My little Short Stories

by Paradise Oasis

A pony apart

A pony apart...

Throughout my writings on the history of this land, I have told the tales of many ponies. From the shining romance of the age of Equestria, down to the modern, dark, and throughly dangerous era of Ponyland, they have trotted through the pages of my work, their words and deeds coming to life for my most honored readers. I delved into their joys and sorrows, thier triumphs and tragedies. But of all the ponies I have spoken of in my texts, of all the mares and stallions whom my feathery quilled pens have ever recorded, there is one whose life I have not spoken of... one who's thoughts and feelings and deeds are more well known to me than any of the rest of Ponydom. Being an objective historian, I have refrained from opening this pony's heart and mind to you, my dearest readers...

...until now.

"Tornado, could you be a darling, and bring those books over here please?"

"Huh? Oh, of course! Coming right up, Miss Paradise!"

The light of the afternoon was sun shining through the windows of the Misty Mountain Fortress library, illuminating the bookshelves in which we were performing our labors. Paradise, a white Pegasus with a Palm tree cutie mark was busily re-shelving all the newest returns, while I was busy checking the last stack over at the counter. We had both been hard at work for the past hour since the library closed, and were both grateful that our work was nearly done.

"My, you're really good at this Tornado! Truly you are!" The white Pegasus beamed at me, flying a book up to the top shelf. "Your mother trained you to be a very good librarian!"

"Thank you, miss Paradise. You are most kind." I reply politely, bowing to her. "But I have no desire to be a librarian full-time... that is not where my talents lie."

"Gee, that's a shame!" She replied with a giggle. "I've rarely seen a stallion with your skills with filing and cataloging!"

Paradise might be correct in her summation of my skills... but she is far off the mark with what I wish to do with my life. I wish to be a historian pony... to objectively record the long and complex narrative that is the history of equine civilization, and preserve it for all generations of ponies to come! Oh, to recall the glories of Ponyland's past! To revel in-

Oh! Forgive me, I do have a tendency to ramble when I'm on that particular subject... I should introduce myself first. My name is Tornado Firehooves, and I am a blue unicorn with a Pink and purple mane. My cutie mark- a swirling white tornado, represents a mind that is always at work, always in motion I often fear it is a mind that will most certainly go to waste.

"Okay Tornado...levitate two for the sky over to the fiction section... and Where little foals come from over to the young adult section!" She instucts me, without even looking up from her work.

With very little effort, I meticulously shelve the two titles in the proper slots. Not even a page is out of place, so precise am I!

"There, glad we finally got that section all re-organized." I whinny, wiping a bit of sweat from my brow. "Now, only a few more shelves to go..."

My parents had raised me at misty mountain fortress... the earliest memories I have are galloping happily between the shelves, trying to play hide and go seek while mother worked. Those were the happiest times in my life... and they were over in the blink of an eye. The years passed quickly, and I watched as first my grandparents, then my aunts and uncles, then finally my father went to the great Horsemaster. Now, I am all that is left- last surviving pony of the ancient and noble house of Firehoof.

My mother's recent Passing meant I needed help getting the place in order. Dream Castle had been kind enough to send this wonderful Pegasus over to help me arrange things... and I for one could not be happier. A hopeless dreamer, Paradise was either lost in some fairy tail she was reading... or telling other ponies about it.

"Well, that about does it here." She told me, flapping up towards the window. "I think you'll be able to keep this unruly mass of books under control without me now."

"Paradise, wait!" I called out to her. "I wanted to thank you for all the help you've been." I scratched the back of my neck with my hoof. "Would... would you care to stay tonight, and accom-pony me to the Grand Galloping gala at the royal paradise? I have two tickets I managed to acquire!"

"Thank you, Tornado! That's really sweet!" The white Pegasus smiled down at me. "But you should really find a pony your own age to go with you!" And with that, she took to the sky. "Goodbye, Tornado! And good luck!"

"My own age... right..." I sighed, realizing I already knew she was going to say no. Long past my twenty-fifth year, I was already older than most single fillies, and it had been years since any had looked at me with interest. Shaking my mane sadly, I trotted out the door of the library, and turned off the lights behind me as I left.

As I made my way down the hall, I noticed several colts and fillies scattered throughout the hallway, talking to each other and laughing. They took little notice of the overly serious stallion who trotted past them, staring right though me as if I wasn't even there.

Ponies, my research tells me, are a race built on friendship and harmony. Yet there was always something in my nature that seemed to make other ponies shirk away from me in disgust... something that made them see me as not being a part of the herd. This quality is a thing I wish I could expunge from myself, though I obviously have no idea what it is.

