Chapter 1: Into the Rabbit Hole.
Life has never been kind to me, it seems. It was a bright moonlit night, no clouds in sight in the city of New Neighleans. But as soon as I got out of the Hay Corner, it started to rain. So here I am, gray colored mare Earth pony, sitting in the cold rain, in a roof of a doorway, nowhere to go.
No matter how much I try to better myself, it seems life just tries to hurt me more. It seems that the only people that understand me are my siblings, my older sister, Sonnet and my little brother, Allegro. But even though I have only two people in my life that seems to care, at home, nothing seems right.
I always hated coming home, each day after school, another place I hate as well. At school, I’m only bullied by the others for being small and nerdy for a earth pony, especially one that still hasn’t have her Cutie Mark. All of ponies seem to have it age 15, but for me? Nothing. So each day, I go to school where I’m picked on constantly, then I go home where I’m picked on even more worse.
My mother doesn’t like any of my siblings and me. She always says under her drunken stupor, that she blames us for father leaving. That because we came to hurt their relationship that he left. Of course, we know logically that he left because of her drinking and abusive nature, but still hurts when she says it. But we will never tell her that, it’s too risky. With her drunkenness mixed with hatred, she goes on to verbally and physically abuse us. To tell her the truth, would probably make things worse.
You could be saying, “Why haven’t you told anyone about this?” I would, trust me. I wish I could, but then we would be separated, and little Allegro needs us. He’s the only reason why I go home each day to hear and feel this abuse, because if he’s alone, mother will hurt him even more horribly than she does to us. Sonata and I are both bigger than him, we can handle the pain more than him. He’s only a small colt… the beatings will send him to the hospital.
But as much as I say why I go home each day, today wasn’t like the others. Things were bad at school, but it seems I reached my limit of all the crap I gotten all my life. I couldn’t take it anymore, I kept thinking and over thinking everything that was happening to me. And by the time I got home, my mother spitting out poison towards me and my siblings, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I left. I just opened the door and left, with tears flooding down my golden eyes and I just kept on walking.
Before I knew it, I arrived at downtown New Neighleans near Hay Corner, where all the tourist and culture of the city flourished. When I was younger, when things were okay, I always liked coming here with everyone. It seems like going to Downtown with my family is the only good memory I have with my mother and father. As trumpets blew around the street, tourist and locals swarming the street like ants and vendors screaming out products they were selling surrounded me, I couldn’t help think that this is the way my life was supposed to be, maybe I’m meant to be like this. No more happy family, just abuse and sadness for me. As I thought this, I panicked. What if that’s my talent? I quickly looked toward my rear to check if that’s what my Cutie Mark supposed to be. I chuckled at myself with self-pity. Even being abused wasn’t my talent, how sad that there’s nothing for me to be. I then looked down and kept walking down the street, as night flew in.
As soon as I left the Corner, I found myself at a small street, “Crow Street”, it was called. As soon as I saw the sign, rain started to pour. Looking for a place to stand to wait out the rain, I went toward a doorway with a roof and sat down to think.
As I sat down near the door, I heard a creak. I looked around for the source of the sound, when I did, the door behind me cracked open a hole and I fell through.
I laid there on the floor, pain flowing through my back. Can my luck get any worse? I sat down after a while, and looked around my surroundings.
I could make out some shapes of tables and chairs near a small stage and bar, in the darkness of the large room. While it was a bit creepy in a way, it was better than being outside in the rain. I wandered around the room, looking around. It seemed like a small theater, but sadly abandoned. I started to wonder how beautiful it must have looked like in its heyday, full of people clapping at the actors, enjoying themselves, not caring about anything but their entertainment. The décor seemed of something you see in patriotic posters from 18th century, but classy. On the walls of the room had pictures of what seemed the employees, guests and owner of the establishment, happily looking at me from the faded pictures and dusty frames. As I continued down the wall, I saw the stage. I decided to have a bit of fun, and decided to stand on it. I climbed the stairs and walked down it, but as soon as I did, I heard a small crack, like a branch was breaking. I looked around and once I noticed what was going on, the floor underneath me fell out and before I knew it, my lower half was stuck in a small hole.
So not my day….
I tried to wiggle my way out, but I was very stuck in there. “HELP!” I cried out, but I thought, who in the hell am I screaming for? There’s no one here, I doubt anyone will come to rescue me from outside.
“What the hell? Who’s there?” I heard a voice echo from somewhere in the room.
“Hello! A little help please?” I cried out in the darkness, hoping I wasn’t just hallucinating from my depression.
I heard clops going around the room, rummaging through the area. I looked around, hoping to see what was going on. Suddenly, a bright light hit my eyes, hurting them. “There we go.” I heard the same voice say. My eyes started to get used to the light and I saw this Zebra mare, staring at me, with a smile on her face and a lantern in her hoof.
