shack in the middle of the running track, Rosa patiently staring into the distance as her father unlocked the door and began to sift through athletic equipment.

“He should be here soon; he’s often one of the early birds.”

Not a moment after he’d said that, a familiar white unicorn poked his head over the hill accompanied by two earth pony stallions and an earth pony mare. He was casually chatting away before his eyes skimmed towards the shack and spotted Rosa, waving in the distance. He immediately waved back, eliciting a commotion amongst the other members of the group. The mare looked to have taken a step away from him, either a sign of respect or an attempt to cast suspicions away from herself. Either way, all that mattered to Rosa right now was getting this over and done with. So long as she didn’t make a big deal about it, he wouldn’t think that she was at all nervous about being in the presence of both Nico and himself.

The couple met each other at the edge of the track. The two other stallions politely nodded and gave a brief greeting before heading off to perform some stretches. The mare held out her hoof and smiled.

“Hi, I’m Crystal. Sparks has told us all about you.”

“Not everything, I hope.”

The mare chuckled and started making her way to the two other stallions. “It was nice to finally meet you, Rosa.”

“Likewise…” Rosa murmured, thinking that maybe it would have been rude to mention that he’d never even spoken of any of his athlete friends.

Sparks saddled up to her and gave her a hug, thankfully not squeezing the life out of her like a certain mare. “It’s so nice to see you again; how are you doing?”

“Not too bad. I don’t have my job at the restaurant anymore but to be honest, maybe that’s for the best.”

“Well, I have no doubt you’ll find something better. So why did you come to see me? If you’re here to see my famous magic-speed run I’m afraid I’d rather not—”

“Oh no, I just came along to ask if you wanted to meet up with me and a few friends of mine, Clover, Summer and… Nico. It’s just a quiet drink, nothing too extreme.”

Sparks perked up, a grin coming across his face. “Well that sounds positively delightful,” he said with a hint of theatrical politeness. “So when is it?”

“This Friday evening at my friend Nico’s house. I’m not sure about the time, but I can always let you know once I find out.”

“That’s great! I guess I’ll see you there!”

“But I’ll need to—”

“Oh that’s right, that’s right!” Sparks took a moment to face-hoof, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. “You’ll need to show me where he lives, won’t you? I’ll… come over to yours then?”

“Sure, that’s great. I’ll head off now then; need to get back to things…” She hoped he didn’t realise that she was lying. With the exception of possibly reading some more of Dreamworld there was nothing on her agenda.

“Oh, that’s fine, that’s OK.” He gripped her in another hug, this one longer and more tender than the last. One of the stallions from before whistled and shouted “Get a room!” Both Rosa and Sparks grew flustered and broke apart, Sparks shaking a hoof in mock anger at the other pony.

It’s true though, Rosa thought to herself as she left. That’s what couples do, isn’t it? They were both of that age where intimacy was pretty much expected, but the mere idea of it scared her, even if she wasn’t sure why. It was what everypony thought about all the time, at least going by the general consensus of what a ‘normal’ pony was. As much as she wanted to believe that this mind-set was ‘put on’ by most of the population because of peer pressure, she knew the truth. She just wasn’t a ‘normal’ pony.

Uneasiness crept into Veracity’s mind. This was all wrong; she couldn’t live in a world that wasn’t real.

“Reverie! We have to stop this! We have to go back to the way things were!”

Reverie turned, his eyes discoloured, as if something had possessed him. “But I thought you wanted this? I thought you wanted a world where anything that you believed to be true could be true?”

“Not anymore! This is wrong!”

Esmeralda stepped up as the heavens above swirled, bolts of lightning flashing across the sky. “You’re beginning to realise it now. Think of what you truly want. Think of what’s best for you.”

Veracity fell to the floor, the bodies of sinners surrounding her, some of them mere foals. An end to evil was all that she’d wanted, and end to all of the bad ponies that existed. She didn’t want this… This in itself was an act of evil.

“I want the real world back!”

“But Veracity, are you sure?” Reverie asked.

“Yes! I don’t want to live in a world of lies! I don’t want this!”

Reverie looked down at the ground, disappointed. “I understand.” The colour of his eyes faded even more so, and his body began to sink into the ground. Inch by inch it engulfed his legs, his eyes staring into the distance. Once the dirt had reached up to his neck, he looked back at Veracity and smiled, a tear rolling from his eye.

Veracity raced to his head just as it was enveloped by the ground, leaving behind it the smooth, unscarred earth from once before. She pawed desperately at the ground, digging up as much as she could in an attempt to reach her friend.

“Reverie! Reverie! Please, NO!”

As she dug even further, her hoof struck something hard amongst the soft dirt. Her heart nearly exploded as she discovered what she’d unearthed.

There in her hooves lay the skull of a pony. Reverie.

“No… no, he can’t be dead!”

“You have to understand,” Esmeralda began. “You have to let go of your fantasies. I’m here to help you realise your dream — your dream of returning to the real world. You just have to trust me.”

Veracity looked back as the mare’s form became so much clearer, the world fading around them both as the enchantress’ form grew increasingly prominent. “To go back to reality…”

Veracity’s eyes burst open as a light was cast across her face. She was disorientated and confused. She couldn’t move her body; she could only turn her head and gaze at her surroundings as her eyes focused. As the room began to take shape a familiar face came into view just up ahead.

“Esmeralda?” The mare exhaled deeply and sat up straighter in her bed.

“No, Veracity. I’m Dr Emerald. Do you remember me?”

“Esmeralda, what’s going on? Where’s Reverie!? He was sinking, and then…”

“Veracity, I…” The mare turned away. “I was hoping you’d realised by now. Reverie is dead. He’s been dead for a long time now. Don’t you remember, Veracity? That day in the swamp.”

“You’re lying! That can’t be true!” Veracity’s head spun with dizzying force as her mind’s landscape began to reshape itself, images flashing by at break-neck speed.

“You went into the forest, Veracity. You told him that it was dangerous to go near the swamp but he wouldn’t listen.”

“No… no… it couldn’t possibly…” She began to remember. She saw the image of Reverie’s face as he began to sink deeper and deeper. His face as he was nearly submerged changed from one of terror to one of acceptance. She was screaming, trying desperately to fling the quicksand-like slop from around him, but he could only smile at her.

“I’ve always loved you,” he whispered, his eyes bursting with tears. “From the bottom of my heart. I love y—”

Within a moment, he was gone.

“You have to come back to the real world, Veracity, but you must let me help you. You’ve been under for a long time now, far longer than any of my other patients have ever had to endure. I will do everything in my power to make sure you can recover from this but you have to listen to me. You have to forgive yourself, Veracity. Your life depends on it.”

Rosa set the book down as the chapter reached its closing sentence, her jaw hanging wide open. She’d been wrong about this book; it wasn’t a fantasy novel. If anything, it was the complete opposite. She had never seen the twist coming, nor had she been ready for it when it hit. The story had become darker in nature as time had gone on, but now it had latched on to a multitude of emotional strings and was tugging furiously.

A lone tear trickle down her cheek. She wiped it away and slammed the book shut, tossing it to the other end of the desk. She could see the book’s imagery as clear as day in her mind, except in her version it was Nico’s face disappearing into the swamp as he declared his love for her. Her heart was now racing, its beat powerful enough to be perfectly audible.

She hadn’t finished the book yet; there was still a small wad of pages just behind her book mark. She would have to read the rest, to learn whether Veracity could live on after finally realising that everything had been a lie, but for now it was a little too much to bear. One thing was for sure. This would be more than just some old play masterminded by a cantankerous old grouch. This could be something truly special.

“Mum, Dad. I’ve decided to go for that acting role.”

“That’s nice, dear. I hope you do well.”

“I’ve been reading the book that the play is based on and I think it could do really well if it’s done right. It could even help this store out if we bring in some copies of it. I could really see this being a big thing. Maybe even big enough for the Canterlot Auditorium.”

Daisy and Speedwell Bloom immediately stopped eating and looked up, giving her their full attention. They exchanged glances and looked back, concerned expressions on their faces.

“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy for me,” Rosa said scornfully. Here she was doing something she thought would make them proud and they look at her as if she’d told them she was going to become a lap-dancer.

“We are happy for you, dear. It’s just… are you sure about this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I said I wanted to do it, didn’t I?”

“There’s no need to get worked up,” her father said softly. “We’re just… worried about you getting your hopes up. Nopony has actually said that this is ever going to happen, have they?”

“No, but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen,” Rosa shot back defiantly. She was flabbergasted to have such optimism thrown back in her face. Heck, more often than not she was pessimistic, antisocial and lacked ambition of any kind. For them to question a positive outlook just didn’t make any sense. “I don’t know how much support Floyd has for this production but he must have some kind of plan.”

“OK, I get you. Just don’t go getting stars in yer eyes too soon, OK missy? I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“Yes, your father is right. Canterlot is a very prestigious place you know, so you’d be more likely performing somewhere like Manehattan, Hoofington or someplace like that.”

Rosa frowned. “I guess… it was just kind of a pipedream, that’s all.”

The young earth pony finished off her dinner, thinking about how her parents were probably right. It still hurt that they seemed so insistent, though. Am I not allowed to dream? Then again, how was Floyd going to convince the executives from Canterlot to allow his two-bit play to be performed on the same stage as a class act like Foal Gallagher? Looking at it that way, it seemed more far-fetched than ever. But it didn’t have to be that way.

“Thanks for the food; may I be excused?”

“Oh… Of course dear.”

Rosa paced her way upstairs, sat back down at her desk and opened up Dreamworld once again. She was going to finish this book, and she was going to let every drip of emotion to flow over her whether she liked it or not. She could do more for Floyd than just act; she could help him to make the play even better than it was.

The lines that were read at his audition could be altered and certain plot points could be represented in more efficient ways. If she could capture the true feeling of the book, the play could well be given a deserved spot at The Royal Canterlot Auditorium. All of those years of reading would pay off. She could write a play worthy of royalty. She had to, to prove to everypony what she could accomplish. For once, she had a life goal that wasn’t determined by anypony else. For once, she could live her life in a way that she wanted to.

It was Thursday, around ten minutes or so before the meeting was due to begin. Rosa was now stood below the stage in the main section of the theatre. There were dozens of other ponies here now, a select few of them chatting away while the majority of them stood idly by, awkwardly glancing at the clock above the door and wondering when Floyd was going to show his face.

There were no seats available this time around, just a table stacked with scripts in the middle of the room. The floor had at least been tended to somewhat since last time; it wasn’t quite the dusty mess it had been before. The one thing that was most definitely amiss was some kind of heating system, though that was to be expected. It wasn’t unbearably cold, but it was chilly enough to leave some ponies hopping from hoof to hoof.

There weren’t any familiar faces here; most of the ponies who had gathered appeared a little older than she was and had an air of confidence around them. Normally, a situation such as this would leave her feeling anxious, but instead she found herself being truly thrilled to be here. She didn’t know whether it was from tackling various fears in the recent weeks or her newfound passion for life, but she knew that being here felt right. Translating her love of reading into something born from the written art felt natural. She could see the events that had unfolded in her mind and how they should be portrayed. For once, she had a feasible goal in life that she had set out the way she wanted. And that could only be a good thing, right?

The rest of the story had depicted Dr Emerald’s efforts to help Veracity, detailing many failed attempts as Veracity would regress back into her deluded state. Other doctors told her to give up, but she kept trying. She wouldn’t stop until Veracity was broken free from her vicious cycle, even though it seemed hopeless. In the final scene, Veracity came with Dr Emerald to Reverie’s grave and placed some flowers. She had finally accepted the truth, and in her last lines she thanked the doctor. She then walked away, never to see her again. Dr Emerald stood and admired how her patient had grown, and whispered a farewell that could not be heard.

She felt that she could understand now why Floyd had taken an interest in her, especially when it came to the part of Dr Emerald, aka Esmeralda. The character herself was innocent, but needed that sense of creepiness and awkwardness. She was there to help Veracity and would do whatever it took. She was the one who truly cared about her, and what better mark to symbolise a loving and caring nature than a heart? At the same time, a heart would be a sign of Esmeralda trying to trick Veracity by pretending to be a saintly being. Yes, she thought. My cutie mark is perfect. My mannerisms are perfect. But would my acting be good enough? I mean, Clover…

Just as she was reminiscing over her time spent reading what was now without a doubt one of her favourite novels, Clover came through the doorway and met her eyes.

“Oh I’m so glad you came!” the jade-green pegasus cried as she trotted over. “I really think you’ve made the right choice.”

“Me too!” Rosa chirped back. “I’m really looking forward to it, actually. I finished reading the book just the other night and my interest flew sky high.”

“Ah, I probably should have done the same but I got caught up in other things. I got my copy from the library but I’ve only read a chapter or two.”

“Well that’s not the kind of attitude to have, is it?”

Clover took a step back and gave Rosa a curious look. “Is something… up?”

“I’m just excited about this, that’s all.”

Clover spent another moment casting a intrigued glance. “Really? I mean, the other evening you weren’t even sure if you were coming to this meeting. What’s changed your mind?”

“I think… well it’s not just the book, although that is a big part of it. I guess I just realised that I can actually do this. I won’t be just some layabout loser anymore.”

“Rosa! We’ve never thought that about you!”

“Well maybe you should have!”

An uncomfortable silence formed as the two friends stared awkwardly into each other’s eyes. There had never been another time like it, even in all the years that they’d known each other. They hadn’t even had a minor quarrel. Realising that her demeanour now sat on the edge of alienating her best friend, Rosa exhaled deeply and toned down her voice.

“I’m sorry, Clover. I didn’t mean to snap. I guess I’ve just been getting a bit worked up over things, and I can’t help but feel like I really have been a layabout loser all this time. But you’re right, I shouldn’t think like that.”

It took a moment, but the pale green mare smiled back. “That’s OK. You know I’m here for you if you need to talk about anything.”

“Maybe some other time,” Rosa grinned, thoroughly pleased by her friend’s response. In all fairness, she didn’t often turn to anypony for advice, and Clover was probably the best candidate under pretty much any circumstance. She was very logical and methodical, but also sympathetic. Rosa thought of the oft promoted WWCD leg bands that were popular among some groups, and how What Would Clover Do would have been a worthy alternative acronym. Still, for now, her problems were something that she would have to tackle by herself.

“So what happens in the book?” Clover asked, breaking the silence between them.

“I’m not sure if I should even say. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read and quite honestly, I wouldn’t want to give away some of the plot points.”

“Really? I’m not even sure if I’m going to read it, especially now that we’ll probably be given scripts and such.”

“If you didn’t think you were going to read it, why did you go to the library in the first place?”

Clover shrugged. “I guess the idea seemed good enough, but the anticipation was more exciting than actually reading it.”

“That’s a real shame; you could’ve made yourself look a bit better if you knew the story. I’ve got a few ideas of my own actually that I’d—”

Rosa cut herself off as she noticed Floyd slowly shuffle his way through the doorway warranting a few respectful nods from nearby ponies. At his side was Roadie, who hurried himself in with a chair slung over his shoulder. He set it down next to the table, and Floyd took his seat. Even seeing him the second time Rosa still found his appearance psychologically perplexing. His bright pink coat was at total odds with not just his gender, but his characteristics. Bet he was picked on a lot at school.

“Good evening, everypony,” he announced. “We’ll just wait a few more minutes for any latecomers and then we’ll get right to business.”

“This is my chance,” Rosa grinned, turning excitedly to Clover. “I’ve got some ideas for the play that I think he’d like to hear, so see you in a bit.”

“O-kay…”

Rosa wasn’t sure if Clover was concerned or just curious, but she took no notice of it. She paced straight up to where Floyd was now sat, flicking through a set of notes with his magic, and moved herself into his line of sight.

“Mister Floyd? It’s me, Rosa.”

Floyd took a moment to look up, as if his eyes were powered by rusty cogs connected to an old-fashioned crank. As his gaze met hers, though, his lips widened into his first smile that Rosa had actually witnessed.

“Well hello. What can I do for you?”

“I’ve read through the novel. I loved it, it’s amazing, but that’s not important right now. I just thought that I could share some ideas for certain scenes, since some of the dialogue is a bit long-winded, and other times it’s a little unnatural. I’ve not read your script yet, so I don’t know what you may have already done, and I don’t mean to rain on your parade or anything. I just… want to share some ideas.”

Floyd’s smile widened even more. “This is a turn up for the books,” he droned softly. “I guess my instincts were right after all.”

Rosa discussed her thoughts on certain scenes for the play, elaborating on big ideas she had for the more important moments. She hadn’t written anything down beforehand; she was just reeling off what sprung to mind as it came, like the rollers of a printing press churning out newspapers. Floyd listened intently, stopping her only once to assure her that he’d had the same idea. As he glanced to look at the clock, he held a hoof up to Rosa’s face and shook his head.

“I’m afraid time’s getting on enough as it is. Thank you for your insight; I’m sure you have more to say but for now let’s just leave it at that.”

“OK, sorry about that.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he replied slyly, lifting himself out of his chair. “I’m glad to have somepony as passionate about this as I am, especially considering the circumstances.”

What does he mean by that? Rosa thought to herself as Floyd called the rest of the group around him in a semicircle. The lack of chairs made it difficult for everypony to have a clear view, but with some shuffling and rearranging they all found a suitable place. Rosa took her place beside Clover and was immediately asked questions.

“I just discussed some of the scenes in the play, that’s all.”

Clover once again examined her with those big brown eyes, but Rosa didn’t want to meet her gaze. She remembered that this was originally Clover’s dream, and in a way she was stealing her ambition. If it weren’t for Clover, she would have had no idea that this was even going on. Clover would get a part in the play and the events would pass without her even batting an eyelid. But it was different now. For whatever reason — and she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it herself — she wanted to see this through and do a damn good job of it.

Floyd gave the obligatory welcome to all those that had arrived, detailing what he hoped his production could be and reassuring everypony that he would be doing his utmost to ensure smooth progress. He gave a brief mention of the state in which the Ponyville theatre was in, apologizing for the fact that its persistent closure was beyond his control.

“So now, onto the more important things at hoof. Much like many other productions it’s only natural to have multiple ponies play particular parts in case of emergencies, or hopefully in case this becomes as popular as I anticipate.

“For the parts of Veracity and Reverie I’ve chosen Mellon Collie and Courtney Jester,”

A mare and a stallion who were stood next to each other silently cheered and gripped each other in a celebratory cuddle.

“With Miss Aurora and Kanji Mesa as substitutes. For the part of Esmeralda—”

Rosa could hear the sound of her heart clear against the momentary silence as he was about to call out the name…

“Rosa Bloom, with Clover Leaf as substitute. For the parts of—”

Rosa could barely contain her joy and gripped Clover in a tight, Summer-esque hug, giving the pale green mare barely enough time to be ready for it.

Floyd continued with his speech, handing out the parts of many of the smaller characters like Dr Emerald’s colleagues and younger versions of the main characters warranting the first audible cheers from the youngest members of the group.

Rosa wasn’t really listening though. She was overcome with happiness and relief, but that was followed by a sharp pang on guilt as she eventually let go of her friend and met her eyes dead on.

Clover Leaf as substitute.

The word echoed through her mind as she looked into the eyes of a pony overcome with both happiness and disappointment at the same time. If Rosa hadn’t have come here everything would have gone on as normal. Clover would have been the first choice for the part of Esmeralda and her dream would have been fulfilled.

Substitute.

As she repeated it to herself over and over, her smile fell. Clover still put up a front though. She was still grinning, but those eyes told a different story. What was it she could see in them? Jealousy? Regret? Or perhaps even worse; a sense of betrayal? The blank flank pegasus with a heart of gold who had never discovered her real talent, and here she was, ruining everything for her.

A thought occurred to her. She could confront Floyd and ask him to switch them around, letting Clover be the main candidate. She could still back out now if she wanted; there was nothing that he could possibly do to stop her. She could threaten to leave the production altogether if he didn’t allow Clover to take her place.

But as she stood there, looking at her friend in the most peculiar way, that option seemed like some kind of distant daydream. She could just walk straight to Nico’s house and tell him how she felt, but every bone in her body would stop her. This was almost the same, as if with every thought of her doing such a thing there was a chain latching down on her, keeping her in place.

Clover shifted her position and initiated another embrace, this one feeling so true and genuine that it nearly caused Rosa’s eyes to water.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Clover whispered. “But I’m not mad and I’m not jealous. I don’t have to be, because I know that you feel guilty, even though you shouldn’t even need to. That for me is more than enough.”

Rosa was prepping herself to speak, but her throat had become dry, with little more than quiet rasps escaping her mouth. As if Clover were reading her mind, she continued with worrying accuracy.

“You take the main role and let me be the substitute, OK? I’m sure I’ll still get to go on stage some time. You deserve the part anyway; I think I came off as a little grandiose in the audition.”

It wasn’t everything, but it was enough, for now. Rosa quickly sniffed and rubbed her eyes just in case a loose tear had escaped. “Thanks,” was all that she could get out. She wanted to say that she was amazing, that she was the best friend a mare could have, but the lump in her throat wasn’t going to let that happen.

Floyd instructed the group to collect a script and split off into certain groups just to get to know each other. “This isn’t a rehearsal as such, but it’s worth meeting your potential work partners.” Rosa had been called over to where the main actors for Veracity and Reverie were stood while Clover was set to speak with their substitutes.

While she hadn’t totally side-lined her friend it know dawned on her that the two of them would likely not perform a scene together, not unless Clover took up one of the lesser roles. There seemed to be too many ponies in here at the moment for the number of characters and she suspected that Floyd had overcompensated with his invitations, worried that otherwise he would have too few. In all honesty, she wouldn’t have minded if she was the substitute instead of Clover. She would still have been able to influence the play by talking with Floyd, and in her mind that had been a more realistic goal. She hadn’t thought so much of her acting skills, even though it was a thrilling thought to re-enact some of the most heart-wrenching scenes from the novel.

“Nice to meet you both; I’m Rosa Bloom.”

“Nice to meet you Rosa, my name’s Courtney Jester,” said the stark red earth pony stallion with a dark blonde mane. He had a playful tone to his voice with a hint of an accent that Rosa couldn’t quite place. “Though you can call me ‘Court.’ Most of my friends do.”

“Melon Collie.” The shy-looking unicorn beside him had a light orange coat and an aqua-green mane. Running down the middle of both her mane and tail was a streak of violet.

Rosa had only just noticed it as she stood awkwardly, trying to think of a good way to carry the conversation. Court’s cutie mark was of a mask, the kind that one might see in old-fashioned theatre work — one of those white paper masks with upturned eyes and a large smile. Melon’s was almost identical, except the facial expression was one of sadness.

“No wonder you two got the parts,” Rosa blurted out, barely aware that she was just saying what she was thinking.

“Oh, you mean our cutie marks?” Court asked, gesturing to his flank. “Yeah, me and Melon used to be part of this little drama club we had at school; we go way back. Doing something like this has always been kind of a dream for us. We were never really sure how we’d go about it, though. Ponyville theatre is a shambles and anywhere else is just an inconvenience. Thank heavens for Captain Pink.”

Rosa couldn’t help but chuckle at the little jab at Floyd. Court joined in, but Melon simply stood in silence, combing her mane back with a hoof.

How could these two even get along if they’re so unlike each other? Rosa thought. Are they a couple? Is it rude to ask if they’re a couple?

“Well I don’t know about you two, but I don’t want to stand around here doing nothing!” Court exclaimed. “How about we read through some of this script, eh?”

Rosa and Melon both nodded, flicking open to the first page where all three of them had lines. It didn’t look like many other ponies around them were doing the same. Most were just nattering loudly about different things, some were flirting very obviously while some just looked utterly lost, as if they were waiting for an imaginary bus to arrive.

Rosa spotted Clover on the other side of the hall talking to a pastel blue stallion with a serious expression. She wanted to get the attention of her friend for just a second; just a brief moment of eye contact so that she could know that she was OK. Despite numerous glances Clover never turned to acknowledge them and merely continued to speak with the two ponies she was stood with. Rosa just wanted to make sure that nothing had changed between them, that getting the part really hadn’t put Clover in a bad state.

“Rosa? Are you alright?” Court startled her with, and she quickly turned her attention back to him. So what if Clover didn’t look over; that meant nothing. If Clover said she was fine with this then that was that. She was probably engrossed in talking with the other performers, so there was absolutely no need to be paranoid.

“I’m fine,” quipped Rosa. “Let’s get on with this, shall we?”

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 12 - Group Gathering

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 12 – Group Gathering

Rosa spun the tap and let the warm, soothing water cascade across her entire body. She flicked back her mane and let it spray against her face, sighing with relief. She’d already washed that morning, but this last-minute shower wasn’t for the sake of cleanliness. As she forced her body closer to the shower head — letting the water bombard her skin with force causing that sensation somewhere between acute pain and immense pleasure — she felt at peace.

She’d thoroughly enjoyed her time spent reading through lines with her ‘new pals’ as Court had referred to them as, finding it easier than expected to get into character despite the immense chatter that surrounded them in the practice hall. Court and Melon were terrific actors, and were able to instantly escape their sense of self to assume a new identity. Melon’s usual demeanour of timid silence was instantly replaced by anger, intrigue and ferocity if the situation called for it. Court was a jokey character, but his childish nature would instantly fade if something serious was needed. It was as if they were both born and bred for this, something that she wasn’t. I’ll have to work on that, she reminded herself.

An opportunity to ask if they were a couple hadn’t arisen thus far. Rosa found herself much more comfortable speaking to Court alone, as Melon was either very reserved or wasn’t exactly the friendly type. They certainly shared a strong rapport with each other, but they weren’t exactly affectionate. On a whim, she would have to guess that they were just very good friends, but her experience of knowing Nico made that presumption less than perfect in her eyes.

Nico.

It felt like an age had passed since she’d last spoken with him. So much had happened in life. A new job had come and gone. A new friend capable of pulling the biggest smile in Equestrian history came bouncing into existence. A shot at stardom with Floyd’s production reared its head. And then there was Sparks.

Rosa was now back in her room, a towel wrapped around her waist, a duvet held beside her like an enormous teddy bear. There had been times when she used to do this, daydreaming about holding onto Nico as he breathed beneath her, their lungs expanding and contracting in unison.

Not any more though. She’d been thinking of Sparks wrapped around her instead, desperately pushing thoughts of Nico from her mind in a vain attempt to change who her heart yearned for. She forced herself to keep thinking of Sparks in such ways in hope that soon that it would eventually feel natural. Soon, her feelings would be replaced so long as she could focus on the task at hoof. Although there was that one dream…

Lying here with Sparks would be nice, she imagined. He was tall, muscular, and could probably envelop her completely if he wanted to. He would gingerly stroke through her mane and kiss her forehead, staring deep into her soul with those dazzling brown eyes. He would wear a smile — just a small smile — just enough to let her know that he was here for her. And then he would hold her tightly, whispering in her ear about how much he adored her.

But then there was Nico. Cheeky, energetic, cheery, friendly, funny, handsome Nico. Staying away from him hadn’t caused her love to dissipate. If anything, it had intensified.

“No,” Rosa muttered to herself, sitting up straight in an attempt to avoid the thoughts that were now invading her mind. She didn’t love him; she’d never even been on a date with him. She’d never seen the romantic side of him and didn’t know if there even was one. “I don’t love him, I don’t love him…”

It wouldn’t be long now before Sparks and Summer would show up, desperate to meet her friends. Perhaps bringing Summer along wasn’t such a great idea. What if she hit on Nico and he actually reciprocated? That was preposterous, of course. Nico would never do that with a mare as young as her anyway. If anything, it would be funny to watch her harass him, and maybe that would be enough to draw attention away from herself.

Rosa had planned to spend her free time today checking through the Dreamworld script but the anxiety about the evening ahead was too much. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and let the day pass her by.

Clover and Nico were obviously trying to do the right thing. They just wanted her to meet up with friends, have a laugh, let her introduce her colt-friend, let new bonds form and go on through life like any normal pony would do. She should be looking forward to it. Nay, if anything, a normal pony in her position should have been the one to suggest it. Then she would kiss her colt friend passionately, find a way to get some private time so they could sleep together, and then that would be her life. A normal pony with a normal life.

Rosa banged a hoof hard against her face. Maybe it would cause a bruise, maybe it wouldn’t. At that moment, she couldn’t have cared less.

Summer was the first to show up, being unnecessarily early. She leapt through the doorway and tackled Rosa with a hug, jabbering on about how excited she was. Rosa told her about her time with Court and Melon; anything to stop Summer from bringing up Nico again. She didn’t though, and listened attentively, commenting on how she knew that the audition had gone brilliantly. Summer soon changed the subject to An Equestrian Night Mare and how she’d been enjoying it more than she’d anticipated.

“The part when they find that filly’s body was so creepy, I was like this,” Summer squealed, pulling a mock look of terror.

“You told me as much in that letter of yours,” Rosa replied, rolling her eyes. “Though I still don’t think your drawing of me as ‘Creepy Strider’ was entirely necessary.”

“Hey, I think you’d make a great serial killer! Not many chicks can pull that off, you know. If you’ve got it, flaunt it!”

Sparks showed up a while later with a bottle of white wine hidden behind his back. He leaned in to give her a quick nuzzle when he whipped it out and announced, “Ta-da!” Rosa gasped and let out a “Wow… thank you!” somewhat unconvincingly.

