My Destiny? [Teaser Only]by ZhafranChaptersThe Play is TonightMissing FillyWaking UpParental VisitGoodbye PonyvilleThe Play is Tonight"Well done, Rarity. Your costumes are very nice." That was what the school teacher said about the dresses I made. 'Nice she says?' No, ‘nice’ wasn't enough. I needed to prove myself that I was more than capable of just creating a lovely dress like any other. I needed them to be somewhat special or dare I say, spectacular. Being a soon-to-be a fashion designer myself, I could tell that my current ensembles were more or less like a standard dress which I believe every dressmaker has the capability and patience to design. Sighing, I sat there in front of my sewing machine my mom rent for us for our time in Ponyville. Yeah, rent. Well it's actually one of the unused items that was inside the defunct boutique where the Ponyville authority decided to rent to us for a while until we make our decision whether or not to settled for a more permanent resident. I have to say, it did the job well done, and it was more than enough for me to crafting my own outfit for the play that night, plus these dresses are going to give me a great first impression of what I can do before I even join the school. Smiling, I looked down at my current dresses once more and began to think about what should I do to enhance my current design. I tried to add some accessories I could find from the materials the school provided and also some leftover from the boutique itself to matched upon. The school allowed us to use any form of materials not limited to what the school has provided for a reason. To encourage creativity. But I don't know why everything I added doesn't seem right. They have the look okay, some of them was making the dress look worse, and some doesn't even add any real value and instead, well... looking cheap. Yeah, that's the word. Sighing, I stripped the dress off from the sewing machine and opted to place a plain orange fabric for some visual reference and comparison when my father decided to come into my room. "Hey Rarity, you still got caught up on that little project of yours?" He asked with the usual smile on his lips. Every time for him is a happy moment to enjoy, but this time, his smile was more prominent than the usual. Dad always love physical activities. He was the one who suggesting us to moved into Ponyville because of how peaceful the town was. It was also due to the fact that Ponyville has this convenience little boutique ready for my future self, and to pointing out the obvious, yes because there will be no angry neighborhood and more space for him to... let's say, do some sport related stuff if his word was to believe. "No, it's just need a... little bit of touching." I replied, focusing my attention back to the fabric in front of me. I heard his chuckle after I said that, probably because every time I said that, I took an hour or two to finish whatever I was doing. 'It had to be perfect you know.' "Alright sweetie," He said. "I'll take a walk with the local ponies around here to do some talk about the house rent and if I'm in luck, probably a more permanent resident, okay? So please be a good filly and stays around the town because... well there were a report about some increased monster activity nearby. I'm sure you don't want to get hurt and upset your mother by doing that." "Mhmm." I nodded, understanding about Mom's current mood today. She wasn't particularly too fond about the idea of us moving out from Manehattan to settled in Ponyville. It must because I was still in Mom's belly when they first visited the town, and despite the coziness the town has to offer, Mom was worried because of the close proximity to the infamous forest of Everfree. My present back then might've caused her protective instinct to ran on full swing, trying to keep me from any potential danger that she was afraid about being near the Everfree. And things get worse. Regardless of what happened during that time, It's turned out that I was born earlier than expected. So instead of having fun in the village, most of the vacation time were spent resting in the Ponyville General which further diminished her opinion of the town. Sighing, I shook my head and I was back to the present. Looking back at my dresses and sure enough, they don't seem complete. I tried every trick I could think of, but nothing seemed to work. The costumes just weren't right, and the play opened that night. 'What is it that missing? Food themed outfit? Check. Organic and original design? Check. Comfortable to wear? Check. Yet why it seems incomplete...' Maybe because I have an impossibly high standard that I can't quite achieve by myself. Or maybe because my imagination was just too wild to achieve in reality. Or maybe I'm not... 'No! Stop.' As much as I'd like to say the otherwise, I still have this kind of feeling about the simple possibility that I'm simply wasn't meant to be a fashion designer. This was simply existed because of how many times I tried to come up with my own clothes design, and yet I still haven't earned my own cutie mark till this day. I don't know how to compare the feeling, but maybe... It's just awful. "Maybe I'm not meant to be a fashionista after all..." As if on cue, I suddenly felt a tingling sensation on the tip of my horn, and it was kept getting stronger and stronger until I found myself being dragged by my own horn. "Aah! What's going on?!" I had no idea where my horn was taking me. But unicorn magic doesn't happen without a reason. I knew this had to do with my love of fashion and maybe even my cutie mark! I knew that this was... My destiny! The landscape was changing from right to left, passing like I was on a train ride but without the trademarked noisy ding I usually heard. It was a surreal experience and confusing as just of how my horn was pulling me over to... something. I'll be laughed if it's turned out to be anything but fashion related stuff or short of things. 'You better good at your destination horn.' After a lengthy amount of time, following/dragged around the world, or what it seems to me. I finally arrived at... "A rock?! That's my destiny?! What is your problem, horn? I followed you all the way out here for..." 'Wait hold on for a second, where was I? Oh, no.' The moment I looked at my surrounding, I then realized that I was now is in an unfamiliar location with little to no creatures around and nopony around with. The area was a barren landscape with full of canyon if I recall, and I was obviously outside of Ponyville which mean... 'Oh no, I should go back. I need to go back before-' But then it was too late. I heard a rock rumbling behind my back and a shadow was looming above me, blocking out the sunlight, and a cold feeling seeping into my spine as my body began to shake in shock about what was behind me. A loud roar was heard afterward, It was a different kind of roar that I used to hear from a manticore in a circus show back in Manehattan. I gulped in an air in reflect, turning my head around, what I saw behind me caused my heart to pump even further and I practically felt it beating against my chest. There was a large creature with mole-like features standing in front of my eyes. It was big. So big that it's almost as big as the rock behind me. It had a massive arm with a pair of giant claws on its end. Its mouth which is big as a door seems ready to open up at anytime to devour a pony in a single bite. Its nose looks like a squid, and its orange eyes were staring at my own. 'Oh my goodness!!!' "HELP!" I shouted in pure shock, backpedaling while the creature just growling, moving its head and take a step forwards towards me. 'No, nonono, this is not good.' The creature raised its claw in the air while its body were now in half-crouch position before the massive claw planting itself on the ground. It lifted the other claw and slowly crawling even closer. 'No! But what about my destiny? Horn! What have you done to me!' I could feel the creature's breath over my face now, the squid like nose were like a tentacle ready to grab me at any moment before squeezing me like a plushy toy. I was panicked and subconsciously backpedaling even further until I suddenly felt my backside were touching with a solid surface. Looking at my back, it was the big rock that was standing on the cliff, and in front of me was the mole-like creature approaching. 'Gosh no, I was trapped! What am I supposed to do?!' My heartbeat increased each time in a panic, I was surrounded by a monster that most likely will kill me in an instant, my left and right was a certain death by gravity, and my back was a rock which prevent me from falling off the cliff. 'I need to intimidate it.' Igniting my horn under the fear of being eaten alive by this creature, I quickly yelled. "Stay back!" My voice that came out wasn't how I was expecting it. The creature stop for a moment with another noise I could not describe. Its just slightly tilting its head and blinking before narrowing its eyes again to me. The growling was getting louder in my ears, and it's breath... 'Oh no, I needed to yell louder!' "No, I said stay back!" It just breathed out on me, I felt my furs were standing over my coat when the creature sniffing me like a cat and its prey. I ran out of options. I don't have any single idea about using a teleportation spell because at the time I haven't learned the spell yet. The only spells I know was a simple levitation spell, the most basic spell every unicorn in my age have known and which is also the spell I commonly use in everyday life, and a beam spell that I normally use when I try to shoo away a rat or something out of my room. And so that's it. I just did what I could do for myself. Under my adrenaline fueled survival instinct, and practically no other way to leave, my fight or flight response settled on the former option, subconsciously casting the spell to throw something to it. Behind the creature, I saw a chunk of rocks that was laying next to a hole which I haven't realized it was there before when I first arrived. Concentrating, I managed to lift a medium-sized rock nearest to us and pulled it with all power I had without much of thinking. And it was painful. My horn wasn't accustomed to lifting a heavy object, and it was simply painful. I never thought in my life that the pain from falling down horn first or any physical contact to it is nothing by comparison to simply pouring all of my mana drain to lifting an object as heavy as it is. My forehead was throbbing dangerously, a stinging feeling felt throughout my entire body, which transferred through my entire backbones and spreading to my rib cage until it's reached my tail which felt like something was ejected from me. Collapsing, my body felt cold and my legs were unresponsive all of a sudden. A fluttery feeling was forming in my stomach and I had a very strong concussion I ever felt in life. I think I just drain my entire mana reserve from the way I felt. I couldn't describe it more. Just plain horrible. Under my dazed state, my eyes somehow was capable to regain some sense of focuses and what I saw was something that I can never forget. At first I saw a blue gemstone rolling next to me, but then I saw that there was a fluid splattered on it. It was red. There was a crimson patches splattered across the ground, and I think some of them were splattered over my coat too. There was also the smell, a smell like something where it belongs to a construction site back in Manehattan but stronger... It's smelled just like a metal. The creature was collapsing on its side which shook the ground of where we are. The creature roared so loud that my ears were ringing in pain. It slowly raised once more and from what I could tell, it had an enormous red patches on its right arm... Oh. 'O-oh, what have I done?' The creature was still capable to rise despite the injury. It stood up and letting out an even louder roar where all I heard was just a ringing. 'Oh no, nonononono. I'm going to die. I'm going to die...' 'Mommy...' The creature's left arm were grinding against the ground before finally lifted in the air with the claws spreading out like a giant knife. I closed my eyes shut. I was too scared to open my eyes at the sight of the creature. I can't think straight and all I did was repeatedly trying to cast a beam spell in my last desperate attempt to save myself from certain death, I kept trying to cast it despite my mana reserves was drained, but then... somehow, I can cast it. There was a large of surge of energy flew across my entire body which was quickly absorbed in my horn when I tried to cast the spell. I'm honestly wasn't sure what was happened at that time, other than that I was desperately focusing all of my will power to cast a beam spell from my empty mana reserve, and with the foreign mana overflow ready to be absorbed, I guess you don't want to know what is going to happen next. Maybe because I was so desperate in casting the beam spell with my empty mana reserve, the spell becoming more potent in trying to absorb mana from my drained body. But because there was this energy washed over me, the spell ended up absorbing mana way more drastically than it should. My body tensed, the throbbing was intensified, and an overwhelming heat replacing the cold feeling until gradually, I couldn't feel anything anymore. Numbness took over me and then slowly and steadily, everything felt... so peaceful... It was a calming and soothing sensation that replaced my pains, and It was just as if I was asleep. I slowly opened up my eyelids and all I could see was just a blur of different shades of color. There was a blue color background and a rainbows gradient moving from top to bottom and disappearing behind a brown color on my lower corner of my eyes, which some of them separated from one another. Some of the brown color increased in size and grow darker and seems moving closer and closer towards me until they moved to pass on either left or right of me and out from my eyesight. That was the last thing I saw before the darkness forming at every corner of my vision until they finally encompass everything. Missing Filly"Have you managed to find the missing filly yet?" Asked the unicorn in a guard armor. "Not yet, sir. I'm afraid we already searched the entire town already." Came the reply from another guard. "From what I heard from the witnesses, I guess she was heading to the south-west and went outside the town." The unicorn guard sighed, "Dammit, there was a report about a lone Maulwurf lurking around the area if that kid was heading toward the canyon." With a shook of his head, he asked. "Is there any news from the pegasus team? Have they arrived from the search?" "They will back in a few minutes." Replied his subordinate, "I'm sure they will find her." ⁂ On the south-western side of Ponyville, the pegasus team were on their search and rescue mission to bring back the missing filly that was last seen heading towards this direction. The group were in loose formation, separated from one another and had a voice transmitter enhancement on their helmet for an easy communication. One of the pegasus saw an unusually bright light near the cliff which were recently collapsed, possibly from the Maulwurf activity. "I see something on our right. There is a bright light over there, and it's seem like there was a landslide." "Excellent work Seeker 2, everypony follows Seeker 2 and maintain the altitude, we don't want the Maulwurf to just jump up and catching us off when it thinks it can reach us." Said the flight lead to his wingponies. Approaching the light which was emitted from the ground near the cliff, the guards arrived at the