“Hello there. How did you get there?” she asked, staring at me with amusement.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t know anyone lived here." I started to explain myself. "It looked abandoned. I- I was just looking for a place to stay from the rain.” I guess I was hoping that she wouldn’t call the police if I explained. I don’t want to go back there. “No, you’re right. It’s abandoned. So you aren’t breaking and entering. But someone is living here. Hold on.” She said to me, as she turned away from me and looked out at the room. “GADGET!!!!!!!!!! GET YO’ ASS OVER HERE! WE GOT A FALLER!” She screamed. “I’M COMING MARE! HOLD ON!” I heard another voice far out in the room. She turned to me and saw my surprise from her sudden screaming. “Sorry, I’m trying to get him out here to fix the lights and then get you out. So until then, I’m Sous Clean. Call me Sous. I’m the manager of the cleaning department of The Glass Ceiling Theater.” “I’m Ballad. Just… nobody.” I said, looking down for a moment. Sous looked at me with perplexity and then just smiled. “Well then, nice to meet you Ballad. Interesting title you have there, though. Don’t worry, we’ll get you out of there in no time.”
As soon as Sous said that, a black male unicorn pony with green short hair, came running towards us with a tool box in his mouth from the darkness.
“I’m here! Sorry. I was looking for some tools needed to open the fuse box.” He said, dropping his tools as he talked. “Well, then you got them. Then get working!” said Sous, running out of patience.
The unicorn then ran to the back of the stage and started to work on something, because he was making a lot of noise. After a few minutes, the room flooded with light. The male unicorn came back and smiled at us. “Fixed it! Now then.” He came to me and just shook his head. “Damn… what a doozy. Well then, let’s get this little one out of here.” He said smiling at me. “Name’s Gadget Tinker! Gadget is what you can call me.” I smiled at him, but really, I was getting tired of all these introductions, I just wanted to get out of here! Sous must be able to read minds, because she just snapped at him. “Enough introductions! Get her out of there!”
He quickly ran to the toolbox and started to get to work, ripping apart wood planks. “Sous, as soon as I get a lot of these out, she’s going to start falling down, grab her.” He said, as he worked. Sous nodded and grabbed my arms, smiling at me. A few minutes passed and he announced, “Got it! Get her out.” Sous pulled on me and I climbed out quickly, falling on the floor, sighing from relief. “Good job, Gadget.” Said Sous, patting him the back. Gadget smiled proudly at his fine work. Suddenly a small growl was heard and Gadget blushed. Sous started to laugh, “All that work made you hungry, huh?” he smiled in agreement. Then another growl came, but not from Gadget but from me. I blushed deeply from that sound, thinking about when was the last time I ate today. “I guess you’re not the only one.” Sous walked to me and patted my head. “So Ballad, want to join us? We have plenty of food.” I nodded shyly, looking down on the floor. She motioned me to follow her and we all got down the stage and out a side door where the bar was located.
Chapter 2: Why not try, nothing to lose.
We entered the kitchen, which was cleaner than the main area, with wonderful smells that made my mouth water. Sous went to the stove and started to fill some bowls with food. Gadget lead me to a small table, we sat down and started to chat.
“So, Ballad, is your name?” I nodded, shyly looking down as I did. “That’s nice. Is your Cutie Mark singing or something like that?” I started to blush and hid my rump with my tail as fast I could. “Um… no. I- uh.” I started to think of something to get that subject away from the conversation. “Why are you guys here? I mean it’s abandoned right?” I asked, hoping it would work. “Yeah, it is. We used to live here as live-in employees. Sous cleaned and I fixed things, but things went downhill with the business, they closed down and now demolishing it by the end of the month. So until then, we are allowed to live here until we have a place to stay, but… we haven’t had any luck with that.”
Sous came from the stove and gave us all bowls. “Here you go, Gumbo Sous-style.” She said with a smile. I took a sip and I looked up with surprise. “Whoa… It’s so good.” I said out loud. Sous laughed. “Thank you! It’s the best I can do as a cleaning lady.” She said. “I keep telling you Sous, it’s really good. You keep selling yourself short.” Said Gadget as he ate.
“I know, but it’s just food, something we need to survive. Nothing special.” She said. “Besides, my Cutie Mark is cleaning,” she said pointing at her rear, which sported a mop and a broom. “Not food. Anyways, so you talking about the Theater?” Gadget nodded, mouth full to speak. “It’s not that we don’t have any hardship looking for work,” Sous said to me, as she sat down. “It’s more than that, it’s just…so too hard to leave a place you have such good memories with. I wish we could keep staying here… it was such a magical place.” Gadget stopped eating for a while and looking a bit sad as he spoke. “Yeah it was… It was the only place I felt I could belong.” Sous nodded in agreement. “It was really the only place I felt I could belong.”
Sous then turned to me and asked me the one thing I tried to avoid. “So Ballad. I’m just going to ask straight out. Did you run away from home?” I didn’t know how to explain to her, so I told her, “I don’t want talk about it. I rather not.” Gadget and Sous just stared at me for a while. “Why?” asked Gadget, worried. “I rather not talk about it… please.” I said, pleading. They looked at each other for a while, “Okay. When you’re ready, you can tell us.” Said Sous. “But until then if you like, you can stay for a while.” I looked at her in surprise. “Really?” she nodded. I sighed in relief. But I then started to feel bad.
