I’ve never really felt at home before. There’s no place like home, I was always told, but that was just a little too literal for me. I guess I could call the apartment I lived in a home, but I didn't. It didn't bother me too much, though. I was only six years old, but I already saw great things in my future. I couldn't wait to grow older and become successful. It would make my parents smile, and that was something I didn't see very often. Not just a smile, but a genuine smile. Anypony can fake a smile.

Sunny days were all we really saw down here in Manehattan, the city was always either scorching hot in the summer or rainy and warm in the other seasons. I didn't complain too much, the weather didn't really bother me. Whenever it would rain I’d just sit inside by the window reading. I loved to read.

Whenever I could, I read. It was one of the things I enjoyed to do; it was my alone time. The library was my favorite place in the city, even if it was dilapidated and small. I always told myself that I should read at least one book every day, but that couldn’t happen. There was just too much going on to set aside that much time for reading.

Smoke from the big factories made the air smoggy and unclean; it smelled. I hated the factories and wanted them to go away, but dad told me they had to stay. I’d always been one to fight for what I believed in, but my dad was the one person whose word I wouldn't argue against, even if I thought he was wrong. He was one of the only ponies I looked up to.

Spring was upon us city dwellers, and small grass grew through the broken concrete and cracks in the street. Stallions pulled small carriages up and down the road, earning a living whatever way they could in this pit of a city. If there was one thing I didn’t like about the city, it was the ponies. I liked most of the ones I met, but the ones that my dad told me about, I hated. It seemed silly to hate somepony I didn’t even know, but the way my dad described them made me angry. They all seemed selfish, their entire lives revolving around money.

It was another bright day and I could see some of my friends playing outside on the street below. They had a plastic ball that they tossed back and forth, and in this part of the city having a plastic ball was a big deal. I looked behind me and saw the mop lying on the floor. Chores, they were always getting in the way.

My family and I lived in a small apartment on the outskirts of the city. It wasn’t the worst apartment in the area, but it could have been bigger. It had a small kitchen where my mom spent most of her time, cooking and singing. She loved to sing. The living room had a chair, a couch, and a chair that had its back torn off being used as a table. Our old table had broken when my I had “fallen into it by accident”. I never told my parents that I was practicing magic.

Most of the books I read were about magic and all its wonders, and every day I learned something new whether it be a spell, or about the history of magic. Being a unicorn, it seemed natural to practice magic, but neither of my parents wanted me to. They said it would only cause problems, and until I was older I shouldn’t play with something so powerful. Either way, I couldn't cast any spells yet anyway. I'd been practicing for an eternity and had no results. All the spells I knew from the books were useless.

I tried to listen to them, I really did. But the allure of magic was so strong that I just drifted to it. Magic seemed to find the unicorn, rather than the other way around. It was a curious element, and curiosity always got the better of me. It didn’t really matter at that moment anyway, because I had chores to do.

Picking up the mop in my mouth, I started to brush it gently on the wood floor, getting rid of all the filth. My family was poor, so as far as tools to help with the cleaning, we had a mop and a towel. Anything that required any other tool had to be done using our hooves, or by misusing the mop. I had become accustomed to it: same old chores, same old mop and towel for most of them, and same old makeshift methods of doing all the other ones.

Laughter from outside. I longed to be out there with my friends right now, and neither of my parents were even home. I could have easily slipped out unseen, and been back in time to finish my chores before my parents came home. I didn’t, though. The thought of my dad coming home and finding that I hadn’t finished my chores caused me to work twice as fast. Getting scolded by my dad was one of the worst things I could ever imagine.

Sweat dripped off of my face as I flew through each chore. Our apartment was always hot, and it was impossible to keep cool, so my family had just learned to deal with the sweat. My eyes looked toward the clock every so often, making sure there was still going to be time to go outside. Every minute counted.

Finally, with the list of chores completed and making sure I hadn’t missed any spots, I ran down to where my friends were playing. I enjoyed the outdoors, the sun shining in my face, the wind blowing through my mane. Of course, the tall buildings didn’t allow much wind, and any slight breeze I got was a gift. The smell was awful, but I had gotten used to it. Not many things in the city were pleasant, but that just made the pleasant things that much better.