scene and saw that a good portion of the cliff was collapsed. The area was still covered in a thick dust from the landslide, but they focused their attention to the source of light and upon a closer inspection, the light was actually a sunlight reflecting from the gemstones that was scattered around the ground. "My goodness, what the heck was happened here." "Not a clue, better keep an eye for the girl, she must be... oh wait I see her." "Be careful Seeker 3, I don't want to see you going back home without a wing." Joked his squad mate. Banking his wings to make a descent, the other pegasus followed his lead while the rest of the team were maintaining their altitude. When they flew closer just enough to see the scene. "What the hell? is that... is that a Maulwurf? A baby Maulwurf she killed?" Said the rookie member. On the ground, there was the creature laying on its back with a burn marks over its face, half buried by the rubble. It was unknown whether the creature was still alive at that point. Although a group of guard could theoretically dispel an infant Maulwurf, it's still such a rarity for them to see the creature up in the open, let alone to actually see it incapacitated, but defeated by a small filly? Despite it still a baby, the Maulwurf was just slightly bigger than a regular bear in size but is on par with a Cragadile when it comes to toughness. "Just focus on the extraction and get the hell out of there, the rest of the team, keep an alert if the mother is nearby and decide to come by." With a shake of his head, the leader of the team looking down at the unconscious filly on the ground and said. "Her parents is surely gonna like to hear this..." ⁂ Cookie Crumbles was trotting around the town, taking a deep breath to fill her lungs with the fresh cold air which is such a rarity back in Manehattan. Along the way, she began to think about the pros and cons about living in Ponyville. Overall, her week there was uneventful, beside some confusing house layout which is a stark contrast to the grid block building layout of the city. The town was bigger than she thought, and the lack of transportation means she has to travel around town by hooves with a fairly long distance just to get groceries. The road was mostly limited or non-existent, only a plain dirt road leading to the most crowded area or the 'main street' and nothing else. Sighing, she looked around her and so far, everything seems good, she might've been too paranoid about a monster attack or the Everfree but who can blame her, Rarity was inside her belly when she first arrived and her husband attempt to comfort her has caused the opposite effect and now, there was a recent report which increased her uneasiness. But despite the report, the ponies so far seems pretty content like it was nothing. They kept doing their own business, smiling and talking with each other and even laughing at some of the jokes they heard. The town was indeed full of friendly pony and the neighborhood were nice and actually seems to care with each other. Most of the commodity there were natively grown from the farmland and local business were thriving. Despite the distance with the market, she guessed she will get used to it and maybe her fear was just a temporary thing. Smiling, compared to Manehattan, maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. But when she was arrived at the boutique where she stayed for a couple of a day, she saw that there was a crowd of ponies and the mare she recognized as the mayor of the town. Confused and worried, she took a slow steps closer to where her daughter was when she was left. ⁂ It was a huge blow to Rarity's parents for learning that her precious daughter went missing. The front door of the house was left open when Cookie Crumbles, the mother of young Rarity came back home from the train station after she did a negotiation with the railroad company about the possibility of them to transporting large furniture across the country. She was about to open up with her husband idea to live a simple life in a town where they had some sense of community compared to the city. The witnesses said that her daughter's horn was glowing, and she was screaming along the way when she was resisting the pull from her own horn. Hondo Flanks was in shocked by what he heard from the mayor by the time he was back to the boutique, he had a hard time believing what he heard. "Mr Flanks, I know that is hard for-" "But you said this town is safe!" "Ye-yeah the town is safe, but we don't know what was happened to your daughter that caused her-" "Shut up! Where is she now?" "W-we did our best to try-" "Sir!" A new voice was heard. Their attention was shifted by the time a pegasus guard arrived from where they went, and he spoke. "We have found your daughter sir, and-" "You found her? Where is she?!" The guard remained silent for a few seconds, mentally prepare himself to deliver the bad news about the filly's condition. "We send her to the hospital by the time we speak, and she is now under the care of the professionals." Hondo's previous fury was gone in an instant by the time he heard that his daughter was in the hospital, a cold feeling spread throughout his body and suddenly everything he saw become so blurry, he never had thought that his daughter would end up in the situation like this and a dozen of images forming up in his head about how severe his daughter's condition was. It took him awhile to get over his shock, shaking his head, he banished the mental thought about how bad his daughter condition was and began to think more rational. In his mind, Rarity might be unharmed and only need some physical check here and there for a precaution before she was clear to go home. As much as he wanted to believe it though, the way the guard informed him was not an appealing one. But still, he kept thinking that way and nothing will change his mind until he saw his daughter himself. "T-take me to her." ⁂ How is such that thing is possible? It was like the fate itself intentionally pulled her daughter into a trap. Compared to her more adventurous husband, Cookie Crumbles is a lot more cautious and conservative. Had Rarity wasn't encounter the Maulwurf and come back in one piece from her little adventure, she might've settled that Ponyville wasn't as bad as she thought. But with the recent incident, her worry were proven correct, and now she was sobbing on the floor while the townsponies were trying to console her. Hondo himself was eerie silent by the time he landed his eyes on his daughter and saw her condition. It was the second time they visited the Ponyville General, but compared to the previous one, this time it wasn't a happy moment. Rarity was laying motionless on the hospital bed with an IV along with other medical instrument attached to her body. There was a bruise on her forehead, and she had several small cuts all over her body. Her right hind leg was wrapped in a bandage, possibly from the blunt force from the impact of the falling debris. Her eyes socket was sunken, her usual pristine white coat were now duller in comparison to her usual self with a sweat and dirt and crimson patches into the mix. Her mane was a mess, wrinkled, tangled, and has lost its spark from the accumulated dust. From the looks of it, she had a severe dehydration, and it's unlikely for her to wake up anytime now. Sitting on the bench outside the room, Hondo just stare ahead with a blank expression on his face. His heart was shattered in pieces, he was the one who had the initiative to moved into Ponyville. He always has a place for the sight of green hill and trees, and he would love to have a life near them despite the fact that this town is not the safest place in Equestria. Sighing, he realized just how selfish he has become. Because of his selfishness, his daughter was paying the price. He supposedly become a figurehead of the family, to be a selfless pony who prioritize the other. And now, he had a lot to make up for his family. Cookie Crumbles has stopped crying now, but she found herself unable to look at her husband. In her mind, this whole situation will never happen had she stays with her feeling, part of her wanted to turn and never seeing him again, but another kept telling her that it's worth nothing. The damage has done, and she wanted to vent out her frustration, but she couldn't. She was just looking out at the window, eyes still puffy from the tear she shed. She wanted to leave the town as soon as possible once her daughter was in good condition, she couldn't imagine the horror her daughter faced. The filly who deserve better. According to the guards, she was found on the rubble which indicated that she was on the cliff before the Maulwurf attack. The existence of the Maulwurf itself was still under investigation, and she must've used her entire mana reserve to defend herself from the Maulwurf but not without hurting herself in the process. It was too early for them to concluded that the recent Sonic Rainboom might've done something with her that cause her magic power to overcharged, but at the end of the day. She was alive. The gemstones that was found nearby was allocated to Hondo's family with a small amount of them will be used for the hospital bill while their daughter were there. The gemstones had a low exchange value at that time because how much easier for them to be found. Despite the quantity, they aren't worth that much and only serve as a painful remainder. What is the point of having them if your child is laying motionless in the hospital? It's pretty much their fault for letting this to happened to their daughter. It's their fault for leaving her alone in the boutique. Maybe, they will deal with the other problem next time, because for now, they only want their daughter safe, but deep down in their heart. They know their daughter will never be the same... Waking Up"Uhh..." It was an absolute wreck by the time I was back to the living world. All I could remember at that time was when my horn starting to glow, dragging me into a middle of no where, and by the time it bursting out from the ground and when it let out a roar towards the sky before finally, it was looking down at me with eyes full of rage. It was scary. I still remember the way its breath over my coat. I'm still feeling its presence on me. It felt so real. Very real. The pain felt real. There was blood everywhere and the smell... 'Was it a nightmare? Or was it real? No, it wasn't real... It wasn't!' I tried to convince myself that everything I saw was just a nightmare. It must be a nightmare, otherwise, I might've not waking up at this moment... Right? I was laying there longer than I was expecting. My body was still tense, and I felt like I was running for a mile non-stop. There was also this light that shone over my eyes, it was so annoying. 'It's morning already?' When I first awake, my mind hasn't had a full grasp nor time to fully proceeded about what was happened. I was convinced that everything was just a nightmare and I assume that I was awake in my room. I tried to move my arms to block out what I assume was a sunlight, but I found myself unable to do so. The second time I tried to do that again, I could only move my right foreleg a few centimeters above the bed before my muscle failed me and my arm fall back down. It was then I realized just how weak my body was. A worry feeling creep into me by the moment I realized I couldn't easily move my body. My breath was rapid once more, and I felt my heart was beating fast against my chest. Trying to muster all my strength to open my eyes, all I could see was a blinding white light above me which doesn't make any sense, when did my room have that big light over there? My ear was slowly but gradually heard a low beeping noise just a few inches from me. Instinctively, I rolled my eyes around, and then I realized this wasn't my room. 'What? Where am I? Why I'm here?' My heart pumping even faster, I tried to move my limbs in panic. I had no idea of where I was and how I even be here. I don't want to be where I was and all of a sudden, an overwhelming urge of me wanting to be home poured into my mind in the form of a desire that was so strong it could not be resisted. I was afraid of being kidnapped or something Mom and Dad won't tell me until I'm old enough, and I was afraid that I was on the latter. When my mind was begging for either mom, or dad to be with me here, It was then that I heard the door swung open and soon followed by the sound of hoofsteps coming closer towards me. Somepony was entering the room. Somepony who I do not recognize which was looking at me with her eyes open wide at me. 'Who is she? Is she my kidnapper?!' But then, I heard her voice found it's way into my ears, a worried kind of voice if I recall. "Easy, easy, It's okay now, you are safe..." It took me a few second to stop myself from thrashing around. I was still breathing hard from the initial panic, from the nightmare and from my fear of being separated from my parents, but when I heard her voice was neither cold nor malice, I finally realized that she doesn't mean any harm. I wasn't fully aware about what she said during that time, as my past self was too occupied to hug the first friendly pony I saw. I don't even remember how I managed to wrapped my forelegs around her, I just cried into her pink fluffy coat, hugging her as strong as I could for comfort for what its seem forever before I finally calmed down enough to processing of what she said to me. "Sush... that's fine, that's fine... you're okay now, Sush... Sush... you are safe now, please stop crying, your parents will be here soon sweetie, so don't worry." That was more or less what I remember during my emotional outburst. I did remember calling out for mom and dad when I was sobbing into her chest and when she said that my parents will be here soon, a sense of calming sensation seep into my chest that I know I was not in a big of trouble as I thought I was. Breathing in the air, I was able to make my eyes focused on her face and took notice of her expression by the time I stop sobbing. She was smiling at me, she seems had tears of her own from what I could guess from the corner of her eyes. Her blue eyes seem like they were reassuring me that I am safe in here with her. When she pulled herself off from the embrace, my attention was shifted almost immediately towards the hat on top of her yellow mane, or more specifically, a picture on her hat. A red cross logo was seen on her white hat and there was only a few places where I know where ponies usually wear that kind of hat. 'Am I in the hospital?' With that new information I found, I turned my head around to get a better look of my surrounding. I was in a room with a decorated dark green wallpaper with wooden planks on the bottom. There were several empty beds in the room, around five from what I remember, and two set of window on the wall. "Where are we?" "You are in the hospital sweetie, but don't worry, you are safe now, there will nothing that can hurt you here." "We are, in the hospital?" "Mhmm." She nodded. I hung my head after she did the confirmation. I was about to think about how did I end up in the hospital, but my mind had already begun its head start, and I was about to drifting back to the moment where I meet the monster. I immediately shook my head in an instant and I found myself staring over my body, I saw some part of my coat had a small pinkish tint here and there, and I had small cuts on my sides and all over my legs. My right hind leg was wrapped in a bandage and I had several tubes and wire attached to my right foreleg which connected to the beeping machine next to me with a picture displaying a lines and number I couldn't understand. It was such a surreal experience when I saw the condition of my body, I never imagine that I will see myself like this. If it wasn't for the fact that I was the one who was injured, I might have shocked and scared myself even more. I stopped looking over myself by closing my eyes as my mind began to think. 