Post by darktobias13 on Dec 17, 2013 11:00:12 GMT
(I don't know why this suddenly decided to bloom in my mind at 3:19 am, but this is something i have had stewing for a while.)
Five Years ago, Equestrian Christmas Season/Hearth's Warming
As just one of many trains pulled into the Canterlot Station, hundreds of ponies disembarked, each one excited about the season and holidays. All except one, that is. The unicorn in question slowly walked off the train, and slowly paced towards the main city square. His black-tipped white hair was cut short, and his bright red scarf stood in stark contrast to his dark gray hide. He hurried down the road, avoiding the jubilation of the other ponies. He wasn't against the holiday, but it just was not the same without a family to spend time with. Everywhere he looked, ponies were joking and greeting their loved ones, exchanging news and presents. He felt a pang of jealousy deep in his heart, these ponies did not know the pain and hardships that he faced. Yet at the same time, a portion of his inner being felt that he deserved this, it was only fitting for a monster such as him. He did not deserve to be loved, when all he did was bring pain to those he got close to. He felt a few tears gather at his eyes, and the trails they left on his cheeks before falling to the ground, where they made small indents in the snow. A nearby pony, looking for another of his family, noticed the unicorn as he walked by, and reached over to tap his shoulder. "Hey, none of that, this season is for joy. No need to cry, your family will always be there for you, just you wait!" The pony meant to encourage the unicorn, but was mystified as the unicorn burst into full out sobbing and took off, running down the road. 'What did I say?'
Gearshift ran down the road, the tears now falling freely as he ran towards the one haven he actually had. And even that was just a perceptive guard away from being taken. He looked around at the store fronts and booths that stood in the street. His heart still ached, but he was desperately trying to keep his mind off the depression that stood like a silent shadow over his being. He tried to buy a loaf of bread, which for the holidays were stuffed with fruits and nuts, with a portion of his meager money supply. The seller took a look at the poor unicorn that stood there, and threw a second loaf in the bag, and offered the bag to him, shaking a hoof when he offered payment. Gearshift thanked the seller profusely, remnants of his tears still in his eyes. He proceeded back down the street, eventually standing in front of the clock tower that stood tall and proud. The door was in front of him, and he reached into his bag to pull out a small skeleton key, that was just enough to unlock the door, and he quickly shut it behind him, before any pony could get too noisy about the teenage unicorn living in a clock tower. He took a look around at the meager things that he had, and slowly climbed the stair case that spiraled up the inside, out of breath once he finally got to the platform that looked out over the city with the use of two massive windows that took up a good portion of one of the walls. He sat down on his bed mat, and pulled out one of the loafs, breaking it in half to try and conserve the food, and slowly nibbled on it, watching as the sun set, and the city lit up. He looked out, every light that he saw had a family behind it, a warm home filled with love and caring. He frowned, his eyes closing for a moment, before he wiped at his eyes and pulled out the threadbare blanket he had, wrapping it around himself as he slipped to sleep, where even his dreams weren't peaceful. Every night, the nightmares and sorrow infiltrated, leaving him a wreck in the morning.
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The next morning, Gearshift was walking around the town, trying to shake off his weariness from the night before. At least in the early morning, he didn't have to deal with the massive crowds. As he trotted, he noticed a small wishing well that many ponies loved when they were young. He himself remembered throwing a bit in a few years back, wishing that time would reverse, and his life would be back to normal. He could see that the wish had not been answered, and his younger self had been crushed. He felt a loose bit in his bag, and decided to try again. At the well, he looked down in the well, and started speaking to the air. "Hey, i know its been a while. And i know that especially around this season, a lot of ponies are wishing and wishing for things, but... i have, no, i need to make a wish." He held up the bit, and rested it to his horn, trying to get his hope to power up the wish. "I know i don't deserve it, but once. Just once, i want something to go right. I'm so alone, I've been so for so long. All I want for Hearth's Warming is somepony to love.I know its a bit much...but wishes are all I'm down to." He threw the coin in and watched it fall into darkness, putting all of his hope into it.
On his way back to the clock tower, he was walking through an alley way, when a clawed fist made contact with his head. As he stumbled back, he glanced up to notice a mean looking gryphon standing in front of him, a paw raised to strike him again. He turned to run, but found himself surrounded by other such tough looking gryphons. "So you believe in wishes huh? Well maybe you should just wish that we won't hurt you and give us all your money then." The leader of the group snarled. Gearshift looked him the eye, and prepared to fight for his life. If he lost his bits, he would soon be starving. The fight didn't last long, with them ending up taking turns beating him. As he resigned to his fate, he heard a piercing shriek, and looked up to see the group of thugs running for their lives. He looked in the opposite direction, and let out a scream of his own. Down the alley, running at full speed, was a herd of shadow ponies, each made of shadow, showing only glowing red eyes and glistening sharp fangs. He turned to run, but stopped as they ran through him. He turned to see who had created such an image, only catching a glimpse of bright green eyes slipping around a corner. He ran to catch up, but the owner of the eyes was gone by the time he reached the street. He decided not to test his luck, and carefully made his way back to the clock tower.
