Heart of Mist

Heart of Mist

Written By: CleverGoblin171 &  fistfire fimfiction.net

Proofread By: fistfire fimfiction.net

.:Chapter 1:.

It was a normal morning in Manehattan,  the clouds were behaving,  somewhat.  The pegasus ponies were on their way to wrangle the clouds away in preparation for the coming event. The Fillydelphia Symphony Orchestra was coming up. It was a concert being held in Central Park.  Near the park in the row houses reminiscent of colonial times, a group of ponies were moving in, more likely a family of ponies with three kids, one colt and two fillies with a baby foal on the way.  The father, a unicorn stallion of respect, bright orange mane, his coat was of a smoky color, and cutie mark were braces of a scaffolding.  He was the head of the roadies.  His stage work was legendary in the music field.

The mayor’s office commissioned him to head up all of the concerts in Manehattan to oversee the operations of them.  His daughter was going to follow up in his hoof steps if he had anything to say about it. She, on the other hand, had other interests.

“Sparks! When did you arrive in the city?” said a pegasus colt, a dark blue mane with an icy blue coat.

“We just arrived here not an hour ago!  It’s so good to see you Icewing!” said the unicorn filly with the orange coat and a yellow mane with a streak of bright orange in it.

“You haven't changed much since I last saw you. Still going for the ‘flames’ look in your mane, eh?”

“Yeah, you know us, fire and ice!” she said with a giggle, a bunch of magenta sparks coming from her horn.

"Stop that, or you'll start a fire!"  The colt teased with a snicker. “You know I can't put out your fires.”

With a smile on her face, she lets the sparks die out. “Well, then do you want to help us move in?”

“Sure, but what’s in it for me?” The colt said flapping his wings.

“I’ll give you a kiss” as she was batting her eyes picking up a hoof.

“Eeww! You can keep the prize then!”  with a disgusted look the colt’s muzzle scrunched up.

“I'll take that prize if Icewing won’t!” yelled another colt, older looking than the other two by only a year or two. A unicorn colt with light grey fur, orange eyes, and a black mane.

“Shard! I am so glad to see you!” she said, galloping up to tackle him with a hug.

“It's nice to see you too!  It looks like you are moving in!” catching the filly with his forelegs the both of them get sent sprawling onto the sidewalk.

“Have you been here long Shard?”

“Yeah, we have been here for quite a while.  The schools are not that bad,  a lot better than Chicacolt.  At least here I am safe, somewhat.”

“Is that what that happened to your face?” she said with concern in her voice.

“No, it was just a little disagreement. That ended up getting physical eventually.” the colt said looking down, likely not wanting to talk about it any further.

“What was it about?” Icewing chimed in curious and oblivious to Shard’s frustration building.

“A friend- well, used to be friend, decided to beat the pulp out of me when a group of bullies simply told him to, didn’t even say he was going to get any sort of reward.” Shard’s eyes narrowed stomping his right foreleg against the ground.

“Shard it was just one pony being a jerk, no need to get so mad.” Spark said trotting up beside Shard trying to comfort him the best she could.

“I’m not mad,” Shard said flatly, frowning slightly. “I had to move from Chicacolt because of that.”

“Oh, how long ago did you move here?” Icewing asked tilting his head to the left confused.

“A month or two ago, I walked past you four days ago and you had no reaction, don’t act like you didn’t know I was here,” Shard said rolling his eyes.

“You two going to help or not?” Spark said not wanting to have the two start fighting.

“Honestly, I didn't see you walking past! I would've said hello if I did notice you.”

“Still a featherbrain as I recall.” rolling his eyes, the grey-furred colt said mocking him.

“Hey, I am not!”

“Ohh! Look over there is that a Squirrel?”

“Where!” As the ice blue colt looked at where Shard was pointing with his left hoof to a tree.

“I rest my case Sparks.” the both of them snickering at his antics.

