When Two Worlds Collide

Epic Ace's POV

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I step out of the dark alley way of Manehattan and I look at the orange-ish sky with sleepy, sky blue eyes. It's dusk and the streets are still crowded slightly, but not so much as it was before. I let out a sigh as my stomach releases a low growl. I'm hungry again, but I barely just ate an hour ago. With a heavy sigh, I walk slowly towards the market in my black cloak and the hood attached to it up and masking my black and red mane and eyes. The ponies around me keep on casting odd looks at me like I'm some freak. I shrugged it off, a few of the cold stares sending shivers down my spine. After all the bizarre stares and awkward glances, I arrive at the market. It's semi-busy today, so that will make it somewhat easier for me. I push myself into the crowd, walking towards an apple stand in the middle of it to try and avoid as much attention as I possibly could. I walk by it and quickly snag an apple, trotting away casually. As usual, it seems he saw me take the ripe, red apple because I heard the old orange coated stallion yell out, "Thief! Guards! We have a thief!"

With those word I started to run, but about half way into my sprint, I run into the husky guards, blocking my first escape route I planned in my head. "Oh my," I muttered under my breath. Though it wasn't a very skillful and thought out plan, I thought of another, trying to see if there was any way out of this situation. I looked to my left and my right, my mane barely peaking through the hood of my cloak. I decided to turn around and run.

I turned tail and booked it the other way. I open up my wings in an attempt to get away, but without much thought or care, I ended up with a sharp pain striking through my right wing. I looked at my wing, an arrow penetrating through it and preventing me from taking flight. I push through the pain and break pass some guards on my way out of the crowded market. For the moment, I think I'm free, but that was an illusion I wanted to believe. I wasn't free, not just yet. This is my normal routine and I've always successfully ditched these guys. But, without my wings, this very encounter is different. I run forward, not caring who's in front of me or who I bump into anymore. I bumped carelessly into a young colt, making him fall. I didn't care, I had one goal to fulfill. Get out of there alive and not go to prison again. There's no time to think or plan, just time to run, just like I've always done since that horrible day.

Without paying attention to my surroundings, I realized I've run into a dead end. I looked behind me, the many guards gaining on me. In a panic, I began jumping wall to wall, reaching the top of the lavender roof just over the wall in a matter of seconds and stand there, looking at the guards momentarily before I jump down on the other side. That was too close.  I thought, looking down as I notice I've lost my most prized possession. "Oh why?! Why did I have to lose the only thing I have to remember them by?" I panicked, letting out an exasperated sigh and I trotted away at a brisk pace. "I don't have any time to look for it now. Tomorrow is a new day," I spoke softly as I made my way to the outskirts of Manehatten.

*   *   *

I trotted into an alley way cautiously, making sure there were no signs of anypony who would report me. There were posters of me in my dark cloak everywhere, saying WANTED in bold, capitalized letters. I sat down, preening my injured wing to try and smooth out the feathers that stuck out everywhere after I cut the arrow off a bit to where I could at least hide it under my cloak. I hadn't bothered to go to the hospital, knowing they're going to report me as soon as they finished treating me. I sighed, hanging my head. "I wish my life was how it used to be," pausing, I switched to my other wing and began again in between breaks, "maybe then I'd live a what mostly everypony called a normal life and not be such a screw up."

I heard the rustle of leaves as the trees swayed softly in the wind, wind chimes making a loud but beautiful ringing noise not too far away. I kept my mind on my necklace, the one thing I had left of my life before now. I kept casting fearful glances in case anypony were to randomly turn up out of the blue and attempt to take me into custody. Honestly, that was my worst fear. Jail was not a pleasant place for a stallion like me, a pony who was once rich and had a chance to rule but it all ended on my birthday. I fled the scene, tears coating my white coat and my mane blowing wildly behind me as I flew carelessly through the pale blue sky on my fourteenth birthday. I could still hear him laughing sadistically as I moved forward, his words taunting me. "Happy birthday," he spoke with a smile and blood on his hooves.

I shook my head, trotting away from this alley way, still hearing his voice and laugh as I attempted to fly again. My wing gave out just as I lifted up off the ground and I fell, nearly twisting my right hind ankle. I gave up with flying for now since the pain in my wing wouldn't ditch me. I sighed, continuing my trot to go somewhere. Anywhere but here. I needed time to clear my head. "I want my necklace," I muttered, now out of the alley way and on the dark streets of Manehattan. "But everypony wants something, and it's rare when that somepony gets what they want," I finished, my stomach growling once more. I ignored it as I passed by a bar called the Drinking Days. I managed to pick pocket a few ponies before I made my way for the apple stand earlier today. I thought about it, then counted my bits. I have just enough for two hard ciders. With a smile, I stepped inside, the soft music going through my ears as I took a seat at the counter with the hood of my cloak up, letting my tail fall between the middle gap in the seat.

"What would you like?" The unicorn bartender spoke to me while washing out a cup with his magic.

"One hard cider," I said, turning around. The unicorn stallion nodded his head, his short brown mane bouncing as he did so. I then turned again as he set the glass down. I counted five bits out and put them on the counter. "Thanks, man."

I chugged the cider down, my head barely spinning. I waved the stallion back over and asked for another, putting my remaining stolen bits on the counter. Chugging down my last one, I got off the stool, the music too much for me to handle.

I stepped onto the streets of Manehattan once more, my head slightly spinning and I'm beginning to relax. I trot on, still letting my head stay in the game and, staying focused on my necklace and the risk of being caught, I stick to the darkness of the alleyways once more.