She did have to admit he looked incredibly handsome. His hair was slicked back and his hooves gleamed in the moonlight. He stood proudly, towering over the two mares with an air of confidence. He held a hoof over Rosa’s shoulder affectionately while he spoke, talking smoothly about something or other about wanting to be here, something about his sister. She wasn’t really paying attention. Her mind flitted to her daydreams about lying in bed with him with his forelegs wrapped around her. Her pulse quickened, and she shifted her thoughts away, only for a voice inside her head to shout “No! That’s what you’re supposed to be thinking about!”

After a brief goodbye to her parents they set off. Summer once again began making fun of her enormous strides, and Sparks chuckled lightly, saying it was a sign of good health. They chatted for a while about Rosa’s new claim to fame with scoring the Esmeralda role. As much as Rosa tried to downplay her own accomplishment both Sparks and Summer insisted that it was a real achievement. They were right, she guessed. Best not to tell them about Clover the substitute.

As they approached Nico’s funny-looking little cottage Rosa could already feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead. There was no backing out now. Her stomach contracted, feeling empty, even though she’d had a full meal before venturing out.

Just relax. You’re just somepony visiting her friends with her colt-friend. No big deal. You don’t love Nico, and this isn’t going to be awkward. You’re with Sparks. You don’t love Nico. It’s all going to be fine…

She tapped on the door. There was a rummage, and then it opened widely, Nico standing casually on the other side with Clover stood next to him.

“Come in, come in!” he beckoned, gesturing with one hoof.

The three of them each trotted in, single file, grinning politely at their host.

“It’s nice to see you, Sparks!” Nico beamed, shaking his hoof.

“Likewise.”

“Well would you look at this then,” Nico began. “The happy couple finally arrives! They look great together, don’t you think, Clover?”

“No disagreements there!” the pegasus chimed in.

“Oh please, you’re embarrassing me!” stuttered Rosa, her heart now going into overdrive and cheeks growing warm. There he was, stood in front of her. And on this day, unlike every other day, there was no chance for her to move in, no option to catch a glimpse of him as he stretched and flexed. The whole situation felt so… alien.

“Hey, I’m here too!” piped Summer, launching herself in front of Rosa. “Nice to meet you! My name’s Summer Sun!”

“Nico Demus. Nice to meet you too, Summer.”

As they shook hooves, Rosa thought of how she could never do the same. She’d been friends with Nico for years now, so what need was there to shake hooves?

“Well, you don’t all need to stand around. Do feel free to take a seat!” Nico announced, and took his own advice immediately by plopping down in the chair opposite Clover. Summer took the chance gladly and slid herself onto the sofa next to Nico’s chair, smiling giddily.

Figures, Rosa thought to herself, momentarily snapping out of her anxiety. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.

She and Sparks took to the open space on the sofa, with Rosa sat on the side by Clover and Sparks taking the middle. The further away from Nico she was, the better.

Being sandwiched between Sparks and Nico wouldn’t be so bad, you know…

Rosa shook her head to get rid of that heinous thought, barely noticing the strange reaction she received from Sparks and Clover. Since when did she start thinking things like that? That wasn’t like her!

“I love your house!” Summer exclaimed, examining the space around her. “It’s so… crazy! I love it!”

“Thanks… I think,” Nico replied awkwardly.

“That’s a lovely painting! Did you paint that?”

“No, I’m more about carpentry actually—”

“But I don’t see any carpets in here.”

“No, that’s not what carpentry is—”

“He means working with wood,” Clover stepped in with, smirking. “He’s very good at it. Sculpting and DIY, that is.”

“Oh… I see… So it’s kind of like how fencing isn’t actually about fences, it’s with those spindly swords. Gotcha. So do you have any sculptures around?”

“Summer!” Rosa blurted out, giving her friend a scolding look.

Summer shifted in her seat and smiled ruefully. “Sorry, Rosa. Best behaviour, I promise.”

“Hey, it’s OK, it’s fine,” Nico assured. “There’s nothing wrong with having a bit of energy. Just lay off the cider a bit, eh?”

Summer’s eyes widened. “So… that means I can have some? For real?”

“Well… maybe… a bit later, yeah?” His face showed that he was undeniably finding Summer’s mannerisms to be somewhat endearing. “I was going to ask how things are going with the love-struck redhead over here.”

Rosa laughed nervously and avoided Nico’s gaze. Just hearing him say the ‘L-word’ was enough to send shockwaves across her heart. She could feel her friends’ eyes watching her expectantly, waiting for a response.

“Well… things have been going great. We went to see Foal Gallagher at the weekend, which was amazing. And… uh…”

“Aw, look at little Rosa all embarrassed!” Summer cried, causing Rosa to flinch as she thought of how this looked to her friends.

Sparks casually lowered a foreleg around her neck and began to stroke her mane. He was acting a lot more confident than usual, despite the fact that all eyes were on them. She supposed that perhaps he felt more comfortable in this kind of environment, rather than on an official ‘date’.

“Yeah, Foal Gallagher was brilliant!” he carried on exuberantly. “There was this orchestra playing and some of the stunts were incredible like this one…”

He went on to describe various scenes in the performance in great detail, eliciting faint gasps and intrigued looks from the other 3 ponies. Even Summer — who had heard about this all before — seemed enraptured, like a filly who’d just met her foal-hood hero. All Rosa could do was smile and try and act as natural as possible as Sparks’ hoof circled around her shoulder, prickling her fur. She’d only just noticed how he’d sneakily moved in closer and closer with each passing moment, and now their bodies were within an inch of each other. She could feel the soothing warmth of his torso beckoning her to close the gap.

It’s what couples do, isn’t it? Huddle together?

She began judging Nico’s reactions, trying to glean any hint that he might be jealous or uncomfortable. She had to remind herself that he was the one who had come up with this idea in the first place, and that she would be fighting a losing battle. That is, if there even was a battle. She could hardly expect Nico to launch himself at Sparks’ throat and pronounce his superiority. If anything, he was doing exactly what he should. He asked some questions and seemed genuinely interested in what Sparks’ had to say, even remarking something about making future plans to see Foal Gallagher himself.

Admitting defeat, (or at least, that’s what it felt like in her mind) Rosa altered her posture and sidled up to Sparks, feeling the stallion flinch as their bodies made contact.

So he is a bit nervous, she mused, looking up into his enormous brown eyes as he stared back. She had to remember that he was the one who should be the most nervous in this situation, and she should be the one flaunting her gorgeous colt-friend like a trophy. At least, that's what was considered general practice. With the exception of Nico’s brief ‘thing’ with somepony at school, she’d never really experienced it first-hoof. She was the tentative one, the one who didn’t really care about stallions (with the obvious exception of Nico) and now she was the first in their group to be in a proper relationship. It only just hit her in that moment how topsy-turvy it all was.

“I’ve set the bar a bit high for myself I think,” Sparks chuckled. “I’m not sure what else I can do to top Foal Gallagher.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry,” Rosa said dismissively. “Just… well, I don’t know…”

“There’s a lovely place down by the riverside that I know of,” Clover cut in with. “It’s called… Marlow’s, or something like that. I hear the food there is lovely.”

“Sounds good,” Sparks agreed. “Rosa? What do you think?”

“Yeah, sounds nice.”

“That’s that sorted then. Sometime in the week, maybe?”

“Sure, excellent.”

She knew her responses didn’t sound all too convincing, but it was all she could muster. If she just agreed to everything then things would be easier. It occurred to her, though, outside of meeting and eating at restaurants or going to places like the auditorium, just what were they supposed to do with their time?

I think you know the answer to that, a voice in her head told her, and she gulped audibly.

Nico hopped from his seat and began walking towards his kitchen. “Anypony want a drink?”

Summer sprung up, waving her hoof like she was trying to gain a teacher’s attention. “Ooh, ooh, me! Me, please!”

“Yes, thanks.”

“That would be great.”

“Cheers, Nico.”

Soon, he returned with a tray of five tankards and dutifully passed them around. Summer took a large swig and retracted her lips with a resounding ‘ah!’

“This is the first time I’ve ever had cider you know, and it hasn’t disappointed!”

“Well, take it slowly,” Nico instructed. “I don’t want to see you getting as wasted as Rosa was last time.”

“You know she won’t take your advice,” Rosa teased, desperately hoping to move the conversation onwards. She could still remember how terrifically inebriated she had gotten when playing that stupid drinking game. Summer, however, was having none of it.

“Rosa getting drunk? Oh you are a naughty little mare, aren’t you?”

“Er… I wasn’t that bad.”

“Whatever you say, whatever you say,” Nico taunted, smirking cheekily.

Sparks was giving her an amused look and scratching the back of her mane playfully. It wasn’t irritating or demeaning, just odd. Of course, she knew that she’d been an absolute wreck; the horrendous hangover the day after was a testament to that. Still, she didn’t want Sparks to get the wrong idea about her, even if he did already know how much of a klutz she was.

The subject was soon dropped and Nico began asking Summer about where she worked and what she did. There wasn’t much for her to really say, but she still managed to reel off a speech long enough to bring a tear to the eyes of aspiring politicians. She got a few laughs with her impression of Petit, though some of those were likely faked. The mare seemed to be in her element here, lapping up the attention like a hungry dog. To Rosa’s surprise, she didn’t make any flirtatious comments towards Nico or give him any suggestive looks. She could see it now; what Summer yearned for was social interaction. She never made a mention of anypony that may have been a friend and only made a fleeting comment about her mother. It wasn’t obvious whether the alcohol had played any part, but she was extremely talkative, even for her.

With the yellow mare soaking up the attention of everypony in the room, Rosa made herself comfortable against Sparks’ chest. Sat this closely to him, she realised just how big he was. His midsection was like a tree trunk, and his legs were unnaturally bulky. She swore she could feel his individual muscles underneath.

Whether from the cider — of which she’d had two tankards at this point — (more than anypony else, so perhaps there was some truth in Nico’s jibe about her drinking habits) or simply because she was tired, her body began to feel limp and relaxed. This was as close as she’d been to anypony before, and she couldn’t help but enjoy the contact. There was something so very instinctive about it.

In a world of her own, Rosa rested her head against Sparks’ side, propping herself up more on him than the sofa. With her ear pressed to his chest, she could hear the sharp breath intake as she surprised him, not to mention his accelerating heartbeat. It made her feel as if she was connected to his life-source, and it was glorious. At this point she was expecting some kind of whistle from Summer followed by a bout of poking fun at her, but the happy little mare simply continued talking to Nico and Clover without so much as skipping a beat.

She could see Nico, though. He gave her a passing glance — not of envy, but of something else. Joy? Approval? Pride? Whatever it was, he was making his expression deliberate and clear, as if his thoughts were being actively projected at her. It was a look that, given any other situation she might have misconstrued as veiled admiration or lust. It was the kind of expression she’d wanted to see him look at her with for so long… but now she could see its real meaning.

He didn’t want her. He just wanted her to be happy.

The realisation should have broken her into a million pieces, but it didn’t. In a way she had known all along, and this was the best way for her to discover the truth. If she’d have confessed to him and told him all that she’d felt, it would have destroyed their friendship. If she’d found out because of him finding a filly-friend, the jealousy would have consumed her. If she didn’t have a stallion like Sparks, she would have spent her time wondering if she could ever find a colt-friend.

This is the best way it could have ever happened, she told herself, but it didn’t stop her throat from seizing up or her eyes from watering. There would be no going back; she couldn’t tell him how she felt. She would need to forget about it, and life would go on for the rest of them. They would be none the wiser.

She pressed herself harder against Sparks and grasped his hoof, pulling it around her like a scarf. She wanted a cuddle; she wanted something to comfort herself at a time like this. Sparks turned and draped his other foreleg around her and pressing his head down against hers.

Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t you dare bucking cry, she told herself, blinking rapidly.

She smiled weakly, trying to hide her pain. She could feel his breath upon her mane, tickling her nerves. Of all the times she’d had that fantasy of laying on her bed with Sparks and holding him close, this was the one time she wanted it more than any. She wanted to expel her pent up sadness, hold him tightly and never let go. He could make her feel better. He was strong, protective and caring.

He’s well-endowed too…

Rosa shut her eyelids instantly, praying that her friends hadn’t been paying attention to where her eyes had wandered.

I can’t believe you just thought about that! Pervert!

Hey, it’s just stating a fact. He is well-endowed.

So? What does that matter?

Just think about how close your mouth is to it…

With that outrageous thought passing through her mind Rosa sprang up jarringly, like somepony waking from a terrible nightmare. Silence fell among the other ponies and Sparks gave her a look of utmost concern.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Rosa observed her surroundings and saw the rest of them looking at her in a similar way. Clover spoke up, leaning towards her.

“Are you OK? What’s wrong?”

“I… sorry, I was almost falling asleep there...”

The evening’s tone had taken a downturn from that point. Rosa had assured them that she was fine, and that she didn’t need carting off back home to rest. She wouldn’t ruin their evening because of her stupid emotions. Since when did sadness give way to lust? She didn’t understand, and she didn’t want to understand. She didn’t want what she’d just felt to ever seem logical in any way.

There was more talk about Clover and Rosa’s new roles in Floyd’s Dreamworld, though Clover did most of the talking. She recited a few lines and tried gallantly to get Rosa involved more into the conversation, but she could do little more than make passing observations or quick comments about Court and Melon. As far as they were all concerned, she was either tired, or drunk, or both. Whichever, whatever. Like it mattered.

She sat upright, Sparks’ foreleg lazily drooped over her shoulder, though she was still huddled against him. He’d whispered in her ear a few times asking again if she felt OK and whether she wanted to go home. She quietly declined that offer at first, but eventually answered with, “Maybe I could go soon.”

Looking into Nico’s eyes just made everything worse. With every tiny self-doubt that she’d maybe caught his glance in the wrong light or perhaps misconstrued her own perceptions, that look — that look — came screaming back. She felt weak and over-encumbered, as if a vest made of rock had been strapped to her chest, crushing her lungs and heart. Everything was going wrong. Everything.

Eventually, Sparks clambered up and made the decision for her that perhaps it was time to leave. He looked confused, but not in the least bit uncaring. He still wore that charming smile that she’d seen since the first day he approached her at the training ground.

“I think I’d better get Rosa to bed; she seems a little worn out.”

“You’ve got it the wrong way ‘round, Strider,” Summer piped up, “You’re not supposed to get worn out until after Sparks takes you to bed!”

They all chuckled, Sparks laughing it off dismissively but becoming increasingly flustered. Rosa giggled lightly, not feeling the embarrassment that she would normally have expected to feel. For all of the inane and lewd comments that Summer had spewed since she had known her, for once this thought was somehow comforting. Inviting, almost. It pained her to even think this way after a life of being a goody-two-shoes, looking down on those who viewed passionate acts as anything less than an expression of undying love.

Perhaps this is just my mind going through puberty seven years late, she thought to herself as Sparks led her across the room, her friends each saying their goodbyes and well-wishes and see-you-soon’s. They could have been saying anything at that point but she was hardly taking notice, using all her mental strength to keep her emotions on a leash. She might have been smiling and saying goodbye back, she might not have. Maybe she waved at her friends, maybe she didn’t. It was like she was seeing the world around her through stained glass that distorted and warped everything around her, including herself.

Just say bye, and get out of here. Just get out of here. Out of here out of here out of here, just get out, out, out!

“It was good to see you again,” Nico grinned as she reached the door. Rosa nodded, or at least she assumed she nodded. That part she couldn’t quite remember, even a few seconds after Nico had approached her. What she was aware of was Nico leaning in and giving her a quick, friendly hug. It was something she might have only imagined before, led in her bed or daydreaming at the dinner table. In reality, it wasn’t the experience she had expected. His embrace felt cold. Dry. It was as if he wore a colourless, texture-less cloak over his entire body that sapped out any resemblance of a warm, loving cuddle and left only a brittle shell. It solidified it in her mind that he was acting out of pride, like a father congratulating a baby pegasus who has just learned to fly. Maybe she held him back, maybe she didn’t. Maybe she smiled back and said thank you, maybe she didn’t.

Summer and Clover had gone. Rosa felt guilty for cutting the night short for her friends, or at least, that’s what she thought she had felt. It was the kind of thing she would feel, right? Clover had glided effortlessly into the clouds, waving a hoof and flicking her tail in the wind. Summer seemed jubilant as ever and skipped down the path, humming a song to herself. Rosa thought she might have heard her call out something like “Go get ‘em!” or “Show him a good time!” or “Enjoy your beddy-byes!” or something. Something like that. Whatever. Who knows, maybe she’d take that advice. Or not. Whatever.

“Let’s get you home then, eh? Can you walk OK?” Sparks asked from beside her.

“I should be fine. I mean, OK. Yes.”

“Al…right…”

Despite saying this she still kept her head resting against Sparks as they walked, making no effort to move away. The cold night air had begun to clear her head, her thoughts forming more rapidly and her body doing as it was told on a conscious level.

Sparks is warm. He’s so warm. Why did I think Nico could ever like me? Why did I think tonight might change things? What’s wrong with me? I need sleep, and maybe a cuddle. What if Sparks could just hold me until I feel all better? I’ll feel better eventually, right? I don’t care though, really? I always knew Nico and I could never be together. No big deal. But then why do I feel so awful? I should just quit altogether. Quit life. Yeah, that’s it, I’ll quit life. Maybe I’m good at something else.

“Almost home,” Sparks muttered soothingly, the sound coming more from his neck, on which Rosa had an ear pressed up against.

“That’s good. I’m quite tired.”

It was true in a sense. Everything that night had left her exhausted. She could see the sign bearing Bloom’s Books creep into view and her mind was eased. She hadn’t mentioned it, but up until that point she hadn’t really been paying attention to her surroundings and could well have been walking to the ends of the earth if Sparks hadn’t led her in the right direction.

He took her right up to the door and raised her head with his hoof. She smiled apologetically, but not for the reason that she should have done.

“I guess I’ll see you soon,” Sparks said, running a hoof across Rosa’s shoulder. “I’ll work something out for that restaurant at some point and drop by.”

“That sounds good.”

“I enjoyed this evening, you know. It was good to finally meet your friends.”

“I know. I thought it was great too.”

“Just let me know sooner if you think you’re going to zonk out. I don’t want you keeping yourself awake if you’re not feeling up to it.”

As he leant in for a cuddle, Rosa felt herself hold him tightly and kiss him on the cheek. She hadn’t planned it; it was as if she was watching herself do this, and it felt both right and wrong in equal measure. She could have sworn that her heart stopped as Sparks hesitated, his eyes out of her sight, but he pulled back and planted a kiss just below her left eye, stroking her mane as he stood up.

They shared a moment then, but one not born of fairy-tale love or a strong emotional bond. Rosa thought that perhaps it was like that for him, but not for her at least. It was the grip on her emotions loosening for just a second, the spillage seeping out into the real world. She smiled back; it was all she could do. Just ask him in! He loves you! Not like Nico! Just ask him inside!

“I guess I’ll see you around,” Sparks stammered bashfully, his eyes wide with emotion. The last time she’d seen this was back when she’d embraced him out of the blue. Hadn’t she liked him back then? Or was she just seeing the same situation as this, but with a confident attitude? She must’ve liked him at some point, and she must like him now. Otherwise, what was all this?

“I’ll see you around too.”

Sparks left, and she stepped cautiously into the house, not looking back.

“Is everything OK, dear?” her mother called, peering out from the kitchen.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need a lie down.”

It’s a good thing I didn’t invite him in, she thought. It wouldn’t have been right. It wouldn’t have been right…

“OK, dear. Did you have a nice time?”

“It was great, really, but I need some sleep.”

Yeah, it would have been a bad thing because Mum is here and she’d have ruined everything. It could have been the perfect night.

“Are you sure you’re OK? Did something happen?”

“No, everything’s fine.”

Perfect night? What in the hell are you thinking? You need to stop being this stupid mare and come back to the real world!

“OK, are you sure you don’t want anything to eat? I’ve made—”

“No. I’m fine, really. Thank you.”

Sparks is the only one who loves you so you may as well make the most of it!

“OK… good night dear.”

“Night.”

How could you justify that? What is wrong with you?

I’m just trying to look at this in a positive light.

Well try looking at it in a logical one!

He’s my colt-friend, that’s about as much logic as I need.

That’s ridiculous! Do you really want to degrade your own sensibilities?

What, and be some kind of freak pony forever? We’re all animals, and trying to be something that you’re not is even more ridiculous!

That’s not even the same thing!

I can never have Nico! What do you bucking expect!?

Thinking time was over. There was nothing else left. Rosa slowly pulled herself into bed and lifted the quilt over her body. It wasn't long before she cried herself to sleep.

Voice of Reason III - The Bet

Voice of Reason III – The Bet

Five months before the end of harmony

“Darling, are you sure Spike hasn’t gotten the wrong idea?” Rarity drawled from her gold-rimmed picnic sofa, complete with satin cushions. “Not that it wouldn’t thrill me for her to find a stallion. I know she has it in her.”

“Are you kidding?” quipped Rainbow Dash. “That egghead wouldn’t know the first thing about making a move! She’d be reading a book called ‘The guide to awkward kissing’ while they sat down for dinner!”

“Now y’all are getting ahead of yourselves,” Applejack stated with a wave of her hoof. “This is just somepony sent to learn about the magic o’ friendship. We can’t go treatin’ ‘em differently ‘cause y’all wanna play match maker.”

“Look, here they come!” yelled Pinkie as Twilight, Voice and Spike came into view over the hill.

“Hey, girls!” Twilight chirped as she cantered to the middle of the group. “Everypony, this is Voice of Reason. Voice, these are my friends Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.”

“Um… hi…” Voice said nervously. “Pleased to meet you all. Forgive me if it takes a while to remember your names.”

“Well howdy,” Applejack greeted, giving him a firm hoofshake. “Pleased to meet you an’ all. Ah do hope you enjoy yout stay in Ponyville. You can…”

As the two earth ponies continued their conversation, Fluttershy stood stock still, her legs trembling.

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash whispered, noticing her friend’s distress. “What’s the matter? Don’t be a scaredy cat! Just say hello and…”

Rainbow Dash fell silent as Fluttershy’s wings involuntarily extended, the yellow mare’s face becoming even more exasperated as she realised what she’d just revealed. Even Rainbow Dash found herself blushing at the timid pony’s ‘outburst’, the like of which she’d never seen from her.

Thinking quickly, the flustered pegasus leapt behind Rainbow Dash and cowered in fear, trying to fold her wings back into place. “How do I make it go away?” she mouthed, shaking like a leaf. Rainbow’s only conclusion was that this was the first time Fluttershy had ever encountered the infamous ‘wing-boner’, and felt reluctant to tell her the truth.

Pinkie hopped up to Voice enthusiastically, the stallion barely keeping a footing as she shook his hoof wildly. “Hi! I’m so happy we finally get to meet you! My name’s Pinkie Pie, and yours is Voice of Reason? Does that make ‘of’ your middle name? Oh! Oh! I vote we call him by his middle name from now on! Are you feeling OK, Of? Is it nice in Canterlot, Of? You know what I think of, Of?”

“I’d prefer it if you called me by my first name, if that’s OK,” the stallion replied, looking a little overwhelmed. “And I’m happy to meet you too, Pinkie. I hear you’re quite the party-goer.”

“Oh you bet! Parties here, parties there, parties everywhere! In fact, I keep parties stashed all over Equestria in case of party emergency! Do you want to come to my next party? I’m thinking of holding one very, very, very, very, very, very soon!”

“Pinkie, give him some space!” Twilight demanded with a frown. “I’m sorry about all this, Voice.”

“Oh, there’s nothing to worry about,” Voice replied with a wide grin. “I’m honestly thrilled to meet such friendly, good-natured ponies.”

“Oh! Well… I’m glad too!” Twilight beamed, her cheeks going red.

Amongst the commotion, Applejack and Rarity gave each other a knowing glace, then back to Voice, then back to each other, then smiled.

“I’m betting Twilight makes it with him,” Rarity chirped. “He’s got that intellectual vibe going on.”

“Now hold yer horses, pony. As far as ah see it he’s much more pleased with Pinkie Pie’s presence as a matter o’ fact.”

“Oh really? Care to make a bet on it? Twenty bits says Twilight ends up with him. She is living with him for the time being.”

After a mere second’s pondering Applejack nodded with a sly grin. “And if ah get Pinkie to be with him ah get twenty from you?”

Rarity smiled wider. “Oh, it is on!”

“Hang on a second!” came Rainbow’s voice from behind them. “Applejack, you were the one having a go at us for playing mahtch may-kerr,” she mocked in a forced country accent. “Besides, Fluttershy’s the one who’s interested in him, if that wasn’t any more obvious than it is. I don’t see why you think Twilight or Pinkie would…”

“Then why not make this more interesting?” Rarity propositioned. “Twenty bits from both of us if you can hitch him up with Fluttershy. Same from you two if it’s Twilight, and likewise with Pinkie.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Why would I make bets about which friend of mine is gonna shack up with some random guy?”

“As I should have expected, you’re simply afraid of failure,” Rarity teased in a pompous tone. “It’s so sad too… to see the only stallion Fluttershy ever liked brush her aside like unwanted croutons. Of course, given how shy she is it’s obvious she’d never gain his attention, even with the help of her friend. It saddens me how life can be so cruel and…”

“Oh, fine! You’re on!” Rainbow Dash conceded, spitting into her hoof and holding it out in front of her. Applejack grinned and did the same, planting her hoof squarely on Rainbow Dash’s. The two mares then gave a glance to Rarity who looked disgusted. The unicorn faked spitting onto her left hoof and daintily placed it against Applejack’s and Rainbow Dash’s. The trio were broken as Twilight neared them with Voice in tow, looking on at her friends suspiciously.

“I’m guessing you must be Rainbow Dash,” Voice greeted, holding out his hoof. “Pleased to meet you.” Rainbow Dash shook it stiffly, only just realising that she’d given Voice a hoof-ful of spit.

“The mane gave it away, huh? Pleased to meet you too!” She released Voice’s hoof and the stallion gave it a worried glance, discreetly wiping the saliva onto his foreleg. “I’m the top flier in all of Ponyville, maybe in all of Equestria! But believe it or not, I wasn’t always as amazing as I am now. I owe a lot of it to a special pegasus who’s been an inspiration to me. My good friend, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash gestured behind her, beaming.

Voice looked on, a little confused. “You mean… That tree with wings?”

“Wait, what?” Rainbow Dash turned around to see Fluttershy hidden behind a nearby willow tree, her extended wings poking out from either side of the trunk. Rainbow Dash face-hoofed and dragged Fluttershy over to the group, creating an enormous trench in the ground. The timid mare wasn’t moving a muscle. Her face was expressionless, but she was sweating buckets. A deathly silence was cast over the other mares, even Pinkie, as they saw the state of their friend. “So… yeah, this is Fluttershy. One important lesson she taught me was about stretching my wings properly to keep them supple and strong. If you extend them out like this, it stretches the… um… plucktorial muscles and is a great way of exercising when you’re not flying. Isn’t that right, Fluttershy?”

“Mm,” was the mare’s only response, her mouth not even opening.

“Wow,” beamed Voice. “I didn’t realise that, though that’s probably because I’m not a pegasus. Pleased to meet you, Fluttershy.”

“Mm.”

Voice extended his hoof politely, to which Fluttershy did nothing but stare at it.

“Sorry about this,” Twilight whispered in apology. “She gets a little nervous around newcomers. We could be waiting here for hours, all truth be told.”

“Oh no, I’m OK,” Fluttershy said confidently, a smile coming to her face. In an instant, she had become her normal self, her wings dropping to her sides as she controlled her anxieties. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr Reason.”

“Oh please, do call me Voice. I do hope we can become great friends,” he said sweetly, looking deep into her eyes.

In that brief second, Fluttershy’s wings sprang back up, her cheeks reddened and he face was frozen in an awkward smile. “Mm,” she uttered, before leaping back behind the tree and shaking like a leaf.

“Was it something I said?” Voice asked confusedly.

“Oh, she’ll be fine,” assured Rarity. “Now, I didn’t quite catch your reason for being in Ponyville. How long are you planning on staying?”

Voice’s smile faded momentarily as he gazed at the ground. “I’m… not entirely sure yet. As for why I’m here; I’m a writer, and a scholar, and I know Princess Celestia very well. I’ve been in a bit of a rut recently, unable to write anything worthwhile, so Princess Celestia suggested I come here for some inspiration. I don’t know very much about friendship, so she thought this would be the ideal place for me to spend my…” He cleared his throat and resurrected his friendly grin. “For me to spend some time. I’m already thankful to Twilight for letting me stay. I really don’t wish to be any trouble, so if I’m getting in your way, just let me know.”

“Oh, no, no, no! You’re not getting in my way at all!” Twilight insisted. “It’s nice to have somepony like you around.”

“I see you two are getting along famously,” Rarity noted proudly, flashing a smug glance at her competition. “Though, Voice, I do wonder if you could look ever so much more dashing in a tuxedo. I run a little establishment called Carousel Boutique, and I offer only the finest wares in all of Equestria.”

“I don’t know since I’m a little short on cash—”

“Nonsense! You don’t have to worry about paying! You are a guest here and I insist on offering you a complimentary outfit.”

“Maybe y’all should eat first,” Applejack piped up. “Ain’t no point in cuttin’ the picnic short.”

The seven ponies and dragon sat down to a meal of cress sandwiches, rocket salad and apple pie. Or in Spike’s case, a claw full of jewels. Voice remained the centre of attention as they talked, telling them all about where he’d lived, his life in Canterlot, and the books that he’d written. Even Fluttershy was now part of the group, despite spending most of her time hiding behind her mane whenever Voice looked in her direction.

“In all honesty, I thought I’d be pretty intimidated being in the presence of the Elements of Harmony, but you’re all so friendly and down to earth. A lot of ponies in Canterlot are stuck up and dismissive. Even Celestia agrees.”