“Why do I always fall for that.” feeling completely embarrassed, falling for that old joke. “Come on Shard!  We can talk more while we help.” The two friends follow the filly to the house, Icewing shoving Shard playfully around, and Shard returning the favor.

____________

Years later, Spark and Icewing had moved to another city and Shard hadn’t been able to come along. The colt had grown into a miserable stallion who now works the night shift at a donut shop. He tried to be cheerful since his friends left him, but the years of being friendless had taken its toll.  Oh, sure he tried to make new ones. It was always the rough crowd that wanted him for what he could do for them. Being a powerful wizard and looking the way he does. Tends to attract worst kinds of ponies.  But all he wanted was to hang out with the nice ponies.  His old friends accepted him for what he was. A unicorn...  A mage…  A soft shoulder to cry on…  A friend.

Now, the only goal he had was just to pay off the bills at the end of the month and to survive another day.  That's all he cared about now, that’s all there ever is, to exist.

Shard trotted back home halfway across town from the donut shop. He lived in a single story house with a single bedroom, a living room with a kitchen attached, and one bathroom. Pretty much second lowest level housing he could live in. The lowest is called a loft apartment. A small kitchen open to the living room which doubles as a bedroom. Shard nearly had to live there if not for the home he lives in now becoming for sale. Shard has been in the hospital more times than he’d like to admit. The bills the hospital demanded from him plus the bills at the end of the month pulled any and all bits he may have had out of him, which was why he was so poor.

He used his magic to open the door, an orange glow surrounded the door knob opening it slowly.  Walking inside and closing the door behind him, he walked across the living room to his bedroom. Falling face first against his bed and letting out an exhausted sigh. “Sweet oblivion of the night, come and wrap your arms around me. Save me from myself.”

Shards eyelids were heavy, fell into a deep sleep almost instantly. Being restless and unable to stay awake any longer. He was asleep for five hours when a blast of orange light shot past his window waking him up. Shard groaning sitting up on his haunches, pushing himself up and trotting over to the window looking for the source of the beam worried somepony was after him.

“Spark be careful!” A more mature version of Icewing’s voice called out just out of Shard’s perspective.

“I never tried teleporting luggage before, just a minor kink.” A more mature version of Spark’s voice softly said sounding embarrassed. Shard pushed his face against the window to hear the conversation better.

“Well, at least it’s all in one piece,” Icewing said followed by the sounds of two or more ponies trotting into a building, possibly right next to Shard’s home.

Shard, Spark, and Icewing hadn’t seen each other in fifteen years, at least that’s what Shard thought, apparently, he was just unlucky. The grey-furred stallion trotted to the exit of his home, hearing Spark giggle and Icewing groaning slightly followed by “you seriously didn’t make sure the boxes were completely closed before deciding to teleport them halfway across Equestria!” Icewing called out sounding upset and annoyed.

He walked to the sink in the kitchen, turning on the tap and splashing his face with water. No way they’re here, there’s no way, they both moved to separate cities! Spark went to Canterlot and Icewing went to Cloudsdale. Why would they come back to Manehattan? The stallion mused pressing his horn against the sink’s tap believing he was in a twisted dream.

Shard walked to the door, opened it slowly peeking his head out it see the door to a neighboring house that had been for sale, close shut behind somepony just as he looked over. He walked out onto his front lawn, all eight feet of it. Looking to the house feeling strange, he smirked hearing Spark’s voice jokingly say “this isn’t so bad, I mean living under a bridge would be just as appealing but not so bad.”

Shard hopped over the small picket fence onto the other lawn, half of him feeling like he was trespassing on somepony’s property, but these were and hopefully still his friends and his judgment was clouded by joy and confusion.

“Just wait about a week or two, you’ll start hating it before you know it,” Shard said standing up straight, hoping he spoke loud enough for the two ponies to have heard him.

“Was that… Him?” Icewing’s voice whispered nervous and unsure.

