Angel by your side

by H550

Comfort for the lost

It was wet.

The rain poured down on Rising Ember's burnt skin.

What irony was her name.

To lose her family, her beauty and her wings to a fire.

She looked down from the bridge she was standing on and at the rushing and churning waters far, far below.

Ember wondered if it would hurt.

To end one's life because of a group of bullies. Even Ember thought is was cowardly, but in the end, it was the only solution she could think of.

She stood up, her bonfire red jacket now damp with the light rain, and climbed up onto the railing. All it would take was for her to push off. A simple dive and it would be all over. No more tormenters flying above her grounded form. No more people asking why she had no parents. No more looking at her sister's grave and wondering why she was the one to die.

Now, they would all be together.

Ember stepped up onto the concrete block that held one of the bridge's supports.

Stepped forward.

And stopped.

The rainclouds had parted just a bit, a single ray of light shown through and fell upon the bench next to her.

She looked, if only for curiosities sake.

A man in a long coat and a hat that concealed his face was sitting there, looking at her.

A voice asked her, "Will you jump, or do you want to talk?"

Ember was struck by the pure kindness in the voice, a kindness she thought only the princesses and the great Fluttershy had.

She stepped back from the deadly precipice and it's fatal drop. "Why do you want to talk?" She asked.

"Why were you throwing away your greatest gift? Because the bullies got to you?"

"How did you know about the bullies!" She asked alarmed.

"I have seen that expression many times, on many faces. All have been faced with the cruelty of their fellow beings and all had thoughts of making it all end."

She pondered it for a moment, then asked, "Why me? Why did you come and talk to me? An orphan with burnt wings, no good to anyone."

"Ah, that is where you are wrong. I know a great many people who would be disturbed by your death. One of your bullies actually. He prayed for you. But that does not matter. Who says you are no good? You have not found your mark yet."

"My mark," Ember muttered, "I'll never get a good one. I'll be stuck working in the rainbow factory for my life."

"Are you sure? I have a feeling your mark is more... profound than that." He smiled at those words.

"How can you tell? Do you have some seer mark? Some mark that turns the dregs of society into PRINCESSES!" she shouted with anger tinging her voice, stepping off the concrete black and closer to the mysterious man.

"Ah, now that reminds me of an interesting story I could tell you. But, that must wait for another day. We don't have much time together. No, my mark is a bit different from the ones you guessed. I help people. It doesn't matter who. I just help them. It is my job."

"And how can you help me?" Ember asked.

"Like so." He waved his hand and Ember felt a burning from her back.

Like anyone sane would do in that situation, she panicked. Flailing her arms. Trying to see what was going on.

She was so focused on her back, she didn't notice the concrete barrier to the edge of the bridge come up and hit her knees.

She fell.

The wind rushed by her face. Her eyes instinctively closing. She waited for the water's impact.

It was ironic. When she choses not to jump, she falls.

And what in Celestia's name was taking her so long to hit the water?

Ember cracks open her eyes.

And sees a tree rush by her face. Instincts that have lay dormant for years burst from her mind. Galvanizing almost lost neuron paths.

She flaps her wings.

Her flaming wings.

Rising Ember pauses in the air. Looking down on the earth from a height she has not seen in such a long time.

She was flying. SHE WAS FLYING!

As Ember was soaring free for the first time in ages. She catches a glimpse of the bridge that she fell from. Empty, no mysterious man and no bench.

"..and now please welcome the speaker Ms. Rising Ember to the stage." Ember walked on stage amidst thunderous applause.

"I'm glad you invited me onto the show," Ember said, "Do you have any questions you want answered?"

The anchor lady replied with a cheery, "That we do Ms. Ember. One of the first is actually from me. How did you get your wings, is it some complex spell? An illusion? An ability you have had from birth?" The anchorlady leaned closer with every question.

Ember laughed, "No, my true wings are these," She flexed the nicely healed burnt nubs, "The wings I can fly with were a gift from someone."

The anchorlady leaned close, "A gift huh? From a special someone?" She asked with a sultry wink.

Ember laughed even harder and replied after composing herself, "No, it was a complete stranger, never got his name. I tried to commit suicide once. I've talked about it to plenty of schools, but the truth is this complete stranger talked me down from the ledge for no other reason than 'I help people'. I've been looking for him ever since. So, mystery man, if you're watching this. Thank you."

From the back of a small, rundown, church, a small voice piped up quietly "you're welcome." The bearer of that voice walked away from a stained glass window that was made by a famous glass artist during the failed revolution. One of her more mysterious pieces depicting a coated man with a long, winged shadow/

Author's Note:

And another chapter done. Please post any theories you may have or any situations you want to see. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Why are the chapters so short?

[H550]

6804380 They are set up to be short stories and I am not a good writer. they will get longer as the story and my writing skills progress. do you know how hard it is to sit down and creatively write up 1000 to 1500 words?

[Elemental My Friend]

6806892 1000 to 1500 words? more easy than it looks like
creatively? thats (kinda) the problem :|

[H550]

7081593 yeah. but hey, I'm 700 words into another chapter. Should be out around the next month.

[Elemental My Friend]

7081604 oh god O_o a month?
(kinda like me thought)

[H550]

7081613 maybe sooner

[What_is_a_name]

the guy in the coat reminds me of The Outsider, not good or evil just gives you power to do as you wish with.