Monster

Orion

I woke up like normal.

My eyes flickered open as I dragged myself out of bed, passing the unused birthday present I had gotten a few weeks ago from my family and friends, and the only one I truly found myself liking was Skyward’s present he gave me; a wooden sword.

Skyward knew me the best out of our family, and friends, mainly because we grew up thinking we owned the world. When we were together, nothing could come into our way and tell us otherwise than what we wanted to believe. No pony could come and say we were too different to be friends. We all came a long way from that sort of thing, at least, it’s what the historians tell us.

As much as I knew to always eat before we play, I couldn’t help but pick up my wooden sword and run out of our room. Yeah, me and Skyward shared a room together because it was easier than to have two rooms in use. So, our parents agreed to allow us to share a room before we were even born! Or... before I was born.

However, we did have different nurseries.

Skyward was up before me, he probably already ate and was out doing something. Dad was out with his friends, mom was busy with Auntie, leaving me alone. Skyward was the only one I could ever trust in this place because the guards didn’t know what to think about me. Claiming I’d do something to them if they were left alone with me. Skyward never got that kind of thing.

Well, as far as I know.

I snuck past a guard who was patrolling the ground I was in to be able to make it outside where I saw Skyward. He was with someone else, and I felt my stomach turn when I realized exactly who it was.

Winter Rose.

Winter Rose was a filly who was brought in to be cared for. A noble pony took her in and she basically became the daughter of a noble instead of being the orphan she once was. Winter hated me--just like the Dash Twins--and for her reason I knew why. Every pony knew why Winter hated me.

She claimed I was a demon sent from the underground world where the meanest of ponies were sent. All the murders, treason, and whatever you can think of where sent when they died instead of going into heaven like good ponies were sent too. Not only that, but she also thought I’d steal Skyward from her.

Yup, she liked my cousin.

Which was fine because I didn’t care who liked Skyward as long as they could get past whatever things their parents said about me and my father. Winter Rose did not get past those things because her adoptive father also believed in what she said about me because he was the only who told her about those things.

He’s the reason why Winter Rose hates me.

I still went towards them though.

“So, I was wondering if you...Ah!” Winter Rose jumped when she saw me, and Skyward looked over his shoulder to glance at me. A wide smile forming on his face. Winter, however, pointed her hoof at me with disgust written on her face, and she shook almost. “Mother of Luna! It’s the demon!”

“He is no demon.” Skyward defended me. “Orion is harmless, Winter. He cannot hurt a living thing, and he knows how to control the magic his father passed onto him. He is no different from all of us.”

Skyward was always the one to speak like his mother.

“Yeah, I’m no demon.” I puffed out my chest. “I’m just like you, a normal pony. That looks different, and that’s okay. Being different is good, dad says so. As does mom, and Aunt Celestia.”

Winter shook her head, and backed up, her hoof touched Skyward’s shoulder. “We need to get out of here, Skyward. Orion is messing up your mind. Everypony knows it is only a matter of time before he’s murdering us all. Killing us with his dark magic.”

I had no dark magic.

Nor did I want any to being with.

“He’s not evil, Winter. Can you stop saying he is? It’s starting to get on my nerves.” Skyward huffed out, turning towards me and seeing the wooden sword by my leg and his face light up. “Oh! I’ll go get my sword, and we’ll play fight. I’ll be right back!”

With that, he left.

Leaving me alone with Winter, and I stood there awkwardly. She just gave me a glare, and flicked her tail angrily. I think, if you looked close enough, you could see smoke coming from her nose, and I looked around, trying to avoid her gaze, almost failing as I did so.

I heard her give a small growl, and I knew she must’ve learnt it from her father. Who else would she have learnt it from? Her actual parents? No, because they weren’t around anymore.

“You are a demon.”

“No, I am not.”

“What else are you then?”

A small smile appeared on my face, and I puffed out my chest in a heroic way. “A prince, and future hero of Equesteria.” She laughed, and my smile vanished. “What is so funny about my dreams? I bet the dreams you got, are not good in anyway shape for form. I bet you do know, you are not going to take up your father’s job, yeah? Your brother will be doing that.”

Winter Rose gave me a full blown hiss, and trotted towards me, a firm frown on her face and she thrust her hoof at my chest, poking me with it with every word she said. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you, Orion? Well, allow me to explain something to you. No one likes you. You’ll forever be alone. Understand? Skyward will not stick around with you forever once he realizes what you truly are, and even your parents will regret ever having you.” With that, she turned around and stomped away.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel like playing with my wooden sword with my cousin anymore.

