The Physics of Gyro Scope

Chapter Three

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another holiday passes. A pointless one for me. Hearts and Hooves Day. Ugh. Do I sound like the kind of guy who likes all that 'will you be my valentine?' crap? Nope. I don't expect any gifts or nothing. Nada. Am I wrong? No, no I am not. I wake up on the fated day to find pink heart decorations all over. Ugh. Walking outside, I already see couples at cafes and restaurants. Ugh, again. I don't recognize any of the ponies. Slipping on my cloak and Vondr, I walk out into the sunny yet chilly day. I get a lot of scared looks from the nearby ponies. What the hell is this about? I feel a tap on my shoulder. Rather hard, almost like this pony is angry. I turn around to see an angry teacher, Cheerilee. She looks, like I predicted, angry.

"Don't you dare hurt any of the fillies here!" She growls.

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know. I've heard the stories."

"What do you-?"

"Well don't get any ideas." The angered teacher interrupts and stalks off.

"What the hell was that all about?' I murmur under my breath. I then recall that she said 'stories' and I fume at the thought that somebody spread rumors about me. And I think I know who. Storming back to Carousel Boutique, I fling open the door and slam it with Vondr. I see a guilty looking alabaster mare.

"Why the hell did you do that? I thought you learned your lesson after the Crusaders joined that gossip column." I growl, swearing for the first time in front of a pony besides Gage.

"I-I just-"

"Just what? Now almost everybody here thinks I'm a dangerous criminal!"

"But you are!"

"A dangerous criminal? What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Well, you talk about war and violence like it's normal!"

"Well maybe you're right! Maybe I am just a violent guy! Maybe I should leave!" I yell,

"I didn't mean that." Rarity replies softly,

"What did you mean?"I storm off haughtily, smacking Vondr against trees and poles, chipping pain and bark off them. Not looking where I'm going, I stumble off of a ledge and tumble downhill, Vondr falling out of my grip. I feel pain shoot up my forehoof as I land. Grimacing, I get up. Putting pressure on my leg, I yell as pain bolts through my right leg. Ow. I search for the bamboo shinai, which has fallen under a bush. According to my knowledge, this is the Everfree Forest. I've read enough on this place that I do not want to be in here very long. And just as luck would have it, a growl, followed by a foul stench that was like rotting meat comes from my right. A pair of glowing green eyes appear and a Timber Wolf steps out into the light. I need to get out, quickly. Timber Wolves don't travel alone. Usually in groups of three, so I need to get out. I see its jaws, stakes of wood dripping with saliva and back away slowly. Pouncing, the Timber Wolf slashes at me with its claws. I yelp in pain as they connect along my side, leaving a scar all the way across my left side. Vondr won't do too much good. I remember that one tiny stone once killed a massive one. But that was sheer luck. I don't have too much luck, so that won't work. The wolf made from wood and other types of plants prowls around me. I don't let my eyes off the monstrous beast. It pounces again and I jam Vondr in its mouth and pin it to the ground. The Timber Wolf struggles and I push it in farther, slowly breaking the wooden wolf. It shatters and I step back, examining my scar. Maybe they were right. Maybe I am just a violent pony. I think glumly, looking down at the pieces of wood. I struggle up the hill, using Vondr as a crutch. When I get to the top, I see Sweetie Belle standing and looking down at me, confused.

"Gyro Scope? Are you okay?" She asks,

"No."

"What's wrong?"

Silence.

"Oh, another thing you don't want to talk about?"

Silence.

I realize Gyro is dizzy and faint. I see a huge gash on his side. He's losing blood. He leans to the side and his eyes are half closed. He faints and collapses. Struggling to pick him up, I walk slowly towards Ponyville, straining under that weight of the stallion on my back. After what seems like an eternity, I come across my older sister.

"Sweetie Belle, what on earth are you doing?" She asks, seeing Gyro Scope.

"He's hurt Rarity! We need to get him help!" I say, showing her the gash on his side.

"I bet he got himself into a fight. Well, he deserved it."

"Rarity!" Gyro is starting to get cold. "He's dying!"

"Of all the ways to spend Hearts and Hooves day..." Rarity says and a blue aura coats the ash bat pony and rushes him to the hospital.

I wake up in a hospital bed, eleven ponies surrounding me. A doctor, Gage, the CMC, Twilight, Rarity, AppleJack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy. Sweetie Belle hugs me.

"You're alright!" She says. I feel lightheaded and dizzy.

"Please, this pony needs rest. I'm gonna need to ask you to leave." The nurse interjects.

