Frankie's Taleby BronyGuyChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 1Frankie's eyes flashed open in shock. The loud noise that penetrated the silent bedroom echoed further into his consciousness, sprawling over in his mind. He stumbled out of bed, possible outcomes flashing before his eyes. Could it be a burglar? No, that wasn't possible, they didn't have anything worth stealing. Gunshots? It seemed to make sense, but deals, nor fights of any kind, go down when it's four in the morning. He heard yelling from that familiar voice, that voice that always let him know when to hide. It was his dad, practically falling over from drunkenness, shouting obscene words into the air like it was somebody to fight. Frankie shrunk back into his covers, determined to get some rest before school started. He quietly turned onto his side, careful not to let his dad know he was awake. Soon, however, his father barged into the room, the fumes of the alcohol pervading the room like fire on dry paper. He looked around the room, as if some mysterious ghost calling him. Then he looked at Frankie's still body, slowly breathing in and out... in and out... After a good ten minutes, he left the room, angered by the fact that Frankie hadn't been awake for another playtime. And he'd even brought home a glass bottle, too! As the door slammed behind him, Frankie let out a heavy sigh of relief. He'd escaped another routine beating from his dad. Tossing and turning did little to help wear off the adrenaline from that incident, and soon he decided to just give up and wait for dawn to approach. The milky light of the morning sun began to show through his cracked window, signaling his father's turn for sleep. He slowly got up and began looking through his clothes for something to wear. Five minutes passed... ten... twenty, yet he wasn't able to find a single article of clothing. The result was a raggedy T-shirt with tattered sweatpants. He walks out of his room, tiptoeing away from his mother's, and goes straight to the kitchen. He looks through the cupboards, but only finds half a piece of a stale bagel in the dead center of the shelf. Everything else was bare. At least it was this much, not like last week.... The walk from his house to the bus stop was a mile away, but he looked at the bright side to it. Not only because it gave him time to think about things, like girls that he'll never get, or goals he'll never achieve, but he looked at the bright side to this because... well... it was the only thing he felt optimistic about. The bus arrived right on time, its wheels screeching to a halt, and the rusty door shakily opening to show the mean-looking driver. “Get in,” was all the driver said, although Frankie didn't need to be told twice. He stepped up the small stairs and was greeted by the familiar faces of his peers. One pair of eyes that was particular was the pair belonging to Cody Creen. Not so much as the school's “bully” but close enough. His favorite friend? Yes, Frankie. Any day, any time, he was there; ready to hurt Frankie whether emotionally, mentally, or physically. He took a seat in front, as the bus slowly growled to life. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ School always went the same. He'd take the bus to school, get beating up by Creen, miss all of his assignments, take the bus home, get beating up by Creen, have a skimpy dinner, get beating by his dad, and go to bed. They didn't have proper plumbing in the bathrooms, so not only did he have to use the restroom at school, he never had the chance to shower. The same happened today, as it normally does, with him going to bed bruised, and cut. The only difference was his mom didn't give him any dinner, which wasn't new to him. Often, they'd eat the food, and leave little to nothing for Frankie, so this was little than a minor set back. However, Frankie did have something to look forward to, for right around the corner was his birthday, and his parents always gave him whatever he wanted for his birthday. Well... not entirely everything... the one thing he wanted most of all was just their love. The night threw a shroud of darkness around his room, illuminating his miniscule night-light. His father never did approve of him owning such a childish object, but Frankie managed to sweep this one under the radar, giving him a friendly smile to stare at as he slowly drifted from consciousness. He despised that smile. The way those pearly white teeth flashed brighter than the sun. The look on its face as if nothing could ever go wrong. But things do go wrong, and Frankie was the proof. It made him feel lonelier than ever, when he laid his eyes on it. It gave him a feeling of hopelessness, conveying one single thought, You will never be this happy! Yet he let it sit there, staring at it with scorn, for he truly was afraid of the dark. Frankie could never admit it to anyone but himself, for the consequences for saying such things could mean another beating, but he was afraid of most things. Afraid of the dark. Afraid of losing the battle. Afraid of his own parents. Afraid of everything.... The night dragged on, without any sign of sleep. He was wide-awake, anticipating the sun's appearance to mark his favorite day of the year. It wasn't like he was narcissistic or any of that, just the opposite in fact, he thought of himself ranking somewhere between dog shit, and vomit, when it came to how valuable he was. So it wasn't like he couldn't wait to start jumping around screaming, “Look it's my birthday! It's my birthday!” Because in reality, it was the only day his parents treated him. Treated.... treated him like their son. He couldn't stand it any longer, he knew his dad was out partying somewhere, using up the welfare check in the process, so he quietly slipped out of the bedroom, and walked onto the balcony. He liked the balcony the most about the small ran-down apartment. It was where he found the fire ladder leading to the Roof. The Roof... what a great place to spend time anywhere. Whether it was to flee from his mother's demands as a house caretaker, or simply to do homework, he enjoyed every second of being up there. He grabbed a hold of the ladder, but stopped. A thought came to mind, and he decided to try his luck and go out of town, where the wilderness was. Frankie walked back inside his home, to find it was merely midnight. The Twilight Hours, as he remembered his grandfather calling it. With a determined, face he walked back out into the night, and scaled downwards towards the streets. It's not like anybody would notice, no one ever drives through this street at night, much too dangerous. He carefully dropped down from the end of the ladder and found his way out of the alleyway. He looked back, and saw two large teenagers twice his size staring daggers at him. His pace quickened, but it was useless. “Yo punk!” said one of the males. “Ay! I'm talking to ya!” Slowly Frankie turned, afraid of what might be in store for him. “What'choo got business being here fo'? He questioned. “Sorry, I'm not trying to intrude in anything, I was just―” “Bullshit! I said, what'choo doin' here!” The kid pulled out a wicked looking blade, his brow creased, position readied almost as if... Frankie's eyes widened, and he bolted from the two kids, making a quick right and sprinting. He wasn't sure how or why, but something was telling him to push through to the forest. The males didn't hesitate; they sped full on, and were easily on his tail in a matter of seconds. Frankie dashed over two garbage cans lying on the sidewalk, checking behind him to confirm that they were still on the chase. He saw the borderline of the forest, and braced for the impact of the branches. His judgment proved correct as the searing pain of the blackberry bushes gnaw and dig into his sweatpants, and further into his flesh. He see's a large opening of blue, and registers it as a pond. He checks his back again to find that his attackers were far behind. Long enough to hide. He does a double take from the pond to a small boulder, and that's when he gets an idea. Frankie picks up the boulder and chucks it into the pond, creating a loud splashing noise to echo into the woods, then quickly takes off his clothes and tosses them around the ground. Once that is done, he dives into a bush and waits. His attackers quickly ran to a stop. “He must'a jumped in the pool!” One of them said. “I bet he's willin' to hold his breath 'till he can't no more!” They both gave each other cavity filled smiles, and sat down to wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. After what seemed a year they decided to leave early, since they believed Frankie had drowned while hiding, and walked away fist bumping and talking about gloating to the other members of some gang. As their voices grew quieter and quieter, Frankie figured they were long gone at that point. He gets up from his hiding place and puts his clothes back on. He silently thanks the lord for that blessed boulder being there, since he might have been killed without it. As he begins his walk back, he stops for a second and peers toward the pond. The nightlights of the city showed a soft glow to it, making look very inviting. The atmosphere around the pond itself gave him a very strange feeling. Not one he was used to in his daily life. It's such an odd feeling he takes a few paces back, not really sure what to do about it. As he recalls its name, it becomes clear to him. That feeling is happiness. Happiness was something he never got, the only happy thought he ever could remember is on his birthday when his mother told him she loved him. But that didn't matter right now, what mattered was that he felt much different than before he stumbled across this water. He comes to the conclusion that this pond must be... he didn't know... special? Magical? Magical... yes that was the only way he could put it. And as he gazes upon the casting glow of the water's surface, it seems like the best thing he can call it right now. He turns and starts his walk back to his apartment, taking in the whole way, from the pine needle scent to the blanket like darkness that surrounds him. As he steps into his apartment, the results of his running around like that has caused him to feel fatigue setting in, and heads straight to bed. With the warm blankets covering him up for a warm night of sleep, he nods off. The last thing he remembers before his dreams take him in is the magnificent golden-blue light that reflected from the surface waters. As his dreams play behind his eyes, Frankie can just barely feel the corners of his mouth rise... Chapter 2The loud sound banging continued as Frankie snapped out of his sleeping state. The echo of his nightmare played one last hurrah in his mind, sending that loud crashing noise spiraling out of his consciousness. He peers around the room, blinking a few times to try and bring the world into focus. He clears the rest of his dream from his thoughts, shaking his head a few times and blinking again. The sun’s lazy approach into his bedroom window gave enough of a sign that the day has arrived— the day of his birthday! He gives a small smile at that thought, and gets out of bed. Now that he’s fully clothed, Frankie opens his door and casually walks to the kitchen, remembering that, during previous birthdays, the cabinets always held some treat for him for breakfast. He smiles and wraps his hands along the grooves of the handles and— while taking a few moments for added effect— opens the door. To reveal bare boards, which stare back at him in mock. It takes a few minutes to fully comprehend what was before him. So they forgot his ‘special’ breakfast. Well… he wasn’t going to let that ruin his whole day, now was he? No! In fact, maybe his parents decided to skip breakfast to save up for something else! Yeah, maybe his mother and father were going to come home with a chessboard, or an entire cake, or even a GameBoy! If only he knew… /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The walk to the bus stop was about as lively as a scarecrow. The clouds looking down upon the world, swollen and depressed, the grass lay dead to the world as the careless wind pushed and pulled them in opposing directions. However, it was Frankie who was looking upbeat. Practically shining a new light around him, giving anything within its radius life again. And the smile. It had been a long time since he’d smiled like the one he wore today. For he felt today would be a good day. A day to remember, where not only was his birthday celebrated, but maybe… just maybe… he didn’t lose. He thought of the pool from the night prior, and that did little to nothing in stopping his smile. The soft glow of the pool’s waters, the warm glow from the streetlights… it all just made him grow a bit happier than before. He contemplated on spending some more time there, instead of the Roof. Maybe he could bring over a few things… like a desk and candlelight. Hey, yeah, maybe he could make that pool his official ‘hang out’ spot! He could bring some old cassettes he found, and use his grand father’s cassette player, or— or maybe even sleep out there? A camp out! These ideas were plain perfect! He stopped short. Could he? No… no way that would ever happen. Not in a thousand years— even if he lived that long!— would he get a girlfriend. But still… the idea of sharing his place with her did sort of help add to the smile… whoever ‘her’ might be. The roar of the bus brought him back to reality, making him jump a little. The door opened up showing the same glare he’d grown accustom to. Frankie didn’t even need to be told once; he’d already jumped into the bus before the driver opened his mouth! He smile wavered for a second, when he caught a glimpse of Creen, who seemed a little questioning at Frankie’s state. ‘Oh goody, this fag again.’ Creen thought as he glared daggers towards the smiling teenager that stood at the front of the bus. ‘Fuck it, my arm is too sore, I’ll just deal with him for later.’ Frankie walked on by Creen, still a broad smile plastered onto his face. He takes a seat in the very back of the bus as it starts up again and jars forward. “Hey Frankie! Yeah, dickwad I’m talking to you!” Creen hollered back at him. “What’s with your gay-ass smile, fucko? Finally tell your parents about your closet situation?” The crowd of his peers all laughed together, some pointing, some bro-fisting Creen as they look at the Frankie’s face for any sign of hurt. Too bad, the only thing they got in return was the same smile untouched by the vulgar language. “You know, I’d love to chat about my parental issues and what not, but I think I’ll pass!” “The fuck’s with you today, faggot?” Frankie looked at the ground, searching for the right words to say, but couldn’t think of anything. “Hmm, well let’s just say that I think today’s my day.” “Oh yeah?” Creen turned back, facing the front of the room. So that little ass thinks he owns today? Yeah… yeah I’ll fucking show him…. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The day wore on as it normally does. Well. Not entirely. Frankie got his homework turned in on time, much to the teacher’s dismay. “Oh, what’s this? Finally decide to complete an assignment, Frankie?” Mr. Makkoy said eying the paper with slight irritation. “Yes, Mr. Makkoy. And this time, the problems are correct.” Frankie says as he takes his seat in the middle of the classroom. “Hm, yes, well,” the teacher sets the paper down on his desk, “Well just see about that, won’t we.” The school bell rung, indicating the tardy sweep was now in effect. Peers slowly trickled into the room, taking their seats, and starting the class warm up. “Well class!” The students looked up from their work. “It appears one particular student did his homework. So what better way then to use his sheet as a correcting paper? Take out your homework, kids, lets review last night’s homework.” He places Frankie’s worksheet on the overhead projector, displaying his answers and work. Then, Makkoy took out his corrected sheet to compare the answers. “Hmmm…” he shifted his prescription glasses to see them. “Well.” He turned and looked Frankie in the eye. “I’d say you failed just about every single one of these problems.” Frankie flinched just a tiny bit at that. Not his entire body, but enough to notice his reaction. The class was a mix of laughing, name-calling, and face palming, all gesturing towards Frankie’s failure as a student. Again. How long has it been since he’s been in this class, now? Two… maybe three years? It never changes for him, does it? Same lousy jerk of a teacher. Same lousy guys making fun of him. The memory of the pool comes to mind, and he can’t help but focus on the waters… the cool, wavy, comforting waters. He closes his eyes, and tries to imagine that lovely pool again… A small tad-bit— nothing more!— of a thought slivered its way into mind. Jumping into those waters. And not coming out. Wait, WHAT?! He quickly pulls his head up from his desk, peering around the room to find class is already half way through today’s notes. Had he fallen asleep? It seemed like it, the drool trail didn’t just randomly show up unannounced. Frankie shook his head a bit clearing his mind of the sleepy state. Did he really just think of that? Killing himself? No he couldn’t of, there wouldn’t be a reason to in the first place! However there was something about that pool, something that made him believe there was… he didn’t know… something on the other side of that surface. Because, let’s face it: it’s not like water ever gave him happy feelings when he was around it. In fact, it should do the opposite, shouldn’t it? After all, when he was three, his mother forgot him in the bathtub overnight, so shouldn’t it have scarred him up till now? A knock snapped him from his thoughts, and he found himself staring into the eyes of Mr. Makkoy. “As. I. Was. Saying.” He turned and walked back to the front of the classroom. “Can anyone tell me the answer to problem four?” He looked at the classroom, and met Frankie’s eyes yet again. “What about you, Alagarri? Any answer you’d like to share with us today?” “Uh… well… is it—“ The bell rung, signaling that the class was over, and saving Frankie from even more embarrassment. Not all he had to do was get through… .... Oh no. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Just act like you don’t matter, stay low, stay low, Frankie thought as he carefully got to the aisle serving salads. Ok, ok, so far so good. He walked by a table filled with the ‘popular’ kids. Hey. They didn’t acknowledge me, best day so far—! “Hey, well look who it is?” Creen said, as the rest of his group came into view. Son of a bi— “Oogh!” Frankie groaned as he was sent sprawling to the floor, throwing his tray of food down onto the ground to the right of him. “Nngh!” He tried getting up, fighting the urge to run away from all of this… to… to fight back! Pulling himself up onto his knees, he felt the sensation of a splitting bite in his chest, and heard the sound of a small crack! “Ha, yeah, yeah just come right up, faggot.” Creen said with a smile. “C’mon, dickhead, I said get up! Fight me you piece of shit!” He kicked him, hard, in the side of his torso causing him to double over. Just do it, faggot. Just do it faggot, Frankie heard over and over again in his head. All these years getting pushed around, made fun of, ridiculed. Those were going to end once and for all. He was going to fight back! With pain-filled seconds, he managed to push himself up to his knees, and climbed up to a standing position. He glowered at Creen, eyes practically glowing with rage. He took the moment and struck. The feeling and sound of his fist connect with Creen’s skull was one of miracles. True, it hurt like hell, but it was worth it. Or so he thought. Chris wheeled around in a circle, using the momentum from Frankie’s hit to spin around and nail Frankie dead in the chin. The pain was almost instantaneous. He fell backward onto the ground again, unable to breathe properly. Creen walked up to him, and grabbed him by his hair; hoisting him up so he could whisper, “See what happens when you fight back? You lose. You’ll always lose, and there isn’t a dog-pile-of-shit you can do about it.” He let go of Frankie’s crop of hair, dropping his head to the cold surface. Well… so much for that plan… /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The walk home was an excruciating one. The sharp stabs of pain in his side have diminished to merely a dull ache at this point. However, it was the large bruise on his chin that left its mark. The splitting ache had diminished (sort of) to a splitting headache, at this point. Not exactly how he envisioned how his day would turn out, but still… Come on, think positive, think, think, think! …He… he couldn’t think of anything. Not one single thought came to mind that lifted his spirit, touched his heart, or even gave him a smile. Nothing. The only things accompanying his mind were memories after memories of what he had to go through. His life spent avoiding Creen, and soon being beaten by Creen. His history with his father, how he slowly began to turn to the abusive man he is today. His mother… oh his mother… The day turned from depressed clouds, and dead grass to something far worse. The day had grown darker with the presence of even more clouds, growing in size and thickness. It looked as if God had decided to close the shades in his universe, diming every single corner of the world. Wind began growing stronger, still, howling in Frankie’s ears no matter where he turned. He stiffed up his collar in an attempt to block out the biting cold. As he walked home, he let his mind wander back into the depths of the pool. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Sofas, begging to be incinerated, cut-out and wobbly coffee tables, and dead carpet met his gaze with sorrow and longing. He found a note taped to the doorway, and looked at it. As he picked it up, he found two yellow gloves. He read the note: Take care of this kitchen; I’ll be back in an hour. He flipped to the other side of the paper, but found nothing else written. As he stepped into the kitchen, he found the usual mess beyond recognition of filthy dishes pleading to be washed, floorboards matted with black bile of what can only be described as ‘dirt,’ and scattered bits of food lying every-which-way. Frankie sighed in exasperation, and then calmed himself. It’s ok, it’s ok, I’m sure she’s just making me do these chores to distract me while she gets a present. At least… I hope. He began working on the kitchen, first picking up the dishes and washing them. One by one, dish by dish, he worked on them scouring away the pieces of food and leftover sauce. The stench of the heated water mixing with the bile made him cringe with disgust. He placed another dish into the dishwasher, and started again on the next food-grimed dish. Wait… Food?! When was there ever this much food in one day? had… had his father actually used the check in something other than booze? Had they spent money on food for him, their son? He dropped the dishes and flung open the cupboard doors. To find more wallpaper. And more space. And more dust. Everything was there, just no food. Frankie didn’t move an inch, at the thought that maybe… maybe his eyes were just playing tricks on him. Yeah… yeah maybe he just needed his eyes to adjust, and then he’d see the stockpile of candies, cereals, and other wonderful delicacies normal people called “snacks.” But after waiting for five entire minutes nothing had changed. Still bare walls gazing upon his face, willing that he’d leave them alone. He broke his gaze from the cupboards and stared at the dishes, think intently on how these dishes even became lewd in the first place. So… they ate dinner without me? Not even saying sorry for it? Or saying anything at all?! He felt something cold grow in his chest and soon after felt nothing of emotions. He didn’t bother thinking about it, just started again on the kitchen, waiting for his parents to bring him a birthday…. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The door opened, waking Frankie from his sleep. he checked himself, and found a noticeable drool trail lining his shirt. I should take care of this one of these— wait my parents! His eyes shot open, now alert and focused, and felt the lingering presence of a smile playing its way onto his face. He got up and bent his back to stretch out his worn muscles— caused both by Creen and the kitchen’s wrath. “Hey mom! How was your day?” “How did you know it was me?” Her voice called back, sounding monotone and bored. “Oh well, when you live long enough around here, it’s easy to distinguish sou—“ “HEY!” His mom shouted. “…Did I ask for a fucking math problem?” Frankie cowered back a bit, “Uh… no, no I was just—“ “Yeah, yeah, I don’t give a fuck.” She walked into the kitchen and surveyed the scene before her, scowling at everything in her view. “Again.” “…What?” “What you got shit in your ears? I said AGAIN!” She grabbed a stray dish and threw it to the ground, causing an ear-splitting crash to pierce through the heavy silence. “You mean, clean the kitchen again?” Frankie said, obvious dismay pouring from his voice. “Yeah,” she spat into the sink. “Uh… mom… I wanted to know if…” Frankie mumbled his question, rubbing the back of his neck and breaking eye contact. “What the fuck is it?” “Well you know how it’s my birthday?” She stared at him, implying him to ‘get on with it.’ “Would there, by any chance, be any kind of… uh… you know… birthday present?” “Oh yeah, today’s your birthday, eh?” His mom scratched under her chin, “Eh. Sorry I don’t care anymore.” The emotion was evident on Frankie’s face. “Oh don’t be such a pussy! You don’t deserve shit anymore, since you’re at that age now.” She walked off to her room. “And don’t even think you’re father’s going to get you anything.” She snickered, “I mean… besides your birthday punches. Frankie walked to the living room couch, and sat down, staring at the space in front of him. No present today. No present today. No son today. No son today. No son… \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The cold bit on his arms and legs, but he didn’t care. The wind scrapped his bare skin and watered his eyes, but he didn’t care. Life, as he knew it, was nothing but oblivion, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to get to that damn pool, so he could feel that wonderful feeling again, that feeling of happiness… that feeling… of wholeness. True, the blackberry bushes tore at his skin and flesh, causing mild sores and cuts to open up on his feet and ankles. By this time, the clouds had made way, and began to let forth a massive downpour of rain, soaking into his wounds, and wetting his eyes. Left by right, foot by foot, he managed to get out of that retched house, and now walks the path to his sanctuary, The Pool. He tried the Roof, but it just wasn’t working. No matter what he didn’t there was just no way he could get the thoughts of the Pool out of his head. That and… well… he didn’t want to be around his parents anymore. Not just for the night, or the week, or month. No… he didn’t want to be around anyone right now, or ever. He’d thought it over, killing himself seemed the best approach for the hell hole of a life he must survive on a day to day, basis. What are you doing?! What does it look like. I’m going to my home. Home? Home?! Your home is THERE!! Where your parents are, what the hell is with you?! Screw my parents, I’m sick, and I’m tired, and I’m frustrated at them. So are all kids with their parents, that doesn’t mean you need to go an off yourself like this! Now, if it were just one day, I could manage. But they’ve treated my like this for years… maybe even my entire life. I’m lucky I even survived as an infant, for fuck’s sake! Then again maybe no— Quit your crying! I don’t give a shit about what they’ve done in the past, which is gone and left in the sand! You should be worried about the present—! I am worried about the present; I’m worried that I’ll continue to live this way, succumbing to my daily struggles, and eventually giving in to their demands. You already are giving into their demands! Just live with it for a few more years, and you can kiss them goodbye! No… I can’t stand to live with them for that long, besides, I can already tell I’m going to be killed by one of them soon enough, might as well off myself now while I have the chance to decide any fate of mine. Why the hell would you think they would kill you?! That’s just stupid! I know them, my dad beats the living crap out of me, even worse than what Creen does! And my mom… I don’t want to go into detail about what she has done to me… But don’t you get it? You’re looking into the past and present to get a feeling of hopelessness so you can— You’re repeating yourself. Stop it. Frankie’s train of thought was broken from the rush of energy he felt as he stepped into the Pool’s boundaries. The feeling of doubt slowly cascaded off of his spirit, and he felt his posture rise, and his feet rise just a bit higher off the ground. You see? This is why I came here. It’s such a lovely spot for… Killing yourself. Yes. He walked into the pool of water, clothes and all, and began floating on the water’s surface. The sensation can only be described of bliss. Something he hadn’t felt in…. in… “Ever.” He said aloud, as he opened his eyes for one last view of the sky above. The stars glowed with such intensity, illuminating the space around them, taking their light and glory and slowly sprinkling it down onto Earth, letting each and every speck fall into the cracks and crevices of everywhere. He blinked slowly, letting the rain droplets wash over his face, and willing his eyes to stay open for the droplets to clean them. He turned his head, facing the direction of the city lights, taking them in and analyzing their colors they held. Sharp daggers of yellow, soft hues of blue, and vibrant zaps of purple danced in his eyes. He sighed in content, letting the fluid wash over his body, cleaning the filth of the past off of his soul. Now for the closing motion…. He slowly breathed out, and dived down into the depths of the pool, where he found a suitable root to grab. With haste, he tied a sturdy knot from his clothes onto the underwater trunk. When that was finished… he waited… …He couldn’t hold it any longer. Frankie’s lungs just had to have something of any kind to fill the empty space in them. With many attempts to try to cough the water out of his body, he thought of what Creen had said to him, only a few hours ago. You lose. You’ll always lose, and