Damaged Vessels Don't Sail Well
We sometimes do things, things we later come to regret. It is these things that set the course of our lives, for better or for worse. They are happenings or sayings we can no longer take back, and they remain with us as long as memories last and bodies survive.
It was a cold winter morning in the recovering town of Ponyville, as the wind bit down on the flesh of the unprotected, as the falling snow covered the streets and roofs of the peaceful settlement.
Decorations littered the multiple homes and buildings, spraying it with the warm touch of the season holidays. For it was Hearth's Warming Eve. What better time to share with the family and friends? There would be no better opportunity nor excuse to buy lavish decor, gifts, food and drinks!
The inhabitants went about their routine happily and without obstruction, living as nature had intended for them to do so. Calmly, peacefully.
Warmly.
And I? Well, look for this haunted soul not within the cheerful buildings, nor among the festive equines. I was a soul apart from all and any, as past mistakes flooded the atmosphere and segregated me from all.
There had been my arrival, my pride and arrogance, my foolish desire to feel superior to the native populace... There had been mistakes, stupid and unnecessary ones. The type of errors that leave scars, deep and impossible to erase. Both on the timeline of history, and on the mortal flesh.
I held the mug of cider as best as I could, using only my thumb, index and middle fingers. The last two were useless and motionless, being left merely to adorn my hand.
Raising the mug slowly, I drank the alcoholic beverage moderately. There would be work to do in a couple of hours and being drunk would do little to help. But it kept the merciless cold away, the drink that is, it helped warm the body.
The doctors could have amputated the useless appendages, they served little purpose after the operation to save my hand, but I decided against it. They were a part of me, of my humanity. Such a thing that was so rare within the borders of this land, to have it lessened would have been a crime, even if only against myself.
I lowered the mug of cider and sighed, looking around the kitchen room. It was not a large one, but it served it's purpose, as food was served in its circular wooden table, after being cooked in a stove of stone sitting by the wooden wall.
Some shelves beside the stove, a stone sink, and a small glassless window facing the front yard completed the look of my modest kitchen room. Although we never had much use for the stove, since most of whatever we ate were either canned or dry foods.
I stifled a yawn and stood up from the wooden stool were I sat every morning and night, to allow myself a good, cold swig of nerve calming cider. It was one of the few pleasures we could afford. One of the few things I would allow be kept from my wards, and to none other than myself.
I placed the empty mug in the sink and splashed some water on it from a bucket laying on the floor. No plumbing this deep into the Everfree. The sink and shower drains had been dug by the previous owners to lead into a nearby stream that ran to who-knows-where.
Stepping out of the kitchen, I walked down the stairs that lead to the children's room. The stairs laid in between the only rooms on the upper floor, the living room and the kitchen. Both were similarly decorated, except the living room had a dusty old sofa and lacked the stove and sink.
The wooden steps creaked as my feet applied pressure on them, my limping figure slowly descending to the final room in the house. My left leg stung a little in the cold winter air, especially during the morning and night hours, when the chill was at its strongest.
Ever since my leg broke it had stung with the cold weather, and cramps had become tediously common. All in all, I was a mess, and it was a wonder I had managed to slip my way into the lumbering business. Or any business for that matter. It was bad enough that everyone remembered me as the monster that caused hell on earth, but with all the injuries I sustained while doing it? Who on their right mind would hire a cripple?
Well, it certainly helped that said cripple charged half of what any normal worker would.
I reached the end of the staircase and raised my hand to the door knob, the cold surface of the copper augmented the already chilly feel on my cold hand. The metal was chipped slightly on its surface, leaving sharp edges here and there. Tetanus would have come as a concern, if starvation wasn't already on my top five.
How did it come to this? Well, I was drawn from my home by an insane god, whom decided it would be fun to watch me struggle among peaceful beings, among harmonious creatures. He placed upon my care three children, to look after and care till they came of age. I messed up, badly.
Running into a fight with the wrong crowd made the more violent side of me rise out from within, and the populace was terrified. I became a convict eventually, my sentence came as a light warning since I helped capture an incredibly dangerous pegasi mafia boss. But the consequences could still be felt.
I turned the knob and pushed the door open, gently so as to not wake up the ones within. It budged after a slight push, the wood being swollen because of the humid air, and opened. The bedroom was slightly larger than the other rooms, but it had no windows since it was underground.
A large bed sat on the wall parallel to the door, and a smaller, single bed on the wall to the right. The larger one had been courtesy of her royal highness, right after having me sentenced to live within the borders of the town for life, unable to leave under the threat of imprisonment.
The one and only bathroom was to the left of the entrance, with a shower and a sink, both of stone. There was also a medium sized hole in the ground, with a stream running below it, and if you can't figure out what that was used for, then you're not the brightest kid in town.
Water for bathing had to be drawn from a well behind the house, and it was exhausting work, mainly because of my limp and slightly weak shoulder. It was almost dislocated in a fight a tad before, and now it was rather painful to haul large objects.
I entered the room, and the cold retreated somewhat. Walls down here were insulated to keep it from getting to cold or hot, and for that I thanked the pegasus gang that built the place. Even if it was for smuggling poison joke, which they tried to poison me with.
A small lump stirred within the covers of the larger bed, letting out a soft screech. I knew the sound well by now, and while some may have confused it with a cry of pain, I knew rather well how my son yawned.
A smile broke my lips and the chill dissipated completely, leaving only the warmth of knowing he had a good night's sleep. I walked over to his side of the bed, making sure not to step on any wrong planks that enjoyed creaking loudly.