"Can I stay?" Sweetie Belle asks,

"Yes, you may stay." the nurse replies,

"If yer stayin', then we're stayin'." Apple Bloom says.

"Yeah, we're not lettin' you stay with that guy." Scootaloo joins in, gesturing to me. I'm too tired to protest. The seven ponies exit the room, leaving the Crusaders and Gage. Either it was the time of year or the situation (I guessed it was the latter or something else) but Sweetie Belle stands up to her full height and plants a kiss on my cheek and hugs me. My cheeks are soon tinted red and I'm looking down, not meeting the eyes of anybody in the room. She climbs up next to me and stays quiet. An awkward silence follows. I keep my face hidden and my voice off so no emotion escapes me. Not when I'm feeling like I feel now.

I leave the hospital with stiches and a bandage around my entire midsection, restricting my movement. I feel sleepy and slow. I decide to get some rest. It's been a long day, and I really don't have anything to do. Curling up in a corner, I turn on my iPod and crank up the volume. I fall asleep to the All-American Rejects and don't wake up for at least ten hours. When I wake up, it's about 3:00 in the morning, nobody is up. Nobody at all. I switch on my laptop and begin to play an arcade game, headphones in so I don't wake the others. I level up in the game and unlock a new character, the paladin. The game saves and I close the window. I click on the Internet Explorer icon and open up Flickr. I see pictures my dad has posted. I feel, for the first time, homesick. I miss my mom and my dad. My family. The Christmas dinners that I won't ever attend, the Super Bowls that I can never see. All gone. Forever. I put the computer on sleep mode and lay my head down. Sadness engulfs my thoughts. My eyes begin to tear up and I cover my face. Arms come around my neck and a little filly comes down to my level. Sweetie Belle sings softly and beautifully to me and comforts me. One of her melodies, she must've learned from me.

"Far over the Misty Mountains cold

To dungeons deep, and caverns old

We must away, ere break of day,

To reclaim our long forgotten gold"

I soon fell asleep to the soft voice of the pretty emerald eyed filly next to me. We wake up an hour later to the sunrise. I convince Sweetie Belle to come outside with me and see the oranges and yellows and pinks of the new day. We sit on a hill where we can see the skyline. I put my arms around the alabaster filly and she puts hers around me. The sun rises and warms the two of us. A spark of happiness ignites in my heart.

"I love you." Says the little filly, so quiet I can't hear. I don't ask what she said, because I know she didn't really want to discreet it. A thought crosses my mind and I remember the negative feelings I felt that fateful day.

Weeks pass and I begin to realize, I'm not wanted here. I need to leave. I plan to leave in the middle of the night. Shinai, laptop, phone, iPod, cloak, and cords. I open the door, knowing this will be the last time I see any house for a while. A soft voice comes from behind me.

"Where are you going, Gyro?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"........I don't know. I can't stay here. I'm not accepted here." I reply, kneeling down to her level.

"I know I can't persuade you. And I won't. But can you stay for just a little bit more? I don't want to say goodbye this early." She asks.

"Of course Sweetie." I say, walking back to where I slept, she at my side. I pull a blanket over myself and Sweetie Belle. She plants a kiss on my forehead and murmurs something similar to what she had said earlier, also undecipherable. Hours pass and we sit, talking softly about plans for the future. I don't really have any, so Sweetie Belle asks what I would've done in my world.

"Animation." I tell her, "What would you do?"

"I don't know. No Cutie Mark, so I can't really think of anything." she sighs.

"Well, you do have an awesome singing voice." I suggest. Hoofbeats come down the stairs. "I need to leave." I whisper. "I don't know when I'll see you again." I get up quickly and begin to walk out the door.

"Aidan?" Gage asks, "Where are you going?" an understanding passes between me and Gage and he gets what is happening. "Do you want me to leave you two alone?"

"Never. Stay with us." I say. Walking out the door into the cool winter night, I look back at my friends. "Goodbye." I say. Sweetie Belle hugs me.

"Goodbye Gyro. I won't forget you."

And with that, I leave Ponyville.

My ears droops sadly as I watch the bat pony walk away. The door behind me opens and Rarity comes out.

"Sweetie Belle, what are you doing out here so early?"

"We came to see Gyrooff."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Your rumors made him leave! Nopony accepted him for who he was except for me and Evergreen!" I yell at my older sister, "I love him."

"What was that?" Rarity replies, already knowing what I had said.

"I said I love him."

"I don't think I quite heard you." She says, smirking.

"Oh, you know what I said!"

"I know what you said and that still doesn't change the fact that he's gone."

"Fine! Just leave me alone." I shriek and stomp off to my room. Slamming the door and locking it, I start to cry.