When you've lived on the streets for so long, nothing comes as a surprise anymore. Not even finding what appeared to be a tiny pony, no larger than a small dog, rummaging through a pile of garbage bags near your regular squat. Your approach startled the creature, which turned around to face you. A look of what could only be described as fear painted its way onto its face and it backed into the pile of bags, quivering; out of fear or the cold, or a combination, you could not discern.
From where you stood, you could tell the little one had been roaming the city for a while. Its pale yellow coat was dirty and unkempt, its dark pink mane hung about its head in a matted mess. A light pink bow was attached to the back of its head, tattered and beaten by the elements. Its ribs were visible, betraying its lack of nutrition. You had managed to score an apple with only a bite or two missing, a veritable bounty compared to the usual finding, and the pony looked between it and you.
You weren't sure why, but somewhere deep inside, you felt pity for the creature before you. Going against everything you had learned from your long life on the streets, you found yourself kneeling down and offering the fruit in your hand to the pony cowering in the trash. It took a few moments, but the little pony's hunger overcame its fear and apprehensively approached step by step. When it was close enough, it snatched the food from your outstretched palm and retreated a few steps to devour the treat in large, smacking bites.
You had given away your best find in days, but still the sight caused a smile to inch its way onto your face. You stood up, causing the yellow bundle to skitter back to the relative safety of the garbage pile, and moved to sit against the wall. As you reflected on the last few minutes and contemplated where you'd find your next meal, you couldn't help but watch the pitiable animal across the alley. Its coloration was unlike anything you'd ever seen; but then, you rarely saw anything more than the rats and cats as drab as the city they infested.
You both sat that way for half an hour before the pony gathered the courage to approach you once more. It had obviously decided you were not a threat; the apple gift probably helped quite a bit with that. As the colorful creature closely inspected you, it became apparent that it was, in fact, female. You decided to test the waters and reached a hand out to pet the pony, to which she recoiled slightly and you stopped your hand. After a few moments, she leaned in to sniff your hand and, inch by inch, moved under it and allowed you to scratch behind her ears.
You swore the pony smiled as she came closer and laid down next to you, pressing into you for warmth and drifting off to sleep. You couldn't help but smile again as your hand rested on her back, calmly scratching behind the ears.
* * * * * * * * * *
It had been a few days since the strange, little pony had chosen you as her companion. She took to following you on your strolls through the streets, as though she were a dog. The two of you made your way down a crowded sidewalk when you felt a tug on your pant leg. She was on her hind legs, hopping up at you as a child would when it wanted to be picked up. You obliged the pony and as you lifted her up, she scrambled on top of your shoulders, leaning over your head and finally getting a view over the heads of everyone around you.
This must be how it feels to be a father, carrying your child on your shoulders to give them a better vantage of the world. Even if it was a tiny pony on your shoulders, the thought brought a tear to your eye; you'd never had children, and it seemed the chance had escaped you along with the semblance of a normal life. You blinked away the wetness and continued down the sidewalk, stealing a glance up at the quite obviously beaming pony hanging over your head.
* * * * * * * * * *
Sometimes, food was scarce. There were days when you went to sleep hungry; the look of disappointment on your tiny friend's face tugged at your heart, and you would give her the lion's share of the day's treasure. Seeing her bounce about happily with a full stomach, or as full as the city's meager offerings could allow, was more of a reward than you would have cared to admit.
The little pony's form had filled out since she began eating better, but her coat and mane were still filthy and ragged. As she finished up half a plate of salad thoughtlessly discarded from a restaurant, you gave a scratch behind her ears and beckoned her to follow. The two of you arrived at the river, where the yellow pony bounded into the water much like a dog. After you rinsed the week's filth from yourself, you did your best to clean her up. It hadn't helped with her ragged appearance, but at least her colors shone more vibrantly.
The young filly shook the water from her body and you couldn't help but smile. She was an enigma, acting at times like a pet and at others like a child. As the sun began to set and you returned to the city proper, the first snowflakes of the season drifted down from the heavens. The city always felt cold, but it would soon be getting much colder. The sun dipped behind the skyline, and you bedded down for the night, a pale yellow pony lying against you contentedly. Her calm breathing reached your ears and lulled you to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * *
As the nights grew colder, you took to covering your shivering companion with your tattered jacket. The cold didn't bother you much, to be honest; it was just another thing you got used to over the years. Your little pony pal wouldn't take the cold as well. As you bedded down for another frigid night, you wrapped an arm around the bundled-up filly at your side and leaned back against the wall, closing your eyes and drifting into slumber.
The sun rose over the tops of the buildings and roused the filly from her slumber, and she crawled out from under your arm and jacket. She stretched her little legs and yawned the last vestiges of sleep from her system, then turned to nuzzle your shoulder. When you didn't respond, she nudged harder and harder until, finally realizing that you weren't going to wake up, she laid down and buried her face in your side.
Tears streamed down her face as she realized she was all alone again.