Monster

Skyward didn’t understand when I said I didn’t feel like playing anymore. He just watched as I trailed upwards to our room, and sat down on my bed. Looking at the sword, and feeling like I shouldn’t be touching it until I was feeling much better than what I was feeling now.

Dad came by a few times, only to sulk out of the room, muttering how I wasn’t the same when I was down. I knew he was going to get mom, what else would he be doing? Mom knew how to make me smile as did Auntie, so he may try and get her too.

Unknown to them, I swore I wouldn’t crack a smile.

Not this time.

When my mom and aunt did show up, I was facing away, laying down on my bed, staring out the window. Mom’s mane tickled my side, and I held back a laugh. Auntie’s mane was also doing the same, and they knew it. Once, I almost felt mom’s hoof on my side as to tickle me into looking at them.

They gave up half way through to move me over so I was facing them, and I could see playfulness in auntie’s eyes, and mom’s eyes only held worry. One of them would attack first, and the other would wait for their turn at the attack until they knew exactly what was going on with me.

Auntie attacked me first.

Tickling my sides, nuzzling me into laughing more than I wished for, and I eventually gave up after a while, mom’s turn at attack would soon come, when it was time to ask me what was going on, and I knew they would be expecting an answer from me. But how could I give it to them? They would never understand what it was like being hated because of what you look like and who your father was.

They wouldn’t understand.

Now, came the second attack from my mother.

“I heard from daddy you have been upset,” Mom said, her eyes glowing. “Can you tell us what is wrong, Ori?”

“Nothing is wrong, mommy. Just thinking.” I answered.

Auntie narrowed her eyes, and gave me a look. Her eyes softly trailed towards the sword, and must have remembered seeing Skyward running outside with his own sword. “Out of today, you’ve only touched your prized sword once. You and Skyward are always out at this time, playing away like no one can come and tell you to stop. Why aren’t you out there with him? He’s fighting a tree.”

Skyward is... fighting a tree?

“Why a tree, auntie?” Celestia laughed and gave a shrug, and mom just shook her head.

“He said it was because there was nothing else to fight beside a tree. He was going to fight it until you came back, ready to play fight with him so you both may become stronger together. However, I think he knows there is no way he can become stronger by fighting a tree that does not move like a real enemy.” Celestia explained. “If you were out there, he would be fighting you.”

“Oh.”

Mom gave me a look and I saw a small smile forming on her face until it was very known she was smiling. There was no way I would not smile back, so I gave her a smile in return. “Are you going to go join him?”

“Uh huh!” I happily nodded, picking up my sword. “I am!”

“Have fun.” She said before nuzzling me.

I ran outside without a second thought through my mind.

Monster

“Skyward! Stop fighting the tree! You look weird!”

Skyward gazed over to me before running towards me with his sword. A moment later and our swords clashed together, there was no sound like there were would be if they were real swords instead of wood. But we didn’t care, and why would we?

We could pretend to do anything we wanted because we were allowed.

When we took our break, we sat underneath the tree Skyward had been fighting, and I could see little drops of sweat on his forehead, could he really get sweaty from fighting trees? But, then again, maybe I shouldn’t question it, because who knows what Skyward could get himself into.

That didn’t stop him from being a total jerk and start speaking about Winter Rose like he was in love with her just like she was with him, and he knows how much I don’t like her, and how she doesn’t like me that well.

“She’s just so...! Nice, ya know?” Skyward asked, pointing a hoof to the sky. “She’s almost like how aunt Cadance is for uncle Shining Armor. But with me and her instead of them.”

I shifted. “Sounds... nice. But can we stop speaking about her? Please?”

“Oh, yeah... sorry.” Skyward rubbed the back of his neck. “I forgot you... kinda hate her.”

“I don’t hate her. We just don’t get along. You see how she treats me, exactly like how the Dash Twins treat me. They judge before they get to know me, and you’re the only one besides Flurry and Lapis who doesn’t hate me.” I said back, looking away from him.

He shook his head. “Not everyone hates you.”

“Tell that to Winter and her words.” I mumbled.

“What did Winter say?” His look told me everything. He was wanting to know what his friend said, and this might change the way he looks at her. Which, I hope stays the same because Skyward deserves to be happy with whoever he wanted. “Ori, what did Winter say to you?”

I took a breath, and began speaking. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you, Orion? Well, allow me to explain something to you. No one likes you. You’ll forever be alone. Understand? Skyward will not stick around with you forever once he realizes what you truly are, and even your parents will regret ever having you.”

“You did... nothing to us. Why did she say something like that? That’s just plain rude!” Skyward hissed, and I knew right away, he didn’t feel the same anymore.

This time; I was the reason why.