'So, was it real...?' Thinking back to my nightmare, I knew that me being here had no other reason other than that it was real, but I needed somepony else for confirmation, maybe I was hurt by something else... maybe I just tripped and fall, or maybe... just maybe... "What happened to me?" Her eyes widened, I saw her expression shifted from her smiling self, she turned her head up and down and then looking at her right while biting her lower lip. She then sighed before she turned her head to look over me, saying. "You were... hurt, near the cliff. Are you remember that?" I nodded, "I think so..." For some reason, she seemed relieved when I said that, but I still had no idea the reason though. "And then... there was a..." She shifted her gaze somewhere as she lifted one of her foreleg and rubbed the back of her head. "There was a creature that... that was near you when you were there." "So it was... real?" The moment I asked that, her expression shifted once more. I couldn't tell what was she thinking from the way she looks, but it wasn't a pleasant one, like my mom when she was about to say something bad, like when she couldn't fulfil her promise. She sighed and turned her head to the left once more and shook her head lightly. By the moment she was looking at me again, she then asked, "What do you mean my dear?" I wasn't sure what should I say at that point. It was too obvious now that she couldn't even bring up this topic, but I still need the confirmation of what was happened to me. "T-the monster..." I said, "Was it real?" She was silent for a moment, her expression downcast, and I could have sworn I heard a gulping noise coming from her direction. When she glanced her eyes up to looked at my own, she tried to give me a smile despite her eyes and brow showed a different kind of emotion. "Well... yes sweetie," She began before she scooted closer to me and placing her hoof to pat my mane, "But It's okay now that you are here with ponies around you who can protect you." Silent soon followed, I didn't know why, but I felt like crying. I had been through such a horrible experience and nothing could make me feel better about it. I was sure that I was dead by the monster, but here I am. I don't think I wanted to do anything at the moment, I just wanted to see my parents again. It was then the nurse glance towards my hind legs and say something unexpected. "Hey, have you take a look at your cutie mark?" That statement caught me by surprise, I was too focused about where I was and what was happened that I haven't realized that I have my cutie mark when I looked at myself before. I Immediately tilted my lower half of my body, so I can look at the side of my thigh to see my own cutie mark. There was a picture of three blue diamonds on my coat which is contrasting against the white color of my fur. I couldn't believe my own eyes, I was too caught up in my excitement that I nearly forgot all of my pain until I wince when a jolt felt on my right hind leg when I tried to move it, but It proves something, I'm not dreaming! "I-it's real!" I exclaimed. The nurse smiled and then put her hoof to her mouth as if she was trying to hide a laugh. "Oh, wow... You really did get yourself into a lot of trouble for that huh? That's a pretty impressive cutie mark you got." The nurse said as if she knew everything already. But of course she didn't, most ponies will probably thought that I must be running around the town trying to do some stuff so I can earn my cutie mark and got lost somewhere. But I knew that wasn't the case, it was my horn which pulled me into the trap, and I might need to clear up some confusion. "N-no, I-I didn't go to the cliff, it was my horn that... pulled me there." She blinked, tilting her head and said, "So, it was true you were not going there by yourself." Now it was me who was blinking, "You know?" "Well..." She began, "The eyewitnesses said that your horn was glowing bright, and you were dragged outside the town. I'm honestly wasn't believing it because I wasn't there, and that kind of thing was never happened before." Never happened? I was sure it must because the magic that pulled me there was a unique one. It was coming from my own horn to the place where I gain my cutie mark. I was sure of it. Unicorn magic doesn't happen without a reason, and it is true, but now it's bag a new question. What is my special talent. The meanings of cutie marks are not always literal, they can be a symbolic representation of something. Judging from the cutie mark I had, I believe that my cutie mark is falls into the latter category. With that in mind, let's trace back a few moments about what was the last things I did before I woke up in the hospital. 'My horn was glowing, and I was pulled into a middle of nowhere and then the monster showed up.' I wasn't particularly aware what does that mean, but I was sure that somewhere at that time was the time I earn my cutie mark. So then I thought, 'Is my special talent is involved something violent? Or is it a monster detector? Or is it the beam spell? Or maybe it just plain above average magic? Is fashion... wait, hold on!' My train of thought was completely derailed the moment I start thinking about the topic I fall in love with. 'Is my cutie mark had nothing to do with fashion? No, my talent must have something to do with fashion. There is no way my talent is anything but fashion!' But the more I keep thinking about it, the more I realized that my cutie mark had absolutely nothing to do with fashion design. In fact, I don't think my talent meant anything good at all. I must have earned it 'after' my encounter with the monster. The last thing I remember before me being here was when I tried to cast a beam spell, and it is a destruction type of spell. 'Is my talent is about destruction? Is my talent is about killing? Oh, no. Nononono! That can't be-' "Rarity, what's wrong?" I must be zoning out that time, I looked up and saw her worried expression on her face while she was looking at me while holding a clipboard in her magic. What should I say? I was sure that my talent is anything but good, and should I tell her? What if she decided to call the guards and taking me into who knows where? "Rarity stay with me, breath, take a breath, take in it slow, and exhale, in and out, in and out." The moment I wasn't on the verge of hyperventilating, I was crying again into her chest, I felt her hoof was patting my mane to comforting me while I sobbed, but I knew that it might be my last time for me to have a caring pony once they knew my talent. But, maybe I was wrong, maybe I'm missing the point of why I was at the cliff in the first place, or I was just misinterpreting my cutie mark, maybe... I just asked her and tell me I was wrong. Surely it was a good idea... right? "What is my special talent?" "What?" "M-my special talent?" "I'm sure you will find out soon sweetie." "But what if it's destruction?! What if my cutie mark means something bad?" "What?! There's no such thing as a bad talent, okay? There is nothing bad about you." "But I gain it when I attack the monster! What if it is?! What if I hurt somepony else? Will I got send into a prison! W-what about my love of fashion... t-this is not what I want... please tell me that wasn't the case..." I briefly saw her eyes widened from what I said, but I kept hugging her body and planting my face into her chest, so I don't have to see her expression. That was the last thing I knew before I managed to make myself a sleep by crying on her pink fur... or if she decided to use a spell or injecting a medicine into me without I notice. Parental VisitI felt so calm by the second time I was awake. Well, calm wasn't the correct word. Numb. It was actually more like a numbness instead of a calm. I don't know why I felt that way, not feeling anything at all and not sad or happy just, nothing. I don't even wanting to do anything, just laying down on the hospital bed while looking up at the ceiling and thinking what has become of my life. 'I'm still injured', that was obvious for a few couples of a day. I don't know how long I will be staying here in the hospital, but hopefully it doesn't take a long time, I miss my home already. With no panic or fear taking place in my mind, I now had a full grasp of how severe my injuries was. The first thing I noticed was my fur, they were clean now compared to the previous night, no more red and pinkish tint on my body which meant somepony must have cleaned my coat while I was asleep... which kinda scary. The cuts on my sides felt sore, the reason why I wasn't felt them before was left out of the question. It wasn't felt that hurt actually, maybe if the injuries encompass a whole body they don't have anything else to compare the pain to. It was hard to describe, but they felt sore and itchy at the same time. If I rubbed them with my hoof, It felt so nice but If I press them, it hurt. My right hind leg however it wasn't a pleasant one. It felt so itchy, like very itchy, I must resist the urge to touching them because I can't touch them. It looked like they have replaced the bandage with a newer and bulky one. I have to say this new bandage is either low quality or it was trying to conceal something beneath it. My leg felt heavier, like there was a thick plastic wrapped around my leg. I wondered what they put in it by just how big my leg was. I let out a sigh after I have done my observation. From the look of it, It looks like my coat will never have the same spotless look I had before which make my body... Imperfect. But I didn't cry, I don't know why, but I didn't feel sad anymore. Laying on the hospital bed for a long period of time with lack of activity was starting to get into me. I've been used to do something even when I have a free time to draw a dress design or crafting a miniature version of dress which... I don't even know if what I did was worth anything. Looking at my own cutie mark, I still don't know. If what I assume about my talent was correct, maybe I can control myself and not hurting anypony. The fact that I'm still in the hospital was actually a good thing. At least I have not thrown into the place where they put bad ponies are. It just doesn't feel right, I have spent my life to dedicate myself to fashion because I really love making dress, but having my 'destiny' had something to do with violence just doesn't make any sense. 'Is it really my destiny? Is this truly what is supposedly to happen?' Deciding that there were better things to do than wailing over something, I levitated a wooden toy which for some reason was placed on my hospital equivalent of nightstand, feeling a slight headache from doing so, and began to rolled it around here and there just to distract myself from my boredom. 'Maybe I just wrong about my talent.' That was the only thing I keep in my mind, I still can't bear the thought of me having that kind of power. After all, there is still a possibility of my talent is nothing more than just an above average magic, like mana capacity? 'Yeah, that should do.' With that in mind, it just only a matter of time for me to finally leave the hospital. Glancing towards the clock, I noticed that the short arrow was pointing at number five despite the window shut and the light switched on. It must be five in the morning, which was suck because I was not supposedly wake up this morning. 'It's going to be a long boring day.' ⁂ There wasn't anything interesting in the hospital. The doctor and nurses came in to check me out not so long ago, asking me some question which wasn't very interesting to remember, other than that I nodded or shook my head to give them the answer. It was boring, maybe if I'm not dead by the monster, I might be dead by boredom. They said that my parents will come to visit me in the eight of the morning which felt like forever in my current state. 'But at least I will not be alone anymore.' It was the time, and a few minutes later, the door swung open, and I saw my father peeking out from the door. "Hey Rarity," He said, "How's it going?" I heard his hoofsteps when he moved closer to me, I wasn't paying attention to him that much. I just glance to meet his face once before looking down at my ruined body. He sat next to me, patting my mane while I just keep staring at myself before he asked, "Feel better?" I just nodded my head slightly. "Well, I have good news. We will be home soon, sweetie. How do you think?" I nodded again, I have to say, but I'm going to revoke my statement about wanting to see my parents. I don't think my dad's presence was making me happy. "Come on my dear, say something to me." 'What should I say? I don't think I want to talk with anypony right now, but...' "Dad." "Hm?" "Am I a good pony?" "Of course you are," He answered while he was shifting closer and leaning on my bed. "Look... I understand... that you are uh... stressed, and thought that what you did was bad but, you did nothing wrong. You just did what ever you can to defend yourself, and I'm proud of that. I can't imagine what happened if you uh... let's not thinking about it, but here we are, you still here." I don't think I actually like what he just said to me, I mean, I'm just killing something, and can get away with it because... well self-defense. Yeah, but I technically attack first with a rock, and the target is a monster. And it's okay to do it? Yeah, it's a monster that will eat me alive if I let it be. But I really hated that fact, especially if my talent had something to do with them. Speaking of talent. "Dad, do you think you know what is my talent?" "Maybe," He looked at me with a smile. "You're very smart and you were able to think up something like that, I don't think you beat up anypony yet." I frowned, and maybe I raised my right eyebrow a little too, that last part was obviously a joke and I don't think that was funny at all. There was a moment of silence afterward before he finally sighed, "I'm afraid not, my dear. But as far as I concern, your cutie mark doesn't look bad doesn't it? A three blue diamond which are shining in our darkest moment, right?" I just nodded my head to give my response. "I'm sorry Rarity," He shifted, and I glance up and meet his eyes which were staring back at me, "I will promise to make it up to you." After my dad said that, he then kissed me on my forehead, I was sure that he felt guilty for leaving me before this all happened. When I was staring into nothingness, I heard him clamber off my bed, and then soon followed by the sound of the door open. I looked over to see my mother peeking her head inside. "Oh, my baby," She cooed while moving closer to my bed. "Mom," I said, before she hugged me into a tight embrace. "Oh, my poor Rarity," She cried, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry for letting this all happened to you..." I glanced over to looked over at Dad for a little help... only to found he was looking down at the floor for some reason. "It's okay, darling," She wiped her nose with her foreleg and kissed me on the forehead again, "We'll get through this together, okay?" I don't really know what to do or how to respond, so I just nodded my head a little. I briefly caught her eye glancing over at Dad, and it seems like she was waiting for him to say something. Like she was expecting something from him. "It's... It's okay," He managed to say, in a very low voice. Her face turned into a scowl? It was hard to read Mom's expression, but was she mad at him? She took a few more steps closer to my bed, and then turned to look at me. "Listen, sweetie," She began, "Your dad and I have talked about this and we think that it would be best if we go back to Manehattan, at least until everything dies down a bit, you understand." I nodded my head, "It's okay, I suppose," I responded. "But," She said, "Your dad and I are going to stay here a little longer, just for a few days until you can finally on your hooves again. But don't worry, we'll be leaving soon." "Okay," I answered. She smiled at me, but I swear, when she glanced over to look at Dad, there was something different in her eyes. Dad didn't say anything, but kept his head low in response. "I love you, darling," She started, leaning in to hug me tightly once more, "And I'm sorry for everything." It was the first time I had seen either of them cry, though I'm pretty sure they were both trying to hold it in. 