The Shadow Collective

"Don't be scared Cloud."

That's what my parents always told me when I tried something new. I never really knew what they meant by that, I always just assumed it was one of those things parents say to little fillies and colts. It's not like I ignored them, trust me I was a good colt. At least I like to think so. I went through Elementary School in a flash, my parents were so proud. Every time we'd see any other family member my mother would pull me into her arms with a big smile, look my family members in the eye, and go on and on about how successful I had been, how many awards I had gotten and how many times I was recognized by the principal herself. My cheeks would always go red and I'd bashfully tell her to stop. Then Middle School came along, it felt like nothing. Finally High School came, and with it, trouble. As any teenage colt would, I started to notice fillies my age. I got distracted and let my family down. My parents barely even noticed me anymore. Then came the week before graduation, last week. The whole reason I'm here in the first place. Both my parents were killed in cold blood. I don't know who did it or really how it happened and honestly, I'm not out for vengeance, ponies die, it happens, even to my parents. It had to, right?

"Cloud? Cloud Spark? Are you there? You seem kinda spacy."

I turned to see my sister staring me in the face to my right. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. I just looked at her and turned away.

"Cloud, it's your turn to speak." She said softly. All I could think to do was walk away, and that's exactly what I did. Yes, I walked away from my own mother and father's funeral. One funeral, two people, i know. But it saved bits. Bits that I need. Think of me as selfish if you want but I know what I need to do. I think.

I walked for miles and eventually came to a train station. I looked at the train docked at the station and saw all the couples and families walking onto the train and scoffed. Okay so maybe I felt a little cheated that my parents were just taken from me like that. I walked into the station to check where the train was going. Ponyville. That hodunk, tashy ass, horrible excuse for a town.

"Excuse me?" said the older unicorn in front of me. "Ponyville happens to be my hometown."

"I-I'm so sorry sir, I meant no offence. Wait, I said that out loud?" I said nervously.

"Who are you to judge kid? Have you ever been to Ponyville?" He said turning to face me directly and ignoring my question.

"Um...no not once actually. I've never left home." I said looking at the floor. The older pony scoffed and turned away to the desk where he took both of his tickets with his magic. He turned to face me once again.

"These tickets are cheep, maybe you ought to pay a visit some time soon, kid." He said walking away. I started to speak but I figured it was best not to continue with this stranger. I walked out of the train station and watched him board his train. I sighed and walked away, towards home. The only place I could think to go. As I walked home my thoughts turned to the older pony at the station. I thought of how he defended Ponyville like that. I'm 21 I should be out exploring. Yes, 21, I got held back a bit. I would never defend my hometown like that. I would defend it, just not with such, how do I put it, anger? Furiosity? If that's even word. Hoof Falls never really seemed like a place to get all emotional about.

I finally approached our property. A wide open field with a small house in the very center of 16 acres. I looked up from the ground to the house and saw my sister galloping towards me.

"Cloud! Where the hell did you go?" My sister screamed across the field. I knew she was mad, I knew the second I walked away from my own parents' funeral. She finally got to me and tackled me to the ground. I hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of me. I looked into her rage filled eyes with a calm demeanor.

"Star Fuzz. What can I do for you?" I said softly to her.

"What can you do? You can start explaining why you left Mom and Dad's funeral." Tears began forming in her eyes as she spoke.

"Why would Mom and Dad even want me there? They knew I was a failure. I'm 21 and I'm just now graduating High School."

"Cloud, it doesn't matter what they thought of you. They're your parents."

"Were. They were my parents Fuzzy." I said, pushing her off of me.

"H-How can you even say that Cloud?"

"Because they're dead, that's how. I know it's not their fault for dying but you and I just have to accept that we no longer have parents, and the sooner we do that the better." I regained my composure from being knocked down and looked back at my sister, now laying on the ground, tears now slowly cascading down her cheeks. I took a deep breath and spoke a few last words to her, possibly the worst words I could say at this point, aside from what I just said of course.

"Fuzz, after tomorrow I'm leaving." She sat up with a look of terror on her face, tears now flowing more often.

"You're leaving? To go where?" Fuzz asked me, devastated.

"I-I don't know." I said, turning away from her. She merely responded by collapsing back on the the ground and covering her face with her hooves. I walked away without another word.

I pushed the door open to our rickety little house and I walked slowly up the stairs, the only sound at all being my hooves hitting the floor. I sat on my bed, facing my window and looking across the field. I saw my sister still laying in the grass. She was too far away to tell if she was still crying or merely looking at the clouds. I decided she was old enough to know when to come inside on her own. I rested my head on my pillow and shut my eyes. I didn't know what I was feeling but I think it hurt. Pain would be my best guess. Sleep it off Cloud. Just sleep it off.