I wiggled both ears away from the sound of birds. After forcefully opening my eyes, I looked toward the window. It was opened, and that’s why the sound of singing birds was loud enough to wake me up.
Usually, I had closed the window before going to bed, so that I didn’t get disturbed too early in the morning. I must have forgotten to close it when I came home. I guess I had been just too focused on the book that I had borrowed from the library.
Immediately, a smile forced itself onto my lips. The day before, I had made Twilight lend me a certain book. It was time to put its content to practical use.
My horn shone darkly as the charged channels pushed against the bed launching me off it. I sat down on my flank in the middle of the room and levitated the book off the nightstand.
When I floated it to the floor in front of me, a written sheet of paper drifted off the covers. That writing was the homework assignment that I had completed in the evening just after I’d came home.
We’d been tasked to write a short story about one of our classmates. The homework hadn’t been hard at all since the words had just drifted out of my mouth. All I had to do was write down what I had said, and the homework was completed.
Before I’d fallen asleep, I had experienced a nagging feeling that something was off with what I’d written. The ominous notion still hovered over me at the time.
I had usually written my reports with my mouth, but that one was magic-written. At a glance, the letters seemed prettier than my usual scribblings. They were edgy and looked as if crystals were stacked together to form different shapes. Just to make sure the homework was as legible as it was pretty, I floated the shady piece of paper before me to give the text another read.
Diamond Tiara wanted to be above everypony else, just like she always does, so she climbed on a rooftop. The roof couldn't hold all her worth and gave in.
She was falling headfirst, but she had a trick up her silk sleeve. She didn't get her cutie mark for nothing, after all.
Just before the impact, she managed to take off her diamond tiara.
The fall split her skull, but the tiara stayed intact. It rested safely on her motionless hooves where the pool of spoiled blood couldn’t reach it.
Something felt wrong, but I couldn’t point a hoof at it. I didn’t see any mistake in the text even after I reread it. The grammar looked flawless.
I decided to ask Twilight if the happy ending needed more details. It was still very early in the morning, and I had lots of time on my hooves. I figured that I could still make it to school early enough even if I were to drop by the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle first. Besides boosting my ego for writing such an awesome story, she could also lend me another book that I could read in school. Or better yet, instead of school. A grin embellished my muzzle.
I focused back on the book from the library that I’ve already read in the evening soon after I had come home from the library. It was thinner than most books, that’s why I’d manage to digest the few dozen pages before the night caught up with me. Under the title was a subtitle, written with smaller letters: ‘A Quick Guide to Deep Mental Meditation’.
I cut off my magic, opened the book and hoofed through the pages.
“History of Meditation, Positive Effects, Relaxing the Body, Breathing, there! Breaking Mental Restraints.” That was the chapter which had caught my interest when I had read the book the day before. I had put it off until morning so that my wits would be nimbler.
It was morning, but first, I wanted to be sure that I memorized the main process correctly. I reread the text.
A pony’s brain consists of many functional centers, allocated for different functionalities. Most sections are active throughout a pony’s conscious existence, but its signals aren’t amplified enough to break to the surface of one’s sensory perception or decision-making processes.
By shutting down the most prevalent cognitive functions one can free up secondary brain centers, gaining unique insights to both sensory perception of surroundings and open-minded thought pattern formation.
The techniques described in this book work more reliably when one’s brain is well rested so that the thought flows aren’t hindered.
Disclaimer: These are not relaxation exercises. You should not attempt deep meditation procedure without surveillance from a certified instructor. The author of this book is not liable for any and all ill effects that may or may not result from the usage of described mental procedures.
Consciousness expanding technique:
1. Lay on your side, with your hind hooves touching each other in front of you. Put both forehooves on top of them and let them rest there. Keep your eyes closed and surrender yourself to the void.