there isn’t a dog-pile-of-shit you can do about it. He let go. No longer fighting the will of the liquid, yet welcoming it, as it trickled down his esophagus, and further into his lung passage ways. Yet in all that time, the only thing he could think of… could feel was the feeling of new life. Not dying, and going to heaven, or hell, or wherever he was going to go, but rather… a new place. Someplace safe. Someplace whole. Someplace… …Safe. Author's Notes: Sorry, everypony, for the time it took to write this chapter! (you wouldn't believe how difficult filler chapter can be!) I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did! Thanks, and don't forget to: Track, Comment, and Rate! <3 Chapter 3Black. Darkness. Void of light, to which nothing is seen for miles… even light-years to come. Whatever you wanted to call it, Frankie couldn’t see anything but dark, and it wasn’t the kind of dark we all knew. It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t safe. It wasn’t welcoming. Just pitch black, at every corner… if there were any corners of… wherever he was. He tried to toss around, but nothing occurred. Just aimless floating in nothingness. Forever. He tried again, willing his senses to overcome such an obscure obstacle, of which had no name, no soul, and no answer. He focused his muscles in his right arm, remembering the feeling of the wind rushing passed his skin as he lifted it up, and the tingle of his neurons as they awoke from slumber. Suddenly, with all his might, he forced out that built-up energy, willing it to rise as best as he could manage. Yet still, nothing happened. Frankie became more urgent at this point, surely there was something he could do to get himself out of this… whatever it was! He tried this same attempt over and over again, feeling the surge of energy through his arms, legs, and neck, yet all succumbing to the empty darkness that surrounded him— no— engulfed him. With the feeling of liquid, warm and moist, beginning to show through his eyes, he lay there in that lonesome darkness, feeling lonelier than ever. Suddenly a rush of light pierced through from the heavens, basking him in warmth, and the feeling of hope once again. The blinding light caused him to instinctively move his arms to shield his eyes. Wait a sec… His arms! They could move! He felt the wrinkle of his cheeks as they pulled apart to make a smile, and glow of the light as it heated up his skin in such a lovely moment. He moved his arms, and tossed about, happily playing in the space he occupied as the light began to move forward, warding off the shuddering shadows of his previous world, and hugging him with a new one. Something about it gave him a sense of— not only hope— but also happiness. It was absolutely nothing he’d ever felt before, however that thought did little to nothing in impeding the creeping smile making its way onto his mouth. He kicked his feet, and found that this… ‘Space’ felt just like swimming through water, so he quickly adapted to this and paddled his way towards the light, feeling the wondrous rays of it reaching his skin, warming him up like a fireplace. He felt his smile grow just a bit wider as the light finally overtook him, sending the same effect as the darkness. But better. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ He coughed and sputtered, sending out cold clear fluids from his mouth. Purging over and over again, feeling the pull and gack of his body ridding itself of the water that enveloped his lungs. He lifted up an arm, and slammed it to the ground, pushing as hard as his weak state would let him. Yet as he got up just to his elbow his arm collapsed, sending Frankie back to the ground where he lay. At first he felt little things. The dull ache of his arm and chest. The cold sensation that seemed to wrap around him from head to toe. The sun as it tried its best to bask him in its warmth. He rested, motionless, feeling the dull ache become more and more sudden. Soon it wasn’t just a dull ache, but a splitting crunch feeling, over and over again, in some kind of hideous rhythm. He tried one more time, pushing himself up to his elbows where he then worked his way up to a sitting position. With some hesitation he opened his eyes, to find brightly colored leaves hanging low to the ground from a near by tree. What… where…? This isn’t heaven. No shit? Hey I was just trying to help. Yeah, lets keep the thinking down to a minimum, my head hurts. I feel your pain, bro. …Ha, ha. He opened his eyes just a bit from squinting, sensing the pain of eyes unused to sunlight, but quickly adapted. He looked around his surroundings, finding the same looking pool catching his gaze, and a line of bright-green trees formatting around it in a row. He opened his eyes wide. He was right. This wasn’t anything like heaven. At least… not what he’d heard about. But what did he know? It’s not like they died, went to heaven, and came back again to tell their tale, was it? So maybe he was in heaven. Now what? What could there possibly be to do, if he’s already in the final destination? If he did everything he could as a mortal what the hell was there to do in… well… heaven? He stood up, placing a hand on his knee and pushing upward until he was standing tall. He felt a wave of nausea and dizziness take over, but managed to stand erect. He took yet one more look around, getting a feel of the pool’s tree line and small woodland creatures. Well… this doesn’t exactly feel like heaven. Yeah, I can say the same. He took a small step, feeling yet another round of dizziness then continued until he was walking complete steps. “Hey, do you think we’ll find anything cool looking?” said a voice. “Cool looking? Dear Celestia, please, if you’re going to become an explorer, you must call them something more appropriate!” A more adult sounding voice called back in response. Frankie almost fell over on the spot. Well they did always say that heaven was shared… He faced toward the voices and took his awkward steps, slowly lifting up one foot and placing it down just as the miniscule wave of nausea dimmed, yet quickly lost his balance and came crashing down through the bushes and landing at the feet of the two people. Wait. Those aren’t feet. …And those aren’t people. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ “Whoa, what is it?!” shouted the littler… what was it? Horse? Pony? Pony…. something seemed to fit with that word. So it was decided, Frankie called them ponies. Great achievement, there…. ‘ponies’ oooh astonishing. Well what the hell can I do?! I’m just laying here in fr— “Well… D’I…. I don’t know what this thing is!” said the adult one. He put a hoof to his chin and studied Frankie with caution. Obviously, they didn’t know what he was, and they weren’t exactly thrilled to find out. “What do we do with it?” the small pony looked up at the bigger one and gave him a questioning look. “…” Frankie opened his mouth, expecting the flow of voice to come pouring out. Yet nothing came out. No sound. No voice. Nothing, just the escape of fresh air blown out of his lungs and into the air forward. Oh crap…. “Maybe we should take it back to the vet. See if they know what this might be.” The larger one coughed twice with a strange look on his face. “Yes… maybe they’ll know.” He backed up a bit, implying that Frankie follows. “C’mon little guy, let’s go.” Well what the hell do we do now?! You think I have any clue? I never even knew horses of this color were real! …But aren’t we in heaven? I don’t know anymore… He got up, following the instructions given to him by the stallion. Ok, just stay calm— Calm? CALM?! Dude, we are following a pony’s orders…. A PONY’S!! I know that, but going ape shit isn’t going to solve anything! Just do as you’re told and maybe we can find a way out of this. …Yeah fine… He got up, slowly at first, but soon gained his balance again and started walking along side them. Needless to say, the little pony was ogling him like a new creature. Well… technically he is a new creature— to them anyways. They continued to walk along some hand-made path. …Should we just call it foot-made? Wow… they have names, you know. Oh right! Sorry I was too busy wondering what the hell WE’RE DOING HERE!! Ok, so it was a hoof-made path, to which Frankie and the… 'ponies' walked along. When he began to feel some sensation of fatigue begin to set in on him, he heard the old pony say out loud. “Here we are! Now run along Ruby Blossom, I’ll take care of this guy.” he nodded his head forward, implying for him to depart. The little one did as he was told, scampering off, probably to go play with his friends or something. The male pony looked at Frankie, eyes portraying something he wasn’t expecting. Longing? Desire? Wait… no it couldn’t be that… Distaste? Resentment? A combination of both, possibly? Whatever it was, Frankie couldn’t think any longer, as the faint sound of a thud somewhere in the distance followed by a pain splash across his head, sending a shock down his spine. He fell to the floor, unconscious. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ “Angel do you think you can watch the place for me? It will just be a few minutes.” Fluttershy quietly said as she approached the doorway. “I’m going to the vet to buy more birdfeed.” She turned to face Angel Bunny, “We’re almost all out.” He responded— in his usual manner— by shacking his head. Swish swish. “Aw come on Angel. I’ll make it up to you!” His ears perked up just a bit. “When I get back, I’ll make you a special yummy snack! One with pineapples, and carrots, and cherries!” She presented a warm, loving smile towards him. He scratched his chin, thinking intently on his odds, then quickly coming over to the thought of that treat. He nodded his head in agreement, and hopped off. Fluttershy smiled with closed eyes, and turned to the door. The warm breeze of the mid afternoon warmed up her body, making her sigh in content. “What a great day to go out.” She said to herself. Flapping her wings a for a bit, she took flight and flew off in the direction of the veterinarian office. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Frankie fell to the floor, gasping for air, as the sticky sweat broke through his hair, back, and sides showing through the clothes he wore and drenching the ground along with it. He coughed and shook, disparately trying to get air into his lungs. “Excellent work.” Said a static voice over the intercom. “You may rest as we depart for the today, please do not bang on the glass again, or we will have to use the same precautions. The static came back, then silence. He didn’t need to be told twice, first time he tried to break free from this hell hole, he wound up on the floor as a wave of spasms took hold from the electrocution. If this is heaven… I’d rather stick to hell. What’s the difference? Another round of coughing set in, causing him to double over. He felt tears of agony fall from his eyes, gently rolling down his cheeks and splashing on the ground. How could something so innocent looking do something so evil? Even if he were something that they feared, why not try to communicate with him and not just throwing him into this white room, filled with testing equipment and sterile air. He felt his vocal chords vibrate as he began to cry. Yet, as always, nothing came from them. Just his chest pumping in and out, and the rush of tears cascading downward. He heard a click, and the swing of a door being opened. “Um… hello? Is there anypony I can talk to? That is… if it’s alright?” Fluttershy practically whispered out into the air. She walked passed each room, looking into the windows from curiosity. She stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes fell onto Frankie’s defeated form. “Eep!” She squealed and hid from the scene before her, terrified by this new monster that lurked behind the closed door. With steeled nerves… she looked back into the window, and gasped as she finally understood what this thing was going through. It was obviously hurt, and it needed medical attention. …Something these veterinarians weren’t giving. Ignoring her instinctive manner to run and hide from this beast, she let her other self take over, and went for the doorknob. It didn’t budge. She turned and headed for the main office, seeing that she accidentally came from the back door, and asked the receptionist to speak with one of the vets. “Excuse me I need to talk to Doctor Sunrise.” She snapped back to her old self for just a second, “I mean… uh… if that’s okay with you…” “Sure thing, sweetie, just wait one moment.” She tapped a button on her intercom and spoke, “Attention Dr. Sunrise, you are needed in the main office.” Within moments a tall stallion with an orange coat walked in. “Is there something wrong, here?” “Yes I’d like to speak with you alone.” Fluttershy said, “Oh! I mean… uh… you know… if that’s what you want.” He gave her a look of annoyance, but proceeded, “Very well. What is it?” They walked away from the desk, into one of the many hallways. “I’d ike to know if I can help you in anyway.” She pointed with a hoof towards Frankie’s ward. “With the care of that animal.” “Oh Celestia no! We have that… thing” he gestured with a hoof, “taken care of. In fact I’d say it looks spick and span! Happy as can be! Now please… leave.” Without a moment’s notice, he turned around and walked off. He won’t help the animal? That’s… that’s SO RUDE!! She not only ignored her instincts, but also ignored everything and gunned straight for the keys that jingled alongside Sunshine’s side. With a delicate grasp she took hold of the keys and quickly departed, running down the hallway to Frankie’s room. He heard the cl-chink of the door being opened, and saw a softly colored mare walk into the room with a determined face. Now what?! Wait… she looks like she’s going to help! And help she did. Using her wings as a sort of ‘lift’ she placed Frankie on her back, feeling her knees buckle just a bit from his weight. With small— amazingly!— quiet hoofsteps she walked out of the office building, leaving the door swaying open in her trail. Right before Frankie fell into the lair of unconsciousness, he couldn’t help but enjoy the gentle breeze of the day, and the warm coat of this savior of a pony. Author’s Notes: Sorry guys about how long this took to update, and especially being that this isn’t a very good of a chapter— nor was it probably worth the wait. But the truth is, I’m becoming more and more distant from writing, so it’s getting harder and harder to work on these chapters for you all. That and I'm terrible with filler chapters. But don’t worry, as long as it takes, I’ll see this fic through to the end, and I hope you all will be by my side as I come closer and closer to wrapping up Frankie's Story. Please, don't forget to track, comment, and rate! <3 Chapter 4Pat pat pat Went Frankie’s bare feet as they carried themselves in front of one another— constantly following the monotonous rhythm of the treadmill belt’s winding. Pat pat pat The sound echoing off the pure white walls, void of anything but malice and something that of robotic… no… inhumane nature. Pat pat pat Nothing mattered at this point. Time was undetermined. Existence irrelevant. Comprehension meaningless. All that mattered was running, breathing, and keeping away from that line. Oh how he hated that line. A small bar, to which provided nothing but agony if he dared to cross it, hung ever so gently— like a welcoming yet poisoned slice of cake, or— or a sweetly scented toxic gas. It practically begged him to come closer, to let go of everything and become a victim to its betrayal. And he fell for that sickening bar five times. Five times he felt the sensation of pure pain shoot through his back. Five times he gave up his attempt to keep on, to push forward and strive to live. Five times he failed. Now, as he found himself in that same situation, he felt something else along with him. It wasn’t necessarily a feeling of… well… a feeling, but something of a being sitting close to him. Keeping an eye out for his failures, to then come swooping downward and help him in his time of need. It was a nice feeling. He knew it was a very simple— almost childish— way to put it, but while running for an even two hours he had other things on his mind. Oh how he hated running. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ “Oh my.” Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin, worriedly staring at Frankie’s form as he twitched and sweat out a cold sweat, his long thin arms flayed across the soft cushions of the sofa, and his limber body resting— though a little off— on top of the couch. She watched his jet-black hair and tanned skin rise and fall with every breath, or move upward as the air pushed the hair up and fall as the air subsided. His breathing became more and more abrupt, almost like what she’d seen when watching other ponies train for contests. In fact she’d seen something like this when little fillies’ nightmares occurred— sending them into a state of what looked like panic. Her eyes went wide at the revelation. So he— erm, uh she— no wait…. …What was this thing? Oh, stop right there! Don’t call… whatever this is a thing! So she corrected herself. What was this creature? Fluttershy knew a few techniques that were a little more… comfortable when she looked for the gender to an animal. But the problem was simple: As far as she knew— This wasn’t a bear. This wasn’t an eagle. And this most certainly wasn’t a pony! She took a breath to wash away that thought, Let’s… let’s just leave that question in the air for now. Her mind went back to the thought of this animal having a dream. She’d seen Applejack’s dog have dreams before, so maybe this was related to dogs? No, that couldn’t make any sense because there’s no tail. Maybe something of a chimpanzee? That would explain the missing tail, but this being was too big to be a chimp! Perhaps a gorilla? A gorilla seemed to fit the profile of it better, but even then it was a shot in the dark— nothing but a simple guess! “Oh…” she sat down after flutter-pacing in a circle, and let her tired wings rest, “I guess… I guess I could ask Twilight if she knows.” Suddenly Frankie groaned slightly, tossing and turning on the small sized sofa. His sweating rate looked as if it increased, and he looked more scared than ever. His light-blue eyes flashed open, quickly searching the room in haste. He grew a bit calmer knowing he wasn’t… there anymore. What the hell was that, anyways? So called ‘helpful tests’ his ass— those seemed like tortures more than anything! But that didn’t matter, he wasn’t in that place and he most certainly wasn’t around any bars. So much for hospitality, eh? What’s that suppose to mean? Nothing… but the way it looks… I’d say that yellow pony rescued you. Rescued by a pony… from ponies…. yeah makes total sense. Frankie’s attention switched to Fluttershy who was awkwardly staring at him trying not to be afraid. It was clearly in vain, as he was easily able to see her shaking like a winter leaf with scared eyes. “…” He opened his mouth, but remembered his ordeal. Well… his smallest ordeal anyways. “Uh….” She squeaked, beginning to show signs of hiding into her long mane. “Is… is there something you want?” It was barely a whisper, causing Frankie to look confused. Fluttershy took a deep breath, “I said… is there something you want?” That was a little better— still a bit quieter than she’d wanted— but it got the job done. Frankie made an “Oohh… right” kind of face and nodded his head. He looked to the ground, pondering on his actions of communication. We could try to write something… …Yeah like what? “Hello, my name is Frankie, what is yours?” …. You’re kidding me— Well it would be nice to introduce yourself. Intro—…. Introduce myself? Dude… WE’RE IN A CARTOON. Hey I’m just trying to he— You know, for the logical part of my mind you’re not very logical sometimes. Well what would you do? …Hand gestures? Yes… that seemed fitting enough. He tapped his index finger to his own chin, wondering how to convey ‘thirsty’ using hands. Oh! An idea dawned on him, and he cupped his hand and made a motion with it by raising it to his open mouth. Fluttershy was startled at first; quickly hiding behind the chair she sat in, but soon popped back up realizing what he was getting at. “You… you want something to drink?” He nodded. Holy Celestia, it… it understands me! “Um… ok, just wait here please and I’ll…” Oh this was so awkward… Frankie returned the comment with a nod, and sat back down on the couch, studying the cozy feeling that the cottage evoked. Tick tock. Tick tock Frankie’s head turned a little to the sound of the clock. Tick tock. Tick pat He jumped up a little at that. Had he just heard what… what he thought he heard? Frankie sat quietly, listening to the sound… Tick pat. pat. His eyes grew wide, as he remembered the sound. Suddenly his mind was racing and he could hear… could smell the dank testing room and that evil treadmill. Pat pat pat He cocked his head to the left. Pat pat pat pat He jerked to the right, feeling sweat begin to perk through pores. Pat pat patpatpatpatpat Frankie pressed his hands to his ears in a weak attempt to ward off the hideous noise, scrunching his eyes and silently pleading for the horrendous noise to stop… Pat pat pa— ticktick tickticktick Frankie snapped back to reality to find a freighted yellow horse holding a shivering cup of water in her mouth. He tried to apologies, but remembered he lost his voice, leaving his jaw hanging open. Well…. that was certainly something else. Yes, just make sure to keep cool if we ever get another wave like that. Oh, now I remember why you’re my logical side. Will do. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Dr. Sunrise walked along the sterile hallways, enjoying the time flying by and the quiet corridors that accompanied him. But the one thing that really got him going was the thought of finding an entirely new species in Equestria! He daydreamed of the riches he’d receive for his findings, and the fame and glory his peers would undoubtedly give him. All this thinking certainly made him smile a nice big smile. Not a righteous one, but definitely something of happiness. He continued his walk back towards the testing chamber where he kept his little soon-to-be bit-maker, letting his thoughts run a bit on the more intimate side when he released this specimen’s bio-log. Because, c’mon, who doesn’t want to bang a scientist that just discovered something nopony has ever seen before? An image of all those mares just begging him to let loose, sent a small ecstatic shiver down his spine. And a little lower, too. He reached the right wing of the complex, and levitated his ring of keys into a field of vie—. Where are his keys? His eyes blankly stared at the empty keychain that usually held the dangling pieces of steel, yet today held no such thing. Oh no… oh nohohoho this is BAD! He frantically looked through his lab jacket, eying the pockets and the one big slip that always carried something of his. However, to his trepidation he found nothing of the sort. Sunrise tried back tracking. Ok, so maybe he left them in the bathroom? He used to do that a lot when he was young, and sometimes has his moments at this day and age. But that couldn’t make any sense; he’d double-checked the locker room’s toilets before he went out! Maybe he left them in his day clothes? Wait, that was a stupid thought, how could he get work keys to his regular clothes when there is a metal detector in the employee entrance?! His eyes grew a bit wider since, and his sweating increased a bit as well. Ok, ok, don’t panic, maybe I can just ask the receptionist for— Well that can’t work out… nopony knows he is harboring a new creature! And he can’t just tell every living thing out there that there’s a new animal— ponies may get the wrong ideas and try to pin the findings for themselves! Oh crap, what was he going to do about this? He looked up from his white cotton clothing and saw one single door left ajar. His pupils contracted. That was the specimen’s door… Oh no, this is getting worse and worse. What in Celestia was he going to do about this now?! Tell the other scientists about the missing… thing? Or just let it run ramped and die out in the Everfree? He didn’t have a clue as to what the first action to take would be. Should he tell everyone about it and let the city take care of it on it’s own? Well… that did sound easy… and it did sound doable. With a silent nod to himself he left the wing and walked out into the night, where he would head straight to the authorities. Well… the mares will still love somepony who stopped a ‘ravaging monster’ from destroying the town just as well… /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ “Alrighty class it’s time to pass up your homework!” Cheerilee said with a delighted smile as her students sat down and began yet another day at school. She looked at Sliver Hooves with a small grin, “That means you, too, Silver. I don’t want to write you up again!” “Hey, don’t worry, I got this taken care of!” He wore a confident smirk, pulling out his drawing of the class and hoofing it to the filly in front of him. Oh how exciting it was to finally finish a homework assignment, and show off his talent to Cheerilee! He couldn’t help but shine in the classroom as the morning wore on. Soon, it was time to share with everypony their wonderful drawings, and by now Silver Hooves was practically bouncing out of his chair with anticipation. He’d worked all night on this one, you know… since this was his first time actually completing an assignment; he’d even stayed passed his bedtime to give the design some touch-ups and stuff! All that time put into this creation was nothing to compare, however, to the look on Sweetie Belle’s face when she’d see it. Silver could imagine it all playing out so well: he’d go up, show his presentation, and watch as the love of his life stares at it with her mouth agape. The spectacle that is Silver Hooves’ masterpiece would sweep across the nation, and everypony would come and pay millions just to think about looking at it! He noticed a distant sound and realized it was Ms. Cheerilee speaking to him. “Silver? Silver, are you listening?” She looked at him with a worried expression on her face. He snapped out of his daydream. “Uh… yeah, yes I am!” She went back to her smile, “Good, I’d like for you to come up here and show us your special drawing for the class!” She gestured with a hoof to the rows of fillies and colts quietly seated in their desks. He did as she said, happily trotting up to the front of the room, and presenting his art for his peers to see. With an overdramatic flap, then paper opened up showing his artwork for his fellow peers to gaze upon! He didn’t exactly get the reactions he’d hoped for. The first to speak up out of the dead silence that filled the air, as the students sucked in his image they were shown, was none other than Diamond Tiara. Now, don’t get him wrong, he liked other ponies. Ponies his age? Cool. Ponies older than him? A little meaner, but still cool. Grand ponies? Well he’d always get candies from his grandpa, so definitely cool! But Diamond Tiara was the exception to his ways. He didn’t like her one bit. Not because she had a rich life— or because she had some other soul to hang out with while he had no one, but because she always felt the need to make fun of everything; even ponies that didn’t have as good of a life as her. She pretty much made up the exact template for “rich snob” down to excruciating detail. “Uck! What is that, Silver?” Tiara said making a sour face and sticking her tongue out. His cheeks grew bright read and sweat started to poke through his fur. “Uh… well… you see there’s this new animal we found in the Everfree Forest.” He looked down at the ground to avoid embarrassing eye contact. “And… well… this is my drawing of what it looks like.” He awkwardly displayed the picture back up into everypony’s view while showing a timid smile. “You see… erm… these are, like, little hooves on top of a bigger hoof. There are five of these littler hooves and they soft of squirm around and grab things.” A filly raised her hoof, and was called upon by Cheerilee. “So, wait, wouldn’t those be claws? Like on a dragon?” The filly’s question about his drawing sort of gave him a bit of courage. Hey… if she asked a question… that means she’s into the drawing. They like it, sweet! He puffed out his chest a bit more, feeling his old, confident, self return. “Well I’m glad you asked that! The answer is no, you see these little hooves aren’t made of scales; in fact the animal, entirely, isn’t made of scales. It’s, like, all squishy and stuff.” He prodded his chin with a hoof, “Like… like a shaved dog, or something.” The class oooh’d and aaaah’d at the new information, it seemed like this wasn’t a failure after all! Of course, she had to ruin it all. Tiara looked around the room, eyeing each foal, “I bet you’re just making this stuff up.” She crossed her hooves to her chest, “nothing but mare’s tales!” the faces of those around her soft of grew quiet and took her words into consideration. Who knew, maybe Silver was just making this stuff up. “Hey, why don’t you give me a chance at least and co—” “Now, now!” Cheerilee spoke against Silver obviously trying to stop this situation from escalating. “I think it’s a lovely drawing of… eh… what is it?” Silver looked down at his own drawing with a concentrated face. What was this? He had helped find this animal… but Mr. Sunrise didn’t give it a name yet. Well… it’s not like this was his first time being on the spot; thanks to her. “It’s… uh… w-why it’s none other than a…” Think, colt, think! “A…” his jaw lay open as he contemplated for a name to give it. Humus? Nah, that won’t do. Marman? That sounds like a weird spread soooo, no! Hu… man? Hu-man. Human. Huh… hey that can work! “Well miss Cheerilee,” he held up his picture to her, “This is none other than a hu-man!” The crowd echoed this new word and followed with another round of astonished noises. “Whoooooaaa, a human? That’s awesome!” one colt yelled. “What is it like? Can you pet it?” another filly asked. Soon the classroom was abuzz with excitement, and who wouldn’t be when your own classmate discovered a new creature? After a few seconds foal after foal was practically in line to get an answer from Silver Hooves. “Now, now, everypony settle down! We still have a lot to get done today!” Cheerilee said over the noise. Soon the fillies and colts had quieted down, letting Silver Hooves finally take his seat. “Now,” Cheerilee drew an equation on the board, “Can anyone tell me what eight divided by two equals?”