Later that same day, he was returning from the library, one of his pastimes that got his mind off of reality. As he returned, he looked down another alley, and saw a few of the thugs. He looked closer and realized that they had cornered a small filly, and looked like they were ready to finish a job for good. His anger at them for the encounter earlier in the day, and his anger at the thought that these gryphons were possibly about to kill a small filly, met with explosive results. He charged into the alley, the only warning the gryphons got about an ambush coming in the form of a yell of rage from Gearshift. He was upon them before they realized what was happening, punching and kicking. This time he had the upper hand on them, and there was only two of them, so he managed to beat the heck out of them before they finally managed to run away. He stood panting in rage, and turned to the unconscious filly, instantly startled out of his war state of mind by the condition she was in. Underneath the bruises and cuts, the small filly had a dark blue pelt, with her dark black mane blending into the darkness of the alley way. She opened her eyes for a moment, before passing out, and Gearshift's mind went blank. She had piercing bright green eyes, like earlier in the day.
He looked around. He wasn't sure where she was from, but he was sure that the thugs would be back with reinforcements, and he knew for a fact that he couldn't just leave her there. He gingerly picked her up, and draped her over his back, carrying her all the way back to the clock tower, where he brought her to the top platform. He draped the blanket over her knocked out body, and stood nearby. He had no clue what to do in such a situation. He was saved, when he heard her stirring and saw her struggling to stand up. He quickly walked over, and carefully helped her sit up. She looked at him with eyes filled with fear, and he took a few steps back, sitting down.
"Where am I? Who are you? What happened?" Her questions spilled forth.
He took a moment before answering, waiting for her to calm down a little bit and focus on him.
"You are in the Canterlot clock tower, which also serves as my home. As for who I am, my name is Gearshift. I found a pair of gryphons beating you in an alleyway. You were in bad condition, so i brought you here for safety. Once you have healed up a little bit, i'll take you home, safety in numbers and all. So, now for you, Who are you?"
The filly looked down in sorrow,
"I don't have a home, so i'll get out of your hair soon. My name is Fantastic Mirage. Why did you help me?"
"I must answer that question with my own, were those your images earlier that saved me?" At her hesitant nod, he continued on," So why did you help me? You could have just kept walking, but instead you risked your life to help me. Why?"
The filly got a look of defiance,
"Because, those gryphon are the reason i don't have a home."
Gearshifts eyes widened, and she proceeded.
"One day, a year ago, I was on my way home, and once i got there, my house was burning. My family was gone, i hope they escaped, and those thugs were walking away with a lot of treasures that my family held onto. Someday i will be big, and will get them to tell me what happened to my family, but for now i am forced to steal for my food, and sleep in a new place each night. I have no family, no home, nothing but a book that i managed to salvage from my house."
Gearshift's eyes watered a bit. Another orphan... one that had a sense of what is right. He looked outside, and noticed that the sun was setting.
"Well. Its getting late, and you are still hurt fairly bad. I don't want you going anywhere. Stay here for the night at least, and we will see what we can do to help you tomorrow." He walked over to his bag and got another portion of the loaf of bread, giving it to her, which she took with hesitation.
"Why did you help me? Like you said, you could have kept going."
Gearshift thought for a second.
"Well for one, you saved my life, i owed you. Second, you were defenseless, i wasn't just going to let them beat up a defenseless filly. And they were looking like they were getting ready to finish it."
"...."
"And lastly, I don't know why, but....i feel a connection with you. I too, lost my family, but it was due to my own errors. If you have no pony, and i have no pony, then why don't we watch out for each other? Having somepony with you can make life just a bit more bearable, don't you think, Mirage?"
She took a moment, and then nodded.
"I know we just met and all, but, i have no intention of letting you continue on alone. I just feel fate has something to do with this."
Mirage paused between bites, and her eyes filled with tears.
"So...you..you would be like a big brother?"
Gearshift stopped dead in his pacing. His own eyes watered a bit.
"I guess essentially...yes. So what do you say?"
Mira looked off, before shaking a bit, and for the first time that Gearshift had seen, timidly smiled.
"I would like that."
Gearshift draped the blanket back over her and walked over by the window.
"Its getting late. Maybe we should decide tomorrow what route of action to take." As he lay there, shivering slightly in the cold, he suddenly felt a warmth drape over him and press into his side. He looked down and was shocked to find Mirage nuzzling into his side, and she looked up at him.
"Siblings or not, we can share a blanket."
"I guess so. Lets get some sleep."
About an hour later, he was roused by her muttering and thrashing in her sleep. She was having a nightmare, and from what he could tell, it was a pretty bad one too. He thought for a moment, and started singing a lullaby in an effort to calm her.
"When daytime turns to night
When the moon shines bright
When you're tucked in tight
When everything is alright
Slip softly to that place
Where secret thoughts run free
There come face to face
With who you want to be so
Swim across the ocean blue
Fly a rocket to the moon
You can change your life
Or you can change the world
Take the chance, don't be afraid
Life is yours to live
Take a chance and then the best has yet to come
Make a wish, it's up to you
Find the strength inside
And watch your dreams come true
You don't need a shooting star
the magic's right there in your heart
Close your eyes
Believe and make a wish
I've always hoped for happiness
And finally fulfilled my wish
'Cos I just need to see you smile
Make a wish, it's up to you
Find the strength inside
And watch your dreams come true
You don't need a shooting star
the magic's right there in your heart
Close your eyes
Believe and make a wish..
Make a wish, it's up to you
Find the strength inside
And watch your dreams come true
You don't need a shooting star
the magic's right there in your heart
Close your eyes
Believe and make a wish.."
She slowly calmed down, and slipped into peaceful sleep, but not letting out one more mutter that melted Gearshift's heart and caused him to smile for the first time in a long time.
"I have a brother....."
He felt a tear, and hugged her close.
"And I have a sister."
Gearshift decided right then and there, that maybe wishing wells did work. And that night, both of them slept well, the night terrors good and gone.