I galloped through the village with glee. Behind me, my sister chased me with foalish giggles on her breath.

“I’m going to get you Lu!” Tia exclaimed, her pink mane billowing behind her.

“Nuh!” I called back, cheekily rounding a corner around a hut. And suddenly my face was implanted in a wall of dark purple fur.

“Hey!” the wall of fur exclaimed. I looked up to see Mrs Amethyst’s face. The ornery old mare was glaring downwards.

“Oh my goodness!” Tia exclaimed from behind. “I’m so sorry Mrs. Amethyst! We didn’t mean to run into you!”

“Humph!” the mare grunted. “You fillies ought to pay attention to where you’re going! One day you may bump me while I’m doing something important, and then you’ll be meeting the back of my hoof!”

“I’m so sorry, it won’t happen again.” Tia apologized. “Come along Lulu, we shouldn’t disturb the older ponies.” Tia gently tugged on my shoulder, pulling me away from the old mare.

“Wretched filly…” Amethyst muttered as Tia pulled me back around the bend.

“Why was she so mean?” I asked when we were out of sight. “We were just playing… It’s okay for us to play right?”

“Amethyst has always been like that. Don’t worry Lu, she doesn’t leave home very often. We’ll be safe so long as we stay away from it.”

“But why?” I asked, looking up at my sister.

“Some ponies are just like that.” Tia responded. “It’s just better to stay away from her. Don’t worry about it.”

“But why?” I pressed, leaning into Tia’s white coat.

“It- It just isn’t.” Tia sighed. “Come on Lu. It’s getting late and we need to be getting home anyway.”

We lived in a wooden hut near the edge of the village, so it wasn’t long before Tia ushered me inside.

“Mom should be home soon. Come on, let’s clean up a bit and give her a surprise!”

“A surprise?” I asked. “Does mommy like surprises?”

“She’ll like this one, I promise.” Tia reassured.

“‘Cuz Emerald and Sapphire gave me a surprise yesterday and I didn’t like it.” I stuck my tongue out.

“Are they bothering you again?”

“Yeah! They jumped at me with a bucket! I got all wet and sticky!”

“Ok… I’ll try talking with their parents. They really shouldn’t treat you like that.”

“They’re not?” I asked, one of my ears flopped to the side. “But all the other foals treat me like that too…”

Tia looked up and stared at seemingly nothing.

“Ok just… Just stay by me ok?”

“Ok!” I chirped, picking up a doll carved out of wood. “I’m going to put Sir Snuggles to bed!” I announced.

“Alright Lulu.” Celestia absentmindedly agreed. I brought Sir Snuggles over to my bed and laid him gently on the straw pillow, pulling a threadbare blanket over the bottom half.

The door chose that moment to open.

“Mom!” greeted Tia.

“Mommy!” I exclaimed, pouncing on the familiar lilac mare in a tackle.

“Oof!” she grunted as she caught me in her forelegs. “Lulu! You’re much too big to keep jumping on me!”

“Sorry mommy.” I smiled as I nuzzled her barrel.

“Tia! Was there any trouble today?”

“Lu accidentally ran into Amethyst, but otherwise everything was fine.”

“Never liked her.” Mom quietly admitted. “But good! I’m glad.” Mom pulled a reed bag full of vegetables into the hut and closed the door. “Lu, could you go play with Sir Snuggles? Tia and I need to make dinner.”

“Aw! I just put him to bed!” I complained, walking back over to pick up Sir Snuggles. Mom chuckled.

“We were going to clean up a bit before you got home.” Tia explained.

“Thank you dear. I appreciate it.” Mom smiled. “Could you get a fire going? I’ll start cutting up the veggies.”

“Of course mom.”

Dinner had been foraged leafy greens and river roots, boiled into a simple stew. Mom and Tia had tucked me into bed, but sat around the fireplace talking quietly. I didn’t fall asleep quite yet, instead examining Sir Snuggles.

Daddy had carved it… Before he went away. Sir Snuggles was a unicorn hero who wore a feathered knight helmet.

