Wings of Love

[Present[
“15 years ago, Starry Hope lived a horrible life, she was abused Nightingale, tormented… robbed of her life and even destroyed of any worth in her life.” Moon said and all I could do was stare at the eyes as Moon didn’t even blink an eye, It had to be a joke right? Like a ha ha joke to fool me…. Nopony would do that. But Moon’s eyes were dead set on this which made my heart crush like I could feel her pain. "Who, who did this to her?" My voice spoke but my fear caught up to me and I was only able to just sit there as everything was thrown at me like bricks.

[Past]
I watched as my parents looked in the mirror of my room, carefully seeing what was done to it... making sure it was clean. It's good.. they aren't gonna be mad. NO they will, you need to defend yourself! My voice muttered and my mother stared at me. "This room is clean, for once. Good job Starry." My mother said and then I felt a hoof come from behind knocking me to the ground, making my face smash into the concrete floor. "This room is pathetic! Look at the floor I can't see my reflection whenever I look down!" A male voice said and when I turned my head only to get another even harder I noticed my father standing over me with a blank stare.

Why, I did everything you asked? I cleaned the floors with my bare hooves and even cleaned the beds and everything all by myself without anything? I said to myself hoping to explain why I was hurt... but it didn't matter, when he was angry... I was his target "Oh dear, stop.. you already made a mark, now how is she suppose to go and get us groceries.. or even my makeup?" My mother said and my stomach ached from it, they only cared about themselves, to them... I was the slave. I felt my body being ripped up from my mane which I winced and cried from in pain and felt myself being thrown a couple inches and then landed on the ground. "You heard the mare. MOVE!" My father said smashing his hoof on the ground and I ran out the door slipping and crashing into the grass outside our house. Why me, why am I always the one.... nopony cares for me. I said to myself as I walked over to the store to grab their stuff, knowing if I failed... I wouldn't be able to live in there another day.

[Present]
"Starry's parents were the main causes of her traumas. Her father Forgotten Legacy was a roofer, and a pony who only cared about himself even if it meant robbing everypony around him. Legacy was never home, he was always forced to stay out of the home where Starry and her siblings Artic Blaze and Lost Melody lived. But when he returned, he was abusing them, tormenting them with belts, whips, chains, locking them in the basement or even starving them. Starry was the worst as she was the second oldest and was treated as the mistake child. Her mother Stormy Melody was a performer and only cared about her public image, so long as she was given perfection and all eyes were on her, she didn't care who she had to stomp on to get it. She constantly was the one to deliver many of the verbal and emotional torture to her, always calling her some of the most horrid words that would crush anypony's heart within seconds. If Starry tried to fight back at ANY point in her life... sniff she would be lucky to live the next day."

Moon said and the tears fell faster than the speed of how fast she spoke. How... HOW could a mother and father do this to their child... to ANYPONY!? My blood boiled but at the same time, it just hurt to hear this. "Is this why.. she is scared?" I said stuttering on some of the words and could hear my voice break from the crying and Moon nodding without saying a word. "Starry was forced to do everything, from laundry to cleaning the entire house or sometimes even to fake a illness in order for parents to get medical insurance without having to pay extra. If she ever failed at her task, she would get hurt, robbed of food or even locked out of the house for days... sometimes months." Moon sad and the tears flooded my eyes where it became harder to see. Why... WHY was she hurt!?" I yelled in anger and sorrow and Moon held her hoof out as she passed me something to drink to which I denied at first. But her expression, that blank stare made me realize she wanted me to drink to calm down, so I did and held the cup in my hooves and took a sip. It was a cup of tea... almost like how my mother used to make it when I was younger.

"You need to understand Nightingale, Starry was not even supposed to be born, in their eyes... she is a forgotten child, a adoption they made and regret... a failure. That feeling, knowing that you weren't even supposed to be born, weighs heavily on a soul... it can also create torment on their soul for years possibly decades." Moon said and I only looked more in horror. Moon simply nodded and then turned and began to continue her story.

[Past]
Nightmares... it was always nightmares... no sleep, always scared... suppose to be their slave and never care. My mind raced further with each step there, ponies laughing being around others... where I had to cover up my wounds from the 2 ponies I was suppose to call my parents. Getting there was harder than anything, Sometimes I wished that my nightmare would end, either by the conventional way... or by running away and never going back. That dream became a fantasy over the long years of knowing that escape was something I could never achieve. Getting to the store that they wanted me to go was not far or even hard to get to, but watching ponies gawk and stare at me... the looks, they brought fears to my spine. Do they know, are they going to hurt me.... RUN... run and don't look back!! My mind said and when somepony asked me if I was okay, I yelled at the top of my lungs to get away and galloped away with speed that even a Pegasus would be jealous. They are always watching me, ready to torture me the second they get.... I need... no... I MUST be alone.