Aquilder stirred below the covers, kicking at them with his paws and claws, all the while lazily stretching his wings. His light brown feathers were unaligned and rather messy, but it was nothing a quick bath couldn't fix.
I knelt beside him and gently prodded his neck, making sure not to wake him too roughly. A grumpy morning wasn't something we wanted, especially not on such a special occasion.
The little gryphon, barely old enough to eat by himself, turned around and yawned yet again, opening his orange beak widely before slowly and lazily opening his eyes. Yellow irises with black pupils stared at me from behind half closed eyelids.
"Good morning Aquis. Slept well?" I smiled at him and ran a hand through the feathers of his head.
Aquilder frowned a little and yawned once more, making it clear he didn't want to wake up just yet. But food didn't get itself on the table, and I was not going to leave them alone in the house.
"Come on big guy, you have to get up."
I stood up and walked over to a small nightstand beside the bed. On it was a half burnt candle, with a smell of burnt rope and smoke. My hand went to the upper drawer of the nightstand, and pulled out a match box.
"Rise and shine"
I said cheerily as I lit the candle, illuminating the room and removing the darkness. Much to the displeasure of three little kiddos, it was time to wake up.
"Aquis, Ori, Shiny, wakey wakey! Gotta run guys, AJ, Flutters and uncle Snowy are gonna help out for today. But we seriously need to see about getting you all into daycare or something." I placed the candle down on its holder and laid it on the nightstand. "Hurry you hellish squirrels! I can't be late for slave labor again!"
Still smiling I walked towards the bed and removed the covers, revealing my other two wards. Both were equally unamused about being woken up so early, but there was little choice in the matter for any of us. Work at the lumber mill started early, at about six in the A to the M, and I was not on a fixed salary, which meant that I had to start early if I wanted to make enough coin.
The amount of timber I brought back to the boss became the amount of bits I was able to take home. And with a crippled leg, shoulder, and hand... Well, lets just say I had to take several other jobs around town.
Ectorius, my not so little minotaur covered his eyes with two tiny hands and tried to find the covers with his hooves. His black coat with patches of white was perfectly messed up after a long night of being in dreamland, and his blunt little horns had scratched the wooden wall yet again. It was rather easy to know where Ectorius slept, just look for the markings!
I rolled my eyes and sighed, but my smile never wavered.
"The cost of fixing that wall will come from your college budget kiddo, I swear!"
Ectorius made a light groaning noise and rubbed his sleepy eyes a little, still trying to get a hold of the covers. I sighed and walked over to him, placing a hand on his head, careful to avoid the horns as they were rather sensitive for a minotaur calf.
"Hey, come on Ori. You know I don't like to wake you up so early, but this is important."
Ectorius looked at me with his big, round eyes, both were large pools of green. An odd color for a minotaur if you ask me, but it suited him rather well. I looked back at him and tried to show him with my eyes what he couldn't understand with words.
Ectorius kept the stare for a little while before rubbing his eyes one last time and sitting up. The little minotaur yawned loudly and stretched his arms, getting ready for our daily trek to town.
I smiled and clapped loudly, startling a dozing Aquilder to his feet, err paws. But there was one who would resist my power, one with the strength to defy the might and strength of man.
"Shiny, wake up! I know you are not asleep, stop faking you ponyperson!" I gently shook a 'sleeping' Lightshine till she was unable to ignore me anymore.
The baby centaur lifted her head from underneath the pillow she had been shielding herself with, and gave me an upset face. Lips pouted and frowning, Lightshine crossed her arms and stomped her forehoof on the mattress, expecting a damn good explanation for interrupting her sleep.
"Shiny, we go over this thing every other morning! Can't we just accept the fact that I always win and you always get an apology apple?"
Lightshine shook her head without unfolding her arms, and let herself fall back down on the bed without closing her eyes nor opting for any other facial expression than the one that practically screamed out 'Ain't moving, deal with it'.
The baby centaur with her snow white coat, pale skin and blonde hair was incredibly smart, and just as stubborn. She would not listen to me nor move out of bed unless she wanted to, and lucky me, I knew exactly how to make her want to get out.
I sighed and faked defeat.
"Oh noes! Guess she won! I won't be able to make her wake up, guess she will be staying in bed as long as she wants to."
I walked towards the door and turned around in time to see a smiling Lightshine, basking in the glory of her victory.
"Hey Ori, wanna help make breakfast?" I nodded for Ectorius to follow, he cocked his head to the side as if asking what was in the menu, and I obliged in telling him. "You know pretty damn well what we're having, Ori. Oats, hay and spinach for you. Mushy cake for Aquis, and for Shiny..."
I raised my voice just a little so that Lightshine was able to hear clearly.
"...oats with sliced apples and lilies."
She immediately raised her head, sporting the largest smile her face could hold. I loved to see her smile, even if it pained me deeply. Oats and lilies were the cheapest things on the market, and if it weren't for Applejack there wouldn't be any apples at all.
I was a poor man, oats and canned goods were the base of our diets, with Aquilder's meat supplement being the most expensive thing I had to buy, and he didn't like it as much either way.
It hurt me to see them being happy with so little, it was a stinging pain whenever I saw their smiles. And still, their happiness was the biggest reward I could ever get.
Pushing the depressive thoughts aside, I helped Lightshine out of bed and began to lead all three of them towards the kitchen. Aquilder squawked when I tried to help him up the stairs, and using his wings to balance himself, began his ascension to the upper floor.
