Hey people! Sorry I haven't posted a chapter in a while- been busy, but here, I bless you with the longest chapter yet (mainly because of all the poems) *evil laugh*
Btw, this story is an inspiration of the movie 'Into The Woods'. If you haven't watched the movie, I highly recommend you do, it's really good! Anyway, lots of the poems/songs from the movie I decided to use in this chapter- not all of the poems used in this chapter are from the movie, just most of the ones sung in the point of view by Cinderainbow, Red Applehood and Jaspike.
• Chapter Fifteen: Years Later •
…
Chrysalis peered at the moon glowing in the sky, and her eyesight sent illusions spiralling through her head.
"I see you have succeeded Chrysalis!"
She spun around to the draconequus. "Yes, I have. Now I have destroyed your pitiful prophecy- it's all over now!" Her hackles began to rise, as the draconequus' eyes glinted even more troublesome than ever. This was never a good sign.
"All over now? You think you have destroyed the little spark before it turned into a full raging fire?" The draconequus questioned.
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying I should just kill the ponies to be extra sure?"
"No! Haha! Of course not- but maybe a new hope will rise!" The draconequus smirked.
Chrysalis charged forward. "You know something which you aren't telling me, don't you? Tell me this instant!" Chrysalis used her magic to make a dark stone sprout of the ground and curve its way around the draconequus. He attempted to teleport out, but Chrysalis's magic was stronger than chaos itself, and she put a magic field around the creature.
The draconequus narrowed his eyes. "Oh Chrysy- always so nosy. Are you sure you want to know- I wouldn't want to destroy all of your hopes and dreams." The draconequus blinked innocently, but Chrysalis shook her head.
"You tell me this instant!" She slammed her hooves against the stone which made it cave in a tiny bit further, threatening to cover the draconequus up completely and suffocate him.
"Ok! Ok!" He quickly held his arms up in mercy, and Chrysalis narrowed her eyes awaiting what he had to say, slightly curving the stone shelter back.
"Well… there is another- this last one doesn't have any clues though. She is a competitor for your stand in beauty- but my magic within, tells me it is a different beauty. This pony is to bring hope back to the land and help to resume the foaltales!" The draconequus cringed slightly, as Chrysalis let out a furious scream. She let the rocks surrounding him come down, and the draconequus instantly teleported into the air, far away from Chrysalis, who was as furious as an erupting volcano.
"A competitor of my beauty? A bringer of hope? No clues whatsoever? Well how am I supposed to work my way out of this puzzle?" She roared, leaping towards her mirror, and staring at her reflection, fixing up her mane. "How can anypony compete with me? I am the fairest of them all! Look at me!" Her green eyes glittered with hatred, before she glared at the draconequus. "And you have no clue who this is?"
"I swear I don't!" The draconequus stammered, not blinking his mismatched red and yellow eyes once.
She hesitated, peering at the ground, before her head shot up again, and her eyes rested on the moon up above. "Maybe I can find out though…" She hesitated.
"When I was a younger changeling, and the sun fell from the sky,
The moon's lust guided me on, the moon's lust told me why.
Part was my desire and the hope that drives me on.
My desire was what guided me to where I truly belong.
It taught me all I need to know and if something went unknown,
I had a spell to work it out so nothing was left alone."
Chrysalis hesitated. "If only I can remember it…" Her horn began to ripple with a green aura. Her horn buzzed, as she charged more and more energy into it. She let out a painful yelp, as boiling-hot magical sparks began to explode from it, and land on her fur. She tossed her head to the side, and by mistake, she angled it towards the mirror. Letting out an excruciating cry, the magic went flying off of her horn, and went charging into her mystical mirror. "Wait- no!" She cried, as the final waves of magic incinerated the reflective glass. Her eyes watered, as she stared at the mirror, which was aflame. Gushes of smoke enfolded around it, before they vaporised. To her relief, the flames died down, and the mirror shone brighter than ever. Chrysalis gulped, before stepping forward. "Um… Mirror, mirror, on the wall- who is the fairest of them all?"