Present
"I must escape this tormented nightmare." Moon finished her next part and I lifted my hoof in complete anger and smashed it on the couch hoof rest which sent a shiver of pain through my body. But it didn't matter, the pain that I endured from hearing that, made that pain go away. "Starry would constantly be afraid of anypony getting near her, just for me and the others to even be hoofs distance to her took over 4 years. I once read her journal when she was asleep in order to get a better view of her mind... but what I saw, that horror, scares me to admit, broke even my calmness." Moon said and I clenched my teeth but she lifted her bag and pulled out a bunch of pages from it, which came floating towards me. "What is this?" I said angered and she stared at me,

"Whenever my eyes are closed, the visions return. A hidden prophecy foretold." Moon said in a light tone compared to her stern voice and I looked confused. "Look at the pages. Lies told like the wages of the casino board." Moon said and I came that she wished for me to see the pages. The first page was exactly as her words spoke, there was a pony in black scratched out by the face and then beside it was another pony the same way, there eyes leaking a black ooze and then another pony lying down in the middle scared with bruises. Was this Starry's visions? NO, It had to be her nightmares. I held the second page and saw a paper beside casino chips while a picture of a birthday card looked like it was soaked in a red colour. This... why is there a card. No... they didn't abandon her birthday in order to spend the day with themselves than her? I muttered but the realization that it was true hit me harder.

"When I cried, my tears dried up like the desert during the end of times." Moon said and I switched to the next page, to see a desert.. barren and without life. A pony in the middle crying without nopony else and the tears steamed up from the heat. No... I can't, these hurt. I muttered but Moon looked at me. "When I die, there will be nopony to ever say goodbye." Moon said and I shook unable to see the final page, she repeated it but I couldn't I just dropped the pages and they fell only for Moon to levitate them in the air. "The truth is like fire, we want to know it all... but we tire from the burns." Moon said and flipped the pages around to show a completed picture of Starry... burned all around her body. "This... is sickening! Why are you doing this!?"

"Sometimes Nightingale, the world can be cruel, filled with darkness. Where we believe that it’s wonderful but is plagued by lies.” Moon said and my anger rose more to her. “But why me.. why show or tell me any of this!?” I said yelling and her eyes perked in tears. “Cause I believe you can help her.” Moon said and my eyes shot open and my ears fell down. (Help her… but why me?) the question ringed in my ears like fire… but at the same time I felt this pain like I could cry.. but no tears would fall. “I shall make my leave, but before I do… I want you to take this.” Moon said and threw me a book simply titled Desolation. “The truth Nightingale is hidden between these pages. For who the author that wrote this book. Well I believe you already know them.” Moon said and I turned the book to find Starry, with almost a fake smile scared out of her mind in the picture. Moon left after I told her I will do my best. “Our best is the greatest wish she can ever ask for.” Moon said and then something hit my mind. “How did Starry and Dancing meet!?” I screamed and she turned her head and walked back. “That Nightingale I don’t have the answer for. Apparently she accomplished her dream and ran away… but after that, she never speaks of it.” Moon said and I wanted to call out a lie, but her stern voice and cold eyes told me that this was no lie.

Upon leaving I opened the first page of the book and stared at the pages that seemed to be different compared to other books. The wording was almost like it was hoofmade and there was no art, simply a black page with the words of the title on it. I stared at the contents in the book and cried heavily at the sights of what I was reading.

[Past]
My dream soon to be a reality, not bound anymore by the captivity of control. As the night began to rise I could hear their voices. The parents were sleeping and this was my time, there was no other time they came like this. Thankfully drugging ponies with sleeping pills helps a lot in keeping them out for the count. I held my bag on my wings wincing form the pain but didn’t care as I grabbed what I needed, bare essentials. Clothes, my books and some food was all I needed. Once I had it all, I turned my head to the door picking the lock and then with one click the door swung open. “Your really leaving?” A female voice spoke and when I turned my head I saw my sister Lost Melody staring at me still with the burn across her hoof. “You know I can’t stay here Melody, there is nothing here for me.” I said but the nightmares came and I winced from the pain dropping my bag to the floor only for her to levitate it in the air. “Then I will not stop you, I wish you the best Starry.” Melody said and I smiled wanting to hug her, but my body wouldn’t move and she nodded and stared and smiled as I opened the door and walked out.