I followed his every move with a worried glance, trying to place my hands in a position where I could catch him should he fall. Ectorius and Lightshine both took a hold of my clothes with their hands and walked along with me up the stairs, one on either side.
"Aquilder, be careful dammit! You could fall! I'll be damned if you aren't the bravest little motherfuuu- err, ahem, just don't fall, ok?"
My worries were met with a confident screeching noise as the baby gryphon made his way up the stairs, proud smile on his beak the entire while. Needless to say, when we finally reached the top of the stairs, he was swelling with pride and self accomplishment.
The mini eagle-lion beamed and began prancing around us, proclaiming himself as brave conqueror of all things stairs. Ectorius looked at him in awe and moved closer, lightly touching his feathers with a hand and then returning to my side. Lightshine tilted her head sideways before deciding it wasn't worth her while, and opted to get herself a seat at the table before us.
I rolled my eyes at the odd displays of sibling affection, some more warm than others, and then moved into the kitchen to get the food going. But not before patting the new Napoleon on his feathery head, congratulating him on a well earned victory.
I went over to the shelves and pulled out a can of meat supplement, a cardboard box of oats, and three paper bags containing spinach, apples and hay. I placed my ingredients on the table and bent down to pull out three bowls and some firewood.
The kids sat down around the table, a table meant for two, and eagerly waited for me to get the fire going. It was colder upstairs since the walls were mere wood and nothing else, since the windows had no glass to keep the wind outside.
Ectorius was growing a tad impatient and tried to get hold of the hay, but a responsible Lightshine slapped his hand away and shook her head, telling him to wait. The much broader and stronger minotaur looked at the floor like a scolded puppy and nodded.
Aquilder ignored the food on the table, and instead kept his gaze fixed on the canned supplement, eyeing it hungrily.
Noticing the kids growing impatient, I hurried with lighting the fire and setting some fresh water to boil, while I grabbed a kitchen knife to open the can.
Aquilder flapped his wings anxiously as I began stabbing the lid of the metal container to get it opened. It had been quite helpful that such a thing as meat supplement existed, given that Rarity's original plan had been to feed Aquilder cat food...
After a few more quick jabs to it, the lid snapped off and I dumped the containers on Aquilder's wooden plate. The little gryphon smiled and dug in unceremoniously, rapidly devouring the food.
I shook my head and picked up the oats and apples along with the hay and spinach. I then took an iron pot from the shelve and filled it with the water before placing it on the stove.
While I waited for that to boil, I sliced up the apples and handed them to Lightshine and Ectorius. Both clapped their hands happily and began munching on their snack.
Aquilder was halfway through his breakfast when the water was hot enough to add the oats and other stuff. Milk would have been the ingredient of choice for this sort of thing but... Well, it costed less to drag water out of a well.
"Maybe one day Shiny, maybe one day I'll get some milk and honey mixed with buttered toast, aye? Some day..." I doubt she even heard me, she was happily finishing her apple while I dumped some oats with hay and spinach on the water.
After stirring for a while, I added some sugar to get some taste into the water and served it on Ectorius's bowl, handed it to him, and set to work on Lightshine's.
Using the remaining water, I added the lilies, oats and a few more apples. Mixed in the sugar and served it, letting the kids eat their modest breakfast.
I leaned against the wall and smiled as they ate, my lumberjack's axe behind me. It was hard work, but it was work.
Lightshine looked up from her food and tilted her head at me, a confused look in here eyes. At first I didn't understand what was wrong, but then she picked up a slice of apple and held it towards me, having noticed I wasn't eating.
My heart practically melted, and the stinging pain returned with more strength.
"Oh, no thanks Shiny! I'm alright, I'll pick something up after work." I smiled reassuringly and hoped that my stomach didn't growl with unspoken hunger.
All the meat supplements were for Aquilder and the rest of the food was for Ectorius and Lightshine, I managed with one or two potatoes and some mushrooms. There was also some plant Twilight told me about that helped quench the hunger, for a while anyways.
Perhaps I could have asked the others for food or coin, but I was not going to beg for sustenance. Perhaps pride had been a part of what got me into this mess, but I was still no saint, and I was not going to plead.
Lightshine smiled innocently and munched on her food again, enjoying it grandly. And perhaps it was wishful thinking, perhaps it was foolish desire, but I believed myself capable of giving them the childhood every child deserved.
Even if it killed me.
Their breakfast finished, and their teeth brushed, it was time to get going. Aquilder had refused to cleanse his beak, and after much struggling we ended up short in time and unable to shower. So we departed, still sleepy but with enough energy for the day ahead.
I locked the door behind us, and placed the key inside my pocket. Making sure there were no holes in it, since my attire had remained the same for over three weeks. A simple woolen shirt whose color had faded a long while ago, it was matted with blood and sweat stains.
My pants were tinted a dark muddy color from the constant labor I had to realize to survive, their original black color was hidden beneath layer upon layer of dirt.
But the worst was my hoodie, having been my most beloved possession after my original clothing was lost, I wore the hooded jacket fondly. It had been a gift from Rarity, along with the other pieces of clothing, which meant it had been a rather well made piece of a jacket.
It was sad to see it the way it was now, torn and shredded. The right sleeve had been cut to elbow level during the rush to operate my arm after an incident with a flintlock pistol. There were also rather long gashes along the front and back of it, and the cold had no trouble finding its way through it.
