Brat's Dark Side

The ear - grating beeps of my alarm clock go off and I roll out of bed. I walk over to the mirror and grab my brush, taming the messy rats nest that I call a mane. The rings under my eyes are darker and more visible but, when you have to get up at six - thirty in the morning everyday and run on two to three hours of sleep… I suppose that’s what I get for being the way I am.

I run into the kitchen and grab a yogurt, along with my backpack and rush out the door. I gallop down the street and running up the hill.

As I burst into the cafeteria, Lost Legend passes by me. He opens his mouth to say something but before he can I give him a strong don’t ‘get-lost-don’t-start-with-me’ look and he shuts his mouth immediately. See, I don’t even need to say anything to be sassy.

I walk over to a table after spotting my friends and sit down beside Brat. “I’ll be back. I need tea.” I make my way to the tea station and brew myself some tea. As I look into the silver tea machine I see a familiar pony, I can barely make out a pony coming up behind me. “Don’t.”

“Wh- How did you know it was me?” Brat asks walking around beside me.

“Because, you’re not quiet and I saw your reflection in the tea machine” I state bluntly while mixing my tea in the water.

“What tea are you making? Can I try?” We walk back to the table and sit down, she sticks her straw in my cup and sips, almost immediately she tenses up and swallows it reluctantly. “What kind of tea is this? It’s almost as bitter as you!” She says in a joshing manner.

“It’s Black Tea. It has nothing in it. It’s pure.” I say taking a sip and swallowing.

“How can you drink that? It’s all eh, meh…” She makes a choking sound while wrapping her hooves around her neck to show me. “It’s like death.”

“Well, maybe to you. But I like my tea… Dark, untouched, pure. Sugar is too sweet-”

Sugar is amazing! It’s all yum and mmm and yay!”

“Listen little Brat, you need to take it down about thirty notches. You're too happy and it's too early.” I say taking another sip of my tea.

She looks over with a confused look. “How can you not be happy-”

“It seven twenty in the morning!” I point out.

“Well yeah but it’s so warm and sunny and bright and there are people out and about, who doesn’t like that?”

Nightglimmer and I both raise our hooves in the air and Brat lowers her head. “Look, that’s just how it is. I’m a pessimist, you're an optimist. You’re always looking to the ‘bright’ side of things. Us pessimists, we don’t do that.” I say stoically. I take a sip of my tea and continue talking. “I hate the sun, I hate Ponies, I hate warmth.”

“Well, you hate everything, so it’s okay.” Nightglimmer interjects, looking up from her homework.

I glare at her and turn back to Brat. “She has a point though.”

“Wh- You are the most pessimistic pony I’ve ever met.” Brat exclaims. “We need to fix that.”

“We?” I ask. “We are not going to do anything about me.” I state. “I never have been an optimist, I never will be. I’ll explain it to you one day. But, I think it’s better that you don’t know about me, right?” She giggles and claps her hooves together. “Hey, Brat? You don’t think badly of me because I’m a pessimistic introvert, do you?”

“Nah, I know you seem complex, but you’re really not. You built up barricades and made a maze out them, hoping to lose the ponies who try to get close to you.”

“Interesting. Is that how all ponies see me?” I ask, slightly intrigued.

“No, most see you ask a grumpy, stoic, apathetic, emotionless, heartless pony.” She answers in a cheery voice. “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hooves!”

“Not this again.” I groan, taking a long sip of my tea.

“If you’re happy and you know it, don’t smile.” I let her continue screaming her ‘song’. “If you’re happy and you know it act like Darkie!” She jabs my side and I scrunch up into a ball and close my eyes tightly. “I wasn’t actually going to.”

I clear my throat and get up, “Tch. Of course I know that.” I sneer, walking over to the trashcan and throwing away my empty cup. “We should get going, it’s seven fifty now. So let’s go.”

As I sit in Homeroom, all I can think about was this weekend. How she confronted me and tried to use me again. No one in Homeroom spoke to me, we all kept quiet as the teacher sat at her desk and scribbled on sheets of paper.

The bell rings, I pack my stuff and head out to my next class, taking my customary place next to Brat upon entering the room.