2. Commit to deep, slow breathing as described in the previous chapter.
3. Let go of all your coherent sentiments and allow your mind to drift deeper.
4. Drop your focus and let your subconsciousness flow freely.
5. Relinquish your conscious control and permit your inner thoughts to express themselves.
I knew what to do, even though I wasn’t sure why I even wanted to perform the exercise. It was time!
After laying my tush on the floor and closing my eyes, I slid my hooves into a comfortable position alongside the book. Relaxing my muscles led to stable breathing.
The flows in my body and mind were crystal clear, but the task wasn’t to focus on those. Instead, I was to remove myself and let them flow freely.
I could sense a presence there as well. It encompassed me, yet stayed in the background at the same time. The humming sound tempted me to follow it further into the darkness. The voice was connected to me, yet shied away when I tried to make out the whispers. The book mentioned brain centers. Perhaps I had one of those, and it was acting up. Or maybe it was something else...
Focusing on my inner workings wasn’t the correct procedure. I had to let my other areas express themselves without my control. I ignored the silent whispers and delved deeper. While I drifted back into my mind, the birds’ singing drew distant and quiet. I felt as if I was cutting myself off from the world. And yet, the previous background hum that had been surrounding me grew louder, pushing me even deeper.
I heard voices from afar, but it didn’t sound like a song from the little critters. It was ominous, yet familiar. There were two separate sources. When I focused on them, my mind followed along, leading me back to reality. There was a resistance on the way, but I was stubborn and managed to push myself through it. I opened my eyes.
“… that is unacceptable and you know it, young lady!”
“Whaa...” I gave my dad, who towered above me, a confused look.
Mom stood behind him at the opened door of my room.
“Who gave you the idea that going to the library is more important than school? It was Twilight wasn’t it?” He noticed the book on the floor. “Cookie Crumbles, look!” He pointed at it with a hoof and turned to mom. “These profane, wicked scriptures are the cause of her outbursts. Twilight has been feeding her inappropriate books, and Sweetie has been acting out on them.”
“At least this one doesn’t appear to be mature,” mom whispered.
“I wouldn’t bet on it. And even if the book is foal rated, it changes nothing. She’s been acting strange ever since she started going to the library. Twilight put some wacky ideas into her head, I tell you.”
He turned back to me. “Sweetie Belle, you are hereby no longer allowed to go to the Castle of Friendship until further notice. Also, you may not talk with Twilight Sparkle anymore, she’s a bad influence on you.”
Mom turned to dad. “I’ll escort her to school, to make sure she gets there in time. I’ve been getting reports that she came late on more than one occasion.”
It wasn’t fair. I didn’t do anything wrong to deserve such abuse. “But I like the library, you have no right to keep me away from it!”
Dad stepped beside me. “Whenever you opt to be naughty, I’ll be there to defy your defiance. We’re your parents and have every right to do what we think is best for you. Your mother will take you to school now.” He bumped a foreleg against my flank, pushing me up from the floor.
I side-stepped to catch my balance. “Don’t touch me!” My horn charged up and body tensed.
Mom looked at my dad with wide opened eyes. “Her horn!”
“And another thing, missy,”—dad put a forehoof over the bubbly dark aura—“your magic use so far has been irresponsible, to say the least. From now on, you’re not allowed to use magic until you grow up and they stop blaming us for your bad behavior.”
“I said”—my channels pushed the violating hoof away from me—“don’t touch me!”
Mom gasped.
“Sweetie Belle, what did I just tell you? Shut it off!” He raised a hoof toward me again.
I launched two channels in the opposite directions to each other—one to the wall behind me and the other at the aggressor.
The forward channel connected with dad’s hoof.
His eyes shot wide open. “What the—”
The force rotated him, and he lost his balance. He fell on the floor, hitting his head against the edge of my bed.
“Hondo?” Mom raised a hoof to her muzzle.
“Ugh!” Dad slid a hoof on his head then looked at it. When he noticed the smudge of blood, his teeth gnashed together. He stood up and pierced me with half-closed eyes.
