Destiny

"Mom! What did you do?!"

***

It's funny, how a little baking can turn the wrong way, isn't it? Well, that was the case. Like always, Mother and Father were fighting. Now, Mother was baking some cupcakes before I got home. Father arrived at home and started complaining. Mother never complained, nope. Well, she forgot about the cupcakes, and when she smelt the smoke, ran out of the house. Father tried to escape, but was encased in smoke. His vision was crap anyways.

He ended up suffocating in the house, which eventually caught fire. He died along with all of my memories. Mother had taken the blame, and was arrested.

***

"Oh Frost, I'm so sorry."

"Mom, it wasn't your fault. You forgot about the cupcakes. That's all."

"That's not all. You father... he... he was having an affair.. with somepony else. That's why we always fought. Because it annoyed and angered me. But he didn't care. He continued going to her house everyday after work and.. and.." Noticing that she was getting emotional, I pulled her close to me and held her in my forelegs. Trying to comfort her I said, "It's okay mom. Don't talk about it. I know that it was 2 months ago, but it's in the past. Let it stay there, okay?"

She nodded, trying to hold back her sobs.

"I didn't mean for your childhood to end up like this. I'm so sorry." She pulled away from me and walked towards the window. We were on the third floor of an apartment complex in Manehattan. She opened the window and stepped up onto a ledge just outside. My eyes widened, knowing what she was going to do.

"Mom! No!" But before I could stop her, she jumped. I rushed to the window in time to see her lifeless body sprawled out on the sidewalk. A tear rolled down my cheek as I stared down upon her. Why had she jumped? Her life could've been so much... better. She just needed to start over. That's all. But no, she committed suicide.

"Farewell, Mother." I turned away from the window and slammed it shut. The glass shattered instantly. Shards fell upon the floor, scattering around me. What was I to do? I had no parents, and I was in a world where it was either everypony for himself or the community works together. But here in Manehattan, it was the survival of the fittest. And I was in no way going to survive the harsh elements of Manehattan's bustling streets.

It didn't take long before the sound of ambulances wailed through the streets.

"You morons... there's no point in trying. She's already dead." I let out a heavy sob and put my head on her bed. I looked at the last remaining picture of her and I. I was so happy in that picture. So was she. And now, my world had been turned upside down. With nopony to turn to for help. Except Stacy, but she had been dormant for the past two months. Ever since Father died. And now, if I were to speak to her, she would be heartbroken to hear the news of both my parents. But I had to talk to her.

"Stacy, I need to speak to you." Her image slowly faded into view, slightly flickering in and out of existence.

"Hey-- ost-- Wha--- up?"

"Hold on, let me think harder." I concentrated on the beautiful image I once had of her. She easily reappeared, this time full bodied. Like the old days.

"Okay, now I can see you clearly."

"Good. So what's up? We haven't spoken in a while now."

"Well, my mom and dad are both.... both... dead."

"I'm so sorry to hear that.. When did your dad die?"

"Two months ago. Mom just committed suicide." Her mouth dropped in awe.

"That's devastating! I'm terribly sorry about that! Can I help?"

"If you were real, you could... But, you're just an imaginary friend." She lowered her head, hurt by what I had said.

"I see. That's how you view me then.. not real." Had I seriously just said that she wasn't real? I had.

"I'm sorry! You are the most real thing in my life right now! I don't know what reality is anymore! My mother and father are dead, I'm orphaned now, and the only pony I have to turn to now is you. I'm terribly sorry for saying you weren't real. I'm in a horrible mood right now. Please go easy on me." She looked me in the eyes and nodded slowly.

"I know that I cannot physically help you, but I am still part of your mindscape. If you're real, then I'm real too. Know that, and don't forget. Right now, your best option is to go out there and speak to whoever is there. They may be able to guide you in the right direction. Now, I must go take care of... other business elsewhere." She faded away, leaving me alone and an imprint of her body on the bed.

I stood up, walked towards the window, and looked at the scene below me. No sign of help.. must have still been on their way. Or, maybe nopony gave a care. I quickly rushed towards the phone and dialed the number Mother told me to call in an emergency.

"9-1-1... It's ringing! Yes! Okay Frost, keep calm." It rang for a while, then a feminine voice came from the other line.

"This is Pony Emergency Services, how can I help?"

"Hi, my name is Frost Catcher. I called to report an incident."

"And what would that be?"

"My mom... she... she committed suicide.. She jumped out of our third story window."

"Okay, what is your address?" Well that was just fantastic. I didn't know what my address was. I sat there, hesitating, before asking, "Could you trace this number?"

"Yes, I can. Would you like me to?"

"Y-yes please. Thank you." A click on the other line told me that she had hung up. I placed the phone down and ran outside. I stopped by my mother's lifeless body and rested my head on her chest. I was alone, as always. This time, I had no mother or father to help me get through this loneliness. I had Stacy, but what good was she at the moment.

***

It wasn't long until an ambulance showed up. They swooped Mother away and took me to an orphanage.

"You'll be safe here," they said.

"Safe?! This place looks abandoned!"