'I was the cause of their pain, aren’t I? I hated the fact that my parents were blaming themselves over something they had no control over. I was attacked, not them, but they were sad because of it. I started to get tears in my eyes as well. Why the hell were they making me feel guilty? They love me, they really do. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay, darling. I have work to do, but we'll be fine, you're still my little strong brave pony right?" "Mhmm," I nodded. "We'll talk later, okay? Get better soon, darling." "M-mom." I said, almost immediately, causing her to look back at me. "Yes?" Why she was in such of hurry? I didn't want to upset her any further, or cause my dad any distress, so I didn't know how to put it. "Can you stay with me?" "You want me to stay?" "I want you to stay! I don't want you to leave me alone. Not now." She sighed and unfortunately, I already knew her answer before she even spoke, "I'm sorry, I wish I can stay here but there is a lot of things I need to take care of. But your dad is still here so don't worry." It was... hurt, what could possibly more important than staying here with me? But before I could mutter a response, she continued. "But we'll talk later, okay? Get better soon, darling." She kissed me one last time on the forehead. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes, but she managed to blink them away. "Okay, I'll leave you two alone." She said, as she sniffled a little bit. "Bye mom." I replied, as she started to leave the room. She turned around in the doorway, "I love you, darling." With that, all I saw was just the door swinging on its hinges, leaving me and my dad alone. "I love you too..." Dad got up from his seat, and slowly walked over to me. He knelt down near the bed, and looked into my eyes while his hoof wiped some tears on my cheek which I haven't realized were there. "You are not to blame, nor is mom. It'll be okay, you'll see. Just because she didn't stay doesn't mean she didn't love you." I felt myself start to get teary eyed as he continued, "Now, you rest. I'm going to get your meds, and then we'll do this every day starting tomorrow until you're back on your hooves. I'll be back in a minute." The dam was broke when I was alone. All my previous numbness was vanished, there were feeling in my chest, I don't know what it was, but I kept my forelegs close to my chest the whole time, hugging myself as tight as I could just to feel... something else. I didn't know what gotten into me, but I felt the tears well up in my eyes as I sniffled a breath. I tried to stop myself from crying, but it was too late. The feeling flooded into me, like a water overflowing in my heart, causing me to choke over my throat. I don't know how long I was in that room by myself, crying. It could've been a few minutes, it could've been an hour. It felt like forever though. I don't even know when my dad came back in. But he was alone, without my mom. "Don't cry. You're not alone anymore." He said, as he sat in the chair by the bed. I fought a loosing battle trying my hardest to keep the tears from falling, sniffing everytime I breathe. "Why did this happen to me?" I asked, as I wiped my eyes. We were silent for a while, as I wiped my eyes one last time, until he spoke, "I don't know." Goodbye PonyvilleThe next day was the time when I'm confident to say that things has finally gone better. It was also the same day when I was asked to stand on my four hooves. I wasn't sure why the doctor asked me to do this so quickly, but maybe it was the reason why Mom had to left me yesterday, dealing with all the boring paperwork like... I don't know. Mom is the only pony who actually managed my family, the one who deal with all of the stuff which making me questioning how she still managed to holding up like she is. I mean when I looked at a book full of text with no picture on it, I'm sure I will be asleep in the next minutes. Anyway, the doctor came and told me to stand on my four hooves, and I have to say, it wasn't a such an easy task. I could stand alright, but l could only move with three legs which was hard, but at least the doctor said that 'soon' I will be able to move my injured leg freely. I can't wait to moved my right hind leg again. It will make my life way more easier. True to her word, Mom came back, and she did spend her time with me, but unfortunately, it seems like they were just taking a turn at who was going to stay with me in the hospital. But maybe it was worth to asked, so I asked her anyway. "Mom, why can't be both of you and dad stayed at here with me?" She smiled, patting my mane and said, "It's nothing Rarity, it just uh..." She was struggling to find the correct words, but she continued, "We were busy, I heard the doctor said you were making progress to stand up on your hooves again." She was obviously changing the topic of the conversation, but I wasn't aware of that at that time, so I answered, "Uh-huh. He said I will be able to move my leg again." She chuckled at my response, "It was a good thing to hear." She then pulled something out from her bag, "Look what I brought you." When I landed my eyes on it, I simply couldn't believe what I saw. It was three small and identical blue diamonds which looked almost exactly like my own cutie mark. I was shocked, was my eyes deceiving me? How did Mom get it? She was chuckling after seeing at Celestia knows what my expression were, and placing them on top of my belly which I began to touch with my hoof. "It is yours, sweetie." She kissed me on my forehead, which I repay by giving her a hug, pouring my heart content of her gift. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..." She was hugging tighter in response while I nuzzled my head deep against her chest, feeling the warmth of her fur ~~and... maybe some of her sweat...~~ before we broke our embrace. "Your welcome, sweetheart." ⁂ After about a day or two in the hospital, I was able to move on my hooves again. When was the exact time I leave? I wasn't sure, but from what I counted myself, the first day was when I was out, the second day was with the pink nurse, and the third day was when my parents comes to visit me. So yeah, on the fifth day I was allowed to leave from the hospital. I still haven't fully healed when I wrote this, but I'm very grateful that I don't have to use a wheelchair or anything to move, and the fact that I still can stand under my own hooves is a Celestia's blessing. Being disabled for a brief period of time has making me realize just how much of a gift most ponies will take for granted, well I don't know if this is the correct words, but I settled to write them down anyway. When I leave the hospital for the first time, the first things Mom do was signing on some paperwork. Paperwork, always some paperwork. I remember where the nurse said multiple time of 'at here and here and here', just how many signs did they needed anyway? But thankfully it wasn't a time-consuming process, and we were ready to go. It was so much better to breathe in the air outside, the damp like and cool sensation in each breath were so refreshing in my lungs, I really love the air in this town, it was different. "Ah..." "You enjoy the air?" Dad asked. "Yeah, It seems better than when we arrived." Despite I can move, doesn't mean I have to because I was practically limping on my hooves, so instead of torturing myself, I ride on Dad's back which have it's on perk by allowing me to see the town more freely. Ponyville, I have to say, you are a cozy little town I ever visit, and I hope this some short of craziness like the monster wasn't a regular occurrence, otherwise I'm sorry to say, I hate you for putting false advertisements and ruining our life. Not only Dad and I was eaten by your fancy brochure, now I'm crippled and you just crack my parents relationship. "Are you okay Rarity?" Mom asked, "You still afraid about the monster are you?" I shook my head, "I just wish we have never been here in the first place." She didn't response, nor Dad did. A very uncomfortable silent to be specific, and I knew what they were thinking. We all are. After voicing my inner thought, we kept walking on and on until I realized I still don't know where we were heading to. "So, where are we going?" Mom glanced at me, asking, "Well, do you have something in mind?" "Um." At that point I was thinking something cold and refreshing, something sweet and easy to swallow, and I knew I made a right decision. "Alright, let's get you some Ice cream then." Mom said with a small smile. ⁂ It doesn't take too long for us to found an ice cream vendor in the park. It was crowded by a lot of filly my age and because of the advantage of having parents nearby, I can get it faster than the other. It was nice, although I didn't have so much of a choice because the ice cream vendor was practically out of his ice cream stock from his customers, bless Celestia for my luck. I still enjoy my plain white vanilla ice cream I got with a chocolate chips on top as a cherry tip. We sat somewhere at the park and I almost tripped when I was on the ground and tried to climb on a bench. My parents reaction was almost instantaneously, they hold my legs and asked, "Are you okay?" which making me feels like a lot younger than my current age. I felt really bad for both of them. Not only because I was a burden for a couple of days, but because I could see the rift between their love for each other and mine. But it can be worse, I heard that some parents decided to live apart against each other after something which I don't understand, but I guess I understand now, they must be mad like, very mad, so they can't even see each other's faces. I don't want to know and will NEVER want to know what will happen to me if my parents decides to live apart, I want both of them near me and live together like we have always been, but they already make a promise to each other and to me and I believe my parents will not leaving because of what happened in this town. When I was there, I occasionally saw a few ponies looking in my direction, some looked away once I caught them but some even... sympathy? Of course they will, maybe because of my legs which now supporting cuts and wrapped around in bandages. Some other was even using me as a way to teach their own foal. Seriously, there was an old green mare donning an orange cloth with apple motive on her neck quite literally pointing at me while yelling to an orange earth pony with blonde mane and red colt with orange mane next to her. What is it the word to describe the uneasiness of being the center of attention. Well, it doesn't matter, I'll leave soon anyway, but will we return here? I don't know, actually I have this feeling that we might stay at Manehattan for more than 'some time', I know we will back home and might never return to Ponyville. Such a waste, this place was more than the place where I almost die, but also the place where I gain my cutie mark. Is my cutie mark matter? Of course it is, but maybe I'm better to not questioning what does it mean. I had enough of thinking about it that I think it doesn't really matter. I stopped staring at myself and realized that the old granny with what I assume her grandchildren has gone from where they were. "What are you looking at sweetie?" Dad asked which I answered, "There was somepony using me as a teaching material." He raised his eyebrows and I elaborate, "Just an old granny pointing her hoof at me while yelling at a foal next to her." He sighed, "Don't worry, we will leave soon, and you will not have to see her again okay?" "Mhmm," I nodded. I looked up at the sky above us, a clear sky where the pegasus really did their job to clean the sky instead of simply moving them apart, but where they move the clouds? It doesn't matter. I was just enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on my coat, a stark contrast to a cold hospital room with Air Conditioner. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I woke up on top of my Dad while we were waiting for the train in the train station. Mom was talking to a clerk while Dad and I was behind her. "Ah, you awake." Dad said, "Sleep well I guess?" "Mhmm." I said while rubbing my eyes, blinking and make a confirmation that we indeed at the train station. Mom said thank you to the clerk behind the glass counter and we stand near the platform waiting for the train to comes. "When will the train arrive?" I asked. "Soon, it will arrive soon, only a few minutes and we all set." The sunlight beginning to turned from blue to orangish grey, the sun was descending, tuning down the world brightness just in time for the white steam to emerged from one corner of the station, indicating that the train has arrived. Seeing the train crawling on the rail under the rich orange coloration from the sunlight as we about to leave the town was surreal. It seems like we were just making a sharp turn of a story, a different path of life or something like... I don't know. I felt compelled to stay actually, maybe because whatever destiny was brought me here wants me to stay but... why? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do here, I mean I have a fantasy of being a famous costume designer, this place was a perfect setup with The Play days ago, and this place also had a very convenient boutique which allow me to jump up my career but, I guess my chance to showed my creation was ruined. But enough of that, I just wanted to go home and rest. If I'm really destined to be a fashionista, it will be only a matter of time, if not... What can I say. Screaming against the heaven? It was getting late right now and the journey from this place to Manehattan wasn't a short one and both my parents were asleep anyway. Now that I'm think about it, I wonder how much of sedative they put into me now that I don't recall most of my time in the hospital and the fact now I can't sleep. 'Great.' With nothing else to do, I looked at my Mom's gift, my blue diamonds which are shining at our darkest moment in life, like my dad said. It was at least something, and I'm glad that I have my cutie mark now, it is still part of my identity no matter what, which is something that making me a Rarity among the other. Author's Note I'm kinda distracted by writing another fic that I'm not sure to publish it or not. I even don't know why I'm writing this Author's Notes, maybe because I want to let people know? Who know, I just wanted to write it. Weird right because that I don't know why I'm writing this note either. Anyway. Thank you for reading. I hope this chapter is not that bad to read. Also, I don't know what tag should I use, some suggestion is really appreciated.