Chapter 1Frankie's eyes flashed open in shock. The loud noise that penetrated the silent bedroom echoed further into his consciousness, sprawling over in his mind. He stumbled out of bed, possible outcomes flashing before his eyes. Could it be a burglar? No, that wasn't possible, they didn't have anything worth stealing. Gunshots? It seemed to make sense, but deals, nor fights of any kind, go down when it's four in the morning. He heard yelling from that familiar voice, that voice that always let him know when to hide. It was his dad, practically falling over from drunkenness, shouting obscene words into the air like it was somebody to fight. Frankie shrunk back into his covers, determined to get some rest before school started. He quietly turned onto his side, careful not to let his dad know he was awake. Soon, however, his father barged into the room, the fumes of the alcohol pervading the room like fire on dry paper. He looked around the room, as if some mysterious ghost calling him. Then he looked at Frankie's still body, slowly breathing in and out... in and out... After a good ten minutes, he left the room, angered by the fact that Frankie hadn't been awake for another playtime. And he'd even brought home a glass bottle, too! As the door slammed behind him, Frankie let out a heavy sigh of relief. He'd escaped another routine beating from his dad. Tossing and turning did little to help wear off the adrenaline from that incident, and soon he decided to just give up and wait for dawn to approach. The milky light of the morning sun began to show through his cracked window, signaling his father's turn for sleep. He slowly got up and began looking through his clothes for something to wear. Five minutes passed... ten... twenty, yet he wasn't able to find a single article of clothing. The result was a raggedy T-shirt with tattered sweatpants. He walks out of his room, tiptoeing away from his mother's, and goes straight to the kitchen. He looks through the cupboards, but only finds half a piece of a stale bagel in the dead center of the shelf. Everything else was bare. At least it was this much, not like last week.... The walk from his house to the bus stop was a mile away, but he looked at the bright side to it. Not only because it gave him time to think about things, like girls that he'll never get, or goals he'll never achieve, but he looked at the bright side to this because... well... it was the only thing he felt optimistic about. The bus arrived right on time, its wheels screeching to a halt, and the rusty door shakily opening to show the mean-looking driver. “Get in,” was all the driver said, although Frankie didn't need to be told twice. He stepped up the small stairs and was greeted by the familiar faces of his peers. One pair of eyes that was particular was the pair belonging to Cody Creen. Not so much as the school's “bully” but close enough. His favorite friend? Yes, Frankie. Any day, any time, he was there; ready to hurt Frankie whether emotionally, mentally, or physically. He took a seat in front, as the bus slowly growled to life. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ School always went the same. He'd take the bus to school, get beating up by Creen, miss all of his assignments, take the bus home, get beating up by Creen, have a skimpy dinner, get beating by his dad, and go to bed. They didn't have proper plumbing in the bathrooms, so not only did he have to use the restroom at school, he never had the chance to shower. The same happened today, as it normally does, with him going to bed bruised, and cut. The only difference was his mom didn't give him any dinner, which wasn't new to him. Often, they'd eat the food, and leave little to nothing for Frankie, so this was little than a minor set back. However, Frankie did have something to look forward to, for right around the corner was his birthday, and his parents always gave him whatever he wanted for his birthday. Well... not entirely everything... the one thing he wanted most of all was just their love. The night threw a shroud of darkness around his room, illuminating his miniscule night-light. His father never did approve of him owning such a childish object, but Frankie managed to sweep this one under the radar, giving him a friendly smile to stare at as he slowly drifted from consciousness. He despised that smile. The way those pearly white teeth flashed brighter than the sun. The look on its face as if nothing could ever go wrong. But things do go wrong, and Frankie was the proof. It made him feel lonelier than ever, when he laid his eyes on it. It gave him a feeling of hopelessness, conveying one single thought, You will never be this happy! Yet he let it sit there, staring at it with scorn, for he truly was afraid of the dark. Frankie could never admit it to anyone but himself, for the consequences for saying such things could mean another beating, but he was afraid of most things. Afraid of the dark. Afraid of losing the battle. Afraid of his own parents. Afraid of everything.... The night dragged on, without any sign of sleep. He was wide-awake, anticipating the sun's appearance to mark his favorite day of the year. It wasn't like he was narcissistic or any of that, just the opposite in fact, he thought of himself ranking somewhere between dog shit, and vomit, when it came to how valuable he was. So it wasn't like he couldn't wait to start jumping around screaming, “Look it's my birthday! It's my birthday!” Because in reality, it was the only day his parents treated him. Treated.... treated him like their son. He couldn't stand it any longer, he knew his dad was out partying somewhere, using up the welfare check in the process, so he quietly slipped out of the bedroom, and walked onto the balcony. He liked the balcony the most about the small ran-down apartment. It was where he found the fire ladder leading to the Roof. The Roof... what a great place to spend time anywhere. Whether it was to flee from his mother's demands as a house caretaker, or simply to do homework, he enjoyed every second of being up there. He grabbed a hold of the ladder, but stopped. A thought came to mind, and he decided to try his luck and go out of town, where the wilderness was. Frankie walked back inside his home, to find it was merely midnight. The Twilight Hours, as he remembered his grandfather calling it. With a determined, face he walked back out into the night, and scaled downwards towards the streets. It's not like anybody would notice, no one ever drives through this street at night, much too dangerous. He carefully dropped down from the end of the ladder and found his way out of the alleyway. He looked back, and saw two large teenagers twice his size staring daggers at him. His pace quickened, but it was useless. “Yo punk!” said one of the males. “Ay! I'm talking to ya!” Slowly Frankie turned, afraid of what might be in store for him. “What'choo got business being here fo'? He questioned. “Sorry, I'm not trying to intrude in anything, I was just―” “Bullshit! I said, what'choo doin' here!” The kid pulled out a wicked looking blade, his brow creased, position readied almost as if... Frankie's eyes widened, and he bolted from the two kids, making a quick right and sprinting. He wasn't sure how or why, but something was telling him to push through to the forest. The males didn't hesitate; they sped full on, and were easily on his tail in a matter of seconds. Frankie dashed over two garbage cans lying on the sidewalk, checking behind him to confirm that they were still on the chase. He saw the borderline of the forest, and braced for the impact of the branches. His judgment proved correct as the searing pain of the blackberry bushes gnaw and dig into his sweatpants, and further into his flesh. He see's a large opening of blue, and registers it as a pond. He checks his back again to find that his attackers were far behind. Long enough to hide. He does a double take from the pond to a small boulder, and that's when he gets an idea. Frankie picks up the boulder and chucks it into the pond, creating a loud splashing noise to echo into the woods, then quickly takes off his clothes and tosses them around the ground. Once that is done, he dives into a bush and waits. His attackers quickly ran to a stop. “He must'a jumped in the pool!” One of them said. “I bet he's willin' to hold his breath 'till he can't no more!” They both gave each other cavity filled smiles, and sat down to wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. After what seemed a year they decided to leave early, since they believed Frankie had drowned while hiding, and walked away fist bumping and talking about gloating to the other members of some gang. As their voices grew quieter and quieter, Frankie figured they were long gone at that point. He gets up from his hiding place and puts his clothes back on. He silently thanks the lord for that blessed boulder being there, since he might have been killed without it. As he begins his walk back, he stops for a second and peers toward the pond. The nightlights of the city showed a soft glow to it, making look very inviting. The atmosphere around the pond itself gave him a very strange feeling. Not one he was used to in his daily life. It's such an odd feeling he takes a few paces back, not really sure what to do about it. As he recalls its name, it becomes clear to him. That feeling is happiness. Happiness was something he never got, the only happy thought he ever could remember is on his birthday when his mother told him she loved him. But that didn't matter right now, what mattered was that he felt much different than before he stumbled across this water. He comes to the conclusion that this pond must be... he didn't know... special? Magical? Magical... yes that was the only way he could put it. And as he gazes upon the casting glow of the water's surface, it seems like the best thing he can call it right now. He turns and starts his walk back to his apartment, taking in the whole way, from the pine needle scent to the blanket like darkness that surrounds him. As he steps into his apartment, the results of his running around like that has caused him to feel fatigue setting in, and heads straight to bed. With the warm blankets covering him up for a warm night of sleep, he nods off. The last thing he remembers before his dreams take him in is the magnificent golden-blue light that reflected from the surface waters. As his dreams play behind his eyes, Frankie can just barely feel the corners of his mouth rise...
Chapter 2The loud sound banging continued as Frankie snapped out of his sleeping state. The echo of his nightmare played one last hurrah in his mind, sending that loud crashing noise spiraling out of his consciousness. He peers around the room, blinking a few times to try and bring the world into focus. He clears the rest of his dream from his thoughts, shaking his head a few times and blinking again. The sun’s lazy approach into his bedroom window gave enough of a sign that the day has arrived— the day of his birthday! He gives a small smile at that thought, and gets out of bed. Now that he’s fully clothed, Frankie opens his door and casually walks to the kitchen, remembering that, during previous birthdays, the cabinets always held some treat for him for breakfast. He smiles and wraps his hands along the grooves of the handles and— while taking a few moments for added effect— opens the door. To reveal bare boards, which stare back at him in mock. It takes a few minutes to fully comprehend what was before him. So they forgot his ‘special’ breakfast. Well… he wasn’t going to let that ruin his whole day, now was he? No! In fact, maybe his parents decided to skip breakfast to save up for something else! Yeah, maybe his mother and father were going to come home with a chessboard, or an entire cake, or even a GameBoy! If only he knew… /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The walk to the bus stop was about as lively as a scarecrow. The clouds looking down upon the world, swollen and depressed, the grass lay dead to the world as the careless wind pushed and pulled them in opposing directions. However, it was Frankie who was looking upbeat. Practically shining a new light around him, giving anything within its radius life again. And the smile. It had been a long time since he’d smiled like the one he wore today. For he felt today would be a good day. A day to remember, where not only was his birthday celebrated, but maybe… just maybe… he didn’t lose. He thought of the pool from the night prior, and that did little to nothing in stopping his smile. The soft glow of the pool’s waters, the warm glow from the streetlights… it all just made him grow a bit happier than before. He contemplated on spending some more time there, instead of the Roof. Maybe he could bring over a few things… like a desk and candlelight. Hey, yeah, maybe he could make that pool his official ‘hang out’ spot! He could bring some old cassettes he found, and use his grand father’s cassette player, or— or maybe even sleep out there? A camp out! These ideas were plain perfect! He stopped short. Could he? No… no way that would ever happen. Not in a thousand years— even if he lived that long!— would he get a girlfriend. But still… the idea of sharing his place with her did sort of help add to the smile… whoever ‘her’ might be. The roar of the bus brought him back to reality, making him jump a little. The door opened up showing the same glare he’d grown accustom to. Frankie didn’t even need to be told once; he’d already jumped into the bus before the driver opened his mouth! He smile wavered for a second, when he caught a glimpse of Creen, who seemed a little questioning at Frankie’s state. ‘Oh goody, this fag again.’ Creen thought as he glared daggers towards the smiling teenager that stood at the front of the bus. ‘Fuck it, my arm is too sore, I’ll just deal with him for later.’ Frankie walked on by Creen, still a broad smile plastered onto his face. He takes a seat in the very back of the bus as it starts up again and jars forward. “Hey Frankie! Yeah, dickwad I’m talking to you!” Creen hollered back at him. “What’s with your gay-ass smile, fucko? Finally tell your parents about your closet situation?” The crowd of his peers all laughed together, some pointing, some bro-fisting Creen as they look at the Frankie’s face for any sign of hurt. Too bad, the only thing they got in return was the same smile untouched by the vulgar language. “You know, I’d love to chat about my parental issues and what not, but I think I’ll pass!” “The fuck’s with you today, faggot?” Frankie looked at the ground, searching for the right words to say, but couldn’t think of anything. “Hmm, well let’s just say that I think today’s my day.” “Oh yeah?” Creen turned back, facing the front of the room. So that little ass thinks he owns today? Yeah… yeah I’ll fucking show him…. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The day wore on as it normally does. Well. Not entirely. Frankie got his homework turned in on time, much to the teacher’s dismay. “Oh, what’s this? Finally decide to complete an assignment, Frankie?” Mr. Makkoy said eying the paper with slight irritation. “Yes, Mr. Makkoy. And this time, the problems are correct.” Frankie says as he takes his seat in the middle of the classroom. “Hm, yes, well,” the teacher sets the paper down on his desk, “Well just see about that, won’t we.” The school bell rung, indicating the tardy sweep was now in effect. Peers slowly trickled into the room, taking their seats, and starting the class warm up. “Well class!” The students looked up from their work. “It appears one particular student did his homework. So what better way then to use his sheet as a correcting paper? Take out your homework, kids, lets review last night’s homework.” He places Frankie’s worksheet on the overhead projector, displaying his answers and work. Then, Makkoy took out his corrected sheet to compare the answers. “Hmmm…” he shifted his prescription glasses to see them. “Well.” He turned and looked Frankie in the eye. “I’d say you failed just about every single one of these problems.” Frankie flinched just a tiny bit at that. Not his entire body, but enough to notice his reaction. The class was a mix of laughing, name-calling, and face palming, all gesturing towards Frankie’s failure as a student. Again. How long has it been since he’s been in this class, now? Two… maybe three years? It never changes for him, does it? Same lousy jerk of a teacher. Same lousy guys making fun of him. The memory of the pool comes to mind, and he can’t help but focus on the waters… the cool, wavy, comforting waters. He closes his eyes, and tries to imagine that lovely pool again… A small tad-bit— nothing more!— of a thought slivered its way into mind. Jumping into those waters. And not coming out. Wait, WHAT?! He quickly pulls his head up from his desk, peering around the room to find class is already half way through today’s notes. Had he fallen asleep? It seemed like it, the drool trail didn’t just randomly show up unannounced. Frankie shook his head a bit clearing his mind of the sleepy state. Did he really just think of that? Killing himself? No he couldn’t of, there wouldn’t be a reason to in the first place! However there was something about that pool, something that made him believe there was… he didn’t know… something on the other side of that surface. Because, let’s face it: it’s not like water ever gave him happy feelings when he was around it. In fact, it should do the opposite, shouldn’t it? After all, when he was three, his mother forgot him in the bathtub overnight, so shouldn’t it have scarred him up till now? A knock snapped him from his thoughts, and he found himself staring into the eyes of Mr. Makkoy. “As. I. Was. Saying.” He turned and walked back to the front of the classroom. “Can anyone tell me the answer to problem four?” He looked at the classroom, and met Frankie’s eyes yet again. “What about you, Alagarri? Any answer you’d like to share with us today?” “Uh… well… is it—“ The bell rung, signaling that the class was over, and saving Frankie from even more embarrassment. Not all he had to do was get through… .... Oh no. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Just act like you don’t matter, stay low, stay low, Frankie thought as he carefully got to the aisle serving salads. Ok, ok, so far so good. He walked by a table filled with the ‘popular’ kids. Hey. They didn’t acknowledge me, best day so far—! “Hey, well look who it is?” Creen said, as the rest of his group came into view. Son of a bi— “Oogh!” Frankie groaned as he was sent sprawling to the floor, throwing his tray of food down onto the ground to the right of him. “Nngh!” He tried getting up, fighting the urge to run away from all of this… to… to fight back! Pulling himself up onto his knees, he felt the sensation of a splitting bite in his chest, and heard the sound of a small crack! “Ha, yeah, yeah just come right up, faggot.” Creen said with a smile. “C’mon, dickhead, I said get up! Fight me you piece of shit!” He kicked him, hard, in the side of his torso causing him to double over. Just do it, faggot. Just do it faggot, Frankie heard over and over again in his head. All these years getting pushed around, made fun of, ridiculed. Those were going to end once and for all. He was going to fight back! With pain-filled seconds, he managed to push himself up to his knees, and climbed up to a standing position. He glowered at Creen, eyes practically glowing with rage. He took the moment and struck. The feeling and sound of his fist connect with Creen’s skull was one of miracles. True, it hurt like hell, but it was worth it. Or so he thought. Chris wheeled around in a circle, using the momentum from Frankie’s hit to spin around and nail Frankie dead in the chin. The pain was almost instantaneous. He fell backward onto the ground again, unable to breathe properly. Creen walked up to him, and grabbed him by his hair; hoisting him up so he could whisper, “See what happens when you fight back? You lose. You’ll always lose, and there isn’t a dog-pile-of-shit you can do about it.” He let go of Frankie’s crop of hair, dropping his head to the cold surface. Well… so much for that plan… /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The walk home was an excruciating one. The sharp stabs of pain in his side have diminished to merely a dull ache at this point. However, it was the large bruise on his chin that left its mark. The splitting ache had diminished (sort of) to a splitting headache, at this point. Not exactly how he envisioned how his day would turn out, but still… Come on, think positive, think, think, think! …He… he couldn’t think of anything. Not one single thought came to mind that lifted his spirit, touched his heart, or even gave him a smile. Nothing. The only things accompanying his mind were memories after memories of what he had to go through. His life spent avoiding Creen, and soon being beaten by Creen. His history with his father, how he slowly began to turn to the abusive man he is today. His mother… oh his mother… The day turned from depressed clouds, and dead grass to something far worse. The day had grown darker with the presence of even more clouds, growing in size and thickness. It looked as if God had decided to close the shades in his universe, diming every single corner of the world. Wind began growing stronger, still, howling in Frankie’s ears no matter where he turned. He stiffed up his collar in an attempt to block out the biting cold. As he walked home, he let his mind wander back into the depths of the pool. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Sofas, begging to be incinerated, cut-out and wobbly coffee tables, and dead carpet met his gaze with sorrow and longing. He found a note taped to the doorway, and looked at it. As he picked it up, he found two yellow gloves. He read the note: Take care of this kitchen; I’ll be back in an hour. He flipped to the other side of the paper, but found nothing else written. As he stepped into the kitchen, he found the usual mess beyond recognition of filthy dishes pleading to be washed, floorboards matted with black bile of what can only be described as ‘dirt,’ and scattered bits of food lying every-which-way. Frankie sighed in exasperation, and then calmed himself. It’s ok, it’s ok, I’m sure she’s just making me do these chores to distract me while she gets a present. At least… I hope. He began working on the kitchen, first picking up the dishes and washing them. One by one, dish by dish, he worked on them scouring away the pieces of food and leftover sauce. The stench of the heated water mixing with the bile made him cringe with disgust. He placed another dish into the dishwasher, and started again on the next food-grimed dish. Wait… Food?! When was there ever this much food in one day? had… had his father actually used the check in something other than booze? Had they spent money on food for him, their son? He dropped the dishes and flung open the cupboard doors. To find more wallpaper. And more space. And more dust. Everything was there, just no food. Frankie didn’t move an inch, at the thought that maybe… maybe his eyes were just playing tricks on him. Yeah… yeah maybe he just needed his eyes to adjust, and then he’d see the stockpile of candies, cereals, and other wonderful delicacies normal people called “snacks.” But after waiting for five entire minutes nothing had changed. Still bare walls gazing upon his face, willing that he’d leave them alone. He broke his gaze from the cupboards and stared at the dishes, think intently on how these dishes even became lewd in the first place. So… they ate dinner without me? Not even saying sorry for it? Or saying anything at all?! He felt something cold grow in his chest and soon after felt nothing of emotions. He didn’t bother thinking about it, just started again on the kitchen, waiting for his parents to bring him a birthday…. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The door opened, waking Frankie from his sleep. he checked himself, and found a noticeable drool trail lining his shirt. I should take care of this one of these— wait my parents! His eyes shot open, now alert and focused, and felt the lingering presence of a smile playing its way onto his face. He got up and bent his back to stretch out his worn muscles— caused both by Creen and the kitchen’s wrath. “Hey mom! How was your day?” “How did you know it was me?” Her voice called back, sounding monotone and bored. “Oh well, when you live long enough around here, it’s easy to distinguish sou—“ “HEY!” His mom shouted. “…Did I ask for a fucking math problem?” Frankie cowered back a bit, “Uh… no, no I was just—“ “Yeah, yeah, I don’t give a fuck.” She walked into the kitchen and surveyed the scene before her, scowling at everything in her view. “Again.” “…What?” “What you got shit in your ears? I said AGAIN!” She grabbed a stray dish and threw it to the ground, causing an ear-splitting crash to pierce through the heavy silence. “You mean, clean the kitchen again?” Frankie said, obvious dismay pouring from his voice. “Yeah,” she spat into the sink. “Uh… mom… I wanted to know if…” Frankie mumbled his question, rubbing the back of his neck and breaking eye contact. “What the fuck is it?” “Well you know how it’s my birthday?” She stared at him, implying him to ‘get on with it.’ “Would there, by any chance, be any kind of… uh… you know… birthday present?” “Oh yeah, today’s your birthday, eh?” His mom scratched under her chin, “Eh. Sorry I don’t care anymore.” The emotion was evident on Frankie’s face. “Oh don’t be such a pussy! You don’t deserve shit anymore, since you’re at that age now.” She walked off to her room. “And don’t even think you’re father’s going to get you anything.” She snickered, “I mean… besides your birthday punches. Frankie walked to the living room couch, and sat down, staring at the space in front of him. No present today. No present today. No son today. No son today. No son… \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ The cold bit on his arms and legs, but he didn’t care. The wind scrapped his bare skin and watered his eyes, but he didn’t care. Life, as he knew it, was nothing but oblivion, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to get to that damn pool, so he could feel that wonderful feeling again, that feeling of happiness… that feeling… of wholeness. True, the blackberry bushes tore at his skin and flesh, causing mild sores and cuts to open up on his feet and ankles. By this time, the clouds had made way, and began to let forth a massive downpour of rain, soaking into his wounds, and wetting his eyes. Left by right, foot by foot, he managed to get out of that retched house, and now walks the path to his sanctuary, The Pool. He tried the Roof, but it just wasn’t working. No matter what he didn’t there was just no way he could get the thoughts of the Pool out of his head. That and… well… he didn’t want to be around his parents anymore. Not just for the night, or the week, or month. No… he didn’t want to be around anyone right now, or ever. He’d thought it over, killing himself seemed the best approach for the hell hole of a life he must survive on a day to day, basis. What are you doing?! What does it look like. I’m going to my home. Home? Home?! Your home is THERE!! Where your parents are, what the hell is with you?! Screw my parents, I’m sick, and I’m tired, and I’m frustrated at them. So are all kids with their parents, that doesn’t mean you need to go an off yourself like this! Now, if it were just one day, I could manage. But they’ve treated my like this for years… maybe even my entire life. I’m lucky I even survived as an infant, for fuck’s sake! Then again maybe no— Quit your crying! I don’t give a shit about what they’ve done in the past, which is gone and left in the sand! You should be worried about the present—! I am worried about the present; I’m worried that I’ll continue to live this way, succumbing to my daily struggles, and eventually giving in to their demands. You already are giving into their demands! Just live with it for a few more years, and you can kiss them goodbye! No… I can’t stand to live with them for that long, besides, I can already tell I’m going to be killed by one of them soon enough, might as well off myself now while I have the chance to decide any fate of mine. Why the hell would you think they would kill you?! That’s just stupid! I know them, my dad beats the living crap out of me, even worse than what Creen does! And my mom… I don’t want to go into detail about what she has done to me… But don’t you get it? You’re looking into the past and present to get a feeling of hopelessness so you can— You’re repeating yourself. Stop it. Frankie’s train of thought was broken from the rush of energy he felt as he stepped into the Pool’s boundaries. The feeling of doubt slowly cascaded off of his spirit, and he felt his posture rise, and his feet rise just a bit higher off the ground. You see? This is why I came here. It’s such a lovely spot for… Killing yourself. Yes. He walked into the pool of water, clothes and all, and began floating on the water’s surface. The sensation can only be described of bliss. Something he hadn’t felt in…. in… “Ever.” He said aloud, as he opened his eyes for one last view of the sky above. The stars glowed with such intensity, illuminating the space around them, taking their light and glory and slowly sprinkling it down onto Earth, letting each and every speck fall into the cracks and crevices of everywhere. He blinked slowly, letting the rain droplets wash over his face, and willing his eyes to stay open for the droplets to clean them. He turned his head, facing the direction of the city lights, taking them in and analyzing their colors they held. Sharp daggers of yellow, soft hues of blue, and vibrant zaps of purple danced in his eyes. He sighed in content, letting the fluid wash over his body, cleaning the filth of the past off of his soul. Now for the closing motion…. He slowly breathed out, and dived down into the depths of the pool, where he found a suitable root to grab. With haste, he tied a sturdy knot from his clothes onto the underwater trunk. When that was finished… he waited… …He couldn’t hold it any longer. Frankie’s lungs just had to have something of any kind to fill the empty space in them. With many attempts to try to cough the water out of his body, he thought of what Creen had said to him, only a few hours ago. You lose. You’ll always lose, and there isn’t a dog-pile-of-shit you can do about it. He let go. No longer fighting the will of the liquid, yet welcoming it, as it trickled down his esophagus, and further into his lung passage ways. Yet in all that time, the only thing he could think of… could feel was the feeling of new life. Not dying, and going to heaven, or hell, or wherever he was going to go, but rather… a new place. Someplace safe. Someplace whole. Someplace… …Safe. Author's Notes: Sorry, everypony, for the time it took to write this chapter! (you wouldn't believe how difficult filler chapter can be!) I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did! Thanks, and don't forget to: Track, Comment, and Rate! <3