Finally I had arrived in the small area that my friends and I called the Park. The Park wasn’t actually anything resembling a park, but rather it was a small, flat, concrete square that lay outside all of our apartments. It lead into a street, but nopony came down that way, considering it was a dead end. I liked it like that, it gave my friends and I our own special place to play.

The Park was alive with laughter. I saw my friends tossing a ball around and others having conversations over in the corner. Small patches of grass poked out of the cracks in the ground, signaling that spring was here. The grass always grew when spring came. There weren’t many trees or bushes to look at, so as far as vegetation grass was all we got. Off to the side of the Park was a small patch of dirt. Sometimes a flower or two grew in that patch, but usually it was just more grass. It was always really exciting when we got a flower.

It didn’t bother us much, we had all seen a tree before, except for Pip. He had never seen one, but he always heard us talking about them and got excited. He always claimed that one day he would see a tree, and that that day would be soon. I laughed whenever he said that. Trees were sparse where we lived, but as you moved further out of the city you could find lots of them. Sometimes, in the middle of the city, you could find trees purposely put on the street for looks. Most people said we didn’t really need trees, all of our apples came from Appleloosa.

Throwing a ball and catching it was easy, but some of my friends were pegasi. They’d be able to perform all sorts of fancy tricks, especially some of the older ones who were talented at flying. Sometimes I wished I had wings, they seemed to be so much better than a unicorn horn. I wasn’t able to use my magic at all, but I was practicing a little every day. Progress had yet to be made, but I knew if I kept at it I would eventually get there.

“Toss me the ball!” I called out to a pegasus. Without hesitation he tossed the ball from the air. Everypony knew that I was good at this game, and I knew that, too. Ever since we had started playing I had made sure that I was one of the best. It gave me something to brag about, and considering the conditions I lived in there wasn’t much else to show off.

With seasoned skill, I tracked the movement of the flying orb and leaped. I caught the ball between my teeth landed on the ground. I prepared to toss the ball to whoever I happened to see first. That pony was Pip. He was standing away from the group, watching the ball hopefully. He usually didn’t play because he wasn’t strong enough to toss the ball very far. I felt bad for him.

With a snap of my neck, I sent the ball soaring towards Pip. His eyes lit up as he saw his chance to participate in the game. Moving from side to side, the small pony readied himself to grab the ball out of the air. All the other ponies watched, waiting to see whether or not Pip would be able to prove himself. It was his moment to shine.

It was wasted. The ball hit him in the face and fell onto the ground. All the other ponies burst out into laughter as he rubbed a hoof against his face. I could see tears welling up in his eyes. Not because the ball had hurt him, but because of the embarrassment. He sulked back into his corner, staying totally out of the game now. I felt bad, but there wasn’t much I could do. I had to continue to play, and he'd probably get over it.

Out in the afternoon sun, we played catch until we were all sweaty and had run out of tricks to perform. After about an hour of competing to see who had the best trick, Aerial took the crown with his double loop and spin catch. I had been a close second with a diving catch off the wall. He was three years older than me, so I didn’t feel too bad.

Pip was still in the corner, but he had no thoughts of joining the game. I looked at him while all the other ponies left to go home. I really wanted to go comfort him or something, but I just couldn’t get myself to do it. Instead, I tossed the ball over to him. It landed at his hooves and he stared at it. Assuming he didn’t want to play, I began to trot off. There were places to be and I wasn’t going to miss out on them. Before I had left the Park, I heard his squeaky voice call out from behind me. “Thanks for including me.” He didn’t let me respond, instead he ran off towards his home. Pip was an interesting colt sometimes. He lived in a small apartment just like I did, but his parents weren’t very caring. They didn’t care where he was at night, what he did, and they fed him scraps, or so I’d heard from the other ponies. It made me sad to think about it, so I didn’t. I've talked with him before, and we seemed to get along well, but Pip was shy.

The road led into the city, but I’ve never actually traveled all the way down it. I’d only go so far as the library. It was where I spent most of my alone time. Cracks were forming on the ancient bricks that formed the library, and the books inside weren't much different. Most of them were falling apart and missing pages. The covers were faded and unidentifiable. The place hadn't been renovated in years, and there weren't any plans either. It wasn’t the most ideal library, but it would have to do. I’d been going to this library for quite some time, almost everyday since I had found it. The books inside were amazing, and I wanted to read every single one. Almost every single one. There was one section of the library that I always avoided. It was filled with old, creepy books that I didn’t want to look at. It was better that way.

