[Ponyville] Breaking Free

[Dubstep]

Life in Canterlot, to most, looks wonderful, it's clean, bright and there's so many things to do, but to Lemon Sunrise it was a prison, "But mother, why can't I go outside? It's a wonderful day out, not a cloud in the sky!" the young filly asked of her mother, Emerald Broach, while brushing her long pink and golden mane

"Because my dear, only common riffraff frolic, we have more tact and dignity than that" her mother sneered, "and besides all of that, you still have your lessons to do, I'll not have any daughter of mine gallivanting around as though she were some, uggh, Ponyville hick!" the green haired mare shuddered as she began out of her daughter's room, "Now put such silly thoughts out of your mind! We have a big day tomorrow, your father went to a lot of trouble inviting all of the guests to our annual ball, Photo Finish herself is going to be there!"

"Yes mother..." Lemon sighed sadly, getting up to go to the window, she stared out to all the children having so much fun, when suddenly, a knock and a voice came to her door

"Milady? It's time for your lessons." an older unicorn stallion walked in, it was Mr. Dornez, her family's butler.

"Ohh! Oh it's you Walter, you startled me." Lemon squeaked, turning around to her teacher

"Day dreaming again Lady Sunrise?" Walter chuckled as he walked over to the bookshelf

"Today we will be studying the basics of poetry and various verse." he smiled, levitating a book down from the top of the shelf

"Walter....What's it like in Ponyville?" Lemon asked, staring out the window

"Well" Mr. Dornez said pondering, Lemons father would send Walter into town on occasion to gather some apples and other goods, "It most assuredly is not as nice as here in Canterlot!" he said wavering a bit when Lemon started to frown, "B-but ahh, the ponies there are nice enough, a nice school and lots of foals." Walter said walking over to the young miss, "Now what has your mother told you about asking me such things milady?" he said patting her head

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just, I don't understand why, we can't be that different than the 'commoners' as mother and father call them!" she said tearing up a little, "For so long now, I've wanted nothing more than to find out...Hmm, well, I guess we should start on the lesson." Lemon said, wiping away the tears from her eyes

"That would be best Lady Sunrise." Walter said as he began.

A few hours later.

"Goodnight princess!" Lemon's father, Golden Crown, said as he gave his daughter a goodnight kiss, "Don't forget dear, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, perhaps Madam Finish will choose you as a new model, since that Fluttershy girl gave up!" the golden pelted stallion said with pride as he turned off the light

"Goodnight father I" she started to say, but her father had already left, ...Love you. sadly her parents were always so busy, be it with their Bits or their dances.

Later still.

"Mother? Father?" the young foal whispered into her parents room, the moon was high in the sky, and it was far far past her bed time, "Good they're asleep, tonight's the night!" Lemon said to her self grabbing her near by pack, gathering up various thing, some food, her favourite dresses and accessories, and a large amount of Bits from the vault, Lemon Sunrise began to sneak out of her house, "Ok...Here we go!" she gulped as she opened the large door to the mansion, the cool night air whisked through the house, it made her shiver, with a small gulp, Lemon took her first unsupervised step out into the world, the streets were bright and bustling, as one would expect of a city such as Canterlot, "Oh dear, I better not take the main streets if I wish to be unnoticed!" she said as she trotted towards the woods on the hill towards Ponyville

"Oh this is so exciting, I've not even been allowed to read much on Ponyville! I wonder what it's liiiiAAAHHHH! Lemon smiled talking to her self, until she slipped on a loose rock, rolling down the hill a ways, she came to a stop near the bottom

"Oww, ohh, my hair! My lovely hair!" she said crying, "Hic...Well...I guess since I don't want to be caught" Lemon said, regaining her composure and reaching into her pack, she pulled out some scissors an gazed into a small puddle nearby with tears in her eyes "Hnng, goodbye my dear locks, tis a small price to pay!" she said as she began to snip away the length of her mane, snip by snip tossing pieces of the pink and gold mass into a nearby bush, tears slowly falling into the puddle, causing it to ripple

"Hmm, oh, it looks as though my tumble took me close to Ponyville!" she smiled, standing up and brushing herself off and wiping the tears from her eyes she galloped on towards her destination stopping only to look at a road sign, "Looks to be only a few more miles....OH! Miles?!" Lemon said with a groan, she knew that it would be quiet a journey, but she didn't expect how big it truly was.

