(Note: Hey! I am so freaking excited to finally start posting this story. This story is the long planned prequel to Shades and Tails. What's even more exciting is that it's set in Card's perspective. It's going to be during the early school days and I'm excited to tell the story of how Ace of Spades and Shadow Bright became friends. So without further ado, Pick Me Up Antics!)
Chapter 1 Welcome To My World
I was on the prowl and moving in quickly. My flank was in the air, moving side to side. I had my eye keenly set on my prey. I leaped forward, landing on all four hooves on top of…the number ten, drawn in red chalk inside a semicircle. Guess what game I'm playing? Hopscotch. Hehe. Thought I was a monster on the prowl, did ya? Nope, I'm just a golden eyed blue and white striped pegasus.
My name is Ace of Spades. I was walking alongside my mom, skipping and prancing, content. The Manehattan streets were teeming with the buzz of autumn. I saw leaves on trees along the sidewalks beginning to turn their bright crisp colors. It made me feel a buzz, and fluttering my underdeveloped wings. I floated forward a couple feet, then stumbled as I landed and fell forward onto my face.
I sat up, blinking away the daze. I shook my head for good measure. Black Jewel, my mom, laughed pleasantly beside me, "Are we ever going to get to school young colt?"
"Not if I pass another hopscotch game," I looked back over my shoulder with an impish smile. "Who drew that anyway?"
"I don't know." Mom smiled down at me. I beamed back, closing my eyes cheesily.
We continued on, walking along the streets. We had to watch for morning traffic as we crossed to the schoolhouse. Once safely across the street, I began skipping again. My mom said, "You're awfully excited."
"Yep!" I looked way up at her above me. She looked like an angel, her loving, confident eyes that looked like black gemstones, her chocolate brown mane that fell below her shoulders. And her amazing white wings that I knew could move a storm cloud. One day, I hoped my wings would be just as strong and as big as hers are.
I wasn't paying attention, and I tripped over, taking a tumble into the grass. "Oof!" I was lying on my side. My mom came forward, standing above me.
"Okay, Ace, have a good day at school." she leaned down and kissed my cheek.
My face went pink, "Mom!" I groaned, "You're embarrassing me!" she left, sending me smiles until she disappeared from sight.
"Ey! If it isn't Queenie!" said a familiar voice. It was a short red earth colt named Hotshot Red, surrounded by three of his friends, all colts and taller than he was. "Who are you today, huh weirdo?"
I sat up and grinned, "Just Ace."
"Just Ace?" Hotshot shared smirks with his friends. "By the looks of it, you'll be crown Queen in no time. Excited today Ace?"
"Yeah!" I hopped up, "Aren't you?"
"Oh, I'm excited Queenie." Hotshot and his friends all laughed, then they turned and left.
"Okay, bye!" I waved at them. I noticed a black unicorn colt watching me from the shade of a tree. He looked intrigued. I've never seen him before. I loved his purple mane though!
The red and orange leaves on the trees shook in a cold breeze, and I watched as a couple were plucked off and swept down. They swirled around me in a dance, then shot off into the day. I giggled and hopped a little. I felt picked up…
"Pick me up," I whispered a tune I had just reminded myself of. Hmm…the autumn equinox was soon approaching, and ponies were preparing for the change in the season. I knew a song they liked to sing in celebration.
"Pick me up and blow me in the wind, I wanna keep on, I wanna keep on, I wanna keep on movin!" I sang. I saw a pink filly smile over at me as I started the song. I caught the eye of somepony else, "Pick me up and spin me all around, I'm never going, I'm never going, I'm never going down!" Now a couple school ponies joined me, and we sprang into the school. There were smiles all around, and yep, Hotshot was right that Ace was checking out. Queen of Hearts had a following behind him, and I was glad. We sang all together, "Oh-oh oo whoa ah ah oh oo, Oh ah oo oh oo, I'm never going down!
Oh-oh oo whoa ah ah oh oo, Oh ah oo oh oo, I wanna keep on movin! Up-up-up,
Oh ah oo oh oo, Oh ah oo oh oo, I wanna keep on movin! Up-up-up." This was fun, and now the first verse!
"I've never felt so high before, and now I feel like an open door! Open up the seasons change, I wanna play those cool autumn games!" I was bouncing from pony to pony in the hallway, getting them all hyped for fall! There were quite a few of my classmates trailing behind me as I made my way to the classroom.
More enthusiastic than before, we brushed past drawings and hoof paintings from last year, and they were pulled from the walls in our flurry and my energetic colt wings. I was actually creating an autumn breeze!