"Yeah? Well deal with it." What kind of ponies treated a foal like this? Dropping him off at an orphanage that looked rundown and rotting. I turned towards it and slowly walked inside.

***

The smell was just putrid! It smelt of bodily waste along with vomit. Paint was peeling from the walls and the floorboards were splintering. Loose nails littered the main hall. I pricked myself with one and jumped back, landing on another.

"Ow!!" A pony poked her head out of an open door and looked me up and down.

"Welcome to the Sunshine Orphanage, where every filly and foal is treated like a gift from the princesses."

Sunshine Orphanage? Gift? My eyes widened at this statement. The mare looked me in the eyes, her entire body coming out of the room now. There were three scars on her flank. Her mane was a light pink, and looked like it had been ages since it was groomed. Her coat was almost like Stacy's except it was more yellow.

"Can I help you," she asked.

"Um, I'm.. I'm orphaned."

"Well I can see that. How did it happen? Wait, you probably don't want to talk about it, do you?" I shook my head. She rose an eyebrow, then relaxed it.

"I'm terribly sorry. I'm being utterly rude. I was raised so much better than this, where are my manners? My name is Fluttershy, what's yours?"

Fluttershy? I felt like I heard that name before. But where?

"Um my name is Frost Catcher."

"Well nice to meet you. I know the place is a mess, but I don't have the energy to clean up these days. I do apologize. Anyways, do make yourself comfortable. If you want, feel free to tidy up. I'm never available, since I'm always napping. Uh, there are no other fillies or foals here, so you're going to have to be alone. They all left... in search of some mythical thing. It's called a cutie mark. Silly things, but they did exist, once." Her face went blank, as of trying to remember something. Then, she shook her head, returning from her trance.

My eyes had fallen upon her scars. She followed my gaze and met her flank.

"Ah yes, the scars. Well, you see, I used to have a cutie mark. It was so wonderful to have one you know. It told you what your special talent was. But, in the beginning of Twilight's reign, she banished cutie marks. Removed any that were on ponies, and made sure that later generations of fillies and foals were taught to hate curiosity. But, every little one that came to me was something called a 'Seeker'. They wanted to know about cutie marks. When I told them about the banishment, they went out in search of their own Destiny's. But, they never did come back.

I assumed the worse. Princess Twilight caught them, and had them executed. She was my friend once. I don't know what happened to her. What made her banish the cutie mark. Must've been the rise of the group called the Cutie Mark Crusaders. At first, they were just a trio, looking for their cutie marks. But as they aged, and still hadn't gotten their cutie marks, they demanded answers. Riots broke out all over Equestria. Any members of the CMC that had scattered were executed after the riots were taken care of.

That was when everypony knew that Twilight was going insane." She began to cry slightly, then excused herself to her room. I could here her softly saying that she was sorry, but never saying for what.

"I should try and help. I think I'll start cleaning up." Using my magic, what little I had, I began to tidy up the place. I got rid of the stench, and removed all the loose nails, repairing them with new, non-rusted ones. I reprinted the orphanage, making it seem friendlier than when I showed up. The whole project took me a few days, since with magic, I could do multiple things at once. Fluttershy was amazed at the way the place looked. She seemed happier, she fixed her mane, and groomed out her coat.

She seemed to get younger slightly. Not entirely, but she didn't look as old as she did when I met her.

"Frost, I would like to thank you." She was interrupted by a large amount of fillies and foals that ran around her legs. After the relaunch, more orphans showed up. They loved it there. I taught them slight magic, and Fluttershy told them stories about the past and old days. They loved it when she told them stories.

"Anyways, like I was saying, I would like to thank you. Without you, this placed would have been closed down for good. And I would've had no place to go. So thank you." I smiled and nodded. I was busy trying to settle the fillies and foals down. It didn't take that much to get them all rowdy.

"Frost, I think its time that you go and.. You know, search for your Destiny. Your time has come."

"You think so?" She nodded and smiled.

"Yes, I do believe so." She came up to me and gave me a hug.

"You've done great so far Frost. You're future is bright, so don't let go of that sight. Now go." She let go of me and gave me a smile that said, "I can take care of them. I can't teach the unicorns magic, but they'll learn."

"Okay, whatever you say. Farewell Fluttershy. Thank you for taking care of me these past few months." I returned the hug, noticing that she was silently crying. I wiped the tear away from her face and looked her in the eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll be back one day, okay?"

"I know you will Frost. I know you will."

***

After a day of packing, and saying bye to the crying fillies and foals, I was ready to leave. I grabbed my belongings and walked out the door. Fluttershy told me to stay hidden, because anypony could be a spy. She said to not trust anypony outside of the of the orphanage, unless they were able to speak to a mare with an apple for a cutie mark. Not physically speak, but mentally. Though they could see her.

Stacy. My mind cried out. I asked Fluttershy about Stacy. She said that she didn't know much, just that only a select few could se her and speak to her. Said her name was Applebloom or something like that. She was supposedly the last of the CMC, and the last pony to have a cutie mark.

I had to find her. The REAL her. Not just Stacy, but an actual, living, breathing physical form. Had to find her. Had to get my a answers. But where to start?