A New Dawn

The cottage in the sky just outside Cloudsdale was filled with bustling, commotion, and clattering. The noises, judged by how dark the house was during dusk and the hushing if the fuss got too noticeable, proved that the ponies inside were frantically preparing for something. Inside the house, a mare, a stallion, and a foal were all rushing to pack some belongings as quickly as possible. All three of the ponies were of the species Pegasus.

"Where are we headed?" the young foal asked. He had a certain desire for information, but knew his limits. He sported a grey coat, shiny golden eyes, a long black and yellow mane flowing freely behind his head and just over his forehead, and a similarly-colored, well-groomed tail that stood and curved out. Inside, he was timid and easily startled but not frightened. He was also very welcoming to any pony, but sometimes his hesitance got the better of him, during which he would remain silent.

No response came from the stallion or mare.

"Can some pony please answer me? Where are we going?" he asked yet again.

"Well, if you must know, Leon, we are moving!" responded the mare. She was warmhearted, and had the natural protective instinct any mother had. Because of this, she would not tell the foal, Leon, where they were really headed.

I may have asked more than I should have. The young foal could not keep the conversation going.

He immediately shut his mouth and lowered his head. His mother sensed the grief inside him, and wanted to say something to make him feel better.

"Look, I know how you must feel, leaving all your friends in Cloudsdale behind. But where we're going, I'm sure you'll make new ones in no time!" she stated.

"But what about my friends here? What about Derpy? What about my training at flight camp? I can't fly yet!"

Derpy Hooves, as she was named, was a clumsy Pegasus foal who lived nearby Leon. She was very sensitive about herself because of her eyes being inverted, but Leon had made good friends with the Pegasus. He never knew why, but Derpy always had an appetite for muffins of any kind. She had also attended the same flight camp Leon was taught in, and together had made the best of training. Derpy was not the fastest flier, but to her control was much more important than anything speed offered. She had also taught Leon how to use his wings as extra appendages, an invaluable skill which replaced the usual practice of him using his forelegs to grip objects. Both foals were "blank flanks"; foals who had not earned their cutie mark yet, and were constantly picked on.

"Derpy will come over to say goodbye, and you can still write to each other constantly. I know that you had good friends here. And where we're going, you will still be able to attend flight camp," his mother answered him.

"Can I ask where exactly we are moving to? Is it far from Cloudsdale?" Leon questioned with uneasiness.

"I don't think you know about this land. It's not far from Cloudsdale at all. It is only about thirty minutes from here. The province is called Coltifornia and the city we'll be moving to is Caelum Lux. If you would like to, rest before we leave."

With that, Leon bowed his head in remorse and headed to his room. He fell onto his clouded bed, and even the plush, comforting feel of the bed would ease his pain. He laid there, with nothing on his mind, until it fogged up with deep thoughts of sleep.

Awakening five hours later at the break of dawn, Leon sat up, walked out of his room, and into the living room. He still seemed down, and his parents had waited for him to wake up. They could plainly see the sadness on his face. They smiled, looked at him, and escorted him to the kitchen. There, grief turned to amazement as Leon saw many of his friends from flight camp, including Derpy. She placed down two plates of muffins with her wings.

"Hey, look! Leon!" she exclaimed.

The crowd of young foals turned to Leon, and a cheer erupted from all of them. He really didn't think this was a good time to cheer, but he was nonetheless satisfied that many ponies took the time to do this. He went over to the table and said hello to everyone. He reached over for a muffin, and Derpy couldn't help but laughing. Many of the other ponies did not get why she laughed, but they each added their voice to the laughter. The whole kitchen was filled with laughter. Leon couldn't help but feel as if the laughter was directed towards him.

"Why is every pony laughing?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, we just know that you shouldn't be so down in the dumps. Even though you're leaving, we all got together to get you something," Derpy said. With that, she pulled from the living room two boxes; one seemed flat but wide, and another was a sizeable package with holes on the side. Leon wondered what were in the boxes, especially the one with holes on the side.

It seems to be something living, something that can breathe in the box. But what? He thought about what creature, or pony, could possibly be in the large box.

Derpy set both down on the table with her wings. The smaller of the two was inscribed with the phrase Magnus Trot Antrorsum. He did not know what it meant, but somehow knew it was something to do with him moving. He slowly opened the package, and revealed to everyone in the room a strange necklace. He looked puzzled and amazed, and asked who the gift was from.

Silence was the only response he received. He accepted it as an answer, and placed the necklace back in the box. He then turned to the larger box, and proceeded to open it, until Derpy chimed in.

"Don't open that one yet. It needs to stay in the box until it's ready to be opened."

"When will that be?" Leon asked.

"You'll know it when it happens," she responded.

Leon set the box down with his wings, placing a smile on Derpy's face. He then turned to look at everyone, with both a mixture of happiness and remorse in him.

"Thank you every pony, for everything. I can say that Coltifornia will not be the same as here, but I will try to write. I'm glad I got to know many awesome friends, and that they actually came to say goodbye." There was sadness in him now, and he remained quiet.

"All right, we're just about ready to go," his mother said.

"Goodbye, everyone." He stopped, and headed to Derpy. "Goodbye, Derpy." He hugged her, and she him. Tears filled their eyes, not knowing how long he would be gone.

"Bye, Leon. Make sure to write to us, OK?" she said

"I will, no doubt about it." With that, he slowly walked out the door and left. Everyone remained quiet, and they too slowly left with a feeling of emptiness.