Magic. That was what most of the books I read were concerned with, but more importantly it was what I was concerned with. Unicorns were supposed to have a natural affinity for magic, but I just loved it. Even though I wasn’t good at it in the slightest yet, every day was training. For months I had felt the beginnings of my magic, but had never fully performed a spell. I didn’t mind, I knew that it would come.

Most are old and sweet, but the one this library had was young and shy. She spent most of the time behind her desk, watching the few book readers come and go. This librarian wasn't very social, but she was like me. She loved to read. I’d talk with her on occasion, she knew me pretty well considering how often I entered the library. We’d always share a hello, sometimes conversing a small bit before I dove into the sea of knowledge.

Shelves with books were a sight to behold. So many to read, so little time. I read the spines of the books, looking for an interesting title that would boost me ahead in my magic practices. Almost all of the books were old and dusty. I was one of the only ones that actually used the books in the library. There were no candles in the library, and it was only one floor. It had about ten or twelve shelves full of books. Two of those shelves housing the creepy books in the corner.

Book after book, title after title, I kept finding wealths of information. Choosing only one would be so hard. Eventually, I decided to pick one that was more my level of magic, titled: “Basic Levitation Spells for Unicorns”. Levitation was one of the most basic and useful spells a unicorn could use, and it would help me out alot with my chores. I had always seen my mom use her magic to move things through the air swiftly and precisely, and for months I had wanted to learn. This was my chance. “Chapter one...” I began.

An hour or two and six short chapters later I found myself at the back cover of the small book. It was one of the smaller books on the shelf, considering levitation was one of the most basic spells to unicorns. With my new found knowledge, I thanked the librarian for something, probably her time, but it was just a habit of mine to thank the librarian on the way out even though I didn't ask her to do anything. I was set on trying out this levitation spell. If I could get it right my life would be completely different. Chores would be so much easier to do.

Upon entering the smoggy air of the city, I noticed some pebbles resting on the road. Something small and light, perfect for my first attempt. Using what I had learned from the book, I went through the steps of casting the spell slowly, making sure to get everything exactly the way the book dictated. I felt all my energy being centered around my horn. My whole body tingled as I saw a small light emanate from my horn. The pebbles shook and wobbled, slowly being overtaken by the spell.

I could feel the energy being transferred from my horn into the pebbles, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The pebbles wobbled slightly. My mind was racing and my heart pulsing. The book said nothing about an increase in heart rate. Squeezing my eyes shut, I focused on the spell and only the spell. The pebbles trembled some more, and so did my entire body. My head hurt, I wasn’t even sure if I was doing the spell right anymore. I couldn't think straight, I had totally forgotten the spell. Feeling had left my legs. The small light forming around my horn went out abruptly, and the pebbles stood still on the ground. I opened my eyes. Failure once again, and this time at levitation.

I walked home slowly, reflecting on the failed attempt at one of the simplest spells that a unicorn could use. It was humiliating, but luckily nopony had seen it. My head had stopped hurting and I could feel my legs once more. It seemed like I’d need more practice before I could start moving on in the world of magic. For once, though, my failure had bothered me. I felt it, I was so close, but the moment where I should’ve given a final push I let go.

Looking from the street, my apartment seemed huge, but the rooms that made it up were much too small. I didn’t know whether or not my mom or dad were home, they came home late sometimes. I walked up the stairs and entered my empty apartment. For once, I was actually glad I didn’t have to face either of them. My face would give my mood away, and one of them would ask what was wrong. I didn’t want to have to lie to them, or tell them the truth. Sometimes the truth should be the best kept secret.

As the sun went down and day turned to night, I had finished making supper for myself. All throughout the process, I constantly thought of how much easier the levitation spell would make my work. The thoughts plagued me, every time I did something the idea of levitation helping went through my head. Now my failure outside the library really started to hurt, but I’d have to get over it unless I wanted my parents to ask. The last thing I wanted to tell them was that I had been experimenting with magic again. They always told me it would come naturally, but I knew they just wanted to keep what little furniture they had left safe from untamed magic. They'd probably lock me up if I told them.

