Chapter One: Conestoga City
Some characters that appear in this story are from my story, Sparking a Fyre, and J8ck78's stories In The Royal Guard and Scrapper. While it is not necessary, it is suggest at minimum you read Sparking a Fyre at some point. This notice will be re-posted in the chapters the characters appear.
The Road Less Traveled[Chapter One: Conestoga City]
Conestoga City. Arts capital of Equestria. The once quaint settler town had boomed into a rich cultural hub of the nation. Massive, gleaming skyscrapers replaced the two story wooden buildings of before. Stores lined streets, offering their ornate wares. Artists dotted the sidewalks, offering paintings to rich tourists. Ponies here disliked the high-strung snobs of Canterlot, at least, most of them did. Most of the ponies were friendly, and thanks to an abundance of space, living areas were cheap and easy to come by. The food was hearty and delicious, musicians world-renowned. Everything sparkled in the afternoon sun, which shone brightly in the cloudless sky. Some considered it a utopia, and perhaps it could be, for them, but not all. In the old apartment district sat Starswirl High school, and the home of a very specific Pegasus. Spearmint. Yep, that's me, my name is Spearmint. Yes, like the gum, and I suppose that makes sense since I get chewed on plenty, figuratively speaking. I'd call myself an average pegasus, were it not for being tall on account of my earth pony birth father, and flightless due to the whims of fate. What happened? I never share it with anypony, not even my friends. Although I spread enough rumors to make others believe lost them in an incident with a police pony and a doughnut, or some spin off of that. One last thing, my special talent isn't anything related with flying, which I guess was a little luck for me, but no, my special talent? It's photography. And right now, my last day at this wretched high school is ending. Thank Celestia.
"Hey, stubby, I haven't said goodbye to your ugly little face yet, why don't you fly on up here and tell me, oh wait, you can't!" called an obnoxious orange Pegasus from above the front entrance to the school, getting a chorus of laughs from several others. These guys used to be my friends, before the accident. Now, I'm a nopony. Spearmint hung his head low and kept walking until he heard another voice shout out. It was noticeably higher pitched, probably a mare.
"Hey you, ya big jerk, what's you're problem, picking on ponies like that? You don't have no right to insult him like that, how would you like it if everypony you saw laughed at how ugly your fat little face is? I don't think you would, so buck off!" screamed the mare. Spearmint turned and watch the group of jocks talk nervously among themselves before making a run for it. He looked down to his savior and smiled. It was his sister, Winter Green, probably one of the most popular girls in the school.
"Thanks Winter, but you really don't have to do that..." Spearmint started, only to be cut off but a extended hoof.
"Think nothing of it, fine sir, I have you covered." She told him, giving her best Canterlot snob impression, causing him to burst out laughing.
"Sis, I think you could pass off for a noble anytime, anywhere." He teased, poking her shoulder to push her off balanced, before starting towards their home. She ran up to him as he pulled his headphones from his saddlebag. She had barely managed to start on some rant about her day as he positioned the headphones on his head with a free hoof, smiling as the noise cancelling immediately took effect. Sweet bliss. He thought, turning a corner. Now, here's a weird thing about Spearmint, among many, he enjoys quiet, but not too much quiet, the only thing that ever seemed to put him at ease was music. It almost didn't matter what kind of music it was, almost any would help, although he did have his preferences. Spearmint came up on a cozy looking store, the faded sign handing over the door read 'Peppermint's Sweet Shop'. He smiled, this was his home. A place where he wasn't taunted, a place where he was loved. He opened the door and was immediately tackled down by a golden blur of happiness, causing his headphones to go flying. He smiled and held the blur at hoofs length for a moment, then hugged it tightly. "Hey there girl, how ya been doin' Delly?" he said as he rubbed his excited pet's head. Her name was actually Fidelitas, which, according to the school nerds, meant Loyalty in some foreign language, but he couldn't always pronounce it right, and she was a dog, what did she care?
"I think she's excited for your trip!" Came a voice from nearby, it's owner hidden by a stack of fresh treats. A middle-aged mare's head poked out from the stack. His mother, Peppermint. "Oops...probably shouldn't have said that! Oh well, it would have come out eventually!" She said, her white and red curled mane bobbing about as she sorted out the treats into various cabinets. Spearmint looked to his sister sheepishly and wished his headphones were still on, and boy was he in for it.
