Chapter One: Life on the Farm

"Papa always told me that no matter what they say, the harder that you work all day, the harder

you can play."

Apple trees.

Great rows of apple trees everywhere, apples here and there. It was noon, the sun rays warming up our skin without compassion and the work here on the farm didn't seem to end; worst, it seemed like it was always more and more work to do. Don't get me wrong, work on the farm it's pleasurable, it fill your soul with joy and it's gratifying to see that at the end of the day the harvest went great and that we get to pick up a great number of apples.

You can do so many treats with 'em, from: cake, sauce, cider, caramelized; well, countless deserts that if I would try to count it right now, I wouldn't end counting them in moons. Despite on how satisfying work can be, it's hard to work all day with just your hooves, sometimes I wish I could have a horn. Haven't you seen how useful they are? With one of those I could get the work done half of the time, it would be more easy. But when I get to think those kind of things, I remember dad's voice with his particular cowboy accent repeating the same phrase, Here on the farm we do things the old pony way, the way earth ponies did since more than hundred moons ago, and I just stop thinking those things. You see, my father and I are the only one on my house being earth ponies, 'cause my mother's an unicorn so do as my bigger sisters Glimmering and Spotlight Apple; as a genetic teacher once told me, probability on a mare growing a horn it's bigger than on a stallion when the mother its the unicorn and the father the earth pony. If you see it at other hoof, I think perhaps that being an earthly does have an advantage, one that may not be seen by unicorns, pegasi or even earth ponies themselves, and it's that doing things the harder way makes us see that you can't have all at your hoof and teach us to work hard for what we want. That way we don't get used to the comfort zone and in time of necessity we will be ready to face anything.

But sure is that ponies like those on the hill don't see that, do they? The same as everyday, five stallions and three mares, spend most of the time lying under the apple trees, under their shadow; they just harvest apples of a separate corner of the orchard and then lie under their shadow to just "chill out." Then nopony have to go to that part of the orchard and they don't do the rest of the work. I wish the boss knew, but I'm not one of those who snitch others flaws; still, is not fair.

I rather be around honest ponies who do really make the job, it's just that in this part of the orchard there are just eleven ponies; the eight loafers that don't do anything, an old mare that can't kick anymore so she pick up the apples with her mouth one by one, a cousin that just love to show off his work, saying he worked more than he really did and then me, so I'm practically alone here. Although, I do like talking with the old mare when I'm harvesting near her, she always have wise teachings to tell. She had told me about how to harvest zap apples, and that you can't take them before the fifth day when they get rainbow-ed as they should, also told me about the series of events and signs that come along with the apples arrival and each of the tasks you have to do in order to have an exquisite zap apple jam.

Besides, ponies in all Appleloosa have decided to know me as "the rarity" of the town, still I don't get the joke. Just that one day I decided to tell my family my feelings about others, that I can get involved with any kind of po... or rather say, each creature that could share the same feeling for me, and that its sexuality wouldn't care. Lots of ponies have turned such thinkings into a taboo and so much ponies think that behavior as unthinkable, more often on this part of Equestria. It's just that I felt confidence on my family, trusted that none of them would think bad things about me, I was so excited when I entered through that door with the illusion that they would all love my decision (but not really my decision 'cause I didn't get to choose to feel like this). I think it was one of the wrongest thoughts I have ever had in my entire life — lots of ponies say about comprehension and tolerance but when they gonna put it on practice they fail as hard as fuck. After making my confession I've heard my middle sister shouting loudly "Gay!" "You're saying you are gay!?" I felt like I've been banished from Equestria and then throw in a dungeon in the place I've been banished. Neighbors have argue all over the place about how we were the ones to talk out loud at dinner time, we were apparently the only one who did, and just with Spotlight's voice was enough. Hearing her shouting the way she did was enough to reach at least five of the families around. Gossips didn't bother to wait so my sexuality was on everypony's mouth next day, week, month. Ponies start calling me "rarity" and that's how I became the rarity of the town. We all get used to it, but mom throw to me some series of stares that let me bushed; she watch carefully the way I act and she didn't seem to like it quite a lot (she still doesn't, but it's not that tense anymore) I have always love to be myself, free, enjoying life, bouncing around, run all over the place and just live it up, I think she was sort of gathering the pieces to match.