Swinging open, the door revealed my father who had just arrived home. My ears perked up and my eyes widened, I always loved it when dad came home before I fell asleep. Galloping over, I leaped into the air and gave him a hug. Today he was smiling, which meant work went better than usual. He worked at a factory, and he got to do all sorts of things. Usually when he came home he’d tell me all about them, but tonight he was tired. His dark blue coat was tainted with small stains, and he smelt terrible. He was smiling nonetheless.

“Hey Trixie, how’s my little girl doing?” he said, his eyes glowing as he looked at me.

“Today was fantastic! I’ll tell you all about it but first I wanna hear about your day.” I smiled. He almost always told me about his day when I was awake, I only bothered asking out of courtesy.

“I’d love to but I’m really tired, sweetheart. I’m really sorry. Maybe tomorrow.” He trotted off to his bed, leaving me to sit idly in the living room. This was the first time he was too tired to tell me about his day. Something must have happened at work, and tomorrow I’d find out one way or the other. For now, I let him go to bed. I respected my father more than I respected anypony else. He was the best dad I could have ever asked for, and I couldn't be angry at him.

As I curled up on the couch where I usually slept, my mother entered through the door. I acted as though I was asleep. Most of the time I’d rush to greet her, but I could hear her mumbling under my breath. She wasn’t happy, and when she wasn't happy it was best to avoid her.

“Stupid clients, always have to mess things up.” She looked over at me, curled up on the couch. She softened her gaze for a moment before trotting into the bedroom. Both my parents had insisted that I get the bed and that they sleep on the couch, but I had refused. The couch was the only mattress I enjoyed, and it was all mine. One of the few possessions I had was that couch.

Out the one window of my apartment I could see the moon. Its luminosity brilliant in the night sky, it was complemented by the stars. Beauty was an understatement, words couldn’t describe how the moon and the night mixed so that they became one entity. Simply put, darkness and light found their perfect match, and created the night. Painting a dotted picture across the sky, the stars created whatever shape my imagination allowed. The moon was always at the center of the sky, owning the night sky. If there was one thing I noticed about the night sky, it was the moon. I could see myself in the moon.

Imagination was a powerful thing. Even though it didn’t resemble me at all, I somehow saw myself there in the night sky every time I looked up. It was as if I was staring down at myself, or something was, making sure I was safe. That everything went according to plan. I liked this reassurance. Anytime I felt sad, or hurt, I could always depend on the night sky. The night sky was always there, looking down on me.

Darkness consumed me, and slowly I was drifting off into sweet sleep. Once my eyes were completely shut, I could feel my body preparing itself for rest. All my muscles relaxed as memories of today’s events played through my mind. My breaths became systematic and involuntary. Sleep was upon me.

There was a quiet knock at the door. It had almost been inaudible, and if I had been any further into falling asleep I wouldn’t have heard it. Opening my eyes lazily, I looked over towards the door. Who could be knocking at this hour, I thought. I pulled myself off of the couch, almost having to force my body to resist going back to sleep. I took slow steps, making sure not to make any noise. My hooves barely made a sound as I made the seemingly endless journey to the door.

I pulled the door open slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. Standing outside the door in the dark hallway was Pip. His eyes were slightly welled up, and a pillow hung from his mouth. He was shivering from the cold night air, and his ears drooped. I wasn't sure if I should let him in or not, but I remembered throwing the ball at him and embarrassing him Without a word, I let him in my apartment. I felt bad for him, kicked out of his own home. It was heartwarming, though, that he had chosen to come and sleep in the comfort of my home with me. He silently positioned himself on the nearby chair, putting his pillow down on the hoof rest. He gave me one last look, as if to say “thank you”, before closing his eyes.

I stared at the sleeping colt for a while, admiring the way his stomach fell and rose. It was so peaceful. Sometimes he’d move around a little bit, only to find a new spot to settle into. Silence. I found my own sleep overtaking my mind once more, and before I knew it my eyes were closed and my thoughts had moved on to dreams. Usually I didn’t dream, and tonight was no different.