The Play is Tonight"Well done, Rarity. Your costumes are very nice." That was what the school teacher said about the dresses I made. 'Nice she says?' No, ‘nice’ wasn't enough. I needed to prove myself that I was more than capable of just creating a lovely dress like any other. I needed them to be somewhat special or dare I say, spectacular. Being a soon-to-be a fashion designer myself, I could tell that my current ensembles were more or less like a standard dress which I believe every dressmaker has the capability and patience to design. Sighing, I sat there in front of my sewing machine my mom rent for us for our time in Ponyville. Yeah, rent. Well it's actually one of the unused items that was inside the defunct boutique where the Ponyville authority decided to rent to us for a while until we make our decision whether or not to settled for a more permanent resident. I have to say, it did the job well done, and it was more than enough for me to crafting my own outfit for the play that night, plus these dresses are going to give me a great first impression of what I can do before I even join the school. Smiling, I looked down at my current dresses once more and began to think about what should I do to enhance my current design. I tried to add some accessories I could find from the materials the school provided and also some leftover from the boutique itself to matched upon. The school allowed us to use any form of materials not limited to what the school has provided for a reason. To encourage creativity. But I don't know why everything I added doesn't seem right. They have the look okay, some of them was making the dress look worse, and some doesn't even add any real value and instead, well... looking cheap. Yeah, that's the word. Sighing, I stripped the dress off from the sewing machine and opted to place a plain orange fabric for some visual reference and comparison when my father decided to come into my room. "Hey Rarity, you still got caught up on that little project of yours?" He asked with the usual smile on his lips. Every time for him is a happy moment to enjoy, but this time, his smile was more prominent than the usual. Dad always love physical activities. He was the one who suggesting us to moved into Ponyville because of how peaceful the town was. It was also due to the fact that Ponyville has this convenience little boutique ready for my future self, and to pointing out the obvious, yes because there will be no angry neighborhood and more space for him to... let's say, do some sport related stuff if his word was to believe. "No, it's just need a... little bit of touching." I replied, focusing my attention back to the fabric in front of me. I heard his chuckle after I said that, probably because every time I said that, I took an hour or two to finish whatever I was doing. 'It had to be perfect you know.' "Alright sweetie," He said. "I'll take a walk with the local ponies around here to do some talk about the house rent and if I'm in luck, probably a more permanent resident, okay? So please be a good filly and stays around the town because... well there were a report about some increased monster activity nearby. I'm sure you don't want to get hurt and upset your mother by doing that." "Mhmm." I nodded, understanding about Mom's current mood today. She wasn't particularly too fond about the idea of us moving out from Manehattan to settled in Ponyville. It must because I was still in Mom's belly when they first visited the town, and despite the coziness the town has to offer, Mom was worried because of the close proximity to the infamous forest of Everfree. My present back then might've caused her protective instinct to ran on full swing, trying to keep me from any potential danger that she was afraid about being near the Everfree. And things get worse. Regardless of what happened during that time, It's turned out that I was born earlier than expected. So instead of having fun in the village, most of the vacation time were spent resting in the Ponyville General which further diminished her opinion of the town. Sighing, I shook my head and I was back to the present. Looking back at my dresses and sure enough, they don't seem complete. I tried every trick I could think of, but nothing seemed to work. The costumes just weren't right, and the play opened that night. 'What is it that missing? Food themed outfit? Check. Organic and original design? Check. Comfortable to wear? Check. Yet why it seems incomplete...' Maybe because I have an impossibly high standard that I can't quite achieve by myself. Or maybe because my imagination was just too wild to achieve in reality. Or maybe I'm not... 'No! Stop.' As much as I'd like to say the otherwise, I still have this kind of feeling about the simple possibility that I'm simply wasn't meant to be a fashion designer. This was simply existed because of how many times I tried to come up with my own clothes design, and yet I still haven't earned my own cutie mark till this day. I don't know how to compare the feeling, but maybe... It's just awful. "Maybe I'm not meant to be a fashionista after all..." As if on cue, I suddenly felt a tingling sensation on the tip of my horn, and it was kept getting stronger and stronger until I found myself being dragged by my own horn. "Aah! What's going on?!" I had no idea where my horn was taking me. But unicorn magic doesn't happen without a reason. I knew this had to do with my love of fashion and maybe even my cutie mark! I knew that this was... My destiny! The landscape was changing from right to left, passing like I was on a train ride but without the trademarked noisy ding I usually heard. It was a surreal experience and confusing as just of how my horn was pulling me over to... something. I'll be laughed if it's turned out to be anything but fashion related stuff or short of things. 'You better good at your destination horn.' After a lengthy amount of time, following/dragged around the world, or what it seems to me. I finally arrived at... "A rock?! That's my destiny?! What is your problem, horn? I followed you all the way out here for..." 'Wait hold on for a second, where was I? Oh, no.' The moment I looked at my surrounding, I then realized that I was now is in an unfamiliar location with little to no creatures around and nopony around with. The area was a barren landscape with full of canyon if I recall, and I was obviously outside of Ponyville which mean... 'Oh no, I should go back. I need to go back before-' But then it was too late. I heard a rock rumbling behind my back and a shadow was looming above me, blocking out the sunlight, and a cold feeling seeping into my spine as my body began to shake in shock about what was behind me. A loud roar was heard afterward, It was a different kind of roar that I used to hear from a manticore in a circus show back in Manehattan. I gulped in an air in reflect, turning my head around, what I saw behind me caused my heart to pump even further and I practically felt it beating against my chest. There was a large creature with mole-like features standing in front of my eyes. It was big. So big that it's almost as big as the rock behind me. It had a massive arm with a pair of giant claws on its end. Its mouth which is big as a door seems ready to open up at anytime to devour a pony in a single bite. Its nose looks like a squid, and its orange eyes were staring at my own. 'Oh my goodness!!!' "HELP!" I shouted in pure shock, backpedaling while the creature just growling, moving its head and take a step forwards towards me. 'No, nonono, this is not good.' The creature raised its claw in the air while its body were now in half-crouch position before the massive claw planting itself on the ground. It lifted the other claw and slowly crawling even closer. 'No! But what about my destiny? Horn! What have you done to me!' I could feel the creature's breath over my face now, the squid like nose were like a tentacle ready to grab me at any moment before squeezing me like a plushy toy. I was panicked and subconsciously backpedaling even further until I suddenly felt my backside were touching with a solid surface. Looking at my back, it was the big rock that was standing on the cliff, and in front of me was the mole-like creature approaching. 'Gosh no, I was trapped! What am I supposed to do?!' My heartbeat increased each time in a panic, I was surrounded by a monster that most likely will kill me in an instant, my left and right was a certain death by gravity, and my back was a rock which prevent me from falling off the cliff. 'I need to intimidate it.' Igniting my horn under the fear of being eaten alive by this creature, I quickly yelled. "Stay back!" My voice that came out wasn't how I was expecting it. The creature stop for a moment with another noise I could not describe. Its just slightly tilting its head and blinking before narrowing its eyes again to me. The growling was getting louder in my ears, and it's breath... 'Oh no, I needed to yell louder!' "No, I said stay back!" It just breathed out on me, I felt my furs were standing over my coat when the creature sniffing me like a cat and its prey. I ran out of options. I don't have any single idea about using a teleportation spell because at the time I haven't learned the spell yet. The only spells I know was a simple levitation spell, the most basic spell every unicorn in my age have known and which is also the spell I commonly use in everyday life, and a beam spell that I normally use when I try to shoo away a rat or something out of my room. And so that's it. I just did what I could do for myself. Under my adrenaline fueled survival instinct, and practically no other way to leave, my fight or flight response settled on the former option, subconsciously casting the spell to throw something to it. Behind the creature, I saw a chunk of rocks that was laying next to a hole which I haven't realized it was there before when I first arrived. Concentrating, I managed to lift a medium-sized rock nearest to us and pulled it with all power I had without much of thinking. And it was painful. My horn wasn't accustomed to lifting a heavy object, and it was simply painful. I never thought in my life that the pain from falling down horn first or any physical contact to it is nothing by comparison to simply pouring all of my mana drain to lifting an object as heavy as it is. My forehead was throbbing dangerously, a stinging feeling felt throughout my entire body, which transferred through my entire backbones and spreading to my rib cage until it's reached my tail which felt like something was ejected from me. Collapsing, my body felt cold and my legs were unresponsive all of a sudden. A fluttery feeling was forming in my stomach and I had a very strong concussion I ever felt in life. I think I just drain my entire mana reserve from the way I felt. I couldn't describe it more. Just plain horrible. Under my dazed state, my eyes somehow was capable to regain some sense of focuses and what I saw was something that I can never forget. At first I saw a blue gemstone rolling next to me, but then I saw that there was a fluid splattered on it. It was red. There was a crimson patches splattered across the ground, and I think some of them were splattered over my coat too. There was also the smell, a smell like something where it belongs to a construction site back in Manehattan but stronger... It's smelled just like a metal. The creature was collapsing on its side which shook the ground of where we are. The creature roared so loud that my ears were ringing in pain. It slowly raised once more and from what I could tell, it had an enormous red patches on its right arm... Oh. 'O-oh, what have I done?' The creature was still capable to rise despite the injury. It stood up and letting out an even louder roar where all I heard was just a ringing. 'Oh no, nonononono. I'm going to die. I'm going to die...' 'Mommy...' The creature's left arm were grinding against the ground before finally lifted in the air with the claws spreading out like a giant knife. I closed my eyes shut. I was too scared to open my eyes at the sight of the creature. I can't think straight and all I did was repeatedly trying to cast a beam spell in my last desperate attempt to save myself from certain death, I kept trying to cast it despite my mana reserves was drained, but then... somehow, I can cast it. There was a large of surge of energy flew across my entire body which was quickly absorbed in my horn when I tried to cast the spell. I'm honestly wasn't sure what was happened at that time, other than that I was desperately focusing all of my will power to cast a beam spell from my empty mana reserve, and with the foreign mana overflow ready to be absorbed, I guess you don't want to know what is going to happen next. Maybe because I was so desperate in casting the beam spell with my empty mana reserve, the spell becoming more potent in trying to absorb mana from my drained body. But because there was this energy washed over me, the spell ended up absorbing mana way more drastically than it should. My body tensed, the throbbing was intensified, and an overwhelming heat replacing the cold feeling until gradually, I couldn't feel anything anymore. Numbness took over me and then slowly and steadily, everything felt... so peaceful... It was a calming and soothing sensation that replaced my pains, and It was just as if I was asleep. I slowly opened up my eyelids and all I could see was just a blur of different shades of color. There was a blue color background and a rainbows gradient moving from top to bottom and disappearing behind a brown color on my lower corner of my eyes, which some of them separated from one another. Some of the brown color increased in size and grow darker and seems moving closer and closer towards me until they moved to pass on either left or right of me and out from my eyesight. That was the last thing I saw before the darkness forming at every corner of my vision until they finally encompass everything.
