"But daddy, I dont wanna leave my friends." Autumn cried, flapping her wings in disgust, as we packed up the last of our luggage. Ever scence the new mayor came to town.
"I know sweetheart, but we cant stay here anylonger." I told her, hoping she wouldnt start crying.
"But why cant we stay, all my friends are." She said, looking at me with sad eyes. It felt like I was betraying her, but we had to go. I better explain a little more before I go on. My name is Sage. And this is my daughter, Autumn, who is 4 years old. We live in Manehatten, a little cotage on the north side of town. I was working at a restaurant, the Cosmo Café, where I was a waiter. Pay wasnt bad, enough to live on. But, anyway, that doesnt explain why we are moving. The North side of town is the urban side, more people, less stores. Well, the new mayor decided that everypony better move into the industrial area or leave town. Proverty struck, many moved into town. The conditions where terrible, and I didnt want my daughter to go though that.
"Honey, the town is just going though a phase. We will move back when its over." I said, trying to reasure her. She just sighed and grabbed her favorite plushie, a Sorin plushie to be specific. She was always into the Wonderbolts. I think it was because of her mother........ I stopped mid thought, thinking about my wife. She was a beautiful pegasus with green eyes and a white mane. Her coat was a deep blue, like the midnight sky. So, naturaly, she was named Midnight Spring. She was the greatest, most kindhearted pony I had ever meet. She would sacrifice anything, infact she did.
"Daddy?" I heard my daughter say, looking at me.
"Yes?"
"Are you thinking about Mommy again?"
"No, Im just trying to think if we forgot anything." I told her. I knew it was bad to lie, especualy to your child, but I didnt want to let her feel the way I felt. We where interupted by a knock on the door. I looked out the window to see that the carrage was here.
"You ready?" I asked. She nodded and I opened the door to leave. The carrage, ofcorse, was a bit older then most. But its all about what you can afford. It would make it fine, I knew the driver personaly and he said that it has been used for years.
We rode down the road for quite some time. Autumn had fallen asleep just after we left town. The driver told us it would be a 2 hour ride to this Ponyville. 'I hope they have a good school.' I thought, I knew my daughter hated school, but she can make friends there.
After another hour of riding, I noticed a town on the horizon. My heart started to race, 'What if this place is worse then Manehatten, what if the house I rented is some crap-shack. All the "what ifs" barreled through my mind till I felt something move to my left. Autumn had just gotten up, and she noticed the town.
"Is this where we are going to live?" She asked me, looking excited.
"Yeah, it is." I said, smiling at her. She grinned and looked back at the town. It looked alot cleaner then Manehatten, and the skys where clear from any clouds. "You can even take me out and help me fly daddy!" She said excitedly. I just chuckled and hugged her. All-of-a-sudden, the cart stopped infront of a nice looking cottage.
"Were here." He said looking at us.
"Oh, thanks. How much do I owe you?" I asked him.
"Nothing, you guys need every bit." He said with a smile, before leaving. When I turned back to look at the house, Autumn was already trying to open the door. I just smiled and walked up to it, and pulled the keys out of my saddlebag. I wasnt expecting much, but holy Celestia the movers did a great job. Everything seemed to be in the perfect place and the house even came with a fireplace. ( Wow, Im a poet and didnt even know it!)
We explored the house for what felt like hours. Autumn found her room, which the movers had already moved her stuff into. She unpacked all her toys and plushies while I looked for my room. After about a half-hour, we decided to go check out the town. 'She seems happy.' I thought with joy. I never wanted her to feel what I felt growing up. I was in the middle of a thought when what felt like a HUGE gust of wind when flying right into my face. The only thing I saw after that was bright pink.
"HimynamesPinkiepie!Whatsyours?Whereyouguysfrom?YouguysmustbenewherecauseimfriendswitheverponyhereandwhenIseesomeponyIdontknow,theirnewanddonthavefriendswhichmakesmefeelsad!SoIthrowthemabig'WelcometoPonyvilleparty'withcakeandcookiesand......"She talked at a million words per second, then was cut off by a hoof.
"Hi, you must have met Pinkie. Im Twilgiht Sparkle and welcome to Ponyville." Twilight said in a calm, cheery voice. I was still stunned at the pink pony, but my daughter spoke up.
"Hi, Im Autumn, and this is my daddy, Sage." She said with a grin.
"Well, where are you guys from?" Twilight asked.
"Manehatten." I said, hoping she would ask about what region. The pink one somehow got out of Twilights grip and took-off towards somepony else. "She do that alot?"
"More that you know." She said, then started to laugh. Autumn and I joined in after a couple seconds.