I sat there in silence… They are being so nice to me. There should be something I can do to repay them. I then started to think about what Sous said and my reasons for leaving. I know that feeling she said. Here’s two ponies that had their destinies already given to them, yet… they were as lost as I was. I hated seeing people like that, especially when they have a bigger chance than me to find that place of belonging. I have to help them, there’s has to be a way.
“There’s has to be a way to save the theater!” I cried, surprising them with my sudden outburst. Gadget looked at me in confusion, “What?” he asked. “I know the feeling you guys said, feeling like you don’t belong anywhere. I don’t have my Cutie Mark yet, and as much as I would like one, the only thing I want more than that is to feel like I can belong somewhere. I don’t belong at home, or at school… it’s hard. So please, let me help you. You guys are being so nice to me, and I feel I should repay you for your kindness. I don’t belong anywhere, but at least let me help you guys keep the place you do.”
“That’s sweet, Ballad, really. But you don’t have to. Besides how could we do that?” asked Sous, shocked with the statement. “You can be the manager!” said Gadget, excited and amused about the idea. Sous just stared at him in amazement. “Are you kidding me? I’m a Zebra. Do you know how hard it is, being a Zebra, let alone, a MARE Zebra? Equestria is in a state of racial problems, where Zebras can’t get equal opportunities anywhere! How in the hell am I supposed to be the manager?” “Well there’s no law that says you can’t own a place.” He retorted. “There’s none, but no will want to come at all because of that!” argued Sous back.
They went on arguing about politics, with me staring at them in annoyance. “Why not try?” I said, which stopped them. “There’s nothing to lose.” They stood there in silence, looking at their empty bowls. “Well, I guess… but any ideas how to re-open it?” said Sous after a while. “Well what do we need?” I asked. “We need the deed of the place and the city council’s vote and a citizen’s vote.” Said Gadget. “The deed is cheap because no one wants to buy it. It’s gotten too old, but it’s repairable.” I jumped from the chair in excitement. “Then let’s do that, buy the deed and fix it.” I said, hopeful. “That’s easier said than done.” Said Sous. “We don’t have the money to buy it or fix it.” I sat down, feeling down about that realization.
Sous is right, how will be able to get money to do that plan? Then an idea hit me. “We can do a bake sale.” The two adults looked at me in amusement. “What?” giggled Gadget, “a bake sale?” I felt embarrassed about what I said, but my motivation to help them made me keep going. “Yeah, Sous is a good cook, I’m sure she can make a ton of food that can be sold. We would probably earn enough money for the deed and repair.” Sous just stared at me, gaping. “I’m not a cook! I’m a cleaning lady! My Cutie Mark is cleaning, not cooking.” I just shrugged. “So? Why not try? Like before, there’s nothing to lose, but try.”
“Ballad is right.” Gadget agreed. As he said that, he got up from his chair and sat down in front of Sous and stared at her. “I’ve been telling you, for the longest time, that you are an amazing cook. Just because your Cutie Mark says cleaning, doesn’t mean you just have to clean. Why not listen to Ballad and at least try, it won’t hurt to try.” Sous stared at Gadget for a while, in deep thought. I could imagine her inner turmoil, doing something else that she wasn’t meant to do. But, maybe, just maybe, this could help save the theater, as I said to them, it wouldn’t hurt to try.
After a while, Sous sighed. “Okay… fine. We’ll try that. But we will need help, we can’t just do this all by ourselves, besides there’s others who should be involved in this since it’s their building too.”
“Who?” I asked. “I thought you guys were the only ones.”
Sous shook her head, “Yeah we are the only ones here in the theater. But the theater is part of a big building, The Glass Ceiling Building, it has a few other businesses occupying inside it. The occupants are still using them until the time of demolishing it, all in the same boat and feel the same way.” Gadget smiled and nodded. “Yeah! I’m sure if we gave them the idea, they could probably help to get the deed and fix it.”
For the first time since I came to this theater, I could feel the sense of hope in the room and in each of us. After a while of gather ideas on what say and do when we see them, we cleaned up our mess, then went to sleep. Sous lead me to a dressing room, giving me a sleeping bag to use. “Sorry we don’t have enough beds, but at least you’ll be warm.” The room was painted red with that classic dressing room vanity mirror, costumes and decorative room divider, giving that drama diva vibe. I felt classy being in that room, even though it was dusty and smelled of mildew, it was better than nothing. “It’s okay, it looks nice. Thank you.” She smiled at me, hugged me good night and closed the room as she left. I placed the sleeping bag on the floor and as soon as I laid on it, I felt instantly asleep.
Author's Note
Hello Readers!
I'm Amethyst Gem!
So nice to meet you and I hope you are liking the story thus far. It's just something I thought of, well actually, more like dreamed of. I guess I've been under lots of stress lately, my brain was telling me dreams to tell me something and lo and behold the idea came! I liked it enough and when I told people about it, they said it sounded like a good movie or story. SO I fixed it around, made it ponified and story is born!
So I hope you guys like the story, and if you guys see any grammar problems or you want to be my editor/beta reader, please msg me!
Thank you for reading!