The light from the fire danced over the grainy wood as I finally fell asleep.

I hummed happily as I walked down the forest path, the gallant knight, Sir Snuggles, as my escort.

“Come Sir Snuggles! We have yet to cross this mighty forest to rescue the fair princess!”

“But Lady Lu!” Sir Snuggles exclaimed. “Hark! Our path is blocked by gremlins!”

“Zounds!” I cried as hideously green goblins popped out of the bushes. “Have at thee villain!” I brandished a mighty sword before me and charged forward. The gremlins were a mighty foe! Yet they offered little resistance to my heroism!

As the last gremlin fell, the forest fell silent.

“Sir Snuggles?” I asked, looking around for my knight. Strangely, the brave knight was nowhere to be seen. Neither were the trees for that matter.

“Why aren’t you a brave filly?”

Confused, I looked around again. A silver mare wearing a dark dress, and an equally dark shawl that obscured the top half of her face stood where the gremlins once stood.

“Oh. Hello.” I greeted. “Have you seen Sir Snuggles? He is my valiant knight and I seem to have lost him…”

“I have not young one.” The mare replied. “But may I offer my assistance instead?”

“Assistance? Are you a mighty wizard?” I asked, looking her over.

“You could say that.” she stated gently.

“But uh…” I stalled, noticing the mare lacked the horn of a mighty wizard. “Are you not a unicorn? I’m not allowed to talk to Earth Ponies…”

“Would a mighty wizard not be able to conjure a horn?”

And suddenly a silver horn was on her head.

“Wow!” I exclaimed. “You are indeed a mighty wizard! Then welcome and well met mysterious wizard! Come! We have evil to slay and princesses to save!”

“Oh? And which princess are we saving?”

“Why Princess Sterling!” I exclaimed.

“Fascinating. Would you rather not be the Princess that needs saving?” the mare asked, her face still hidden.

I stopped in thought. “... Why would I?” I asked after a moment. “Princesses stay in towers for mighty heroes to rescue! How can I rescue anyone if I am trapped in a tower?”

“You wish to rescue and not be rescued?”

“Yeah! I want to be exactly like Sir Snuggles!” I agreed.

“Tell me about Sir Snuggles.” the mare wryly smiled.

“Sir Snuggles is the bravest, most gallant hero in the land! He has slain mighty dragons and many gremlins!”

“So you would rather be a hero than a princess?”

“Yeah!”

“I see.” The mare smiled kindly. “I think that is very noble and gallant of you.” she bent down and nuzzled the top of my head. “I foresee you becoming a great and mighty hero indeed.”

I grunted as Mom handed me a clump of watercress. She was currently in the shallows of a gently flowing river, scoping up more clumps of plant and slashing at the stems with a small knife. I stuffed the bundle into a reed saddlebag.

“Watch it Lu.” I barely had enough time to catch Tia’s bundle of watercress that she tossed. I almost dropped it as my horn flickered.

“Don’t throw things Tia.” Mom gently admonished.

“Yes mom.” the white unicorn relented. I stuffed the leaves into the bag.

“One or two more bundles mom!” I called out.

“Thank you dear.” Mom stated, pulling on more plants.

“Hey Lu look!” Tia exclaimed. I looked up to see a fish floating above Tia’s head.

“Ew Tia!” I squeaked. “Fish are nasty! Put that down!”

Tia giggled as she tossed the fish back into the water.

“Get used to touching fish Luna.” Mom informed. “One day you’re going to be in here with us.”

“You touch fish?!” I exclaimed in surprise. “Ewwww!” Mom chuckled softly.

“Not too often, but yes. We touch fish sometimes.”

“Bleh!” I made a face. “Why?? They’re so slimy and they smell weird!”

“Can’t help it sometimes. We brush against them as they swim by.”

“Here you go Lulu.” Tia passed another bundle.

“Wait!” I squawked. “Does that mean fish touched these?!” I dropped the bundle Tia gave me.

Mom and Tia only laughed

“Here you go Luna, the last fish touched watercress” Mom snarked.

“Aw geez! And you make me eat this!” I squeaked. Mom laughed even harder.