The draconequus snooped behind her, peering over to see the perplexing mirror's response.
The silvery face began to mould it's way onto the mirror, and it spoke in it's croaky voice once again. "Of course, my Queen, the spot's given to thee. Nopony is there to take on your beauty."
Chrysalis sighed. "I am worrying about nothing. The spell changed nothing about the mirror, and I am safe in my rein."
The draconequus let out a relieved sigh, before he began to teleport away. "Bye Chrysy! Good luck!"
As soon as he had disappeared, Chrysalis turned her attention back to her mirror, admiring her beauty and fixing any small detail. "I will always be the most fairest of them all." Her green eyes clouded, as they fixed on her reflection and sent her into a spiralling trance. Eventually, she smirked, and looked away, shuffling through her dark chambers.
Little did she know, the spell she had cast on the mirror, had began to angle the mirror's thoughts on beauty to a slightly different form- the appearance beauty was still overpowering it, but ever so slowly, it inched towards another way. Another way, in which Chrysalis immensely lacked in.
...
Six years had passed now, six years of nothing happening. Each filly was now or nearing sixteen, and the baby dragon was now ten. Life was unfair, live was bad, but each still lived and each still hoped. The tyrant ruler seemed to be the only one who was living happily ever after. If the ponies weren't annoyed by their lifestyles, they were even more desperate about the amount of taxes and bills which the queen was throwing at them in pleasure.
...
Once upon a time,
in a far away Kingdom, called Equestria,
There lay a small village,
At the edge of the Everfree Forest.
In that village, was a house,
And in that house were two snobby step sisters,
An evil step mother,
And a slave.
This slave's name was Cinderainbow.
Cinderainbow worked her way through the house, hearing the voices of her step sisters behind her.
"Clean the fireplace Cinderainbow!" Diamond Tiara chortled.
"Then scrub the floor Cinderainbow!" Silver Spoon declared.
"Do this Cinderainbow, do that Cinderainbow," the grey pegasi muttered under her breathe as she worked her way through the home, her fur matted with stains and dust, her mane was grey with ashes.
The grey pegasi began to pick up some spilt lentils which her sisters had thrown on the floor to give her extra work.
"I wish...
More than anything...
More than life-
More than jewels!"
"Stop with the singing Cinderainbow, you're making us gag!" The sisters spat, before leaving the room.
The grey pegasi waited until they were gone until she continued.
"The prince would have given a festival.
I would have wished to go to the festival.
And the ball...
But the prince disappeared six years ago."
She returned the lentils into the tin, before she scampered into the room where her sisters had disappeared into.
"I wish I could go to the festival," she muttered, not realising she had spoken aloud, until her two sisters looked up from what they were doing, and stared at her in shock and amusement.
Chrysalis, who was with her two stepsisters looked up as well. "You wish you could go to the festival?"
Cinderainbow glanced at the ground, remembering her parents who had died.
Chrysalis repeated what she said, narrowing her eyes. "You, Cinderainbow to the festival, you wished you could go to the festival?"
Diamond Tiara giggled. "What, you, Cinderainbow, the festival? The festival?"
"Forget I said that," Cinderainbow began, but Silver Spoon interrupted her.
"What? You wish you could go to the festival?"
All three of them cackled in amusement. "The festival? The prince's festival?"
Cinderainbow ducked to the ground, wishing she didn't have to live with her stepmother.
Chrysalis snorted. "The festival- ha!"
Her stepmother who had two daughters of her own.
Diamond Tiara stepped forward.
"Look at your hooves!"
Silver Spoon grinned. "Look at your dress!"
Chrysalis laughed. "Ponies would laugh at you!"
