The Shadow Collective

Are dreams supposed to tell you something? What do they mean? Last night the older pony from Ponyville spoke to me.

"You know what Hoof Falls is?" He said to me angrily."Nothing, and you know what kind of ponies come from it? Horrible, trashy ponies who have nothing going for them!" I burst into tears and attacked him. I went right through him and hit the ground hard. I got up again and turned to attack him again. "You're so worthless that you cant even attack me!" I tackled him again, same result. This time when I fell to the ground I just kept falling. Down further and further into the abyss. I never hit the ground, I just kept on falling hearing words of my parents flow right through me.

"You're 21! Do something with your life!" My dad would say.

"Why are you even still here? You'll never graduate." My mom said through tears. I knew Iet them down every second I was in school and that's why I need to leave. I hit the ground in my dream and I woke up in a cold sweat. I got out of my bed and walked to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Tears were steaming down my cheeks and my mane was a mess. I ran the shower and got in and let the water pour over me. I began crying again and I didn't know why. My only thoughts were focused on not crying, not why. I ran the shower for 5 minutes longer and then I shut it off. I got out and wiped the tears away. I gathered all my strength and left the bathroom to walk to my sisters room. She was sound asleep and she had dried tears on her cheeks I put a hoof in and then I thought of how she would really feel if I woke her up after what I said yesterday. I took my hoof out of the room and shut the door.

Walking down the stairs I realized how bad of a brother I had been to her. I'm just leaving her all alone to fend for herself. I made breakfast for both me and her. I walked her plate up to her room and I woke her up.

"Fuzzy, I made you breakfast." I said quietly.

"What do you care Cloud? I'm just your sister." She responded keeping her eyes closed.

"Star, I'm not leaving you all alone. I'm bringing you with me. You're 16 I can't leave you alone."

"What? Cloud I'm not coming with you, I want to stay home."

"You need to realize that this isn't home anymore. Mom and Dad are what made this place home and they're gone, forever. Besides, we aren't the ones inheriting the house."

"Cloud I know that's not true, Mom and Dad would never do that to us. They know that we loved this house...they know." She began crying and I set her breakfast aside.

"Sure they knew, but they also knew that we have to move on at some point, and that we couldn't just stay home all our lives and just be trapped in our memories." I finished talking and I hugged her tightly.

"How do you know all of that? You sound so sure." She said releasing the hug.

"I don't." I looked down and spread a confused look on my face. She rested her head on mine and she nodded. "What? What does that mean?"

"It means that you're right and we should move out, leave this house as far behind us as possible. I need to pack. Get out."

"What?"

"I'm serious Cloud, get out. I'll see you at your graduation okay?" I just stared at her then got to my hooves and walked out of her room and closed the door behind me. I walked back to my room and began packing. Clothes, bed roll, knives, anything I could find that was useful. Shoving things in bags and rolling cases and I took everything downstairs and put it all by the front door so I was ready to leave this all behind me. I opened the door and left the house without a second thought. I trotted to the school with my cap and gown under my wing. I trotted through town avoiding the judgmental looks from all the ponies that were at my parents funeral. My only goal was getting to the school, finishing this stupid graduation ceremony and getting the hell out of Hoof Falls. Where am I gonna go? No idea, Canterlot? Manehatten? Or maybe I can take that old ponies advice and go check out Ponyville. I doubt I could afford Canterlot and Manehatten so it looks like Ponyville might be my only option.

I entered the front door of the school and saw all the ponies in their caps and gowns. I don't know if I mentioned it, but I lost all of my friends once they graduated and I never bothered to make more. Who wants to be friends with a pony who got held back three years any way? I stepped in line and slipped on my gown and put on my cap. I raised my head to see all the ponies looking at me with judgmental stares and head shakes. I stepped in front of everypony else and went to talk to the Principal.

"Ma'am, with all due respect can I just have my diploma and go? I can't take all of these looks I'm getting." I said barging in front of the pony she was talking to.

"You won't go through with the ceremony? After three years of being held back and finally getting through it you won't even walk down the aisle and receive it just like every other pony?" She asked with a smile.

"Of course not, I'm clearly not like everypony else." I held my hoof out to receive my diploma. She smiled and dug it out from the boxes they were in.

"Clearly you are a special case Cloud Spark. Congrats. Now get out of here and get a life." She said with a cheesy wink. I gave her a confused look and took my diploma and left. I tore my cap and gown off and threw it on the ground. I didn't need them anymore, not for my new life. As the Principal said I'm supposed to go out and get a life. I guess my new life is going to be in Ponyville.