The door swung open nearly breaking off its hinges, a yellow glow surrounding the entire door. A unicorn mare whose appearance was too much like Sparks to be any mere coincidence. Still the same orange color, but her mane style flowed down across her back, and the yellow highlights she somehow made to look like flames.  Those brilliant orange eyes, he couldn’t mistake them on any other mare.  There stood Spark on the other side of the door frame with a wide-eyed expression staring at Shard.

Upon first glance, Spark was filled with shock, but that didn’t stop her from jumping at Shard pinning him to the ground.

“I had no idea you were living here. I thought you left Manehattan to who knows where!” Spark walked backwards not meaning to have knocked Shard over.

“Nice to see you too Spark.” A faint shade of pink lighting up Shards cheeks.  “Since my parents died about ten years ago, I haven’t had enough bits to move anywhere else.” looking down standing up, “Life’s been hard for me.  I’ve made some enemies here and there, been in the hospital a few times and lost five different jobs.”

“Please tell me you two had a better time than I did,” Shard said smiling as Icewing stepped outside, the three ponies standing on the lawn as a couple ponies walked past.

“If you consider living next to a loud cloud factory better, then yeah. I guess I was doing better” Icewing chimed unphased by how Shard’s parents died, Spark turned to Icewing with a narrow gaze.

“Well, I was in Canterlot. So it could be better.”

“Are you insane? Canterlot is where I wish I could have been.” Shard said with his jaw hung open.

“If you consider going through a changeling invasion, spirits of chaos walking around without a care in the world, snobby ponies who are so greedy they make dragons look like generous saints, oh! And having a constant fear the city would crumble and fall off the mountain, to all be good or at least better than what you went through. Yeah, it was fantastic and not at all terrifying, expecting a catastrophe to happen with every passing month.” Spark said with a sarcastic tone spinning her left foreleg around as she spoke.

Shard smirked. “So we’re just going to discuss problems and troubles we had over the past years? Hmmm… I doubt either of you suffered quite like I did.” Shard chuckled.

“Okay, I was hit by a cab twenty times, maybe seven or eight groups of ponies wanted me to join their ‘gang’ since I appear to be a heartless emotionless husk, perfect for their needs.” Shard paused putting a hoof to his face. “I had my magic “burnout” on two occasions where I pushed myself past my limit. Been in the hospital more times than I like to admit, the bills the hospital demands from you plus the bills at the end of the month sucks any and all bits you may have out of you. Yeah, hate myself for that…” Shard hid his expression the best he could.

“Congratulations, you win the prize of being the most unlucky pony I ever met.” Spark said smirking slightly.

“Great, that’s my life goal,” Shard said in a sarcastic tone.

“So why in the world are you both back in Manehattan? Not complaining don’t get me wrong but why would either of you come back? And… Why together...” Shard assuming the two had started dating within the fifteen years.

“Me and featherbrain here are going to try to make a business selling products to boost a pony’s energy level, so ponies off doing double shifts don’t have to be restless” Spark walking up to Shard “maybe you could be our first customer” Spark fluttering her eyelashes at him.

“Um- I, I guess I could. The energy boost thing, that’s exactly what I need. How do I get this boost… A drink? A patch on my skin? A bolt of electricity to my face?” Shard said flustered, his ears flattening. The three ponies walking inside the house.

“It’s a drink. Don’t ask what’s in it.” Spark frowned.

“What’s in it,” Shard said worried he would be drinking some sort of poison.

“About forty percent honey, thirty percent caffeine, twenty-nine percent water, and one percent electricity,” Icewing said flatly showing Shard a jug with a black liquid inside.

“Um… No thanks, I choose life.” Shard said refusing to drink the liquid.

“Just one little sip?” said Spark with a pouting lip.

“Have you tasted it? Are you sure that won’t damage my insides, I’m half certain that jug is filled with oil.” Shard said genuinely concerned.

“Oh, I’m certain it won't damage your insides it only has caffeine and honey with a drop of lightning to kick start it”

“Is the lightning necessary?” A flash of electricity surrounding the jug for a split second.