I remember that as a primary student lots of my classponymates said I was "ladylike" a "fagot" and awful things like that, but I never understood why. It seems I have always been unmanly, but I didn't even noticed, but all of that they say and did to me just show how serious discrimination is still on these days.

On the other hoof there is my sister Glimmering Apple who just stared at me with a very serious face, unlike my mother her stare was more a mix of disappointment with shame, but she seems to think that my sexuality makes me ignorant and less than her; like if my way of thinking was bad, making her be right and me wrong, making me being wayward; incorrect on her eyes, like I were the rotten one of the family or something like that. Our relationship gave a turn of three hundred sixty degrees, which was before the pampered little and perfect brother was now turned into a rebellious and derailed pony. The few times we get an orchard rotation and I get to be with her, it were just awkward moments together with different kind of stares that put me in a guilty position, like if I had done something wrong and she never speak a word. My other sister Spotlight never change his behavior with me, she just now had a new topic to tease me off, nothing new, she always searched for little to things to tease me about; if it wasn't the hair it was my voice and a large list of things on her let's-tease-apple list, no biggie. Well, on the other hoof there was my father, who'd say; 'cause he was who gave me more support after my "revelation" to say it that way. I never forget how after I "came out", and after that awkward moment on that table and the incessant stares of my bigger sister and my mother, and then my other sister laughing like a maniac, I ran to cry to my room, dad was who followed me for support; he gave me a tight hug and told me "no matter who you love, if it's love what reigns in your heart." On that moment the only thing I could do was to hug harder my dad and keep crying a while on his hooves, since then I knew there was at least someone who would truly support me.

I start to feel that life on the farm was turning too much boring, things like the lack of maturity on most of the appleloosians were the ones who took away the desire to keep my life as it was, I felt that I needed to just leave all behind and just run away of the town with no course at all, despite of how much I love my family and countryside. I wasn't eighteen yet so without the age, I couldn't responsibly for ma' self. If as turning the "majority of age" automatically mi brain would program to be capable to survive on my own, have the necessary maturity and be able to handle expenses and all that all of that comes with; please, sometimes I don't know what the laws makers think, if that was true we would saw less ignorance on this world. The thing is, I knew that I needed something else, I do enjoy narrating buckball games when other cities teams come here to compete, but that barely happens, 'cause most of the times our team goes to bigger cities to play; like Trottingham, Ponylando or Trottsemburgh. I feel sometimes as if my life wouldn't make sense, despite that I get to embrace my talent, there are very little opportunities that I get to do it; in some occasions where I'm going to narrate a game my microphone's on cobwebs with dust, so you can make an idea how much time can last one narration 'til the other.

It doesn't mean I didn't try other ways, before I got my Cutie Mark I tried to develop myself on music. This took me to break some guitars, throw some microphones and scratch some notebooks. Frustration grew with my anxiety with the thought I wouldn't do any use; not that I was so far away from reality, I mean, how hard can be to narrate? Is not like nopony could do it. The important thing it's that I get to do what I enjoy and I make others entertain as I always wanted to. Lucky I never throw out that microphone I use to try to sing; 'cause one day a buckball game was up on the town after decades of not having a game here. They trusted in me to narrate that game and in that moment after the game ended, bam! A mark appeared on my flesh; an apple with a black photographic camera with blue lines in it's design from which there came out three colors, pink that as I have heard it's the color that represented harmony, yellow that represents joy and sky blue representing wisdom. Although, I have never been able to understand clearly my Cutie Mark, but I think nopony does get their cutie marks at all, right?

"Time to get some rest and go home!" heard the farm's supervisor.