"So pick me up and blow me in the wind, I wanna keep on, I wanna keep on, I wanna keep on movin!
Up-up-up!
Pick me up and spin me all around, I'm never going, I'm never going, I'm never going down!"
I let the ponies behind me sing backup as we went into the classroom, a flurry of papers and autumn leaves blowing in the wind around us. "Oh-oh oo whoa ah ah oh oo, Oh ah oo oh oo," and I belted, "I'm never going down!"
"Oh-oh oo whoa ah ah oh oo, Oh ah oo oh oo,
I wanna keep movin,
Up-up-up!
I wanna keep goin,
Up-up-up!
I wanna keep on, I'm never going, I wanna keep on movin! Up-up-up!"
I saw something totally hysterical as I went into the room. Hotshot Red was staring open mouthed between me and our classmates and our teacher, (who was dancing along by the way).
"So pick me up and blow me in the wind, I wanna keep on, I wanna keep on, I wanna keep on movin!
Up-up-up!
Pick me up and spin me all around, I'm never going, I'm never going, I'm never going down!"
"Oh-oh oo whoa ah ah oh oo, Oh ah oo oh oo, I'm never going down," We all sang together—except for our listening teacher and dumbfounded Hotshot.
"Oh-oh oo whoa ah ah oh oo, Oh ah oo oh oo, I wanna keep on movin,
Up-up-up!
Oh ah oo oh oo, Oh ah oo oh oo, I wanna keep on movin,
Up-up-up!"
I took a breath, slowing down for the ending, "Pick me up and never put me down, That's just the way that, That's just the way that, That's just the way that seasons roll around.
Pick me up and blow me in the wind, I wanna keep on movin!"
The song was over, and we all made our way to our seats. I was breathing heavily and smiling like an idiot. I looked over my shoulder at my small wings, giving them a couple flaps. It felt nice to stretch them this morning. Maybe I'd get more chance to do that again!
There was a tap on my shoulder and I looked to see Hotshot scowling at me. "That was stupid, Queenie."
"Thanks!" I beamed. Stupid awesome he meant probably.
"That wasn't a—" he began, but was interrupted by our teacher, Miss Mareybell.
"Okay everypony!" said the light blue mare. She brushed her puffy green mane from her face and smiled at the class. "Today is very special. We have a new student joining us!" The door opened and in came a black unicorn colt. He looked reserved, trying not to let anypony see his face. His purple mane covered one of his pretty blue eyes in an emo bang. "Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?" Miss Mareybell prompted the colt.
"I'm Shadow Bright." he sounded angry about it.
I leaned forward. "Hmm…" He made eye contact with me for a split second. I looked away very fast, blushing.
"Why don't you go sit next to Ace of Spades there?" said the teacher.
"Gah!" I gasped and fell out of my chair.
Everypony paused to stare at my sudden outburst. "Well then, that was…unexpected." said Mareybell.
I jumped up in a zing, "I'm fine! More than fine!" I started laughing. Shadow Bright sat down slowly in the desk next to me.
"She said your name was Ace?"
I began to nod, "Knave of—Oh uh, *ahem*, yep Ace of Spades!" my voice cracked. I looked away from him, blushing. What was this? My heart was beating like a hummingbird. Hummingbird heartbeat. That made me giggle to myself.
"Okay, today I wanted to start out by introducing what we'll be learning about for the first part of the year." our teacher tapped the chalkboard with a pointer. On the board were depictions of clouds. "We'll be learning about weather, and just exactly how the pegasi control it!" That little sentiment was followed by loud groans that rippled through the class. I just giggle whispered behind my hooves.
Everypony was let out for recess. We all ran outside happy and screaming. But I hung back. The playground was slowly invaded by colts and fillies. There was a line at the slide, foals pushing each other at the swings, or spinning other foals on the merry-go-round. The short castle had all of Hotshot's friends on it, he was at the top. I went to sit under a tree. I smiled and watched the other foals play. I was content. Today had been a good first day back at school.
A couple leaves lifted off the tree in the wind. I leaned back against the trunk. "Hey." somepony stood above me. I blinked up at him, a black silhouette. Then my eyes adjusted and I realized it was Shadow Bright, staring down at me with his midnight blue eyes.
"Hi!" I grinned. He'd come over to see me and that made me glad!
"Why did he call you that earlier?"
"Call me what?" I tilted my head in confusion.