"YOU'RE DOING WHAT!?" His sister shouted at him, anger and confusion twisting her face into various expressions. "You didn't tell me about any trip!"
"Because you didn't ask!" retorted Spearmint. Oops, big mistake, and he paid dearly as he got a massive smack across the face. Spearmint was shocked, and by the look on his sister's face, so was she.
"Mints...I didn't...it's just..." she stammered, not knowing what to say. To her relief, Spearmint simply hugged her, then looked into her eyes as they teared up.
"It's okay sister, I know what you mean, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but yes, I'm going on a trip, a trip unlike any other, or so I hope." looking at the confused look on her face, he gestured to the stairs that went up to his family's apartment, gathered his things, and followed her up. "I don't know exactly where I plan on going, but it sure as hell ain't gunna be here, this city has too many painful memories, and I just want to leave it behind. Ever since the...accident...I have felt that apart of me is missing, I don't know how to describe it, but I don't think I'll find it here, and I'm not going with any friends. Well, I don't even have friends, aside from you, mom, and Mr. Winder...er...Dad..." he corrected himself, still ashamed he couldn't think of his step-father as a real father, even after the betrayal of his genetic father, Stone Hoof, who, after abusing and leaving his mother, went on to become mayor of Conestoga City, and hence, made their lives miserable. "I don't know how long I will be gone, either, but I promise I won't ever just leave you, I will always be available for you to talk too, I'll even mail you letters when I stop at towns, you, mom, and...dad...too." He smiled at her as she nodded and headed downstairs, likely to help prepare dinner.
"So what exactly do you plan to do, sweetie?" Peppermint asked her young son as they ate dinner. His mother had gone out of her way to make his favorite, baked potato soup, for him that night. He savored every bit of it, well knowing he probably wouldn't have it for a long time after that.
"Well, I don't know exactly where I plan to go, but I'm hoping to work my way around the edges of Equestria, from here, going along the eastern coast through all the small hamlets and major places like Trottingham and Baltimare. Up north I'll stay in Phillydelphia and the other big cities, then head South along the Western mountains, although I'll have to go through the Everfree forest on my way. I'll eventually stop in Appaloosa, then I'll go up the center of Equestria, straight to Canterlot, of course, that's if I don't decide to settle in somewhere first." he finished, freeing his bowl free of all it's delicious soup. There was an awkward moment of silence before his dad spoke up.
"Spearmint, I have something I want you to see." Spearmint got up from the table and followed Mr.Wind...er...his Dad, until they had arrived in the back alley behind their home. In front of him sat a very large object covered in a massive white sheet. Before he could ask what it was, his Dad grabbed a corner of the sheet in his mouth and yanked it off in one motion. Spearmint's mouth dropped at what he saw.
"You're kidding me, you're bucking kidding me!" Spearmint nearly screamed in joy. Before him sat a brand new wagon, complete with canvas top and a harness. But it wasn't just any wagon, it was a Conestoga wagon, the kind the settler ponies had used when they first founded Conestoga City, hence the city's name. Conestoga wagons had become somewhat of a fad, and rich ponies hired massive teams of stallions to haul their big fancy wagons around while they pulled tourists around. This one was obviously smaller, meant to be pulled by a single pony.
"She's yours, just a little something to remember home by, I'm going to miss you, son." Winder said, making Spearmint stop short. He didn't say we're going to miss you, he said I'm going to miss you. In that moment, Winder had done more than Spearmint's real Dad could ever hope to do, and Spearmint thanked his Dad with a warm embrace. "Oh, and one more thing, I had this harness specially made to fit a Pegasus, it won't bother your wings at all, and I took the liberty of making a jacket that will cover it all too, for when the weather gets too bad."
"Thank you Dad." Spearmint told him, without hesitation. "It's perfect, absolutely perfect." Winder patted him on his back and led him back inside.
Once inside, his father went off to bed with Peppermint, and Spearmint went upstairs to finish packing his things. He would need an early start tomorrow. He opened the door to his bedroom and saw Winter Green sitting on his bed, holding a small box wrapped in plain brown paper.