“Well, Icewing seems to think so.  It’s what makes the drink unique.  Besides, he has been struck by lightning before and it hasn't affected him, well...  Mostly.”

“Maybe just honey caffeine and water? Sounds better than having lighting in it.”

“Anyone can make that.  We wanted something unique!”

“Okay, I guess having lightning is unique, but do you know why nopony did that before? Because it’s probably not safe to drink!”

“What if I get Icewing to try it first?”

“Then he’d be sent to the hospital.”

“Hey, Icewing, Care to try it?”

“Sure.” Icewing took the jug and poured himself up a small glass of the energy drink. Taking a sip he has no initial reaction.  Suddenly a crackle of electricity goes across his skin and his wings start to vibrate.  He launches off the ground like a rocket creating a cloud of dust.

“ICEWING!! Come back here!”

“Sparks, he can’t hear you anymore. He’s about a mile away.” Shard says watching Icewing shoot off into the sky, flying past the skyscrapers in the distance.

“Well, at least it gave him a boost of energy. Maybe just try a sip of it.”

“No.” He said adamantly in a deadpanned tone. “If that’s what is does to a pegasus, I don’t know what it will do to a unicorn with much better connections to the ley lines of the world.”

“Fair enough. It might make you stronger?”

“Take. The. Hint. No.”

“Well, then we can put a disclaimer on it saying ‘not for unicorn consumption’”

“So neither of us should drink it, wait. What in the world would this do to an earthpony? Or a griffin?”

“Whatever we do, we Should NOT give it to Celestia.”

“Agreed, she’d probably be able to move everything. Literally everything.”

“Then the world would revolve around her?”

Laughing he said, ”it doesn't already?”

“Oh! Maybe you should sell this as a…  Performance enhancing drink? Makes you stronger, fills you with energy? May kill you.” He joked.

____________

“Have you seen Icewing yet? I’m getting worried.” Spark asked after an hour or so of waiting for him to return.

Meanwhile,  somewhere over Baltimare, a lone earth pony looks up after hearing a loud scream.

“AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! I can’t stop” Icewing shouted.

Back in Manehattan “he’s probably fine.” Shard said tempted to destroy the liquid, just in case it killed Icewing and the liquid was poisonous in some way. Which it wasn’t.

“So, are you and Icewing dating or…” Shard said going quietly.

“No, not in a thousand moons!” Spark giggles.

“Icewing is just my roommate/business partner.”

“Oh thank the heavens. I thought Icewing managed to get a mare-friend before me, that would be embarrassing.” He let out a sigh of relief.

“If he can find a mare-friend in our lifetime, I will eat my mane.” Spark joked.

“Good luck with that. I may just have to do the same, the day Icewing manages to find a mare-friend is the day I’m a goat.”

Five hours pass, Spark, and Shard sit on a couch staring at the door.

“Maybe we should go looking for him… Probably about to be eaten by a dragon.” Shard said after a long moment of awkward silence.

“He’s a pegasus, and at that speed, I doubt that any dragon will be able to catch him”

“Fair enough, what you want to do then?”

“I don’t know.  Did you see what direction he went off at?”

“Nope, well, I didn’t see the last direction he went in, he just flew off towards Baltimare and disappeared.”

“How about we go to Baltimare and ask around, see if anypony knows where he went off to.”

“Do you honestly want to.” Shard glanced to her.

“Ehhhh. He’s a big stallion, he can take care of himself.” Spark smiled sheepishly.

Shard glanced at the clock, checking the time. His eyes going wide and his pupils narrow seeing the time being 8:29, a minute before he needs to be at the donut shop for work.

“Oh, Buck! I’m going to be late for work, buck my life!” Shard shouted jumping off the couch, giving Spark a small fright. The sun slowly descending bringing a wave of darkness over the land, but the artificial lights staying on.

“When do you need to be there, and where  pray tell is it…” Spark said getting off the couch.

