The Sun had set, in the small town of Pietrasanta, near the Apuane: the young adults were hanging out in the bars, chatting and drinking alcoholics; the couples were sitting on the benches and on the stairs of the Duomo, whispering in their ears words of love and affection; the families were sitting at the restaurants, eating abundantly; and the old people were watching everything from the balconies.
In the Carboni household, however, something of completely different was going on: a very skinny kid, his name Goffredo, was lying on a cardboard bo in the basement, moaning of pain and wrath.
Goffredo was a seven years old boy that, in his short life, had suffered a heavy loss: his father, Patroclo Carboni, died in war two years before.
Now he was rolled up for the physical pain, and was crying: after refusing to make the dinner for his aunt, and clean the whole mansion for her, Goffredo was punished by bludgeoning: the woman took a bludgeon, and started to beat the kid both with the club, and insult him.
Before going in the basement, Goffredo bite the ankle of Lisistrata, and locked the armoured door of the underground floor, in order to block the access to his aunt and his weapon.
He left his last tears to form, and fall down from his eyes, then he slowly rolled up, and, while pointing the ceiling, Goffredo barked:
"To Whoever is in the sky; to Whoever is beyond the stars, and controls the World from the Aether.
Please kill for me that scum of my aunt: make her melt in a puddle of shapeless goo; make her die chewed up by dogs; make her die of heart attack..."
Then he averted his eyes from the ceiling, and looked at window: on the outside, the waning moon was high in the sky.
Took by inspiration, he clasped his hands in prayer, and continued his supplication:
"Or just carry me away from her.
Away from this putrid basement; away from this hell hole. If it is needed, kill me, and carry me to the place where my father enjoys his afterlife. But, please, free me from this pain.
I never knew nothing, but pain, anger and hunger, for this two years. Free me..."
After saying that, Goffredo returned to lament his pain: after a while, the desire to sleep, united with the satisfying sensation of Lisistrata trying to break to no avail the armoured door and insulting Goffredo for his reaction; made the child relax, and slowly drift into a healing sleep.
After a while, Lisistrata gave up, and stopped her attempts to break the door: she just left, saying that, sooner or later, he would need to go out from the basement, if he wished to eat his ration.
Later that night, a white aura engulfed the body of Goffredo: that aura slowly lifted in the air the child's body, then, in a flash of light, the kid vanished, leaving behind him a flattened box, and a echo.
The echo of a feminine voice.
"The Night made flesh will carry out your orders... Goffredo.": those were the words of the echo.
As the Sun approached to the zenith, the air started to warm up, and the vast lawns around the small town of Ponyville shined for the brew.
That day, a Sunday of early Fall, and it was day of Market, on the main road of the town: the salesponies were selling products of every kind, from food to artistic knockoffs, through fabrics of every color and pattern; the few latecomers were running to their workplace; and the more numerous ponies with their morning free were going around the streets, watching what was sold by the aforementioned sellers in their stalls.
A cross-eyed gray pegasus with a yellow mane, name's Derpy, was walking away from the said market, carrying on her back several saddlebags full of the products that she bought at the market, mostly food.
As she walked, Derpy was followed by her daughter, a blue lavender unicorn filly named Dinky.Dinky, like her mother, wasn't very careful, when moving, causing her to often bump in things; and wasn't very bright, causing either odd choices in general, or cases of literal thinking.
However, all those flaws were a lot less prevalent in Dinky than in Derpy, and, often, Dinky ended up to be the guide for the gray pegasus. But the lavender filly rarely exploited the relatively lower intelligence of her mother Derpy, and never questioned the authority of the gray pegasus basing her complaints over the inferior intellect of the mother.
Now Dinky was carrying two saddlebags that contained two bags of nails for general house reparations; a roll of white fabric for patch up the damaged curtains; a broken clock for his father, a clockworker always scavenging parts from other clocks; and four cucumbers.
The load was quite heavy for the filly, but she didn't complained too much: after all, her mother's back was full of saddlebags, and Dinky was certain that she could not carry anymore bags.
While walking towards her home, the small lavander unicorn looked around her: she was on a small hill near the town and, from there, she could see the traffic going on down in town. The sight absorbed Dinky so much, that she bumped against a tree at the side of the road.
After hitting the tree, Dinky lied down for few seconds, before getting back up on her hooves, placing the bags on her back again, and returning at the side of her mother Derpy.
"I should be more careful, next time.", murmured to herself while walking "It could have ended with some damage."
Soon after saying that, the filly heard a young male voice screaming "Help ! Bitte Helfen ! Aiuto per favore !"
When Dinky heard the cry, she rolled her eyes: "Nevermind. I'm starting to hear voices.".