"Nevertheless, I still would have wanted to go to the festival- and dance before the prince!" Cinderainbow closed her eyes, and felt anger bubbling up, and she took a threatening step forward.
Chrysalis gasped at her reaction, and lifted one hoof into the air, before slapping Cinderainbow across the cheek.
Cinderainbow felt the pain boiling up, as the force of the smack sent her falling to the ground.
The three were silent for a second, before they all burst into laughter, at how pathetic she looked down on the ground.
Cinderainbow wiped away her tears. All three of them may be beautiful by face, but they are all vile and black by heart.
Cinderainbow ran out of the room and into the kitchen, as she began to feel blood pouring from her cheek. She grabbed some ointment from one of the cabinets and began to unscrew the lid.
"Cinderainbow!" Diamond Tiara's voice boomed.
"Get up here!" Silver Spoon added.
"Coming!" Cinderainbow gasped, as the cap came undone, and the ointment went splattering onto the floor and herself.
Cinderainbow lifted up the ointment from the floor, before smothering it onto her face. It would have to do.
She rushed into the room, and began to shuffle around the her sisters to find a lackey.
"Hurry up! I need you to do my mane Cinderainbow, are you really wearing that?" Diamond Tiara cringed at Cinderainbow's ointment-stained fur.
Silver Spoon stepped forward, showing Cinderainow a rip in her dress. "Here I found a little tear, Cinderainbow, can't you hide it with a hat?"
Cinderainbow glanced at it for a second, before she murmured, "you look beautiful."
"I know," Diamond Tiara called.
"She means me!" Silver Spoon spat.
"No she doesn't!"
Cinderainbow sighed, as she returned to Diamond Tiara's hair, and began to tie it up, before she continued to sing.
"Mother said be good,
Father said be nice,
That was their advice,
So be good Cinderainbow,
Nice Cinderainbow,
Nice, good, good, nice..."
Diamond Tiara let out an annoyed cry, as Cinderainbow continued to do her hair. "Tighter!"
Cinderainbow muttered as she began to sing again.
"What is the good of being good,
If everypony is blind,
Always leaving you behind?"
She was practically yanking Diamond Tiara's hair out now.
"Never mind Cinderainbow,
Kind Cinderainbow,
Nice, good, nice, kind, good, nice-"
"Ow! Not that tight!" Diamond Tiara shrieked in pain.
Cinderainbow sighed, as when she finished, she left the room. "No miracle is ever going to happen to me."
…
Once upon a time,
in a far away Kingdom, called Equestria,
There lay a small village,
At the edge of the Everfree Forest.
In that village, was a house,
A house left alone, nearly empty.
In that house, was an older mare,
And her daughter who always wore a red hood.
That daughter's name was Red Applehood.
The orange mare with the yellow mane and the red hood scampered through the woods.
"Mother's orders were precise,
All ah need's a bit of rice,
Nothing else instead,
Except a loaf of bread!"
The mare leapt through the trees, eventually reaching a town, her red cape trailing behind her and blowing in the breeze. She trotted, smiling at passing pedestrians, before she stopped at a bakery. She entered the store, the bell tingling behind her. Red Applehood began to snatch a few loaves of bread off the shelves, biting down on a few to eat.
"Excuse me, am I interrupting anything?" A voice sounded behind her, and Red Applehood whipped around to see the owner of the shop, Ms Cheerilee, narrowing her eyes down at her.
Red Applehood peered down, and realised a loath of bread was in her mouth, which wasn't helping her matter. She quickly spat it out, and gave the older pony an innocent look.
"Ah wish...
It's not for meh,
It's for mah Granny in the woods.
A loaf of bread, please-
To bring to my poor, old, hungry
Granny in the woods...
Just a loaf of bread, please..."
A year ago, Red Applehood had been venturing through the woods, and came across a home. It turned out her Granny Smith had lived in the Everfree Forest all along, and Red Applehood had been overjoyed to find out that one of her relatives was still alive. To make matters even better, Granny Smith had told her that Apple Bloom had stopped by a few times. No information was known about Big Macintosh though...