“At 8:30, I’m screwed,” Shard said running off without another word, Spark running off alongside him.

“Shard! Just teleport there!”

“I haven’t mastered that spell yet, I’d probably get stuck inside a wall.” Shard broke into a full sprint, galloping down the sidewalk.

“What area of town is it in!” Spark shouted struggling to keep up.

“Only halfway across Manehattan! Next to that damned bank which should go out of business for screwing ponies over.”

“Name of that bank?”

“The Official Manehattan Bank. It’s not much of an original-” Shard was cut abruptly by Spark pouncing at him, her horn glowing a bright orange. A flash of orange light surrounding Shard and Spark. When the flash cleared the two were standing in front of “The Official Manehattan Bank”

Shard looked to Spark with a silent stare. “I’m good with certain spells, teleportation is one of my specialties.” Spark giggled.

“T-thanks… My sister once teleported this far, landed on her head and I was sent spinning out of control on my horn like I was some sort of foals toy.” Shard put a hoof to his head, trotting towards the donut shop, appearing to look more like a bar than a donut shop hearing, Spark bursting into laughter.

“You don’t work at a donut shop, do you? Or is all this just poor design choice?” She wiped a tear from her eye.

“Which do you think it is,” Shard said looking to her, standing still, ignoring how he was about to be late for work which he was just a few steps away from.

“You… You’re actually working at a donut shop… Wow. Is it bad I only feel bad now, and not before when I heard your parents were killed.”

“I should… Probably just head back, wait and see if Icewing will show up there… I… I’ll see you later Shard.” Spark said going quiet, Shard walking into the donut shop as Spark teleported home.

Shard looked to the manager, who was about to shout at him for being late but Shard shot him an annoyed glare “shut it. I’m here now, nopony is here besides me.” Shard muttered glaring at the manager.

“You're lucky you're the only pony willing to do the night shift. I would fire you immediately if I could afford it.” The manager hissed, getting possibly more bits if he makes the donut shop run 24-7 without any breaks in service.

“But you're a greedy pig. And you need your money.” Shard said testing his limits with him.

“Have a long and restless night Shard.” The manager said walking out. Shard standing at the cash register leaning against it slightly.

Great, I went from one place waiting aimlessly, to another place waiting aimlessly, but now I get paid for it. Shard mused staring at the glass door to the front of the shop.

____________

Somewhere on the edge of the Hayseed swamps and Dodge city, a rather large hummingbird flies above, well, it's a pegasus with its wings vibrating like a hummingbird.

Clipping the trees on the edge of the forest he descends into Dodge City.  And miraculously makes a four hoof landing, stumbles and goes head over tail somersaulting onto the ground, feathers flying everywhere until he finally stops. On his hooves none the less.

Dizzily he mutters “I think we used too much caffeine.” and promptly falls over on his side unconscious.

“Don’t touch him.” The Sheriff said, “don’t know what he’s got.  Get the Doc!” as a crowd gathers around the still twitching pegasus.

After a while, Doc Hayseed, a rather tall lanky stallion with a sandy colored coat and a rust colored mane approaches “ What have we got here.”

“Well, I saw this feller tear up the street just a few minutes ago.” absently touching Icewing and getting a mild shock. “Ouch!”

The pegasus finally stops twitching and goes limp.

“You two” the sheriff pointing to some bystanders,  “take him to Doc’s office.”

Once in there, Doc examines him.  “I don't think we can do anything for him at the moment.  His wings seem awfully stiff.” Prodding one with a hoof.  “I will need to take him to Ponyville General Hospital.  When is the next train getting here?”

“It should arrive here in a couple of hours.” One of the bystanders who brought him in chimes in.  “Just in time for the night train back to Ponyville.”

“That gives me enough time to fold his wings back to his sides.” He gently folds his wings up and secures them to his sides taking far longer than expected due to the stiffness of the wings.

