Chapter Six

Beginnings of an old Story

Twilight cleared her throat, "I know that it may sound hard to believe, but…," she started to read from the worn pages.

I know that it may sound hard to believe, but there was a time when ponies didn't know their destiny. It a long time ago, even before there was a Sun or a Moon. This was a time before the three clans of ponies met; Earth, Pegasus and Unicorn. It was a time of little color and little joy. There was no laughter; there was no bliss… there was only what was.

It truly was a sad time.

Amongst the Earth ponies there lived a little filly by the name of Cherry Blossom. She was as pink as the first cherry blossoms of spring and her mane was as red as the cherries themselves. She was different from the other ponies. There was always a bounce to her trot and a tickly feeling in her belly. Her lips were always curled up while others were down. The other ponies would see her coming and shake their heads. Her own family would even make her wake behind them so they wouldn't be seen with her. The other fillies and colts wouldn't even pay her mind as she trotted by. Little Cherry Blossom led a lonely life, but the tickle inside of her lifted her spirits and kept her lips curled upwards. Though, she did wish that she would fit in and could be more like the other ponies.

One day while she was doing her chores, Cherry Blossom noticed that one of the chickens had fallen asleep on top of the coop. It was sleeping peaceful until the rooster decide that he had to be heard. The loud crow startled the poor bird and she bounced off the roof and into a barrel full of water. Her family just looked on, but went straight back to work. Not little Cherry Blossom. The tickle that lived in her belly felt like it should come out. It jumped up from her belly and leap from her throat. It burst forward in a sound that she had never heard before. Her parents and siblings were startled by the sudden noise and hid behind their house. Not little Cherry Blossom. She continued to make the sound that the tickle in her belly made. It felt like she was weightless as she went on. Every strange stare or disapproving shake of the head disappeared from her mind. The tickle finally settled down and receded back down into her belly.

She looked around to see that her family had locked themselves in their home. They didn't want her to come in; they were afraid of what the other ponies would think if they heard their strange daughter make an even stranger noise. They begged her to leave and never return until she learned to be like other ponies and not make such horrid noises.

"They didn't know what laughter was?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Twilight smiled, "I guess so."

"What a sad place that had to be," Scootaloo shook her head.

"You know that Cherry Blossom is going to come through," Babs half smiled, "She's the hero after all."

"Let's let Twilight continue and we'll see," Miss Cheerilee smiled.

Twilight found where she left off and read on…

Poor little Cherry Blossom didn't have a choice. Taking her few merger possessions, she set out on the only path that lead out of the village. Other ponies would have been disheartened by this turn of events, but the tickle inside of her let her know that everything was going to be okay. She trotted along without a care through fields and plains. Her eyes had never seen such sights. She had grown so use to the dusty grays and bleak scenery of her home town. There just seem to be so much more out here… so open… so… so…

"Free…," a shaky voice seem to read her thoughts.

"Huh?" Cherry Blossom looked around.

Her eyes met with an elderly gray mare's. Wrinkles lined her aged face and a milky veil covered her eyes. Her mane was like dry straw save for the fact that it was white. Her hooves were chipped from years of labor. To most she would have been a scary sight, but to Cherry Blossom she saw a kind mare with lips that curled up like hers.

"Come walk with me for a while little one," the gray mare called to her.

They walked along at a slow pace, so the old mare wouldn't get winded. It didn't bother Cherry Blossom too much; it's not like she had anywhere to go. They talked about all sorts of things. The trees and flowers that lined the beaten path. The birds and butterflies that floated overhead.

"I wonder," the old mare pondered out loud as a butterfly landed on Cherry Blossom's mane, "If there are bread flies...? There would have to be if there are butterflies. They would go well together, but I would think that they would taste horrible," she shook her head.

The tickle inside of Cherry Blossom wanted to come out, but she wouldn't allow it. She didn't want the mare to be scared of her and run off. She rather enjoyed the company and didn't want her to leave.

The gray mare noticed that she was holding back her tickle, "Let it out child. It does no good to hold back something that wants to come out. Let the world hear the wondrous sound that lives in you."