“One teeny, tiny, thing I don’t get, Of,” Pinkie began excitedly, “How come you didn’t know Twilight before? You’re both from Canterlot and you’re both friends with Princess Celestia, but you’ve never met each other before?”

“Actually, I was wondering that as well,” Twilight piped up. “Weren’t you a student of hers?”

“Well… not exactly. I didn’t move to Canterlot until a few years ago, and to begin with I lived mostly in solitude, just getting by. One day I was passing through Canterlot with a pile of notes when Celestia appeared with her royal guards. I panicked and tripped over, basically giving her a face full of scrolls. I kept saying ‘sorry’ as she looked at some of my work which happened to be documentation of the reproductive method of rare plant species that grew in Whitetail Wood. She liked what she saw, and gave me an opportunity to use the Canterlot archives and various resources for my research, giving me a real purpose, which I am eternally grateful for. As for why Twilight and I have never met… Canterlot is a pretty big place and Celestia’s school of magic is in a different domain to where I’d been staying. Being an earth pony, knowledge of magic just wasn’t an interest to me. No offense, of course.”

“None taken!” Twilight exclaimed, more than happy with his answer.

“However, I did know about you before. Celestia’s mentioned you on quite a few occasions. From what I hear, she’s really proud of you, and she said I should be sent here specifically because of you and your friends.”

While everypony was enthralled by Voice’s tales, Spike had his arms crossed and was glaring straight at him. “Yeah, quite the charmer,” he muttered under his breath. “But you aren’t fooling anypony. Seducing my friends with your wily ways…”

“So… if Princess Celestia sent you here to learn about friendship, where would you like to start?” Twilight asked.

“If it’s not too much trouble for you all, I’d like to spend some time with each of you, getting to know each of the different elements individually as well as the entire group. I want to know more about honesty, kindness, generosity, loyalty, laughter and magic. I’m no expert on any of them, and I think I’d find inspiration for my work if I knew a little more.”

“Oh! Oh!” Pinkie cried as she put up a forearm like a school-foal trying to catch a teacher’s attention. “We could bake some cupcakes together! I could show you all my precious, patented, Pinkie Pie recipes, and it’ll be so much fun!”

“Actually, that sounds like a great idea,” Voice agreed. “And the same goes for the rest of you. If I could just spend a day doing the kinds of things you do, maybe I could really understand this ‘harmony’ thing. At least, if it’s not too much to ask.”

“Sure thing, sugarcube!”

“It would be my pleasure, darling.”

“Yippee! All aboard the SS Fun-boat!”

“Eh… I’ll see if I’ve got some free time on my schedule.”

“Mm…”

Twilight smiled uneasily. “You’re… getting on with your studies so quickly?”

Rainbow Dash snorted mirthfully. “Oh, come on, Twilight! Out of everypony here, you’re the one who should go easy on the studying!” Twilight simply shot the pegasus a disgruntled look.

“Then it’s settled?” Voice questioned the group of mares. “Ideally, it would work out perfectly if I could spend a day with each of you in turn this week. Assuming that I won’t be getting in your way, of course.”

“Oh! Oh! Pick me first!” Pinkie yelled, bouncing up and down excitedly. “Please be me! Please be me!”

“Um… OK, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Pinkie,” he said with a smirk, pulling out a sheet of paper and making a note. The rest of the plans were made, with Pinkie being followed by Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and lastly, Twilight. “It’ll be an interesting week, that’s for sure!” Voice beamed, filing away his notes.

“Oh! Oh!” Pinkie piped up with again. “You know what would be even more betterer? A party! Like… an ‘end of week of studying’ party!”

“That would be amazing, actually,” Voice grinned with a hint of melancholy. “I’ve not exactly… been to a party before. I’ve seen other ponies going to them with smiles on their faces and I’ve always kind of wondered what they were like.”

Pinkie leapt into the air in exasperation, landing practically on top of Voice as she squeezed him tightly in a hug. “Oh no! You poor thing! I couldn’t even imagine a life without parties! Sometimes I get excited just thinking about parties! I can’t believe you’ve never been to a party and I’m gonna make sure this party is going to be the greatest party ever!”

“That… sounds… great…” Voice gasped, barely able to breathe under Pinkie’s iron grip. “I’ll… look… forward… to it…”

While Rainbow Dash and Applejack attempted to crowbar Pinkie’s forelegs from Voice’s neck, Rarity had noticed a certain purple dragon sulking away from the rest of the group. She trotted over out of curiosity, nudging him gently on the shoulder. “Spike, what’s wrong? Are you upset about something?”

“Me? Oh, I’m just fine,” he retorted, a plume of hot smoke coming from his nostrils.

“Now, come on. Something’s bothering you my little Spikey Wikey! Are you sure you won’t tell me what it is?”

“Just look at him!” Spike exclaimed, gesturing towards Voice. Rainbow Dash had successfully pulled Pinkie away from him, only for the excitable mare to jump back over Rainbow and wrap her forelegs around his midsection, blabbering about how amazing her party was going to be. Voice appeared flustered and confused, and Applejack shot Rainbow Dash a smug look, much to the pegasus’ annoyance. “There’s something off about him, but I just can’t quite put my finger on it.” He looked up at the purple-maned unicorn with wide eyes and a quivering lip. “You… don’t like him, do you?”

“Spike, are you jealous of Voice?”

“No! That’s not it! Now answer the question!”

Surprised by the dragon’s arrogant tone Rarity frowned with disappointment. “A lady like myself does not wish to be spoken to in such a way, Spike!”

Spike’s spines drooped in shame. “I’m sorry, Rarity, but you’re all giving him all this attention and something about it feels wrong. Twilight’s acting all cagey around him, I’ve never seen Fluttershy this scared and… it’s like all of your eyes are on him. These things just don’t happen!”

“Spike, Voice hasn’t done anything wrong, so you can’t exactly be angry with him, right?” The young dragon shrugged half-heartedly in response. “He’s a newcomer to the group so it’s only natural that we’re extra nice to him. What exactly is it that you’re afraid of?”

Spike shrugged again. “I dunno… It just feels weird with him around. I don’t want to lose you, or any of my friends. I like things the way they are!” His heartfelt words were unintentionally accompanied by a lone tear that formed in the corner of his left eye.

“Oh Spike… come here,” Rarity whispered, extending a hoof. Spike leapt into her forelegs, holding tightly around her neck, his breathing rough and heavy. “I know you might be scared about us moving away as it were, but you know very well that things can’t stay the same way forever.”

“I know… but…”

“But who’s to say that’ll happen any time soon?”

“I guess… no-one?”

Rarity wiped away his tear and kissed his forehead. “Don’t let something like this worry you, Spike. And be nice to Voice. I don’t think any of us want to see a repeat of the Owlowiscious incident.”

“No, I guess you’re right,” said Spike, blushing.

“Then I guess that’s settled then.”

“Just one thing, Rarity,” Spike began uneasily, shifting his gaze away from her. “I know about everything you just said, but I’d feel better if I got to see you on the day Voice comes to visit you. I’d… I’d just feel better about everything.”

“Spike, what did I say about not wor—” Rarity stopped in her tracks, an enormous smile appearing on her face as an idea popped into her head. “OK, Spike. I’ll allow you to pay me a visit, if you agree to help me with something.”

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 13 - Selfish

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 13 - Selfish

Life for Rosa had adopted a new and yet familiar sense of regularity. She spent her days helping out at the bookshop, getting back into the swing of handling deliveries, answering customer enquiries and going on errands, most of which were given out by her mother. There were a couple of new novels that piqued her interest; one in particular called Remnant proved to be an excellent read, dealing with a strain of bacteria that could affect ponies’ minds and manipulate their sense of reasoning. She wasn’t reading quite as often anymore, mainly because she didn’t have the time.

Her parents seemed to treat her with some kind of newfound respect, no longer harassing her about whatever lifestyle choices she was making. The relationship between herself and Sparks was steady. Slow moving, but steady. He’d stayed for dinner a few times in the weeks following the meet-up at Nico’s house, and her parents made every effort to say how wonderful he was and how happy they were for her to find such a stallion. She guessed she liked that.

She’d also had dinner with Sparks’ parents, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by how accepting they were.

“It’s such a pleasure for us to be in the presence of such a charming, beautiful young mare!” his mother had said.

“Thank you, ever so much. It’s been lovely to meet you too.”

“Please, stop by any time. I don’t think my son could have picked anypony better.”

“Well I’m not going to disagree with that!” Sparks had grinned, stroking her mane.

Ever since Sparks had paid for their trip to Canterlot and the tickets for Foal Gallagher without so much as batting an eyelid, Rosa had her suspicions that his family would be tremendously wealthy. These were completely solidified upon viewing their home. While it wasn’t exactly an ornate, mansion-like building, (in fact, it was just above average as far as its size was concerned) the interior was filled with beautiful marble tiles and a collection of ornaments made from wood, stone and ceramic. These ranged from doves, to insects, to a depiction of a fantasy battle scene. Chandeliers hung from most of the ceilings, something that would be a nightmare for an earth pony to tamper with.

As for how they were so well off, Sparks had once mentioned something about an inheritance. He said nothing more, and Rosa wasn’t keen on pressing the issue further. The idea of somepony’s death leading to nothing more than an inflated piggy bank wasn’t something she found very comforting.

His sister was nothing like she had expected, not being the over-protective, bolshie filly that she’d imagined given Sparks’ previous description. Crane had a perpetual sweet smile and a beautiful (if brash) spiky green mane. She’d welcomed Rosa with open forelegs, playfully trying to embarrass her brother with stories of when he’d gotten trapped in a toilet as a colt. Sparks’ father tried to keep her quiet, but both Sparks and Rosa insisted that they didn’t mind, laughing off each jibe as it came. She’s going to make a lucky stallion very happy when she’s older, Rosa thought, admiring the unicorn’s appearance and cheery attitude. She was like Summer in some respects, but without the crazy, perverted streak.

The bond between Sparks and his sister was unmistakable. Rosa didn’t know that many ponies with siblings, and knew even fewer who still spent time with them. Despite the age difference, (Rosa assumed that Crane was between twelve and fourteen) they got along like best friends. Crane would poke fun at him and Sparks would roll his eyes knowingly. It was all done in jest, of course.

Rosa pondered on what life would have been like with a brother or sister by her side. Having somepony else to talk to would’ve been nice, assuming they’d actually get along. It was just one of those things she’d never truly know.

It was after meeting Sparks’ parents that they first kissed. Sparks had initiated it this time, though she couldn’t berate him for being impatient. It was, after all, around three weeks since their first date. At first, Rosa thought he’d leant in for a hug when he slowly began to pull his face in closer to hers, sweat practically dripping from his forehead despite the mild weather. She stayed stock still at first, wondering if she would do it all wrong and they’d be part of an awkward display of contorted lips and misplaced tongues. Instead, their mouths locked effortlessly, and they held each other there for a good ten seconds. It was thrilling, she supposed. Part of her was egging her on to latch onto him in another, more intimately passionate tongue wrestle but that side of her backed down.

When Rosa finally revealed to Summer about their kiss, the yellow earth pony immediately leapt onto her, shouting about how she couldn’t believe it hadn’t happened sooner. Oddly enough, she didn’t start ranting and teasing about ‘the next step’, seeming more than content with clasping her hooves together and chatting about them being ‘the perfect couple’, which Rosa was more than relieved about.

She would occasionally visit Summer during her break times and chat with the mare about life in general, or just eat lunch together in comfortable silence. Considering that neither of them had much free time anymore, it was the least she could do.

Rehearsals for Dreamworld were going well. They were frequent, with four, sometimes five sessions a week, some of them lasting several hours. It was often tiring and soaked up a lot of free time, but it was also fulfilling. Rosa could recite her lines with sterling accuracy, and found that she could now switch to playing both sides of her character, that of both Esmeralda and Dr Emerald, with relative ease. At first it had just been a case of reading lines, but as she became more invested in the production she felt that she could actually be Dr Emerald, even down to forcing herself to cry in some of the crucial final scenes. All she had to do was let her deeper emotions seep out. No big deal.

Court Jester and Melon Collie quickly became good friends and their support, advice and overall attitude helped her to keep the goal of a big-time stage production in mind. They were nothing less than stellar when it came to acting, and Rosa sometimes felt inferior when they managed to pull off a heart-felt scene with supposed ease. They both reassured her though, that her own acting skills were more than enough. She believed them. She had to.

Melon had begun to open up and would sometimes surprise with an offhand joke that reduced Court and Rosa to tears. That’s not to say that Court wasn’t the real jokester of the group, and he took great pleasure in misusing the props in humorous ways, or impersonating other actors, emphasising their odd mannerisms.

The mystery to whether the two of them were a couple was ended when Court began to joke about a stallion who, in his words, “clearly has the hots for you, Melon.” It became clear that they were just close friends, even if Rosa might have suspected an unspoken attraction between them. It made her wonder how easy it was for mares and stallions to be that close without romantic interest.

The prop and costume designers had outdone themselves, and even pernickety old Floyd had agreed. The battered stage in the Ponyville theatre was transformed into another world with a subtle use of lighting that was truly dazzling. The transitions from lush fields to scenes of death and destruction, to the sterile halls of the psychiatric ward was startling, to say the least.

They now even had a miniature orchestra playing faint melodies during scenes, truly emphasizing the impact of some of the more emotional moments. They weren’t exactly in the league of the group she’d seen in Canterlot, with some of them mere juveniles, but they were still proficient.

The costume that she wore as Esmeralda was astonishing, and made her feel utterly beautiful at times. It was made from jade green silk, with false diamonds embedded in the material forming patterns of flowers and hearts. There was a silver band that fastened around her midsection, and a length of fabric that went along her tail, reacting to every minute swish and swipe. The costume was completed by a small silver tiara with strips of authentic looking golden paint. Her cutie marks and fiery red mane however, were not covered at all, and were as Floyd said, “part of the character.”

Floyd was impressed with her work, smiling proudly as he watched each rehearsed performance. He would tell her how glad he was that she was part of the project, and made no attempts to hide his happiness as everything started to come together. He’d even incorporated some of her ideas for certain scenes. Surely that was something to be proud of.

Rosa didn’t speak much to Clover while at rehearsals, though this was mainly because there was little time for idle chit-chat. Also, since they would be playing the same character they wouldn’t be on stage together. Clover’s performances were amazing to watch. She would gracefully hover just above the stage and could make it sound as though she was whispering, even though her voice carried to the far reaches of the hall.

After each rehearsal, Rosa would casually say goodbye to her friend, offering words of encouragement. There was no bitterness despite everything that had happened, and they didn’t speak of it. Clover would wave goodbye and soar up into the clouds above, smiling back at her.

She hadn’t seen Nico in a while.

Everything was settling into a manageable cycle, with distinct goals for the future and a wealth of support from everypony she knew. Time sped by quickly as her days were filled with tasks and opportunities, and there had been no more emotional outbreaks. She had everything going for her, and the whole world was behind her. Some ponies would kill to be in the position she was.

Everything was perfect.

No… everything is all wrong…

Every day I see his face and I wonder if I’ll ever be over it all...

And yet, I should be proud of myself. I’ve done so much. I’m making this world a better place for everypony. I can see the delight in Summer’s eyes as she sees me, her only friend, stop on by to brighten up her day. I think of the torment she must have faced and how I’ve changed all that — given her something else to live for. I watch as she shrugs off life’s difficulties and laughs back. I daren’t ask her how she copes because she makes it seem so easy, so effortless. She looks up to me, and I know that somehow she cherishes the fact that I’ve come into her life.

Clover thinks I’ve done do well. She won’t admit it, but she was disappointed in the old me. She wouldn’t have believed what I would do, wouldn’t have thought that I could change my life around like this. She’s not upset that I took the part that she wanted; she wants me to succeed. I could do that for her.

Floyd looks at me like a star pupil, helping make his dream a reality. He’s grown happier over the past few weeks, losing the grumpy frown that was so prominent when I first met him. He’s always saying how much he loves what I do. From what I know, he doesn’t say much to the other actors. I swear, sometimes he treats me like the daughter he never had.

Mum and Dad are so proud… I’ve never known them like this. They don’t bug me about anything; for once, they see me doing the right thing, living my life the right way. The way they smile as I gallop off to rehearsals or stand beside Sparks… They look at me as if I’ve finally grown up to be the daughter they always wanted.

Sparks doesn’t need to say that he loves me because I already know. The way he smiles to himself when he thinks I’m not looking, sighing and wondering just how his life ever got this good, how he ever met the mare of his dreams. He’s amazing, perhaps even perfect. He makes me feel loved. He would never do anything to hurt me. He’s everything I could ever ask for, I guess.

So then why do I feel like this!? Why do I feel like every day is a curse!? I should have known since the beginning that Nico and I would never be together! It could never work out, and going from friendship to relationship would be too weird. It couldn’t happen, it never was going to happen and it won’t ever happen. I don’t know if I ever want to see his face again. Maybe if I do, I’ll break down. I love him so much…

Then what of our friendship? Was it just a charade all these years? If I was truly one of his best friends, shouldn’t I just be thankful for that!? Maybe I should see him just so that he knows we’re still friends. At least, I think we are. I don’t know, I just don’t know. I’m a terrible pony.

It could have been so much worse. I could have broken down in front of him, been rejected, then have had to live with burning embarrassment every time I saw him. Eventually, everything between us, the friendship, the bond that had built up all of this time would be ruined. Clover’s world would be devastated, her two best friends unable to speak to each other. It all happened in the best possible way and yet I still can’t cope.

Some days I want Sparks to stay out of my life; I want him to run off into the horizon and just stay there. Some days I want to grasp him between my legs and say “Do anything you want to me. You can make me feel better. You can make me feel loved.” I don’t know what to make of him, or myself.

Sometimes I feel empty, like a ghost floating through each day in a daze, not thinking or feeling. Sometimes I feel full to the brim, like I’m going to explode at a moment’s notice. I don’t know if anypony can see it. I hope they can’t. I don’t think they can. I’ll be over it soon. I need to be.

Everything is going to be fine. I’ll be a star. I’ll take to the stage as hundreds of ponies gasp in amazement and awe. That’ll help me get over things. Maybe Sparks and I will further our relationship and I’ll learn to love him. That’ll help me get over things. It’s only been three weeks and two days since that night at Nico’s. If I just keep waiting and waiting, in a few months my feelings should fade. Yes, I can feel them beginning to fade right now. If I just think about all the things I don’t like about him I’ll forget I ever even liked him. Then we’ll go back to being friends, and my life will be perfect. Everypony is proud of me. Everypony is happy for me. Soon, I’ll be able to feel the same way about myself. Yes… everything will be fine. It’ll all be fine.

“Rosa, is something wrong? What are you…”

“Do you think we need a bit more distance? Like, maybe if you stand to the side a bit and then walk towards me.”

“Oh, and then I can start with my line when I’ve reached there. Yeah, I think that could work. Then Melon could stop here.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking. Read my mind, you did!”

Rosa, Court and Melon were discussing aspects of certain scenes. Now that they knew how much space they would have on stage and where the props would be, they wanted to ensure that their positioning would allow for the audience to see exactly what was going on without all of them crowding in the convenient empty floor space.

Most of the scenes Rosa was in featured the characters of Veracity and Reverie, with a small number near the end taking place with other ‘Doctors’. Strangely enough, she found those to be the easiest to perform. Her actions dominated over her words, and it was more about her expressions and gestures. She could do sadness and discomfort quite well it seemed.

Just as they continued with rehearsal, they heard a loud clapping from the opposite end of the hall. Roadie was perched atop a table, and cupped his hooves to his mouth to emulate a megaphone.

“Everyone over here, please! We have an announcement to make!”

There was some murmuring and exchanged looks of curiosity and annoyance, ponies shuffling from where they were to form a small crowd. Rosa, Court and Melon found themselves herded towards the front to see Floyd levitating a bound scroll, an enormous grin splashed across his face.

“Thank you, everypony. I have some news that I’m sure all of you have been waiting to hear for a long time.”

The whispers and murmurs began again as he cleared his throat and scratched his chin thoughtfully.

“I’ve finally found us a venue for our performance.”

There was an eruption of gasps and faint cheers throughout the crowd, some ponies nudging one another playfully. Rosa could feel her mouth widening into a smile. In her mental state she could do with some good news, and here it was.

“Quiet, please!” Floyd bellowed as best he could, but it came out as more of a rasp. He coughed, and the surrounding ponies hushed around him.

“I’ve found us a venue, if, and this is the big if, we can prove to a panel of judges and critics that our play is up to standard. They’ve agreed to pay a visit this coming Saturday afternoon, so if anypony here is busy then, they need to let me know as soon as possible.”

A silence fell among them for a few moments until a lone unicorn colt piped up. “What venue would it be? If we impress them, that is.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to mention that. It would be in Canterlot, but as to which one, I don’t know. There are quite a few in Canterlot as some of you may be aware of. Regardless, I should hope that this is encouragement enough for you all to perfect your work.”

Please be the Royal Canterlot Auditorium, please, please, please… Rosa thought to herself, the memory of her first date with Sparks flooding back. She gathered that it was unlikely, otherwise Floyd would be shouting from the rooftops. Still, the excitement of that possibility was still there.

“I’ve been allowed to keep this theatre open for each day this week after 6 o’ clock, so please do stop by whenever you can. This Friday evening I hope we can run through the entire performance as if it were actually happening with the first group of actors, with another on Saturday morning for the substitute actors. I would recommend that you all show up to both if you can, just in case we run into trouble.

“I’m very impressed with all of you and what you’ve already achieved, and I know that you’re all more than capable of putting on a great show for the judges. We may need to do a bit of spring cleaning in here, but I think we can manage that.”

There was a faint chuckle among them as he nodded towards a mass of cobwebs that lined the ceiling. The mood had changed dramatically, and where there were frowns or looks of perpetual indifference before, they had been replaced by smiles and pensive expressions, starry-eyed ponies staring into space and imagining what was before them. For some, it was fame. For others, it would be money. For Rosa, it was a means of freedom.

“With that said, you slackers can get back to what you were doing,” Floyd barked jokingly. Rosa could have sworn it was the first sarcastic comment she’d ever heard him utter, and almost took him seriously for a second before noticing the spring in his step as he stepped away from the crowd.

They were all abuzz at that. Some dashed off to what they were doing before, nattering with encouragement about something they wanted to work on. Rosa felt a hoof clamp down on her shoulder as Court pulled her and Melon together.

“Looks like we’re all gonna be famous!” he squealed in a feminine voice, and Rosa couldn’t help but laugh. She hugged him back, and when Melon didn’t do the same Court pulled her in tightly causing her to gasp in surprise. She appeared annoyed at first, but the smile soon crept back onto her face.

“I’m just glad we know what’s happening now,” she sighed. “All this time not having a clue…”

“Well that’s over now, sweet cheeks!” Court chirped, tightening his grip on the pair of them. “Our paths are paved in gold from here on out!”

The two mares were released, and Melon began to comb her mane back into shape, appearing both flustered and a little irritated. Rosa laughed silently and turned around to where Clover was stood, chatting to another pegasus mare.

“I’ll be with you two in a second,” Rosa said, and paced her way over to her friend. Clover spotted her coming and smiled welcomingly, cutting off her own conversation and walking towards her.

“Great news, isn’t it?” Clover beamed.

“I know, I know. I’ve been waiting for this to finally happen. For a while I thought we were all doing this for nothing.”

“Me too. I hope I don’t get too nervous at my performance though. I’d hate to let everypony down.”

“We can both be nervous together then! Ugh, it’s going to be a pretty busy time from here on out. I’ll have to make do with reciting lines while I work! You’re not going to be busy or anything? You’re not going to have some emergency weather team meeting, are you?”

“No… There are plenty of pegasi who can help out at any time, and it’s not like we’re due a winter wrap up or something anytime soon. It should be fine.”

Their attention was diverted to a loud crash as a young colt accidentally knocked over a set of cymbals, causing one of the fillies to leap at least two feet in fright. Those that saw the event couldn’t help but laugh, and the two foals bashfully reset the cymbals, the colt receiving a stern scolding from his friend. Rosa smirked, and was ready to say goodbye and make her way back to Court and Melon when Clover spoke up again.

“Um… so when this is over, do you think we should have some kind of meet up? Like the old times. I guess they’re not really old times, but you get what I mean.”

Rosa felt a lump in her throat. She’d been doing fine this past week. Great, even. She’d managed to keep her mind occupied with other things, making sure her feelings would fade. Of course, she had only been convincing herself that they were fading. She was just doing a good job of pushing her feelings deeper and deeper, but now, with Clover’s casual comment, they were rushing forward, dangerously close to spilling out.

“I… We’ll see,” she said, and gave a weak smile. “Anyway, we’d better get cracking with all this stuff. Good luck!”

Her friend’s goodbye seeming like a faint echo in a cave, she practically ran to where Court and Melon stood mulling over a script.

“Oh Rosa,” Court acknowledged, stepping towards her with a sheepish expression. “You don’t mind if me and Melon go through the hilltop scene, do you? We were just talking about how we’ve not gone through it too often.”

“Fine by me. I… I guess I’ll just grab some fresh air then. I’ll be with you in a minute!”

Barely taking notice of their concerned faces, Rosa sped off once more, grateful for some kind of excuse to get the hell out of there. Why? How has fresh air going to help? She had once famously said that fresh air and sunshine were overrated. It didn’t matter; her brain was betraying her, replaying past memories of Nico in front of her as clear as day. She just wanted a moment to herself.

The air was cold and still. Darkness surrounded her like a thick blanket. The odd lamps from the homes of other ponies flickered off in the distance. It was silent save for the creaks and croaks of the

…done so much. I’m making this world a better…

wooden beams and struts of the theatre building. The stars twinkled, dotting the night sky with spectacular beauty. From here she could see the spire of an old church, its bell glinting as it reflected

…doesn’t need to say that he loves me because I already know. The way he…

the light from the moon. She took deep breaths, the chilly freshness of the air nearly stinging her nostrils. She paused before sloping her back down the pine beam and slumping to the floor, her head

…just a charade all these years? If I was truly one of his best friends, shouldn’t…

resting into her hooves. Her heartbeat felt irregular, as if it were accelerating and slowing over and over. Maybe it was steady and the sensation was just a cause

…stay out of my life. I want him to run off into the horizon…

of her now chaotic mind. She couldn’t tell. This had been the first time she’d felt such a surge in emotion like this since that totally normal, uneventful night where nothing had happened and yet

…like a ghost floating through each day in a daze, not thinking…

she had broken down. It had played on her mind ever since then, but she had been able to handle it. She could feel her pain, but she could keep it at bay and look at the bright side. Far worse things had happened to much better ponies, and she had been able to keep

…help me get over things. It’s only been three weeks and two days since…

herself in check by reminding herself that. Now though, her rational thought had degraded. Her chest began to ache as the entirety of the situation flooded back to her like a burst dam. It felt so unnatural for something like this to have been set off by such a small comment, and yet here she was; on the brink of sobbing after just hearing some of the best news

…be able to feel the same way about myself. Yes… everything…

in years. She curled herself up, not to resist the cold but as some sort of attempt to contain herself. Suddenly, the theatre door burst open and she sharply craned her neck in surprise.

“Rosa, is something wrong? What are you doing out here?”

Clover stood at the doorway, her serious expression quickly morphing into one of panic. They remained silent for a few seconds, their eyes locked. Finally, Rosa managed to spout, “I just needed some fresh air,” and then turned away. Yeah, real convincing, she thought.

Clover made no movement at first, but slowly tip tapped her way over and sat down next to her. “Is there something you want to talk about? Did somepony say something nasty to you? Did Courtney tease you or something?”

Feeling suffocated between the barrage of questions and the weight of her own mentality, Rosa sprung her forelegs open as if in a fit of rage. Not because she was angry at Clover or anyone else. She was angry at herself.

“I’ll be OK, Clover. I just need a few minutes of fresh air then I’ll be fine.” She tried her best to make it sound emotionless and flat, but her attempt failed miserably.

“If something’s happened you know you can tell me anything, right?”

Rosa dropped the eye contact and sighed, attempting a flimsy smile. “I know.” But she didn’t know. Maybe she should have complete confidence in Clover; she always was the smarter, more methodical one among them. It didn’t feel right, though. Sure, tell her everything! a raspy voice from the back of her mind spewed out. Tell her you’re in love with your mutual best friend, that you’re not sure if your relationship with Sparks is fake or if you just want him for his body, even though you think that anypony like that should go jump in a ditch. Most of all, tell her that you couldn’t give a damn about anypony else and want to wallow over your petty little problems like an insecure foal. Go ahead and see what happens!

“So, are you going to tell me?”

Rosa was broken from her trance, realising that they’d shared a long, uncomfortable silence. She turned to Clover, valiantly trying to keep herself from sobbing into her friend’s hooves. If she did that, there would be no way around it. She’d have to spill the beans there and then, possibly stifling their friendship.

“It’s something I need to sort out on my own,” she said finally, standing more upright. “This isn’t exactly something I can share, at least not right now.”

Clover examined her carefully before a small grin broke out on her face. “I understand. I wouldn’t force you to say something if you really didn’t want to.” She slowly made her way over to the entrance and nudged the door open, standing half in, half out. “Just remember that I’m always here if you need me. Whatever it is, I’ll be there.” And with that, she was gone.

It was times like this that made Rosa feel completely overshadowed by Clover. She almost seemed perfect, as if she could always say the right thing at the right time. She had never needed a shoulder to cry on, and she would always keep positive. If there was anypony in Equus that Rosa wanted to be like, it was Clover.