"Queenie. That isn't your name." He leaned his head down, looking deep in my eyes. I shifted under his scrutiny.
"Well, uh, you know…" I rubbed the back of my head.
"I think it was just mean. You realized they're bullies right?"
"N-no." I don't think I ever realized that actually. Was that a bad thing?
"Do you hang out with anypony?" why was his voice so calm? So serious and low…
"Not really. They all already have friends."
"But you don't." It wasn't a question and that bothered me.
I was blushing up at him, "No." He looked away from me. There was a short pause, and I thought he would walk away. I really didn't want him to. "Please stay here," I told him.
"Do…you want to be friends with…" he closed his eyes.
"Shadow?" I sat forward, reaching a hoof toward him.
"With me?" he finished the question.
My face was warm. I bumped my forehead to his chest. "Yeah! I'd like that."
I went home feeling satisfied. I don't think I've ever had a friend before. My mom greeted me from the kitchen of our flat. "Hey honey, dad's not home yet. How was the first day?"
"Great," I sighed, spinning and falling onto the couch in the living room.
Mom came in from the kitchen across the hall. "You seem in a good mood."
"I met somepony, he's nice. He wanted to be my friend."
"Really? He didn't think you were weird?" she frowned down at me.
"Weird? Why would he think that?"
Mom sighed, "No reason. What's your new friends name sweety?"
"His name is Shadow Bright! His mane is so cool mom! It's purple."
She began laughing, "Is that what makes it cool?"
"I love purple!"
"I thought you love blue."
"No!" I frowned at her.
"Okay, okay," she waved a hoof at me dismissively. "Here, I made cupcakes this morning before work." she set a small plate down on the coffee table, a chocolate cupcake with orange frosting on it. "Do you have homework?"
"No! It's just the first day mom!"
"Okay," she smiled then headed back to the kitchen.
Weird. Why would anypony think I was weird? Jackie thought it was weird she'd even think that. Jack of Spades was here now, I kinda thought it wasn't very nice of mom to say that. I would try not to let it bother me. For now I'd just go to my room.
Upstairs, I laid down on my bed. It had a plush blue quilt. Was I weird? I mean, I wasn't always able to control my feelings very well, and when major emotions showed their faces, it wasn't really me. That's why I had names for them. Just today I'd been Ace and Jack of Spades, and Queen and Knave of Hearts. I sighed. It didn't really matter. I liked all my card faces.
Have you ever played 52 pick up? It was a game that always intrigued me. The first time daddy ever pulled the prank on me, I had wondered why he'd done that. He'd thrown all 52 cards down on the floor and walked away, leaving me to pick up the mess. I'd gotten angry, yes. I remembered though that I had reared up and swept the air forward with my wings. The cards had all shot up and shuffled back into one deck. It was the first time I'd been able to use these baby wings to control wind. It didn't happen very often and I loved it.
That day is when I'd become intrigued by cards. My family had an affinity with cards, on my dad's side. His name is Playing Suit. I had been super upset with him when he pulled that joke, I don't think he'll forget how angry King of Clubs was. But the next day I'd asked him to do it again, which surprised him even more.
So maybe I was weird. But everypony was different. Why couldn't I be too? Yeah, maybe it meant I had no friends, and that everypony at school didn't like me because I didn't act the same as them. Especially Hotshot Red. He was so mean. But so what. I could be who I wanted, couldn't I? Maybe my card faces told a different story. Whatever.
So hey there. My name is Ace of Spades, and a whole lot of other card faces. Welcome to my world. Nice ta meetcha!
(Chapter 2 set for 6/18/18 at 9:00PM CT
Started off with flying colors! Not to mention the song. I have plans for the fall equinox and seriously can't wait to get on with that. Let me know how much you enjoyed the first chapter, don't be shy to leave reviews. I love reading them! By the way, if you want to listen to the song that Ace sang, Pick Me Up Antics, I have a recording, and don't worry, I'm good at singing XD Copy and paste and delete the spaces in the share link to listen!
Edit: Okay, so you can't copy and paste. Sorry about that! But feel free to type it into the address bar! :3 It's worth it! Also there's after .comm/ (minus one m) after google. It won't let me save it normally.
Original voice: drive .google file/d/1oEQKS52APyBKREwnNOEEKhMALB89lf3X/view?usp=sharing
Ace of Spades: drive .google file/d/1ILAlzYG5-gGK3YZgUWIshW0u7pMoirVX/view?usp=sharing
Now, I seriously can't wait for the next chapter! Love ya!)