PonyFall: Australia

by Thunderbug80

Bonus Mini Chapter: Trepidation

Bonus Mini Chapter: Trepidation
Night Time - April 27, 2012

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It was a cold, wet night in downtown Chicago. Heavy raindrops fell from the sky, illuminated in the dim glow of a dying street lamp, before hitting the ground with force to form puddles of water and filth. It was the third straight night of rainfall, and the back alleys of the city were none cleaner for it. The smell of damp cardboard and mildew emanated from the garbage dumpsters that lined the alley. Soggy newspapers and other rubbish littered the ground.

A door opened, spilling light into the alley. A shadow appeared in the doorway and stepped into the rain. It moved to a nearby trash can, opened it, and poured the contents of a pot it was carrying into it. The shadow then retreated into the doorway and disappeared.

Moments later, another figure, that of a young woman, moved from the shadows of a nearby dumpster. She crawled quickly over damp paper and sharp glass, ignoring the cuts she received on her bare feet in the process. When she reached the trash can, she opened the lid and cupped her hands together to scoop its contents up.

She ate ravenously, grabbing handfuls of leftover pasta and shoveling them into her mouth. All the while, her deep purple eyes scanned the alley for any signs of movement. By the time she had finished, there was pasta sauce smeared all over her face, in her long black hair, and down her torn white tee shirt and faded blue denim shorts.

Despite her wariness, she never noticed the hooded figure approaching until it was nearly upon her.

The young woman gave a startled yell and scurried backwards on the ground, trying to create distance between herself and her assailant. The figure, whose face was concealed by its hood, smiled.

"You can scream if you like, but—" he indicated the sky "—I somehow doubt anyone will hear you."

The young woman looked up and allowed a gasp to escape her lips. The rain that had been falling just seconds ago was suspended in mid-air as if a million tiny crystals had magically formed all around her. It was almost beautiful, and she couldn't resist reaching out and touching a few of the droplets. They moved easily with her touch.

"I've examined all possibilities," the hooded man said, kneeling and adjusting his sleeves. The girl noticed the initials "F.A." stitched into them. "Did you know that?" The man stared at the young woman in a way that made her shiver from more than just the wind and rain.

"It's fine. You don't need to say anything," the man continued. "The fact of the matter is, you have no role to play in this story." He stood up and made a show of indicating everything around them. "These buildings, this rain, this sky. None of it is yours."

The young woman continued to cower and just stare wide-eyed at the man.

The man considered the woman for a moment, then lifted his hood off, revealing the face of a man who seemed... tired. He regarded the woman with something that resembled pity.

"Things wouldn't get much easier if I could send you back," he said. He stood up then and pulled his hood back on. The woman didn't even realize it had resumed raining until the man produced a multicolored umbrella seemingly from nowhere. He knelt down and handed it to her. "Your friends are working on it. They may actually succeed this time."

"Who are you?" the woman asked finally.

The man stood up and gave her a look that sent chills down her spine.

"If you're lucky, Octavia Melody," he said, unblinking. "You'll never have to know."

A moment later he was walking briskly away down the alley. Octavia watched him until he reached the end of the alley and vanished into thin air.

Comments

[Oneimare]

It is back!
The ride never ends!

[Regreme]

Dang. Nice twist.

[fanreader999999]

Sure, why not.

[Platinum Rose]

YES!!!