Rarity offered to repair them or make some new clothes, but I refused. Not before I was able to pay for it, not before it wouldn't be considered charity. Lightshine's woolen shirt had been the only gift I accepted, since she didn't have fur on her upper body.
It may have been a mistake not to get proper clothing, and perhaps I would pay for it in a later date, but charity wasn't something I was about to do just yet.
Rubbing my hands together to get some of the cold out of them, I nodded for the kids to follow me and began walking in the general direction of Ponyville. Crossing the clearing where my house stood and walking into some woodland. The trees went on for about five hundred feet before giving way to several yards of flatland.
The moon still shone on the horizon by the time we cleared the forest, since it was still early in the morning. Four figures, of the like which had not been seen in the land since forever, now moved forward through the awakening day.
Aquilder had been fully awake by then, as he dashed around tree trunks and stumps before hovering on top of some low hanging branch and gliding down to the floor, almost giving me a heart attack in the process.
Ectorius followed by my side, holding my hand and obediently moving forward. Not ahead, and not behind, but always by me, as if it was a norm and rule that he should never part from my side.
Lightshine was like Aquilder in her eagerness to explore, but for different purposes. The little princess of the woodland was running among bushes and trees, picking up flowers and plants as she went. A centaur was meant to be the symbolization of mankind and nature coexisting together in perfect harmony. Lightshine exemplified this perfectly.
She had a single pocket in her shirt, just in front of her heart. The little centaur was placing each and every flower she found, inside. Whether it was for snacking later on, playing, or the simple joy of collecting, I did not know. But I tried my best to aid her in her quest.
"Uhm... What about this one?" I smiled and held a small white flower up for her to inspect. As far as I knew, it was a rather nice plant, but Lightshine had a different opinion on the matter. She looked it over and wrinkled her nose before turning her head sideways and trotting off to carry on with her holy crusade of botany and gardening.
I frowned and looked at the flower.
"It seemed like a good enough plant..."
The walk towards Fluttershy's cottage was rather short and uneventful. She lived closest to the forest and just a little ways north of my shack, so it was our first stop on my way to Whitetail Woods, were the lumber mill had been set up for the winter season.
It was a traveling business, lumbering that is, traveling from town to town when the cold and snow reached it and the demand for firewood rose. It sold well for the season, but just as the snow, it didn't last once winter passed.
As soon as the cold went away, so would the lumber mill. And I would not be able to follow since my sentence forbade me from leaving Ponyville. I'd be forced to find some other kind of job, but that was future me's problem, not mine. Not yet.
Fluttershy's home was modest, not on the level that mine was, but still. It was well decorated however, I'll give her that much. The numerous holes and bird houses surrounding it gave the place a more organic feel, it was like a little patch of woodland outside of the treeline.
The yellow pegasus was outside her home, hovering over a few rabbit holes with a plateful of lettuce and carrots on her hooves. She gently whispered into the underground lairs and the animals rose up to greet her.
I looked at Ectorius and nodded towards Fluttershy.
"Wanna help Fluttershy feed the bunnies?"
Ectorius smiled and nodded, but stayed beside me, reluctant to let go before I legitimately gave him permission to do so. He preferred to be obedient even when he wasn't required to do so, and he obeyed with zealous eagerness.
The four of us walked up the nonexistent path from the woodland towards the cottage, Aquilder screeched happily and flapped his wings to announce his arrival. Fluttershy looked up from her task and waved a timid hoof at us.
Ectorius waved back but kept his calm, not being as overly eager as his brother was. He was glad to see her, but preferred to keep that to himself. His emotions were not expressed through body movement as much as they were through his eyes. They shone or went dull depending on his mood, and on the extremely rare occasions when he got angry, the green in his irises became darker and more aggressive.
Lightshine waved at her with a smile and then pulled out a small flower from her shirt pocket. She looked at me and back at the flower, tugged at my shirt and looked at Fluttershy.
"Go ahead." I smiled and gave her an encouraging push on her back. She ran ahead of us, waving the small flower with her hand while her hooves kicked the dust beneath her into the air. Her blonde tail and hair shining brightly as the morning sun began to rise above the horizon.
As soon as Lightshine began running towards the cottage at full speed, Aquilder pounced forward while batting his wings for impulse. The little gryphon sped ahead of us in the blink of an eye, and began to run behind his sister.
I smiled and looked down at Ectorius, the minotaur was looking at his two siblings with an expression of bewilderment and slight disapproval. He just didn't see the purpose in overeagerness.
"I know, I know, kiddo. But cut em some slack, not everyone can be so self controlled. Trust me! I'd know!" I ruffled the fur on his head and slightly pushed him forward, encouraging him to break the norm for once and be a kid.
He titled his head and looked between me and the cottage, wondering whether to do it or not. In the end he lowered his head and dutifully ran towards Fluttershy's home, thinking I had ordered him to do it.
I rolled my eyes and broke into a slight trot, careful not to apply pressure on my injured leg.
Fluttershy flew towards us and met us by the stream that ran before her house, exactly were a bridge connected her home to a road leading to Ponyville.
"Hey Fluttershy! Thanks a bunch for helping out with Ectorius today, really helpful." I waved and smiled at the timid pegasus, honestly glad she could help out today since cutting down trees was no labor a kid should be near when it happens.
"Oh, it's no problem at all, Iron. I'm always happy to help, but I do have one tiny little thing you could help me out with, if you don't mind me asking of course..."