“Hi!” She says cheerfully. I give her an unemotional look. “Still grumpy as ever, I see!”

I nod my head and grab a packet laying at the center of the table. “Still a Brat, I see.” I reply, scanning over the packet. “The Crystal Empire. Why are we learning about this?”

“Well, it is called Global Studies for a reason, Darkie!” She smiles and takes a packet from the center and turns the page.

“Tch, I know that Brat.” I begin to fill out some of the information, most of it being on The Crystal War from Sombra’s rule.

The teacher goes on and on about the War, I slip away in my thoughts, blocking out her and everypony else around me. Once again, I find myself thinking about Lunar Shade. Why does she hate me? Why did she do the things she did? Why did I listen to her? Why did I hurt them?

No, I had no choice. I was put on this Earth to fight. To destroy. Without her command, I serve no purpose in being alive. But… How many ponies are going to get in the way? How many ponies will I have to hurt to complete my mission?

“Darkie!” I turn around, flustered and completely out of it. “Did you hear what the Teacher said? You’re wanted in the main office.” I pack my things and stand up, “So, what’d you’d do? Skip Leadership Training again with Nightglimmer?”

I flick her forehead and leave the room, as I walk down the corridor a familiar pony comes into view.

I walk closer and stand next to her. “Why are you here?”

She signs the paper at the desk and escorts me out. As the door of the school closes softly behind me she stops and grips my mane. “It wasn’t a matter of missing school… I need you for something.”

“You are a sick pony.” I hiss as we walk back home. “It should be you that’s dead. Not Mom.”

“This is why the school thinks you need help.” She retorts back. “Because… You’re the one that’s sick…” She whispers, lowering her gaze. I glare at her, giving her a nasty look of disgust.

“You… You’re wrong…” I reply, thinking about how much hate I have for her. “How many… How ponies will I have to hurt?” I look up at her angrily, I stop walking and face her. “How much before you’re happy?!” I scream, “How much before I can stop fighting and being tortured?!”

She clicks her tongue and continues walking down the street. “I’m not sure.” Her words tell me one story but her eyes say another. “You don’t think I have any feelings? I do. But remember, I only took you in because I needed you. I couldn’t get my revenge being a meer pegasus, but the prodigy of the two most powerful unicorns in that village…” She clicks her tongue again and smiles as she leans down to my height. “You have so much potential. Your Mother and Father were both strong… The strongest there was. A powerful leader such as your Father and a natural at magic such as your Mother.”

“So, they were the most powerful in the family?” I question to myself.

“Yes. They created you! My deceased Brother was always a leader. Such a shame he had to die. He served well during his time. But you surely will carry on for him… Won’t you?” She looks down upon me out the corner of her eye.

“Yes, of course I will.” I say.

“Lovely. Remember, you will take responsibility for what is lost.” She says. “You are now the most powerful pony in this family… You always were. You hold a lot more power then you know.”

We come up to a building. I read the sign, Adoption Center. “W- What are you doing here?!” I raise my voice.

“Don’t ask questions child.” She says walking inside. I back away and make a run for it. Mom, Brat, Dad, where are you? “There wasn’t one thing you felt sorry for…” I say to myself…. “Not one thing you regret making me do. Am I right?” I say furiously.

“I have no regrets!” She spits back, laughing maniacally. “Now get back here!” She chases after me, I give up on running and teleport to her house. Not the safest place but there's a hunch I need to prove.

I run into the basement and go to the corner of the room where a cabinet that belonged to my Mom stands.

I never bothered with it, I never touched it. But every now and then it would catch my attention and I’d find myself wondering over to it. Always unable to open it due to the electronic code you had to enter.

I walk over to it and tinker with the lock. Entering different combinations every time. Lunar always avoided the topic of what was inside of it. I look everywhere in the room for some sort of code and stop at the bookshelf. I scan the shelves for a small piece of paper or something, taking the time to look inside each journal for something useful. I look over the bookshelf once more, making sure I didn’t miss anything before moving onto the desk. I check all around, and underneath it before checking the drawers.

