Crossing Anthology 1.5: Celestia's Saga

The ground below the mountain was dirty, and hardly visible from excessive growth of vines, and fallen leaves. The area surrounding the young colt and I was dark and filled with dying trees.

I turned to the boy and asked,

"Child? Are you okay?"

He stood up slowly, looked over and assured me, "Yes, I'm okay. Thank you, Princess." he then bowed to me.

Looking again at his over-stuffed saddle bag, and then observing the current desolate location; I could already assume what's going on with this child. Regardless of my mental assumption, I asked him,

"Why did you want to come down here?"

With a nervous look he replied, "I'm... just seeing some friends, they live here in the forest." he began to walk away from me. He looked back and said,

"Thank you again, Princess!" a surprised look was shown on his face when he saw that I had disappeared from where I was standing, he turned back around to be startled by my presence in front of him. With one eye raised higher than the other, I told him,

"From the looks of how dead this place is, I don't think anypony lives here." he shrugged his shoulders and looked down to his hooves for a quick moment. "Tell me, child. Are you running away from home?" I asked.

He closed his eyes tightly and said with a sigh, "Yes..." I wasn't so surprised by this answer, it was exactly as I thought.

I asked him, "How come?"

"Because, my mother felt the need to drag me out of my regular school. Where all my friends are, and place me into that new private school. I don't need to put up with that, everypony there is so politically correct to the point were it's just annoying."

I tried reasoning with him, "I've read the reviews on the school in the local paper, it mentions how involved most students are with clubs and activities. Why not join one and try to make new friends?"

The boy rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, please. There's no way anypony is gonna want to be my friend; they all think I'm just some stupid, mouth breathing, hillbilly from the public schools."

"But what about your family? Don't you think they will miss you?" I asked with a concerned tone.

"My family wouldn't notice that I was gone, I bet they'd be better off if I was dead!" he replied with a raised tone.

As a princess, I normally wouldn't have tolerated such a bad attitude, and would've immediately brought him home. But, another part of me was speaking to me that day, and reminded me why I left my castle that morning and reconsidered declining my annual visit. With a fake smile, I said to him,

"Hm, alright then. I won't stop you."

"Thank you." he passed me.

I began to follow him and suggested, "Say, would you like some company on your adventure? I know a remote place that you could reside at for a good while."

"You'd really help me? Wow, that's unexpected. But you were just trying to get me to go back just a second ago. Why help me now?"

"You have good reasoning." of course it was a lie, but it was necessary for what I wanted to show him.

I politely asked him, "I'm sorry, I don't believe I got your name, child."

"My name is, Drew." he said softly.

As the hours of traveling passed, we exited the forest, passed through wide plains, and stumbled upon gorgeous rivers. Along the way he would ask me, "Why not use your magic to teleport us to this place we're going?" or, "Why don't you fly us there?" I would lie and say that, "My magic is temporarily spastic." or, "My wings are hurting." The truth was, I wanted him to experience what it's like without anyone around to provide care for him, to be alone. But that was only the beginning, my real persuasion towards him was yet to come.

We had a couple breaks to dine on what he had crammed into his saddlebag, mostly sandwiches and fruit. During these moments of rest he would tell me more of just why his home life was indifferent to him, as well as describe his unbridled loathe for his mother and father. I only humored him.

Nightfall eventually came, my sister's night conjured a bitter air, as her moon arose from beyond the mountains. It was at this time that Drew and I spotted a nearby cave on a mountain path; we decided that it be best for us to stay there for the night.

The cave floor was dirty and uncomfortable, the walls were aligned with dead moss, the temperature was torture for the skin. The only light provided for any form of sight was the shine of the moon, aimed in the direction of the cave entrance. I watched Drew with what little brightness was available, he laid down on the cold surface, deeper in the cave. He shivered and shook violently as the breeze pounded against his small body. With a sympathetic tone, I offered,

"Drew? Would you like to sleep next to me? So that you won't be so cold?"

He turned his head to me and softly said, "No. Thank you for your offer."

"Well, it doesn't make me happy to see you so cold, but, alright. Just come over if you change your mind." I laid down and began to sleep, the next day would a big day; what would really set him on the right path.