Ms Cheerilee sighed, "take all you need."
Red Applehood let out a satisfied grunt, before she began to take as much bread as she could, and stuff it into her hood, or her mouth.
Once she had taken all she needed, she smiled to Cheerilee.
"Into the woods,
It's time to go,
Ah hate to leave,
But ah have to go.
Into the woods-
It's time and so,
Ah must begin mah journey!
Into the woods,
And through the trees,
To where ah am
Expected ma'am.
Into the woods,
To Granny Smith's house!
Into the woods,
To Granny Smith's house!"
Red Applehood smiled warmly to Cheerilee, as she began to skip across the room.
"Now are you certain you know your way?" Cheerilee questioned, anxious for the little pony's safety.
Red Applehood smiled.
"The way is clear!
The light is good!
Ah have no fear,
Nor no one should!
The woods are just trees,
The trees are just wood!
Ah sort of hate to ask it,
But do ya have a basket?"
Red Applehood glanced up guiltily, as the loafs of bread began to tumble out of her hood.
"Yes, I do," Cheerilee grinned sweetly, and walked across the room. Her son Jaspike soon entered. The baby dragon had seemed to be listening to everything they had said, as he glared at Red Applehood.
"I don't suppose you are actually buying any of these?" He narrowed his eyes.
"Oh, shh Jaspike!" Cheerilee scolded, as she passed a basket to Red Applehood, who gleefully dropped all the loafs of bread into it. "Now don't stray, or be too late," Cheerilee advised Red Applehood.
"You might save one of those for Granny?" Jaspike narrowed his eyes, before gasping, as Red Applehood snatched the last loaf of bread they had in the store. "Oh my-"
"Just leave it," Cheerilee sighed, as Red Applehood began to skip away.
"She's a thief!" Jaspike cried behind her.
Red Applehood ignored the taunts, as she exited the shops, and began to skip down the path back home, eating the bread on the way.
"Into the woods,
And down the dell,
The path is straight,
Ah know it well.
Into the woods,
And who can tell
What's waiting on the journey?
Into the woods,
To bring some bread,
To Granny Smith
Who's sick in bed.
Never can tell,
What lies ahead,
For all that ah know,
She's already dead.
But into the woods,
Into the woods...
Into the woods...
To Granny Smith's house,
And home before it's dark!"
…
Once upon a time,
in a far away Kingdom, called Equestria,
There was a lush, green woods
Named the dreaded Everfree Forest.
In the woods, there was a tower,
Which had no doors, only a window at the very top,
Which barely anypony had ever seen
And in that tower, lived a beautiful but lonely mare.
This pony's name was Raripunzel.
The unicorn sat in the middle of the carpet, peering up at the walls, which had six years of paintings done on them. She had made them incredibly beautiful, with pictures of basically anything imaginable. The pony had also made some beautiful dresses, after she had convinced her mother to trust her with scissors. The dresses were basically all over the place in the room, because of the loss of space to put them. Raripunzel sighed, before picking up a brush in her hoof, and began stroking it down her long, purple, silky mane.
"Here comes another day
With the same routine,
It gets kind of bland,
But what am I to demand?
I may be daughter,
Of Equstria's queen,
But secretly I know,
She's very mean.
If she had a heart,
She'd let me go!
I'd be able to see my prince,
But her answer is no!
What should I do today?
What should I do today- hey!"
She shrieked as she pricked her hoof on a sewing needle down on the carpet below her, and a drop of blood splattered on the floor. Muttering under her breathe, she picked the needle up, and dropped it on a desk. Then she limped dramatically to the kitchen, and found a bandaid in one of the drawers. She carefully plastered it onto her hoof, before she grabbed a clothe and trotted back into the room, wiping the blood off of the floor, and returning to the kitchen. Just in time too, as a voice boomed down from below.
