"Well why not?!" I screamed down the stairs.
"Because the air is the pegasus playground and is no place for an earth pony, especially one your age." My mother respons with her, as always, optimistic tone. "And besides, how are you going to fly without wings."
That comment making me blush because I know she's right. There is no way I could fly without something to do it for me, and that's not the flight I want. I want to be able to feel the air blow past my face, and be able to take off at a moments notice. I wish I was a pegasus, just like dad. But I could never say that out loud, me wanting to be like someone who I barely know.
"What ever happened to dad anyway?" I think to myself as I make my way downstairs.
"I told you before, I'll tell you when you're older." My mother responding to my out loud thinking, this making me blush once again. "Now come get your breakfast, or you'll miss the bus."
Oh no, mom food, I can smell the burnt pancakes from here. I head straight for the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. But when I get there, my saddle bag is on the coatrack. If I had wings I could reach it. If I had wings I wouldn't have to eat my mom's cooking. If I had wings I could go to flight school and not this crappy 'School for Better Learning'.
"You know what? I don't even need my books. Everything they teach is just stuff I already know anyway." I say quietly as I walk out the door.
As I walk to the bus stop I don't see my friends on the other side of the street. Great, I don't get food, I don't get to see my friends, and I don't get wings. "How could this day get any worse!" Right as I say that, I see the bus pull away from the stop. Either I'm late or the bus is early. Either way, I missed the bus. I don't even know my way to school. The best bet I have is to go back to my house and ask for a ride, but before I can even turn around I hear someone speak to me. I turn to the stallion and ask "What?"
He speaks again with the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. "I said, tough break kid, missing the bus and all."
Mesmerized by his voice I almost forgot to say anything but after finding my voice again I said "Yeah but its not like I'm missing anything at school I thought school was a place to find your talent so you could move onto a specialized school but all we talk out is like what a cutie mark is and what they mean and finding a role in society once you get one What about actually getting the cutie mark?" I take a deep breath after that ramble of a speech.
"You know, you make a lot of sense." He said "You remind me of my sister when she was young. How about this, skip school, come inside, and I'll teach you something that is worth your time? That is if you like engineering." A bit hesitant at first, I smile and say "Sure, but first, do you have anything to eat?" He laughs and just walks inside, leaving the door open for me. I wasn't joking...
I step inside and look around, the stallion just disappearing around the corner. The house has the same design as my house, but the inner walls are light blue instead of the crimson I'm use to, they also have a wave like trim to them, it looks nice. "Nice place you have here." I say not directly to him but loud enough so that he could hear me.
"Thanks." He says, walking back from the kitchen "I just repainted yesterday. The wall use to be an ugly crimson color." He sounds just a bit sarcastic as if he knows the color of my walls.
Squinting at him and asking "So why should I trust you?"
He raises an eyebrow as answers with another question "Why have you trusted me so far?"
Dang, he has me on that one. Come on think of something! "I-um. You..." Glancing around trying to think I finally say "I got nothing."
He just laughs and walks back into the kitchen but then pokes his head back. I'm still standing just inside the door. "Well, come on, you said you wanted food right?"
Smiling at his implied offer I trot over to the kitchen. I can smell waffles as I hear a bell go off. I look to the source and see some kind of contraption with flashing lights and a conveyor belt, Its amazing! "Is that what you mean when you say robotics?" I ask, my eyes glued to the machine
"Well this is one thing you can make." He answers "But you can make other things. Like clocks and lights, little toys, even vehicles like trains, boats, and helicopters."
As soon as he said that last word my next question came faster than anything I've ever thought before "You mean you can fly with this stuff!?"
"Well yes, but" I can hear a bit of concern in his voice "you have to keep in mind that stuff like that is very advanced. Why don't we start with something more basic?"
He has a point, I have no idea where I could even start "Fine" I say "but we will get to that, right?" He reasons with a smile and "Of course."
I'm practically standing on piles nuts and bolts, my face is covered in oils and grease, and every few minutes I get shocked by this dang electric motor. This is possibly the best time of my life. Using the wrench I have in my mouth I tighten a bolt then set it down on the table. I look up to the one pony that seems to understand me. He's sitting across the room working on some kind of helmet. Then, without warning, a small spark filled explosion pops from it. Making me jump and the brightness of it making me look away. I look back up seeing him laughing as if this happens all the time.
"You know I never got your name." I say, trying to make conversation due to the fact that I've lost what I was doing on my work.
"Don't think got yours either," He looks up at me, a small scorch on his eyebrow. "but I've never been good with names. Anyway, you can call me Pitch."
"Pitch?" I ask. "Like in music?" I wouldn't be surprised with a voice like that.
"Well actually, yes." Now in an opera like singing voice he says. "I was born to siiing! But that was not what I wanted to beee!" He starts coughing but it soon develops into a laugh. "As you can see, I'm out of practice. Long story short though, I was gifted with a great voice but singing wasn't what I wanted to do. When I found the art of engineering though, I knew it was what I was meant to do. But you don't want to hear an old pony's story." He started to turn back to his work.
"Are you kidding!" I yelled. "That was one of the most inspirational things I've ever heard! You not only rejected society and what they wanted you to be, but you also rejected the destiny that was given to you at birth!"
"Well I wouldn't put it that way," He's obviously trying to be modest. "Its just-"
"But you did!" Interrupting him. "You even said it yourself, you were born to sing, but here you are, a gear on your flank and a wrench in your hoof."
"You know what, sure, I'm inspirational. I promote ponies to go out and find who they really are. What of it?" He says turning back to his work.
"Well if you really want to know" I start off, saying it slowly. "I would rather be a pegasus than an earth pony."
He raises his eyebrow and says "Thats just ridiculous. I change what my job was, you're trying to change your race. I'm understanding but you should be proud-"
"Why!? I'm an earth pony in the city! There are no farms, theres no field, most ponies don't even have gardens!" Tears start to form in my eyes. "When I said I wanted to be a pegasus I wasn't trying to say I'm not proud of being a earth pony. I meant the city was no place for an earth pony like me. I'm not some filly you can pump hope into. I see the world how it really is and I know that there's not a lot of places for an earth pony to go in this city. I'm not saying I want to give up either, if you really must know, I just want to fly. Its the only thing that I can think of that will give me hope. Not of my future, not my talent, hope that my dad will come back." At this point I'm full on crying, my face burns and my eyes hurt.
"I-I had no idea." I can see his eyes watering. "If theres anything I can do to help you-"
"You've helped enough, if you need me I'll be at the park till school's over." I say running out of the door.