Missing Filly"Have you managed to find the missing filly yet?" Asked the unicorn in a guard armor. "Not yet, sir. I'm afraid we already searched the entire town already." Came the reply from another guard. "From what I heard from the witnesses, I guess she was heading to the south-west and went outside the town." The unicorn guard sighed, "Dammit, there was a report about a lone Maulwurf lurking around the area if that kid was heading toward the canyon." With a shook of his head, he asked. "Is there any news from the pegasus team? Have they arrived from the search?" "They will back in a few minutes." Replied his subordinate, "I'm sure they will find her." ⁂ On the south-western side of Ponyville, the pegasus team were on their search and rescue mission to bring back the missing filly that was last seen heading towards this direction. The group were in loose formation, separated from one another and had a voice transmitter enhancement on their helmet for an easy communication. One of the pegasus saw an unusually bright light near the cliff which were recently collapsed, possibly from the Maulwurf activity. "I see something on our right. There is a bright light over there, and it's seem like there was a landslide." "Excellent work Seeker 2, everypony follows Seeker 2 and maintain the altitude, we don't want the Maulwurf to just jump up and catching us off when it thinks it can reach us." Said the flight lead to his wingponies. Approaching the light which was emitted from the ground near the cliff, the guards arrived at the scene and saw that a good portion of the cliff was collapsed. The area was still covered in a thick dust from the landslide, but they focused their attention to the source of light and upon a closer inspection, the light was actually a sunlight reflecting from the gemstones that was scattered around the ground. "My goodness, what the heck was happened here." "Not a clue, better keep an eye for the girl, she must be... oh wait I see her." "Be careful Seeker 3, I don't want to see you going back home without a wing." Joked his squad mate. Banking his wings to make a descent, the other pegasus followed his lead while the rest of the team were maintaining their altitude. When they flew closer just enough to see the scene. "What the hell? is that... is that a Maulwurf? A baby Maulwurf she killed?" Said the rookie member. On the ground, there was the creature laying on its back with a burn marks over its face, half buried by the rubble. It was unknown whether the creature was still alive at that point. Although a group of guard could theoretically dispel an infant Maulwurf, it's still such a rarity for them to see the creature up in the open, let alone to actually see it incapacitated, but defeated by a small filly? Despite it still a baby, the Maulwurf was just slightly bigger than a regular bear in size but is on par with a Cragadile when it comes to toughness. "Just focus on the extraction and get the hell out of there, the rest of the team, keep an alert if the mother is nearby and decide to come by." With a shake of his head, the leader of the team looking down at the unconscious filly on the ground and said. "Her parents is surely gonna like to hear this..." ⁂ Cookie Crumbles was trotting around the town, taking a deep breath to fill her lungs with the fresh cold air which is such a rarity back in Manehattan. Along the way, she began to think about the pros and cons about living in Ponyville. Overall, her week there was uneventful, beside some confusing house layout which is a stark contrast to the grid block building layout of the city. The town was bigger than she thought, and the lack of transportation means she has to travel around town by hooves with a fairly long distance just to get groceries. The road was mostly limited or non-existent, only a plain dirt road leading to the most crowded area or the 'main street' and nothing else. Sighing, she looked around her and so far, everything seems good, she might've been too paranoid about a monster attack or the Everfree but who can blame her, Rarity was inside her belly when she first arrived and her husband attempt to comfort her has caused the opposite effect and now, there was a recent report which increased her uneasiness. But despite the report, the ponies so far seems pretty content like it was nothing. They kept doing their own business, smiling and talking with each other and even laughing at some of the jokes they heard. The town was indeed full of friendly pony and the neighborhood were nice and actually seems to care with each other. Most of the commodity there were natively grown from the farmland and local business were thriving. Despite the distance with the market, she guessed she will get used to it and maybe her fear was just a temporary thing. Smiling, compared to Manehattan, maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. But when she was arrived at the boutique where she stayed for a couple of a day, she saw that there was a crowd of ponies and the mare she recognized as the mayor of the town. Confused and worried, she took a slow steps closer to where her daughter was when she was left. ⁂ It was a huge blow to Rarity's parents for learning that her precious daughter went missing. The front door of the house was left open when Cookie Crumbles, the mother of young Rarity came back home from the train station after she did a negotiation with the railroad company about the possibility of them to transporting large furniture across the country. She was about to open up with her husband idea to live a simple life in a town where they had some sense of community compared to the city. The witnesses said that her daughter's horn was glowing, and she was screaming along the way when she was resisting the pull from her own horn. Hondo Flanks was in shocked by what he heard from the mayor by the time he was back to the boutique, he had a hard time believing what he heard. "Mr Flanks, I know that is hard for-" "But you said this town is safe!" "Ye-yeah the town is safe, but we don't know what was happened to your daughter that caused her-" "Shut up! Where is she now?" "W-we did our best to try-" "Sir!" A new voice was heard. Their attention was shifted by the time a pegasus guard arrived from where they went, and he spoke. "We have found your daughter sir, and-" "You found her? Where is she?!" The guard remained silent for a few seconds, mentally prepare himself to deliver the bad news about the filly's condition. "We send her to the hospital by the time we speak, and she is now under the care of the professionals." Hondo's previous fury was gone in an instant by the time he heard that his daughter was in the hospital, a cold feeling spread throughout his body and suddenly everything he saw become so blurry, he never had thought that his daughter would end up in the situation like this and a dozen of images forming up in his head about how severe his daughter's condition was. It took him awhile to get over his shock, shaking his head, he banished the mental thought about how bad his daughter condition was and began to think more rational. In his mind, Rarity might be unharmed and only need some physical check here and there for a precaution before she was clear to go home. As much as he wanted to believe it though, the way the guard informed him was not an appealing one. But still, he kept thinking that way and nothing will change his mind until he saw his daughter himself. "T-take me to her." ⁂ How is such that thing is possible? It was like the fate itself intentionally pulled her daughter into a trap. Compared to her more adventurous husband, Cookie Crumbles is a lot more cautious and conservative. Had Rarity wasn't encounter the Maulwurf and come back in one piece from her little adventure, she might've settled that Ponyville wasn't as bad as she thought. But with the recent incident, her worry were proven correct, and now she was sobbing on the floor while the townsponies were trying to console her. Hondo himself was eerie silent by the time he landed his eyes on his daughter and saw her condition. It was the second time they visited the Ponyville General, but compared to the previous one, this time it wasn't a happy moment. Rarity was laying motionless on the hospital bed with an IV along with other medical instrument attached to her body. There was a bruise on her forehead, and she had several small cuts all over her body. Her right hind leg was wrapped in a bandage, possibly from the blunt force from the impact of the falling debris. Her eyes socket was sunken, her usual pristine white coat were now duller in comparison to her usual self with a sweat and dirt and crimson patches into the mix. Her mane was a mess, wrinkled, tangled, and has lost its spark from the accumulated dust. From the looks of it, she had a severe dehydration, and it's unlikely for her to wake up anytime now. Sitting on the bench outside the room, Hondo just stare ahead with a blank expression on his face. His heart was shattered in pieces, he was the one who had the initiative to moved into Ponyville. He always has a place for the sight of green hill and trees, and he would love to have a life near them despite the fact that this town is not the safest place in Equestria. Sighing, he realized just how selfish he has become. Because of his selfishness, his daughter was paying the price. He supposedly become a figurehead of the family, to be a selfless pony who prioritize the other. And now, he had a lot to make up for his family. Cookie Crumbles has stopped crying now, but she found herself unable to look at her husband. In her mind, this whole situation will never happen had she stays with her feeling, part of her wanted to turn and never seeing him again, but another kept telling her that it's worth nothing. The damage has done, and she wanted to vent out her frustration, but she couldn't. She was just looking out at the window, eyes still puffy from the tear she shed. She wanted to leave the town as soon as possible once her daughter was in good condition, she couldn't imagine the horror her daughter faced. The filly who deserve better. According to the guards, she was found on the rubble which indicated that she was on the cliff before the Maulwurf attack. The existence of the Maulwurf itself was still under investigation, and she must've used her entire mana reserve to defend herself from the Maulwurf but not without hurting herself in the process. It was too early for them to concluded that the recent Sonic Rainboom might've done something with her that cause her magic power to overcharged, but at the end of the day. She was alive. The gemstones that was found nearby was allocated to Hondo's family with a small amount of them will be used for the hospital bill while their daughter were there. The gemstones had a low exchange value at that time because how much easier for them to be found. Despite the quantity, they aren't worth that much and only serve as a painful remainder. What is the point of having them if your child is laying motionless in the hospital? It's pretty much their fault for letting this to happened to their daughter. It's their fault for leaving her alone in the boutique. Maybe, they will deal with the other problem next time, because for now, they only want their daughter safe, but deep down in their heart. They know their daughter will never be the same...
Waking Up"Uhh..." It was an absolute wreck by the time I was back to the living world. All I could remember at that time was when my horn starting to glow, dragging me into a middle of no where, and by the time it bursting out from the ground and when it let out a roar towards the sky before finally, it was looking down at me with eyes full of rage. It was scary. I still remember the way its breath over my coat. I'm still feeling its presence on me. It felt so real. Very real. The pain felt real. There was blood everywhere and the smell... 'Was it a nightmare? Or was it real? No, it wasn't real... It wasn't!' I tried to convince myself that everything I saw was just a nightmare. It must be a nightmare, otherwise, I might've not waking up at this moment... Right? I was laying there longer than I was expecting. My body was still tense, and I felt like I was running for a mile non-stop. There was also this light that shone over my eyes, it was so annoying. 'It's morning already?' When I first awake, my mind hasn't had a full grasp nor time to fully proceeded about what was happened. I was convinced that everything was just a nightmare and I assume that I was awake in my room. I tried to move my arms to block out what I assume was a sunlight, but I found myself unable to do so. The second time I tried to do that again, I could only move my right foreleg a few centimeters above the bed before my muscle failed me and my arm fall back down. It was then I realized just how weak my body was. A worry feeling creep into me by the moment I realized I couldn't easily move my body. My breath was rapid once more, and I felt my heart was beating fast against my chest. Trying to muster all my strength to open my eyes, all I could see was a blinding white light above me which doesn't make any sense, when did my room have that big light over there? My ear was slowly but gradually heard a low beeping noise just a few inches from me. Instinctively, I rolled my eyes around, and then I realized this wasn't my room. 'What? Where am I? Why I'm here?' My heart pumping even faster, I tried to move my limbs in panic. I had no idea of where I was and how I even be here. I don't want to be where I was and all of a sudden, an overwhelming urge of me wanting to be home poured into my mind in the form of a desire that was so strong it could not be resisted. I was afraid of being kidnapped or something Mom and Dad won't tell me until I'm old enough, and I was afraid that I was on the latter. When my mind was begging for either mom, or dad to be with me here, It was then that I heard the door swung open and soon followed by the sound of hoofsteps coming closer towards me. Somepony was entering the room. Somepony who I do not recognize which was looking at me with her eyes open wide at me. 'Who is she? Is she my kidnapper?!' But then, I heard her voice found it's way into my ears, a worried kind of voice if I recall. "Easy, easy, It's okay now, you are safe..." It took me a few second to stop myself from thrashing around. I was still breathing hard from the initial panic, from the nightmare and from my fear of being separated from my parents, but when I heard her voice was neither cold nor malice, I finally realized that she doesn't mean any harm. I wasn't fully aware about what she said during that time, as my past self was too occupied to hug the first friendly pony I saw. I don't even remember how I managed to wrapped my forelegs around her, I just cried into her pink fluffy coat, hugging her as strong as I could for comfort for what its seem forever before I finally calmed down enough to processing of what she said to me. "Sush... that's fine, that's fine... you're okay now, Sush... Sush... you are safe now, please stop crying, your parents will be here soon sweetie, so don't worry." That was more or less what I remember during my emotional outburst. I did remember calling out for mom and dad when I was sobbing into her chest and when she said that my parents will be here soon, a sense of calming sensation seep into my chest that I know I was not in a big of trouble as I thought I was. Breathing in the air, I was able to make my eyes focused on her face and took notice of her expression by the time I stop sobbing. She was smiling at me, she seems had tears of her own from what I could guess from the corner of her eyes. Her blue eyes seem like they were reassuring me that I am safe in here with her. When she pulled herself off from the embrace, my attention was shifted almost immediately towards the hat on top of her yellow mane, or more specifically, a picture on her hat. A red cross logo was seen on her white hat and there was only a few places where I know where ponies usually wear that kind of hat. 'Am I in the hospital?' With that new information I found, I turned my head around to get a better look of my surrounding. I was in a room with a decorated dark green wallpaper with wooden planks on the bottom. There were several empty beds in the room, around five from what I remember, and two set of window on the wall. "Where are we?" "You are in the hospital sweetie, but don't worry, you are safe now, there will nothing that can hurt you here." "We are, in the hospital?" "Mhmm." She nodded. I hung my head after she did the confirmation. I was about to think about how did I end up in the hospital, but my mind had already begun its head start, and I was about to drifting back to the moment where I meet the monster. I immediately shook my head in an instant and I found myself staring over my body, I saw some part of my coat had a small pinkish tint here and there, and I had small cuts on my sides and all over my legs. My right hind leg was wrapped in a bandage and I had several tubes and wire attached to my right foreleg which connected to the beeping machine next to me with a picture displaying a lines and number I couldn't understand. It was such a surreal experience when I saw the condition of my body, I never imagine that I will see myself like this. If it wasn't for the fact that I was the one who was injured, I might have shocked and scared myself even more. I stopped looking over myself by closing my eyes as my mind began to think. 