"Raripunzel, Raripunzel! Let down your mane to me!"
Sighing, Raripunzel trotted to the window and peered down to the ground, which was far below her. Queen Chrysalis stood there, waiting impatiently. Raripunzel grabbed ahold of her mane, before beginning to toss it's bottom strands out of the window. Her mother grabbed ahold of of the ends of the mane, and began to lift herself off the ground, climbing up the hair. Raripunzel gritted her teeth in pain. She should be used to what it was like by now, but it still hurt horribly bad.
"Hi dearie!" Chrysalis smiled warmly, "I brought my beautiful girl her favourites!"
Raripunzel smiled back, as the two of them worked their way to a table in the room, and feasted on the fresh blueberries Chrysalis had picked.
"Anything exciting happen lately?" Raripunzel questioned, as she gnawed in one of the delicate fruits.
Chrysalis cringed slightly, before she shook her head, "no. What about you?"
Raripunzel gulped. Today was the day she'd ask her mother the one question which she desired most of all.
"I hear the sound of the woods,
The Everfree Forest of course.
And then I feel a pull
A powerful, unbelievable force,
Telling me to explore!
Now before you complain,
I'll tell you what I saw!
I promise I am being sane!
But I heard a voice,
Calling me to it,
I could have left; I had a choice,
But I stayed cause you'd have a fit.
If I left and returned my freedom!
So I stayed for you- my mum!
Can't you see?
I have responsibility!
Don't you give me trust?
Just please if you must-
Let me leave the tower!
Even if it is only for an hour!"
Raripunzel peered at her mother in hope, but Queen Chrysalis shook her head. Raripunzel sighed. It would have been too good to be true. "But why mum? You know I'd come back!"
"Are you complaining?" Queen Chrysalis looked up, her eyes flickering. If fire was green, Chrysalis's eyes would have matched it perfectly.
Raripunzel gaped to speak, but no words came out, as her mother glared at her.
"I'm your mother, you're the daughter!
Who makes the rules here?
Me! I make the rules, dear!
I'm the one who delivers food and water!
I could always just leave you up here to die,
But, no, I haven't even given it a try!"
Chrysalis's voice softened.
"Stay with me while you are still quite young.
Uh- sorry if the words I said before stung."
Raripunzel sniffed. "It's okay."
…
Once upon a time,
in a far away Kingdom, called Equestria,
There was rough, thrashing ocean,
Which few ponies dared to explore.
In the water, there was a kingdom,
With all kinds of species of sea-life.
They were ruled by the merponies,
One excitable one, of which was daughter of the royal family.
The merpony's name was Pinkarial.
The pink merpony swished her tail in excitement as she neared the shipwreck. She was closely being followed by her BFFF- 'best fish friend forever' named Twist, who had white and red scales. Printed on her fins, were pictures of two white and pink candy canes, twined together to make a heart-shape.
"Are you th-sure about this-th Pinkariel? I heard that a mon-th-ster lives-th here!" Twist gulped nervously, as they approached the sunken ship.
"Which only makes matters more exciting!" Pinkariel cried. She began to swim faster as the two approached the sunken ship. Bits of wood jutted out of the sides, and just the presence of it seemed very nerve racking. Pinkariel let out an ecstatic cry, as she began to swim into a dark hole in the ship.
"Well I'm th-staying out here!" Twist muttered, but then became all too anxious, as a few frightening fish swished passed, their jaws jutting out, exposing pairs of lethal, jagged, teeth. "On th-second thought..." She quickly began to glide into the sunken ship.
Pinkariel was overjoyed, as she peered at all the unusual artefacts which lay throughout the shipwreck. Her eyes rested on an unusual metal object. It looked like a sick, with four points craning out of the ends. Pinkariel had been stuck underwater for so long, she had forgotten a lot of what life was like above water, and she was confused at the meaning of this object. She showed it to Twist who only shrugged.