____________

Several hours later Doc and his charge are safely aboard the train heading to Ponyville in one of the private sleeping cars.

“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!  My Wings AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!” Icewing yelled thrashing about.

“Quiet you, do you want to wake up the whole car?” Doc said while holding him down. “We still got several hours left before we hit Ponyville”

“But they Hurt!”

“Here, these are muscle relaxers. Take these and it should help you sleep some more.” offering  a couple of pills. “When you were passed out, I noticed your wing muscles were getting rather stiff.”

Icewing took the offered medicine and swallowed it.  “Thanks,  I didn’t get your name.”

“Neither did I.  Doc Hayseed.”

“Icewing, and Thanks”  He tries to move his wings and gets a searing pain on each and every muscle.  “Ow!  I never knew how many flight muscles I had, until now.”

“Yeah,  you did quite a tumble back there in Dodge City.  I heard you acted like a tumbleweed back there.”

“Don’t remember anything after I landed.  It's all so blurry.”

“You might have bumped your head as well.  Well then, What in tarnation were you doing landing like that?”

“My friend Spark and I invented an energy drink for ponies that are sleepy when they shouldn't be.  I tried a sip of it and the next thing I know I was out of Manehattan and flying over Baltimare with no intention of stopping, not that I could.”

“Hmm, Interesting-” the words became mixed and mumbled after that, Icewing falling limp against the couch going unconscious again.

____________

Icewing regained consciousness-shaking his head “where am I now?” The pegasus said putting a hoof to his forehead. His vision blurry.

“You’re awake already? Oh, of course, you're in ponyville.” A pegasus mare said with a soft smile. She had a dark red mane, grey fur coat, beautiful blue eyes, and a gorgeous flank.

“I-I’m not in heaven? What are you doing here then?” Icewing said with an eye twitch sitting up, his wings still aching painfully.

“What? Are you hallucinating, what do you mean.” The mare tilted her head blushing lightly.

“It’s, it’s nothing, who are you? And… What part of ponyville am I in?”

“My Name is Tender Breeze, you’re in Ponyville General Hospital.  Doc Hayseed brought you in.  Do you remember that much?”

“Umm, I think so.” Thinking just how much he could get lost in those eyes of her’s.

“Doc filled me in this morning on what you talked about on the train, and suggested some physical therapy to get your wings moving again.”

“Has anyone told you-you have beautiful eyes?” Completely ignoring her comments.

Ignoring his and blushing slightly, she continues “Doc did a good job of keeping your wings immobile-”

“I haven’t eaten in a while, would you like to go out and meet somewhere private?  No! Wait,   what I meant was I want you.  Argh!   Need food. You come?” Turning beet red in the face.

Chuckling softly, “You’re funny,  Come on,  we can start on your therapy later.”

“So where would be the best place to get some food? Haven’t been to Ponyville before.”

“There is a small cafe` just down the street that serves the best hayburgers around.”

“I like hayburgers.” He decided to keep it simple since his brain didn't seem to be functioning well.  Maybe it's because of the hunger in his stomach.  “Lead on then Tender Breeze.”

He hops off the table onto his hooves and immediately collapses onto the floor.  “Ow!”

Tender Breeze rushes over to him to help him up.  “Are you alright?”

He looks up and finds himself lost in those beautiful blue eyes again.  The color of a warm summer sky, deep and bright.  Forgetting all his pain, “Yeah, I’ve never felt so good.”

Concerned and with a little giggle, She helped him up.  “Are you sure?”

Breaking eye contact which severs the spell, “yeah, I guess the meds doc gave me are still having an effect on me.  But with you by my side, I can make it to lunch?”

“Are you always this smooth with mares?” giving him a wry smile.

“Nah. Just the pretty ones.”  looking away and cringing at what he just said. He realized that it can be taken out of context.

“Come on, Let's get out of here before you fill up on your own hooves.”

Icewing stumbling along and Tender Breeze supporting him.

