Choose your own Destiny
By Jayesixx
Pre read by Metool Bard
Prologue
The Beginning
Life is what you make it. That's one lesson you never get taught. All through your school life you're taught that your life is laid out for you. Controlled by the cutie mark blazoned on your flank. This, cutie mark gives detail of everything you've done and ever going to do in life. It is the dictator. The ruler. It is neither Princess Celestia, nor Luna. It's the stupid picture that sits on your butt.
Cutie marks depict the talent that you were born with. Whether that be singing, flying, magic, anything. There are even cutie marks for eating, for pony’s sake. They show your character through a simple picture. If that sounds crazy, then you've clearly never been to Equestria. They rule your life with the simple lesson of destiny and how everything revolves around the cutie mark. Trapping you in a cage of order.
But, what if you never had a cutie mark? What if you never discovered what this "special talent" was? You'd be free. Free to do whatever you pleased without the constant nagging in your mind that it isn't your destiny. This was a choice in life that no-pony ever gets to experience. From a young age, most fillies and colts gain their cutie marks, based on their interests and talents. No-pony ever gets a taste of freedom. Though they may think that freedom is what they have, they are very, very wrong.
I've tasted freedom, basked in the warmth that comes with it. Though finding it, wasn't easy. I endured years of traveling, walking endless roads in search of civilization. I walked through freezing blizzards and scorching heat-wave. I journeyed on with bleeding hooves and knackered joints. And that was only half of it. I'm going to tell you a story. A story of my life and how I came to experience the pleasure of being free. I'm going to explain to every single one of you how you too can go where I've been. How you can walk in my hoofsteps and build a place where every-pony can choose their own destiny.
My name is Clover Leaf, and this, is my story
***
When younger, I yearned for my cutie mark. I wanted to learn what my place in life was. To fit in with society. Being the only colt in your class that's a "Blank Flank" gets pretty rough. I never had friends. No-pony would hold conversation with me for more than five minutes once they gained their cutie mark. I simply wasn't good enough. I was mocked and taunted everyday. Fillies and colts would crowd me into a corner, jeering and calling, the bigger ones would push me; hard shoves that left blackened bruises. It soon progressed to full on punches and kicks. I had black eyes, deep cuts and even a broken nose. There was one occasion that I can remember as bright as day.
It was a usual school day, I was sitting alone in the corner of the playground, no-pony was talking to me, ignoring me as usual. Until…
“Oi, Blank Flank”
I turned my head to find Red Brick, an Earth Pony colt like me though with a dark red coat and grey mane and tail. His father was a builder, a career that Red would be pursuing once he was old enough, his cutie mark showed the picture of a stack of bricks, showing his future clearly. He was often the leader of this little gang, the ones who taunted me every day. Today it seemed wouldn’t be any different.
“What do you want Red? Why can’t you just leave me alone for once?” My voice was breaking, I wouldn’t deny it, I was scared. This colt was a lot bigger and stronger than me, he also had at least five ponies behind him. I could never escape him.
Red chuckled, a deep evil laugh that came with a menacing grin.
“Aww the little baby is scared, how sweet” The gang behind him laughed too. My ears flattened against my skull and I took a step back. My eyes were wide, constantly watching the bigger colt.
“J-just go away!” I choked out. My throat tightened and tears were threatening to fall. I held them back, tears would only make Red worse.
Red advanced. Closing the gap between us, taking away my safety space. I gulped, slowly backing away, each step shaky and uncertain. Suddenly something blocked my path. The wall at the edge of the playground. Of course it would be there. I pushed my back against the rough bricks, attempting to get as far away as possible. Red quickly closed the gap, an evil grin spread across his lips, his angry orange eyes focused and frightening.
“Maybe you’ll get your cutie mark in cowardice” he sneered, raising a hoof, “but then again, you would have got it by now if it was”
I couldn’t even reply, I simply squeaked a response before Red’s heavy hoof came crashing down on my cheek. Pain burst at the place of contact. It burned against my cold skin. His hooves carried on hitting me. Each blow more painful than the last. His gang shortly joined in. Kicking me with strong hind legs and punching me with powerful hooves. Dark bruises were already forming on my body, spreading and fading into my pale grey fur. Hot blood was dripping from my nose after a sickening crack had sounded. I struggled and curled up into a tight ball. The hits kept coming, pain was all I could feel. I could hear them laughing and calling. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, wishing silently for it all to stop. My wish shortly came true as I blacked out.
To this day, I still wince at the memory. The pain I felt that day was worse than anything I’d ever felt.