Fluttershy hid behind her mane and looked at me through it, as if the makeshift shield gave her courage. I grinned kindly and shook my head.
"You know it isn't a problem Flutters, ask away!"
A quick smile, a bag of bits, and a list of market items later, I was set to go on a mission after work was done. Objective: Get Miss Shy all the stuff she was too insecure to get by herself from the market. Lethal force authorized.
Ok, maybe killing furry equines wasn't the best course of action, and maybe it was, but none of that was about to happen any time soon. I did have a list of killable ponies though...
"Be good to Fluttershy now, ok?" I knelt in front of Ectorius and smiled as he nodded like a soldier who has just been given a spec ops mission. I was half expecting him to salute, but that would have been too much to ask for.
"Don't worry Iron, I'm as good with kids as I am with animals. Or at least that's what everypony says..."
"I trust you Fluttershy, and don't worry, I'll get these stuffs from the market on my way back!"
I waved my goodbye and began to walk away, but then I noticed someone was missing. Aquilder was chasing some pigeons around the field, more out of play than actual hunting, and since he still couldn't lift himself off the ground he couldn't give much of a chase anyway.
And Lightshine? Why, the little gal was standing beside Fluttershy, offering her one of the flowers she had been picking up earlier. The yellow pegasus smiled and thanked her before taking the flower. Lightshine smiled and waved goodbye before following me to Sweet Apple Acres, an enthusiast Aquilder tagging along a couple of feet behind us.
We kept out of the town as much as possible, to avoid some of the odd looks we sometimes got from the more suspicious ponies. Couldn't blame em really, I mean, I pretty much knocked several pegasi out in a couple of fights in and outside of town...
So we kept to ourselves mostly, never showing our faces more than necessary and never without good reason. I knew the lads and Shiny had to get to know some of the other kids and all that, but... I didn't want them to have a hard time.
Kids can be the cruelest of judges sometimes, and I was not sure how the other children would react to them. To be truthful, I was afraid. Terrified even, but more of them being excluded, I guess I was more frightened by the possibility that their alienation was because of me...
It terrified me to think I was to be the cause of their pain should they come in contact with others. But they'd have to go to school soon enough...
The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was not as long, but it was rather painful. Mainly because of Aquilder wanting to get ahead of the rest just to get there first, and because of my limping and sore leg. If I'd had the coin then I would have gotten it checked or something, but ya know...
We reached the entrance to the acres, large white fence running all the way around the trees, making little to no difference if anyone tried to enter.
Aquilder wasted no time. Happy look on his face, the gryphon dashed past the front gate and ran to the red barn inside, leaving Lightshine and I to catch up.
And catch up we did, after struggling to keep the little centaur from eating every single apple on the nearby trees that is. Applejack emerged from the barn with a cart full of empty baskets, and a baby gryphon hopping around her.
"Howdy Iron! How's it been?" She called out from the distance as Lightshine and I made it past the trees.
"Mighty fine pardner! Just stopping by to leave the feathery curse under your care while I go on a tree killing spree."
"Don't mock me Iron, and with that there leg o' yours, Ah reckon it'll be more like a heck lot o panting and sweating more than tree cutting."
"Hehe, mayhaps Applepony, we'll see about that." I chuckled and walked over to give my favorite redneck pony a friendly hug, which she returned before prodding at my shoulder, the injured one.
"Does it hurt?" She asked with concern in her voice. We had become good friends after the whole ordeal of before had passed. She and Pinkie Pie were the only two of the elements that I felt I could really trust. Fluttershy was nice and all, but I didn't think she had the nerve to be depended upon.
And the rest? Rainbow got me into a hospital for quite a while, Twilight was bossy as fuck, and Rarity was a tad too melodramatic. They all had good intentions and all that, but some people just didn't match.
"Not a lot, just when I haul more than I should." I moved my arm in a circular motion and grimaced as an ache shot throughout the shoulder area.
Applejack frowned and adjusted her hat.
"Ya shouldn't be swinging an axe around with a sprained shoulder, Iron. Ain't good fer ya."
I smiled sadly and picked up the axe from its sheath on my back, gave it a little swing and placed it back.
"Starving isn't good either, can't just lay around on my ass all day waiting for food to fall from the sky."
"Ya don't hafta, we'll all be darn glad ta help ya out. All ya need ta do is ask." Applejack smiled reassuringly and gave me a light nudge on my arm. I smiled but kept firm.
"We've gone over this several times Applejack, I'm not accepting charity."
"It ain't charity, Iron. It's just what friends are for, helping each other."
"Nay, doing fine as I am, but I guess a little work around the farm wouldn't hurt."
Applejack rolled her eyes but nodded.
"Honest coin for honest work, Ah guess. Ok, stop by sometime later and Ah'll see what Ah can do."
I clapped my hands together and thanked her, both for the job and for caring for Aquilder while I was gone.
"Thanks a bunch applepony!" I shouted as Lightshine and I walked away from S.A.A., much to the annoyance of the orange farmpony.
"Darn it Iron! Why can'tcha use names?!"
Chuckling lightly, Lightshine and I moved into town. We treaded lightly but with care, knowing full well that after what happened a couple of weeks before, not everyone was on friendly terms with me.
Lightshine moved closer to me and held my hand tighter as we passed a pair of murmuring ponies. She was smart, very smart at that. She knew very well how thick the tension got whenever we moved close to town, or how there was always a tinge of fear whenever a group of ponies saw me.
