War. War never changes.

Yes, good citizens of the Equestrian Sky, it’s true! Ever since the Megaspells fell one hundred and fifty years ago, the ponies down below have done nothing but bicker and fight and kill each other! They can’t be trusted! They would turn on you in a heartbeat if anypony let them. They are savage, cruel, uncivilized beasts! Beasts we are not yet prepared to combat!

But it is for these reasons that we must always be at the ready! Ready to improve ourselves, ready to fight for this glorious land that we love! Just look around you! We live a happy life, safe from the evils that lie below! We live a life shielded from the sins of the past! Would you have us squander what we have been given? No! We must be ready! Ready to fight for the values of life above the clouds!

Because if we do not fight for what is good, if we do not fight for what is right, then who will?

So go! Enlist in the Grand Pegasus Enclave today!

We must always be re-

“Will you please turn that off, Canvas?”

I looked up at the Pegasus sitting across from me. “Oh, yeah, sure.” I reached out and switched off the radio to my side. “Sorry about that, Windspeed. I know you don’t like to hear that stuff while you’re on leave.” I paused, and let out a sigh I didn’t realize I’d taken in. “My mind’s just… been a little cluttered recently. I just thought I’d relax, try to catch up with current events, you know? Might help me clear my head and all that.”

“And? Is it nice and clear now?”

“I… I guess so?”

The turquoise Pegasus snickered at me. “Well then, if your head is ‘sufficiently empty’, then let’s get going. I didn’t come here just to sit around and talk with you, pleasant as that may be.”

Dammit. Right when I was starting to think we’d be able to just sit and catch up…

“We…” Windspeed paused, putting a hoof around my shoulder. “…have not seen each other in ages. And if I know you at all, that means you haven’t left this apartment in at least a year.”

I fidgeted under his grip. “Oh come on, give me some credit. I don’t-“

“THEREFOR,” he cut me off as he continued, “being the good friend that I am, I simply cannot leave you to rot in this dungeon that you have created for yourself.”

I glared at my friend for a moment, finally managing to shake his hoof off of me.

“I’ll have you know I leave my apartment a TON of the time.”

“Really?” he eyed me closely, the skepticism clear in his voice, “When was the last time you went outside?”

“Yesterday.” I smiled somewhat triumphantly. Hah, that’ll show him.

“Yeah? And what did you do? Go get groceries?”

My smile faltered.

“I… th-that’s not the… I mean… I…” I groaned. “No comment.”

“Ah, so I was right then.”

“…shut up.”

Windspeed rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh of his own in the process. “Oh come on, dude, you gotta live a little bit! You can’t live life trapped in a little bubble, just making paintings all day!” He paused as his eyes fell on some of my more recent artistic works. “Although I do admit the paintings look better every time I see them…”

He shook his head, as though trying to banish a bad thought. “Look, the point is, you don’t do anything fun, and that’s no way to live your life. So I’m taking matters into my own hooves. This is officially your intervention, and I’ll be damned if you don’t go outside and do something. It’s for your own good!”

“I… Windspeed, I know you’re my friend and all, but can’t we just…”

Windspeed stared into my eyes, his expression slowly becoming less intense.

“…I mean, I’d much rather we just stay here… you know… catch up on… old… times?”

Now to his credit, I didn’t think he was capable of making as convincing of a puppy-dog face as he did.

“Pleeeeease?”

I tried to rebut, I really did. I tried to hold my ground. But one look at his face, his expression, his ever eager eyes… I couldn’t. I knew it was a lost cause. I sighed in defeat. “…alright.”

Immediately he started pumping his hooves in the air. Really, dude?

“Just give me a minute to grab a scarf, it’s freezing.”

“Pfft. It’s not that cold.”

“Yeah,” I scoffed, “Says the military officer. You probably stand in colder weather than this just on guard duty.”

Windspeed let out a sharp laugh. “Yeah right, us Wonderbolts don’t have to stand guard.” He puffed out his chest, a small flash of pride on his face. “That’s what the privates are for.”