"I was going to give this to you in the morning, but I couldn't wait." She handed him the box and he graciously ripped the paper to shreds. "Never one for saving trees, eh bro?" she teased, poking his shoulder. He gave her a mock glare before turning to the contents of his package. Inside were two things. Two very meaningful things. The first thing he pulled out was an instant camera. He knew exactly what it was, but he already had a camera, so why would he need another? His questions were soon answered when he pulled out a journal that had been bound in a rugged fabric. Wait, a journal? As in...a diary kinda journal? Winter must have seen his bewilderment, because she quickly jumped in to explain. "I got you a journal to help you open up to somepony, even if they don't talk back, just a place to write down what you feel and think while you go on your adventure, as for the camera, I know you have that film camera already, but I thought you should have this one, you know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words? The pictures from this camera are for your journal, so they can go there when you take them, so the story behind it is as fresh as can be when you write it down." Spearmint didn't know what to say, and he gave his sister a warm, brotherly hug.
"Thank you sis, I promise it's something I'll always cherish." He told her. Teary eyed, she started out the door, but she stopped short.
"Spearmint, promise me something." She said quietly, her voice suddenly soft and pained.
"Anything sister..."
"Please don't forget about us."
"Never sis, I could never forget about y'all, now go get some sleep." His voice was a little more commanding that he was hoping for, but she thankfully didn't notice. She let out a relieved sigh and went to her room. Spearmint turned to his new journal and dug out a pencil and made his very first entry. "Might as well get started on it..." He mumbled to himself, before clambering into his bed and dozing off to sleep. Tomorrow would be a big day.
Ugh. My family gets really worked up about the tiniest things, I swear. Buuut...I guess Winter was right, I don't need my emotions bottled up all the time. Might as well make an entry, every story needs a beginning, right?
Ideas! They're needed! I'll be running through several small towns with this story, and I'm terrible with names! Suggestions are greatly appreciated. Aside from that, please leave your constructive critiszm in the comments, and let me know what you think about this opening chapter! Journal entries will be entered with each chapter, so stay tuned!
Chapter Two: Trottingham
I would like to thank Cerulean1313 for his tips and suggestions for the story. I went back and fixed the first chapter up a little, and hopefully this one will be easier to follow. Enjoy!
[Chapter Two: Trottingham]
I'm a bit worried, I'll admit. This is a big undertaking for me, to travel alone. I guess it's a good thing, though, I'm so used to going un-noticed by anypony until I make a mistake, then it's everypony stare at Spearmint day. It'll be no different when I'm travelling, really. I'll be alone, like usual, but at least, if I make a mistake here, nopony will be there to laugh. *Oomph* Okay, I spoke too soon.
"Dammit" Spearmint muttered, eyeing the gawking bystanders. He had left early that morning to stop by several stores to gather some supplies, mostly food and water for his trip, and somehow managed to trip himself in the middle of the grocery store. He grumbled a bit and picked himself up, giving a glare to the surrounding ponies. Somewhat irritated, he grabbed his shopping cart and started to hunt for the grains. After he finished gathering his foodstuffs, he went up to checkout lane number 14. A mare sat behind the counter, her name was Summer Wind, and she was just a couple of years younger than Spearmint.
"Well darn, Mints, you certainly got alotta things, you'd think you were gettin' ready for a ponypocalypse!" She teased, a grin on her face. She had always been nice to Spearmint, but he just credited to pity.
"Yeah, haha, very funny Summer." Spearmint grumbled in reply. Sensing something was wrong, her voice became full of concern.
"Something wrong, Spearmint? You usually aren't this down, especially when you're getting this much food." Spearmint simply shook his head, not wanting to explain it. "C'mon, you gotta tell me, I hate seeing customers frown!"
Spearmint sighed. "Fine, you win, I decided to take a trip around Equestria, see all the sights, maybe find some place to call my own, since I obviously can't stay here without causing a mess." Summer frowned.