'So, was it real...?' Thinking back to my nightmare, I knew that me being here had no other reason other than that it was real, but I needed somepony else for confirmation, maybe I was hurt by something else... maybe I just tripped and fall, or maybe... just maybe... "What happened to me?" Her eyes widened, I saw her expression shifted from her smiling self, she turned her head up and down and then looking at her right while biting her lower lip. She then sighed before she turned her head to look over me, saying. "You were... hurt, near the cliff. Are you remember that?" I nodded, "I think so..." For some reason, she seemed relieved when I said that, but I still had no idea the reason though. "And then... there was a..." She shifted her gaze somewhere as she lifted one of her foreleg and rubbed the back of her head. "There was a creature that... that was near you when you were there." "So it was... real?" The moment I asked that, her expression shifted once more. I couldn't tell what was she thinking from the way she looks, but it wasn't a pleasant one, like my mom when she was about to say something bad, like when she couldn't fulfil her promise. She sighed and turned her head to the left once more and shook her head lightly. By the moment she was looking at me again, she then asked, "What do you mean my dear?" I wasn't sure what should I say at that point. It was too obvious now that she couldn't even bring up this topic, but I still need the confirmation of what was happened to me. "T-the monster..." I said, "Was it real?" She was silent for a moment, her expression downcast, and I could have sworn I heard a gulping noise coming from her direction. When she glanced her eyes up to looked at my own, she tried to give me a smile despite her eyes and brow showed a different kind of emotion. "Well... yes sweetie," She began before she scooted closer to me and placing her hoof to pat my mane, "But It's okay now that you are here with ponies around you who can protect you." Silent soon followed, I didn't know why, but I felt like crying. I had been through such a horrible experience and nothing could make me feel better about it. I was sure that I was dead by the monster, but here I am. I don't think I wanted to do anything at the moment, I just wanted to see my parents again. It was then the nurse glance towards my hind legs and say something unexpected. "Hey, have you take a look at your cutie mark?" That statement caught me by surprise, I was too focused about where I was and what was happened that I haven't realized that I have my cutie mark when I looked at myself before. I Immediately tilted my lower half of my body, so I can look at the side of my thigh to see my own cutie mark. There was a picture of three blue diamonds on my coat which is contrasting against the white color of my fur. I couldn't believe my own eyes, I was too caught up in my excitement that I nearly forgot all of my pain until I wince when a jolt felt on my right hind leg when I tried to move it, but It proves something, I'm not dreaming! "I-it's real!" I exclaimed. The nurse smiled and then put her hoof to her mouth as if she was trying to hide a laugh. "Oh, wow... You really did get yourself into a lot of trouble for that huh? That's a pretty impressive cutie mark you got." The nurse said as if she knew everything already. But of course she didn't, most ponies will probably thought that I must be running around the town trying to do some stuff so I can earn my cutie mark and got lost somewhere. But I knew that wasn't the case, it was my horn which pulled me into the trap, and I might need to clear up some confusion. "N-no, I-I didn't go to the cliff, it was my horn that... pulled me there." She blinked, tilting her head and said, "So, it was true you were not going there by yourself." Now it was me who was blinking, "You know?" "Well..." She began, "The eyewitnesses said that your horn was glowing bright, and you were dragged outside the town. I'm honestly wasn't believing it because I wasn't there, and that kind of thing was never happened before." Never happened? I was sure it must because the magic that pulled me there was a unique one. It was coming from my own horn to the place where I gain my cutie mark. I was sure of it. Unicorn magic doesn't happen without a reason, and it is true, but now it's bag a new question. What is my special talent. The meanings of cutie marks are not always literal, they can be a symbolic representation of something. Judging from the cutie mark I had, I believe that my cutie mark is falls into the latter category. With that in mind, let's trace back a few moments about what was the last things I did before I woke up in the hospital. 'My horn was glowing, and I was pulled into a middle of nowhere and then the monster showed up.' I wasn't particularly aware what does that mean, but I was sure that somewhere at that time was the time I earn my cutie mark. So then I thought, 'Is my special talent is involved something violent? Or is it a monster detector? Or is it the beam spell? Or maybe it just plain above average magic? Is fashion... wait, hold on!' My train of thought was completely derailed the moment I start thinking about the topic I fall in love with. 'Is my cutie mark had nothing to do with fashion? No, my talent must have something to do with fashion. There is no way my talent is anything but fashion!' But the more I keep thinking about it, the more I realized that my cutie mark had absolutely nothing to do with fashion design. In fact, I don't think my talent meant anything good at all. I must have earned it 'after' my encounter with the monster. The last thing I remember before me being here was when I tried to cast a beam spell, and it is a destruction type of spell. 'Is my talent is about destruction? Is my talent is about killing? Oh, no. Nononono! That can't be-' "Rarity, what's wrong?" I must be zoning out that time, I looked up and saw her worried expression on her face while she was looking at me while holding a clipboard in her magic. What should I say? I was sure that my talent is anything but good, and should I tell her? What if she decided to call the guards and taking me into who knows where? "Rarity stay with me, breath, take a breath, take in it slow, and exhale, in and out, in and out." The moment I wasn't on the verge of hyperventilating, I was crying again into her chest, I felt her hoof was patting my mane to comforting me while I sobbed, but I knew that it might be my last time for me to have a caring pony once they knew my talent. But, maybe I was wrong, maybe I'm missing the point of why I was at the cliff in the first place, or I was just misinterpreting my cutie mark, maybe... I just asked her and tell me I was wrong. Surely it was a good idea... right? "What is my special talent?" "What?" "M-my special talent?" "I'm sure you will find out soon sweetie." "But what if it's destruction?! What if my cutie mark means something bad?" "What?! There's no such thing as a bad talent, okay? There is nothing bad about you." "But I gain it when I attack the monster! What if it is?! What if I hurt somepony else? Will I got send into a prison! W-what about my love of fashion... t-this is not what I want... please tell me that wasn't the case..." I briefly saw her eyes widened from what I said, but I kept hugging her body and planting my face into her chest, so I don't have to see her expression. That was the last thing I knew before I managed to make myself a sleep by crying on her pink fur... or if she decided to use a spell or injecting a medicine into me without I notice.
Parental VisitI felt so calm by the second time I was awake. Well, calm wasn't the correct word. Numb. It was actually more like a numbness instead of a calm. I don't know why I felt that way, not feeling anything at all and not sad or happy just, nothing. I don't even wanting to do anything, just laying down on the hospital bed while looking up at the ceiling and thinking what has become of my life. 'I'm still injured', that was obvious for a few couples of a day. I don't know how long I will be staying here in the hospital, but hopefully it doesn't take a long time, I miss my home already. With no panic or fear taking place in my mind, I now had a full grasp of how severe my injuries was. The first thing I noticed was my fur, they were clean now compared to the previous night, no more red and pinkish tint on my body which meant somepony must have cleaned my coat while I was asleep... which kinda scary. The cuts on my sides felt sore, the reason why I wasn't felt them before was left out of the question. It wasn't felt that hurt actually, maybe if the injuries encompass a whole body they don't have anything else to compare the pain to. It was hard to describe, but they felt sore and itchy at the same time. If I rubbed them with my hoof, It felt so nice but If I press them, it hurt. My right hind leg however it wasn't a pleasant one. It felt so itchy, like very itchy, I must resist the urge to touching them because I can't touch them. It looked like they have replaced the bandage with a newer and bulky one. I have to say this new bandage is either low quality or it was trying to conceal something beneath it. My leg felt heavier, like there was a thick plastic wrapped around my leg. I wondered what they put in it by just how big my leg was. I let out a sigh after I have done my observation. From the look of it, It looks like my coat will never have the same spotless look I had before which make my body... Imperfect. But I didn't cry, I don't know why, but I didn't feel sad anymore. Laying on the hospital bed for a long period of time with lack of activity was starting to get into me. I've been used to do something even when I have a free time to draw a dress design or crafting a miniature version of dress which... I don't even know if what I did was worth anything. Looking at my own cutie mark, I still don't know. If what I assume about my talent was correct, maybe I can control myself and not hurting anypony. The fact that I'm still in the hospital was actually a good thing. At least I have not thrown into the place where they put bad ponies are. It just doesn't feel right, I have spent my life to dedicate myself to fashion because I really love making dress, but having my 'destiny' had something to do with violence just doesn't make any sense. 'Is it really my destiny? Is this truly what is supposedly to happen?' Deciding that there were better things to do than wailing over something, I levitated a wooden toy which for some reason was placed on my hospital equivalent of nightstand, feeling a slight headache from doing so, and began to rolled it around here and there just to distract myself from my boredom. 'Maybe I just wrong about my talent.' That was the only thing I keep in my mind, I still can't bear the thought of me having that kind of power. After all, there is still a possibility of my talent is nothing more than just an above average magic, like mana capacity? 'Yeah, that should do.' With that in mind, it just only a matter of time for me to finally leave the hospital. Glancing towards the clock, I noticed that the short arrow was pointing at number five despite the window shut and the light switched on. It must be five in the morning, which was suck because I was not supposedly wake up this morning. 'It's going to be a long boring day.' ⁂ There wasn't anything interesting in the hospital. The doctor and nurses came in to check me out not so long ago, asking me some question which wasn't very interesting to remember, other than that I nodded or shook my head to give them the answer. It was boring, maybe if I'm not dead by the monster, I might be dead by boredom. They said that my parents will come to visit me in the eight of the morning which felt like forever in my current state. 'But at least I will not be alone anymore.' It was the time, and a few minutes later, the door swung open, and I saw my father peeking out from the door. "Hey Rarity," He said, "How's it going?" I heard his hoofsteps when he moved closer to me, I wasn't paying attention to him that much. I just glance to meet his face once before looking down at my ruined body. He sat next to me, patting my mane while I just keep staring at myself before he asked, "Feel better?" I just nodded my head slightly. "Well, I have good news. We will be home soon, sweetie. How do you think?" I nodded again, I have to say, but I'm going to revoke my statement about wanting to see my parents. I don't think my dad's presence was making me happy. "Come on my dear, say something to me." 'What should I say? I don't think I want to talk with anypony right now, but...' "Dad." "Hm?" "Am I a good pony?" "Of course you are," He answered while he was shifting closer and leaning on my bed. "Look... I understand... that you are uh... stressed, and thought that what you did was bad but, you did nothing wrong. You just did what ever you can to defend yourself, and I'm proud of that. I can't imagine what happened if you uh... let's not thinking about it, but here we are, you still here." I don't think I actually like what he just said to me, I mean, I'm just killing something, and can get away with it because... well self-defense. Yeah, but I technically attack first with a rock, and the target is a monster. And it's okay to do it? Yeah, it's a monster that will eat me alive if I let it be. But I really hated that fact, especially if my talent had something to do with them. Speaking of talent. "Dad, do you think you know what is my talent?" "Maybe," He looked at me with a smile. "You're very smart and you were able to think up something like that, I don't think you beat up anypony yet." I frowned, and maybe I raised my right eyebrow a little too, that last part was obviously a joke and I don't think that was funny at all. There was a moment of silence afterward before he finally sighed, "I'm afraid not, my dear. But as far as I concern, your cutie mark doesn't look bad doesn't it? A three blue diamond which are shining in our darkest moment, right?" I just nodded my head to give my response. "I'm sorry Rarity," He shifted, and I glance up and meet his eyes which were staring back at me, "I will promise to make it up to you." After my dad said that, he then kissed me on my forehead, I was sure that he felt guilty for leaving me before this all happened. When I was staring into nothingness, I heard him clamber off my bed, and then soon followed by the sound of the door open. I looked over to see my mother peeking her head inside. "Oh, my baby," She cooed while moving closer to my bed. "Mom," I said, before she hugged me into a tight embrace. "Oh, my poor Rarity," She cried, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry for letting this all happened to you..." I glanced over to looked over at Dad for a little help... only to found he was looking down at the floor for some reason. "It's okay, darling," She wiped her nose with her foreleg and kissed me on the forehead again, "We'll get through this together, okay?" I don't really know what to do or how to respond, so I just nodded my head a little. I briefly caught her eye glancing over at Dad, and it seems like she was waiting for him to say something. Like she was expecting something from him. "It's... It's okay," He managed to say, in a very low voice. Her face turned into a scowl? It was hard to read Mom's expression, but was she mad at him? She took a few more steps closer to my bed, and then turned to look at me. "Listen, sweetie," She began, "Your dad and I have talked about this and we think that it would be best if we go back to Manehattan, at least until everything dies down a bit, you understand." I nodded my head, "It's okay, I suppose," I responded. "But," She said, "Your dad and I are going to stay here a little longer, just for a few days until you can finally on your hooves again. But don't worry, we'll be leaving soon." "Okay," I answered. She smiled at me, but I swear, when she glanced over to look at Dad, there was something different in her eyes. Dad didn't say anything, but kept his head low in response. "I love you, darling," She started, leaning in to hug me tightly once more, "And I'm sorry for everything." It was the first time I had seen either of them cry, though I'm pretty sure they were both trying to hold it in. 