After a few hours of walking, the sun began to rise over the mountains and Ponyville was in sight, finally arriving to the little town Lemon yawned sleepily, "Ahhhh, finally here, I wonder what the ponies are like here, oh I wonder how many foals around my age are around!" she pondered as she sat to rest under a willow tree near the town, "Mmmmm, I suppose a little nap wouldn't hurt anything" Lemon said as she pulled a lavender and silver blanket out of her pack and placed it under the tree, curling up on it she dozed off with a smile, thinking of her new life in Ponville, away from the constant studying and hate of the common folk that her parents tried to drill into her head.

[StrawberryBlossom]

Strawberry yawned as she trotted home, working to keep her eyes on the path. After a long night, she'd finally left Everfree a bit after midnight and, still feeling fresh and awake, had decided to circle around Ponyville for a look at other plants under moonlight (and perhaps a few more night-blooming flowers). Now, though, she was exhausted, and her little rented hut couldn't come into sight fast enough!

Tired as she was, she nearly missed spotting the sleeping foal.

Then the rising sun just caught a gleam of silver on the blanket, flashing into Strawberry's eyes. She blinked, giving her head a shake, and then glanced toward the source; perhaps some pony had lost a trinket of some kind out here?

That, or a foal.

She moved toward the young pony, looking around in slight bewilderment. No sign of parents, older siblings, or other caretakers. No sign of friends the little filly might be camping out with. No one at all except Strawberry herself - yet the child looked awfully content for someone lost.

Hm.

Well, while Strawberry knew that young foals often played unsupervised, this seemed like a bit much - it was probably best to investigate. o she walked carefully up to the foal, leaning down to gently nudge her shoulder.

"Hey. Wake up, cutie... you okay out here?"

[Dubstep]

Lemon was sleeping peacefully, her dreams were full of new friends and the fun they would have, snacks, games, that sort of thing, it was peaceful and so unlike life back in Canterlot. As she dreamed her little filly dreams, she was soon roused from her slumber by a gentle voice and a slight nudge, "Mmm...just five more minuets Walter... she mumbled as she rolled around a little bit, before remembering she wasn't at home anymore, "Hmmmn....Oh hello there! Yes I'm quite well madam, thank you for asking." Lemon said with a smile as she say up and stretched out the sleepy and rubbed her eyes, "Ahh, the sunrise is so lovely isn't it?" she said as she looked towards the morning sun.

[StrawberryBlossom]

Madam?

Strawberry laughed softly at that, laying down with her legs tucked beneath her as she gazed off toward the sunrise.

"Sure is. Nothing like the sunrise after a long night, right? 'Course, I like night too, especially since I found all those night blooms in the forest." She raised a forehoof to cover a yawn. "Hn! 'Scuse me - been out all night, longer than I meant." A smile as she looked at the foal again, head tilting. "Been out all night too? Was wondering what a little filly was doing out here alone - sorry for waking you, was just concerned. Want me to walk you back into Ponyville before I head home?"

She shifted a little, nosing into her saddlebag to retrieve a few strawberries to offer the child.

"Here - got a few things you can eat on the way. Early berries so they're a little tart, but not too sour... I'm Strawberry Blossom, by the way."

[Dubstep]

"Quite, the night is ever so lovely, the sounds of the crickets chirping and the peaceful breeze that floats through the air" Lemon said with a poise befitting of someone of rich upbringing, she'd soon have to work on that, tone it down a bit so nopony would figure her out, "Yes ma'am, I uhm, went for a walk and decided to stop for a break and must have dozed off I imagine hehehe. I am alright though, no cause for alarm, and that would be splendid thank you." she said with a smile as she began folding up her blanket, it was a little damp from the dew, but not enough to do any harm, "Mmm, strawberries sound delightful, I must say, I prefer tart things, my favourite snack is a nice fresh lemon or lime!~ The more sour the better. My name is Lemon Sunrise, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Lemi said with a giggle as she placed her blanket into her pack and hefted it onto her back before turning to Strawberry and curtsying politely as she told her name.

[StrawberryBlossom]

Strawberry twitched her ears, intrigued by the formal accent. Poor thing, Ponyville was going to be a bit of a culture shock.

"Pleased to meet you too!" She imitated the curtsy with a grin. Strawberry was not the most elegant of ponies simply due to her body type, but she wasn't clumsy either; the effect wasn't too bad. She gave Lemon the berries before setting off toward town, keeping a slow, easygoing pace a little foal could easily match. "Want me to carry that bag for you? Looks like a load - y'get separated from a camping group?"