"Well, Ill see you guys around." Twilight said and waved goodbye.
"Bye Twilight." Autumn said happily. I think this is going to be a great place to live.
After making a supper of fryed hay and oats, Autumn and I decided to call it a night. I walked her up to her room, which ofcorse was the biggest room in the whole house. She wanted the walls painted sky blue with white clouds, and the floor to be a white carpet. While I made her bed, she brushed her white mane. At least her mother taught her her nightly preperations for bedtime.
"Daddy?"
"Yes honey?"
"When is mommy coming back." My heart nearly stopped. She hasnt asked that for weeks now.
I sighed. "Remember what I told you?"
"Yeah, but I want mommy back. She promissed to teach me how to fly." I nearly started to tear up at this point.
"Don't worry, Ill help you." She smilled at me and hugged me and climbed into bed. I tucked her in and started to leave.
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Don't worry about Mommy, Im sure she is fine." She smiled and looked at me. I wanted to tell her that mommy wasnt going to come back, that she wasnt going to teach her how to fly, but I just couldnt.
I entered my bedroom, white walls and a wooden floor. "Every single room." I muttered, not impressed with the finishing details on the house. I would have to spend a weekend or two fixing up some of the rooms of this place. I entered my own personal bathroom to do my nightly business. Then, I crawled into bed and shut my eyes, only to come face-to-face with the problems and worries of Manehatten.
From what I heard at the Cosmo Café, the mayor wanted everypony to live in the downtown districs of the city. She wanted everypony to work in factorys, she wanted to tax the hell out of everything, she even wanted to ditch the education system and make kids work in coal mines. It was sickening, and I didnt want my daughter going though all that. I wanted her to live a normal life, and I sure-as-hell wasnt going to work at some factory and do the same thing everyday, for the rest of my life.
Then my thoughts switch back to Midnight, she was almost everything to me. My daughter came first, but Id do anything for both of them. She had the same thoughts, and she wanted what was best for all of us. She worked two jobs and still made time for Autumn.
One years ago.....
Autumn had just gotten out of school, and she had been waiting for this day all week.
"Finaly, I get to spend the whole day with Mommy and Daddy." She said smiling as she walked out of the school, looking for her parents. Neither of them where in their usualy waiting spot. "Maybe their just running late. Yeah, their just running late, they will be here any minute." She eased herself against the fence surrounding the school yard. By now, everypony was gone and it was just her. She started to worry now, pacing back and forth. She eventualy started to walk home. She had memorized the path home a while ago, but she kept having her parents pick her up so she can see them. She made her final turn right, and her home came into view. Stalions in blue everywhere, they where running around. Autumn started to gallop over to the house. She was quickly stopped by some of the stalions.
"Daddy!!" she cried. Sage quickly ran over to her and hugged her as tightly. He had been crying. "Daddy what happened? Where's Mommy?" He didnt say anything, he just sat there with her, not letting go.
Present
I tried to push those memories away. I tried to explain to Autumn that Spring was dead, but she didnt believe me. We both went to a Therapist for a while, but it was to expencive to go weekly. We just went when ever I could affoud it. I never wanted my daughter to see what I had seen in that house. It was to gruesome for me to even think about.
"I will kill who ever hurt my wife." I thought as I layed on my bed. Ponys say to Love and Tolerate and to Forgive and Forget, but I wasnt going to forgive anypony who did this. "I will make sure that the pony who did this payed." I said this everynight ever scence her death. I knew it wasnt healthy, but I didnt care. I wanted justice, the killer didnt get caught and is still out their. I didnt want my daughter to live in a world with murderes and rapists. I wanted her to live a happy and healthy life. Thats why I moved to Ponyville. It's peaceful and has many friendly ponys, from what Iv heard that is.
I heard some hoof steps from the hall and my door opening. I looked to see my daughter, she was standing their with her Wonderblot blanket. She quickly jumped into bed next to me and went under the covers. I felt her crawl around and the she poked her head out of the blankets and looked at me. "I couldnt sleep." She said with a guilty smile.
"Ok, one more night. But after this, you need to sleep in your own bed." When we moved to a new house in Manehatten, my daughter got into the habbit of sleeping with me. Everynight, around 10:30, she would come into my room and lay in my bed. She was getting older now, so it was time she sleep in her own bed. I looked at her and smiled, she looked alot like her mom. Her white mane was identical, she even had a midnight blue coat. I began to think about the ponys we saw when we came into town. There where some fillies, and we did pass by a school. Autumn did accualy like school, unlike most kids. I just hope that the kids around he are friendly. I smiled at the thought of Autumn laughing and running around the town with some friends as sleep slowly took me over.
