Coldness and Warmth...
By: Tediz ze Kat
Some say you'll only see black. They're wrong, instead there were a blur of colors. Some green, brown, red, or more. There were blurs of bright colors that surrounded my vision. Many were making a commotion as if they were talking, but in a more distorted way.
I closed my heavy eyelids slowly, my vision once now in a pitch, black void. I then opened them, met with a different set of blurs. Most were just bright white lights that rushed one by one, with an even number of colored blobs at each side. I heard shouting by most of them. I closed my eyes again, now with an image of home.
It was a small cottage in the middle of a sea of brown, yellowish grains. As much as far the eye can see, a vast field it was. I pictured myself as the young colt I was, a young colt that played along with his younger sister, Star, and younger brother, Kits, in the summer breeze.
Kits, I've never wanted to think about him, ever. He was my youngest brother, he was smart, always optimistic. I missed him dearly, it broke my whole family as he died. That day was plastered onto my eyes, it was all in smoke and fire as I witnessed his fur burned into inferno, it went to a charred black. I was scarred of those cries of agony and need.
"Help!!! AHHH!!!"
That's when everything went dark. Because of my brother's death, I decided to leave home for the safety of my family. For no more of continuous hate and violence. I didn't care for my own security, only theirs. As the violence was the results of my doing.
But now, it had came to a stop. Only my sister remained of what's left of my family. I'm needed no more.
I transitioned my thoughts to the times of my life in the city, alone. It was cold, dark, dangerous...
I was curled up into a ball in an alley. The freezing, wet rain poured down onto my completely soaked fur. It made a heavy pitter-patter as my own sounds didn't help. I was letting out a constant fit of sneezing and coughing. It was a sign that I seek for warmth. I shivered, still in the cold alley.
I gazed onto an object that stood in front of me, a cardboard box that was partially wet.
With haste, I crawled into it. My body stuffed in the cardboard cube as I finally maybe receive some warmth. I dozed off, but woke up into another coughing fit (this time I gagged out water). I darted my eyes and saw the water had risen to more than a foot. The box I was in floated on the water only barely.
I was scared, yes, scared that I started to sob barely audibly (due to the heavy rain). It was childish for a young stallion like me to cry, but I did for the wanting to going back home. I suddenly yelped and jumped as a roar of thunder boomed. The sudden movement caused the floating cardboard box to roll upside-down, I fell out with a splash.
I then stood up, water dripped down from me. But then I collapsed back onto the floor. My soaked body rested on the flooded ground, tired and malnourished (I haven't eaten in days).
A hooded pony passed by but stopped as he saw my motionless form. He inspected me for a couple of minutes and then walked towards me. With a heave, I was pulled onto his back.
I woke up a few hours later and found myself near a fireplace. I was on a plush chair with a warm blanket. The room I was in had only the fireplace as a source of light. The walls were decorated pictures of unknown ponies.
I gazed upon a small table nearby, a kettle rested on it. I heard a clatter of utensils.
...I opened my eyes again, my vision now a bit clearer this time. Only a bright light shone upon me, until I heard a clatter, a clatter I didn't imagined this time.
A figure covered in white suddenly loomed over me. The figure held a scalpel in a yellow aura, he was obviously a unicorn.
The scalpel then slowly glided toward my face. I didn't feel anything as the utensil made contact with me as I was probably was on some sort of drug. The figure (which I now presumed to be a doctor) continued on his work on me, carefully picking or cutting at my flesh. He took out more items into his grasp, more sharp objects.
They all worked on me. Each and every single tool either picked at my various parts of my body. The doctor was focused at me, sweat poured down his face, my life was depending on him.
I yet again closed my eyes. This time, I unintentionally thought of an unwanted memory. A memory I wanted to forget but yet I can't.
I immediately opened my eyes in order to not remember the horrid past.
My vision was now crystal clear. I now saw that I was in a small hospital room. The opened curtains let in a bright, warm light as it bathed over my torso. I looked to my right, a nightstand stood beside the bed I rested on. A glass of water sat there half full; I reached out my hooves to take the glass to drink some. My left hoof although, was anchored by something I hadn't noticed yet. I then stirred my head to the left.
To my left was a unicorn mare, a familiar mare that was now asleep as she held on to my hoof. It was Star.
I had noticed that the sun shone on her charcoal mane as she snored cutely. A small puddle of drool rested beside her head, who used my hoof as a makeshift pillow.
I smiled...
I was happy to see my dear sister again after all those years. Three years since the winter night of Hearths Warming. At that time, our conversation was cut short that night, when I was a petty thief.
My eyes drifted to the direction of the door, then to a coat rack nearby. One coat hung there, the coat itself was a dark shade of blue with copper buttons. A cap rested near the coat. She was still part of the law enforcement.
I sat up, with my left hoof still held on to by my sister. I could hear the birds chirp in a sweet melody.
With a clearer view of outside, I looked over to see outside was my hometown, Hollow Shades. The sun shone at the town as masses of clouds slowly float in a direction. It was never like this at Hollow Shades, until now.
I suddenly clutched my chest as I felt a sharp pain. I looked down at my chest to see it bandaged up.The bandages themselves were dirty and ragged, splotches of dried up blood covered most of it.
"Firepaw..." I immediately turned my gaze back to Star, she was awake now. "You're okay?"
Before I could answer, she abruptly hugged me. I gushed a bright red as I felt her unforgettable soft fur as she wrapped her fore hooves around me. She started to cry over my shoulder, happy to see me -her brother- alive and breathing. I ignored the fact that her embrace is actually hurting me.
It lasted for hours, she was still sobbing but more faintly.
"Firepaw, I missed you so much," she managed to say in between sobs.
I brung Star closer to comfort her. "Star," I said, "I missed you too, and you should know that."
"I know, but I'm scared for you ever since I heard of what happened earlier. You were hurt," she replied, her tears dried up.
"But I'm here now, alive. You shouldn't be scared," I whispered as I hugged her closer, closer than ever. "You have nothing to fear for me, only yourself."
"You're my brother, my only living relative. I'm scared for you as your sister, the...the only pony who still cared about you."
"Star please don't worry-" I was interrupted as she squeezed me tight in her grip, my mind was momentarily blank; my body stiff and shocked.
"Star," I repeated, but I didn't know what to say next. I thought up of something to say but I remembered. "Star, you know I'm sorry for everything that I did that hurt you. I'm sorry for everything I did to every-" I was interrupted as she hugged me tighter...