____________

A day prior back in Manehattan, Shard hits his face gently against the cash register getting bored. He lets out an annoyed sigh looking to a security camera.

Shard watches as a pony wearing a long torn up cloth cloak running up to the donut shop, two other ponies tackle the one pony and bashing it with their forelegs repeatedly.

“Oh for buck’s sake,” Shard said running to the door, seeing blood spill against the pavement.

“Hey, what’s the big deal?” Shard shouted swinging the glass door open, his horn glowing with a bright orange light.

“This is none of your business. Go back inside and don’t pay us any attention and there will be no trouble.” Another pony said walking up out of seemingly nowhere, a fellow unicorn with a blue fur coat, sounding like a mare.

“You're beating up a pony- do you expect me to just sit here and watch? What do you think I am, a weak little snowflake who can’t take on three idiots?” Shard smirked wanting to piss them off so he would get to do the one thing he's good at, break things and fight. The two ponies beating the cloaked figure up stopped, all three turning to Shard.

“Three on one, are you serious?” One of them said confused, thinking Shard wouldn’t stand a chance the pony grinned, this pony was an earth pony stallion with a yellow fur coat and purple eyes, not much of a challenge to a unicorn but pretty strong nonetheless.

“Look, just tell me, what did this pony do wrong? If they stole something from you, or maybe tried beating one of you up. I’ll just walk back inside.” Shard backing up, his horn sparking a few times.

“It’s not a pony, just, please, go inside. Or else you’ll be beaten just as badly as this… Insect!” The third pony shouted in a gravely voice, pushing the cloaked figure against the ground and keeping them pinned down.

Shard looked at the figure. “What did they do wrong,” Shard said slowly, he felt as though the pony they were beating up was innocent, he wasn’t about to let an innocent pony get beaten to a pulp.

The three ponies went quiet, the first, the pony closest to Shard, spun around kicking him in the neck, falling against the glass door shattering it. It was a unicorn's kick so it didn’t hurt too badly, not as much as an earth pony’s or pegasi’s kick.

“That was a little uncalled for.” The second one said, their ears flattening.

Shard lay on the glass fragments, a few of the fragments getting lodged into his skin. Shard stood up slowly biting away at the pain that was filling him. “You… Should not have done that.” Shard said with a devilish grin. Levitating the glass shards currently not stuck in his hide, up into the air at his eye level.

The three ponies trotted back, the cloaked figure staying low to the ground letting out a small gasp. “H-hey, it was an accident, I didn’t mean it I swear.” The unicorn said starting to tremble.

“Get out of my sight and out of my face, or I make you bleed,” Shard said moving the fragments slowly towards them. His voice was borderline psychotic.

“He’s just bluffing, he doesn't have the nerve to-” The first pony went quiet, the fragments hovering inches away from their eyes, Shard tilting his head like an owl.

“To, what? Make you blind?” Shard laughed widening his eyes spinning the shards of glass making the three ponies back up even further “do you really want to test me? I’ve dealt with scum like you before, beating ponies up for no reason other than they looked at you the wrong way. I really enjoyed breaking them, but you… Your little group wouldn’t last ten seconds. So if you want to live and see another day, run for your lives.” Shard said lying, but the way he spoke made it seem like he was telling the truth.

The three ponies exchanged worried looks, choosing not to tempt him, the three ponies ran off leaving the cloaked figure behind. Shard releases his grasp on the fragments of glass, each falling in such a way that when they hit the ground it made a pleasant euphonic sounding tune.

The figure looked up, turning to Shard, not sure if it should run or stay still, it’s face and expression hidden by the shadow of its hood.

“It’s alright, those idiots are gone. They didn’t hurt you too badly did they?” Shard asked levitating the glass fragments out of the way, then offering a hoof to help the figure up.

“N-no… I’m fine, thanks for protecting me.” The figure said gratefully looking up at Shard, It’s voice smooth and had a quiet echo to it. It’s face and expression now visible. A female changeling with a scared expression looks at Shard, his first impulse was to run off since changelings are thought to be evil, but he chose not to, staying still.

