Sequence 1

My vision was blurred as sunlight had spilled into them, which yanked a groan from within my throat. I got up rubbing my hoof through my dark red and black mane as it fell over my shoulders. I seriously might need a manecut soon. I scratched my eyes, and cleared the blurriness so I could make out the time. The silver wall clock that hung above my dresser mirror read nine-fifteen. Another day, another sore body for me. I hopped out of bed and trotted over to the mirror that sat above my dresser. My hooves made a soft clip clop along the oak wood floor.

I looked over my form in the cracked mirror. My dark grey fur needed some brushing, as well as my dark red mane, and the feathers on my wings. My eyes shone blood red alongside the morning sun. I looked at my flank and sighed. It was void of a cutie mark, which is rare among grown stallions my age.

It was just my luck to be one of the few stallions to never earn a cutie mark. Maybe I was just a mistake. Maybe I don’t have any purpose in this world. My luck wasn’t really all that fortunate to begin with anyway. My parents were murdered during my foalhood and I was placed into custody of my kind aunt, Rain Light, who did her best to console me of my troubles. My friends abandoned me when word of my mark less flank spread throughout my school. I was labeled a freak, the only stallion in Cloudsdale High who didn’t have a cutie mark.

"Ha-ha, look at Icarus Swift! That freak is still a fucking blank flank. What a fucking loser."Their stinging words rung through my head like bells during Hearths Warming Eve.

Being a blank flank wasn’t the only thing that made high school like hell. Every now and then, whenever I would blink, my eyes would do this thing where some ponies would start to glow red. It scared me at first, but learned to control it, turn it on and off, as I got older. Apparently, when somepony glows red, it means they are hostile. This kept auntie and I safe. If I saw someone, or something, glow red, I would take certain precautions to avoid them.

After I finished high school with top marks, thank Celestia, my aunt and I relocated to Ponyville, a small and placid place of very few problems. The only real serious problems the town ever faced were the Discord incident and the Nightmare Moon returning, but those problems were solved permanently thanks to the Elements of Harmony.

The residents were kind and say that they accept anyone into their friendly town, regardless if one bore a cutie mark. There words were convincing enough, but even if said words were genuine, I still receive very awkward stares from young foals and teens. This made me feel uncomfortable.

I looked over to my right, the cracked picture frame containing the picture of my parents and I during the Summer Sun Celebration. The photo was taken the day my parents were murdered. The wide smiles the three of us wore were infectious. I was but a young foal at the time, and my blank flank was often shrugged off. I looked at my mom, her beautiful blue eyes were kind, and would cause almost any stallion to swoon over her. Her fur was white, and with a sky blue mane that fell over her shoulders like a waterfall.
My gaze shifted over to my father. Normally he would have an air of seriousness about him, but in this photo, he was happy as can be. The details that didn’t match his sky high demeanor were the bags under his bright red eyes.

His fur was midnight blue, with a silver mane that was gelled back. He never spoke much about his occupation, but he would have quiet conversations about it with my mom.

“I’m sorry I’m always home late, but the creed needs me back.” My father would say pleadingly to my mother.
“I thought you left them behind,” she argued, “you have a son to take care of, and you’re out doing crazy things with those, Assassins.”
“I’m doing this to protect our son. Those Templars need to be stopped if the world is ever going to be a safer place for him.”

My mother just shook her head in disappointment. She pushed passed him and noticed me standing at the doorway of their bedroom. Her eyes were filled such warmth and kindness.

“Come now Swift,” she said with a smile, “I’ll take you back to bed.”

I frowned and placed the photo back down and picked up my old hair brush. I proceeded to brush out the uneven parts of my fur and mane. When that was settled, I put the brush down and proceeded out of my bedroom and into the hallway.
The floorboards of the house creaked, threatening to give out under my frame. I really need to get this place renovated. Someday, I might just smash through the floor of my bedroom and land square into the kitchen.

I treaded carefully to the stairs down the hall which led to the living room. Upon entering the living room I spot the calendar hanging on the wall, left of the sofa. It read November 22, 2013. I sighed with relief. Today is a day off for me which meant no work. Normally auntie would give me chores to do, but she’s out of town in Cloudsdale for business reasons, something about the Rainbow Factory having a few financial problems.

I broke my attention from the calendar, and trotted over to the kitchen. It was in no better condition than the house all together. The wood dining table seemed to be breaking apart and decaying. The floor, just like throughout the house was on the verge of collapsing under somepony. The only things within the kitchen that were in a non-horrid state were the sink and fridge.

I trotted to fridge and opened it examining its contents. Milk and eggs, which was it. I groaned. I wasn’t necessarily in the mood to be going outside, then again I never really am. I picked up the sack of bits that sat on the coffee table in front of the sofa, retrieved my black, hooded jacket that sat on the coat rack, and trotted out the door and locked it behind me.

As usual, the market place of Ponyville was teeming with activity and movement. The bright smiling faces of families and couples littered the environment. It made me grimace as memories of my foalhood invaded my mind.

I shook the thoughts out, pulled the hood of my jacket over my head, and proceeded into the market square. I needed to get apples.