She exhaled deeply and slumped back to the ground, debating whether to go back into the theatre. Her eyes weren’t welling up but she could feel phantom tears arranging, ready to burst out of her. Clover’s speech had only increased her feelings of guilt, but she supposed that she should be feeling guilty. She was effectively duping Sparks for one. She couldn’t even be sure if she was still with him because she liked him or because he was some kind of distraction. She couldn’t dump him though. She just couldn’t. It would simply leave her with more to deal with and make her feel even more alone.

“I’m so selfish,” she whispered to herself.

After a few minutes of pulling herself together and regaining some confidence, Rosa ventured back into the theatre only to let Court and Melon know that she would have to leave. She made up an excuse about not feeling well, which wasn’t actually a lie. The two of them looked shocked, but dutifully allowed her to go, not asking any more of it. That was a relief.

She quickly made her way home, the sanctuary of her room now feeling like the one safe haven. She would have to tell her parents about Floyd’s news, of course. If she didn’t, they would either take it that she was deliberately hiding something from them, or that she didn’t care about them, or something. It was a stupid thought, really, but one that held a kind of solidity amongst the cyclone of her mind.

I’m going to be OK, she repeated to herself, slowing her walking speed and listening as the thump, thump of her heartbeat became slower and less prominent in her ears. That’s it, calm yourself, calm yourself…

She drew in a deep breath as she opened her front door, her mother just beyond it, sorting through a stack of new deliveries.

“Ah, you’re home early! How is everything, dear?”

“Pretty good actually. They’ve found a possible venue for our production, at least, once we’ve proved that we’re good enough.”

“Oh that’s wonderful!” her mother cried, immediately dropping the book in her hooves and giving Rosa her full attention.

“Yeah, it is. We have to perform for some judges, or something. If they like us, we could be going to Canterlot.”

Rosa began to walk casually through the centre aisle, desperate to end the conversation and get upstairs, but she slowed and eventually stopped as she noticed her mother’s face, stricken with unmistakable anxiety. What now? she thought, being far from in the mood for some lecture about being careful away from home or whatever it was.

“Something wrong?” she said, sounding a little too sharp even for her own liking.

“Oh… no, nothing dear, it’s nothing.”

Completely unconvinced, but not caring in the slightest, Rosa walked swiftly upstairs. She didn’t want to deal with anything right now. At this moment, she wanted to get her head straight.

What had set her off? It was just a simple comment from Clover about everypony meeting up again. That was all it had been, and yet…

Yeah, she thought, sitting idly at her desk. She might have been able to deal with the ordeal, but she hadn’t thought, hadn’t wanted to think about how life was just going on as normal for everypony else. She had felt that sense of crushing defeat, but nopony else felt anything. She was alone in all of this. She thought that she could handle the pain, and she had, but Clover shot it home how it meant nothing to the lives of those around her. They just wanted to go on doing normal, everyday things. Friends meet up with other friends, right?

She had the excuse of wanting to practice for the play. That would have to be her saving grace, for now. If anypony asked her to do anything else, she could say “Sorry, I have to do this, it’s really, really important.” That could work…

She thought of Clover’s words again, how the mare had offered to let her know her true feelings. If she could share this burden, would it make things easier?

No! a voice barked at her. If you do that, things won’t be the same. What will she even think of you? No, you have to deal with this by yourself.

Rosa pushed herself back from the desk and lay on the hard wood floor. For some reason she didn’t want her comfy bed, mere feet away. She thought of a novel she’d read long ago in which two lovers were separated for five years, spent the entire time trying to find each other, only to be reunited and instantly fall in love again. She thought it was stupid, that no two ponies could ever love each other as much as that; it was like some kind of warped obsession. As she lay there, she wondered if she would be like the mare from that story and never lose her love. It was strange. She’d never really thought about it this way before Sparks, before any of this. Maybe I should have.

It was Friday, the day of the judges’ visit. Everypony behind the set looked nervous, even the ever jubilant Court. One misstep from anypony could spell doom for them all, and they knew it. Weeks of work would depend on this. Their lives would depend on this.

For the past few days everypony involved gave it everything they’d got. They’d managed three full rehearsals of the entire play, with only one mistake by the filly who played young Veracity in one of the flashback sequences. She’d stuffed the ordering of her lines resulting in some face-hoofing from onlookers. She’d noticed her mistakes at once and Floyd allowed them to begin the scene from the start. This time, everything went perfectly, though the filly was later seen crying by herself, bawling about how she was a failure. The colt playing young Reverie managed to calm her down, reminding her that, “Nopony is perfect, but you’re pretty close, you know?” The blatant flattery worked and the filly regained her confidence. Hers was a part where there was no substitute, so they couldn’t really afford to lose her as a performer.

Melon and Court were spot on, as per usual. Their timing wasn’t even a millisecond out of place, and each line rolled naturally off their tongues. It was uncanny at times; you could almost think of them as actually being Reverie and Veracity. Their substitutes, while proficient actors, definitely lacked the on-stage of chemistry that Court and Melon had in spades. Their ability to draw ponies into each scene even after multiple viewings was unnatural. There was no doubt in Rosa’s mind that the two of them deserved to be stars.

As for her own performance, Rosa found that by bringing herself back to how she felt when she first read the novel, she could bring the character of Esmeralda to life. The friendly nature with a hint of what could be malice; that character was a part of her now. Then there was Dr Emerald, a caring, but troubled doctor who refused to lose hope. Esmeralda was the mask she wore, the doctor had invented so that she could hide who she really was. It was all too familiar, and yet that made it ever so right.

Rosa’s time helping at the bookstore had rushed past as if she were on some kind of drug. She would be lost in her own world, trying to remember her lines as she kept her other thoughts at bay. Her parents acted indifferently. Whatever scare her mother had must have been some random thought. It didn’t matter anyway. They didn’t bother her or ask her to go out of her way to do things, which was enough. Every little helped these days.

At this moment, the heat was on. Melon Collie was pacing back and forth, muttering lines under her breath. Courtney Jester sat to the side, his eyes closed and his hooves tapping gently at the floor as he ran through each scene in his head. There were stage-hoofs shuffling around, making sure that all props were accounted for. Other actors milled about, chatting nervously and taking deep breaths.

The first scene began with Veracity writing in her diary, when Reverie would pop up, surprise her, and try and glean information on what she was writing. She would then get annoyed, eventually sending him tumbling out of a window. It was light-hearted, and helped get the nature of the two characters across. The difficulty was in terms of physical positioning; they had to manoeuvre around each other and across the room while still making sure that the audience could see what was going on. Rosa wouldn’t be needed until the third scene.

Roadie stepped up quietly and shot a signal to them. It was time.

Rosa stood behind the stage curtain, watching as everypony got into position, an air of fear and excitement among them. She felt neither of those. She was neither confident, nor scared. She knew that she could act and play the part. Pretending to be somepony that she wasn’t didn’t seem like much of a big deal anymore. In fact, it was all she could do.

Every minute, of every hour, of every day.

Forever, if need be.

The hardest lesson of all to learn is that there’s no such thing as learning the easy way.

The curtain rose, and she smiled.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 14 - Judgement

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 14 – Judgement

“I don’t think we should do anythin’,” muttered Speedwell Bloom as he stared at his untouched mug of tea. Its colour was darkening.

“But what if…?”

“But nothing,” Speedwell said flatly. He still felt uncomfortable speaking to his wife in such a way, especially considering the subject matter. “It’s all in the past now. Nothin’ happened that other time, so I don’t think we should worry about Rosa. You shouldn’t worry.”

Daisy took to the chair opposite and sighed. “I guess you’re right. If anything, the only other option would be to…”

The first scene was getting underway, and everything was going as planned. Court and Melon’s line delivery was on cue and their on-stage bickering even managed to elicit a small laugh from two of the judges. Court was twisting his body around trying to get a glimpse of the diary entry while Melon protected it, and their rendition of this scene had the added charm of physical comedy, much unlike the sterile telling that the novel gave.

Rosa hadn’t seen the judges yet, but she imagined that they’d be stuffy, pompous chin-strokers who would cough quietly every now and then for no other reason than to expel the hot air that they were so full of. They were from Canterlot after all. That didn’t matter though. Everything about this performance would blow them away; she was sure of it. The fact that they’d been able to pull all of this together was a stone’s throw from a miracle. From a village without a running theatre, a story that nopony had ever heard of, a band of misfits doing their best for a director too crazy and ambitious for his own good… They had been lucky. Too lucky, perhaps.

The theatre had been cleaned up considerably. If the judges had been present a few weeks prior they would have probably run in terror. It still wasn’t up to scratch and the worn wallpaper was a turn off, but it wasn’t the dusty, musty pig sty of days gone by. Many of the staff had come by during the day when everypony else was at work to help clean, and the difference was miraculous. “With a new lick of paint,” as Rosa’s father had used to say, this place could be re-opened. In fact, if anything ever happened to the opportunity in Canterlot, that might even seem possible. This wasn’t some foalish rendition of a nursery rhyme after all.

The first scene was drawing to a close, and stage-hoofs were chomping at the bit for their opportunity to rush on stage and change the set in a matter of seconds while the curtain was drawn. Rosa thought of how unfortunate it was that some ponies would put in all this effort only to never appear on stage. Then again, seeing as how they were mostly unicorns, (it was far easier to move the props with magic than by other means) she couldn’t feel too sorry for them. They could do things that she could only dream of. It might just be jealousy, but watching as they casually lifted objects high above their head without so much as a strain made jealousy uncannily natural. Still, she knew she shouldn’t feel that way. They’d been working hard, just as she had.

The second scene began, this one being another with just Court and Melon. Rosa wished that she could see the judges’ faces to know if they were interested or not. The beginning of the play wasn’t the most exciting, but things would pick up once the character of Esmeralda began granting wishes. Then there were the flashback scenes, the moments where the wishes get out of control, the sudden realisation on Veracity’s part, and finally the scenes rooted in the reality of the situation, with Veracity coming to her senses in the psychiatric ward, Dr Emerald’s efforts to cure her of her insanity becoming known. The judges surely wouldn’t see it coming. Was that a good thing? She hoped so.

It was nearly time for her chance on stage. As the curtains closed she got into position behind a fake bush, from which she would rise when Veracity and Reverie came to notice her. She’d done this scene so many times before; it was the one she had auditioned with. Court gave an encouraging smile, as if to say “good luck.” She wouldn’t need it.

The curtain rose once again, and her performance began.

“A delivery for a Mister Spike T. Dragon!”

The farm pony pulled the wooden chariot up towards Spike’s home and unbuckled the straps. Spike poked his head around to see five big barrels, undoubtedly full to the brim with apples, pears and peaches. He did so adore those peaches…

“If you keep on using that line it’s going to go stale,” he chuckled, carefully rolling the barrels towards himself. “My mission for you is to come up with something funnier to say.”

“Well if you insist,” the bulky earth pony said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “So how’s things?”

“Oh, the usual. Not much going on in the land of Spike I’m afraid.”

“Well ain’t that a shame.” The pony stretched his weary limbs and began to make his way home. “I hear rumours of a female dragon over by Germaney, if that, uh, kind of information in’trests ya.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Spike sighed, rolling his eyes.

“You take care of yerself now.”

“You too.”

Spike pulled the barrels into his home and pried one open. He poured the apples into his mouth and began munching away, though given his size chewing was hardly necessary.

He would often receive comments from ponies he knew about getting out there and meeting other dragons, while others would ask him if he ever felt lonely. Truthfully, he’d been lonely for years, but not necessarily in the way that everypony assumed. He’d made lots of friends living in Ponyville, and so long as the ponies of Ponyville were happy, he was happy. He wasn’t about to abandon them for whatever reason. He’d made a promise.

He hoped that his existence aided in the citizens of the village in as many ways as possible. He would be there to help, and if nopony showed up needing help, it simply meant that he’d been doing a good job. At least, that’s what he would always tell himself.

He thought back to the day Rosa had paid him a visit in a state of emotional turmoil. He’d helped her feel better that day, and from what he’d heard she’d been doing better than ever. She’d managed to let go of her feelings for Nico and find a colt-friend, one that Spike approved of very much. Sure, she wasn’t paying him visits anymore it seemed, but that was surely a sign that she had found a purpose in life and was on the road to living happily ever after. He was happy for her, but above everything, he was relieved that…

To Rosa’s surprise, the judges weren’t old or indeed stuffy. They looked young, perhaps no more than twenty-five years of age. There were four of them — two stallions and two mares. They weren’t dressed up in flamboyantly posh clothing and didn’t look like wannabe royals, which was strange for ponies from Canterlot. For one thing, it lessened her hopes of them being from the Royal Canterlot Auditorium.

“I have travelled this world seeking those who need my help.”

Her lines flowed with surprising ease. Court and Melon reacted accordingly, and the scene played out as well as it ever could have. She could almost feel Floyd’s gaze as he swelled with pride. To him, this must be one of the most important moments of his life. Everything was going as planned.

Rosa’s time on stage seemed to flash by, as if each minute ticked by in a matter of seconds. Here, she could dedicate her existence to being somepony she wasn’t. Her mind wasn’t filled with anxiety, sadness or self-loathing. Her problems melted away as she took the character as her own. To think that she had once not even cared about acting, that she had never even planned to audition for the role… It was like looking back into the memories of another pony.

The consecutive scenes flew by until it was time for her to retreat into the sanctum behind the stage. Ironically feeling as if she was in a dream, she casually sat against the wall and smiled to herself. She didn’t know why she was smiling exactly, but it felt like the right thing to do.

She watched another scene pass, Court and Melon leaving the stage as a flashback was due to take place. The youngsters were giving each other words of encouragement as they pottered off into position.

“I think it’s going well,” Court whispered, sighing with relief. “I thought for a second I was going to trip myself up during that first scene but I managed to hold it together!”

Melon sat down next to Rosa and began scratching her ear. “I’ve had this stupid itch!” she exclaimed as quietly as possible, causing Court to snigger. “Don’t laugh! I’ve been gritting my teeth for the past few minutes!”

Rosa remained silent as the two of them chattered, keeping herself set on the task ahead. Part of her didn’t want this to end.

“Rosa, you were great!” Court said, finally acknowledging her.

“Thanks,” she said simply, nodding.

“It’s not over yet,” Melon said anticlimactically. “Let’s just get this over and done with.” She tipped her head back and inhaled deeply.

“But if we do a good enough job we’ll be doing this all the time!” Court reminded her. “That’s kind of been the idea since the beginning, you know.”

“I know that!”

“I was just kidding around! So Rosa, you feeling confident?”

Rosa turned to him slowly. “Sure,” she said flatly, still smiling. To her, it wasn’t a question of confidence at all. Whether that made her confident by default, she didn’t know. What she did know, was that being in this self-made trance was keeping her head together, and that mattered more than anything else. If she could just keep herself this way, she wouldn’t start thinking about…

“Good!” Court said, beaming. “I get it easy; you two have some serious stuff after I die, am dead… whatever, you know. I’ll be cheering you two on from the side-lines! Not literally cheering, but, you know what I mean.”

As the flashback scenes drew to a close, Rosa, Court and Melon took their places, the final act drawing near. The foals breathed sighs of relief off stage, their performances now over, an enormous weight lifted from their shoulders.

Nico was diligently dusting down his furniture, muttering to himself about the state of his house. Living alone made him realise just how dirty a home could get without constant attention, but he wouldn’t ever mention this revelation to his mother or he’d be lucky to hear the end of it.

As he moved his way up to his bedroom — wishing for a pair of wings or a unicorn horn to make dusting the upper shelves less of a chore — he came across a framed photograph. It showed him, Clover and Rosa outside of their old school, smiling and laughing. It had been taken by his father on the last day of term; as for which school year that was, he couldn’t quite remember. The most striking thing about the photo was that they all looked so young.

He frowned slightly, thinking of how carefree those days were and how close he was to his friends. They would do pretty much everything together, even some of the more stupid things like climbing nefariously tall trees, although that was never going to be much of a problem for Clover.

Nowadays, he could feel that the tight bond that held the three of them together was losing its grasp. Sure, it might just be a blip, and things might get back to the way things were, but he knew better. Already at such a young age he could feel himself getting older, and the same was happening to them, too. Things could never be quite the same.

He tutted, and placed the photograph down again. He wasn’t stupid. He knew that everything was changing, for whatever reasons. Besides, he couldn’t be blamed for…

Court’s body was pulled into the makeshift swamp, his torso now enveloped by prosthetic vines and brambles. The novel had depicted him sinking into bare dirt, but without some kind of dangerous magic that allowed him to pass through solid objects, (spells that would potentially leave him half stuck into the ground and unable to breathe if they went wrong) this was the best that they could do. The effect was still visually striking, though.

“Reverie! Reverie, please, don’t go!”

The violinists sawed at the strings producing a soft, yet somehow piercing melody that accentuated Veracity’s emotional state. Melon began furiously grasping for Court’s hoof but he still sank further, deeper into the abyss. Although her mind was set entirely on the task at hoof, Rosa could have sworn that she could hear one of the judges gasp. That had to mean they were doing something right.

Court’s face vanished from view and Melon kept on digging, tears in her eyes. Rosa’s face grew solemn as she approached her, the mare surfacing with a skull.

“No… no, he can’t be dead! He can’t be!”

“You have to understand,” Rosa began as the music stopped momentarily, feeling the haunting silence surrounding her. Without her voice, not so much as a creak would be heard. “You have to let go of your fantasies. I’m here to help you realise your dream… Your dream of returning to the real world. You just have to trust me.”

Two unicorn stage-hoofs dimmed the lights from afar, giving the impression that Veracity’s dream world was fading. Melon looked up at Rosa, tears running down her cheeks. Even if it was just an act, it still managed to elicit an emotional response. It didn’t quite break Rosa’s trance, but it was closer to the mark than expected.

“To go back to the real world…” Melon uttered.

The next few moments were crucial. The lights went out, the curtains drew, and the set was shifted around at break-neck pace. Rosa’s costume was deftly replaced with a doctor’s coat thanks to a unicorn mare. Melon took to the hospital bed that was quietly wheeled on, messing her mane and clawing at her eyes.

“Veracity. Veracity, wake up.”

Rosa’s voice echoed around the theatre before the curtains opened, revealing the ‘real world’.

“Esmeralda?”

“No, Veracity. I’m Dr Emerald. Do you remember me?”

“Esmeralda, what’s going on? Where’s Reverie? He was sinking, and then…”

“Veracity, I…” The silence returned once more as Rosa paused. She could catch a glimpse of the judges, their faces saying it all. They were enraptured. “I was hoping you’d realised by now. Reverie is dead. He’s been dead for a long time now. Don’t you remember, Veracity? That day in the swamp.”

“You’re lying! That can’t be true!” Melon shifted violently in the bed, and Rosa recoiled slightly. The restraints kept her in place, (though they were only loosely fastened; tethering an actress to a bed and leaving her unable to move was considered a bad idea) and Rosa continued.

“You went into the forest, Veracity. You told him that it was dangerous to go near the swamp but he wouldn’t listen.”

“There!”

Summer slammed the book down with a sense of pride and breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t expected herself to ever finish An Equestrian Night Mare, and had expected even less that she would actually enjoy it.

She wouldn’t mention it to Rosa, but she hadn’t had even the slightest interest in reading upon entering the shop. To her, reading was a kind of chore. So much description, so many characters that came and went, so many pointless occurrences that didn’t have anything to do with the story. There were moments like that in An Equestrian Night Mare, but she’d trudged through them. She wouldn’t want Rosa to ask her how far she’d read and have to answer, “Sorry, but I can’t be bothered to read it.”

Her mother had been surprised when she’d brought the book home and even more surprised when she continued to read it.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you had pictures of stallions in between the pages!” she had said with that half-smile. Summer had not even considered that idea before, but how was she going to get pictures of stallions without following them around with a camera like some kind of stalker? An even bigger issue was how she would ever afford a camera.

It had been a while since she’d spent any time with Rosa, but that was understandable. Rosa was an actress now, or at least, was going to become an actress. If they spent too much time together Rosa might forget her lines or be late for a rehearsal; she wouldn’t want to do that to her best friend in the whole wide world.

As Summer thought about it, she found herself frowning, an overpowering sense of guilt washing over her. She couldn’t possibly let…

Thus began the final scenes, with Dr Emerald desperately trying to help her patient without her regressing once more. In one moment, she is confronted by another doctor and told that Veracity is a lost cause.

“I can’t just give up!” Rosa said ferociously to the other actress by the name of Petal. “If you were her mother, would you want me to give up on her?”

“But her mother did give up on her.”

Rosa slipped against the back of a sizable armchair, her breathing now irregular. “Well then I guess that makes me some kind of fool, doesn’t it?”

“That’s not what I…”

“It doesn’t matter what you said! I know what you meant!” Rosa bellowed, tears forming in her eyes. “If there’s any chance that I can help this mare then I’m going to do it! I didn’t become a doctor so that I could dump a case at the first sign of trouble! I became one because I cared about the welfare of other ponies!”

Petal moved slowly towards the edge of the set, looking back over her shoulder solemnly. “Maybe it’s time you started caring for yourself.” She walked off stage, the lights dimming once again.

Rosa leaned forward onto her desk and stared blankly at the ‘door’ for a few moments, barely breathing. She then thudded a hoof down onto the desk and buried her head into her hooves in a mixture of anger and desperation. Supposedly fighting back tears, she closed her eyes, inhaled deeply and lifted her head back up. She shook it ever so slightly, then pulled forward a stack of paperwork and began sifting through it, her teeth clenched and her face twisted like a knot. The lights faded once more.

“What’cha doin’?”

Sparks turned to see his sister Crane pushing open his bedroom door. He was led in bed, despite being wide awake.

“Nothing much,” he responded nonchalantly, sitting himself up.

“So… you mean ‘nothing’, right?”

Sparks snickered. “Yeah, I guess that’s a pretty accurate observation.”

Crane stepped further into his room, a look of curiosity on her face. “So why are you doing nothing?”

“I guess there’s nothing I can really think of doing,” he shrugged.

Crane observed him suspiciously, like somepony examining an off-colour piece of fruit and trying to determine if it’s edible or not. Finally, she spoke. “Why aren’t you hanging out with Rosa?”

“Well, she’s busy right now.”

“She’s always busy.”

“Yeah, she is. It’s this whole theatre thing. I would’ve asked to go see her perform but she gets all antsy on the subject. Maybe being there would make her too nervous.”

“You love her, don’t you?”

Sparks shot her a flabbergasted look, but quickly turned it into a smile. “Haven’t you got chores to do?”

“Nope! Mum says I’ve done everything she wants. I’m all out of things to do. So…”

“So… you want me to entertain you.”

“That about sums it up!” she said cheerfully, nodding her head. “We could play a board game or bake some cakes!”

Sparks pulled himself up and hopped over gracefully. “Sure, whatever. So long as you don’t cheat or get cake mix everywhere.”

“Hey, that only happened once!”

They lazily trotted downstairs, Sparks chuckling to himself.

“I hope things work out for you two,” Crane said thoughtfully.

Sparks nodded his head instinctively. “Thanks, sis. You know, I think…”

Rosa stood beside Melon, Reverie’s headstone before them.

To our beloved Reverie

You taught us all to smile when we were down

We shall never forget you

May your spirit live on

Melon was weeping now, wiping away her tears with her left hoof while levitating a bouquet of flowers at her side. The flowers that surrounded the headstone were either dead or wilting. That had been one of Rosa’s ideas. If they were to tug on the audience’s heartstrings they would have to go all out.

Melon placed the flowers on the floor delicately, a crown jewel among the pile of discoloured plants. Rosa placed a hoof on her shoulder and Melon looked back at her with a thankful expression. She pulled in close and began to let her tears flow through Rosa’s mane.

“Thank you.”

With those words, Melon stepped back and smiled weakly. Rosa nodded and smiled back, desperately trying to hold back her own emotions. The orange unicorn turned and left the set, leaving Rosa alone, stood at the centre of the stage. She widened her smile, and finally let loose the waterworks, a torrent of tears falling at her hooves.

“It was my pleasure.”

The curtain fell, and the judges began to applaud.

Clover watched as the play ended and the judges exploded with enthusiasm. She wasn’t sure, but she had an inkling that one of the mares had been crying during an earlier scene, her makeup looking washed-out and distorted. Clover never really understood the fascination with makeup. At best, it made you look like some kind of pristine wax doll, and at worst it made you look like some horrific abomination. Not to mention that it screamed ‘trying too hard’ as well.

She’d watched the performance, Rosa’s in particular, with a mixture of awe, sadness and disappointment. She’d played the part perfectly, to the point where it was as if Rosa wasn’t even there anymore. She was undoubtedly the mare for the job, but Clover couldn’t help but feel that disappointment, wishing that she could be in her place.

She’d often passed by the abandoned theatre during her youth, imagining her name in lights, envisioning herself dazzling a crowd of thousands. Every time she’d asked a grown-up about it, they’d always scoff, telling her that it would take a miracle for the spirit of the theatre to ever come back to life in Ponyville. By the time she’d reached around thirteen she tossed the dream aside and began working towards a career with the weather team. There wasn’t much else she could do. Not as a blank flank.

The day she heard of the Dreamworld production had been one of the most thrilling days of her life, even more so than actually being accepted. She felt like that starry-eyed filly she once was, and could hardly sleep that night because of the excitement. Then Rosa and Summer had showed up to the audition…

She hadn’t expected Rosa to get the part. That moment when Floyd called out the name ‘Rosa’ her heart had sunk. She was just a substitute. She couldn’t tell Rosa how much it hurt, how much she’d wanted to cry on the spot, but when she looked into Rosa’s eyes she saw horrendous guilt. There was no way she could have been anything other than supportive after seeing that. She was Clover Leaf. Little Miss Perfect. Little Miss Never Gets Upset. Little Miss Never Lets the Mask Slip.

Rosa had wowed everypony in the theatre. Floyd sat with a stupid grin, like a colt walking proudly from a sweetshop with an oversized lollipop. So she applauded and smiled, just to show that she was happy for her. If she was happy for her.

It’s no big deal, she told herself. I’ll be performing for the judges tomorrow, and they’ll see that I’m just as talented. So what if I’m a substitute, I bet I’ll get plenty of chances to perform on stage. Stop being jealous of Rosa! You have no right to be jealous! You should feel just as guilty as she was! If she knew the truth about…

“We nailed it!” Court cried, and began dancing on the spot, flailing his legs around and bopping his head to an imaginary beat. Melon rolled her eyes with annoyance, shooting Rosa a look that seemed to say “stallions, what are they like?” He was right, though. The judges weren’t merely clapping their hooves out of politeness; that much was obvious. If their performance hadn’t been enough to warrant them a place in Canterlot, nothing would have been enough.

“So what happens now?” Melon asked, removing her costume and draping it over the back of a small chair.

“I don’t know,” Rosa replied, pulling off her own costume. “Are we supposed to just leave the set and meet the judges?” She looked round to see all of the other actors, stage-hoofs and musicians mingling about aimlessly, most of them looking exhausted.

“I’m not sure; maybe we should just wait a moment. I wish Floyd would have told us what was happening!”

Just as Melon spoke, Roadie popped into view looking as stern as ever. Rosa wondered if he ever smiled. “The judges will be conferring amongst themselves in the adjacent room, so will everypony please stay put until they’ve gone.”

Rosa could hear the clip clop of the judges’ hooves and the chattering between them as they passed through the door to the hallway.

“I’ve never seen anything like it! We have to make sure this thing takes off.”

“I don’t think I’ve cried over a theatre production in my life… It was just magical!”

“Yeah, I don’t normally go for that soppy malarckey, but that was bloody good.”

Rosa, Court and Melon shot each other amused looks as they listened in on the judges, their voices extraordinarily clear. As they continued eavesdropping, Floyd came up behind them and gestured for the other ponies to gather around.

“I failed to mention to them,” he whispered, “just how thin the walls are. We’ll just keep that a secret between us, OK?”

Rosa stifled a giggle and nodded, much the same as many other ponies in the group. Floyd smiled and retreated back to his post below the stage. After finishing their ‘conversing’, the judges returned and began to calmly express their approval. The startling change in attitude nearly had Court in stitches.

“Of course, you are welcome to watch the play tomorrow with our second set of actors,” Floyd murmured.

“Oh, I don’t think there’s any need for that,” said one of the stallion judges, clearing his throat. “What you’ve shown us today will more than suffice. We’ll be in negotiations with the Canterlot theatre society so you should expect a letter of confirmation in the near future.”

I guess Clover won’t have to worry then, Rosa thought to herself. I bet she’s relieved. We’ve done it! We’ve actually done it!

“All of you should be exceptionally proud of yourselves,” Floyd began. “I should really have bought a few bottles of champagne to celebrate with, but I’m not one for splashing out on luxuries. Perhaps another day.”

He lurched forward towards them, his glazed-over eyes appearing brighter than usual. “Rehearsals tomorrow,” he said bluntly, eliciting a mixture of groans and chuckles from the crowd. “We’re finished for the day, I think. See you all soon.”

As the group broke up, many of the younger members yawning and rubbing their eyes and some of the older members bolting their way out as quickly as they could, Rosa crept up behind Clover and prodded her shoulder with a hoof.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

Clover slowly turned her head and grinned. “I can safely say I’ve had worse days.”

“Well that’s an understatement! Can you believe it? I always knew we were good, but to hear those judges going crazy over us was something else.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

“Performing in Canterlot… You know, for a long time I wouldn’t have even dreamed of doing something like that, and now it’s a reality! It wasn’t even something I really ever thought of…”

“Sorry Rosa,” Clover interrupted with. “I really should be getting home. I’ve been a little sleep deprived as of late.”