My parents would tell that everything would turn out fine. I would one day earn my cutie mark and finally fit in. In the end I stopped telling them about the bullying, and I would hide the wounds. They never understood what I was going through. When they were younger, they were early bloomers. Being some of the first to get their marks, they were relatively popular. Since they were loved by every-pony, they never endured the pain and the misery that I went through.
I guess my parents got sick of me though. They left on a business trip to Manehatten, a week-long conference with the mayor. My parents were politicians, they often went away to talk to the important figures in Equestria, but I don't know what happened to them on this particular trip because they never returned. It seemed my own Mother and Father felt like I was an embarrassment. Whether an accident took them, or they simply decided to leave me, I don't care. They never really acted like my parents anyway. They would ignore me most of the time, and when they did take notice, it was because I was in trouble. Useless parents for a useless colt. Seems to fit, doesn't it?
I never had a family after that. The stupid government never thought to look after an orphaned fourteen year old colt. So, I was left to fend for myself. I would receive packets of bits in the post every month, it seemed like the only thing that the rulers of this god forsaken land were willing to do. I kept going to school, as I needed some form of education if I was planning to get anywhere in life. I still endured the torture of not having a cutie mark. I just ignored them. If I even tried to fight back, there would be five times the amount of me.
I eventually graduated from the educational system at the age of sixteen. I needed to find work somewhere as the money stopped coming. I guess they thought that I could support myself, now that I was of age. Work, however, was difficult to find. Most employers looked for ponies that had skills in the workforce. No-pony would employ a cutie mark-less colt, that had no set of skills. When I approached somewhere that I was interested in, I was instantly turned away. Even after school, society doesn't accept you if you don't have the demon mark.
In the end, I gave up trying. I wasn't going to find work where I lived. That had proven impossible. I'd been saving bits since I was fourteen. Using only what I needed for food, as the government were paying for my rent, I had plenty to spare. I decided when I was younger that when I was old enough, I was going to leave this village, and travel the vast lands that the kingdom ruled. I would search for a place where I could be accepted, and possibly even find my cutie mark.
I planned out my journey to travel to open plains that Equestria conquered. I wouldn't use public transport; too much money to waste when I'm quite capable of walking. I would ration food, as I never knew when I would acquire more bits, money needed to be saved. My journey would span majority of my life. I would go where no-pony had ever been.
That night, I left. Packing what little belongings I owned into a saddlebag, I traveled into the night. I swore to myself that day that I would find out who I was. I would earn my cutie mark. I would finally fit in. Little did I know that day. I had a long way to go.
Chapter One: The Everfree
Chapter 1
The Everfree
When I left my house on the dark and peaceful night, I set out for the Everfree Forest. Tales of horror and uncertainty flooded my memory as I approached at wooded entrance. As a young colt, I was told to never set hoof in the place. That manticores and chimeras prowled the twisted trees, seeking out their next victim. When younger the stories frightened me, giving me nightmares for weeks on end. I would awaken in a pool of sweat and tears, crying out for my mother to save me from these terrifying monsters. Of course, when my parents went missing, I had no one. I eventually learned how to deal with monsters in my dreams. I would simply tell myself that I was dreaming, that the morning would come and everything would be fine.
I took deep breaths. The puffs of my hot breath shining white against the cold black night. Winter was just ending. The air was chilled, nipping my stone-grey fur. I pulled the cloak I wore tighter around my thin body, and planted my hooves firmly on the ground. I was not going to turn back. I needed to go through the shadowed forest in order to reach the rest of Equestria. My destiny was out there somewhere, this was just the first hurdle. I sucked in a large gulp of air, the coldness flooding over my teeth. I squeezed my eyes tight, mentally repeating the words "everything will be fine, everything will be fine". A nearby owl hooted, the noise echoing through the silence. I jumped about a foot in the air and snapped open my eyes.
I quickly broke into a gallop. The hairs of my coat standing to full attention, fear was getting the best of me. My ears were pinned back and my emerald eyes went wide. My olive green mane whipped in the wind, the freezing atmosphere leaving droplets clinging to the fur on my face. After I ran a good hundred meters or so, I tripped. A stray tree root bursting through the sodden ground. It twisted and curled, wrapping around my hoof, pulling me to the ground. My chest heaved as I gasped for air. My heart raced like a thousand stallions. My head swam from the collision with the floor. When my head stopped spinning, I pulled myself to my hooves and plonked down against the dead bark of the tree that floored me. I pulled my knees to my chest, and cried.
“How pathetic,” I whimpered as I hugged my legs, sobbing into my soft fur. “A full grown stallion like me, crying because I’m scared.”
