The train's engine rumbled as the monotonous tune of the rotating wheels reverberated around the carriages. Silverheart sipped into her cardboard cup of Frappuccino bought from the food cart. She savoured every drop, knowing that it will be a long time until she'll get a decent drink from here on out. She looked out the window as she relaxed into a comfortable position. The pale yellow-coated pony closed her eyes as she let herself be found by the beats and melody of the music. It wasn't too long before she drifted off to sleep. Greeted by a painful memory of the reason why she was on this train with no itinerary and carrying just a bag with a little less than fifty bits and a photo.
*Flashback*
"You skank!!! I said three teaspoons of coffee, not two and a half! Are you trying to poison me?! Well, are you?! Look at me in the eyes!"
A heavy mug crashed onto the floor, shattering to pieces which simmered in a puddle of blazing hot coffee. Silverheart's unicorn father, Lockwood, continued shouting and shooting verbal threats directed at her pegasus mother, Chrysanthemum. This has been the routine for almost every day of their life as far as Silverheart can remember. And not once did Chrysanthemum fight back. She would just watch Lockwood and ignore all the badmouthing he would give her. And once he finally gets tired and stops, she would just pick up the broken pieces of whatever object he smashes that time. It was surprising that they still have anything in their home after over sixteen years of that.
Silverheart hated how her mother doesn't even try to defend herself. Even a simple 'No', she doesn't let it out. Her father has abused her for so long yet both of them haven't grown sick of it.
But this time was different.
Lockwood pulled Chrysanthemum by her light pink mane and used his magic to levitate a shard of glass towards Chrysanthemum's lifeless face. As usual, Chrysanthemum didn't budge. If she felt even a single shred of fear, she did a great job of hiding it. She stared at Lockwood directly in the eyes with a strong and unwavering gaze. This enraged Lockwood.
"This little, filthy-- How dare you look at me like that with your little beady eyes?! I'm getting real tired of your shit, you know that? If I wasn't so broke right now, I would've left you already. You and that good-for-nothing daughter of yours!!!" Lockwood shouted in Chrysanthemum's face before cutting a slit down her cheek with his sharp blade of glass.
That's it,' Silverheart thought. 'Verbally abusing my mother wasn't enough and now you're also physically tormenting her?! That is it!'
Silverheart dashed to her father and pushed him with all her might. Lockwood fell on the pieces of glass on the floor and some pierced through the area over his stomach, blood dripping down the side of his body, staining his brown coat. But it wasn't as horrifying as the grin on his face.
"So you finally showed your true colors, eh?" Lockwood snickered. "You're just like your mother. Weak and--"
"DIE!!!" Silverheart pounced on Lockwood and started choking him. "You... have no idea what I can do with this dark and dirty magic I've inherited from you." She chanted a spell in her head and a vile, green beam shooted from her horn. The beam bent and shaped into a rope. The rope wrapped around Lockwood's neck like a snake as it tightened its grip. It constricted Lockwood's breathing and the rope cut into his skin. He struggled to catch a gasp of air.
"Go... ahead. One... can only... t-try..." Lockwood managed to get out in between breaths. His struggling weakened as his eyes started to roll up and shutter.
Stop.
Silverheart backed away in a rush. What has she become? A bloody murderer just like the man she loathed the most? She stared at Lockwood who remained lifeless for a few moments before coughing up blood and loosening the coil around his neck which has transformed into a normal strand of string. Fear took over Silverheart's consciousness as Lockwood stood up and limped towards her.
"You can't even kill someone right? As expected of a stupid child like you." Lockwood used all his might to drag Silverheart and lift her up by her mane. Silverheart kicked frantically to get back on the ground. She could feel her mane being tugged so hard that it felt like it would rip off any moment soon. She spotted a metallic glint in Lockwood's hoof.
"Ponies like you should just die--!!!"
Lockwood collapsed on the ground after Chrysanthemum smacked him hard in the back of the head with a frying pan. She sneaked up behind him while Lockwood was dragging himself towards Silverheart. The blade slipped off his hoof. Silverheart was shook with surprise to see her mother do that. Something uncharacteristic of her. Chrysanthemum dropped the pan and slid down to sit on the floor. She kept staring at Lockwood. Silverheart rushed to her mother's side and tried to pull her up, but Chrysanthemum wouldn't move a muscle. She broke up from her trance and focused on the cut on Silverheart's cheek.
"He cut your cheek. We need to clean that," Chrysanthemum said, putting a hoof under Silverheart's face.
"Mom! What are you doing?! We need to get out of here now! Before he wakes up!" Silverheart pleaded. That kind of woke Chrysanthemum up since she looked more aware.
"Oh, my dear Silverheart... I can't leave. I'm magically bound to this place. And I need to stay here and make sure your father doesn't follow you when he wakes up. You'll have to go alone. Find a safe place where he can't find you. I foresaw this day. Bring this bag, it ha--"
"What are you saying?! I'm not leaving you here with that psycho! How do you think you can persuade him? He'll just take it all out on you! Mom, don't do this... I'm begging you..." Silverheart knelt down and sobbed. Chrysanthemum was pained to see her one and only child that way. She hugged Silverheart and let out a tear herself.
"Silverheart... One day, you'll know why I've been doing this for more than sixteen years. Just remember that you're the most important pony in my life. You're the reason that I'm still here. So take care of yourself. Find the happiness that you've always deserved in your life. The happiness that you've never got here in this hell hole. I love you, my child..."
"I love you, too, mom... More than anything else in the world..."
They cried on each other's shoulders. It was all a blur after that. Chrysanthemum handed Silverheart a bag and all Silverheart could remember is her running to the train station, tears streaming down her cheeks and stinging her open cut. She etched a promise in her heart.
'I'll come back for you, mom. So just be strong and wait for me. I love you.'
Author's Note
Thanks for reading.
This is my first fanfic on FIMFiction.
Please comment on any ideas and thoughts and if this is a good enough length for a chapter.
Thank you~
-LaPegabro (aka Anna)