'I was the cause of their pain, aren’t I? I hated the fact that my parents were blaming themselves over something they had no control over. I was attacked, not them, but they were sad because of it. I started to get tears in my eyes as well. Why the hell were they making me feel guilty? They love me, they really do. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay, darling. I have work to do, but we'll be fine, you're still my little strong brave pony right?" "Mhmm," I nodded. "We'll talk later, okay? Get better soon, darling." "M-mom." I said, almost immediately, causing her to look back at me. "Yes?" Why she was in such of hurry? I didn't want to upset her any further, or cause my dad any distress, so I didn't know how to put it. "Can you stay with me?" "You want me to stay?" "I want you to stay! I don't want you to leave me alone. Not now." She sighed and unfortunately, I already knew her answer before she even spoke, "I'm sorry, I wish I can stay here but there is a lot of things I need to take care of. But your dad is still here so don't worry." It was... hurt, what could possibly more important than staying here with me? But before I could mutter a response, she continued. "But we'll talk later, okay? Get better soon, darling." She kissed me one last time on the forehead. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes, but she managed to blink them away. "Okay, I'll leave you two alone." She said, as she sniffled a little bit. "Bye mom." I replied, as she started to leave the room. She turned around in the doorway, "I love you, darling." With that, all I saw was just the door swinging on its hinges, leaving me and my dad alone. "I love you too..." Dad got up from his seat, and slowly walked over to me. He knelt down near the bed, and looked into my eyes while his hoof wiped some tears on my cheek which I haven't realized were there. "You are not to blame, nor is mom. It'll be okay, you'll see. Just because she didn't stay doesn't mean she didn't love you." I felt myself start to get teary eyed as he continued, "Now, you rest. I'm going to get your meds, and then we'll do this every day starting tomorrow until you're back on your hooves. I'll be back in a minute." The dam was broke when I was alone. All my previous numbness was vanished, there were feeling in my chest, I don't know what it was, but I kept my forelegs close to my chest the whole time, hugging myself as tight as I could just to feel... something else. I didn't know what gotten into me, but I felt the tears well up in my eyes as I sniffled a breath. I tried to stop myself from crying, but it was too late. The feeling flooded into me, like a water overflowing in my heart, causing me to choke over my throat. I don't know how long I was in that room by myself, crying. It could've been a few minutes, it could've been an hour. It felt like forever though. I don't even know when my dad came back in. But he was alone, without my mom. "Don't cry. You're not alone anymore." He said, as he sat in the chair by the bed. I fought a loosing battle trying my hardest to keep the tears from falling, sniffing everytime I breathe. "Why did this happen to me?" I asked, as I wiped my eyes. We were silent for a while, as I wiped my eyes one last time, until he spoke, "I don't know."
Goodbye PonyvilleThe next day was the time when I'm confident to say that things has finally gone better. It was also the same day when I was asked to stand on my four hooves. I wasn't sure why the doctor asked me to do this so quickly, but maybe it was the reason why Mom had to left me yesterday, dealing with all the boring paperwork like... I don't know. Mom is the only pony who actually managed my family, the one who deal with all of the stuff which making me questioning how she still managed to holding up like she is. I mean when I looked at a book full of text with no picture on it, I'm sure I will be asleep in the next minutes. Anyway, the doctor came and told me to stand on my four hooves, and I have to say, it wasn't a such an easy task. I could stand alright, but l could only move with three legs which was hard, but at least the doctor said that 'soon' I will be able to move my injured leg freely. I can't wait to moved my right hind leg again. It will make my life way more easier. True to her word, Mom came back, and she did spend her time with me, but unfortunately, it seems like they were just taking a turn at who was going to stay with me in the hospital. But maybe it was worth to asked, so I asked her anyway. "Mom, why can't be both of you and dad stayed at here with me?" She smiled, patting my mane and said, "It's nothing Rarity, it just uh..." She was struggling to find the correct words, but she continued, "We were busy, I heard the doctor said you were making progress to stand up on your hooves again." She was obviously changing the topic of the conversation, but I wasn't aware of that at that time, so I answered, "Uh-huh. He said I will be able to move my leg again." She chuckled at my response, "It was a good thing to hear." She then pulled something out from her bag, "Look what I brought you." When I landed my eyes on it, I simply couldn't believe what I saw. It was three small and identical blue diamonds which looked almost exactly like my own cutie mark. I was shocked, was my eyes deceiving me? How did Mom get it? She was chuckling after seeing at Celestia knows what my expression were, and placing them on top of my belly which I began to touch with my hoof. "It is yours, sweetie." She kissed me on my forehead, which I repay by giving her a hug, pouring my heart content of her gift. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..." She was hugging tighter in response while I nuzzled my head deep against her chest, feeling the warmth of her fur ~~and... maybe some of her sweat...~~ before we broke our embrace. "Your welcome, sweetheart." ⁂ After about a day or two in the hospital, I was able to move on my hooves again. When was the exact time I leave? I wasn't sure, but from what I counted myself, the first day was when I was out, the second day was with the pink nurse, and the third day was when my parents comes to visit me. So yeah, on the fifth day I was allowed to leave from the hospital. I still haven't fully healed when I wrote this, but I'm very grateful that I don't have to use a wheelchair or anything to move, and the fact that I still can stand under my own hooves is a Celestia's blessing. Being disabled for a brief period of time has making me realize just how much of a gift most ponies will take for granted, well I don't know if this is the correct words, but I settled to write them down anyway. When I leave the hospital for the first time, the first things Mom do was signing on some paperwork. Paperwork, always some paperwork. I remember where the nurse said multiple time of 'at here and here and here', just how many signs did they needed anyway? But thankfully it wasn't a time-consuming process, and we were ready to go. It was so much better to breathe in the air outside, the damp like and cool sensation in each breath were so refreshing in my lungs, I really love the air in this town, it was different. "Ah..." "You enjoy the air?" Dad asked. "Yeah, It seems better than when we arrived." Despite I can move, doesn't mean I have to because I was practically limping on my hooves, so instead of torturing myself, I ride on Dad's back which have it's on perk by allowing me to see the town more freely. Ponyville, I have to say, you are a cozy little town I ever visit, and I hope this some short of craziness like the monster wasn't a regular occurrence, otherwise I'm sorry to say, I hate you for putting false advertisements and ruining our life. Not only Dad and I was eaten by your fancy brochure, now I'm crippled and you just crack my parents relationship. "Are you okay Rarity?" Mom asked, "You still afraid about the monster are you?" I shook my head, "I just wish we have never been here in the first place." She didn't response, nor Dad did. A very uncomfortable silent to be specific, and I knew what they were thinking. We all are. After voicing my inner thought, we kept walking on and on until I realized I still don't know where we were heading to. "So, where are we going?" Mom glanced at me, asking, "Well, do you have something in mind?" "Um." At that point I was thinking something cold and refreshing, something sweet and easy to swallow, and I knew I made a right decision. "Alright, let's get you some Ice cream then." Mom said with a small smile. ⁂ It doesn't take too long for us to found an ice cream vendor in the park. It was crowded by a lot of filly my age and because of the advantage of having parents nearby, I can get it faster than the other. It was nice, although I didn't have so much of a choice because the ice cream vendor was practically out of his ice cream stock from his customers, bless Celestia for my luck. I still enjoy my plain white vanilla ice cream I got with a chocolate chips on top as a cherry tip. We sat somewhere at the park and I almost tripped when I was on the ground and tried to climb on a bench. My parents reaction was almost instantaneously, they hold my legs and asked, "Are you okay?" which making me feels like a lot younger than my current age. I felt really bad for both of them. Not only because I was a burden for a couple of days, but because I could see the rift between their love for each other and mine. But it can be worse, I heard that some parents decided to live apart against each other after something which I don't understand, but I guess I understand now, they must be mad like, very mad, so they can't even see each other's faces. I don't want to know and will NEVER want to know what will happen to me if my parents decides to live apart, I want both of them near me and live together like we have always been, but they already make a promise to each other and to me and I believe my parents will not leaving because of what happened in this town. When I was there, I occasionally saw a few ponies looking in my direction, some looked away once I caught them but some even... sympathy? Of course they will, maybe because of my legs which now supporting cuts and wrapped around in bandages. Some other was even using me as a way to teach their own foal. Seriously, there was an old green mare donning an orange cloth with apple motive on her neck quite literally pointing at me while yelling to an orange earth pony with blonde mane and red colt with orange mane next to her. What is it the word to describe the uneasiness of being the center of attention. Well, it doesn't matter, I'll leave soon anyway, but will we return here? I don't know, actually I have this feeling that we might stay at Manehattan for more than 'some time', I know we will back home and might never return to Ponyville. Such a waste, this place was more than the place where I almost die, but also the place where I gain my cutie mark. Is my cutie mark matter? Of course it is, but maybe I'm better to not questioning what does it mean. I had enough of thinking about it that I think it doesn't really matter. I stopped staring at myself and realized that the old granny with what I assume her grandchildren has gone from where they were. "What are you looking at sweetie?" Dad asked which I answered, "There was somepony using me as a teaching material." He raised his eyebrows and I elaborate, "Just an old granny pointing her hoof at me while yelling at a foal next to her." He sighed, "Don't worry, we will leave soon, and you will not have to see her again okay?" "Mhmm," I nodded. I looked up at the sky above us, a clear sky where the pegasus really did their job to clean the sky instead of simply moving them apart, but where they move the clouds? It doesn't matter. I was just enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on my coat, a stark contrast to a cold hospital room with Air Conditioner. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I woke up on top of my Dad while we were waiting for the train in the train station. Mom was talking to a clerk while Dad and I was behind her. "Ah, you awake." Dad said, "Sleep well I guess?" "Mhmm." I said while rubbing my eyes, blinking and make a confirmation that we indeed at the train station. Mom said thank you to the clerk behind the glass counter and we stand near the platform waiting for the train to comes. "When will the train arrive?" I asked. "Soon, it will arrive soon, only a few minutes and we all set." The sunlight beginning to turned from blue to orangish grey, the sun was descending, tuning down the world brightness just in time for the white steam to emerged from one corner of the station, indicating that the train has arrived. Seeing the train crawling on the rail under the rich orange coloration from the sunlight as we about to leave the town was surreal. It seems like we were just making a sharp turn of a story, a different path of life or something like... I don't know. I felt compelled to stay actually, maybe because whatever destiny was brought me here wants me to stay but... why? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do here, I mean I have a fantasy of being a famous costume designer, this place was a perfect setup with The Play days ago, and this place also had a very convenient boutique which allow me to jump up my career but, I guess my chance to showed my creation was ruined. But enough of that, I just wanted to go home and rest. If I'm really destined to be a fashionista, it will be only a matter of time, if not... What can I say. Screaming against the heaven? It was getting late right now and the journey from this place to Manehattan wasn't a short one and both my parents were asleep anyway. Now that I'm think about it, I wonder how much of sedative they put into me now that I don't recall most of my time in the hospital and the fact now I can't sleep. 'Great.' With nothing else to do, I looked at my Mom's gift, my blue diamonds which are shining at our darkest moment in life, like my dad said. It was at least something, and I'm glad that I have my cutie mark now, it is still part of my identity no matter what, which is something that making me a Rarity among the other. Author's Note I'm kinda distracted by writing another fic that I'm not sure to publish it or not. I even don't know why I'm writing this Author's Notes, maybe because I want to let people know? Who know, I just wanted to write it. Weird right because that I don't know why I'm writing this note either. Anyway. Thank you for reading. I hope this chapter is not that bad to read. Also, I don't know what tag should I use, some suggestion is really appreciated.