"That's-th weird. Can we go yet?"
"No, silly! This is really exciting! I want to explore further!" Pinkariel rocketed further down the ship, Twist's teeth chattering in fright.
"This is so cool!" Pinkariel stared around the boat in thrill. Suddenly, a sound like chugging came from somewhere. "Wow- it's almost like I can hear the ship! Speak to me! I am Pinkariel!" Her voice echoed across the room, but no reply came.
"Uh... Pinkariel," Twist poked her with her fin.
"Yeah?" Pinkariel spun around.
"I don't think it is-th the ship that's-th talking!" Twist's face paled. Pinkariel followed the fish's eyes to see what she was gazing at. Pinkariel covered her mouth in shock when her eyes met those of a massive sea-serpent snarling down at her.
"Oh my... let's go- now!" Pinkariel grabbed ahold of Twist's fin, before she began to swim as fast as she could towards the exit. The snake-like creature let out a ferocious snarl and followed in pursuit. It was gaining in her, and Pinkariel had to curve her tail to the side to stray from it's snapping jaws. She finally found the exit, and was nearing it. Twist had regained her senses, and was now swimming rapidly besides Pinkariel. Pinkariel went zooming out of the hole, before she grabbed Twist's fin again, and pulled her out of the ship, just before the serpent's jaws clamped down on her.
"That was so... fun!" Pinkariel cried, as she saw the snake trying to fit it's massive head through the crack in the shipwreck.
"Not for me! I think I am going to be th-sick! Twist cried, her face looking greener than usual.
Pinkariel only giggled, before she dragged her friend up to the surface of the water.
"Let's ask the breezies what this is." She held up the unusual metal object she had kept the whole time.
"Th-sounds less-th dangerous-th," Twist muttered, before following her friend towards the north-west side of the ocean.
"This is so exciting! We're going to find out!
More about above water.
Come on, let's swim about,
Without having to be the king's daughter.
This object; let's discover,
To the breezies, who to see other?
Come on, come on let's go-
There's so much I want to be!
There's so much I want to know,
Which isn't under the sea...
Come on! Come on! Let's go!
Let's find out from the breezies.
The magical winged creatures,
Please come Twist, please!
They're better than many teachers!
About above water."
Pinkariel smiled, as they approached the breezies island. "Nearly there!"
Soon the two surfaced, and were bombarded by a swarm of breezies, using cannons to shoot hundreds of tiny coconuts at them.
"Guys! Guys! Stop! It's only Twist and me!" Pinkariel cried, and the breezies instantly stopped.
"Oh, it's only the peaceful merponies! How can I help you?" A dark blue breezie with a pink mane flew forward with his delicate, transparent wings. Pinkariel recognised him as Seabreeze. He was one of the smarter breezies, for he could speak her language.
"Well, I found this in one of the shipwrecks, and I wondered if you knew what it was," Pinkariel held up her object, and Seabreeze examined it.
"It's called a... a fork! Yes!" He knocked his head, "wow that took a while to remember!"
"Do you know what it does?" Pinkariel asked, running her hoof along the sharp edges curiously.
"I think it's used to brush your mane," Seabreeze replied, squinting slightly.
"Wow," Pinkariel gave a shocked expression, before she smiled. "Thank you Seabreeze- thank you all of you- and try not to attack me and Twist with tiny cannonballs ever again, please?"
All the breezies let out understanding cries, and waved goodbye to Pinkariel and Twist as they disappeared under the water.
"That was fun," Pinkariel shrilled, "and it was nice to visit the breezies for a change!"
"I guess-th th-so," Twist sighed. "But I don't think your dad would."
Pinkariel glanced down at the fish confusedly. "Why not?"
"Well... it was-th your th-ceremony today..."
"My... ceremony?" Pinkariel stopped swimming with a jolt, and peered down at the fish. "That... was today?"