A soft laugh at her enthusiasm over the tart berries.

"Good to know. I'm a big old sweet tooth myself. But my mom makes a great lemon cake with sour frosting - I mean, I'm not big on sour myself personally, I like a good sweet berry torte, but ponies seem to like it so I guess there's something to it! Besides, what's a bakery like with only one kind of treat?" Boring, that was what - there was nothing like seeing rows of colorful pastries waiting to be chosen, unless it was a garden filled with colors bursting from buds... but that was off-subject. "My family's bakery is in Fillydelphia, of course, but maybe Sugarcube Corner will have something just as good."

She turned to Lemon as they entered Ponyville. There didn't seem to be any frantic searches for a missing foal, so maybe it was all right after all.

"What do you say? Think your parents'll mind if I get you a treat for breakfast?"

[Dubstep]

Popping a couple of the berries into her maw, Lemon smiled as the lite tart flavour spread through her mouth, "Mmm~ These are really good thank you!" she said with a smile as she walked alongside the pink pony who awakened her, "Oh it's alright, it's not all that heavy. Just a few lemons, some clothes, my blanket and a couple other things!" Lemi said as she hefted the bag around, shifting its weight more, she was lying through her teeth it was really heavy to her, but she was so TIRED of somepony waiting on her hoof and haunches day in and day out, she just HAD to prove to herself she can do something.

"Oh my, that sounds simply delightful, so deliciously tart~ But yes indeed, one must try all kids of delicacies. Mustn't limit your horizons! Lemon said as she smiled at the sound of the cake her new friend has described, it was almost as if she could taste it just by thinking about it, "Oh...Uhm...I don't believe they would mind...No, in fact I'm sure they wouldn't mind and breakfast does sound oh so pleasant about now." there she went again, lying through her teeth, if her parents knew what she was doing they'd both have a conniption!

[Storm]

Twilight yawned as she trotted happily out of the door, waving Aloicious out of the door as he flew off to roost. She took a deep breath, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun on her mane. "What a beautiful morning!" she remarked, turning, expecting to see her small lilac dragon following her. She stopped, and realised he was probably still sleeping. She smiled fondly, and shut the library door behind her, trotting towards the centre of Ponyville, wondering what to do with herself. She was toying with the idea of visiting Zecora in the Everfree forest, and was meandering unconsciously that direction when she noticed that she wasn't the only pony out and about.

A small yellow filly was trotting happily alongside a pony she knew vaguely as Strawberry Blossom. Twilight smiled at both of them. "Good morning, Strawberry!" she called, moving over to them with a warm smile to both. "It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day!" She turned her attention to the smaller filly, whom she didn't recognise. "Hi there. I don't think I've seen you in Ponyville before. I'm Twilight Sparkle, I'm very pleased to meet you!" She meant it. Since discovering that there was indeed more to a young pony's life than studying, Twilight had begun to immensely enjoy making new friends, and she always likes to be able to write to Princess Celestia, so she was constantly looking for new lessons to learn.

[StrawberryBlossom]

"Morning Miss Twilight!" Strawberry called. "Care for some berries?" She smiled at the unicorn, pausing to let Twilight approach. "This is Lemon Sunrise... Lemon, Miss Twilight here lives at the library." This confirmed that the little one was a newcomer, at least; maybe her family was exploring the surrounding area. "I'm pretty new myself - but maybe we can show you around between us after a little rest. I was in the forest all night," she explained to Twilight after making the offer. "Found some pretty plants that bloom under the moon - think you can help me find a book about 'em later?"

She started walking again, moving at a slow, easy pace so that the smaller ponies could easily keep up.

"Anyway, I was gonna treat Lemon here to breakfast before walking her home. Care to join us? Going to Sugarcube - not the healthiest breakfast I know, but a treat won't hurt an' I'll be she'll love the lemon cake."

[Dubstep]

Following Strawberry through the town, Lemon glanced around at all the buildings, they were vastly different from those back in Canterlot, quite rustic and charming comparatively; as they walked along a new pony soon joined them, she was a purple pony who introduced herself as Twilight Sparkle, "It's a pleasure to meet you madam!" Lemon said curtsying once again, some habits are hard to break, hopefully she would be able to get them in check or risk having to go home mid-adventure; soon her new friends started walking off once again towards the bakery, "Mmm a lemon cake sounds lovely! Oh, and do please join us Miss Sparkle, it'd be wonderful to get to know more ponies from here." she said with a nod as she followed her companions.

