The Puppet Maker

You Can't spell Slaughter without Laughter: Meet the First [An Interlude in Parts.]

Its so cold, when did it get so cold?

I shivered as I walked along the road. Mother would meet me here soon like always from school. Cousin Pie would warm me up with something to get me up and out of this cold. I giggled at that as I shook my tail to free myself from snow. Snow was falling, my nose hit with it instantly. I smiled again and shivered at the bite it brought. My hooves were so warm...! Gracious, I'm glad I'm a unicorn. I magically pulled out a pink wool hat from my bag and use it. Ah, much better. I skip towards the store as other ponies pass until I enter. They grumbled and whined about the weather as they grumble about me being there. They shouldn't have their manes in a bind! Burrr. At least its warmer in the store.

"Welcome to Barista Block, how may I help you?" I jump, turning to the source. A tall, thin built mare stood above me. A pale tan decorated her coat along with a messy mop of orange and green mane that was long enough to greet me at eye level. I smiled graciously. She is sweet, very tall, much taller then any pony I seen before, but sweet. Her flank was adorned with a pencil that scribbled words on paper.

"The usual, Sonnet." I trot towards a stool and plop on it. "How are you?" She smiled as she whipped up hot cocoa faster then I ever seen. She slides the cocoa across the counter. I catch it in time. Sonnet was so lucky-she knew just about everypony down to the detail-she was like my cousin-just not as hyper. Even as the place filled with ponies in line and sitting at tables, she knew them all. I levitated 10 bits, 5 more then I needed to.

"Well, I can't say I'm bad, nothing I can't handle," Sonnet replies. "I can't say I'm worse for wear. Times get tough, you do what you got to do. Simple, right?" I nod.

"Yeah, I hear you loud and clear," I mumble quietly. "Same here, probably more worse for wear.."I leaned on the table after taking a few sips. Why was my head pulsating like a heart? She waited on a few other customers, a coffee thing in her mouth as she poured each cup with coffee.

"Oh? What's ruffling your hide?" Sonnet asked as she slides a pastry over. "Don't tell any pony 'bout this you hear? This one's on the house." I nodded as I sniffed the air. Was it a croissant? I took a bit contently.

"I'm not good enough to enter a unicorn school," I mumble. "Too weak to, I guess its okay though. My friends and I can hang out more in the schools for earth ponies." I twirl the cup and sigh. Sonnet seemed disappear for a moment to return a minute later on the other side of the counter. She had to kneel down to get on eye level.

"Don't you dare say that to yourself, you hear?" She responds as she looked me straight in the eye. "You'll prove them wrong, I know you will. Besides- your darn good with your levitation thingy."

"That's because of my cutie mark apparently," I mumble again.

"I think you need to lighten up once, or you'll give yourself trouble out of nothin'. Look, your good with magic, you just need to prove yourself. The fancy folk won't know what hit 'em." Sonnet winked as she looked towards the door. "Now run along, your mother surely isn't going to stand for waiting out there in the cold for you." I gave her a grin as I hop off. Sonnet was always good with words, always cheering me up. I wish she was my real big sister. I wave to her and levitate my hot cocoa as I run out.

"Mother?" I look around. She isn't here, that's odd. She normally waits outside the Barista Block waiting for me. Maybe its too cold for that? I smile and started trotting again. Maybe she's in that Silver Smith store again. What was the owner's name again? Silver Lining? The original owner was named Silver Lining after a mysterious disappearance. I think Silver Locket (I think she's Silver Lining's eldest daughter) runs the store now.

"Ooof!" What did I bump into this time? I whimper and look up. There stood a huge stallion, all brown save for a bright pink and blue streaked mane and tail. He was a painter-his cutiemark had a paint brush.

"Hey watch it!" The stallion screamed as he pushes me to the side before walking forward. Why did Manehatten have to be so scary? I really want Mother. I whimper again and gather everything before I set of again. So much for my Hot Cocoa. Hum? What's that? I looked around for a sound source. It looks it its coming from the building. I drop my empty cup of cocoa as I tiptoe into the store. It looked like it was broken own-was it abandoned? My leg hits one of the thingies as it topples. Table? I shriek as spiders run from the legs with ease. I stumble, my back hitting a wall until slump onto the cold, wooden ground.

"Why was this place abandoned?" It took me a moment to see why. Mice squeaked through the wood, scurrying by me. They didn't notice me had they? So dreary.... I coughed and exhaled. Its so dark-I can't even see my breath like I had when I was outside before. I shake before I try standing again only to shake something above me that knocks the air out my lungs. I kick it to the side before trying to learn what it was.

"There has to be something to light the room up..." My horn flickered before it lit up in magenta sparks like a flashlight. There, better. There were tables everywhere and books scattered on the ground, messy. A library? I shake my numb legs before I tried again. "How heavy was that book?" Urk, it was a decoration, not a real book. It was wooden and lacked pages. Looks like something's hollowed on the in- Yuck! It smells like rust! I sniffed around it and pulled something out of it. Looks like a brown hose was inside and it spewed gunk. I wonder why they stuffed a hose in a book? Its best to ignore that, which I did my promptly pushing it away. My ears try sourcing the noise I heard earlier.

"Crying?" There was a doorway without a door attached. I'm hoping it leads me somewhere. I peer in the doorway to find---

CLUNK

"Yo-----my f-----stu----" My ears didn't hear the words anymore. I slump softly before my eyes grow heavy as my head pounds. I really miss mommy...My eyes closed, wishing the pain would stop. I'm so tired.

"M-----sai-----you'll co-----" My head rests on the wood before. Maybe sleeping wasn't so bad. I'm so woozy. I yawn and drift to sleep. I wonder what called my name?