But Derpy stopped dead in her tracks, and asked to her daughter:"Did you hear it ?"
Dinky looked confused at her mother, now slightly hovering above the ground, and scanning both left and right with one eye each.
The filly asked: "Hear what ?"
While still looking around, Derpy said: "A cray for help from a colt !"
Dinky's eyes widened a bit, at what her mother said: she wasn't hearing a non-existent voice, but a true scream for help.
By that point Dinky put the bags on the ground, and asked to her mother:
"Shall I look around for him ?", and Derpy answered with a simple nod, meaning that she should look for the crier of help.
The filly started to follow the cry: as she followed the direction fo the scream, Dinky started to see a shape in the middle of a marsh slowly moving; and, as she got neared, the filly started to see more details of this shape, until it was clear that who was crying for help wasn't a colt... or a pony, for that matter. It was a creature slightly bigger than Dinky, wore a tattered blue and white striped dress, and its body was almost skeletal: said creature was slowly crawling towards the road, and kept asking for help at regular intervals.
The look of the creature was hideous, to the small eyes of Dinky, and yet... it inspired pity and curiosity on the watcher. The lavender filly remained still for a while in thought, undecided if call for her mother, and help it; or ignore the crawling beast, just in case if it was dangerous.
In the end, Dinky realized that the creature was mostly wounded, and that was likely harmless, in that state.
When Dinky finally decided, she ran fast back to her mother, who was scanning with her eyes the right side: Derpy's daughter said
:"Mom, I've found h.. it. This way.", and made sign to be followed: Derpy complied without asking anything to Dinky.
Arrived at the marsh, the lavender filly pointed at the crawler.
"Look at it ! It was screaming for help beforehoof !", said the filly with a worried undetone.
Understnading the undertone, Derpy flown towards the creature.
"Can you understand me ?": at that harmless phrase, the skeletal animal widened its eyes, and just stared at Derpy.
Dinky fully understood that it was surprised to see them talk, and that was panicking.
The gray mailmare, however, said innocently: "What's the matter ?"
The creature just started to say gibberish, and move frantically its front legs: at this sight, the gray mare asked to her daughter:"Are you sure that... this thing was calling for help ?"
Dinky answered slightly annoyed: "Yes, it was. I mean, do you really SEE somepony around here ?"
Derpy lowered her ears, and sternly looked with her unaligned eyes Dinky: "No, I don't, but that doesn't mean it cou...". The gray mare was interrupted mid-sentence by the skeletal creature, who jumped over the neck of the wall-eyes pegasus.
"I WAS the one screaming for help ! I am dire need of help: I have one broken leg; my whole body hurts; I haven't eaten for one day; I am alone; and I don't know where I am ! So, stop arguing with your little sister, and bring me to the hospital, or to whatever kind of medical facility is there, if there is one !"
When Derpy felt the legs of the creature around her neck, at first tried to get them off, fearing that it was trying to attack her.
However, it was soon clear that the creature was meaning no harm to Derpy, and was just asking for assistance at the gray mare.
When she realized that, the sense of pity overcame the doubt of the mare, and mare her say:
"Poor thing, you DO look beaten up. Wait us here: we will be back soon.", then she rotated her head towards her shook daughter:
"Now we will need to speed up the pace of our walking, Dinky."
Dinky, a bit surprised by the sudden change in her mother's behaviour, nodded, and proceeded to run towards her home, not too far from where she had found the creature; followed soon after that by her mother, who was running like a madpony, despite the weight on her spine.
The creature remained offended by that act, but didn't moved, maybe thinking that, eventually, it could just crawl away, if the two mares didn't returned.Two minutes later, after dropping in the hallway of the small house where Derpy and Dinky lived, the two come back to the marsh where the beast was awaiting for them.
Dinky, seeing that her mother already placed herself at ground level, immediately understood, and helped the creature to hop on Derpy, by pushing the rear legs of it: however, as the filly pushed, the creature screamed in pain, and grabbed the fur of Derpy, and, consequently, scaring the gray mare, who kicked the air behind her, and gasped.
Dinky, realizing that she had hurt the beast, said:
"Sorry: I didn't knew you had a broken leg !"
The creature, while slowly climbing Derpy's body, answered with a hissing voice:
"The broken leg isn't my only injury," it finally reached the top of the gray mare, and it gripped part of the back fur "now bring me to a medic, please."
Derpy nodded, and took flight towards the Clinic, while Dinky chased her mother.
Goffredo was slightly moaning in pain, while getting carried to a First Aid Post.
Since he woke up, he witnessed many weird things: first of all, the sole fact that he woke up in the middle of a marsh full of flowers of various colors, and young grass, rather than in the moist basement of his house in Pietrasanta, was a surprise: in fact, if it wasn't for the pain that he felt while moving, Goffredo would have thought that he was dreaming.