“Oh, OK, that’s alright. Sorry for keeping you. I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

“Yes, most certainly will. Goodbye!”

“Bye!”

Clover nodded and briskly walked away, knocking the door open with a hard push. I guess we’ve all been working a little hard, Rosa thought to herself, feeling a yawn forcing its way out her mouth. She stayed for a few minutes to chat to Melon and Court, the latter of whom was bounding about like an energetic school-colt and embarrassing Melon by embracing her and shouting, “You’re gonna be a star, my dear!”

They all soon said their goodbyes and went home, the feeling of weariness spreading among them like an infectious virus. Rosa was still on a high, though that was limited only to her mental state. She wasn’t about to let any negative thoughts ruin things now, not on a day like today. Just keep thinking about the play, keep thinking about Canterlot; don’t think about anything else, she repeated to herself as she made her way home.

She slipped inside, beginning to feel the exhaustion coarse through her. She hadn’t realised just how much energy she’d spent simply by walking to and from the stage and speaking her lines; it was a bit bewildering. If rehearsals were back on tomorrow, she needed sleep as soon as possible. Just a quick snack to satisfy her hunger, (she hadn’t eaten for several hours by this point) and she would crash out on her bed. It had been like this several times since the Dreamworld production practically took over her life, unlike the ‘before’ time when she’d spend what felt like an eternity tossing and turning in bed trying to force herself to drift off.

She passed into the kitchen to find her parents sat opposite each other at the table, her father with a pensive expression and a near full mug of tea before him. Rosa casually inspected one of the cupboards for any loose carrots as her mother turned to her with a taught grin.

“There you are, dear. How was practice?”

“Oh, you’ll never guess!” Rosa said excitedly as she chomped off a third of a carrot and began chewing. “We’re in! The judges were practically gushing over us. They didn’t say it outright, but it’s a no-brainer that they want us to perform in Canterlot!”

Her mother continued smiling in that same way, as if struck with a paralysing spell. An awkward silence hit, if only for a matter of two seconds. Her father broke it by clapping his hooves together in mock applause.

“Well done missy! I always knew you’d do it.”

“Yes dear. We’re really happy for you, but are you absolutely sure that it means you have a place in Canterlot? You said they didn’t tell you outright…”

“Honestly, they didn’t need to,” interjected Rosa, swallowing the last of her snack. “We heard them talking in the other room when they thought we couldn’t hear them. All of them said that it was fantastic; not one of them had anything negative to say!”

“Oh, well I guess that clears that up.” Daisy trotted over and gave her a discerning look. “My goodness, you look ever so tired, dear.”

“I know, I know… I’m off upstairs in just a moment. I just wanted to let you two know the good news.”

“Well thanks for lettin’ us know,” Speedwell remarked. “Now off to bed with you.”

As Rosa walked up to her room she replayed the conversation she’d just had back in her mind. Thanks for letting us know. Somehow she had expected a more enthusiastic appraisal. After all, they’d spent years attempting to force new hobbies on her, and now that she’d found the life of the theatre they’d stopped all that. It was just a bit strange that… Don’t bother thinking about it, she told herself. They’re probably just going through a rough patch; maybe they’ve been having quarrels whilst you’ve been away and are dealing with that. The more time they spend together the more likely they are to argue, or something.

Or maybe you interrupted them having sex.

Rosa shook that mental image from her head with all her might. There was no way she wanted that to be her final thought before she went to sleep. She turned off her lamp and wrapped herself in her duvet. Her body and mind weary, she fell into a deep slumber within minutes.

Rosa was stood centre stage in the Royal Canterlot auditorium as the entire audience — hundreds upon hundreds of ponies that stretched far into the distance — rose to their hind legs and began clapping, whistling, cheering and roaring. Roses flooded the stage, unicorns floating over a seemingly infinite supply towards her and dumping them at her hooves. She could see Mum, Dad, Clover and Summer in the front row, shouting to her gleefully over the noise of the crowd.

“YOU’RE AMAZING!”

“WE LOVE YOU!”

“HOORAY FOR ROSA!”

Her cheeks glowing red, she waved to the ocean of ponies, blowing kisses and hurling the surrounding roses into the air. This only enticed the crowd to cheer louder, until it was almost deafening. She slowly and gracefully bowed her head, her nose almost engulfed in red petals. When she rose back up again…

The unbearable noise had been reduced to silence. The crowd was gone. The roses were gone. The lights that edged the theatre hall were fading. Feeling a terrible wave of fear come over her Rosa turned left and right, just to see if anypony was there. Beyond the curtains at her sides stood a tangible darkness, walls of pitch black nothingness that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Then she heard voices.

“Rosa…”

In the front row of seats Nico and Sparks sat side by side, looking up at her and beaming with delight. The lights kept fading. It was as if the darkness was creeping up on them, cornering them, yet they still sat there unaware, cheering and smiling and calling out her name.

“Rosa…”

All of a sudden, they struck. A band of changelings leapt onto the two stallions and began dragging them off, their alien faces twisted into horrific grins as they choked and clawed at the two ponies. They were the changelings from An Equestrian Nightmare. Rosa blinked, and they had transformed within seconds, their bodies morphing into those of the little fillies that they’d butchered. Now they were here to kill Nico and Sparks.

Rosa tried screaming at the top of her voice for them to stop, but no sound came out. The evil fillies continued dragging the two ponies in opposite directions, their cries for help echoing in her ears. Unable to take it anymore, she leapt from the stage. Nico was at her left. Sparks was at her right.

“Help me, Rosa!”

She took a step towards Nico, then a step back towards Sparks.

“Help me!”

They were getting further and further away now, their bodies being carried into the horizon beyond the blackness. Rosa could only stand stock still, not knowing what to do, where to go. The fillies were taunting her, laughing menacingly and singing lullabies.

Then there was an ear-splitting shriek, and Rosa saw Nico’s body pulled apart, his limbs being wrenched from their sockets like weeds from the ground. Another shriek, and Sparks’ torso was split in half, his organs being pulled out of him in a bloody mess.

“Why, Rosa?”

She saw the foul creatures sink their teeth into their prey and rip away at their flesh. There was the crunch of bones and horrific slurps as they devoured their meal, laughing incessantly. Within moments, the changelings had dispersed, leaving only piles of bones and pools of crimson blood that trickled towards her. She fell to the floor as the blood crawled up her legs and began to cover her body, inching closer and closer to her face. She tried wiping it off, but the blood kept on flowing. Eventually, it encased her eyes, until all she could see was a wall of red. Then it reached her mouth and began gushing down her throat. All that she could hear was the persistent cries of the recently deceased.

“Why didn’t you save me, Rosa? I thought you loved me!”

“Why didn’t you save me? I’m your colt-friend! I thought we were together!”

Rosa gasped for air, the coppery taste of blood overpowering the rest of her senses.

“I’m sorry… I don’t know… Please forgive me…”

Rosa woke up, and clutched onto her pillow as the tears flowed. One day the pain would end. And that day couldn’t come soon enough.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 16 - Diary of a Visionary

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 16 – Diary of a Visionary

Melon pulled Court to one side as they exited the pub for the second time, their little bout of snooping quickly drawn to a close.

“What do you make of it?” Melon asked.

“I’m not sure,” Court confessed, wondering if the two have them should have followed up on their curiosity. “What about you?”

“No idea,” Melon admitted, tapping her chin. “Do you think we should let Rosa know?”

“I don’t really think it’s any of our business, but if she asks us, we should answer.”

“Wow! That’s so amazing!” Summer exclaimed, foalishly leaping into the air.

“Thanks, Summer.” Rosa replied. “I’m kind of excited, but also kind of nervous.”

Rosa and Summer were sat on one of the benches outside La Chocolat, each with a glass of cold lemonade.

“So when is it actually going to be?” Summer asked, slurping her drink.

“Next weekend, though I’ll be in Canterlot this weekend for the practice run. We need to make sure everything works alright with the stage, and the props, things like that. When I think of all the things that could go wrong…”

“Oh, don’t sweat it! Performing for royalty is gonna be cakewalk for a gal like you!” Summer shot her friend a quick smile, but her gaze shifted downward. “I really wish I could watch you perform.”

Rosa was silent for a moment, trying to come back with the most reasonable response. She did feel sorry for Summer, having to work for pittance with no real end in sight. But at the same time, Rosa knew she couldn’t afford the extra tickets herself, at least not with her current wages.

Sparks is pretty much rich; you could ask him, a voice at the back of her mind said. He’d do anything for you, remember? And it’s for a good cause, isn’t it?

“I’ll see what I can do,” Rosa uttered with a grin. She wasn’t sure whether she should even be asking Sparks for a favour such as this, or what his answer would be. She knew she’d have to see her colt-friend tomorrow in any case. Her mother had been asking about him for the past two days and Rosa definitely wasn’t in the mood for another motherly lecture. Sparks would need to know about the premiere anyway; it wouldn’t be right for him to be kept in the dark. Not that it had crossed her mind…

“Really?” Summer cried with a mixture of glee and disbelief. “Are you serious?”

“I’m not promising anything, but I may be able to sort something out.”

Summer crossed her forelegs on the table. “How are you going to do that?” she asked with raised eyebrows. “Not street corners I hope.”

“No, no,” Rosa chortled. “I’ll be honest, I may have to go begging from Sparks.”

Summer squinted, a wry smile appearing on her face. “I see… You’ll just have to do a bit of convincing, maybe do a few favours for the money. Seem I wasn’t far off the mark, was I?”

“Good to know you’ve not changed.” Rosa rolled her eyes and went back to her lemonade.

“So how far have you two gone?”

Rosa’s heart leapt and she sputtered a mouthful of lemonade back into the glass. As Summer giggled mischievously, Rosa coughed and patted against her chest, hoping not to have looked as stupid as she felt. “Oh, we haven’t done anything like that.”

Rosa internally face-hoofed as she realised what she’d said. Why didn’t you say something like, “It’s none of your business, nosy!” At least then she wouldn’t keep on about it!

“Are you serious!?” Summer gawped, almost choking on her own drink. “Hold up, hold up, are you really, really serious?”

“Y-Yes?” Rosa murmured, her cheeks glowing as red as her mane. “There’s nothing wrong with that, is there? It’s not like—”

“Rosa, you guys have been dating for over a month now. I know you’ll probably think this is just El Weirdo Summer with her mind in the gutter but… seriously?”

Rosa knew that it was an odd occurrence. She’d thought about it on many occasions, but she’d never gotten close – emotionally close – to Sparks. She knew that it wasn’t the same for him, though he was too good-natured (or perhaps cowardly) to flat out instigate intimacy. She’d never really been around ponies her age that had been in relationships, but even she knew that in any case, her actions, or lack thereof, would be seen as a tad prudish.

“We’ve never really had the chance,” Rosa finally answered, not entirely sure if she was lying or not. “And why the rush, anyway? It’s not we have a time limit.”

“Oh Rosa, Rosa, Rosa…” Summer said condescendingly, shaking her head. “No wonder you look so stressed out.”

“What?” Rosa shot back.

“I’d been wondering what was up with you for a little while now. I should’ve guessed the signs. Heck, I feel the same way a lot of the time so heaven knows how you’re dealing with it, being so close to him and stuff.”

So she does know something’s up, Rosa thought, feeling a slight relief that she could blame it on something completely irrelevant. “It’s nothing, really.”

“Oh don’t say that! Listen, there’s no shame in having these urges. You’re an equine the same as us all.”

“Okay, just keep your voice down!”

“See if you can do a little something when you speak to Sparks about the money,” Summer carried on, barely lowering her volume. “If it wouldn’t be too much to ask I’d like my mother to come along too. It’s been such a long time since she’s been able to get out of the house and do something worthwhile, and I know she’d love to go back to Canterlot, even if it was only for a short while. Hey, I know you haven’t met her, but you will eventually, honest.”

“Like I said, I’ll see what I can do,” Rosa said with a sigh.

“And even if you can’t get us tickets, at least let me know once you’ve had your way with Romeo. Not that I won’t be able to tell by your mood, mind you.”

A flustered Rosa buried her face into her hooves. It was this kind of situation that would make her think, This is going to be a long day, but in actual fact, time was passing rather quickly. She only needed to get through a few more days until she would be performing in Canterlot, and then there was just one week more for the play’s premiere. Subconsciously, that day was set in her mind as the day everything would begin to get better. If she kept that idea in the forefront of her mind she could get through the next week and a half without trouble.

Daisy and Speedwell Bloom were sat in bed, each silent as they contemplated the situation. Daisy fidgeted uncomfortably, her eyes closed in deep thought. Speedwell stared blankly at the wall, his eyes half-lidded. Daisy was about to speak when Speedwell held up a hoof in interruption.

“I know what you’re thinkin’, but I still say we shouldn’t tell her.”

“But this changes everything!”

“I don’t think so,” Speedwell said calmly.

“Okay, so we shouldn’t tell her, but then what do we say to her? We can’t let her go…”

“We don’t have a choice,” Speedwell muttered, finally getting out of bed. “She won’t find out, I don’t think. We can’t tell her, we can’t stop her, so like I said, we don’t have a choice.”

Just as he’d spoken it, he realised just how unsure of his own statement he was.

Rosa knocked nervously on Sparks’ front door, wondering how in Equestria she was going to ask for the favour without seeming like a needy, money-grabbing mare. She knew Summer wouldn’t make a fuss per se, but the comment she’d made about her mother not getting out the house in a long time — years from the sounds of it — was an effective emotional blackmail. She’d feel terrible if she deprived them of a luxurious day out simply because she was too frightened to ask. I shouldn’t have suggested the idea in the first place, she thought, just as the door opened and Sparks’ face came into view.

“Rosa! It’s great to see you!” he gasped, hugging her and giving a peck on the cheek.

“Likewise,” Rosa responded sheepishly. “Can I come in?”

“Sure, come right in! Can I get you anything? Tea? Water? Maybe a sandwich?”

“Uh… tea would be great, thanks.”

Rosa moved through the hallway and into Sparks’ living room, sitting on the leather sofa next to the fireplace while Sparks pottered about in the kitchen, fixing up a brew. Save for the occasional pouring of water, the tapping of Sparks’ hooves and the shifting of crockery, the house was eerily quiet.

“My folks are out at the moment,” Sparks called out nonchalantly. “So I get a nice bit of peace and quiet after my training session.”

“So… is Crane here then?”

“Nope, just us two.”

Rosa’s face grew hot as she thought of what Summer had said the day before. Even though she’d never considered making good on Summer’s advice, simply thinking about them had begun to fill her mind with thoughts of a risqué nature.

Sparks came into the room levitating a teapot and two china cups. He placed them neatly onto patterned coasters made of chipboard and took a seat next to her, casually pouring them both a drink.

“So what’s the occasion? You finally get a day off?” Sparks asked.

“Yes, finally.” Rosa purposely failed to mention the two days she’d already spent away from the theatre, the first of which had been spent nursing a hangover. “I’ve got some good news, though. Next weekend I’m off to Canterlot for the premiere of Dreamworld!”

“That’s fantastic news!” Sparks exclaimed. “I’m really proud of you!”

“Not only that, but Princess Luna will be attending.”

“You’re kidding…” he said with his jaw hanging. “Princess Luna? As in, the Princess Luna?”

“The very same.”

“Why will she be there? I mean, no disrespect, I’m sure the play is amazing, and I’m going to be there no matter what, but… Princess Luna?”

“Something about making a public gesture to the less unfortunate; it’s something like that. Floyd could probably answer that question better than me. I just thought you’d like to know about it. And um…”

“And, what?” Sparks questioned as Rosa hesitated, his body growing tense as if he was expecting something more substantial than her actual request.

“I kind of have a favour to ask.”

“Okay, go ahead.”

“I hope you don’t think I’m being inconsiderate or anything…” Sparks’ ears pricked up. “But Summer really wants to see the play, her mother too. They’re quite poor, you see, and I don’t have the money to pay for them myself. So I was wondering… and you can say no.”

Sparks snorted with laughter and began to smile. “Okay, for a second there I thought it was going to be something a whole lot worse.”

“Oh? So… you’re not mad at me?”

Sparks grinned foalishly. He stroked her mane and took a quick swig from his teacup. “No, I’m not mad. I’d happily pay for your friends to come, though will her mother be okay? I know you said she was disabled.”

“I’ve never actually met Summer’s mother, but Summer wouldn’t suggest for her to come if it was too much for her. I just thought about how she’s not really been out much, and can’t really do anything because she’s poor and disabled, and Summer has to work to support them and they have to—”

Rosa was abruptly cut off as Sparks interrupted with a long, passionate kiss, his hooves caressing her shoulders and neck. Rosa was startled, but reciprocated full-heartedly, wrapping her own hoof around his. Despite being a rare occurrence in her life so far, it felt like the most natural thing in the world in that moment. Sparks released her and looked deep into her eyes, a heart-melting smile on his face.

“That’s what I admire about you, Rosa. You’re such a kind pony even when you think you’re being selfish. It’s something I really… I can’t put it into words.”

For a brief few seconds, the worries of the past felt like a distant memory, and Rosa found herself falling deeper into a state somewhere between consciousness and sub-consciousness. Sparks kissed again, and she did the same. Their smiles dropped, their limbs relaxed, their pupils dilated, their senses heightened. Sparks began kissing her across her neck, and she leant back with her eyes closed. Cold, rational thought became but a myth to her brain.

This is it. This is it, about to happen. Am I happy? I don’t know… and yet I somehow don’t want this to end, and yet it’s only begun… I think I understand now…

Rosa fell back onto the sofa, and Sparks followed, his eyes never leaving hers. She ran her hoof across his chest, feeling exhilarated, terrified, otherworldly, and yet somehow at peace. He gave her an assuring look, ran his hoof through her mane once again and…

SLAM!

The sound of the front door closing scared them both half to death, Rosa only just holding back a high-pitched scream. They each leapt up from their current position – a tangled mess of limbs catapulting and colliding – and Rosa couldn’t react in time as her face made contact with the table sending both teacups toppling over, a pool of brown liquid meandering its way along the grooves and indentations.

“Hey, what’s going on in he—”

Crane came in through the doorway, her young, cheerful face flicking to unabashed horror in an instant. The three of them stayed stock still for what felt like an eternity, as there was no way they would ever get out of this. The truth couldn’t have been clearer.

Sparks was the first to act, grabbing a nearby cushion to hide his shame while his sister turned 180 degrees on the spot, her entire body seeming to blush. Rosa was still in a state of shock, unable to move or speak.

“J-Just so you kn-know, Mum and D-Dad will be home s-soon,” Crane said in a trembling voice, her body shaking like a leaf.

“Oh,” Sparks finally whispered in response, his eyes falling on Rosa with an expectant look.

“I… guess I’d better get going…” Rosa said, clambering down from the sofa and trying to avoid the patches of tea-stain that had appeared on the carpet. She then bolted from the house, making an effort to not even make eye contact with Crane as she left through the front door. As mortified as she was right now she dreaded to think of the unbearable atmosphere in the Fly household. She might not have any siblings, but she could imagine the levels of extreme awkwardness between brother and sister.

As she tore her way through the dimly lit streets Rosa slowed to a mere stroll and began laughing uncontrollably. Regardless of how embarrassing the whole ordeal was it was the most alive she’d felt for… for longer than she would like to admit. She was nearly in tears, the faces of nearby ponies who probably thought she was an escapee from the nut house (not that there was any place like that that she was aware of) blurred in her vision.

Thinking back on Crane’s adorable, innocent face as it exploded with colour… Sparks’ completely unsubtle attempt to hide his ‘excited’ state… The inevitable cluelessness of the parents as they ventured home… She may not have accomplished what Summer would have liked her to, but whatever had happened seemed like the funniest thing on the planet right now.

Managing to hide her mirth as she slipped into Bloom’s Books and up the stairs to her room, Rosa had stopped thinking about Nico and her predicament without even realising it.

Once she’d calmed down, she thought over the past events with a discerning eye. She’d nearly… Well, her and Sparks had nearly… It was almost unthinkable. It wasn’t something that was planned, but if it wasn’t for Crane’s sudden arrival she probably wouldn’t be a virgin anymore. In a sense, it scared her that she’d come so close after barely spending a few minutes with Sparks. She’d always been one to harshly judge stallions and mares who bragged about their exploits, treating each ‘time’ as a badge of honour. The ones who actively sought it out disturbed her too, which she guessed had to include Summer. Summer wasn’t a bad pony though. In fact, beyond the flamboyant exterior she was probably one of the most good-natured, trustworthy ponies around. So in that sense, she knew better than to look down on such ponies.

Why did that happen? she thought, led flat on her bed. I could have told him to stop, that I didn’t think it was a good idea, that I wasn’t ready yet… I could have said any of those things, but I didn’t. I should have, I guess. I just kind of lost the will to resist it. Why?

Rosa’s thoughts on Sparks had been a rocky road, with her other feelings tugging and clawing at her image of him. There were times she didn’t want to be near him, times when she thought she was finally beginning to fall for him and other times when she’d think that she was just trying to convince herself of that idea.

Was what I felt natural? she mused, trying to make sense of it all. It happened so ridiculously easily, so spontaneously, and I’ve never been spontaneous. I wish I had somepony I could talk to without feeling awkward about it, but I don’t know of any. Summer’s views are skewed enough as they are, though I’ll have to tell her what happened today if she ever asks me. Talking to Sparks about it would just be… odd. Mum and Dad? That would be hell. Spike’s a dragon, and a male dragon at that. I couldn’t really speak to Court or Melon without creating some kind of unbelievable tension. Clover’s smart, but she’s never had a colt-friend and she’s probably even more pure-minded than I am. Nico…

Rosa stopped, her brain coming down to normal speed. She’d stopped thinking about Nico for what was for her, a long time. Now she thought of what she’d seen at the Brightly Coloured Horse. Nico was seeing somepony, she just knew it. Or was he? Was he doing something else, something completely innocent?

Oh come off it, she told herself. As if meeting other mares isn’t innocent. He can do whatever he likes, it’s just that you are getting all jealous. Though if he had been going on dates she considered that she would have heard about it by now.

Strangely, mulling over this didn’t bother her as much as it had before. After what she’d experienced — or nearly experienced — with Sparks, it dawned on her that she may actually be in this relationship for good reason. And if Nico was seeing somepony, what right would she have to be angry if she was having relations with Sparks? Things would get better, and she would laugh about it all in months to come. All she would need to worry about was remembering her lines on stage in Canterlot. That was all.

“All aboard!”

The train became very cramped, very quickly as the entire entourage of the Dreamworld club squeezed their way inside, filling up nearly every available seat on each carriage. Many commuters looked on in a mixture of annoyance and awe, their precious Saturday morning journey turning out to be far less quiet than they had anticipated.

Rosa had fortunately snagged a seat next to Melon while Court was forced to sit next to a huffy looking business pony who could very well have never heard of the word ‘fun’. Clover was in another carriage, supposedly. Rosa hadn’t quite seen where she’d gone after they’d passed over their tickets.

Many of the props, costumes and other such things had already been dispatched while they all had their three day break, Floyd had informed them. It did mean that they would have to rehearse without a lot of what they’d worked with once they were back in Ponyville, but given that they’d never be performing there again after the premiere it wasn’t seen as too much of a bother.

To get to the station in Southern Canterlot they needed to travel to the main station that Rosa had been to before, then catch another ride to the other sector. Both journeys together would take just over two hours in total, so there was plenty of time to kill. Many of them were flicking through their copies of the script, even though they probably knew it in its entirety by now. It was a mostly silent voyage until Melon popped an unusual question.

“Did you want to talk about the other night? What was up with you?”

Startled, Rosa couldn’t answer at once. She could swear that she saw Court mime a neck-cutting gesture just as she turned. “Sorry about that. I was panicking for no reason; it’s fine.” In a way, she was fine, but she still didn’t want to talk about it.

“Are you sure?” Melon asked.

Once again, Rosa thought she saw a certain gesture from Court’s direction. “Yes, I’m sure. I do think I got a little too drunk that night, though. I’m not like that all the time, honest.”

“It’s nothing, we’re not judging you for something like that,” Court piped up with a little too enthusiastically, the business pony at his side giving him a scorching glare.

The journey was completed without a hitch, and before she knew it Rosa was shuffling her way through the crowds at the Southern Canterlot station. It wasn’t as busy as it was at the central station, but it was still far from peaceful.

The décor was a little less grand than the other, with simple lamps and brick walls at the sides of each room. There were only three platforms, each of them housed in the same tunnel. There was a distinct absence of Royal presence here; no pictures or plinths of Celestia or Luna could be seen anywhere.

It was hard for them all to stay as a group, Roadie bellowing on Floyd’s behalf for them to meet outside the entrance. It was easily done, with a layout very similar to the one in Ponyville. What wasn’t as easy was the long walk from the station to the theatre. For many, it was difficult because of the sheer distance, but for Rosa it was difficult because of her need to walk quickly being held back by the plodding pace of other ponies. Holding back the urge to bolt ahead of the group just to expel some energy, (or perhaps it was just a sign of impatience, though she didn’t consider that of herself) Rosa walked in front alongside Court, Melon, and some of the stage-hoofs, with Roadie leading the way.

Though most of Canterlot had been built around and into the mountain it was plain to see that they were venturing further down towards sea-level. If they looked up they could see much of the rest of the city, its hulking stone frame looking as if it was teetering on the edge, about to collapse on top of them, but Rosa reminded herself that the city had been standing for hundreds, if not thousands of years without falling apart.

The streets were comparatively quiet. Had they needed to perform at the Royal Canterlot Auditorium they would most likely have been swamped at this point. The streets were much more ‘Ponyville-sized’ though the surrounding architecture still very much resembled central Canterlot, except the buildings themselves seemed somewhat smaller.

This was Court’s first trip to Canterlot, which he made very apparent by ‘ooh-ing’ and ‘ah-ing’ at every turn.

“Is it just me or is this city so bright? I mean of course it’s daytime but still, it seems so bright here. Did I mention this is my first time here? When do we get to meet Luna? Sorry, Princess Luna.”

On their way they passed a beautiful field with pebbled paths and stone fountains shaped like each of the pony races, water spurting from their eroded, grey mouths. No alicorns, though, Rosa noticed, beginning to think that this really was like a whole other world here in the south of the city.

After a solid forty minutes of walking, (which would have been twenty minutes if Rosa had her way) they finally reached the theatre. The outside walls were pastel blue with primrose coloured pillars that lined the entrance and the corners of the building. There was a large hanging sign that said ‘THEATRE’ in big red letters but what caught everypony’s eye was the billboard to the left side of the entrance with posters of upcoming performances, with Dreamworld being at the dead centre.

Speed picked up as they all swarmed around it, gasping and nattering elatedly. It showed Veracity and Reverie (The likenesses much more similar to those in the book rather than Court or Melon) stood on a hilltop, looking out over the fields and houses below them. Akin to the novel’s front cover, the land grew more irregular and misshapen the further it was from the pair, with swirling patterns and grand paint strokes. In the sky, there was an outline that resembled Esmeralda, with stars outlining her facial features. Below the poster was a banner that read: ‘Witness the premiere 17:00 Saturday the 19th of May with honoured guest Princess Luna.’ Below the banner was a picture of Luna in Royal garb, looking out over a balcony.

“Don’t you think we should all step inside?” Floyd asked, him and Roadie stood away from the group, about to push open the door. “We have a lot to do.”

12th May

First rehearsals in Canterlot. Despite a few issues with misplaced props and some slight changes because of the theatre’s larger stage they were able to carry on without any problems. The performances were close to flawless by both teams of actors. I can hardly believe that only 2 months ago this was merely an idea. I have Roadie to thank for pushing me to make it a reality.

I hear that they’ve settled on ticket prices of 35 bits, which they say is low enough for anypony to afford, though I doubt they’d truly understand that what with living in gold-plated houses for most of their lives. 50% of that goes to the theatre, 5% split between myself and Roadie and the other 45% split between the performers. As much as I’ve tried to negotiate a fixed payment they say they can’t consider it until they know how big an audience they’ll get, despite the fact they’ve got Princess Luna coming along, and have even put today’s shows on hold just for us. I think it’s all talk.

The theatre holds a maximum of 550 ponies, which equates to 19 250 bits in overall sales. That would mean 481 bits for myself for each show we put on which is more than I could have ever asked for. If all goes well we should be able to organise mid-week showings and start work on our next production, though I have no idea what that could be. Dreamworld is going to be an extremely difficult act to follow, though maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.

13th May

I got to meet Princess Luna herself today and was pleasantly surprised. She’s even more beautiful and elegant in person than she is in photographs. She was incredibly kind and told me that she was feverishly anticipating this Saturday. I’m not sure if she was just being polite, but I wouldn’t have been offended either way. It’s not every day one gets to meet royalty.

I’ve been thinking about what works we could base our next play on and have stumbled across a delightful book called ‘From Within’. I could easily place some of my current actors as characters, namely Rosa, Melon, Courtney, Clover and Kanji. I may need to hire even more at a later date, but that’s not a worry for now.

14th May

Back in Ponyville, back to dreary weather. Still, I’m not letting the rain dampen my mood. My time spent in Canterlot was everything I hoped it to be.

Ponies might ask why I’ve been keeping a diary over these past few months, and I’d like to say that it’s because I’m deep and thoughtful rather than the fact that I can hopefully use it in a future autobiography when I’m rich and famous.