“Yes, we’re going to have it tonight. Now go bring it home! We still have time to gather more to sell to the others! Bring back a new bag!”

“Yes mom!” I chirped, my disgust all but forgotten. I turned and skipped back up the bank. The village wasn’t far, so it didn’t take me long to reenter the village itself.

“Hey look Emerald! It’s Loony Luna!” a hauntingly familiar voice called out suddenly.

“Go away Sapphire!” I squeaked indignantly. “I don’t got time to talk to you!” A pair of fillies came into view, sitting on a hay bale, one a dark green, the other a deep blue.

“Probably to go talk to yourself. Like a Loony.” the green filly snarked.

“I am not a loony!” I squeaked again.

“But your name is so similar!” the blue one replied. “Me and Emerald are going to cut jewels for the crown when we grow up, you’re going to the mad house!”

“Why would I even go to a angry house?!”

The duo erupted into laughter.

“The crazy house!” Emerald jeered.

“The loony bin!” Sapphire added.

“I’m not crazy!” I growled.

“That’s what a crazy pony would say!” They finished together.

“Gah!” I yelled, turning away towards home.

“Don’t even get us started on Celestia!” Sapphire stated loudly. “Only a crazier pony would care for a loony!”

“Take! That! Back!” I rounded again on the twins.

“Or what?” Emerald growled. “You’re one tiny pony! We’re two big ponies!”

“All I see are two big stupid ponies!” I exclaimed. What they didn’t notice was the hoof sized rock directly under Sapphire’s face.

“Ow!” exclaimed Sapphire as I lifted the rock with as much force as I could muster. Time stood still for a moment as we all locked eyes.

“You little shit!” Emerald shrieked as she leapt into a tackle.

“Eek!” I squeaked helplessly, covering my face with my forelimbs. My world became explosions of red pain in the darkness as Emerald began to throw punches.

After several forevers, I dimly noticed a sisterly voice.

“Emerald! Get off her!”

The red explosions stopped and a weight on my chest that I hadn’t noticed lifted.

“What’s going on out here?!”

“Mrs Amethyst! Your granddaughters are attacking my sister! Again!”

“Serves that little shit right.” Amethyst grunted. “Hideous little goblin ain’t right.”

Tia sputtered wordlessly.

“Tia!” mom’s familiar voice rang out. I finally opened my eyes to see an angry mom approaching. “Tia… Take Lulu home. I’ll handle Mrs. Amethyst.”

“I- Are you sure mom?” Tia asked timidly.

“Very.”

“Come along Lulu.” Tia said gently, turning away from mom and prodding me with her nose.

“They started it! They kept calling me loony! That I belonged in an angry house! And then- and then- and then-” I stammered.

“Liar!” Emerald shrieked again. “You threw a rock!”

“Enough.” Mom commanded, it seemed like the whole village fell quiet. “Celestia? If you would?”

“Yes mother.” Tia whispered simply. “Come along Lulu.” she repeated. I sniffed loudly, but otherwise followed behind Tia as we walked the rest of the way home.

As soon as the door shut I could hear mom yelling loudly. Loudly enough it felt like dust fell from the roof. I couldn’t understand what she was saying, but I could tell she was very angry.

“Th-they called you crazy for loving me Tia.” I sniffled. Tia paused for a moment, but she continued, an unreadable expression on her face.

“Let’s get the soup started Lulu.” she finally said.

“Am I crazy Tia?” I asked quietly. Tia paused again, this time while trying to remove the reed bags from my back.

“No Lulu. You’re not crazy.”

“Th- Then why do they keep calling me that? I squeaked sadly.

“I don’t know Lulu.”

Something about the way she said those words seemed unfamiliar. Like the way she said it didn’t belong in her mouth.

“And they’re not the only ones! Mrs. Amethyst! Torchwood! Hoarfrost! They all say the same thing!”

“I know Lulu.” Tia said sadly. “I know.”

Buckle up kids. This is gonna take a while.

No I'm serious. While writing this section, I was worried it was going to take up at least half the fic.