She could hold it back no more and let forth the strange noise that the tickle inside of her made. She went on and on until tears formed in her eyes. Her sides ached and she grew out of breath. The strange noise stopped and the tickle went back inside. She looked to the old gray mare expecting her to be horrified by the noise she produced.

The old mare just looked at here with the corner of her lips turned up, "Doesn't the world seem a little brighter with such a joyous sound in it?"

Cherry Blossom sighed, "I don't see anything wrong with it, but my family is frightened of it… I never really fit in back home… but it really never bothered me. I know that this is who I am and I can't be anything else," she looked up to the mare, "But I do miss my family and if I ever want to see them again… I'll have to figure out what this tickle is and how to stop it from coming out…"

"It is hard to change who you are. The Mare of Destiny saw who you would be when you were just a little foal and didn't change it because she knew that you would be something special," the old mare explained.

"The Mare of Destiny?" Cherry Blossom asked, "Who is that?"

Sitting down on the grass covered ground, the mare took in a deep breath, "The Mare of Destiny is a pony of amazing abilities. She can see into the heart of every pony and know their fate. If you wish it so," the mare rubbed her chin, "you could go and see her. She might be able to change your fate. That is," she sighed, "if that is what you really want."

Cherry Blossom thought about all that she had been through with her family and other ponies. They shunned her for the way she acted and even were afraid of the tickle inside of her. She didn't want to abandon the tickle; it had always been there and wouldn't feel right without it. But it was also why she could never go home again. If the Mare of Destiny could take it away, maybe she could see her family again.

"The Mare of Destiny?" Apple Bloom wondered, "Is she an Alicorn like Princess Celestia? And how can she change the fate of a pony?"

"Yeah," Babs had to agree, "Does she change their Cutie Mark…?"

"Or maybe she changes what's in their heart," Twist shuttered at the thought.

"Maybe the story will hold some clues," Trinny giggled.

"Where does this Mare of Destiny live?" she finally asked.

Turning around and pointing to mountains in the distance, the grey mare spoke quietly, "Up in those mountains there is a cave of crystal and onyx. The Mare of Destiny lives there. Go to her and ask if she will change what she saw in your heart. Mind though," the old mare started to walk down the path, "Think about what you need and not about what you want…," she disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

"What do you mean?" Cherry Blossom called out to her, but she didn't answer.

The old grey mare had gone.

Looking back up to the snow covered mountains in the distance, Cherry Blossom took in a deep breath and knew that was where she had to go. The tickle in her belly grew excited and wanted to go right away. She too was excited about going, but there was also a feeling of guilt. The tickle was what made her, her… but it also was what kept her from being with her family. A cave she had find. To the Mare of Destiny she had to go. The tickle in her belly… had to leave.

Down the path she continued on, through the forest until she came to an open field. Long green grass swayed about in the gentle breeze. The grass came up to her neck and it was going to be hard getting through it. At least as she pushed through, it tickled her belly and make the corners of her mouth curl up even more. She bounced and jumped as high as she could to get through the grass. It seemed to go on forever, but she didn't mind.

The more the grass rubbed her belly, the more she felt like the tickle wanted to come out. She tried to hold it in, but it was hard to fight it. Soon came the strange noise. She had to stop and let the tickle get out what it needed to. It soon settled down and retreated back to her belly. She took in a few deep breaths and let her little body relax.

"That is the strangest noise I ever did hear," a voice came from the tall grass.

"Who's there?" she looked around.

"Sorry about that," a young filly with a golden mane and orange body emerged from the grass, "I just heard a strange noise and had to see what was making it," the corners of her lips curled up.

It was the same way she and the old grey mare held their lips.

"My name is Pumpkin Seed," the orange filly introduced, "Where you the one making that noise?"

"I'm Cherry Blossom," she blushed, "and yes… the tickle in my belly made that noise."

Pumpkin Seed looked at her with confusion, "Tickle in your belly? Never heard of someone having a tickle in their belly."

She lowered her head, "I know… the ponies where I came from didn't understand either."