“You’re a changeling… Okay then, I see why those idiots wanted to beat you up.” Shard said not thinking before he spoke, the changeling cowering scooting away from him “you saved me only to beat me?” The changeling squeaked sounding like she was ready to cry.

“No! I mean those ponies probably think you're evil, due to the failed invasion of Canterlot, most ponies associate changelings- not like you, to be evil. Stereotypes and stuff. I-I’m sure you're not like the others- and if you are that isn’t bad- I’m just going to shut up.” Shard said putting a hoof behind his neck.

The changeling tilted its head. “You... Are you not just an emotionless murderer? You seemed to be a savage beast just a moment ago, levitating that glass and falling on top of the shards of glass without having any reaction. Now you seem to be almost… Kind.” The changeling said with a wide-eyed look, standing up slowly shaking a little.

“You didn’t get cut once by the shards? I would have probably got fourteen deep gashes in my hide and a permanent limp.”

“No I did, pretty sure several shards are stuck inside me. But I’m used to pain much worse than this, so I’m just able to bite back my screams. And thanks, I’m not an emotionless psychopath, I just acted like that to scare those idiots off. And I do try to be kind.” Shard said with an exhausted sigh.

The changeling whimpered “I didn’t mean to offend you! I’m sorry.” The changeling flinched lowering her head, expecting to have been hit.

“Hey, it’s fine. Look at me.” Shard paused, the changeling looking directly at Shard’s scarred horn.

“Go fly off to Ponyville- maybe Canterlot- anywhere other than here. Ponies here see you as bugs that should be eradicated, you’ll be killed within a week or so.” Shard said being serious, frowning seeing what appeared to be tears in the changeling’s eyes.

“I’ve lived here my whole life. Within this city.” The changeling said making Shard skeptical.

“I was hatched in the sewers, only recently came up to the surface. I won’t be like the others… I’m not, like the others.” She insisted.

“Try convincing the rest of Manehattan that’s true. They won’t believe you.” Shard said cringing slightly, one of the glass shards slipping out of his side, shattering against the ground and blood dripping from his wound.

“Are you… Okay?” The changeling asked tilting its head to the left looking at his wound.

“I’m going to be fine, time heals all wounds. Look, if you want to stay in Manehattan fine by me, just try to either avoid fights or learn to protect yourself.” Shard said forcing a smile. The changeling looking away from his cut and then looked him in the eyes.

“Will do. If we ever meet again, what’s your name?”

“Shard, kinda ironic considering what’s in my side right now. And your name is what?”

“I… I’d rather not say.” The changeling mumbled backing up, it’s wings popping uplifting out from the cloak. “Until we meet again Shard.” The changeling nodded with a smile, equally as forced as his. Quickly galloping off, instead of flying she chose to run off.

Shard turned to the security camera inside the shop, hopefully not getting any footage of what just happened. Shard walks back inside and towards the cash register, cringing a little feeling the glass inside himself shake a little, causing more internal bleeding “buck,” Shard whimpered, blood dripping onto the floor.

Shard levitated a nearby phone up, dialing the manager getting the answering machine “sorry, I may or may not have been attacked tonight, I’m going to have to go home early, I may or may not just be bleeding out. I’ll be fine, bad luck for you ain’t it?” Shard said into the phone, hanging up calling the Manehattan Hospital slowly. Getting to talk with a nurse, Shard explained what happened and waited patiently at the doorway until a carriage pulled up, two ponies running up to Shard.

“You almost went a full month without an incident,” one of the ponies said to Shard, who nodded walking with them, having gone through similar events many times before. Shard got into the carriage quietly after locking the front door to the donut shop, despite the door now consisting of just a frame, he decided it would be reasonable to lock it. Clenching his jaw from a sudden surge of pain filling him. The carriage pulls off heading to the hospital in a hurry.