Then, the fact that he was found by two weird horses: one of them was only a little smaller than the average horse, with wings and a blond mane; the other was of the same size of him, was lavender and had a horn on its head.
And, mostly surprisingly for Goffredo, those horses were, actually, sapient: he had heard them talk between each other, and with him. After realizing that he wasn't having auditory hallucinations, he listened to the conversation between the two horses: as far he could gather, they were sisters, and the older one was called "Derpy", while the younger's name was "Dinky".
Goffredo was, at first, stunned by the sight of horses talking, and having limbs that they weren't supposed to have. However, knowing that, if he hesitated too much, it was likely that they were going to leave him in the marsh, and forcing him to scavenge food and stuffs and got around with a broken leg, Goffredo overcame his surprise, and, while faking panic, he asked for help to Derpy. Now the child was grabbing the back's fur of Derpy, and waiting for the arrival to the hospital: while he was waiting, the child looked down, watching a small passing under him, and, for what Goffredo could tell, the 90% of the buildings was made in XVIII century style : the remaining structures were simply too odd to explain rationally.
After five minutes, Derpy slowly landed in front of a glass door, with a sign above saying "First Aid Post": Goffredo sighed at the sight, and felt relieved.
The gray mare, with the boy on her back, rushed in the empty waiting room... for then crash on the row of wooden seats in the hurry: Derpy got a pair of chairs on the back, while Goffredo was violently thrown on the white ceramic floor of the hospital. Clearly, the impact with the ground didn't make Goffredo feel better, in terms of pain: his broken hit again something of hard; his chin made contact with the ceramic of the floor; and his torso full of painful bruises erupted again in a surge of powerful suffering.
Overwhelmed by the sensory overload, the child let out of his lungs a scream.
"MAREMMAMAIALAILDOLORE!": that was the cry of pain that came from Goffredo, who started to breathe heavily after screaming that.
The cry, for obvious reasons, attracted someone... better, somepony: a white mare with a nurse cap on her head, and her mane gathered in a bun; an orange stallion with a white coat, and black glasses; and another brown, fat, stallion, with a bundle of keys around his neck.
The orange stallion was the first to enter in the room, by busting the door, and running in.
"Who needs my help ?"
At the hammy statement of the orange doctor, Goffredo facepalmed, and said: "I am here, and I need medical attention."
The medic said: "Alright let me s..."
As soon the doctor realized that Goffredo wasn't a pony, and so did the other two ponies n the room, the three had different reactions.
The nurse, realizing who was the speaker and his conditions, looked at the boy with a look of pity, and she carefully went near him, as Goffredo was asleep.
The surprise of the orange stallion was soon followed by curiosity: he also went near the boy, but without the carefulness of the colleague mare.
The janitor was a disgusted by the look of Goffredo, and exited from the room with backwards steps, saying: "I don't want to get involved in the mess that it's going to happen. Goodbye."
Goffredo somehow expected the reaction of the janitor, but he was thrown off by the reaction of the other two: instead of be shocked, or outright panic, they just went near him calmly. Maybe because Goffredo was curled up in a ball, and had his voice crack one or two times during his talking; maybe because they were sure that he was perfectly harmless; or some other reason totally unknown to Goffredo.
When the nurse reached the boy, she placed herself at ground level, and asked with a soothing voice:
"So.. what is your name ? Where it hurts ? What happened ?"
Goffredo answered: "My name is Goffredo Carboni, and I think that I am crippled by a broken leg, over to have several bruises on my torso", the boy got off his shirt for show his bruise-filled body, leaving the mare speechless, "all because I was clubbed by my aunt."
The mare just stared blankly at the boy, while the medic spoke with Derpy about where she had found him, and the conditions of Goffredo: Derpy told the story of how Goffredo was found.
After gathering all the information, the medic said with a sad tone of voice: "We aren't technically equipped, not trained for deal with creatures like this..."
Goffredo sighed, and finished for the doctor the sentence: "You should see a vet, ma'am. Understood", then pointed at Derpy "come on, pick me up, and carry me."
At the perspicacity of the boy, the medic bowed his head, and said: "What Goffredo said. Now, please, Nurse Redheart...": the nurse nodded, and proceeded to lift the boy, for place him on Derpy's back.
"Well, sorry Goffredo, but we can't help you." said the mare to Goffredo: the latter just answered "It's ok. I was expecting that."
And the gray mare, helped by the white mare, took Goffredo on his back, and exited from the structure. Out of the structure, there was a panting Dinky struggling for running at the entrance of the hospital: as soon she saw that her mother and Goffredo were going out from the structure, however, she facehoofed, and said: "Whatever. I'm going home, mom.", and ran away.