When I finally calmed down, I gave myself a good slap to the face. Not only did it waken me up to reality, it also stopped me crying like a stupid baby. I gave my head a shake, rubbing the sore patch on my cheek, and gave myself a mental scolding. I was going to make it through this forest, I won't give into fear, I'll fend off any unwanted presences, I'd pluck up my courage and march through this darkness like it was nothing. With hope in my eyes, and a swollen cheek, I set off back into the forest. The trees that lined the muddy path sneered and scowled, their trunks hollow and empty. The dirt squelched beneath my hooves as I journeyed on wards. Nothing was going to stop me.
As I reached the heart of the wood, my nerves started to set back in. From every angle I could hear the growls and chatters of nearby beasts, it was almost like they were laughing at me, taunting me. I swallowed my fear and trotted on. Glowing eyes peered at me through the black. Illuminated by the silver moon that speckled through the broken branches. Luna's moon was specifically bright tonight, as though she knew I was starting my mission and was guiding me through the night. I had always sympathized with Luna, she had felt loneliness for most of her life, and when she decided to do something about it, she was stowed away in the moon. Shunned by her sister for a thousand years, left to wallow in self pity. I wish she was around when I had my nightmares. To lead me to a happier place filled with light and happiness. But she wasn't. She was locked out of sight by her tyrant sister.
I sighed at the thought of Luna's misery before recalling my own. Never accepted as me, just because of a stupid cutie mark. I clenched my jaw and snorted. Well not anymore. I would find my cutie mark, I would finally fit in and be loved. No more torture, no more pain.
My hooves thudded softly against the saturated ground, each step bringing me closer to the edge of the woods. I felt pretty proud of myself. I was overcoming my fears and journeying on. Pretty good for a sixteen year old. Smiling to myself, I trotted on. I felt like I was on Cloud Nine, nothing could touch me, or so I thought until I heard the low rumble of a growl behind me. My ears swiveled around to find the source of the noise and I stopped. Suddenly the noise sounded again, only closer, and louder. My head snapped in the direction of the growl, I squinted my eyes to the darkness, trying to see what it was. A pair of green glowing eyes shone through the trees. The rumble came again and the creature crept forwards. My pupils shrank, I knew exactly what this thing was, I had heard stories of ponies being mauled to death by them, very little came nose to nose with one and survived. Unfortunately for me, I knew there wouldn't just be the one. They traveled in packs, protecting and hunting together. I was dead.
A wooded snout came through the gloom first, its green eyes burning away the darkness. My ears flattened and I backed away, keeping my eyes focused on the beast in front of me. It snarled, bearing rows of sharpened teeth. More growls echoed round me. There was definitely a pack. The creatures surrounded me, blocking all chance of escape. I gulped, sweat dripping down my face, tears welled up in my eyes. No I wasn't going to cry. I was going to fight, to escape, to live.
The Timberwolves were circled around me, snarling and snapping. Frightened eyes darted around the pack, looking for a possible means of escape. There were wolves at every angle, every exit was blocked. All seemed hopeless, except for one thing. One of the creatures appeared to be limping; an injury taking its toll. That was my opening. I sucked up my courage and burst into a gallop towards the injured wolf. The timberwolves pounced, snapping at the ankles that raced past them. As I neared the lone creature, I lept into the air. Claws and teeth lunged for my airborne body. I felt sharp pains as contact was made with my skin. Blood swarmed around the open wounds, deep gashes that burst with pain, my eyes blurred as they watered, and my hooves landed with a thud on the soft ground. My muscles strained as I weaved through the trees of the Everfree. Howls echoed behind me, followed by the drumming of paws. Fear tugged my mind, this could possibly be the day that I meet my end. No, it wasn’t going to end this way.
I could see a light. I was nearing the edge of the forest. I pushed my body to its limits. My muscles screamed out in pain. They were struggling.
Finally I reached the forest edge. I burst out of the darkness, every muscle and joint protested as I landed with a thud on the soft grass. I sprawled out on my side, panting heavily. Sweat was dripping down my forehead, plastering my mane to my fur.
The Timberwolves refused to leave the trees, Opting instead to stand at the timberline, snarling and growling. I couldn’t help but sigh in relief. I was the only known pony to survive a pack of Timberwolves. The painful gashes on my legs and stomach weeped blood as I lay exhausted on my side.
I had made it through the Everfree. I silently celebrated, I was too tired to make a sound though a small smile crept onto my lips. This was the start of a wondrous journey, and I had made it over the first hurdle.
As I settled down to go to sleep, there was just one sentence I could manage to croak out.
“Bring it on!”