Pink Floyd: From Dreamer to

Floyd: Back to Reality

From Dreamworld to King of the World: The story of Pink Floyd

I’ll think of a name some other time.

15th May

No rehearsals today. Not because I think they need a break, but because I need a break. I spent most of the day flicking through ‘From Within’. It’s decent enough, but I still want something better. I was thinking about doing a historical play with subtle twists on true events, but I’m wondering if that’s too difficult a task.

I keep thinking about Princess Luna. I don’t recall her ever having a prince.

Note to self: Become a prince.

16th May

I had a dream last night where I’m sat in the Southern Canterlot theatre, and the audience are all on their back hooves giving a standing ovation. I can only hope that this is a sign of the future.

I received a very enthusiastic letter today telling me that 90% of available seats have been booked already, and this is dated two days ago. I’m not sure if I could be happier.

Rehearsals have gone well today despite the missing props, and we managed another full run-through with the substitute actors. Part of me hopes that we never need to use them; the chemistry between Courtney, Melon and Rosa is undeniable. To think that Rosa wasn’t even planning on auditioning makes me wonder if there is a God up there making things happen for me. If there is, thank you.

17th May

Not long now. I had to chase up about the train tickets for my performers but thankfully it’s all been arranged.

Rehearsals almost seem redundant at this point; everypony knows this play inside and out and I’m ever so proud of them. If we’re successful I’ll have to thank each of them in turn for their work. I can barely sleep now as I’m so excited.

18th May

The premiere is tomorrow and everything is in place. The atmosphere amongst the performers is electric. Months of hard graft, stress and headaches for them all is finally going to pay off for all of us. Some are feeling nervous, but it’s to be expected. I have faith in everypony to give Canterlot the greatest stage show in the history of Equestria. Maybe that’s expecting a bit too much, but then I also never expected us to get to the point we are now.

They’ve spent more time talking about it with each other than actually rehearsing today, but I don’t blame them for it. We’re all excited.

As I write this it’s just gone past 11 at night and I’m still wide awake. The train we need to catch is at 9:06 am, so I’ve set two alarms for the morning. I’m tempted to get a snack from downstairs but I know that’ll only make things worse.

Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 17 - Early Start

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 17 – Early Start

Rosa was daydreaming as she passed the park, the bakery and the town square, a spring in every step. Every other aspect of her life was effectively diminished as she imagined what awaited her. By this time tomorrow, the play will be over, she said inwardly, reflecting on how happy she’d been these past few days and how things could only get better. This is my future. This is who I am now.

Sparks had been kind enough to sort out tickets for Summer and her mother, and assured Rosa that everything would be alright. The three of them would be taking a later train, as the Dreamworld crew needed several hours to prepare beforehand. There wouldn’t be any point waiting around for the play to start, and Sparks admitted he would feel a little uncomfortable spending so much time with Summer, which was understandable. It was already asking a lot for him to both pay for and travel with mere acquaintances. Rosa couldn’t help but blush at the prospect of rewarding him for his efforts, but quickly extinguished the thought. There were other things more deserving of her concern.

Rosa rounded the corner towards her house to see the door slightly ajar. Considering her mother’s penchant for absolute organisation and near OCD levels of fussiness, it seemed a little odd. Rosa curiously poked the door open, announcing her return.

“Mum! Dad! I’m home!”

There was a faint shuffling from the next room, both her parents emerging from the kitchen.

“Evening dear,” her mother replied, seeming perkier than usual. “How are things?”

“Great,” Rosa replied, gently swinging the door back and forth with one hoof. “Something wrong with this?”

Her parents shared a half worried, half confused look.

“It was open when I got here.”

“Oh yes,” her mother exclaimed, nodding. “I think there might be something wrong with it. Something broken, I should say. I’m sure your father will take a look at it when he gets a chance.”

“Oh sure, get me to do it,” he chuckled.

Rosa swung the door closed, the latch clicking into place. “Seems fine to me. Anyway, you know what tomorrow is!”

“Of course, dear. Once again we must reiterate how sorry we are that we can’t attend. Sales have been a little low recently I’m afraid, and we wish we could go, we really do!”

“Oh Mum, Dad, I understand and I’m not mad. How many times do I have to tell you?” Rosa promptly stepped up and gave them both a big hug.

She wasn’t lying. She wasn’t doing this because of some kind of need to make anypony proud, or to prove to anypony what she could achieve. If anything, it was to make herself proud, to show herself what she could do with her life. Having Summer, Sparks and (Not Nico) Clover there with her too was a bonus, though.

“Thanks sweetie,” her father said. “We knew you’d be understanding. Now come on in and have some grub. You need your strength for tomorrow.”

“Now that you mention it I am rather peckish,” Rosa chirped as the three of them sat down to a family meal of roast potatoes, beansprouts and asparagus. Delicious.

Nearly there. Nearly there.

Rosa spent a few minutes or so idly chatting with her parents about her excitement, to which they wished her luck and reminded her again of how proud they were. It didn’t matter. She could have been gushing to a stuffed doll for all she cared. She was bursting with anticipation and needed to let off some steam.

After plodding upstairs Rosa ran a hot bath and simply lay there for a while, feeling the muscle tension leave her body. As soon as the water temperature started getting considerably lower she unplugged it for a second and twisted the hot tap again, letting it flow until the bath temperature reached a point between heavenly and excruciating. She began to mime her words, an imaginary audience in front of her. She could see Luna in the front row alongside her friends as the spotlight bared down on her. Eyelids heavy, the sudden fear of falling asleep jolted her from the fantasy and she clambered out.

Rubbing a towel along the contours of her body, Rosa stretched out her legs, feeling her joints pop satisfyingly. This was it now. She was totally relaxed, ready to drift off and be up bright and early to meet her friends at the station. Flicking her bedroom light off, she bundled herself tightly into her duvet and splayed her still damp mane out behind her.

Sleep soon came and took her off into another world. She was back on stage again, the crowd hurling roses at her feet. This time though, there were no terrifying disappearances, no creeping darkness and no changelings wreaking havoc. She could see Luna, Summer, Clover, Court, (which made absolutely no sense to her even in her dream since he would have been performing) Nico and Sparks. For once, Nico’s presence in her dream didn’t fill her with anxiety, and she felt no need to try and twist the dream to her liking by having him whisk her off to some quiet place. Everything was perfect.

“Thank you, thank you all!” she called out to the crowd. “It’s been a pleasure!”

Rosa awoke sharply, coming to her senses remarkably quickly. Normally she would flit between waking life and a dreamlike state for a while before snapping out of it but right now she felt as if she’d been hurled into the real world with a catapult. Her first reaction was to look at the clock, and she sighed in dismay.

“Five to five?” she whispered to herself, taking note of the distinct lack of light letting her know that it was indeed morning and not afternoon. How awful would it be if you’d slept through until after…?

Her thoughts were stifled as she clung to her abdomen, a stabbing pain pulsing through her. She fell forward onto the bed, trying to squeeze her stomach into submission but the pain still flowed, starting at her midsection and fading at the very tips of her nerve endings.

“No, no, no!”

She leapt out of bed and ran downstairs. She didn’t care if she woke her parents up; this was not going to happen to her. She was not going to have her day ruined because of this.

What if you can’t go through with it? What if you have to miss it completely? What if you ruin your chances of ever becoming successful?

She pulled her head over the kitchen sink, drinking heavily from the tap. She didn’t know if that would help, but it had to do something to the pain in her stomach. It was unlike anything she’d felt before. She didn’t feel the need to vomit and she didn’t need to use the toilet. It wasn’t a burning sensation; it was just… pain.

The water had done nothing. Rosa fumbled her way through all the cupboards, recoiling every few moments to clutch her stomach. There were no medicinal herbs or pills to be seen anywhere. Panic began to set in.

‘Soup’ was the word that sprang to mind. Hot soup would supposedly fight off most bugs and viruses and aid healthy digestion. She didn’t know if that was true or not but she wasn’t about to ask questions. She grabbed a few random vegetables and bit pieces off before spitting them into a pot of water. She wasn’t going to take extra time to chop them up properly, that was for sure.

Once finished, she began guzzling the soup as quickly as she could, trying to ignore its heat. When she’d eaten around half of it she began coughing and spluttering for no apparent reason and doubled over, accidentally knocking the rest of the soup into the sink. If anything, the soup had only increased the pain.

“This can’t be happening. This cannot be happening.”

The next two hours felt like an eternity. She tried laying down, standing up, sitting at different angles, holding her breath, induced vomiting, (which she couldn’t even accomplish) deep breaths, pacing back and forth, tapping her belly and even meditating. Nothing was helping. She was powerless. Faced with the possibility of missing out on the most important day of her life, she began to sob quietly to herself in the corner, simply watching the hands of the clock lurch forward towards the play’s inevitable beginning.

Speedwell pottered downstairs at around 7.20, his eyes bloodshot and weary. He began brewing some tea, not even noticing Rosa curled up beside the table until she called out to him.

“Dad…”

Startled, he span around quickly, his eyes growing wide with fright.

“Rosa? What are you doing up this…?” His voice trailed off as he took heed that his daughter was in agony and practically sprinted to her side. “What’s wrong? Are you injured?”

“My stomach,” she yelped, finding it difficult to speak. “Something’s wrong. I have this terrible pain…”

“Okay, okay, I’ll get your mother.”

Like a flash, he bolted upstairs as Rosa alternated between clutching her midsection and rubbing her eyes to keep herself awake. To say she felt unlucky, hard done by or in a bad way would be an understatement. The promise of this day had been what kept her going all this time, what had helped her to move on with her life. Without it, she’d be trudging around the bookshop every day with no hope for anything more, wallowing in her despair over Nico, Sparks…

“Ahh!” she screamed, a violent jolt coursing through her. It was such an unusual pain, like having razor blades inside her. No… not razor blades. Crocodile clips. It was like having metal crocodile clips clamped on to the inside of her guts, tearing and tightening her stomach wall. But that was impossible. If that were the case, she’d be coughing up blood.

“Rosa? Rosa, are you okay?”

Her mother barrelled in, her mane messy and unkempt. She immediately wrapped her fore-hooves around Rosa’s head, wiping away the tears that had settled on her cheeks. Rosa returned the favour, embracing her mother as tightly as she could, nearly rendering the mare breathless.

“It’s my stomach, Mum. I’m in so much pain.”

Her mother petted the back of her neck for a moment before pulling back, a look of curious embarrassment across her face.

“You’re not… pregnant, are you?”

“Of course I’m not bucking pregnant!” Rosa screamed with rage, tears pouring out in full force as she saw her dream slipping between her hooves in front of her.

Her mother recoiled, but regained her posture within seconds. “Okay dear, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed something like that. What are you feeling?”

“Sharp pain… in my stomach. I don’t feel like I’m gonna be sick, I just… feel pain.”

Her mother regarded this and mulled it over. “Have you had anything to eat? Drink?”

“Just water and soup.”

Rosa’s parents propped her up with a foreleg either side and began to lead her out of the room.

“Okay dear, I think what’s best is if you get into bed and try and get some rest. I can bring you up a mug of tea in a few minutes if you’d like. Just try and get some sleep today, okay?”

“No, no!” Rosa cried, pulling herself away from her parents. “The train is leaving at nine o’ clock. I can’t sleep through it!”

“No way, missy,” her father said in a harsh tone. “There’s no way in Equestria you’re goin’ to that in your state. Come on now, you need to get better.”

“You don’t understand!” Rosa wailed. “This is everything to me! I’ve waited so long, you just don’t understand!”

“I know how you feel,” her mother said softly, taking Rosa’s hoof into her own once more. “But you can’t go if you’re like this. What would be worse? Not turning up at all or appearing on stage and making a fool of yourself in front of hundreds of ponies?”

“I know, but…”

“They won’t think any less of you. Nopony can help it if they fall ill or have an accident. I know this is hard for you, but they still have Clover to fall back on, dear. If you were to perform in her place you’d not only be doing yourself a disservice you’d be doing everypony a disservice.”

Rosa slumped to the floor in defeat. “You’ve got no idea, Mum. You’ve just got no idea…”

The cream coated mare was guided to her room by her parents, her mane drenched with tears and sweat. She climbed into bed, tossing and turning as she tried to find a position that would somehow lessen the pain. Her father pulled her duvet across her body and planted a kiss on her forehead, stroking her mane caringly.

“You get plenty of rest,” he ordered. Rosa nodded in response.

“I hope you get better soon, dear. Do you want me to bring you anything? Tea? Something to eat?”

Rosa gently shook her head and watched her parents leave the room, closing the door behind them. She stared at the clock for a few minutes.

7.31

7.32

7.33

7.34

This isn’t helping, she thought to herself, and buried her head into her pillow.

She got up a few moments later, her bladder near bursting point from the water she’d tried to wash her condition down with. He father was stood near the bottom of the stairs, his ears perked up by the sound of her hooves on the landing.

“Rosa, you can’t go,” he said sternly and started making his way up the stairs.

“I’m just going to the toilet, Dad. Ack…” she replied, another shot of pain taking over for a brief second.

“Okay, I was just making sure.”

After relieving herself, Rosa got back into bed.

7.42

It was almost unbearable to watch time carry on without her. She could imagine the worried faces of her friends looking desperately for her, only to realise that she wouldn’t be coming. She knew that logically, they would all know that she couldn’t have predicted her current condition and as such, wasn’t at all to blame. This wouldn’t stop them from being disappointed in her. It wouldn’t stop them losing respect, or stop them from thinking that she’s not fit for the job. And it wouldn’t stop the greatest day of her life from being fizzled out in a flash.

7.43

Rosa curled up into a ball and wept.

Daisy and Speedwell sat in the kitchen, the door left wide open so they could hear if Rosa tried to come downstairs. There was an awkward silence between them as they watched the clock. It was approaching ten minutes to nine.

“I feel so bad for her,” Daisy uttered, her eyes beginning to well up. “She wanted this so much.”

“This is the best thing for her, even if she doesn’t realise,” Speedwell mumbled.

“I know.”

They sat in silence for a short while before Daisy brewed some tea. The atmosphere was heavy, as if they were moving through liquid lead. Daisy produced a mug for the two of them, then grabbed a third as an afterthought.

“I thought Rosa might like some,” she commented as she took the mug’s handle between her teeth and wandered upstairs. Speedwell nodded and continued to sip his drink, the aroma awakening his senses somewhat.

Daisy trotted quietly so as not to wake her daughter if she’d managed to fall asleep. It wasn’t likely, she thought, but it would still be rude to stamp about with an unwell pony in the house. She pushed open Rosa’s bedroom door ever so gently and placed the mug onto the nearby desk.

“Are you awake, dear? I thought you’d li— Rosa? ROSA!?”

Speedwell heard the scream from where he was sat and leapt to his feet, his heart racing as he pondered every possibility. No, please don’t let something be wrong with her. If something’s happened… and we could have taken her to the hospital and saved her…

He charged upstairs and burst into the bedroom to see his wife stood beside the bed in tears. He fell to his haunches in shock at the sight before him.

“No… No…”

He walked to Daisy’s side and hugged his hysterical wife.

The bed was empty.

I can make it. I know I can make it.

It was quite a fall, but it would be the only way out for her. Her window was propped open, and she had her top half hanging outside as she tried to judge the best spot to land on. There was a patch of wet soil that would make for a soft landing, but she considered the scenario of showing up at the station covered in dirt. Sure, her mane wasn’t exactly in the best of conditions but that could be dealt with later.

After hearing what she thought was a noise from downstairs Rosa instinctively clambered over the window sill, her forelegs now hanging onto the frame from the outside. This was crazy, and she knew full well that it was crazy. The pain in her stomach was still there, and she knew that appearing on stage in such a state was probably a bad idea, but she needed to be there. It was everything she’d been looking forward to. Her parents would stop her if she tried to leave through the front door; she knew that. Her father was a great athlete and would surely catch her no matter how fast she ran.

8.22

Oh, just do it! she ordered herself, and she leapt backwards onto the grass, trying to brace herself for the fall. Her legs were fine, but the stomach pains shot through her like lightning, forcing her to clasp a hoof over her mouth to stifle a scream.

She started running for the station but found it too painful, so she was forced to slow herself to a mere trot. She didn’t know how long it would take to get there at this speed, but it was far from desirable. She looked back over her shoulder to see if she’d been spotted. Satisfied that her parents hadn’t heard her, she set off once again.

“Nothing’s going to stop me,” she muttered under her breath. “I need to be there.”

Upon reaching the station she noticed several familiar faces including Clover, Melon, Floyd, Roadie and others. Melon happily walked up at first but recoiled as she noticed Rosa’s current state.

“Rosa? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Rosa lied, struggling not to keep her body hunched over. “Just a little tummy ache. I’m alright.” Just as she’d said this, her insides crumpled and she couldn’t help but wince in agony.

Floyd quickly walked over, his face full of concern. “You don’t look alright to me,” he commented, and sighed heavily, his eyes directed at the ground. He took a moment to formulate the words in his head before speaking again. “It pains me to say this, but I can’t let you perform in this state.”

“No! I can… I should get better soon, I think. It doesn’t hurt so bad.”

Floyd placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry Rosa. I know you’ve worked hard and I know this must mean a lot to you, but I can assure you that it means just as much to me. I can’t let you go through with it if it runs the risk of jeopardising the performance.”

Clover stepped up and gave Rosa a hug. “I’m sorry. I really am. You’re not to blame, you know.”

“Yes,” Floyd called back. “We don’t think any less of you. Now, Clover will do a good job I’m sure, and you’ll be back to performing as soon as you’re better. This isn’t the end. Just remember that.”

Rosa started to cry. All that time she’d had this day to look forward to, and even if she would be performing again it didn’t feel like a victory. Clover wiped the tears from her face and held her tightly to comfort her.

“What kind of pain is it?” Melon piped up from behind her.

“Huh?”

“What kind of pain? Does it burn? Is it a throbbing pain, or an ache? How would you describe it?”

Rosa pulled away from Clover and did her best to explain it, using the crocodile clip analogy to the displeasure of those around her. Melon regarded this for a brief second then hopped beside her.

“I could fix something up for you, but everything is back at my house,” she explained.

“Really?”

“Oh no,” said Floyd with a hint of annoyance in his voice. “The train will be leaving soon and I am not having anyone be late because of something like this.”

Ignoring his advice, Melon continued. “You’d have to run if we’re to make it. Can you do that?” Rosa hesitantly nodded. “Good. Now let’s go.”

The two mares sprinted through the station doors and out of the building leaving a disgruntled unicorn stallion calling after them.

“Unbelievable!” fumed Floyd, stamping his hooves in frustration.

“Where are you two going?” called Court from just outside the station, on his way to meet with the rest. They both ignored him and continued running, Rosa struggling immensely. She didn’t know what Melon had planned, but she was willing to try anything for a chance at performing today.

They soon reached a small cottage with a thatched roof, and Melon burst inside. “In here,” she instructed, and brought Rosa down a short hallway and into the kitchen. An older unicorn mare was stood with the same orange coat as Melon, but a golden mane that flowed down the back of her neck.

“Melon!” she cried in alarm. “What are you doing back?”

“There’s no time to explain, Mum,” Melon responded, opening numerous cupboards and pulling things from them with her magic. She brought out a mortar and pestle, a beaker and an assortment of peculiar looking herbs and spices.

“What’s going on?”

“There’s no time, Mum! Now get out quickly!”

Despite a hint of anger in her eyes she dutifully left the room, smiling as politely as she could manage at Rosa. Rosa smiled back, miming a ‘hi’ before bringing her attention back to what Melon was up to.

The unicorn boiled a small pot of water over a stove and began crushing up some of the herbs and tipping them into the pot. She crushed up some seeds and did the same, until a fairly unpleasant aroma filled the room. After finishing her concoction she tipped the contents of the pot into a beaker and pushed it towards Rosa.

“Drink up. We don’t have much time.”

Rosa did as she was told but was greeted by a ghastly bitter taste that made her retch.

“I know it tastes bad but we need to hurry!” Melon bellowed at her.

Rosa forced the rest of it down her gullet, the foul slushy green liquid tainting her taste buds. She set the beaker back down and followed Melon back outside as the two of them sprinted back. Rosa was surprised at how quickly the mare could run as she didn’t seem like the athletic type.

The taste still lingered in her mouth and she wondered what in Equestria she’d actually eaten. As she ran, she licked the inside of her mouth and spat at the ground. She hoped that she’d have time to grab a drink from somewhere before…

Her mind suddenly turned to her stomach. In what had only taken a minute or so, the pain had subsided considerably. The ‘biting’ had receded into what felt like pin pricks. It was still uncomfortable, but it was nothing compared to the agony she’d been dealing with for the past few hours.

“What was in that?” Rosa questioned as they barrelled through the village at full speed, nearly knocking into a disgruntled looking stallion.

“Talk later,” Melon said simply, and Rosa kept quiet save for heavy breaths from running. It was more important for them to get back than risk losing time by discussing it.

They neared the station and slowed their speed as they entered the building, careful not to cause an accident. They reached the rest of the group with barely a few moments to spare, as their train could be seen coming towards the platform.

“There you are!” Floyd bellowed at the two out of breath mares. “What were you thinking? If you hadn’t come back in time…” He trailed off, his voice thick with fury.

“It’s okay though,” Rosa gasped. “I feel a lot better now. Melon gave me… some medicine.”

“Are you sure you’re well enough?” Clover piped up over the commotion brought on by the mares’ sudden re-arrival.

“She’ll be fine!” Melon blasted before Rosa could speak, pushing past Clover and giving the pegasus an angry glare as the train stopped beside them. As the doors were opened she pushed forward with Rosa in tow, dragging her off to available seats at the end of one of the carriages.

“Ow! What are you doing?” Rosa cried as Melon nudged her a little too hard.

“Sorry, but I think it’d be better if you’re not around everypony who’s trying to talk you out of doing this. I’m guessing you feel a lot better now?”

“Yeah,” Rosa said as she sat down. “It’s so weird. I was in agony a few minutes ago and then it just went away.”

Melon nodded thoughtfully and sat down next to her, suspiciously eyeing the opposite end of the carriage. She was startled when Rosa leapt in for an impromptu hug.

“Thank you, thank you so much! I don’t know what I’d have done without you!”

“You’re welcome?” Melon replied uncomfortably.

“So what was in that stuff you gave me? Some kind of miracle cure?”

“There’s no such thing as a miracle cure, despite what many ponies might think when it comes to alchemy. What I gave you was a very specific potion designed to break down a particular genus of plants.”

Rosa looked at her with confusion. “I don’t really know what a ‘genus’ is, but go on.”

“Certain plants belonging to the Soh genus have certain properties when in seed form. When they enter the stomach the seeds will break apart into smaller seedlings that latch onto the stomach lining, stimulating the nerve endings. In truth, you weren’t ill at all. You were merely experiencing the pain that the seedlings — most likely from Soh Ferron — were inflicting. It’s not the same as having a stomach bug or overindulging on spicy food. That’s why there was no burning sensation and why you didn’t feel obliged to vomit. From the way you described it, I was almost certain that I knew the reason.”

“Oh, okay.”

“It normally takes around twenty to thirty hours for the seedlings to be digested, at which time the pain fades away with no consequences.”

“And that stuff I drank?”

“It contains specific chemicals and herbal remedies that break the seedlings down much quicker than stomach acid, as well as providing some anaesthetic. You might still get a slight tummy ache from the after effects, but it’s a small price to pay compared to what you’ve already been dealing with.”

Rosa mulled over this just as the train started moving and Court stumbled upon a seat not far from them.

“What’s up?” he called over. “Why’d you two run off?”

Rosa explained her situation briefly, to which Court chuckled. “Well it’s lucky Melon knows her way around herbs and spices. So how would you have eaten that stuff anyway?”

Rosa turned to Melon with worry. “Yeah, how would I?”

Melon wore a deadpan expression and took a deep breath before answering. “It can just be bad luck. The plants are incredibly uncommon, but it’s not impossible for the seeds to show up on other vegetables just by chance of the wind blowing, since the seedlings are so adept at latching onto other things. What did you have to eat yesterday?”

Rosa recalled as accurately as she could the various meals and snacks she’d indulged on the day before, and Melon nodded as she took in the information.

“My parents seemed okay. Neither of them complained about stomach pains. It must’ve just been a coincidence then.”

Melon opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again and looked out the window at the rolling hillsides. “Sure, that’s probably it. I’m just glad you’re better now.”

Before they knew it, the group was already in Canterlot, marching towards the theatre. Floyd was still acting a bit distant, more than likely still peeved at being disobeyed earlier on. The walk didn’t seem to take as long as it did last time, as everypony felt constrained by time even though they had hours before the performance began.

The theatre itself was a giant in comparison to the one in Ponyville, with a grand foyer that housed places to buy food, drink, and a selection of pamphlets of future showings. There were a few officials stationed about that shook Floyd’s hoof as they arrived and directed everypony to the backstage area. Unlike the one in Ponyville, there were multiple rooms and hallways that were filled with costumes and props, most of them for different groups of performers.

Stepping out onto the stage with her costume fitted, Rosa looked out across the hundreds of empty seats that stretched out in front of her. There was one small section near the front that had golden ribbons strewn around it, and a large blue leather chair that was obviously for Princess Luna. The magnitude of what she was about to do only just hit her as she forgot about the pains she’d been dealing with. She was tired, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins made her feel buzzed enough to be able to ignore it. It was going to be a great day.

It wasn’t long before they were instructed to stay behind the curtain as customers were due to set hoof inside at any moment. Despite this, it was still easy to catch a glimpse of the growing audience from behind the curtain, and Rosa was thrilled when she spotted Sparks, Summer and Summer’s mother making their way down the aisle. Despite being in a wheelchair, the old mare looked energetic and full of life. She had a yellow coat much like her daughter and a shoulder length violet mane with two orange streaks down each side. Her face, which had slight signs of disfigurement, still wore an enormous grin that made her resemblance to Summer all the more obvious. Summer looked as ecstatic as always, while Sparks looked a little worn out, but still happy.

Shortly after they arrived, there was a huge commotion followed by silence as Princess Luna herself entered with two heavily built pegasi clad in silver armour matching her every step. She smiled at the half grinning, half gawping crowd before sitting on the throne-like chair. It was as if she was surrounded by an aura that swept over anypony she came into contact with and took over their senses completely, rendering them helpless little foals.

“She’s just amazing, isn’t she?” Court commented as he looked out from beside Rosa. “She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

As much as Rosa wanted to scoff and tell Court that he was being a stereotypical ‘lad’, she couldn’t deny that Princess Luna was something special, something unearthly and heavenly. It was her beauty, her poise, her grace, and the sheer power of her existence.

“She’s still too old for you, though,” Rosa said with a smirk, and Court gave a knowing glance before heading off to the rest of the cast.

Rosa kept looking on, watching her friend and colt-friend make small talk as more and more ponies continued to pour in. But most of all she watched Luna. She thought of how in less than an hour the Princess would have her eyes on her, how the Princess would watch in awe at what she would show them. The feeling that rested beyond anxiety, beyond confidence, that trance that made everything she did on stage feel right was beginning to rear its head.

She joined Court and Melon and gave them both a good luck hug. Not that they’d need it. A few minutes passed and the lights dimmed. The show was about to start, and it would be the greatest moment of Rosa’s young life.

Speedwell ran. He bolted through the village with all of his strength. He powered his way through the train station foyer, ignoring the shouts from other ponies. Sure, he probably looked as suspicious as could be, but he had to get there quickly.

As he reached the platform edge, he saw the train before him chugging its way along. It didn’t matter how fast he ran now. It didn’t matter what he did. He knew that Rosa was on that train and that he was too late.

He had failed.

Laughter. Excitement. The theatre was filled with it. Court and Melon went through their routine just as they had so many times before, but watching it here, with hundreds of ponies including Princess Luna watching was like seeing it for the first time all over again. It was something magical. Despite being terrific actors, Rosa could see the ardour and ecstasy in their eyes, their true selves relishing every moment.

The atmosphere backstage was one of tense anticipation. Despite being sat down Floyd looked as if he could jump out of his seat at any moment and start prancing about with glee. Other actors shuffled nervously on the spot. This was a world apart from the performance they had done for the judges in Ponyville.

With the scene coming to an end, Rosa knew that she was up next. Getting in position as the curtain drew momentarily across the stage, she saw the approving smiles from Court, Melon and Floyd.

This is it. This is what you’ve been waiting for your entire life, even if you never knew it at first. You can do this. You will do this.

The curtain was raised.

“Have you ever eaten anypony, mister?”

Spike chuckled at the young colt’s question, doing his best not to let the laugh erupt and scare the family off. “No, I’ve never eaten anypony. I’m a nice dragon.”

The colt looked up at him suspiciously. “Okay. I guess you’re nice. So have you never, even, like… thought about eating ponies?”

The colt’s mother laughed nervously. “Did you really think I’d take you to see a dragon that’s going to eat you? Like I told you, Spike here is Ponyville’s protector!”

Spike smiled at this. It was a fairly quiet day for him work-wise, and he was getting a fair share of attention from tourists. There were times when he was sick of it and just wanted to hide himself away, but that was usually after having a bad experience like ponies accusing him of being a monster, some of them saying he should be with his own kind. That hadn’t happened very often, but if it ever did his confidence took a direct hit. Thankfully, the family before him was friendly enough and entertaining enough to talk to.

“Who do you protect Ponyville from?” the colt asked.

“Well… let’s just say if another dragon tried to attack us I’d save you.”

“But has that actually happened before?”

Spike scratched the back of his neck and blushed slightly. “Well, no.”