Wow, it was already time to go? Day ended fast, I don't know how after so many years on the farm I still considered time going fast, but I really did. I start to trot home when I saw that the lazy ponies were already galloping to their houses in a rush, as if they have worked all day, I don't know how dare they go so fast when they didn't really did nothing. However, I died to know what mom has cook for us today, I filled my head with possibles ideas of what she could have cooked, and truth is, whatever it was I would definitely love it, 'cause her cooking is to die for. When I get to home I saw that my sisters and parents where already set up to eat, waiting for me on the dinning room table.

"Rarity, come, hurry, sit down, I'm starving" heard Spotlight saying. I hate that name so much, but still, what could I possibly do.

At three a.m. Spotlight wake me up pushing me to the floor.

"Hey! What's up with you?! (yawn) it's early morning."

"Shh, lower your voice" said Spotlight agitated.

"What why, what happen Spot?

She make a nod so to tell me I follow her, she lead me to one of the windows.

"Equalizers!" I shout on a whisper, just to realize the town was in jeopardy, ponies were running all over the place in desperation!

I run to my parents room to wake them up, just to see they were already packing, they were planning an emergency escape. We were already informed about Equalizers, they're a group of twisted ponies sen by Starlight Glimmer 'The Equalizer'. Her minions possess the Staff of Sameness, the one they used to infect ponies removing their Cutie Marks, they make some kind of ritual in where like thirteen Equalizers surround their victims so they form a equal sign, first being paralyzed with the staff by the leader of that group, after finishing the ritual which is includes some kind of recitation, victims turn into Equalizers like them, without real thoughts, without reasoning and just with the goal to serve their Equalizer queen; if their were just hit by the staff's spell without being part of the ritual, the victims would only loose their mark, but their reasoning and mind wouldn't be affected, so this means Equalizers have to take time to have a chance to fully infect their victims, giving time to the other ponies around to be able to escape; but it wasn't so easy, The Equalizer had already take out some cities of Equestria, this pointing that she has already formed a high amount of minions, and she had cloned her staff so that multiple groups could attack at the same time, and there also were guards to protect the ones making the ritual, so it wasn't easy escaping without being seen.

Out there, there was chaos, ponies scream out at the same time as their Cutie Marks were removed, you were able to hear Equalizers voices as their conjure their singings or rather say, their corrupting ritual. It was like an horror movie scene, strange singing, ponies shouting and running without knowing what to do, the only use the shouting has was to alert other ponies, but that wasn't of great help was it? If the alerted ones just were going to came out their houses and just run desperately. The Equalizers did a fast

work, you could hear some gun shots sometimes, so I suppose they just kill the most unstable ponies, those they couldn't equalize because of their hyperactive behavior, the worst of all was that when every ritual, their group just grow more and more being more the ponies getting infected and turn into enemies, enemies that we would have to escape, if it still was time.

When mom and dad finish packing we gather under the dinning room's table. "What were gonna do now, how we're supposed to pass them without being noticed?"

"We should keep calm son, your father have a plan and we'll try to be the most stealthy as possible, but we have to concentrate and act fast if we hope to flee safely."

"OK, here I have an Appleloosa's map, it won't be very difficult to get away 'cause we live near the forest, but here is were we should be careful." said dad pointing out a specific place on the map were we should cross through an unprotected place, it's behind a house to behind other, if we were able to do it we then could enter into the forest and escape to the east so we'd be able to go to Micherrygan in were there lives distant relatives of moms.

"Ready?"

"Ready" we all agree to dad's question, we get out of the house from behind and we trot behind the other near houses, hiding between its structure. We saw from behind a house how Starlight herself and twelve of her minions equalize Sheriff Diamondstar who was with his family.

"This is not the end Starlight Glimmer, I'm sure that Captain of the Royal Guard Mighty Light will ge... you..." his voice surrendering to the fact he was already one of them.

"Oh, spare me your sentimental nonsense sheriff, you know very well you know belong just to me, isn't that right?"