Chapter 3Black. Darkness. Void of light, to which nothing is seen for miles… even light-years to come. Whatever you wanted to call it, Frankie couldn’t see anything but dark, and it wasn’t the kind of dark we all knew. It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t safe. It wasn’t welcoming. Just pitch black, at every corner… if there were any corners of… wherever he was. He tried to toss around, but nothing occurred. Just aimless floating in nothingness. Forever. He tried again, willing his senses to overcome such an obscure obstacle, of which had no name, no soul, and no answer. He focused his muscles in his right arm, remembering the feeling of the wind rushing passed his skin as he lifted it up, and the tingle of his neurons as they awoke from slumber. Suddenly, with all his might, he forced out that built-up energy, willing it to rise as best as he could manage. Yet still, nothing happened. Frankie became more urgent at this point, surely there was something he could do to get himself out of this… whatever it was! He tried this same attempt over and over again, feeling the surge of energy through his arms, legs, and neck, yet all succumbing to the empty darkness that surrounded him— no— engulfed him. With the feeling of liquid, warm and moist, beginning to show through his eyes, he lay there in that lonesome darkness, feeling lonelier than ever. Suddenly a rush of light pierced through from the heavens, basking him in warmth, and the feeling of hope once again. The blinding light caused him to instinctively move his arms to shield his eyes. Wait a sec… His arms! They could move! He felt the wrinkle of his cheeks as they pulled apart to make a smile, and glow of the light as it heated up his skin in such a lovely moment. He moved his arms, and tossed about, happily playing in the space he occupied as the light began to move forward, warding off the shuddering shadows of his previous world, and hugging him with a new one. Something about it gave him a sense of— not only hope— but also happiness. It was absolutely nothing he’d ever felt before, however that thought did little to nothing in impeding the creeping smile making its way onto his mouth. He kicked his feet, and found that this… ‘Space’ felt just like swimming through water, so he quickly adapted to this and paddled his way towards the light, feeling the wondrous rays of it reaching his skin, warming him up like a fireplace. He felt his smile grow just a bit wider as the light finally overtook him, sending the same effect as the darkness. But better. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ He coughed and sputtered, sending out cold clear fluids from his mouth. Purging over and over again, feeling the pull and gack of his body ridding itself of the water that enveloped his lungs. He lifted up an arm, and slammed it to the ground, pushing as hard as his weak state would let him. Yet as he got up just to his elbow his arm collapsed, sending Frankie back to the ground where he lay. At first he felt little things. The dull ache of his arm and chest. The cold sensation that seemed to wrap around him from head to toe. The sun as it tried its best to bask him in its warmth. He rested, motionless, feeling the dull ache become more and more sudden. Soon it wasn’t just a dull ache, but a splitting crunch feeling, over and over again, in some kind of hideous rhythm. He tried one more time, pushing himself up to his elbows where he then worked his way up to a sitting position. With some hesitation he opened his eyes, to find brightly colored leaves hanging low to the ground from a near by tree. What… where…? This isn’t heaven. No shit? Hey I was just trying to help. Yeah, lets keep the thinking down to a minimum, my head hurts. I feel your pain, bro. …Ha, ha. He opened his eyes just a bit from squinting, sensing the pain of eyes unused to sunlight, but quickly adapted. He looked around his surroundings, finding the same looking pool catching his gaze, and a line of bright-green trees formatting around it in a row. He opened his eyes wide. He was right. This wasn’t anything like heaven. At least… not what he’d heard about. But what did he know? It’s not like they died, went to heaven, and came back again to tell their tale, was it? So maybe he was in heaven. Now what? What could there possibly be to do, if he’s already in the final destination? If he did everything he could as a mortal what the hell was there to do in… well… heaven? He stood up, placing a hand on his knee and pushing upward until he was standing tall. He felt a wave of nausea and dizziness take over, but managed to stand erect. He took yet one more look around, getting a feel of the pool’s tree line and small woodland creatures. Well… this doesn’t exactly feel like heaven. Yeah, I can say the same. He took a small step, feeling yet another round of dizziness then continued until he was walking complete steps. “Hey, do you think we’ll find anything cool looking?” said a voice. “Cool looking? Dear Celestia, please, if you’re going to become an explorer, you must call them something more appropriate!” A more adult sounding voice called back in response. Frankie almost fell over on the spot. Well they did always say that heaven was shared… He faced toward the voices and took his awkward steps, slowly lifting up one foot and placing it down just as the miniscule wave of nausea dimmed, yet quickly lost his balance and came crashing down through the bushes and landing at the feet of the two people. Wait. Those aren’t feet. …And those aren’t people. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ “Whoa, what is it?!” shouted the littler… what was it? Horse? Pony? Pony…. something seemed to fit with that word. So it was decided, Frankie called them ponies. Great achievement, there…. ‘ponies’ oooh astonishing. Well what the hell can I do?! I’m just laying here in fr— “Well… D’I…. I don’t know what this thing is!” said the adult one. He put a hoof to his chin and studied Frankie with caution. Obviously, they didn’t know what he was, and they weren’t exactly thrilled to find out. “What do we do with it?” the small pony looked up at the bigger one and gave him a questioning look. “…” Frankie opened his mouth, expecting the flow of voice to come pouring out. Yet nothing came out. No sound. No voice. Nothing, just the escape of fresh air blown out of his lungs and into the air forward. Oh crap…. “Maybe we should take it back to the vet. See if they know what this might be.” The larger one coughed twice with a strange look on his face. “Yes… maybe they’ll know.” He backed up a bit, implying that Frankie follows. “C’mon little guy, let’s go.” Well what the hell do we do now?! You think I have any clue? I never even knew horses of this color were real! …But aren’t we in heaven? I don’t know anymore… He got up, following the instructions given to him by the stallion. Ok, just stay calm— Calm? CALM?! Dude, we are following a pony’s orders…. A PONY’S!! I know that, but going ape shit isn’t going to solve anything! Just do as you’re told and maybe we can find a way out of this. …Yeah fine… He got up, slowly at first, but soon gained his balance again and started walking along side them. Needless to say, the little pony was ogling him like a new creature. Well… technically he is a new creature— to them anyways. They continued to walk along some hand-made path. …Should we just call it foot-made? Wow… they have names, you know. Oh right! Sorry I was too busy wondering what the hell WE’RE DOING HERE!! Ok, so it was a hoof-made path, to which Frankie and the… 'ponies' walked along. When he began to feel some sensation of fatigue begin to set in on him, he heard the old pony say out loud. “Here we are! Now run along Ruby Blossom, I’ll take care of this guy.” he nodded his head forward, implying for him to depart. The little one did as he was told, scampering off, probably to go play with his friends or something. The male pony looked at Frankie, eyes portraying something he wasn’t expecting. Longing? Desire? Wait… no it couldn’t be that… Distaste? Resentment? A combination of both, possibly? Whatever it was, Frankie couldn’t think any longer, as the faint sound of a thud somewhere in the distance followed by a pain splash across his head, sending a shock down his spine. He fell to the floor, unconscious. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ “Angel do you think you can watch the place for me? It will just be a few minutes.” Fluttershy quietly said as she approached the doorway. “I’m going to the vet to buy more birdfeed.” She turned to face Angel Bunny, “We’re almost all out.” He responded— in his usual manner— by shacking his head. Swish swish. “Aw come on Angel. I’ll make it up to you!” His ears perked up just a bit. “When I get back, I’ll make you a special yummy snack! One with pineapples, and carrots, and cherries!” She presented a warm, loving smile towards him. He scratched his chin, thinking intently on his odds, then quickly coming over to the thought of that treat. He nodded his head in agreement, and hopped off. Fluttershy smiled with closed eyes, and turned to the door. The warm breeze of the mid afternoon warmed up her body, making her sigh in content. “What a great day to go out.” She said to herself. Flapping her wings a for a bit, she took flight and flew off in the direction of the veterinarian office. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Frankie fell to the floor, gasping for air, as the sticky sweat broke through his hair, back, and sides showing through the clothes he wore and drenching the ground along with it. He coughed and shook, disparately trying to get air into his lungs. “Excellent work.” Said a static voice over the intercom. “You may rest as we depart for the today, please do not bang on the glass again, or we will have to use the same precautions. The static came back, then silence. He didn’t need to be told twice, first time he tried to break free from this hell hole, he wound up on the floor as a wave of spasms took hold from the electrocution. If this is heaven… I’d rather stick to hell. What’s the difference? Another round of coughing set in, causing him to double over. He felt tears of agony fall from his eyes, gently rolling down his cheeks and splashing on the ground. How could something so innocent looking do something so evil? Even if he were something that they feared, why not try to communicate with him and not just throwing him into this white room, filled with testing equipment and sterile air. He felt his vocal chords vibrate as he began to cry. Yet, as always, nothing came from them. Just his chest pumping in and out, and the rush of tears cascading downward. He heard a click, and the swing of a door being opened. “Um… hello? Is there anypony I can talk to? That is… if it’s alright?” Fluttershy practically whispered out into the air. She walked passed each room, looking into the windows from curiosity. She stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes fell onto Frankie’s defeated form. “Eep!” She squealed and hid from the scene before her, terrified by this new monster that lurked behind the closed door. With steeled nerves… she looked back into the window, and gasped as she finally understood what this thing was going through. It was obviously hurt, and it needed medical attention. …Something these veterinarians weren’t giving. Ignoring her instinctive manner to run and hide from this beast, she let her other self take over, and went for the doorknob. It didn’t budge. She turned and headed for the main office, seeing that she accidentally came from the back door, and asked the receptionist to speak with one of the vets. “Excuse me I need to talk to Doctor Sunrise.” She snapped back to her old self for just a second, “I mean… uh… if that’s okay with you…” “Sure thing, sweetie, just wait one moment.” She tapped a button on her intercom and spoke, “Attention Dr. Sunrise, you are needed in the main office.” Within moments a tall stallion with an orange coat walked in. “Is there something wrong, here?” “Yes I’d like to speak with you alone.” Fluttershy said, “Oh! I mean… uh… you know… if that’s what you want.” He gave her a look of annoyance, but proceeded, “Very well. What is it?” They walked away from the desk, into one of the many hallways. “I’d ike to know if I can help you in anyway.” She pointed with a hoof towards Frankie’s ward. “With the care of that animal.” “Oh Celestia no! We have that… thing” he gestured with a hoof, “taken care of. In fact I’d say it looks spick and span! Happy as can be! Now please… leave.” Without a moment’s notice, he turned around and walked off. He won’t help the animal? That’s… that’s SO RUDE!! She not only ignored her instincts, but also ignored everything and gunned straight for the keys that jingled alongside Sunshine’s side. With a delicate grasp she took hold of the keys and quickly departed, running down the hallway to Frankie’s room. He heard the cl-chink of the door being opened, and saw a softly colored mare walk into the room with a determined face. Now what?! Wait… she looks like she’s going to help! And help she did. Using her wings as a sort of ‘lift’ she placed Frankie on her back, feeling her knees buckle just a bit from his weight. With small— amazingly!— quiet hoofsteps she walked out of the office building, leaving the door swaying open in her trail. Right before Frankie fell into the lair of unconsciousness, he couldn’t help but enjoy the gentle breeze of the day, and the warm coat of this savior of a pony. Author’s Notes: Sorry guys about how long this took to update, and especially being that this isn’t a very good of a chapter— nor was it probably worth the wait. But the truth is, I’m becoming more and more distant from writing, so it’s getting harder and harder to work on these chapters for you all. That and I'm terrible with filler chapters. But don’t worry, as long as it takes, I’ll see this fic through to the end, and I hope you all will be by my side as I come closer and closer to wrapping up Frankie's Story. Please, don't forget to track, comment, and rate! <3