"I thought you knew?" Twist gaped.
Pinkariel let out a cry of alarm, before she swam at full speed towards her home, with Twist struggling to keep up.
As soon as she burst through the rock doors of the mansion, her parents were hovering there, seemingly waiting for her.
"I'm... uh, sorry," Pinkariel cowered slightly, at the piercing eyes of her parents.
"Today out of all days you decide to wonder off?" Cloudy Quartz narrowed her eyes.
"You embarrassed your mother, I, and your sisters," Igneous Rock added.
Pinkariel hung her head, "I'm sorry... but look what I found!" She held up the fork, but her family didn't even look at it, let alone acknowledge it. Her two parents exited the room, followed by her two sisters scowling at her.
Nopony understands me... Pinkariel thought in misery.
...
Once upon a time,
in a far away Kingdom, called Equestria,
Was a dreaded woods, called the Everfree Forest.
In which was greatly feared; ponies dreaded to enter.
And through all the flora and fauna, was a castle,
A castle in which was barely known to pony society today,
But was ruled by a king and queen,
And their beautiful, smart and amiable daughter.
The daughter's name was Twilaura.
Twilaura trotted through the long grass, which practically brushed against her nose, it was so tall. She let out a small sneeze, before giggling and finding her way to the door.
"Princess Twilaura," the guards dipped their heads at her presence.
Twilaura smiled. "Oh please sirs. You know well that you can call me just Twilaura." She smiled at them blissfully, before she pranced down the halls, and through the doorways.
"Soon, the day for me will arrive!
Shan't be long, seems like yesterday I was five!
Maybe the curse,
Could have struck me down,
What could be worse?
I must take the crown!
I have absolutely nothing to fear!
Because dad got rid of threats that year!
He crucified the spinning wheals
How bad it feels,
But I have absolutely nothing to fear!
Hear that, I have nothing I have to fear!"
Twilaura finally reached the end of the corridor, and waved to the passing maids.
"Morning Bon Bon and Lyra!" Twilaura smiled to the two ponies.
"Greetings!" Bon Bon called, before she and Lyra smiled, and trotted the opposite direction of which Twilaura was going.
Reaching the main room, Twilaura approached her parents.
"It's nearly my sixteenth birthday,
We'll have a party, and sing, hooray!
I'll stay awake, I swear, and keep alert,
I'll be hear to stay!
Beware, Twilaura, but keep calm.
Anything which signals an uncomfortable aroma.
I cannot prick my hoof, not only it'll hurt,
But I'll be sent to an endless coma...
I am responsible, mum, dad, you both know...
Chrysalis can't take me down- not my greatest foe!
It's nearly my sixteenth birthday,
We'll have a party and sing hooray!"
Twilaura smiled, as she hugged both her parents in turn. She may have been cursed, but her dad had incinerated every spinning wheel in Equestria; she was more than safe.
"We are so proud of you Twilaura. You have blossomed into a beautiful, mature mare and you will make an amazing ruler." Twilight Velvet smiled at her daughter, who blushed slightly.
"I still can't help stressing a bit," Twilaura lowered her gaze, "what if the curse comes true?"
Night Light sympathetically lifted Twilaura's chin up with his hoof. "You'll be sixteen in a month, and all the spinning wheals have been vanquished. Unless you can prick your hoof on the pile of ashes from the spinning wheals, I believe you are going to constantly be awake for a long time to come."
Night Light's reassuring words lifted Twilaura's spirits, as she gave a thankful dip of the head.
Everything's going to be fine.
...
Jaspike sat on the back of the wagon with Cheerilee, being carried back to their farm.
"I can't believe you gave all of our stock to that pony!" Jaspike gave an irritated mumble.
Cheerilee looked up, "give it a rest Jaspike. She had it for good causes."
"Oh really? Well if I didn't know any better, she would have probably eaten all of the bread by now, even before she had arrived at her 'poor, old, sick, defenceless granny's house'," Jaspike muttered.