I rolled my eyes. It was good to see that the military life hadn’t dampened my friend’s sense of humor. Now where was… ah, here it is. Grabbing my scarf, I started for the door. “So where are we going, anyways? Please not somewhere where I have to… you know, interact with a lot of ponies.”

Windspeed gasped. “And exclude you from going to the best bars in town? What kind of friend would I be to do that?”

I groaned. This was going to be a long night.

I didn’t know it at the time, but that night was the start of everything. For better or for worse, I let that excitement crazed maniac drag me to as many New Cloudsdayle hot-spots as he could think of. I didn’t really want to, but it had been so long since I had last seen my childhood friend. This was the first time he’d been able to go on leave for at least a year, and really, I did want to spend some time with him. I guess I should be thankful that he was stationed nearby at all. Even so, I hate clubs. All those ponies, I feel so crowded, and then one of them talks to me, and I don’t know what to say so I end up just sitting alone and saying nothing, and what if I spill something on myself and everypony starts laughing at me and… ugh, I don’t like being around a lot of ponies at once.

It didn’t help that Windspeed seemed to make a point of taking me to the most pony-filled places in the city.

That’s probably why I made an excuse to go home after about the seventh place Windspeed took me to. Like I said, I liked his company, and he was a good friend and all, but… I swear on the Council, other ponies scare me sometimes. Especially when you start boozing them up. That’s when bad things start to happen.

Windspeed was understandably disappointed, but he begrudgingly let me go. I told him he could visit me tomorrow, but he told me he had to report back to the military tomorrow morning for guard duty (I thought he said… whatever, it’s not worth questioning). He’d be heading back up to the Everfree Outpost after the partying was done. I almost stuck it out with him, just so I could spend a little more time with my friend…

…before I turned and left the bar. My social cowardice can only be overcome for so long.

Ah… home sweet home.

As I folded up my scarf, I looked at the paintings scattered around my living room. I should probably organize those. Mr. Cloud won’t buy ANY of these if they’re just haphazardly lying about like this.

I guess my legs didn’t agree with me, because I only barely managed to avoid toppling over after I shut the door behind me.

…I’ll do it in the morning.

Carefully, I worked my way towards the bathroom. I wanted nothing more than to just lie in bed and sleep, but I’ll be damned if I don’t wash up before bed. I’d wake up with bed-head or something. Plus I think the bar’s alcohol-and-cigarette stench had seeped into my coat. No thank you.

As I started washing up, I looked at myself in the mirror.

Oh joy. Somepony got beer on my nice yellow coat. The offending splotch was barely visible, but I had an artist’s eye for these sorts of things. My coat went so nicely with my two-toned red-and-blue mane, how dare this putrid drink attempt to sully the sacred color trio with an ugly shade of brown.

As I turned to face the stain as best as I could, I spotted a bigger spill right above my Cutie Mark – A Palette with a Paintbrush lying on top. It almost made it look like the paintbrush had just put a glob of oddly colored paint on my rump. It frustrated me that it had taken until I got home for me to notice it, but I guess I had just missed it in my effort to get out of the club.

Oh well. Just another reason to wash up before bed, I suppose.

With the stains removed (and my body as clean as I cared to make it), I walked to my room, and went over to my bed (oh, my sweet soft bed). I laid down and pulled up the covers. I was looking forward to this. It had been a long night, and I was ready for a good night’s sleep.

Knock Knock Knock

Or not. And I was already so comfortable too.

Looking back now, I wonder what would have happened if I had never gone to answer the door. If I had just stayed in bed, let the unknown solicitor go back home. Maybe everything would have been fine. Maybe nothing bad ever would have happened. That would have been nice.

Of course, the key words there are “would have.”

Slowly, I got up out of bed to go and answer the door.

Author's Notes:

Before you answer the door, you may revise your character.

Edit Name
Rebuild Character
>Finished – Open the Door