A nearby stand had just what I need. The label over top of the stand itself read Sweet Apple Acres. I moved towards it and hoped I can get the apples without the stand running out of stock like the time with the cider.

As I treaded closer, the pony at the stand came into view. She was a pretty cute mare, orange coat with a blonde mane tied in a ponytail accompanied with a cowboy hat. Freckles dotted her cheeks and her gorgeous emerald green eyes shone brightly as she waved at passers. Those eyes soon turned to me the closer I got. I pulled the hood tighter over my head, making sure it shadowed my face.

I approached the counter and placed the sack of bits down onto it.

“Ten red delicious apples please,” I said to her, avoiding eye contact.

“You got it partner.” She said her southern, country accent cutting through the bustling crowed of ponies within the square. She proceeded to fill a bag with the red fruit, but stopped in the middle to look at me quizzically. “Haven’t seen anypony like ya’ll around the parts. Are ya new to Ponyville?”

“No,” I said.

“How long have ya been a resident in Ponyville?” she continued.

“A while, actually. I moved here just after high school.”

“Well, it’s a shame we haven’t met before. My names Applejack.” she finished filling the bag, plopped it onto the counter, and extended a hoof for a hoofshake.

“It’s a pleasure,” I said, giving her hoof a friendly brohoof instead of a hoof shake like expected.

I was just about to pick up the sack of fruit, but was stopped by Applejack.

“I never really caught your name.” she said, curiosity filling her eyes.

“Icarus Swift,” I said. With that, I spread my wings and flew over to the Everfree Forest. Might as well relax a little.

The Everfree Forest, to others, was a scary, desolate forest crawling with unspeakably horrid creatures. To me, the forest was somewhat of a sanctuary, a place where I go when I’m not at home reading or doing chores for Auntie Rain.

I flew around a bit looking for my secret spot I found when I got lost once. It’s a place no one else knows about. I bet even Celestia doesn’t know about this place and once word of my sanctuary got out, they would level the entire forest just to find it. I chuckled at the idea. Even if they did level the forest and found it, the sanctuary wouldn’t be as enjoyable without the dark and gloomy forestry to accompany it.

Finally, something caught my eye, a clearing within the forest that sat near a large waterfall. I flew down and into the clearing. This was it, my sanctuary. A small clear river ran through it, shimmering in the sunlight, the source of water being, of course the waterfall itself. As the massive amounts of water fell into the waiting river, water splashed into air causing a slight mist. Sunlight passed through the mist creating a magnificent rainbow.

I trotted over to a large rock nearby and set down the sack of apples. I then sat down and leaned against the rock. The sound of the waterfall and nearby birds filled the air. It was bliss, peaceful; something my life hasn’t been in a while. I shut my eyes. The smell of the misty air only added onto the extreme bliss.

Slumber was just about overtaking my body when a loud sound assaulted my ears. A scream not too far from my position rang and echoed throughout the forest followed by an earth shattering roar. I quickly got up to my hooves and flew up into the sky to get a better vantage point and, to my horror, saw the cause of the massive roar. A red dragon was towering over the massive trees. It was at least as tall as a three story building, not as big, but pretty big.

I jetted as fast as I could toward the dragon. I perched myself onto a nearby cloud and examined the situation. A mare seemed to have been cornered by this dragon. I couldn’t make out any specific details about the mare, but from my vantage point all I could see was that she wore strange clothing. It looked like some sort of white uniform with a hood that covered her eyes from my view. The dragon roared again. I covered my ears to prevent the loud noise from doing any damage to my head.

I looked down at the mare and back at the dragon and sighed. I’m going to have to be a hero, huh?

I stood up on my hooves. I had to have a plan before I jump right into it. I could attack the dragon and buy the mare some time to escape, but that would leave me vulnerable to the dragon’s wrath. I also have the option to just fly in and take the mare back to Ponyville, but I’m sure the dragon wouldn’t have any problem chasing us all the way to town where there are other ponies for him to lay waste to.
The dragon let out another roar. I had to come to a resolve and fast. My mind worked, raced and played out scenarios which all end badly for either me or the mare.

I sighed, arched my back and flew at a great speed. My wings flapped furiously making me fly faster and faster. Finally, I was close enough and reared back my right, front hoof to deliver a massive punch to the side of the dragons face. It stumbled backwards, and fell to the ground. A groan emanated from its motionless form.

Knocked out in one punch, huh? I didn’t know I was that strong. Maybe my flight speed had something to do with it? No pony could take down a dragon in one punch. First time in a long time that luck was in my favor.

I put those thoughts to the back of my head and faced the mare who was staring at the dragon. Her aquamarine eyes were wide with surprise. She tried to speak, but all that came out was unintelligible gibberish.

“Hey,” I spoke. She quickly faced me, the wideness of her eyes still there. “You okay?”

“You… you just-” before she could finish her statement, the sound of howling filled the air. Timberwolves. I turned around, hoping that I was wrong. Those hopes were soon crushed as I came face to face with a horde of timberwolves, snarling and bearing their sharp wooden teeth. Their bodies were made entirely out of wood. Their glowing green eyes shone with malice and hunger. They were probably attracted by the dragons sudden down fall.