Cheerilee sighed, knowing that her son was right, as they arrived at the house. They needed bits more than ever, and by giving all of their food to a little girl who wasn't even paying, it wouldn't be helping. Cheerilee knew she was being too kind, and she hated it. The two crept out of the wagon, before going their separate ways to their house; Jaspike to the cow, and Cheerilee to the kitchen.
Jaspike narrowed his eyes, remembering all the money they could have earned from the bread, before thinking of the little, boyish pony. His anger was settled as he approached the cow. The cow was now feeble and dying, and it was too old to give milk.
"I wish...
I wish my cow would,
Give us some milk...
Please pal...
Squeeze pal...
I wish you'd give us some
Milk or even cheese..."
Jaspike gave up on his pitiful attempts to milk the cow. The young lad had no father and his mother- well... she was at her wit's end.
Cheerilee was in the kitchen sobbing slightly, as she searched all of the cabinets but was unable to find any food. Instead, she was greeted by cobwebs and dust.
"I wish...
I wish my son was not starving,
I wish the house was not a mess,
I wish the cow was full of milk,
I wish the walls were full of gold-
I wish a lot of things!"
Cheerilee exited the house to try and find her son, but he wasn't on any of the paddocks- neither was the cow. She eventually went back inside, this time, through the back way of the house and saw that her son had deviously snuck into the house- with the cow.
"What in Chrysalis's name are you doing with the cow inside the house?" Cheerilee gave a shocked gasp as the cow let out a lazy moo...
"I thought if he got nice and warm he'd produce some milk," Jaspike explained optimistically.
"The cow's a she! How many times do I have to tell you that only shes can give milk?" Cheerilee hit her head with her hoof in irritation. "Now listen to me well son. The cow must be taken to the market."
Jaspike looked up in shock, as he hugged the cow protectively. "But mother, no! He's the best cow in the world-"
"-Was. She has been dry for a few weeks now, with no money or food, we've got no choice but to sell her. Look at her," Cheerilee motioned towards the unhealthiness of the ragged animal.
Jaspike seemed on the verge of tears. "But he's my best friend..."
Cheerilee hated to see her son sad, but this was the only choice she had left.
"Look at her...
There are bugs on her dugs...
There are flies in her eyes...
There's a lump on her rump-
Big enough to be a hump!"
"But..." Jaspike faltered.
Cheerilee shook her head.
"We've no time to sit and dither,
While her wither's wither with her-
And no one keeps a cow as a friend!
Sometimes I'm wondering what's goin' on in that head of yours!"
Cheerilee gave her son an understanding sigh, and began to give him instructions as they trotted out of the house with the cow. Cheerilee had gone quite insane over survival. "Now you need to go to the next village to sell the cow."
Jaspike looked up, "why do I have to go to the next village? Why not this village?"
Cheerilee peered down. "Because everypony in this village knows the cow hasn't given a drop of milk in weeks."
Jaspike let out a surprised gasp. "That's cheating!"
Cheerilee stomped her hoof on the ground desperately and stared at Jaspike with pleading, yet, wild eyes. "We're starving Jaspike! Don't you understand that? Now your not going to accept less than fifty bits for her. Are you listening to me?"
Jaspike patted the sickly cow. "Yes."
"How much are you to ask?"
"No more than fifty bits."
"No less than fifty!"
Cheerilee sighed, as they continued walking until they reached the edge of the dreaded Everfree Forest, in which, was the only route to the next village.
"Into the woods,
It's time and now,
We have to live,
I don't care how.
Into the woods,
To sell the cow,
You must begin the journey!
Straight to the woods,
And don't delay-
You have to face,
The marketplace.
Into the wood's to journey's end-"
"-to sell a friend." Jaspike sighed, as he began to enter the outskirts of the trees and waved goodbye to Cheerilee.