It wasn't long before a young Pegasus stallion in armor came trotting up to me, a large, hopeful smile on his face. His words beamed with excitement, and I could already tell he wanted something.

"Tornado, my main man, what's up?" The royal guard-in training beamed. "How did it go with asking Paradise to go with the gala?"

"Hello, Thundercloud." I snorted, scowling at him. "She shot me down, just like Fireball said she would."

Thundercloud was one of the so-called 'mountain boy ponies'- a gang of six ponies of which I am the eldest. They are the only friends I have, and I usually act as something of a mentor/big brother to the rest of the group

"Ohhhh! Sorry to hear that, man!" He replied sympathetically. "Guess that means you won't be going to-"

"Yes, you can have the ticket, Thundercloud. I know that's what you're after!" I sort again, levitating the object of his desire out of my bag. "Now could you leave me to think for awhile?"

"Aw, don't be so snarky, Tornado!" My Pegasus companion whinnied to me. "I really was rooting for you ta not get shot down this time!"

"Look, Thunder... I'm not really in the mood for your jibes today." I muttered aloud. "Could you do me a really big favor, and takes your jibes someplace else?"

"Thanks, man! I owe ya one!" He flashed me another grin, then took off flying. "Don't look so down man, I'll kiss a girl for ya there!"

"Thanks, I think..." I mutter under my breath, as I trot away. What is wrong with me? I do I feel totally alone, even though I have several friends? MY whole life, I've felt like I was apart from the herd, instead of a part of it. The only ponies who ever understood me was my family... and now, the last of them is forever lost to me.

How am I so different from all other equines? My mind is always working... some ponies say a bit too much. My thoughts are ever a flurry of activity, as is symbolized by my Tornado cutie mark. I am ever worried about even the slightest problem that faces the herd, the what if's flooding my brain like a raging river. Are we going to be attacked by the troggles this season, trying to steal our crops again? Will we work out that trade treaty with the Blarks? Such questions will not leave me alone, haunting me all hours of the day and night.

But it is not only my relationships with other ponies that has suffered- no, my career in historiography- my special talent, for which I have few equals with in Ponyland- it has suffered, as well. For too long have I squandered my talents, seeking thrills and pleasure over studying and hard work. I squandered the opportunities that were laid before me on a silver plate- and must now suffer the consequences of my foolish actions.

As I trot back to my apartment, I open the door with a sigh. The silent emptiness of my humble abode, stretching out before me. Twinkles, my little orange feline friend, runs up to greet me.

"Meow!" My pet exclaims, his joy in seeing me mixed with his desire for a meal.

"All right, you little beggar! I've got your food right here!" I levitate a can of cat food out and open it, sitting it down on the floor for my purring friend. With a sigh, I trot over to the window, and stare out at the setting sun.

"She turned me down, Twinkles." I tell him sadly, staring out the window. "Rejected me, just like all the others did... though she was a bit nicer about it!"

"Sorry Tornado, I have to, um... do my mane!"

"Will I go to the gala with you? Are you flanking kidding me?!"

"Why don't you just give up, Tornado? No mare wants to be seen in public with you!"

What was wrong with me, I wondered? Why can every other stallion win the heart of a mare, and find happiness? Does my worrying and constant fear of something going wrong really set me apart from other ponies that much? Am I so different in that way, that I cannot even relate to my own kind?

"You think too much, man! And ya worry too much!" I remember Lightning, my earth pony friend, telling me. "You're so Paranoid, everybody says you act more like a human that a pony!"

Perhaps he is right, I realize with as sigh. As I stare out at the courtyard below, I can see the Pegasus-pulled chariots taking off into the darkening sky, heading off for a night of fun and frivolity at the gala. All of my friends have gone, leaving me to sit in a near-empty fortress. As I watch them go, I am reminded of a wasted youth- failed relationships, turned-down educational opportunities- that led me into the mired situation I am presently in.

As the last happy couple takes off into the clouds, I come to realize the dismal future that awaits me. Old age among a herd that tolerates my presence, followed by the icy and final touch of death. My dreams of a family, of children... all of them fade from my eyes, even as the light of the setting sun fades, right before my very eyes. No, my only companion I will ever know, will be the lonely embrace of Twilight; it's shadows filling my heart with loneliness and despair.

So be it, then. Come forth, twilight, my lifelong companion in loneliness! I doth both await and except thy eager embrace!

Comments

[KartalTheWriter]

Heh... I see what you did there. Lonely embrace of Twilight... that's TOTALLY not foreshadowing or anything...
There are some weird capitalizations in here.