Turmoil and Paradise

Light violently swept into his eyesight, everything blurry, scary, and new. He had just been born, but born into a cold world covered with war and chaos. His mother, had died in the birthing process. His father, had been murdered years before his birth, for the bits in his bag. He had pitch-black fur, blue eyes, and a magnificent orange mane with blue tips. The doctors had looked upon the small foal, paying no real attention to the grievous and depressing life that he may be put through without a family. An orphanage was available for him to stay, likely the safest place that a newborn foal could be. A nurse arrived and gently placed him in a mobile crib, comforting him enough so that he may drift off into sleep, knowing little about this scary new world. But whatever was out there surely couldn't take him on!

His escort arrived at the orphanage, jabbed awake by the nurse.

"You're home, sweetie!" the nurse soothed. Though he was a little peeved that he was awoken from his first nap, she was right, he had a world to explore! He was dropped of in the hooves of the caretaker. After exchanging a few words with the nurse, she trotted out of the lobby, and into a hallway. The foal looked about, his new eyes adjusting to the environment. The hallway was lined with brown boxes with transparent holes in them, and it got narrower as they walked. Other foals peered through the holes, studying the new arrival. When they had reached the end of the hallway, the ceiling was no more than a few inches above the caretaker's head. She used her magic to turn a gold sphere, which opened the brown box. This one, however, was not like the others. It didn't have any foals in it. After a few months, the caretaker decided that he was old enough to play with the other foals. They were nice to him, but, for some indeterminable reason, he felt extremely uncomfortable near them. They played games like Jenga, Hoofball, and Tag. He wasn't stellar at sports, but they were lots of fun. Life was easy, he played until the sun went down, and almost never got in trouble... almost.

For three years, he played and laughed with his friends, but this was the day that would change him forever. Tears poured down his cheeks, he was being taken away from the orphanage; there was no room left so he had to be transferred. He was moved to a mental facility, the only place in the city that would take him. The mentally insane people were very nice; all things considered. The folk around the place started to call him 'Black'. He even got a basic education through the nurses, who were okay, some of them were mean, others could be better. Things around the facility were very smooth, it was calm and serene. Weeks after he arrived, he received books of all sorts; math, philosophy, astronomy, and so much more came through from the orphanage he left. Life went on, and he learned more and more. Finally, at his 4th birthday, his favorite nurse gave him her old college psychology textbook. He began reading it at once, and though it was difficult to understand, he learned much about the mind of a pony, and how to bend their will. He began using his newly acquired tricks to test on his fellow occupants. After only a month, he had perfected the techniques, and sought out to learn as much about it as possible.

Much later, Black was almost 14 years old, and it seemed that the ponies were starting to lose in the battle for harmony against the tyrant Discord. But on that day, he received a letter from a 'Celestia' in Canterlot. She was asking him to study in her 'School For Gifted Unicorns'. Which was odd, considering he didn't apply for any universities, colleges, or even schools. Not to mention that he wasn't even a freaking unicorn. He acknowledged the letter and asked for guidance from his peers, and it was a unanimous decision, he would study under her. He bid farewell to his lifelong friends, and set off for Canterlot. The road was perilous, he had bought adventuring supplies from shopkeepers with his life savings. The list read as follows:

ADVENTURE EQUIPMENT

1. Hoofblade

2. Rope

3. Rations

4. Flask

5. Leather Armor

He wasn't five feet out the gates of Fillydelphia when he heard a shriek of pain. He rushed towards the trouble, and he saw a cream colored pegasus cornered by three armed colts.

"Who do you think you are, lady?" one of them said, he was short, but his two friends were much taller, so it made him look slightly intimidating. Slightly. Black moved in, placing himself clearly in their line of sight.

"What's going on?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at the small one.

"None of your business, shrimp!" The colt said, not bothering to look behind him, trying to use the pitch of his voice to govern his size. Black nearly died of pure irony, and fell to the grass laughing. I mean, really, of all the things you could call a stallion four times your size? It had to be shrimp?

"What can be so fu-" the little colt turned to see hulking pony sprawled out across the ground. Even the cornered pegasus was trying to hold in a bit of laughter.

The small colt blushed, "As you were." and ran as fast as he could in the other direction. the two others exchanged glances, and then followed him into the city, but didn't take nearly as quick of a pace as their leader. He ignored them and directed his attention to the mare, who, as he looked more closely, had a grey mane and was wearing a vest and some sort of a heavy duty hat.

She quickly surveyed the area. "Uh, thanks, I guess?"

"No problem." Black sat down, "Mind saying exactly what they were after you for?"

She rolled her eyes, "Just another group of stallions that can't stand the sight of a female adventurer."

He nodded. "Fair enough. Why are you adventuring?"

"I'm trying to travel to Canterlot so I can-" She was cut off abruptly.

"No, don't tell me. You are going because you are studying under 'the Mysterious Celestia', aren't you?" The mare was speechless. Black didn't actually expect to be correct. What was going on? Celestia was certainly picking an interesting group of ponies. Clearly there was more here than meets the eye.

"Well, the name's Black, at least that is what ponies call me."

She took a heroic pose. "My name is Daring. Daring Do."