We moved as fast as we could without seeming suspicious or aggressive, always doing our best to remain out of sight from the crowd, and though we didn't succeed all the time, we weren't spotted too much. Not that it really mattered anyways, there was little any pony could do if they saw me.
After much moving through dark streets and alleys, we finally made it to Snowflake's house. The modest exterior always managed to deceive me for a little while, but what laid inside was vastly more breathtaking.
After a couple of knocks on the wooden door, it opened to reveal a small colt.
"Hey there Featherweight, is your dad in?" I waved hello and smiled at him, trying my best to be friendly despite knowing what he thought about me.
Featherweight frowned and spat out his next words with as much venom as he could.
"Where else would he be?"
That stung, mainly because it held truth behind it. Snowflake had been sentenced to six months of home arrest because of a fight I convinced him of leading. His son had all the right to hate my guts.
I nodded somberly and Featherweight opened the door fully to allow us inside. The interior of the house was decorated to put the mightiest castle to shame, golden framed pictures hung from the oak walls, and the red velvet carpet on the floor just kept on adding to the feel of royalty.
We followed Featherweight downstairs to the room were Snowflake kept his billiard table. And there he was, strong as the guy was, the muscular pegasus seemed as downcast as one would expect a damned man to be. He simply stared into a half empty mug of cider, leaning against the billiard table where the latest of what could have been a hundred games had been left unfinished.
"Hey there Snowflake, how's it going?" I called out from the door to the room and the Rambo of a pony immediately seemed to lighten up.
"HA! TIRESOME AND BORING, IRON! THIS SENTENCE THEY GAVE ME PROVED EVEN WORSE THAN I EXPECTED, AND IT'S ONLY BEEN, WHAT? A WEEK?"
I smiled and nodded, it had been merely about a week into our sentences and most of us were finding them rather tedious, with Flint being the only one of whom we had no clue about.
"Yes Snowflake, it's only been a week and even Skies said he can't stand it much longer. At least none of you guys got anything for life like I did. A couple of months is quite little in comparison, although I don't envy the fines you had to pay!"
We both laughed a little, enjoying the company of a friend. But I was on a tight schedule and the morning sun was already announcing six thirty, I was late.
"WELL, I GUESS YOU'LL NEED TO GET GOING NOW, DON'T WORRY! I'LL KEEP LIGHTSHINE SAFE UNTIL YOU RETURN."
I thanked him and left his home, saying goodbye to Lightshine before heading to the other side of town and into WhiteTail Woods's lumber mill.
Needless to say, no one gave a damn that I was late. You don't get mad at the tall alien monster that just so happens to be wielding an axe, do you? Nah, most ponies still remained scared shitless of me, especially when I held sharp objects or showed my teeth.
Walking over to a nearby tree, I held the axe with both hands, doing my best to compensate for my lack of fingers on my right hand, and swung the cutting tool.
Splinters flew in most directions, and the tree shook at the strength of the blow. After several more hacks, it fell and I proceeded to cut it up into smaller logs so they'd be easier to carry.
My shoulder stung somewhat and my leg began to ache slightly, but I still had the entire morning to work, and breaks were not something I allowed for myself.
And so my morning went by, hacking down the smaller, thinner trees by myself and then cutting em up into small logs to carry back to the mill. It was monotonous and repetitive work, and after a week of going at it the thing became dull, not to mention the splinters.
The sun was shining brightly by the time my shoulder and leg stopped me from continuing. The aching pain and stinging sensation screamed at me to stop and rest, and by now I knew better than to ignore em.
So, placing the axe down on the floor and wiping the sweat from my brow, I opted to call it a day and head back to run some errands by the market.
I walked back to the large tent that had been set up as the lumber mill offices, wagon full of timber behind me. The raw lumber was taken to the offices and then loaded up into wagons for transport into town, where it was sold. The lumber mill was ran entirely by earth ponies, and their boss was some guy called Fallen Log. Tough guy that one, till I got close by, axe in hand.
I entered the tent and made a quick count of the total amount of timber I had brought with me. Not taking into account the pile I always kept for myself, I had five stacks of ten logs each. With each stack being worth twenty bits, I was in for a pretty lame payment. A hundred bits, yeah, seems like a lot. Subtract from that the cost of food for a week, then take away the constant need for other basic supplies like toothpaste, toilet paper, candles, matches, soap, shampoo and shit like that.
Not much now, eh? Well, that's why I also swept porches, mowed lawns, tore loose branches off from trees, picked up litter from the park, helped out in Applepony's farm, and SOMETIMES played out the role of prostitute... Ok no, but I did try to make a meth lab once, idea died when I realized I had no clue how to do that.
At least I didn't waste any coin in firewood, since I smuggled a stack every time I came along to chop some trees. I had about twelve stacks at home, more than enough for several weeks if rationed carefully. I also planned to sell some of it at higher prices once winter was done, with the lumber mill gone it'd be tougher for ponies to find a supplier close to home.
"Hey there Log! How's it been?" I waved at the light brown earth pony sitting behind an oak desk.
Fallen Log glanced up from a stack of papers and looked at me from behind two large circular glasses, his long grey mane fell down to his bony pony shoulders. His skeletal hooves lowered the papers and he narrowed his eyes, almost glaring at me.
"Why, if it ain't our good friend the bloody diamond dog. Tell me a thing pal, if you've got yourself a pretty nice pair of hands, how come you're always giving me half of what the other lads gimme?"