"Sure thing my queen" said Sheriff Diamondstar bowing to Starlight.

"Ho... how we'll do this Blithe, we got nothing on them, if they found us we would be one of them." said my mother in desperation as she saw how Equalizers took the town for themselves.

"That's not going to happen, we must concentrate, just a little longer dear, just think in our children, got it?" mom gave a nod while we keep sneaking between houses. Finally we get to the back of the house we were supposed to get at and then run, pass the unprotected place, reach the back of the other house and then flee to the forest.

"We should go through fast and stealthy, who goes first?"

"I'll do it." said Spotlight while she proceed to go on tips with long steps. She manage to go through from one house to another without not get any attention, what an irony. Mom proceed, who just trot normally and patiently, but when she was reaching the other house, she stumbled on a rock, making a little of noise.

"Who's there?" said one of the guards, staring at our way, just being able to see the houses that hide us and en the end a lake that separates trees on the south from the ones who let to the north.

Fortunately the guard didn't insist on search more. Then Glimmering was up, she just go through just as she were just having a normal walk on a forest, she didn't bother to look if she was doing well or not, she was so confident, no rushes, no fear whatsoever.

"Who's there again?" shout a guard as he proceed to trot on the way to Glimmering, she was already on the back of the other house, but it seems he saw her shadow and was going her way now. Dad was agitated, his breathing was rushing, my mother couldn't had wider eyes out of fear. The guard as soon as he saw Glimmeringhe shoot with the staff's spell, but she knew she was going to be attacked, so she got the right timing to turn around and shoot a beam that came from her horn shining in her mint green magic aura, neutralizing the staff's spell. Then a certain waves covered the Equalizer pony leaving him sleeping.

"What we're gonna do now Blithe?" asked my mother between whispers loud enough to be heard by my father at the other house's back.

"We should split dear, we can't possibly risk that other pony see us, when he wakes up he will inform the others, so we can't loose valuable time, we must protect them at all coast and we can't fight with all of those enemies, you shall continue with the plan and go to Micherrygan with the girls, I'm going to the north with Flashy and I'll see on which city find shelter."

'But... sweet, how we're supposed to find with each other? How we'll be able to be together again?" I could perceive desperation and sadness that came out of my mother's voice, despite she was considerately far from us, she almost start to cry making guards came to us, but my father knew what to do.

"Duster, dearie, remember the Long Distance Telepathic Communication Spell? We could use that spell in order to communicate with each other once we lay low so we can find out how to meet." but my mother still didn't understand how that would work, same here and my sisters too, he's not even an unicorn.

"I'll search for a pony with the enough magic to make that possible, but I'm not gonna loose you, and you won't loose me dear, I've got the spell wrote on a scroll, so other pony with the enough power can learn it and use it for us, you can do it yourselves the three of you, I trust you'll have the power, trust me my sweet." I still didn't knew how it was supposed to work, but I'm not an unicorn after all, I didn't need to, just them, and my

father was very confident it would work, so he got this.

After finishing talking and agreeing, both of the groups take a different course, despite of the great sadness on our hearts. My dad and I headed to the north of Canterlot Region and my mother along with the girls continue to head up to the east of the same region.

"Be very careful, don't trust everypony, love you guys" that was the last thing my dad tell the girls and mom before we separate, but we were already separate from each other. My mother and sisters were more away when I saw Spotlight writing on thin air with magic in a brilliant yellow font See you later little one, don't forget we love you guys.

I wasn't used to see Spotlight saying those sort of things, but we were heading to hard times and it was quite normal that her sappy side came out. I wave with my hoof, bouncing so they would notice, 'cause distance between us was getting bigger and bigger. My dad keep watching them from the same place until they couldn't been seen anymore.

"Let's go dad, we must go now, if we stay here soon we'll be found"

"You're right son, let's go" said dad at the same time he turn and start to walk on the opposite direction of the girls. I followed him bouncing...