Mom extended a hoof toward him “Be careful, Hondo!” She bit her lip.
“You’ve crossed the line, Sweetie Belle! I’ve thought that you had outgrown the need for spanking, but clearly, I was mistaken.” He pointed to my bed with his head. “Get over here and bend over.” He raised a hoof in the air above me.
I tried to defuse the situation. “Get out of my room. Both of you!”
“This is my house and as long as you’re here, you will abide by my rules!” dad said.
“I’ll...” I looked at dad and my lips fluttered. “I’ll...” My eyes shifted to mum and the whole muzzle quivered as the words tried to come out. “I’ll...” A tear drifted down my cheek. “I’ll run away then!” My tail and shoulders slumped.
I wiped my eyes with a hoof. “I’m just going to grab a few necessities first, and then I’ll leave.” With my magic, I floated up my saddlebag from the hanger beside the door. I stopped to wipe my eyes with a hoof then levitated it closer.
As it floated past mom, she stepped back to the doorway, spreading her legs. “Don’t be foalish Sweetie. You don’t need to do that. We don’t want you to go away.”
I dropped my saddlebag on the floor before me. The rip on the bottom of it was hardly visible. Rarity had done a good job fixing it.
“I said get over here!” Dad pointed to my bed with a hoof. “Now!”
He was acting irrational, so I tried to put some sense into him. “I’ll pack my bag and be out of your mane. Just give me a few moments.”
His teeth gnashed as he approached. “You’re going to need a whole lot more to think about what you did!”
I stood my ground. There was nowhere to go, mom blocked the exit. “Don’t do it, dad. I’m warning you!”
“You talk way too much, missy. I’m grounding you!” He passed by my charged horn and stopped at my side. His hoof rose over my back. After overstepping me, he leaned down, trapping me to the spot.
I clenched all my muscles and pierced him with my eyes. “Don’t!”
He lifted the other hoof in the air and struck me on my flank.
The pain spread from my rump to thigh, and I reflexively kicked with a hind leg. “Ouch!”
My horn glowed darker, and dad sprung through the air, crashing into mom. They both slid on the floor to the corridor, hitting the wall opposite to the door of my room.
I perspired. My plot crumpled to the floor. It still hurt where my dad’s hoof impacted. “You think you can just push me around and do anything you please with me, don’t you? Well, you can’t. I won’t let you!” A tear slid down my face.
They stared at me with eyes spread wide. Their mouths were agape. I focused my channel on the door and slammed it shut.
I let out my channels to scour the room for the things to put in my saddlebag. My chest felt heavy, eyes teared up. In my mind, I knew that I had a right to do what I did to my parents. But it felt wrong. So very wrong...
I closed my eyes to gain some clarity. My mind kept leading me through the scene of the last few moments. The burden weighed upon me.
Both ears perked up as I heard the mean voices from the hallway.
“Hondo, you hold the door while I get the key.” Mom said. “After that, we get the help she needs. Twilight only made things worse by stalling.”
The door creaked. “It would have all been taken care of already if we didn’t need Twilight’s seal of approval. The self-proclaimed princess is only good for getting in the way. After this, she won’t be able to deny us any longer.”
Something was off. I could sense it. The world around me seemed to take on a darker shade. My parents had used to be nicer to me. Their mean behavior toward me was new. And the feeling of it weighed on me as a dray.
It wasn’t just my parents who were amiss—the fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders making me quit the club; classmates talking behind my back and keeping away from me; Twilight always standing in my way. Even the ponies on the streets were acting weird around me. I had seen it in their eyes. They darted at me as soon as I was noticed. When the gasping subsided, the ponies’ mouths stayed opened. Those weren’t the expressions I was used to. There had usually been smiles wherever I turned and happy chatter all around. Such was not the case anymore. The whispers within the herd, as if they hid something devious from me.