The filly of the group finally spoke up. “Mum, this is boring! Why couldn’t we have watched Dreamworld?”

“Be nice in front of the dragon, honey. We couldn’t go because it was fully booked, but I promise you we’ll see it some other day.”

“But Mum, Princess Luna won’t be there next time. I wanted to meet her!”

Spike suddenly perked up at this. “Princess Luna?” It had been a long time since he’d shared Luna’s company, though it didn’t help that she was always busy in Canterlot and he was an enormous beast that could probably rip the city from the mountainside if he so much as set foot in the capital. Not all of his memories of her were especially good ones, but he still regarded her as a friend.

“Yeah, the princess is gonna be at the play and I wanted to meet her!” the foal whined.

“That’s strange,” Spike mused. “What was the name of that play again?”

“Dreamworld,” the mare interjected in place of her daughter. “I know a lot of Ponyville-ians are starring in it. Like… oh what was her name?”

“Rosa!” the filly answered for her. “Rosa Book!”

“Her surname isn’t ‘Book.’ She just works at the bookshop,” the mare explained.

As the mother and daughter began chatting animatedly, the colt kept his eyes on Spike, tilting his head in confusion at the purple dragon. “Mister Spike? Is something wrong?”

Spike couldn’t answer. Instead, he merely responded with a look of abject horror. Frightened, the colt jumped behind his mother and began to shiver like a leaf. Spike shared in the young colt’s fear. Something was most definitely wrong.

Voice of Reason I - The Arrival

Voice of Reason I – The Arrival

Five months before the end of harmony

“Spike! Stop messing around and get this place cleaned up!”

“I wasn’t messing around! I fell down the stairs!”

“Oh no… this just won’t do!”

Spike rolled his eyes and sighed as he watched Twilight rush from one end of the library to the other, readjusting books, shelves, quills and stacks of scrolls in a mad flurry. Spike had spent the past two hours dusting and despite the library looking as pristine as it could be, Twilight was still in a state of panic.

“Spike, are you going to just sit there yawning or are you going to help me!? Remember that this pony is a friend of Princess Celestia and we have to make the best impression we can!”

“Twilight, you’ve rearranged the same desk three times! It doesn’t matter if the quill is in the ink pot, out of it, how the books are laid out… It looks fine! Besides, she should be here in—”

Spike was cut off by a knock at the door which caused Twilight to gasp, knocking over an oil lamp in her surprise and causing one side of it to smash into pieces. “Spike! You’ll have to stall her!” she hoarsely whispered, levitating a dustpan and brush as she cleared up the mess. “Remember to be polite! ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ and ‘May I’ and all that!”

Spike rubbed his sore knee and traipsed over to the library’s entrance, keeping an eye out for any shards of glass that might have peppered the floor-space. He took a deep breath and opened the door, ready to greet their guest. “Good morning Miss—”

Spike was left scratching his head in bemusement as he was met by an earth pony stallion clumsily trying to catch reams of paper that were fluttering around him. “Get back here!” he cried, catching them in his mouth and stuffing them into his saddlebag. He blushed, straightening himself up to greet Spike. “It’s good to finally meet you, Twilight Sparkle. Somehow I imagined you’d be a bit taller… and a bit more… female.”

“Oh, I’m not Twilight,” Spike replied with a chuckle. “I’m Spike, Twilight’s—”

“Hello and welcome!” Twilight interrupted with, knocking Spike aside and extending her hoof, which her guest politely shook. “You must be Voice of Reason.” She took a moment to examine her guest, feeling a little perplexed. “Somehow I imagined you’d be a bit shorter… and a bit more… female.”

The bulky stallion before her blushed and began laughing nervously. He had a dark blonde mane that spiked up at the fringe, a pure white pelt and blue eyes. On his flank was a cutie mark depicting a scroll and quill. “Princess Celestia should really have been more specific about me to you, and you to me.”

“I… sure,” Twilight responded with an anxious smile, not seeming to understand what he’d said. “Would you like to come in? Sorry it’s a bit of a mess,” she said nonchalantly as she led him into the immaculate library, levitating a disgruntled Spike in with her before closing the door. “Can I get you anything? Water? Tea? Coffee? Biscuits? Pie? Sandwiches?”

“A glass of water would be just fine, thank you.”

“Absolutely! Spike, a glass of water for our guest, please!”

Spike grumbled something inaudible and made his way to the kitchen while Voice unclipped his saddlebags and dropped them at his side. “Thank you so much for letting me stay. Is there anywhere I can put these? Maybe next to my bed or something?”

“Certainly! Just follow me upstairs a minute and I’ll explain the sleeping arrangements.”

Voice went to grab his saddlebags again but Twilight was already levitating them up the stairs, smiling to herself. He followed her, taking in his surroundings with mild wonder. As they reached the top floor, Twilight dropped his saddlebags next to a ready-made bed with a velvet cover draped across it.

“You’ll be sleeping here. I do hope it’ll be comfortable enough. The pillows are filled with the feathers of puffins from Zebrica for an extra fluffy sensation! Not that any birds are harmed to make them, mind you. In fact, in a lot of cases—”

“And that’s where you’ll be sleeping?” Voice trembled, pointing out Twilight’s bed a few feet away.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Wouldn’t you consider it disrespectful… having a stallion sleeping in the same room as yourself?”

“Oh my gosh, you’re right!” Twilight cried, lifting the bed into the air. “I should have realised that! I didn’t know if you were going to be a stallion or a mare since the Princess didn’t tell me so I kind of assumed that you’d be a mare and then I sorted out the sleeping arrangements and didn’t think of that possibility and now I don’t know where you can sleep downstairs unless we move a few things around and I really wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable and—” Twilight brought the bed to the top of the stairs, knocking over an unsuspecting Spike and sending the glass full of water all over him.

“Twilight, it’s OK,” Voice said worriedly, standing between the bed and the archway. “I don’t mind where I sleep. I just wanted to make sure that you were OK with it. It would be un-gentlecoltly of me to impose something on you that you were uncomfortable with.”

Twilight blinked emotionlessly before becoming increasingly flustered. “Oh, you’re right! Um… I don’t have a problem with it if you don’t have a problem with it!” She dropped the bed back into its original position and began fluffing up the pillows. “I’m a big girl now and I’m not embarrassed by having a stallion in my room. Not that I’ve had them in my room before! I’m just not that kind of mare. Not that I’m… you know… or anything! I’m just not… and not that I have a problem with ponies like that! I just…”

As Twilight blabbered on, her face getting redder and redder, Spike glumly wandered up to a mortified Voice and placed a friendly claw on his shoulder. “She’s always like this, I’m afraid. Welcome to hell, Mr Reason.”

It was the next day, and Voice awoke to the sight of a breakfast tray next to his bed. A tulip sandwich, an empty teacup and two croissants were on top. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, only to jolt his head back in surprise.

“Oh, sorry if I startled you!” Twilight smiled cheerfully, levitating a silver teapot and pouring him some herbal tea with a heavenly aroma. “I made you breakfast. Did you sleep well?”

“Uh, yeah… thanks.”

“You don’t have any allergies I should know about, do you?”

“No.”

“Wheat intolerance?”

“No…”

“Well that’s great! Enjoy your meal! And if you’re still hungry, I have some muffins I’m baking downstairs.”

Twilight happily skipped downstairs as Voice gave her a confused look. The lavender unicorn was humming cheerfully to herself, checking on the muffins and making a checklist for today’s picnic. Spike rounded the corner with a suspicious expression on his face.

“There you are, Spike. I need you to head out and get me some croutons, some lettuce and some fresh daisies. While you’re at it, we could also do with some fresh orange juice.”

Spike merely eyed her curiously as the mare continued shuffling around the kitchen, flicking through recipe books. After a few moments, he spoke. “What’s gotten into you, Twilight?”

“Me? Nothing’s wrong. I’m perfectly happy today!”

“Right… right… that’s not the question I asked you, Twilight. Since when do you make muffins? Something’s different about you today. I just can’t quite put my…”

Voice began trotting downstairs with an empty tray between his teeth. “Hank hoo hurr.” He dropped the tray onto a hoof before speaking again. “Thank you for my breakfast.”

“Oh, no problem at all! No problem whatsoever!” Twilight continued humming to herself as she instantly moved the tray over to the kitchen side and began washing the plates with her magic. “We should be meeting some of my friends in a little while, so if there’s anything you want to do in the meantime, just say. Spike, didn’t I ask you to pick up some supplies?”

Spike hesitantly grabbed the pouch of bits presented to him, a cheeky smile appearing across his face. “Oh, I know what you’re up to,” he said slyly as he walked out the door, flashing Voice a glance and raising his eyebrows. Instead of heading for the supplies, he took a few minutes to spy on the two ponies by hiding in a bush opposite the window, only to hear a voice from beside him.

“Hey, Spike. What’cha doing?”

The purple dragon leapt in surprise. “Pinkie! What are you doing here!?”

“Playing hide and seek with Cranky Doodle Donkey! It’s been nearly a week and he still hasn’t found me! What about you?”

“I’m just spying on Twilight.”

“Oh really? Why?”

“Huh. Just ask her new colt-friend.”

At that, Pinkie leapt from the bushes with the most overly dramatic gasp that Spike, or any pony had ever witnessed.

"Is there something up with him?" Voice asked as Spike slammed the door shut.

"Oh, he's probably cranky because he thinks you're here to be my new assistant, or something," Twilight said dismissively. "He'll open up to you soon enough. Did you want some more tea?"

"No thanks," Voice answered, observing as the mare whipped through the rest of the washing up in record time. "I'd like it if you told me a little about Ponyville, though. I've never been here before, so it'd be nice to know a few things."

"Most certainly!" Twilight declared proudly, clearing her throat. "I've only been living here a few years myself, mind you, but I do know a thing or two. I guess we could start with Sweet Apple Acres, which is run by the Apple family. They're responsible for almost every apple sold in a ten mile radius. Their orchards span several hectares all the way from..."

Voice couldn't help but smile to himself as Twilight carried on with her speech, the unicorn's words flowing together elegantly as if she had spent hours in preparation. She painted a mental image of the town with delicate precision, relaying more information than he could possibly remember. He didn't ask any questions, simply because he wouldn't have needed any more answers.

"Oh, listen to me, blabbering on!" Twilight giggled awkwardly, her cheeks growing red. "I never even let you tell me about yourself."

Voice smiled, happy to see that she was as polite and inquisitive as ever.

She was just as he had remembered her.

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 1 - Learning The Hard Way

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 1 – Learning The Hard Way

Many years later

The hardest lesson of all to learn is that there’s no such thing as learning the easy way.

These words echoed in Rosa’s mind as she happily galloped towards her friend Nico’s house. She was never sure where exactly she’d heard this pseudo-philosophical saying and yet it had been embedded in her memory for as long as she could remember. More to the point, she had never truly understood the meaning of the saying which in turn had made her suspicious of her own memories. She sometimes considered whether it had come to her in a dream and become lost amongst the rest of her thoughts. Still, as the saying goes there would never be an easy way to find out, much to her annoyance.

It seemed to make more sense now than ever as she arrived within a haystack’s throw of Nico’s house on the outskirts of Ponyville. She stood for a moment, breathing deeply and readying herself.

“Come on now Rosa, you can do this,” she muttered to herself under her breath.

The feelings of respect and admiration she’d towards Nico over the years they’d been friends eventually sprouted into an overwhelming crush somewhere along the line. Was it a year ago? Five years ago? Even Rosa wasn’t sure at what point she started having real feelings for him. She spent a lot of time stuck in two minds over the affair. One side of her told her that she was just being silly and that this childish crush would subside. The other side of her kept asking “When?” impatiently.

Rosa was trotting right up towards Nico’s house at that very moment, the sound of her heartbeat clear in her ears. Nico had casually asked her to visit to see something special that evening. This wasn’t entirely strange or suggestive by any normal means, but the sparkling stars and glorious full moon hanging in the night sky painted a romantic picture that Rosa found difficult to look past.

It hadn’t been that long since he’d moved out of his parents’ house and bought himself a nice, cosy cottage at the Eastern edge of the village. Amongst the uniform flat, featureless rows of stone houses his cottage was rather unique. The roof consisted of sheets of tree branches and hay that ran perpendicular to each other with a tightly knitted mesh of various plants underneath, which was still visible. Rather than a cone shape the roof seemed to be more like a pyramid, with a small wooden sculpture of a sun and moon jutting from the top. Probably one that he’d crafted himself, she assumed.

The cottage itself was circular and built with chiselled rocks of varying sizes and colours with two perfectly square windows and large white wooden door at odds with the surrounding chaos of randomly shaped boulders. Rosa had occasionally wondered how and why it had been built in such a peculiar way, but since the cottage had been around since before she was born and wasn’t even known about by her parents it didn’t seem likely that she’d ever find out. Still, there were far more pressing issues at hoof.

As she got closer to the front door she slowed her walk until her hoof-steps were as quiet as she could manage without creeping along like some kind of thief. She stood still for a moment, trying to run her mind through whatever scenario her visit could throw at her. Now that she’d have some time with Nico to herself she thought about ways to instigate some heart-felt confession of love from him, or at least a conversation starter that would get him to show his affectionate side.

While she stood there thinking to herself, she realised that she’d been standing outside for almost a full minute. It would be strange if Nico suddenly opened the door to see her staring blankly at him, and she’d probably die of embarrassment. Tentatively, she tapped her fore-hoof on the door and stood back, as if to strike some sort of pose. The door creaked open and the head of a green-coated pegasus popped out from behind it.

“Rosa! You’re finally here!” she said, beaming.

“Um... yeah! Of course... I’m here as ever!” Rosa chirped awkwardly, realising how stupid she’d been to assume an evening alone with the stallion of her dreams. Of course Clover would be there. The three of them were friends, so why wouldn’t she be there?

“Yes, you finally are,” Clover said with a knowing smile on her face, her blue eyes squinting slightly as she chuckled to herself. “Come on in then, unless you want to stay out in the cold for a while!”

“Well that is tempting but I guess I’ll come inside,” Rosa replied, shivering comically and stepping inside.

Nico was sat on his sofa in the main room of the cottage chatting to a stocky red pegasus. Despite its size, the cottage’s open plan provided enough room for a living room, kitchen, study, and indoor bathroom. A ladder poked through a hole between the two floors that had been fastened to the wall with large nails. This led up to Nico’s bedroom, which was (regrettably) off-limits.

“Hey there!” Nico briefly called out before turning back to the pegasus sat beside him.

“Why hello there Rhoda!” the red pegasus echoed.

“Ferry, her name is Rosa, not Rhoda,” Clover interjected, rolling her eyes.

“Really?” asked Ferry, looking confused. “I could’ve sworn her name was Rhoda.”

Rosa chuckled, feeling glad that her name wasn’t Rhoda or her school life would have been utterly intolerable. “You know Rhoda. I Rhoda, you Rhoda, we all Rhoda,” she imagined in the voices of rowdy school-colts.

She looked around the room for a moment, finally noticing just how clean and in order it all was in comparison to its usual chaotic mess. The wooden table they were sat around was completely bare save for two coasters, and the floor looked as though it had been mopped within the last few hours.

“Are you still cold or something?” asked Clover, snapping Rosa from her reverie.

“What? No,” Rosa quickly replied, wondering for just a moment if she’d been shivering involuntarily.

“I’ve got a few blankets upstairs. Well, up-ladder so to speak,” offered Nico.

“No, I’m fine, really.” Rosa briefly imagined Nico taking her in his fore-legs and warming her with a loving embrace. His hooves brushing through her flowing red mane, his chest rising and falling against hers… That would keep me plenty warm, she said inwardly, taking to the seat next to his.

“So, what’s the occasion?” Clover asked, looking to Nico.

“Ferry’s come to stay, what other occasion could there be!?” Ferry piped up, mocking a suave pose. Nico gave his friend an amused look before explaining himself.

“Well I’ve got something quite special to show you all. It’s something I was given by my uncle a few days ago and I can’t really get the most out of it by myself, so I thought I’d invite a few friends round. Just wait here a second.”

Nico said, hopped from the sofa and made his way into the study. He quickly returned with a large cardboard box on his back and deftly slid it onto the table.

“Ferry, if you could just grab the other side of this for me?”

Ferry obediently stepped up and dipped his hooves in to the other side of the box and they both carefully lifted what appeared to be a fairly large wooden chest.

“Now if someone could just get the box out...” Nico began before Clover swiftly grabbed the box and put it to one side. Nico and Ferry placed the chest on to the tabletop and Nico flipped it open, laying the dubious contraption flat, revealing ornate decorations jutting out from the wood including sapphires, rubies, diamonds and a mosaic of pebbles within the expertly crafted woodwork arranged in a spiralling pattern. There also appeared to be a much smaller chest slotted into an indent. Whatever it was, it looked expensive.

“It looks beautiful,” remarked Rosa, her eyes flitting between the various gems. Is that silver? she thought to herself, staring down at the shiny metal lining the edges of some of the stones.

“Wow... It’s so pretty!” Clover commented.

Ferry mockingly hugged Nico. “Oh Nico! You’ve made me the happiest filly in the world!” he happily exclaimed before pretending to kiss his check.

“You don’t even know what it is yet!” Nico said, trying to get things back on track.

“Then tell us, honey-bun, what amazing, magical thing did you buy for me?” quipped Ferry, fluttering his eyelashes.

“Funnily enough, magical isn’t far wrong,” Nico explained. “You may not know but my uncle is one of the most revered practitioners of magic in the region. This is something that he and his friends made long ago in the hope of mass producing and selling all over Equestria. Unfortunately for them, life got in the way blah, blah, etcetera, and so this is one of a batch of very few.”

“That still doesn’t explain what it actually is though,” Rosa noted.

“It’s a board game,” Nico replied with a broad smile across his face.

The rest of them gave each other confused glances before resting their eyes back on Nico.

“Is that it?” quipped Clover, looking understandably disappointed. “I thought it was some sentimental mural or a family heirloom or something.”

“Okay, it’s a board game, but it’s so much more than that!” Nico exclaimed. “This one is enchanted! You see, this something that my uncle and his friends designed when they were a little bit younger than us. From what my uncle has told me, this is anything but some stupid board game. That... and I’ve already played a game or two by myself just for fun. It’s really cool!”

Nico smiled on with his head held high to his still unconvinced guests before frowning at their expressions and reaching for the small chest nestled into the indent. He opened it and spilled the contents across the board. There were 4 small metal figurines, a six-sided die, a set of cards and a wooden block with runes on each side. He grabbed the block with his fore-hooves and placed it in the centre of the board and leaned back expectantly. After a few moments, the block began to shuffle of its own accord into the exact centre, then rose up several inches and began to swivel gently in the air by itself. A greenish gas emanated from it and began to form a fiery ring reaching the exact diameter of the circle of gems on the board.

An astonished Rosa tried shifting her head left and right only to find that no matter which way she looked at it, she could not see the outer side of the ring at all, as if it was rotating at the perfect speed to match up with her viewpoint. She could see Clover shifting her head too, enforcing the idea that it was either a very clever illusion or some strange phenomenon that she couldn’t explain. Ferry sat stock still with a confused look on his face, his jaw hanging.

Suddenly, the visage of a ghostly pony appeared before them in the centre of the ring. Rosa had seen unicorns conjure up strange face-like shapes before but the one before her was uncanny. It appeared to be breathing, and with each breath plumes of green smoke cascaded through the air before reaching the outer edge of the ring and disappearing altogether. Its eyes had the depth of any live pony with minute movements and pupil dilations. Its mane was much less opaque than the rest of it, fluttering about behind its head with an ever changing shape that materialised and disintegrated with each passing moment. It was difficult for her to put into words, but she thought of it as looking more real than reality, if such a thing was even possible.

They all continued gawping at the strange image for some time before the apparition cried out at them.

“Now that you have released me from my tomb I shall haunt you all until the end of your days!”

All four ponies gasped in shock.

“Just kidding!” the ghost chuckled, smiling cheekily.

“Wait... what?” Clover spluttered.

“Oh you should have seen your faces!”

The four ponies gave each other some anxious looks before Nico broke the silence with laughter.

“I got you guys! You all looked petrified!” He sank back into the sofa, gripping his sides.

“I thought this was a board game!” exclaimed Clover.

“I am a board game,” smirked the ghost. “Now I think it’s high time you all played. Pick a piece you lot or I guess I’ll have to haunt you after all.”

“OK, this thing is really starting to freak me out,” Ferry interjected. “How is it even working? Nopony here is a unicorn, how does it? Eh...” he trailed off.

“Like I said before, it’s enchanted,” explained Nico. “This was what my uncle wanted to create, something magical that even non-unicorns could have fun with. The idea was that if he and his friends made things like this it would broaden the magic market towards earth ponies and pegasi. It’s a shame they never managed to do it, but then again it makes this set just that much more special.”

“In that case, is it connected to somepony or... what?” asked Rosa. “Is there somepony sat somewhere watching us, speaking to us over a long distance or is this something else? I can’t really get my head around it.”

“Apparently not. I can remember my uncle saying it’s something the top wizards came up with called ‘artificial intelligence’. There have been other, less complicated enchantments that simply give basic answers and information. They’re not very common thanks to their insane prices but they’re around in places like Canterlot and Manehattan. This is something far more ambitious though. It’s supposedly one of the most complex and emotive doo-hickeys of its kind and definitely has a waft of my uncle’s humour in there too.”

Rosa was still puzzled. “It’s so real that it’s creepy. Are you sure it’s not the trapped soul of some poor unicorn?”

“I’m pretty sure soul trapping is just nonsense,” Nico answered. “Don’t fret over it.”

Rosa remained unconvinced. The ghostly face had been constantly shifting throughout the conversation and reacting as if it was listening to their every word.

“Only downside,” Nico began, rubbing his nose. “It has a finite lifespan. The enchantment only has enough power for around a hundred hours of use. After that, it’s nothing more than the most priceless paperweight in Equestria. I guess that could be why this never got past the prototype stage or you’d have a bunch of angry customers.”

“It currently stands at around eighty hours,” The ghost stated.

“In that case I guess we’d better get cracking. Oh, just one more thing, hang on.”

Nico trotted off to his kitchen area and grabbed a tray with his mouth. On it was a selection of drinks and cups.

“I thought we’d make it a bit more interesting. Jim, please make this a drinking game.”

“Jim?” scoffed Ferry. “Who are you talking to?”

“Jim! You know the ghostly green unicorn slash trapped soul? At least that’s what he told me his name was when I checked this out a few days ago.”

“What do you mean by ‘make it a drinking game’?” blurted Rosa. “Surely you can’t just say—”

“Of course I can make it a drinking game,” interrupted Jim, a smile across his face.

“Why would it just—”

“That’s my uncle for you,” Nico interrupted with a chortle. “This was made by him and his friends when they were about our age you know, not that he’d be any different nowadays. Why make some boring old board game when you can make it a drinking board game? You all like cider, don’t you?”

They each nodded, Ferry more excitedly so. Rosa was secretly wary of how Ferry would be once he’d knocked back several cups of cider, especially given his antics the last time they’d met. On the flipside, she considered if there was a chance for Nico to drunkenly confess to liking her, or at least give her a hint of affection, it might be worth it. It had never happened before, but then she couldn’t help herself wondering if it was just something waiting to happen.

“I’m not too sure about this,” admitted Clover. Rosa could have sworn she was glancing at Ferry, probably having the same thoughts she was having.

“It’ll be fine!” assured Nico. “Now, everyone choose a piece to play with and put it on the starting square. I think I’ll be the griffon.”

He picked up the griffon-shaped figurine and placed it on the board, which now had a soft green glow outlining the different squares on the board more prominently and faint symbols on the majority of the squares.

“I call dibs on the dragon!” squealed Ferry before snapping it up in his hoof and standing it behind Nico’s piece, deliberately making it look as if his dragon was trying to eat the griffon. Rosa grabbed the alicorn piece and Clover took the basilisk. Nico had picked up the cards and arranged them into two stacks with either a sword or a shield on the front. He then began to pour some cider into four cups and placed them around the table for each pony.

“So Jim, can you spell out the rules for us please?” Nico asked with a grin.

“OK, first we need to lay down some ground rules that come into effect as soon as the game begins at the roll of the first die. There are some things that will result in you needing to take a swig of your drink. Firstly, if you say the word ‘drink’, you drink. Secondly, if you say anypony’s name, you drink. Thirdly, if you point at somepony with your hoof, you drink. Finally, if you use any magic during the course of the game, you drink.”

“Oh these are the classic drinking game rules!” piped Ferry. “Wait a minute... I always thought it was our generation that came up with them.”

“You would think something like that wouldn’t you?” mocked Nico, rolling his eyes.

“Down to the rules of the game itself,” continued Jim. “Each player rolls the die and the one with the highest number is the first to play, with the player to their left taking the next turn and so on. If there is a tie for highest number the players roll again until somepony comes out on top.”

“Why couldn’t they have just included a rule book?” quizzed Rosa. “I mean, it’s great and all, but it seems a lot of effort to enchant something like this just to tell us how to play.”

“Yeah, it does seem like wasted resources,” Clover said in agreement.

“Quiet you! Don’t question the almighty Jim!” ordered Ferry with a chuckle.

Rosa found the ghostly ‘Jim’ — as they called it — to seem even freakier as time went on. The way it paused when other ponies cut into its speeches and regarded each of them with its steely eyes did nothing to quash her idea of a trapped soul being forced to relay board game rules until it was vanquished forever. She didn’t doubt that there were wizards powerful and knowledgeable enough to create something so uncanny but the idea of it being refined to such an untold level and put to use in the creation of a board game of all things was something she found rather difficult to fathom. Clearly, Nico’s uncle was either a mad genius or an evil genius, or both.

“Once play has begun the player rolls the die and moves the set number of squares around the board.” Some of the squares glowed in succession, needlessly demonstrating his point. “If you land on a square with a sun symbol you have to answer a question within ten seconds or take a drink. If you land on a square with a moon symbol you have to perform a certain action within ten seconds or take a drink. Landing on squares with either a sword or shield symbol requires you to pick up a relevant card from the two decks, with sword cards giving instructions to carry out before you put it back at the bottom of the deck. Shield cards can be held on to and used at any point in the game by shouting ‘shield’. Beware that some squares will trigger certain events at random, but the locations of those squares are not made apparent on the board. The first player to reach the middle will win the game and force every other player to drink. Are there any questions?”

They each looked at each other before Ferry spoke up.

“Yeah, can you actually understand us?”

“Of course I can you silly pony!” Jim shot back. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have asked!”

Rosa still felt uneasy in the presence of a seemingly sentient board game and was about to express her concerns once more when Nico grabbed the die and rolled it with excitement.

“OK, let’s get this show on the road!”

Nico rolled a six straight out of the gate and gave a mini hoof pump. The rest of them took the die in succession, rolling a four, a three and a one. Nico excitedly grabbed the die away and rolled a four. He took his griffon and pushed it to the fourth square with a moon symbol. Jim perked up.

“You have ten seconds to perform a headstand. GO!”

“What?” asked Nico confusedly, before leaping from the sofa and standing on his head. Ferry tried all manner of noises to put him off and Nico wobbled violently with laughter before crashing to the floor clutching his sides. The rest of them joined in, laughing hysterically.

“Aha! You need to drink!” exclaimed Ferry before realising his error and laughing heartily again. Nico clambered back to his seat and he and Ferry each took a big gulp of cider.

“See! I said this would be fun!” he said to Rosa, revealing a visible bump on his forehead from his headstand attempt, which sent Rosa into another fit of laughter.

With the atmosphere as cheery as could be they each took their turns and played through the game. Ferry’s first turn landed him on a blank square so he deliberately pointed at everypony else in the room and finished the rest of his cup before pouring another one. Clover bagged herself a shield card while Rosa landed on a sword square.

“What does the card mean by ‘choose somepony to punish?’” she asked.

“Oh, it means choose somepony to drink...” Nico spluttered before realising his mistake and reeling back in mock pain and taking another sip of cider.

“In that case I choose Clover!” beamed Rosa.

Clover smiled before holding up her shield card.

“It says here I can turn my punishment on anypony of my choosing, so I’ll go with red head over there.” She nodded towards Rosa’s direction. “And that’ll make it two since you said my name.”

Rosa clapped her hoof over her face and proceeded to drink two gulps.

The rest of the night kept each pony in high spirits as they laughed their way through the rest of the game, each of them slipping up despite their best efforts not to. Clover had been exceptionally careful throughout so Ferry had trapped her by asking for which cup was hers, prompting her to point. He had also started intentionally touching her so she’d shout out “Ferry! Stop it!” and have to drink again.

The game itself was a lot sillier than Rosa had initially thought and within a few minutes she had forgotten all about the freakiness of the so-called ‘Jim’ barking orders at them.

Some of the questions were incredibly easy, while some were utterly ridiculous.

“What is one plus one?”

“How many hooves am I holding up?”

“What is the sixth letter of the name of the third draconian prince to visit Canterlot in the past two hundred years?”

“What is the average weight of an Equestrian swallow?”

“What time is it? In five hours and twenty minutes.”

Some of the actions were just as insane.

“Tell everypony a secret that you’ve never told anypony.”

“Say nothing for the next five minutes.”

“Spend the next three turns upside down.”

“Spin around for ten seconds.”

The latter of these sent Ferry spinning out of control and into the front door. Rosa thought that perhaps the game was simply too dangerous to ever be considered for the general public, but wasn’t complaining at the gleeful chaos that it brought forth.