The fresh air, it felt almost welcoming to me… like I could breath without fearing of losing it. I quickly held my bag in my mouth and galloped away, as fast as I could go, not looking back or shedding a tear. Once I got about a good hour away, I finally dropped my bag and looked up. “The snow is pretty today isn’t it dear?” A voice spoke behind me and I jumped in fear and nearly collapsed. “Oh I’m sorry for barging, but you looked like you’ve never seen snow before.” The voice spoke and when I raised my head I noticed a mare looking at me, maybe around her mid elder years a unicorn somewhat almost like a older version of her. “What’s your name dear?” The mare said but my mouth wouldn’t move… like something taped it shut. “Would you like to come to my place, I got food and a warm place for you?” She said and when she lifted her hoof I screamed for help, crying and begging for her to not hurt me. All I saw from her then was my mother. “Go… go.. GO AWAY!” I screamed and she looked at me. “Do you mind if we go somewhere to eat?” She said and I wanted to refuse but my body ached from no food and I nodded somberly as she smiled and led me to a small little coffee shop. There were to many ponies… too many… eyes everywhere… they saw me… hurting me. Had to leave… had to leave. My mind raced further and further with each second they saw me. “Can I have 2 classics please and a bagel for the mare?” The woman who brought me here said and the waitress smiled and nodded while she picked a seat for us in the far back. “So you never gave me your name?”

She said and my eyes keep looking for exists or what everypony was doing. She was grabbing coffee, the stallion won a lottery, the other stuffed a jacket into his bag. “S…Starry Hope.” I said and then eeped at the realization that not even 1 hour after I left, I already told somepony my name. Such a great runaway I am. I muttered and she looked at me and have a slight laugh. “Starry Hope sounds like a wonderful name, you must be destined to bring hope to the world.” She said while laughing harder which made my eyes grow dim. “Oh sorry for my rudeness, my name is Rosemary… like the plant.” Rosemary said and I liked the name but confused on why the name of a plant for a ponies name. “So why did you run away?” She said and I jumped up from my seat and looked at her angry. “What is it to you!?” I yelled and everypony looked confused and then I sat back down. “Look, I know something must’ve happened where you felt alone and broken to leave. But your young… don’t throw it all away. You have a future waiting for you.” Rosemary said but my anger for what those 2 monsters did made my blood boil. “You don’t know the half of it.” I said furious and then my back of my mind knew this was the first time I ever spoke more than 3 words.

Rosemary looked at me once more and then sighed. “I can help you, give you a place to stay and even food and clothes for you. But that’s up to you, I wish not to continue this fight if it will result in needless arguments.” Rosemary said and I looked back at her as she began to write something on a piece of paper. “This is my address, if you ever want to come and visit and stay for a bit Ms. Hope you are more than welcome to. But I shall take my leave, it was a honor to meet you, I hope to see you at the top of the hill." Rosemary said and a slight tear fell down my face which I wiped quickly and she left.

NO... I am better off alone, I am always alone. I said to myself as Rosemary left and I stared at the drink that seemed to not have cooled down, or even had reduced from the scolding heat that it came when the waitress brought it as. Did she use her magic to keep it hot knowing I wouldn't drink it? I thought to myself but ditched the ideas as I left the drink there and got up to leave.. I needed nopony, as I was alone before so I shall stay alone. Opening the door I was met with cold snow and freezing temperatures something that would freeze a young filly in seconds, but to me it was welcoming. I simply watched the snowfall hitting my light blond coat and the heavy wind blowing my mane around the place. I simply took one of my ties within my bags and tied my mane to the best I can and then turned my back away from the cafe and turned away to walk into my unknown future.

[Present]
"The days grew cold as I welcomed the unknown future... sometimes the wind was colder than the heart inside of my chest. But I know meeting her was the greatest....." I said as I finished the page only to find it unfinished and it ended on a mysterious note. Like who was this mysterious her and what happened after Starry left... the questions laid on my mind, just as I was about to sleep and lay my head down... I heard the last thing Moon told me. Cause you believe I can save her... I don't even know where to start. I just hope, she'll open to me enough so I can learn this truth that is hidden... her past lies the key to her salvation I muttered as my eyes grew heavy and with one last gasp of air I fell asleep.