I turned to the fear stricken mare. The color seemed to have been drained from her face. Her long, light pink mane was disheveled and covered with twigs. On her back were a pair of wings, which gave me an idea.

“Hey, you.” I said, keeping my gaze towards the timberwolves.

“Y…yes?” her voice seemed strained and toned to a whisper, but somehow I managed to understand her.

“Fly out of this place and don’t turn back.”

“B… but.”

“Don’t turn back! Just GO!”

She made a quiet ‘eep’ sound at the sudden change of volume in my voice. Not long after, I heard the sound of flapping wings take off.

I sighed with relief. Now that she’s gone, I don’t have to hold back.

The first wolf leaped at me, its jaws aimed at my left side. I side stepped out of the way just in time. It fell to the ground next to me with a thud. I lifted my front hooves over the wolves head only to deliver a solid stomp onto it, bits of wood that once made up its head scattering everywhere. My ear perked at a peculiar sound. I turned around to see a wolf already in midair ready to bite down on me. I was too slow. I had already begun to jump to the side, but it was quick and sunk its teeth into my right wing.

“Ahh, shit,” I hissed in pain. I lifted my right, back hoof and managed to pry the wolf off. I then tackled it to the ground, taking hold of its neck, and breaking it. The body fell limp.

I needed a solid count of how many hostiles are within the vicinity. I closed my eyes and opened them again to see the wolves now glowing red. I counted a total of twelve of them, minus the ones I killed. I blinked, deactivating my special vision, everything going back to their proper color.

Twelve total wolves.

“Alright,” I said, getting into a battle ready position, “I can take them.”

I limped out of the Everfree Forest. Cuts on my face, bruises and bite marks on my hooves and sides, a broken wing, and a torn favorite jacket. Those wolves put up a good fight, but I could still take them. The last six of them retreated after I killed several of their comrades. I sustained quite a few injuries, but nothing serious. I seriously need a drink though. I adjusted the sack of apples slung over my shoulder.

Steadily, I limped over to a bar in Ponyville called Nightfall. The interior was dimly lit and near to empty. There were at least three stallions and four mares I’ve counted in the bar so far. This place was a somewhat slow business. I took a seat at one of the bar stools. The smell of alcohol and vomit wafted through the air. It made me sick. It reminded me of the fact that despite our world having a very pure outer look, if you come to truly live in it, you’ll see the filth, rot, and evil that occupy its lands. I doubt I’m any different.

It took me a while to notice that the bartender was patiently waiting to take my order. She was a unicorn with a light green coat and yellow mane. Her hazel eyes fixed on me.

“What will you be having, sir?” she asked.

“Surprise me,” I said, pulling my hood over my head, shadowing my face from view.

She nodded. Using her horn, she levitated a large, unopened bottle from under the counter. She popped off the cork, and just as she was going to pour it into a glass, I stopped her.

“I’ll take the whole bottle.” I said retrieving the sack of bits from a jacket pocket, and taking half of them from the sack and placing them on the counter.

“Are you sure,” she said concern I her eyes as she took the bits, “that’s some pretty strong stuff.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

She just shrugs her shoulders, levitates a wet rag to her hooves, and proceeds to wipe off the counter. I put the bottle to my lips and tilted it so that the contents flowed smoothly into my mouth. It was somewhat strong, and bitter. Removed the bottle from my lips and gave a sigh.

I doubt my parents would approve of me drinking, if they were alive that is. I looked behind me, expecting my parents to be there to scold me. Nothing. I turned back. Of course there’s nothing there, what was I expecting?

I took another swig of my drink. It seemed to numb my suffering somewhat, but it never was truly the answer.

I stole a glance at the bartender who I caught staring at me. She quickly averted her gaze, a small red tint seeming to have formed onto her cheeks. I looked back at my drink. I thought about the night my parents were killed. My mind was filled with so much anger and sadness at the time. I actually swore vengeance . I failed to notice the bartender staring at me.

"Are you okay?" she asked, "you seemed to be staring daggers at the bottle in your hooves. I was afraid you might throw it at the wall."

"It's alright," I said, " I was just thinking."

She shrugged her shoulders she went back to her post. I looked bartender over. She didn’t seem busy and he’s pretty cute now that I think about it. She had a fit figure. Her curves were just in the right spots. Her hips swayed slightly as she walked. It almost seemed intentional. This made me wonder, is she single?

I took another, extra-long gulp of my drink.

Why don't we find out.

“Hey, bartender,” I said to her waving my hoof at her. She jumps a little at my voice and reluctantly makes her way over to me.

“Yes?” her cute hazel eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim light of the bar.

“You don’t seem to be busy. How’s about you and me share this drink? My name is Icarus Swift by the way.”

“I’m Olive Martini, and sure, I can drink.”

She brought out two glasses and I gladly filled them. She quickly downed the contents of her cup. I was quick to refill her cup.

"So," I spoke first, "have you got a special somepony?"

Author's Note

Please leave a comment. I would like some feedback on how I did so far for the first chapter. If it's a little mediocre, I promise that future chapters will be a lot better.
Thanks for reading. Brohoof /)