The cranky old stallion leaned closer and once more confused me for a dog in his raspy decrepit voice. But since he was the boss I couldn't tell him what I thought of him, instead I opted to be awesome.
"Well, that'd be because I sleep through the work hours and steal half of what I chop, and I also take a piss on the outside of your tent."
Fallen Log arched an eyebrow and stood up, looking at me angrily. I smiled at him and shrugged my shoulders.
"Is that so?"
I nodded. "Only on fridays though, rest of the week I skip the piss..."
We stared at each other for a little while longer, never parting our gaze from each other. And then...
"Heh, haha... Real funny, now take the coin and get out ya git!" Fallen Log smiled briefly before reaching down into a drawer and pulling out a bagful of bits, he tossed it to me.
"There ya go, I tossed in an extra five for brightening my day ya stinking canine!"
I smiled and waved, dropping the logs in a cart and placing the coins in my pocket.
"Thanks Log, I'll make sure to bring you an apple or something some day, gonna be mashed too, that way your fake teeth won't get stuck in it."
I turned to leave and heard the old pony grumbling something along the lines of 'Only thing's gonna be mashed's gonna be your face...' and then I was gone. Such a scaredy pony, wasn't he?
The walk back to town was tiresome, I was carrying an axe on my back and a pile of logs tied together under my arm, but after plenty of rest stops I managed to get the sting and ache out of my body.
Looking up at the sun cruising through the sky, I wondered what was going on at each respective home I left the kids in...
Holy Bastard
Applejack saw as Iron and Lightshine left the farm and walked towards town. She saw as he limped and struggled to keep his pace with the excited centaur, and she felt sorry for him. It was in no way a feeling of pity. She merely could not understand what he was going through, and that was what compelled her to feel bad.
The knowledge of being an outcast, of being the only one who was not appreciated in any way by an entire community. It was a reality that seemed so distant to her, so alien and unfamiliar as she and everypony had always been warmly welcome. And now, to see him struggle to merely find allies while being surrounded by foes, in a society she once thought would be forgiving and unjudging.
Had they not learned their lesson with Zecora? Had they not comprehended that the world had differences and that not all would be the same? Perhaps he had earned his curse, perhaps it was him and no other that should carry that cross on his shoulders, but nevertheless. To see the townsponies walking away or taking a turn where none was needed simply to avoid him, it hurt her even if it wasn't personal for her.
To imagine being the only one of his kind in a world he could not understand, in a world that was afraid of him. Perhaps his deeds were wrong, perhaps he acted in his own manner and the only way he saw fitting, or perhaps he deserved the terrified looks everypony gave him. But the issue still remained. His future, his past, and his present hurt would always be there.
Reminding him of what happened, of what he lost. Foreboding the lonely years he was to face in the company of none who understood his thoughts and mannerisms. Staring him in the eye, like the sun does to the lost wanderer in the desert, as he was told of his solitude, of his withering and decay with every passing sunset.
He had been the problem, but also the solution. He had been the hero, but also the villain. Such things were hard to understand but... They were not. Not if you could see him as he moved, as he treaded the paths of the village. He carried himself with strength he shouldn't have, with determination that should not be there, and yet there it was.
He was a villain to the world, a hero in his mind and in the minds of those who knew him. Nothing more, nothing less.
Applejack saw as he disappeared in the distance, the sun barely rising above the horizon. As sad as the strange story of the human in Equestria was, she had work to do. Farm work is hard work, and it doesn't get done by itself.
She looked down at her charge, the small gryphon looking around at the orchard with interested eyes. The gryphon knew not what apples tasted like, and he did not really find them appetizing, merely intriguing. Applejack smiled at him and patted his head with a hoof.
"Come now pardner! We've got heaps of work to do."
Aquilder tilted his head to the side, a small grin trying to force its way into life. He didn't know what the pony had said, but he found the way she said it amusing. He decided he liked the way the pony spoke, and opted to follow her.
Batting his wings to stretch them out, the little gryphon walked beside Applejack as she hooked the cart with the empty baskets to her back and carried it towards the first set of trees. The farm had sprung to life early, having had breakfast and already setting off to work. Applebloom having left for school despite it being two hours early for it to start.
"Well now, Ah know ya can't eat pony food Aquilder. But Ah once saw this gryphon eat a cake so Ah figure it can't hurt ya none, can it?"
Applejack smiled and produced a small slice of apple pie from the cart behind her.
Aquilder looked at it without knowing what it was. It smelt, different. It wasnít what he usually ate and smelt more sweet than the supplement he enjoyed each day. There was something enticing about it however, so he decided to take a small bite.
Applejack smiled as Aquilder devoured the entire thing, eating with disregard for any form of social norm his father may have attempted to teach him, if he even tried to anyway. But the farm pony never payed etiquette much mind, never having being something of importance for her.
"Guess ya liked it then! Ahíll have some for ya after work is done, ok?"
Aquilder finished cleaning his beak of any excess pie and immediately tried to hop onto the cart Applejack was carrying, searching for more.
"Come on now, these apples ainít gonna pick themselves up."
Aquilder followed Applejack as she went about her daily chores.
=+=
Fluttershy looked as Iron and his other two wards left her cottage and made their way to Sweet Apple Acres. With the sun barely poking its timid head over the hills and shedding light over the town as it was early in the morning, most of her animals were barely waking and most of her work had barely started.
The sight of him had been scary when they first met, it still was. Standing twice her height and much more aggressive than any other being she had ever met. He was the perfect embodiment for the word monster, for the concept of a beast. And yet, he wasnít.