Pumpkin Seed quickly came up to her, "It's not a bad thing! It's kind of interesting. I liked that noise that your tickle made… it made my lips curl up. It made… it made me…," she couldn't think of how to explain it, "I'm not sure what it makes me feel… but I like it."

"Really?" Cherry Blossom was surprised.

"Yup," Pumpkin Seed nodded, "I know how it feels to not be understood," her ears fell, "I was told to leave my home until I learned not to talk so much. The ponies where I'm from are quiet folk… barely talk to one another. I couldn't help but say what was on my mind," she admitted, "It's like a constant buzzing in my head. It just has to come out and say what's in there. I can't always stop it… I really don't want to, but my family said I had to go until I could learn to keep quiet…," she looked up in thought, "I already said that, didn't I?"

"That's okay," Cherry Blossom's lips curled even more, "I understand. That's why I'm going to the mountains there," she motioned, "An old grey mare told me that the Mare of Destiny lives there and she might be able to change my fate. I'm hoping she can take this tickle out of my belly and allow me to go home."

Pumpkin Seed stared at her for a moment, "Really?" she looked to the mountains, "I met an old grey mare a few days ago and she told me the same thing."

They looked to one another and the same idea must have popped into their heads.

"We should go together," they suggested as the same time…

"Apple Bloom! Babs Seed!" a familiar voice called out.

Several other voices called out for the other fillies present.

"I didn't realize how late it had gotten," Miss Cheerilee noticed the setting sun.

"Oh shoot," Apple Bloom stood up, "I wanted to hear what happened to Cherry Blossom and Pumpkin Seed."

"Me too," they other's sounded disappointed.

"I'm sure that Miss Twilight would be more than happy to finish the story tomorrow," Trinny smiled up at her.

"Oh course," Twilight started to pack all her books away, "Spike, what does our schedule look like tomorrow?"

Pulling out a length of parchment, Spike began to look over the handwritten schedule, "Let's see… hmm… looks like our morning is pretty busy with reorganizing the history and mystery section, but the afternoon is free and clear."

"How about 2 o'clock we all meet back here?" Twilight suggested.

"That sounds wonderful," Miss Cheerilee had to agree, "Now let's all thank Twilight for reading us that wonderful story."

"Thank you Twilight Sparkle," they all smiled.

"You're welcome," she smiled, "Come on Spike, we have to get back to the library and put all these books back," she started to trot down the path.

"Yay," Spike sighed at the thought of the task.

The fillies said their goodbyes and started to head to the respective voices that called them. Save for Apple Bloom and Babs Seed who noticed that Apple Jack was coming towards them.

"There you are," Apple Jack trotted up to them, "I've been looking for you two. It's almost supper time."

"That's my fault," Miss Cheerilee apologized, "Twilight was reading the most wonderful story and we lost track of time."

Apple Jack smile, "That's alright Miss Cheerilee. No harm done. Let's get going girls, supper's going to get cold… or Big Mac's gonna eat it all," she giggle, "Say your goodbyes."

"Oh wait," Apple Bloom turned to Trinny, "You want to have supper with us. You don't mind, do you big sis?" she looked up at her with big sad eyes.

"That's alright," Trinny smiled, "I don't want to cause any trouble."

"It would be no trouble at all Miss… Miss…," Apple Jack looked her up and down.

"This is Trinny. She's the one who brought those apple fritters for you and Big Mac," Apple Bloom explain.

"Not to mention that awesome shake," Babs recalled the sweet treat.

Apple Jack smiled, "Well thank you kindly for that. Me and Big Mac really needed that before. Of course you're welcome to join us for supper and the same goes for you Miss Cheerilee," she offered.

"Thank you," she politely refused, "But I do have some plans tonight. Goodnight every pony and it was good to see you again… I think… Miss Trinny."

They all said their goodnights as Miss Cheerilee headed down the path.

"What do you say Trinny? Will you come?" Apple Bloom hoped.

"I wouldn't want to impose…," she noticed the big puppy dog eyes from the pair of fillies, "But if you insist."

"Yay!" Apple Bloom and Babs Seed cheered.

"Well come on then," Apple Jack motioned them to follow, "Supper is on!"