I quickly rush down the street trying to find somewhere to stay until the storm stops. My mane and coat is drenched with the rain. Its been a long time since its rained like this, living in Phillidelphia, we don't get much rain. Last time it rained like this was... well over a year ago. There are young ponies playing in the water puddles and splashing each other with the muddy water.
I find shelter at a old Orphanage. This place always makes me tear up. Growing up in one and knowing that young ponies have been abandon by their own parents its horrible. Sometimes the parents may not have wanted them, may had been in a situation where they can be bought up. You never really know.
I slowly walk over to look at the fillies and foals. A beautiful young worker with white mane and a black coat comes up to me. "Hi sir, would you like any assistance?" I stare into her eyes and blank out for a moment. "Oh, I-I'm alright thank you." I stuttered. "Okay. If you need any help just call me over." The mare quietly trots off. I walk up to the ponies who would be no older than about seven or eight. "Hi there, what are your names?" I say as I slowly lower myself down to sit. The ponies drop their toys and introduce themselves shyly. "H-hi, my name is Fluttershy." A pale yellow Pegasus with light pink mane replies. "I'm Applejack, Nice to meet y'all. " A orange pony with green eyes and freckles says loudly and strikes a big smile. I couldn't resist to smile. I wanted to ask why they were here, what happened to them. But I couldn't.
Applejack looks up at me knowing I wanted to ask. "My parents passed away in a fire when I was only just a little filly." A tear went streaming down her left eye. "But one day I hope someone will adopt me and we could be a happy family!" The way she said it was in such a positive attitude. I go lower down to give her a hug. "Everything will be okay." I whisper to her. She looks up at me and smiles again. I slowly get up and tell the fillies I'd be back.
I walk around the Orphanage and see this door with a sign saying " Mentally Impairment" Trying not to be nosey, I slowly open the door and peek in. The room is cold and dark. You can hear the heavy rain hitting the tin roof. I hear a cry of a filly. "Hello?" I ask. A quick sound of flapping wings start. "Don't be scared, I wont hurt you. Please, come down." The filly slowly lowers herself down to the ground. You can hear her hooves hit the ground lightly. A grey filly with yellow mane steps out of the darkness where a single ray of light shines. She seems to have had Amblyopia, a condition where one eye is burred and the other is perfectly fine. Her amber eyes shine in the light that was provided in the dark room.
I'm the first to speak. "Hi, what's your name?" I say with a smile. The filly takes a step back into the darkness. "Everyone calls me Derpy Hooves because of my lazy eye and clumsiness. But my real name its Ditzy Doo." Nice to meet you, Ditzy." I say with another smile on my face. "What are you doing here all by yourself?" The filly looks at the ground with a tear streaming down her face. "I used to not be alone. There was a foal with me, Dr. Hooves. He was so called "Mental". But the workers put him in this room because of his IQ. It was really high. They always teased him and called him "Un-natural. This room is the M.I room that means Mentally Impairment. Usually for the ponies that are different. And well, I guess I'm just different to the other ponies here." She looks down at the ground again.
"Ditzy. No!" I say to her. "Please don't be upset, I know its hard to be here." I tell her quietly. She comes up to me and gives me a hug. Her cold arms wrap around my neck. I feel a tear fall onto my shoulder. "W-what's your name?" She asks me while letting go of me. "Astral Inkwell." She looks up at me and smiles. "I've never met anyone with such a amazing name." She says softly. I smile back at her.
We've been talking for a few hours now. The storm has stopped, its a good thing we can finally hear each other without having to speak loudly. A strange bell rings. I look at Ditzy. "What was that?" I ask. Ditzy looks at the floor and back up to me. "It means you have to leave now." I slowly bring myself up off the cold timber floor and lend a hoof to Ditzy to get up. There's a knock on the door. It was the worker. "Ditzy, time to say goodbye to...erm.." "Astral.. It's Astral" I reply back. "Oh okay. Ditzy, would like a few minutes to say goodbye to Astral?" The worker asks the young filly. "Yes please." She says while stretching out her wings. The worker trots off out of the room and shuts the door behind her. "Well. I guess this is it." Ditzy says to me sadly. "No its not. I promise I'll visit you every day. Sun, rain, snow or hail. I'll be here." I say while leaning in for a hug from the filly. "Really? You'll do that for me?" She pushes back from the hug with little force. I smile and laugh at her. "Of course I will Ditzy. You mean a lot to me. Even though I have only known you for such little time." I say to her. The filly flaps her wings quickly and is raised off the ground by just a few feet. "Thank you thank you thank you!" She says while hugging me tightly. The hug lasted a few seconds until the young mare worker interrupts with a door knock. "Ditzy, your friend has to leave now!" She says while opening the door. I lead myself out of the room and tell Ditzy that I'd be back soon.
I walk out of the Orphanage and cross the muddy road. Unexpectedly the storm starts again lightly. I gallop quickly down the road and turn into my street. I reach my veranda and shake myself off like a dog. My white coat and black mane is still drenched and my hooves and covered in mud. I go inside the house. Now my house has been here for quite a long time. I cant afford a new one, or even just a small renovation. I walk into the bathroom and look at myself in the broken mirror. I remember when this mirror broke. It was a long long time ago when my parents where living here. My mother and father had been arguing over the bills and rent they had to pay. My mother was trying to convince my father to find somewhere cheaper to live. Possibly somewhere like LakeTown Creek. My father was so furious, he shattered the mirror and a door that is now left sitting beside the door frame.
I had grown up in a orphanage till the age of 10. I was just a regular earth pony until I had been adopted. My parents would always fight. Everyday over the smallest things. I had always promised myself I would never raise my own child to live in a house with arguments and shattered mirrors and broken doors. Till this day I have kept that promise. I grab a towel and wipe off all of the water and mud off myself. I leave the bathroom and go into the kitchen to scavenge some food. All of the cupboards are empty and the fridge is broken with rotten food in it. My parents had left the house a good 3 or 4 years ago from now. They never left me. One morning I woke up without parents, a 50 dollar bill and no food. Just a letter on the dining room table. Astral, I know we haven't been the best parents in the world. But we tried. We are leaving you with all of our savings from the past month. You father has spoken to the landlord of the property. The landlord doesn't want this house anymore due to its condition. We hope you find a job with a good earning so you can fix the house. We love you, We are sorry for everything. Love, Mom & Dad