[Storm]

"Ooh, yes please!" said Twilight politely, accepting some berries from Starwberry with a nod of thanks. Twilight smiled at the formal greeting little filly gave, swallowing a mouthful of strawberry hastily. "It's lovely to meet you too!" she said as she fell into step with the pair, interested to hear that she hadn't been the only one awake all night. "I would love to come and join you two for breakfast!" she said, swishing her tail excitedly - Sugarcube Corner was widely renowned as the best bakery in Ponyville. "And I can definitely help you with a book or two, Strawberry!" she said excitedly, already running through in her head the possibilities for the other pony's mystery bloom.

Twilight had to pause to stifle a yawn, and blushed as she caught up with the others. "Sorry, I've been up all night too," she laughed, "I've been updating and repairing the star charts in the library, it's taking aages." By this point the trio has pretty much arrived at Sugarcube Corner - after all, Ponyville was pretty small. She stopped, smiling warmly at Lemon Sunrise "after you!" she said, motioning with her hoof for the filly to enter first.

[StrawberryBlossom]

Strawberry beamed at Twilight's favorable response, nodding.

"Sounds good!" Twilight's yawn triggered one from Strawberry too, and she laughed apologetically. "But maybe after we both get some rest. Say, you ever tasted the jalapeno chocolate cake here? Ordered a little from this pony called Pinkie Pie, gotta pick it up while we're here."

Like Twilight, Strawberry paused to let Lemon enter first.

"Go right ahead! Think we should get some packed up for your parents too?"

[Dubstep]

Following the two kind mares through town, Lemon gazed around at all the buildings and shops, it was a peaceful little town and was beautifully lit by the rising sun; as they arrived she could smell the sweet scent of cupcakes and muffins and other treats wafting from the rather delicious looking building; curtsying to both of them again as they offered for her to enter first, Lemon smiled and trotted happily in, "Thank you very much. Oh? My parents? Uhm...No they'll probably have already had breakfast by the time I get back" she said nodding with a smile and thinking to herself, 'Probably LOTS of breakfasts if I can stay away like I want to...', "You said something about a Library right Miss Twilight? What all kinds of books do you have?" Lemon asked, partly trying to get the subject off her family, and partly because she enjoyed books when they weren't force fed to her all the time.

[Storm]

Twilight followed Lemon into the shop, as Strawberry's comment about chilli-chocolate cakes set of memories of her first night in ponyville - Pinkie Pie's surprise party, her unfortunate incident with the hot sauce. Smiling fondly, she shook her head. "I haven't yet had the pleasure," she said, breathing deeply the sweet smell of baking cakes. The shop was a wonderland of sweets of every imaginable kind - lemon and poppy seed muffins, chocolate and mint cookies, iced biscuits, larged cakes piled with frosting and hundreds more types of delicious baked food.

Lemon's curiosity and politeness warmed Twilight to her, and she replied "We have pretty much every kind of book - books about ponies, books about magic, books about science and art..." she trailed off vaguely, "we'll take you there later on!" she suggested, glancing back at Strawberry questioningly.

[RCTwilightSparkle]

((OOC: I'll pick up where storm left off if you guys would like to continue this thread))

[StrawberryBlossom]

((Sounds fine with me. Sorry I've been so slow myself. v.v))

"I think that's a great idea."

Strawberry smiled, also taking in the scents of the shop. It reminded her a little of home, really; everyone up early, her sister and parents in the kitchen while she brought in the day's produce... it could almost make her homesick if not for how much she was enjoying Ponyville.

"I need to head to the library anyhow; it'd be nice to show Miss Lemon here around while I'm at it. How long have you been in town?"

She looked over at the foal as she addressed her, ears perked curiously.

[Dubstep]

Lemi smiled and gazed around at all the beautiful baked goods and the like that filled nearly every corner of the store, it was wonderfully colourful and smelled divine; the sweets shops her parents always took her to were actually rather dull as they were high end and the wears tasted pretty bland, "Oh, uhh, we just got here a day or so ago really." she said as she avoided making eye contact, hoping they would think it was due to wide eyed wonder at the treats, and not the fact she was lying to their face; she also hoped that they wouldn't ask about where she had been so far or where she was staying or things like that, each lie dug her hole deeper and deeper, and soon she may not be able to climb back out.