I lift up stacks of paper and folders, frantically looking for anything. To me, it always seemed weird how she would avoid the topic. Every since I was little I’ve wondered what was in that chest. Besides, I’m locked in the basement, I might as well try to do something productive, who knows when she’ll let me out.

I walk back over to the bookshelf using my horn as a flashlight. As I scan over the books again, six books look out of place.

I pull over a chair and climb on top of it to get a better view. Sure enough, six books belonging to her favorite series are there. It looks like they haven’t been touched in quite some time. I stare at the books for a while before getting off and taking a seat on the chair. “Where are the other five books in that series? Why does she only have six of them down here?” I walk over to the lock on the cabinet and count up the numbers needed.

I climb back on the chair to the books and take a closer look at them. Nine, seven, seven, three, two, five.

I walk back to the cabinet and punch the numbers in as a thought forms in my head. The cabinet unlocks, stunned that I even figured it out I rip open the cabinet doors eager to see what inside.

At first, I can’t see much, due to the darkness. I squint my eyes and can barely make out some sort of thin, shiny, hard structure. On the next shelf, I see the outlines of a tablecloth or some other form of cloth. On the last shelf, is a piece of paper neatly folded and in the center.

I pick up the note and unfold it with care. As I read it, it doesn’t say much. Just a clothing size and a clothing store along with a number, a date and time to pick something up.

I shine some light on the items and pick up the shiny object on the top shelf. A blade. Not surprising considering she has all types of torture weapons down here. As I look closer, there are no markings, no engravings or anything on the blade. I turn the blade over and look at the hilt.

My breathing goes shallow as I stare wide - eyed in disbelief. I drop the weapon, it makes a loud clang as it hits the stony floor of the basement. I pull out the next thing on the middle shelf, at first it just looks like neat, folded clothes. I carefully inspect the neatly folded clothing and turn over the end of the cloth. My eyes lay upon a pegasi insignia sewn on to the bottom.

My mind goes blank and my breathing is shaky. I remember what happened six years ago.

The sword slashes into my Father's shoulder and leaves a nasty gash. The pony jumps away as my Father stumbles backwards. “I can always be replaced. If I die… A new Commander can take over my place! I told my Stallions and Mares to die fighting for us. If that includes me, then so be it!” He jumps forwards and tackles the figure to the ground. He punches the pony beneath the cloak a few times while they struggle to throw my Dad off of them. He looks over to me with determination in his eyes. “Run!”

I run up to the pony in the cape ignoring the pain in my ear and bite the cape, trying to rip it off the pony. I clench my teeth around the fabric and tug on it. The figure looks back and me and extends their hind leg. As their leg clashes into my chest, I fall back and stumble head over heels.

I get up, activating my magic to stop the pony, the sword plunges into my Father's neck and he falls limp to the ground as blood oozes out of his neck staining the green grass. I back away from the figure and stand there for a few moments not knowing what to do. I’ve always had my Dad by my side. I glance over to his lifeless body, still dripping fresh blood from his wound.

I glance down at the fabric again and more memories come flooding back.

A pony wearing a dark, navy blue cape with the insignia of the pegasi on the bottom of the cape, running down the other side of the street. “Dad! Over here!” I shout, he stops and turns around.

A thick pommel is marked with the symbol of the Gang this sword belongs to, a symbol many would never want to see in their life.

The blade itself is fairly simple from what I see. No markings, no decorations and no engravings.

I run back in the direction of my house, knocking into ponies left and right of me. “Dad! Dad!” I turn the corner and run up the street. As my house comes into view, I take longer strides. As I reach my house it’s barely still standing. The roof is collapsed and windows are shattered. Underneath the pile of the fallen roof my Father lies there with his eyes closed.

“Dad!” I run up to him and shake him. Tears brimming in my eyes. “Dad! Dad!” He opens his eyes and stares up at me. “You’re okay!” I say happily. I run over to the roof laying on top of him and activate my magic. As I try to push it off of him, he struggles to get up.

He squirms out from under the debris and limps over to me. “Thanks, sweetheart. You saved me.”

I reach up and wipe my cheeks, tears pour out of my eyes. “Why? Why would you…” I sob. “What’s wrong with you? No, you wouldn’t… You were so close.” I stuff the things back in the cabinet and lock it.