She was trying to be as careful as she could but slipped up all of the time, making the latter half of the night difficult to remember. She knew that Clover ended up winning the game and that Ferry tried to ‘congratulate’ her with a hug. She knew that Nico had laughed so hard that tears were streaming down his face. She spent a lot of time hunched over the left arm of her seat to get closer to where Nico was sat, but he didn’t seem to notice. She also recalled swinging her hoof through Jim, only for his face and the greenish cloud to remain unaffected.

After the game was finished and all involved were thoroughly intoxicated, Clover said her goodbyes and left, singing quietly to herself as she galloped home.

“I think she likes me!” exclaimed Ferry.

Nico and Rosa shared an amused glance and shook their heads.

“Well that was brilliant!” Nico grinned. “We should do this again some other time.”

He looked straight into Rosa’s eyes and she simply sat for a few moments, lost in his gaze before realising that she was due to reply.

“O-of course! S-sure!” she stammered. She paused for a few seconds, as if staying still would prolong the inevitable end of the night and her time with Nico. “I guess... I’d better get home then! I wouldn’t want to be too late.”

“Yeah, see you soon!”

Rosa was half-hoping for Nico to lean over and give her a goodbye hug. He wasn’t an overly affectionate type, but he had embraced her a few times in the past, though not nearly as often as he had when they were just little ponies. It seemed ironic that the more her feelings for him had become apparent the less he’d be willing to spare a welcome cuddle.

Rosa said another batch of goodbyes to both Nico and Ferry before leaving the cottage and slowly walking back home. There were no other ponies about, and the only noises she could hear were the faint hoots from owls and chirps from insects. If there was anything interesting that happened during her journey back she certainly couldn’t remember it.

Upon reaching her house she let herself in as quietly as she could in case her parents were asleep, which they apparently were. She wandered upstairs to her room and lay face down on her bed, nestling her head on the pillow. It took a few minutes of tossing and turning before she became comfortable enough, and quickly fell asleep, safe in the knowledge that there was no need to worry about waking up early the next day.

“Rosa! Rosa, darling! I hope you’re awake!”

Rosa strained her eyes open. Her head felt as if it had a vice clamped around it.

“What?” she called out, barely even aware of what was happening aside from the throbbing pain.

“We’ve got a delivery today, remember? Be downstairs in ten minutes please dear.”

Rosa rolled over and let out a groan. “Just great...”

Volume 1: Eruditio - Chapter 15 - A Royal Request

Legacy volume 1: Eruditio

Chapter 15 – A Royal Request

“Rosa! You have a visitor!”

Daisy Bloom welcomed Sparks into her home. Rosa could hear the two of them chatter as she sat with her back to her door, sheets of paper spread out on the floor in front of her. They were sections of the Dreamworld script, divided into scenes with notes scribbled in the margin. She’d read them close to a hundred times by now, to the point she could probably recite the play in its entirety. Still, the compulsion to read and re-read remained. Only perfection was acceptable.

It had been a while since she’d spent any quality time with Sparks. He’d stopped by a week previously to suggest a day out and perhaps a picnic, but Rosa quickly declined, saying she was a little too burnt out. It was partially true; her schedule was busier and more intensive, despite the fact that her work hours had been relaxed somewhat.

She seldom spoke to Clover. She’d seen Summer on a couple of occasions, but not recently. The last meeting with Nico was barely more than a distant memory. Some days she wondered if they would ever speak again or if her anxieties would make it impossible. Meeting him again would hurt. Not meeting him again would hurt too. In the end, there was no right answer.

Realistically, she supposed, things would get back to the way things were (or at least, a close approximation) once her career as an actress took off. That way she wouldn’t be bound by her family’s bookshop and would finally have something to show for all the hours of hard graft. Freedom would ease its way into her life and she’d be able to spend time with her friends again, and things would become normal. Life would once again flow as it should, the pain in her head and her heart subsiding. Or at least, she hoped.

Rosa ordered the wads of paper in front of her and stacked them on her desk, brushing back her mane as she opened the door.

“Just a moment,” she said unenthusiastically as she hopped down the stairs, forcing a smile.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” her mother crooned, walking into the kitchen.

Rosa couldn’t fully explain it, but she simply knew that her parents trusted Sparks completely. It wasn’t exactly a problem, but it always struck her as odd. She’d always heard of the stereotypical overprotective parents shielding their daughters from the looming threat of ‘lustful stallions.’ In fact, that was what she’d expect of her mother since the beginning. At least she hadn’t been faced with the dreaded ‘talk.’ Yet.

“Hey Rosa, how’re you doing?” Sparks asked.

“Oh, not so bad. How about you?”

“I’m not doing so bad either.”

An awkward silence filled the room. Rosa had no idea what to say. In truth, she wasn’t particularly thrilled by his unannounced appearance. There was no doubt that she liked him, but looking into his eyes only made her think of Nico, and that was painful enough without having to fend off other bubbling emotions. But no matter what, she didn’t want the relationship to end. If that happened, what hope would there be to feel the touch of another pony? To feel loved by another pony?

“I was wondering if we could go for a walk,” Sparks finally uttered, his smile faltering to a look of concern. Rosa’s heart skipped a beat, her mind running through every horrendous scenario possible. Maybe he wants to break up! Maybe he knows about Nico! Maybe he thinks I’m being a bad filly-friend! I guess I am, really…

“I guess so, but what’s this about?” Rosa asked nervously, trying desperately to downplay the fact her heart was thumping at a mile a minute.

Sparks sighed and looked to the ceiling. “I just thought we might be able to spend a moment together. I know you’ve got to study for your play, but I think maybe you could take a break from that for just a while.”

His tone sent shivers down Rosa’s spine. It might have just been a request, but it sounded almost commanding. He’d never been one to order her around. If anything, he would unconditionally put her needs first before anything. He’d never even questioned the long study periods for Dreamworld, so for him to act like this now… It set off every alarm bell imaginable.

Rosa felt one of Spark’s hooves wrap itself around her neck and stroke the back of her mane. As comforting as it was supposed to be, it had the complete opposite effect.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Sparks whispered, planting a small kiss on Rosa neck. “I promise.”

Rosa took a deep breath, her right hoof instinctively returning the embrace. Am I really so easy to read? Why am I one mare on stage and another in the real world? “Alright,” she finally answered. “Let’s go for a walk.”

After saying a quick goodbye to her parents who left her actions completely unchallenged, the two ponies headed out into the cool evening air, a tangible disparity between them. It was the first time Rosa had ever felt this, and it terrified her.

“What did you want to speak to me about?” she muttered as they reached the next street, merely giving a quick glance in his direction.

Sparks slowed his step, a pensive look washing across his face. “I’m going to be completely honest, Rosa. I’m worried about you. I’m worried that all these rehearsals and everything else is… wearing you down.”

Rosa looked up to see her own terrified emotions reflected in the face of her colt-friend. “Oh don’t worry about me, please.”

“Easier said than done,” Sparks said with a nervous chuckle. “I don’t see you anymore. I’m worried that something’s happened, or that something’s bothering you. I want us to be together, Rosa, but I…” He trailed off, his walk stopping completely in the process. “I need you to be honest with me.”

Rosa could feel tears threatening to stream from her eyes but managed to hold them back. How could she tell him the truth? Should she tell him the truth? “Okay, but can we find someplace to sit?”

“Sure,” Sparks said, his smile briefly returning. They made their way to a nearby patch of grass and sat beneath a large oak tree. Rosa wasn’t sure what she was even going to say at this point but found herself speaking before her brain could fully rationalise it.

“I know I’ve been a little distant and for that I’m sorry. I’ve had a lot going on and it’s been tiring to say the least. I’m sorry, I really am.”

Sparks listened intently, his gaze barely flinching as she continued.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… I don’t really want everypony taking up my free time, since I don’t really have much of it. I know it must seem like a horrible thing to say and I shouldn’t feel burdened by you or anypony else, but it’s how I often feel. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

She tucked herself into him and he wrapped his forelegs around her and began stroking her mane. A tear escaped down her cheek unwillingly and she wiped it away with a flick of her hoof. They sat there for a moment as he comforted her, but instead of whispering “It’s okay, it’s okay,” into her ear he said something that did nothing to relieve her anxiety. Something that sent her heart into overdrive.

“Is there anything else?”

Startled by this, Rosa met Sparks eyes and saw more than just sympathy. It was almost as if she could see… Anger? Suspicion? Sadness? Or maybe all of the above. She couldn’t bring herself to lie at this without squealing in an unconvincing manner, she could just feel it. She buried her head into his torso and held him as tightly as she could.

“I don’t think now is a good time,” she whispered.

Sparks looked into the distance, appearing to mull over what she’d just said. Seemingly satisfied, he planted a kiss on her lips and returned the embrace. “Alright.” As he pulled her in closer and softly kissed her cheek, all Rosa could think of was the consequences of what she’d just said. She’d have to explain it all to him some day; he’d be expecting her to. She could only hope that in due time, her emotions would subside and she could carry on with life without what felt like a heart made of iron. She felt helpless now, but that would change. It would have to change.

They spent a few minutes simply huddled up under the tree as the stars began to gleam in the night sky. A few passing ponies gave them curious glances but made no effort to intrude on the situation. The two eventually reached a silent mutual agreement and strolled back to Rosa’s home, sidled up against each other like conjoined twins.

As they reached Rosa’s front door, Sparks took a step back to gaze at her in admiration, a slight grin spreading across his face. “I just want you to remember that I’m here for you,” he said softly, his eyes appearing larger than ever before. A trick of the light, Rosa assumed.

“I know you are, and thank you. I know I’ve been a bit… reserved as of late but if all goes well with the play and everything, things should be back the way they were.”

“I look forward to it,” Sparks chirped, winking evocatively. “If you ever need to talk to anypony, you know where I am.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Well I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

“Yeah, see you soon.”

“Good luck with your acting. I’ve heard good things about you.”

“Thanks.”

Rosa smiled sheepishly, feeling overwhelmed by mere flattery. It was refreshing to be genuinely complimented despite her downfalls. However, the happiness was short-lived, shrinking into nothingness by the time Sparks had made the turn into the next street.

She could feel herself trapped in a vicious emotional cycle. One minute she would be hit with unbearable, dizzying depression. The next, she would feel a warm rush of energy flow through her and think, Yes, I can feel myself accepting my life. I may not like it, but I can deal with it. I’m getting through this. Sooner or later, her happiness would screech to a halt. She’d come to the conclusion that she was just convincing herself that she was beginning to feel better and the crushing reality would burst into the forefront of her mind. Yet she would still experience that surge of energy again and forget the sadness, her mind filled with hope. And again. And again. And again. Over and over.

The brief time she’d spent with Sparks had cycled through these emotions at record speed. She’d heard the term ‘emotional rollercoaster’ many times before, but now she fully understood what that meant.

Do I love Sparks? she asked inwardly, almost involuntarily speaking it aloud.

No, no you don’t. You just like having him around because of the way he treats you. If you truly loved him you wouldn’t start thinking about Nico every few seconds.

It doesn’t make sense. Surely Nico is just some silly crush and I should be over it now that I’m with Sparks. He was the first stallion I’ve ever kissed and he cares about me. When he holds me close…

Yes, he stimulates the side of you that revels in sexual contact. That’s all it is and you know it.

Rosa sat at the foot of her bed, forcibly pounding the back of her head to erase the spiteful voice at the darkest corners of her mind. Maybe I’m going crazy. That’s why I feel like a completely different pony from one minute to the next. But ponies don’t go crazy over stupid stuff like this! Some ponies have gone through hardships far beyond this and been absolutely fine. Some ponies have had their families killed or been cursed with horrific diseases or suffered unimaginable trauma but now I’m going crazy over some STUPID BUCKING THING LIKE THIS!

She wanted to scream. She wanted to bellow as loudly as her lungs would allow. She wouldn’t though, no matter how much it hurt. If she did, it meant losing the battle.

“I’ve had some excellent news,” Floyd began, levitating a pristine scroll with a red wax seal in front of him and unravelling it. He squinted at the writing within and read its contents to the large group of actors, stage-hoofs and musicians before him.

“Dear P. Floyd,

We are delighted to inform you that thanks to the stunning performance of your production team my associates at the South Canterlot Theatre would like to arrange the premier and subsequent performances of Dreamworld. We would preferably like to organize for a coming Saturday evening to fill a vacant slot in our schedule .We would require your team to travel to Canterlot beforehand to allow for any needed stage modifications or prop changes. Please contact me at the address written at the bottom of this letter.

As for your request, we are currently in the process of attempting to make it possible and will ensure that you are made aware of our progress as soon as we are able.

Sincerely, Tan Batemane.”

Floyd dropped his gaze to the now gleeful ponies, excitable murmurs emanating from circles of friends. A young stallion — a stage-hoof — piped up with a question.

“What did they mean by ‘request’?”

“Good question,” Floyd replied with a smile, and presented another scroll bearing the same wax seal as before. “I’m afraid I’ve not been entirely honest with you. The letter I’ve just read was delivered two days ago. I would have called you all in, but…” Floyd cleared his throat and opened up the new scroll. “I think this is the kind of news you would want to hear at the same time.

“Dear P. Floyd,

I am happy to report that your request has been successful. It took a degree of persuading, but Princess Luna herself has agreed to attend the premiere assuming we—”

“Wait, what!?” Court cried out, immediately clamping a hoof over his mouth as he realised how rudely he’d interrupted. Instead of becoming enraged Floyd simply dipped the scroll below his eye-line and chortled quietly. Rosa still found it difficult to get used to the now high-spirited Floyd. Before the production had started to truly come together he’d been an irritable old codger, but his demeanour had taken a rapid upturn in recent weeks.

“Yes? What is it, Courtney?”

The group turned to look at the now flustered Court, all knowing what he was about to ask. “I… How did you… Princess Luna… what was…?”

“It was actually a suggestion from a fellow actress of yours, I’ll have you know, young Courtney.” Floyd rested his eyes on Rosa and the other ponies followed his gaze, all of them now staring at the trembling crimson-haired mare.

“Me?” Rosa gasped, her voice taking an unwanted incline in pitch.

“Don’t you remember?” Floyd asked back with a look of mild surprise. “I was sure it was you that mentioned it first.”

Rosa thought back to all of the conversations she’d had with Floyd about ideas for the script and various other aspects of the play but couldn’t quite put her hoof on whether she’d made any kind of mention of Princess Luna. I don’t think I… Oh wait, maybe…

“I wasn’t being s-serious though,” she finally stuttered.

“Oh? Well, no matter. It’s still thanks to you that this has even been made possible. It’ll do wonders for us all, you know.”

“But why would Princess Luna even want to?” Court interjected, finally forming the question in his mind.

Floyd sighed and cleared his throat theatrically. “It’s a kind of unspoken fact that Canterlot isn’t what it once was. After the surge in population count over the past few decades the city has become, how should I put it? Segregated. There’s the main area of Canterlot famous for being the epicentre for the regal and wealthy, but other areas house those who are from a poorer background, and in the most extreme cases some sectors resemble slums more than anything else. In these poorer areas many ponies aren’t able to enjoy the luxuries within the main hub of the capital given their near unfathomable costs.

“This segregation has caused problems for the princess and her Royal Society as it has given her a bad name with many ponies living in these areas, a lot of them blaming her for this divide in the first place. They claim she hasn’t done enough to support them despite a number of attempts in the past.

“The theatre we are due to perform in lies close to one of these so-called ‘lesser areas’ of Canterlot. Admittedly, the overall plan by theatre associates means that ticket prices for each showing will be considerably less than if we were performing at the Royal Canterlot Auditorium, for instance, but this is part of the idea. If they can entice the less wealthy ponies to come — which I believe they are going to great lengths to accomplish — hopefully this way of doing things will spread throughout Canterlot, and we won’t see so many places charging ridiculous prices that only the more fortunate citizens could afford.

“By attending the premiere, Princess Luna can be seen as making a gesture towards the ponies that have felt abandoned by her. It’s quite simple, really. All it takes is for her to spend a few hours watching a play, so it’s no great strain on her workload either. It’s good for the citizens of Canterlot, it’s good for Princess Luna and it’s good for our play’s publicity. It’s a win, win, win situation.”

There was a room-wide silence as everypony collectively mulled over what Floyd had revealed. Rosa was surprised to hear that Canterlot wasn’t the city-wide palace that she’d always thought it to be. The revelation that they had finally found a venue was taking its time sinking in. It almost felt like a dream.

“I should be hearing from Tan Batemane soon and hopefully we’ll be able to perform a trial run this weekend, with our first performance the following weekend. Tan promised to pay for the initial train fares, though by the time you’d need to start paying we should be receiving our share of royalties from ticket sales. As for how much, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until a later date as this still needs to be worked out. But have no fear. I wouldn’t want to offer anypony here a meagre wage. As for the next couple of days, well…” Floyd stroked his chin thoughtfully. “We’ll reconvene this Friday.”

There was a gasp among the crowd. Rehearsals had been almost every day since they began and now Floyd was proposing a three day break not far from their first time performing in Canterlot.

“Are you serious?” Court asked.

“I think you all could do with a little reprieve,” Floyd replied with a smirk. “I wouldn’t want everypony to be worn to the bone.” He smiled to himself and began nonchalantly walking to the exit. “I’ll be seeing you then.”

Everypony else in the room was a picture of happiness, chattering excitedly and gathering their things to rush off home with. “I’m off to the pub! Anypony else with me?” a young stallion announced, which was met with a torrent of cheers.

“I’m up for that,” Rosa chimed in with, surprising many in the group. “How about you two?”

Court and Melon gave each other opposing looks of unbridled glee and condescending unwillingness. “Fine,” Melon said, shaking her head as Court bounded around like a foal.

“I didn’t think you’d be one for that kind of celebration!” Court exclaimed, giving Rosa a playful nudge.

“Well I guess you don’t know me well enough.”

“True, true. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get wasted!” Court zoomed out of the door, shaking his tail wildly.

“You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into,” Melon drawled. “You don’t know what Court’s like when he’s drunk.”

“Oh I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Rosa said without worry, and the two mares began to follow the energetic stallion.

It wasn’t a need to celebrate the pushed Rosa to venture out for drinks. It wasn’t even the need to spend time with her friends. If she had days to spare, it meant days where she would be inadvertently forced to spend time with other ponies while she had the chance. She didn’t feel ready for that yet. It was a nightmare having such feelings of pain and self-hatred and not being able to express herself to anypony. Thanks to what she’d said before she was sure that Sparks would be continually trying to second-guess what her problem might be. Summer was switched on enough to work these things out. If everypony knew that her schedule was now free it might even mean having to spend time with Nico. I could do with a few drinks. Something to take my mind off this.

As they left the building, Rosa barely even noticed a certain green pegasus they’d left behind.

The Brightly Coloured Horse was where the trio eventually ended up, Court insisting that it was the ‘best place in Ponyville.’ It wasn’t one that Rosa was familiar with, but it wasn’t disappointing in the least. One section was brightly lit with traditional mahogany tables and chairs, floral patterned wallpaper and black marble floor tiles. It seemed more suited to a family meal area, but another section of the pub housed a dimly lit bar with plush sofas, faint rock and country music coming from a strange variation of a gramophone that would switch records by itself, and pictures that were a cross between traditional paintings and graffiti, including a gallant looking prince whose head was half skull, half flesh and a griffin with its wings outstretched, flames rippling from its back. An appropriate ‘Nopony under 18 allowed’ sign was posted at the entrance. Various candles looked to have been purposely melted, with strings of wax hanging from the sides of the candlesticks. Despite being a place one might expect hardened, punkish types covered in tattoos and piercings, the few ponies that were present looked perfectly ordinary.

They took to one of the corner sofas and Court bought a round of three pints of cider, taking a large swig before even taking his seat.

“I don’t know why we haven’t done this before!” he said gleefully, slamming his tankard on the table with a satisfying thud.

“Because you’d always get too drunk for your own good,” Melon retorted, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, so you’ve never gotten ridiculously drunk and done something that you’d rather forget?” Court replied, a mischievous grin on his face.

Melon shifted her eyes away. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh sure, so you won’t mind me telling Rosa about that time you tried to—”

Melon forced both hooves over his mouth and bared her teeth at him. “Don’t you dare!” she yelled, gaining the attention of nearly everypony in the room. Realising she’d made a spectacle of herself, Melon shrank back down and sipped casually at her cider looking as flustered as ever.

“I wasn’t really going to say anything about that,” Court whispered, trying to contain his laughter.

Rosa had begun drinking, her spirits lifted a little by the almost sibling-like rivalry between the two best friends. To her, Court and Melon were categorized into a certain part of her life, one outside of her family and other friends. The side of her that dealt with the theatre was a lot happier, a lot more capable of holding back those terrible feelings that plagued her. They didn’t come into the other part of her life. Court and Melon had no knowledge of Nico, and she’d only mentioned Sparks on brief occasions so they hardly knew of him either. She could actually be herself.

After finishing her first pint Rosa was beginning to feel more at ease. It had been a while since she’d actually consumed any alcohol, so her body was being greatly affected by it. Subtle sways at first, but after shelling out for the group’s second round of drinks, (With Court slyly buying a trio of tequila shots, much to Melon’s annoyance) she was slurring her speech and nearly spilling her pint with each movement.

Melon pretended that it wasn’t affecting her much, but Rosa noticed how her mood had become more relaxed, even tapping Court’s shoulder and joking as she spoke to him, which was uncommon for somepony who winced at any physical contact. Court’s speech had become louder, and he occasionally laughed to himself about something, only to insist that it was nothing. They nattered happily for a while, the conversation turning to the upcoming performance in Canterlot.

“You know,” Court blabbered in between gulps. “I’ve always had a thing for Princess Luna. I mean, I know it would never happen but a stallion can dream, can’t he?”

“She’s a bit old for you though,” Rosa said with a chuckle. “By one or two thousand years.”

“Hey, if she’s been living that long she must have a crazy amount of experience! Does anypony know how old she actually is?”

“I don’t know,” Rosa replied. “Ten thousand years, maybe? I don’t really know all that much about her to be honest.”

“I guess she wouldn’t need to keep count if she lived that long. You know, I’ve never known her to get with a prince or any stallion for that matter. Maybe she hasn’t been with another pony for so long she’d happily let me take her out! If she used the royal Canterlot voice I’d do anything she wanted me to do.” Court rose up and held out a hoof, imitating Luna. “Insert thine appendage into the royal money-maker at once, lest I send you to the sun!”

Court and Rosa started giggling at this point, but Melon walked off in a huff, hiding her eyes behind her mane. “I just need to use the restroom,” she murmured in an uncharacteristically low voice.

“What was that about?” Court asked, finishing his drink.

“You really don’t kn-know?” Rosa replied, her mouth speaking ahead of her brain. A sober Rosa would have changed the subject. She’d noticed a few things after spending so much time with the two ponies. The way Melon would blush whenever Court toyed with her mane, the way she would grow distant if Court ever talked about other mares. Rosa even felt that Melon was threatened by her at times.

Instead of coming back with a bemused “What?” as she expected, Court lowered his head for a moment and began circling the top of his tankard with a hoof. “Oh, I guess it’s just her time of the month or something.”

Not falling for his attempt to derail the conversation, Rosa found herself probing further. “You know the reason, don’t you?”

Court met her gaze for a brief moment before dropping it again. “Ah, it’s nothing.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Rosa asked, finding herself increasingly intrigued by the situation. In a sense, she was on the other side of it. If she could work out what Court was feeling, perhaps she could work out what Nico was feeling. Or at least, that was the theory. “Don’t you like her?”

Court rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. “I had my suspicions about it, but really, there’s nothing I can do. Do we really need to talk about this?”

“If I’m honest, I-I-I always thought you two would make a great couple.”

“It’s not as simple as that. Going from best friends to being in a relationship would just be too weird.”

“Are you saying you’ve thought about it?” Rosa asked.

“I’m… not saying anything,” Court replied unconvincingly.

“Come on, tell me. What if things worked out between you two?”

“That’s not something—”

“And, and, and what if things could be different from how they are now?”

“I just… look, don’t ever tell her I mentioned this or I’ll never speak to you ever again,” Court ordered. The terrifying steeliness of Court’s eyes made it clear that he was far from joking, and at that moment Rosa completely regretted ever bringing the subject up. “This one time when we were about fourteen or fifteen, Melon got stuck out in a blizzard during winter. She was lost or, something. Anyway, she knocks on my door just shivering all over the place. I’ve never seen a pony look so cold. For a moment I thought she was going to die. So I got her a blanket and let her have my bed, and she starts crying, saying something about being so stupid. And she’s so cold, so I…” Court took a deep breath before meeting Rosa’s eyes and continuing. “I huddled up to her, and we just led there together for hours. We didn’t say a word to each other, and we didn’t have to. It was so… bizarre. She shivered so much, and my body heat healed her. I almost didn’t want it to end. Anyway, after that I started having feelings for her.”

Court sighed and checked around the corner to see if Melon was on her way back.

“But eventually the feelings just stopped. I saw some of my other friends going out and breaking up, then moving on to the next one and I thought, ‘I don’t want that to be us.’ I look back on those times and I see how deluded I was to think that we could be together. She’s my best friend, and that’s the way I want things to stay. I know she’ll eventually feel the same way too, just like I did.”

The two ponies fell silent once again, the air now filled with depression and sorrow. Rosa could feel her own feelings flooding back to her, stabbing at the inside of her heart.

“I’m sorry I brought those things up,” she apologised, looking to Court for acceptance.

“I’m sorry I threatened you,” he said back, his usual cheeky smile returning to his face. “You didn’t deserve that. I wouldn’t want to stop talking to you. We’re friends too now, you hear?”

Rosa blushed, a smile forming involuntarily. “I’m glad to hear it. So uh… what did Melon do while she was drunk?”

Court shook his head, smirking. “If I ever told you that, she would probably kill me.”

Melon arrived back just in time for the air to have cleared, and Court promptly asked her to order in the next round of drinks, much to her annoyance. It was a strange bond that they had, at least in Rosa’s eyes. She’d never really bickered with her friends, not even…

“Oh buck.”

Rosa nearly dropped her tankard at what she saw at the far end of the pub hallway near the entrance.

“Huh? What is it?” asked Melon, clearly shocked by Rosa’s language.

“I have to hide,” Rosa said stoically. She hopped behind the sofa, praying to the heavens that she hadn’t been spotted. Reflected in the window, she could see a certain stallion’s face, his eyes as piercing as ever. It was Nico.

“Rosa, what’s gotten into you?” Court asked with a chuckle.

“Just be quiet! Pretend I’m not here!”

The two friends gave each other disconcerted looks before reluctantly obeying the order. The pony at the bar shook his head as he watched the events play out and muttered something to himself.

What is he doing here? Rosa thought, watching as Nico’s face went out of view and ducking further behind the sofa. Why would he come here? Is he looking for me? Wait, why would he be looking for me here? Trying to ignore the amused looks and staring from the other patrons, Rosa kept herself hidden, her heart thumping madly. Why would he be here? He’s not going to just be drinking on his own. He was never like that before. So that must mean…

Rosa felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she came to her conclusion. There was no other possibility. Nico was meeting with another mare.

“Woah, Rosa, are you okay?” Court asked, noticeably startled. “Seriously, you’re freaking me out. Who are you hiding from?”

“I-I can’t—”

“Lishen,” Court said, trying to sound authoritative but slurring in the process. “Melon and I can get you out of here if you’re trying to avoid somepony, but you need to let us know what’s going on.” Melon nodded in agreement.

Rosa mulled this over, thankful that her friends would help her out in a situation like this. “Okay, he’s a b-brown earth pony with a black mane, and a—”

With surprisingly quick reactions, Court shoved Rosa’s head out of view and gave her a look that said ‘shhh!’ A few moments later, and he released her.

“What was that for?” Rosa whispered harshly.

“I have a feeling that the stallion you were hiding from just came through here. I think he was looking for somepony. He just came in, looked around for a bit and walked off.” Court paused and peered out of the archway. “I think he’s going to the other end. If you wanna go, we’d better do it now.”

Without hesitation, Rosa pulled herself up and held Court and Melon in front of her like a pair of shields. At this moment most of the other ponies were in fits of laughter as Rosa practically pushed the other two ponies out, hurrying them towards the exit. In a flash of dangerous curiosity, Rosa caught a glance over Melon’s shoulder and towards the other end of the pub. Court was right. Nico was looking for somepony.

“Well that was a bit of an overreaction if you ask me,” Court said, rubbing his back after Rosa had snagged his skin a little too hard.

“Why were you running from him?” Melon asked, looking as confused. “And why was he looking for you?”

“I don’t think he was looking for me,” Rosa answered, moving quickly out of the street and towards her home. She staggered, nearly tripping over the very cobbles she was walking on.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I can’t explain. Sorry, but I have to go home now.”

Before the other two could properly say their goodbyes Rosa was nearly out of sight, her legs pumping as fast as she could manage. That night, she would lay awake for longer than she would ever want to, her mind playing the night’s events over and over. Was it Nico? I was sure of it. Maybe it was somepony who looks really similar to him. There are lots of ponies with brown fur. Was I just imagining it because I keep thinking about him?

Nico stood awkwardly at the bar, his previous search futile. He ordered a whiskey, something he rarely drank socially. He liked the taste, but found that trying to drink it alongside others who stuck to wine or beer just made him out of place, sipping loudly to extend the drink’s life. He didn’t care for mixers, something ingrained in him because of his father who had always said, “Mixers take away the taste of the whiskey, something that took years to make. You wouldn’t want to spoil something like that, would you?” Suddenly, he felt a hoof tap him on the shoulder and saw the pony in question stood before him.

“There you are! What took you so long?”