Chapter 4Pat pat pat Went Frankie’s bare feet as they carried themselves in front of one another— constantly following the monotonous rhythm of the treadmill belt’s winding. Pat pat pat The sound echoing off the pure white walls, void of anything but malice and something that of robotic… no… inhumane nature. Pat pat pat Nothing mattered at this point. Time was undetermined. Existence irrelevant. Comprehension meaningless. All that mattered was running, breathing, and keeping away from that line. Oh how he hated that line. A small bar, to which provided nothing but agony if he dared to cross it, hung ever so gently— like a welcoming yet poisoned slice of cake, or— or a sweetly scented toxic gas. It practically begged him to come closer, to let go of everything and become a victim to its betrayal. And he fell for that sickening bar five times. Five times he felt the sensation of pure pain shoot through his back. Five times he gave up his attempt to keep on, to push forward and strive to live. Five times he failed. Now, as he found himself in that same situation, he felt something else along with him. It wasn’t necessarily a feeling of… well… a feeling, but something of a being sitting close to him. Keeping an eye out for his failures, to then come swooping downward and help him in his time of need. It was a nice feeling. He knew it was a very simple— almost childish— way to put it, but while running for an even two hours he had other things on his mind. Oh how he hated running. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ “Oh my.” Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin, worriedly staring at Frankie’s form as he twitched and sweat out a cold sweat, his long thin arms flayed across the soft cushions of the sofa, and his limber body resting— though a little off— on top of the couch. She watched his jet-black hair and tanned skin rise and fall with every breath, or move upward as the air pushed the hair up and fall as the air subsided. His breathing became more and more abrupt, almost like what she’d seen when watching other ponies train for contests. In fact she’d seen something like this when little fillies’ nightmares occurred— sending them into a state of what looked like panic. Her eyes went wide at the revelation. So he— erm, uh she— no wait…. …What was this thing? Oh, stop right there! Don’t call… whatever this is a thing! So she corrected herself. What was this creature? Fluttershy knew a few techniques that were a little more… comfortable when she looked for the gender to an animal. But the problem was simple: As far as she knew— This wasn’t a bear. This wasn’t an eagle. And this most certainly wasn’t a pony! She took a breath to wash away that thought, Let’s… let’s just leave that question in the air for now. Her mind went back to the thought of this animal having a dream. She’d seen Applejack’s dog have dreams before, so maybe this was related to dogs? No, that couldn’t make any sense because there’s no tail. Maybe something of a chimpanzee? That would explain the missing tail, but this being was too big to be a chimp! Perhaps a gorilla? A gorilla seemed to fit the profile of it better, but even then it was a shot in the dark— nothing but a simple guess! “Oh…” she sat down after flutter-pacing in a circle, and let her tired wings rest, “I guess… I guess I could ask Twilight if she knows.” Suddenly Frankie groaned slightly, tossing and turning on the small sized sofa. His sweating rate looked as if it increased, and he looked more scared than ever. His light-blue eyes flashed open, quickly searching the room in haste. He grew a bit calmer knowing he wasn’t… there anymore. What the hell was that, anyways? So called ‘helpful tests’ his ass— those seemed like tortures more than anything! But that didn’t matter, he wasn’t in that place and he most certainly wasn’t around any bars. So much for hospitality, eh? What’s that suppose to mean? Nothing… but the way it looks… I’d say that yellow pony rescued you. Rescued by a pony… from ponies…. yeah makes total sense. Frankie’s attention switched to Fluttershy who was awkwardly staring at him trying not to be afraid. It was clearly in vain, as he was easily able to see her shaking like a winter leaf with scared eyes. “…” He opened his mouth, but remembered his ordeal. Well… his smallest ordeal anyways. “Uh….” She squeaked, beginning to show signs of hiding into her long mane. “Is… is there something you want?” It was barely a whisper, causing Frankie to look confused. Fluttershy took a deep breath, “I said… is there something you want?” That was a little better— still a bit quieter than she’d wanted— but it got the job done. Frankie made an “Oohh… right” kind of face and nodded his head. He looked to the ground, pondering on his actions of communication. We could try to write something… …Yeah like what? “Hello, my name is Frankie, what is yours?” …. You’re kidding me— Well it would be nice to introduce yourself. Intro—…. Introduce myself? Dude… WE’RE IN A CARTOON. Hey I’m just trying to he— You know, for the logical part of my mind you’re not very logical sometimes. Well what would you do? …Hand gestures? Yes… that seemed fitting enough. He tapped his index finger to his own chin, wondering how to convey ‘thirsty’ using hands. Oh! An idea dawned on him, and he cupped his hand and made a motion with it by raising it to his open mouth. Fluttershy was startled at first; quickly hiding behind the chair she sat in, but soon popped back up realizing what he was getting at. “You… you want something to drink?” He nodded. Holy Celestia, it… it understands me! “Um… ok, just wait here please and I’ll…” Oh this was so awkward… Frankie returned the comment with a nod, and sat back down on the couch, studying the cozy feeling that the cottage evoked. Tick tock. Tick tock Frankie’s head turned a little to the sound of the clock. Tick tock. Tick pat He jumped up a little at that. Had he just heard what… what he thought he heard? Frankie sat quietly, listening to the sound… Tick pat. pat. His eyes grew wide, as he remembered the sound. Suddenly his mind was racing and he could hear… could smell the dank testing room and that evil treadmill. Pat pat pat He cocked his head to the left. Pat pat pat pat He jerked to the right, feeling sweat begin to perk through pores. Pat pat patpatpatpatpat Frankie pressed his hands to his ears in a weak attempt to ward off the hideous noise, scrunching his eyes and silently pleading for the horrendous noise to stop… Pat pat pa— ticktick tickticktick Frankie snapped back to reality to find a freighted yellow horse holding a shivering cup of water in her mouth. He tried to apologies, but remembered he lost his voice, leaving his jaw hanging open. Well…. that was certainly something else. Yes, just make sure to keep cool if we ever get another wave like that. Oh, now I remember why you’re my logical side. Will do. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Dr. Sunrise walked along the sterile hallways, enjoying the time flying by and the quiet corridors that accompanied him. But the one thing that really got him going was the thought of finding an entirely new species in Equestria! He daydreamed of the riches he’d receive for his findings, and the fame and glory his peers would undoubtedly give him. All this thinking certainly made him smile a nice big smile. Not a righteous one, but definitely something of happiness. He continued his walk back towards the testing chamber where he kept his little soon-to-be bit-maker, letting his thoughts run a bit on the more intimate side when he released this specimen’s bio-log. Because, c’mon, who doesn’t want to bang a scientist that just discovered something nopony has ever seen before? An image of all those mares just begging him to let loose, sent a small ecstatic shiver down his spine. And a little lower, too. He reached the right wing of the complex, and levitated his ring of keys into a field of vie—. Where are his keys? His eyes blankly stared at the empty keychain that usually held the dangling pieces of steel, yet today held no such thing. Oh no… oh nohohoho this is BAD! He frantically looked through his lab jacket, eying the pockets and the one big slip that always carried something of his. However, to his trepidation he found nothing of the sort. Sunrise tried back tracking. Ok, so maybe he left them in the bathroom? He used to do that a lot when he was young, and sometimes has his moments at this day and age. But that couldn’t make any sense; he’d double-checked the locker room’s toilets before he went out! Maybe he left them in his day clothes? Wait, that was a stupid thought, how could he get work keys to his regular clothes when there is a metal detector in the employee entrance?! His eyes grew a bit wider since, and his sweating increased a bit as well. Ok, ok, don’t panic, maybe I can just ask the receptionist for— Well that can’t work out… nopony knows he is harboring a new creature! And he can’t just tell every living thing out there that there’s a new animal— ponies may get the wrong ideas and try to pin the findings for themselves! Oh crap, what was he going to do about this? He looked up from his white cotton clothing and saw one single door left ajar. His pupils contracted. That was the specimen’s door… Oh no, this is getting worse and worse. What in Celestia was he going to do about this now?! Tell the other scientists about the missing… thing? Or just let it run ramped and die out in the Everfree? He didn’t have a clue as to what the first action to take would be. Should he tell everyone about it and let the city take care of it on it’s own? Well… that did sound easy… and it did sound doable. With a silent nod to himself he left the wing and walked out into the night, where he would head straight to the authorities. Well… the mares will still love somepony who stopped a ‘ravaging monster’ from destroying the town just as well… /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ “Alrighty class it’s time to pass up your homework!” Cheerilee said with a delighted smile as her students sat down and began yet another day at school. She looked at Sliver Hooves with a small grin, “That means you, too, Silver. I don’t want to write you up again!” “Hey, don’t worry, I got this taken care of!” He wore a confident smirk, pulling out his drawing of the class and hoofing it to the filly in front of him. Oh how exciting it was to finally finish a homework assignment, and show off his talent to Cheerilee! He couldn’t help but shine in the classroom as the morning wore on. Soon, it was time to share with everypony their wonderful drawings, and by now Silver Hooves was practically bouncing out of his chair with anticipation. He’d worked all night on this one, you know… since this was his first time actually completing an assignment; he’d even stayed passed his bedtime to give the design some touch-ups and stuff! All that time put into this creation was nothing to compare, however, to the look on Sweetie Belle’s face when she’d see it. Silver could imagine it all playing out so well: he’d go up, show his presentation, and watch as the love of his life stares at it with her mouth agape. The spectacle that is Silver Hooves’ masterpiece would sweep across the nation, and everypony would come and pay millions just to think about looking at it! He noticed a distant sound and realized it was Ms. Cheerilee speaking to him. “Silver? Silver, are you listening?” She looked at him with a worried expression on her face. He snapped out of his daydream. “Uh… yeah, yes I am!” She went back to her smile, “Good, I’d like for you to come up here and show us your special drawing for the class!” She gestured with a hoof to the rows of fillies and colts quietly seated in their desks. He did as she said, happily trotting up to the front of the room, and presenting his art for his peers to see. With an overdramatic flap, then paper opened up showing his artwork for his fellow peers to gaze upon! He didn’t exactly get the reactions he’d hoped for. The first to speak up out of the dead silence that filled the air, as the students sucked in his image they were shown, was none other than Diamond Tiara. Now, don’t get him wrong, he liked other ponies. Ponies his age? Cool. Ponies older than him? A little meaner, but still cool. Grand ponies? Well he’d always get candies from his grandpa, so definitely cool! But Diamond Tiara was the exception to his ways. He didn’t like her one bit. Not because she had a rich life— or because she had some other soul to hang out with while he had no one, but because she always felt the need to make fun of everything; even ponies that didn’t have as good of a life as her. She pretty much made up the exact template for “rich snob” down to excruciating detail. “Uck! What is that, Silver?” Tiara said making a sour face and sticking her tongue out. His cheeks grew bright read and sweat started to poke through his fur. “Uh… well… you see there’s this new animal we found in the Everfree Forest.” He looked down at the ground to avoid embarrassing eye contact. “And… well… this is my drawing of what it looks like.” He awkwardly displayed the picture back up into everypony’s view while showing a timid smile. “You see… erm… these are, like, little hooves on top of a bigger hoof. There are five of these littler hooves and they soft of squirm around and grab things.” A filly raised her hoof, and was called upon by Cheerilee. “So, wait, wouldn’t those be claws? Like on a dragon?” The filly’s question about his drawing sort of gave him a bit of courage. Hey… if she asked a question… that means she’s into the drawing. They like it, sweet! He puffed out his chest a bit more, feeling his old, confident, self return. “Well I’m glad you asked that! The answer is no, you see these little hooves aren’t made of scales; in fact the animal, entirely, isn’t made of scales. It’s, like, all squishy and stuff.” He prodded his chin with a hoof, “Like… like a shaved dog, or something.” The class oooh’d and aaaah’d at the new information, it seemed like this wasn’t a failure after all! Of course, she had to ruin it all. Tiara looked around the room, eyeing each foal, “I bet you’re just making this stuff up.” She crossed her hooves to her chest, “nothing but mare’s tales!” the faces of those around her soft of grew quiet and took her words into consideration. Who knew, maybe Silver was just making this stuff up. “Hey, why don’t you give me a chance at least and co—” “Now, now!” Cheerilee spoke against Silver obviously trying to stop this situation from escalating. “I think it’s a lovely drawing of… eh… what is it?” Silver looked down at his own drawing with a concentrated face. What was this? He had helped find this animal… but Mr. Sunrise didn’t give it a name yet. Well… it’s not like this was his first time being on the spot; thanks to her. “It’s… uh… w-why it’s none other than a…” Think, colt, think! “A…” his jaw lay open as he contemplated for a name to give it. Humus? Nah, that won’t do. Marman? That sounds like a weird spread soooo, no! Hu… man? Hu-man. Human. Huh… hey that can work! “Well miss Cheerilee,” he held up his picture to her, “This is none other than a hu-man!” The crowd echoed this new word and followed with another round of astonished noises. “Whoooooaaa, a human? That’s awesome!” one colt yelled. “What is it like? Can you pet it?” another filly asked. Soon the classroom was abuzz with excitement, and who wouldn’t be when your own classmate discovered a new creature? After a few seconds foal after foal was practically in line to get an answer from Silver Hooves. “Now, now, everypony settle down! We still have a lot to get done today!” Cheerilee said over the noise. Soon the fillies and colts had quieted down, letting Silver Hooves finally take his seat. “Now,” Cheerilee drew an equation on the board, “Can anyone tell me what eight divided by two equals?”