I felt like the entire world had changed before my eyes. It felt as if everypony was out to get me. Had I done something in the recent time to make them act out? No! Everything I had done was necessary and right. It was all justified. My decisions weren’t choices, but conclusions. They had to be done.
There was no doubt in my mind that my actions were required. It was as clear as crystals. I had a reason for everything I did. It wasn’t I who was in the wrong. It was the rest of the ponies. All of them! They wanted to change me to their evil ways, but I wasn’t about to let myself be corrupted. I had to resist the social pressure. I had to defy them all!
My ears perked as I heard the door to my room being locked from the outside. Mom’s raspy voice pervaded through the closed door. “Sweetie Belle, just stay in your room for a bit, okay? And don’t worry about school, I’ll write to your teacher Cheerilee that you got sick.”
“Whatever.” Locking me in my room was pathetic. With my magic, I could break down the door in a heartbeat. That wasn’t necessary because I could just choose a different exit out of my room. I lifted my head and looked up at the window as a grin graced my lips.
I picked up the book on the floor with my mouth. Twilight would probably want it back before she’d lend me anything else to read. There was just enough space for it on top of my Towelie that I had also, apparently, packed in my saddlebag. I strapped it on my back then trotted to the opened window.
There was quite some distance to the ground from the second floor, I was on. When I had fallen from the ledge once, I’d hurt my leg. Jumping out of the window was out of the question. But there was another way.
I had a plan. My horn charged up and attached one of the channels to the ground below the window. With the other channel, I formed a focal point on my abdomen. If I could lift boulders, then lifting myself shouldn’t be a problem.
I increased the flow sending it equally through both channels. My hooves detached from the floor as I levitated toward the window. I gulped as I saw the depths spread below me.
A hind hoof struck the frame of the window, making me lean over.
The force on my abdomen wasn’t just holding me up anymore. Because of the changed angle, I accelerated forward through the window.
I decreased the flow but started to lose altitude. The path leading to our house rushed below me and expanded over my field of view as I approached it.
I launched another charged channel sideways from my horn. As it hit the ground I drifted to the side, splatting myself on the grass beside the pavement.
“Ugh!” I slid on my side on top of the lawn before finally coming to a stop.
My coat was green from the grass. The skin under it was scratched. The wound didn’t hurt as bad as it looked, so I decided to just walk it off. The sting couldn’t compare to the pain I felt in my heart. When I looked up at the window of my former home, the tightness in my chest increased. It made mere breathing a chore. There were so many memories attached to that place and I was leaving them behind. I wished I didn’t have to go, but the conditions for staying became unacceptable. Dad not allowing me to use my magic—he might as well cut off my horn. Having the ability to do magic is useless if you don’t actually use it and I wasn’t about to stop using it!
I looked around. Everything was still. Apparently, nopony saw me. I picked up the book and laid it on Towelie. The saddlebag wouldn’t snap close, though. The buckle must have broken in the fall.
Something moved at the pier on top of the pond.
I approached it to get a better view. The movement came from dad’s fishing pole. Its base was fixed on the pier so that it wouldn’t get pulled in the pond if any fish was caught. The upper part of the stick swung up and down.
I had never understood his obsession with fishing. Whenever he had caught a fish, he just released it back into the pond. It all seemed pointless to me. When I had asked him about it, he would just say that it’s not the goal, but the journey that matters. I had never understood what he meant by that. The pond was right there in front of the house—not much of a journey...
I reached the pier as a sudden flash of light forced me to close my eyes. Raising my leg above my snout, I fluttered with both eyelids as I peeked over my raised hoof. I saw the knife my dad used for cutting fishing lines. There was a sheath beside it. He had told me on many occasions some nonsense about how the knife was passed through generations as a family heirloom. It even had a name: Prominence.
He just took my entire home from me. I liked my home! It was only fair that I took something that he valued in response.
I charged my horn and used my channels to slide the knife into its sheath. After opening my backpack with a forehoof, I levitated the sheathed knife inside. Prominence was his no longer. It was mine.