"Well, that doesn't seem that bad, I mean, you get to travel around the nation and see all the natural beauty it has. honestly what can be wrong with that?" she moved through his pile of food, scanning and bagging all the items. "Oh, and that'll be one hundred and fifty bits, please." Spearmint nodded and swiped his Equestrian Express credit card through the machine. Bits could be such a hassle.
"But the thing is, I don't know if I should leave my family like that. I mean, I'm the reason they're in the financial tight spot they're in right now, and then I just leave them to chase whatever tickles my fancy, it just doesn't feel right."
"Well, Mints, you have a loving family, and I bet they want you to be happy, no matter what. I don't think anyone can blame you for wanting to leave. Just...be careful, okay? I'd hate to see you hurt." Summer said, a sudden softness in her voice. Spearmint nodded.
"Thank you, Summer, that means alot, I promise to stay safe." Spearmint answered, hoping his voice sounded somewhat reassuring. She smiled and nodded at him, then turned to another customer. A tad bit happier, Spearmint walked out of the grocery store and loaded the supplies into his wagon, patted his waiting dog on the head, then hitched himself up, and blended in with the early morning traffic.
That traffic is a killer. I swear, the amount of times I nearly got mowed down by a giant tour wagon with some fat rich ponies on it. It'd drive nearly anypony insane! Thank Celestia I'm out of that mess.
Spearmint had finally cleared the traffic jams of downtown Conestoga, and made it to the open road. A sign above his head pointed off towards the distance, leading traveling ponies down the freeway towards Trottingham. One little hitch, he was a photographer, and what kind of photos can you get from a freeway? Instead, Spearmint turned off onto a small side road. The scenic route, if you will. This part of Equestria was covered in grain farms, and although the farms remained, the old grain silos and processing plants had been moved closer to urban centers. This move had helped clear the air a little, but left the massive concrete monuments to the region's past standing. This was an opportunity he couldn't pass up! He passed several storage silos near the trails, getting an occasional picture. Nothing really sparked his interest until he saw it. A massive concrete monstrosity, sitting alone in a barren field. It was a processing plant, although it was in obvious disrepair, it made for some damn fine pictures. He snapped a few pictures with both of his cameras, unhitched himself, and trotted up to the building, leaving his Fidelitas to stand guard. Nothing a little exploring can hurt, right? It's just a big...creepy...dark, lifeless building. He gulped, but kept going, hunting down a door. He finally did find one, although it took a good buck to get it open. He coughed a bit as a cloud of grain dust billowed out of the dank room, covering him in a fine layer of grit. Just swell. Stupid door. Against his better judgement, he continued his foray into the ancient building. He had found what appeared to be a grinding room when he heard a loud clanging. Nearly jumping out of his skin, he whirled around, eyeing the pieces of metal that were gentling blowing in the wind from a nearby shattered window. Stupid wind. Spearmint decided to try and find the tall tower he had seen when he walked up, as it most likely offered a great view. Ignoring the clouds of grain dust and occasional noise, he eventually came to a grain escalator that traveled up to the adjacent tower. He stepped out onto the rusty, narrow machine and looked down, and instantly regretted it. Being a Pegasus, the heights didn't bother him too much, but the fact that he lacked wings, and the ground below him was solid concrete littered with sharp, rusty remains of some old device. Shaking his fears, he boldly walked all the way across the gap, and made it to the tower. He had just pulled his camera from Celestia-knows-where when he heard a sharp cracking sound. Ignoring it the wind, he lifted his camera back up to his face, when he heard another sharp crack, this time followed by a series of rumbles. He looked down over the edge, and his face blanched in fear. The tower's base hadn't been maintained in decades, and it looked like Spearmint was just enough to push it over the limit. It was going to collapse.