After shrugging Dinky's running, Derpy took off the ground.
While in flight, Goffredo thought what to do next, since the doctors refused to treat him: just let him examined by a vet, or get to the home of the mare, and fix it by himself ?
Then Goffredo remembered the time that the clock in the hospital signed: one o'clock post meridian.
As far Goffredo knew, at that time, the only medical facility open was the hospital: since the medics there refused to help him, Goffredo had only one option.
So he asked casually to Derpy:
"So, what's the plan ?"
"I am going to bring you to the vet, since the hospital rejected us. Why ?"
The boy said a with a tone of false disinterested: "Because, while I was on the floor, I've seen what time it was..."
The gray mare asked interested: "And what time it was ?"
"The one o'clock post meridian, ma'am Derpy. I think that we won't find it open: let's get to your home, and let me try to heal myself."
Derpy rotated her head, and watched Goffredo confused: she wasn't expecting such a request by Goffredo, since he was claiming to be dying, when she found him in the marsh. Surely, he could not have healed in such a short time, especially from a fatal injury !
"Wait... when you were in he marsh, you claimed to be dying... why you say that I can carry you to my home ? I surely cannot heal you !"
"I was lying, Derpy. It was a way to get you help. However, I'm not faking a broken leg, not the bruises, but I have a plan for that."
Derpy kept asking, this time with more interest: "And if you were faking to be gravely injured, why you asked to be brought to the hospital ?"
Goffredo facepalmed: "Because it was safer to get my leg splinted by professionals, rather than me, ignorant kid. However, if the doctors don't help me, then it's a case of 'Do it yourself' medication."
Derpy nodded... and crashed int a tree, shooting out Goffredo, and sending him on a branch: once again, Goffredo screamed in pain. After screaming, Goffredo crawled to the gray mare, stuck into a hole in the tree, and said:
"Next time, pay more attention. This accident could have killed me.", then he propelled himself onto Derpy's back, and, while he was on Derpy's back, he helpt his carried to pull her head out from the tree.
After doing that, no more accidents happened: Derpy flew carefully to her home, a rectangular brick house that resembled a "casa cantoniera".
Landing in front of the simple wooden door, Derpy knocked the door, and said:
"Honey, I am I: please, open the door."
Few seconds later, the door opened with a squeak, revealing a figure of a light brown stallion with a dark brown mane.
"Honey ! You are home ! Where you have been for so long ?" asked the stallion to Derpy.
"I was at the market with Dinky... until we met a 'special guest'."
The stallion inclined his head, and asked quizzically:
"'Special Guest' ? Who is ?"
Derpy rotated her head, and made sign to Goffredo to show up: the boy complied, and moved himself towards the head of the gray mare for show himself to the stallion.
The brown stallion changed his expression from curiosity, to worry.
"Are you sure it's safe to carry him in, Derpy ? Remember the last time we gave home to an animal ?"
Goffredo answered a bit offended: "Well, I am technically an animal, but I'm sapient just like you. So, don't worry about the integrity of your house: I can control myself. Rather, do you have bandages, two wooden beams, and two canes ?"
"That's true, my beloved husband. He is pretty nice and polite. I think we can have him in our house for a while."
The stallion stood for few seconds in a contemplative pose, before shrugging, and letting Goffredo in.
"A while” thought Time Turner, "I don't think I can afford his upkeep."
"About the beams, the bandages, and the canes: yes I do have them. Why ?"
The boy asked Derpy to drop him off on the couch, and, while lying down, he said:
"I have a broken leg, and the hospital doctors refused to help me, so I'm doing it myself. Don't worry: I know what I am doing."
The stallion expressed his concerns: "Are you sure ? I think that..."
The boy answered dryly "No, we can't. Now, please, Mr..."
"Time Turner"
"Would you kindly take for me said materials ?"
Time Turner sighed, and went upstairs. "I should have three rolls of bandages, the canes and the beams.": then Time Turner said this, Goffredo smiled.
After telling Derpy to prepare him just a salad, since Goffredo figured out that was the only edible thing in the house f the horses, Goffredo started to think.
Think about what happened during the morning.
"Alright, let's see: I woke up in a marsh; near a town full of impossible creatures; I have a broken leg, and I am going to be hosted here for a while. That's good and nice, since Lisistrata cannot reach me there.
But how I am supposed to survive now ? I am an alien creature here, if the reactions of the ponies I've met so far is anything to go by, and I might not be so lucky next time.
They might recognize me as a child, yes, but who would adopt a member of a unknow race ?
It seems I will need to go hobo, once out of here."
Author's Note
I swear, I don't know if this chapter makes any by a logic view.