No monster takes care of three children that are not his, no monster does what he had done to keep them safe. It was a confusing thing to meddle in, and Fluttershy didn't like to partake in the judging of others. She left the subject hanging, content to merely call him a friend. Different as he was, and not nearly as pleasant to be around as her other friends, he still was someone she felt reliable, even if only to a certain extent.
Fluttershy parted her gaze from the figures and turned to look at Ectorius. The small minotaur looking at his surrogate father as he left, nothing much showing in the way of facial expression, not a lot being revealed by his mouth or body. His eyes however, they shone a bit dimly. It was obvious he was fond of his father and siblings, with little in the way of concern to the fact that they were all so different. In his eyes the differences must have been null, leaving only the similarities.
Fluttershy placed a hoof on his shoulder and softly whispered for him to follow. Ectorius offered no resistance and complied as he had been told to do. The two went about the daily routine of feeding the animals and getting them ready for the day ahead.
=+=
And me? Well...
I was walking of course. Walking as I had been since the day of my arrival to this land of ponies, of harmony and whatnot. Beautiful lie it was, huh? The land of love and tolerance... Pffft! Tolerance my ass!
On my way to the market I only saw three, not five, not ten, but THREE motherfucking ponies out of the entire town! They were avoiding me I tell you! It was a conspiracy n shit... Either that or they were still pissed that I decided to break a few tables, crack a few bones, make one or two mares faint and leave several ponies arrested...
Nay, must have been the UFOs bro, freaky shit that...
So there I was, walking down the deserted cobblestone road with a bagful of coins in my pocket, an axe in my hand and a bunch of firewood. Yup, heavy. Not to mention my shoulder was being a bitch. Not to mention my leg was being the bitches' bitch, or that the cold was still hanging out. It would be snowing later in the day, the pegasi had scheduled a snowstorm.
Sighing and trying not to think about the upcoming weather, I approached the first stall of the market.
"Sup Mac, how's it hanging?"
"Eeyup."
"Cool."
Several minutes went by with me browsing through the several stalls and shops, buying what I needed, haggling when it got too expensive, showing the axe a bit when they were too stubborn... Hehe, twas fun enough to mingle with the locals.
And so, with most of the items scratched off my imaginary list, occupy ponytown, equal writing supplies for everyhuman, we are the .0000000000000000005%! I groaned and moved on to my personal favorite stall of them all.
"Good morning Mr. Star, great day to be out there, saving ponytown from the most wanted pegasus in ponycountry! Oh wait! That was-"
"Shut it. You know very damn well what you almost caused to both his gang and yourself, it ain't nothing to be proud of."
Chief Golden Star looked at me sourly from behind his counter. He was mad, always was. Jealous I'd say, barely a few weeks here and I did what he never could.
I smirked and placed a couple of coins on the counter.
"You mad?"
"Disappointed."
"Cuz the human did your job? Or because he did it faster than you?"
Golden Star placed the usual bag of carrots on the counter and looked at the floor. My smile couldn't get bigger, this asshole had been a condescending bitch during the interrogations, after my sentence and judgement, and for the past weeks. It felt good to put him down, even if just for a little.
"No. I'm disappointed because the princess did too little, I'm disappointed on the ponies that followed you, disappointed because the first human we ever met had to be you."
"Yeah? Well sorry to disappoint, but I'm as good as it gets-"
"Cut off that nonsense! You know damn well what you are, a damn irresponsible, immature child! Snowflake has a kid, a job and respect. Two of those things you've made him lose in less than a week! And that poor mare? The one from Fillydelphia? What manner of sick individual are you to toy around with feelings like that? She has no idea who you are, and yet you drag her into this mess of yours."
Smiley me was gone. Frowning and with my nails biting into my palms, I took the carrots as well as the money.
"Dipshit."
Fuck his police badge, fuck his pony logic, and fuck his shit. I decided to call it a day and head to Fluttershy's to hand her the stuff she asked for. From there I'd head home and set everything ready for dinner before heading over to the applepony's work offer for the rest of the day, after which I'd be picking up the kids and heading home to make em dinner.
But first, I had to buy a few lilies for Lightshine's breakfast.
I once said I was no saint, and while I don't consider myself to be evil, I know damn well when I'm doing something I shouldn't.
The walk to the stall was short and well know to me, I walked it a few times a week every week. Not always to buy flowers.
It sort of burned in the inside if you thought about it. Golden Star, that condescending prick had a small ounce of truth, not a lot and not as bad as he put it, but still...
I... I'm not sure how I felt about Flintlock... I had already established that I was no saint, and I was not planning on staying monk-like during my stay in this place. But that wasn't love, not even close! I'd stolen a kiss yeah, but that hardly meant anything...
The few final steps towards the stand were short lived and I soon found myself standing before the only flower selling stand in the market, or at least the only one I visited.
How she felt about me though, that was the question. I didn't know! Or maybe I did but just wasn't sure, either way she'd be gone for a year or so, and I'd be here by myself.
"Hello Iron!"
And like I said...
"What's up beautiful?"
Lily smiled a bit at the compliment, and I couldn't help but chuckle as she showed that smile. The mare was good looking.
... I was no saint.
Author's Note
Getting this out for you guys, you've waited long enough! Please enjoy and feel free to express anger, fury, discomfort, and/or stomach issues in the comments. Remember, comments and likes are what makes this story continue!