After a brief stunned silence, Spearmint made a dash for the grain escalator and started to gallop down it. The tower had started to go down...and it was taking the escalator down with it! Metal twisted and screeched in protest, debris nipping at his heels. He saw the opening into the main building just ahead, but the escalator was catching up to him, and he had to make a decision. He leapt into the air just as the rest of the escalator gave way and crashed to the ground below, but he was going to fall short, and he knew it. Spearmint did everything he could, he even extended his wing nubs out to get him that little bit further aannndddd....yes! His hoof caught the bottom of the opening with a deathgrip, and he slowly scrambled inside. Breathing heavily, he muttered "Take that Daring Do!" with a slight grin on his face, he made his way down to ground level. A tad bit worse for wear, but at least I'm alive. His thoughts were agreed with by a very concerned dog. "Hey there Delly, I'm okay, don't worry." Despite his reassurances, Fidelitas sniffed him over, but eventually gave him a clean bill of health with a big 'ol lick to the face and a happy bark. Spearmint smiled and rubbed his faithful companions head before looking up at the sky, the light slowly fading away. "Well Delly, I guess my little excursion into the depths of that wretched place took a bit longer that I thought, it looks like we'll have to go make camp soon." Spearmint went and hitched himself back onto his wagon, dog close in tow. He was eager, no, scratch that, he was very eager to get away from the processing plant before nightfall. Gave him the creeps. He stopped just as Celestia's sun was slipping under the horizon, suddenly aware of how sore he was. He slowly unhitched himself from the wagon and dug out his tent and some carrots to munch on. After getting his tent and dinner settled, he went about to find some firewood. Unfortunately, all he could find was some dried shrubs and some twigs off an old decrepit tree. He returned to his wagon, lit a fire, and began to munch on his carrots. He pulled out the journal his sister gave him and smiled. Pulling out a writing utensil, he began to write down his days events, then slipped a couple of pictures from the instant camera in there too. He crawled inside his tent, got comfortable, and manged to get some decent shuteye. Tomorrow he arrived in Trottingham.
Running. Running through a massive black void. Images of his tormentors from school bounced around his mind, shouting insults. He heard a loud noise behind him, like the sound of tortured metal, but he didn't dare look back. He couldn't stop. He had to run. Run from the voices and the noise. He saw something up ahead. A little foal, laying there, on the middle of a grain escalator, cowering in fear. She looked familiar, her frightened expression, her tiny lips mouthing something he couldn't hear. The screeching was getting closer, and he turned and saw a blinding white light. A moving light. He instinctively covered the little foal with his body, trying to protect her. The lights were upon him, the screeching ringing in his ears. The terrified little foal. A pool of blood.
Spearmint awoke with a gasp, covered in a cold sweat. A gray, predawn light seeped into the tent, and his ever so loyal dog was dozing beside him. A dream...that's all it was...just a dream... Spearmint shook the horrid memories of the dream from his head and crawled out of his tent. A gentle morning breeze greeted him, as well as a gurgle of his stomach. The fire had burned itself out long ago, so he pulled an apple from his wagon. Some shuffling inside the tent reminded him of his furry companion, her promptly poked her head out of the tent and yawned, looking at Spearmint expectantly. He couldn't help but laugh at his pet's 'serious' face as he dug out her food and a dog bowl. She barked happily and chowed down on her breakfast as soon as he started pouring. Some things would never change. That dog had him trained!
The two departed their campsite half past dawn, and continued their route to Trottingham. They arrived just past noon, with little incident. Trottingham was a very odd city. The warm cozy buildings mashed together with modern skyscrapers, but the people were happy and somewhat welcoming. Somewhere along the way a few tourists asked him to take their pictures in front of some famous building or monument, and most surprisingly, next to his wagon, and some even wanted pictures with him! Oh! Duh! I probably look like some actor pony, pulling off the settler pony thing. Well, I guess it ain't too bad, and they are 'payin in bits. Guess it can't hurt nopony! His afternoon went on, taking pictures with random tourists and a few locals. He started hooking his wagon back up to go find a decent motel for the night when he heard a loud whistle behind him.
"Ay, you there, stop in th' name of th' law!" An authoritative, gruff voice shouted out. Spearmint turned around and watched a policepony come walking up to him. "C'mon son, you're goin' downtown wit' me. No use arguin', and you can take yer' blasted wagon with ye, but if ye run I'm allowed to take you by force!" the policepony warned, getting a series of grumbles from Spearmint.
"Fine fine, I'm coming, but can ya at least tell me why I'm being arrested? I haven't done squat!" The policepony eyed Spearmint, then sighed.
"To be honest, I don't really know, all I was told to bring ye in if I spotted ye, all we have to go on is a message from Conestoga City from some pony named Stone Hoof..."
