//------------------------------// // What a Wonderful World // Story: What a Wonderful World // by treresident //------------------------------// What a Wonderful World Walking down the streets of this town I think to myself, why am I here, what purpose do I have being on this world. I look to my left and see the store that sells couches and quills, and wonder how a place like that manages to stay open with such a small market of consumers to sell to. Not everyone needs a couch all the time and I don’t think these ponies, go through quills fast enough to keep the place in business but what do I know. I know you’re “wait did this guy just say ponies?” Well to answer your question yes, yes I did say ponies. For I am stuck in some weird reality were ponies are the dominant species, don’t ask me how but they are for some fact that baffles me. Now where was I? Ah, yes, I was walking down the streets of this town just wandering and letting my thoughts run wild. I pass by a building that resembles some kind of gingerbread house or something. I always was curious about why they designed that building to look like that but it’s not like I could ask any of the ponies why. We couldn’t understand each other. When they talk to me they just sound like a lot of whinnying and snorts. I bet whenever I tried to talk I didn’t sound much better to them either but how would I know? Anyway, I was walking down the street when suddenly there is a weird smoky scent in the air. At first I thought that “eh someone probably burnt something on a grill or something.” But then the scent started to get heavier and I could start to see a huge plume of smoke coming from the distance. Being curious I decide to investigate praying that it was just a huge bonfire or town cookout or something of that nature. At first I started at a brisk walk, which then turned into a slow jog, as the smoke got thicker, and finally into a full blown sprint when I could see the house that was on fire. When I got onto the scene I could see ponies watching dumbstruck as the building proceeded to burn down. No one was doing anything. I could see there what looked to be a panicking mare frantically pacing and looking at all the surrounding ponies and yelling at them with what looked like the face of a distraught mother. As soon as I saw her face I immediately knew what the fuss was about. Her child was still in the house, that is currently burning down to the ground and not a single one of these ponies is lifting a hoof to try and do anything. I felt sorry for the mare and walked up to her. As I got closer to the scene all the ponies stopped staring at the blazing inferno to stare at me, which I didn’t care about I’ve been getting a lot of that recently. When I got close enough to the mare I could see she had a coat of light brown or creamish color, I couldn’t exactly tell with the way the light from the fire would contrast with the darkness of the night, she had a chestnut mane and tail, with the mark on her flank being a pink heart in the background with a baby bottle in front of the heart. When I finally got close enough for her to notice me, she just froze. Her eyes got wide and her pupils went down to the size of tiny small dots. She just kept standing there staring at me with mouth agape, until I cleared my throat. She seemed to snap out of it and then proceed to talk at me seemingly begging me to do something. While I couldn’t understand her words, they were unnecessary because her eyes did all the talking. Her eyes told me that her baby was trapped inside that building and asking if I could do anything to save her child. I silenced her with my finger to her lips which she took quite a shock too, then looked to me, to which I then proceeded to get down on one knee as to be at eye level with her. I gave her a look with my eyes of cold hard determination. Eyes that said I will save your child if it is the last thing I do, then gave her a nod. She seemed to be relieved if only slightly and then gave me a nod of understanding in return, I gave her a soft smile, got up and turned to face the building which pieces of rubble were starting to fall down. I was scared to say the least, hell I was absolutely terrified but then I reminded myself of the look on that mare’s face and I started my walk toward the building. I can only imagine what the ponies must be thinking at this moment to see this weird lanky looking thing that is walking straight into a burning building which will surely be certain doom for the creature. To be honest I don’t know exactly why either, other than the fact than when that mare gave me this look of pure and utter devastation I knew right then and there I had to do everything in my power to never see that look on anyone’s face ever again. When I finally reached the door I could feel the intense heat of the inferno and could tell that there would be no going through this door. So I took a few steps back to see a window about a good 9 feet up that led to what looked like a set of stairs going up. I didn’t see any signs that the fire reached the stairs yet and decided that would be the best point of entry. I picked up a fallen brick from the building and hurled it at the window. It shattered on impact and made another crashing side inside the house as if it hit something inside made of glass. I took a few steps back and then started running up to the window, when I got to the wall I started to run up the wall for a few steps until I could reach the window and grabbed onto the ledge, I pulled myself up and through the window only to fall on the broken glass and proceed to cut up my arms pretty bad and rip my shirt to shreds. I forced myself to ignore the burning in my arms and push on. I was about to check the first floor when the sound of crying could be heard coming from the second floor. I quickly ran up the steps to have them collapse just as I reach the top. I make it but turn around to see that there is no way I will be going back that way as I can see the fire spreading to where the stairway was standing. Deciding that there is no turning back now I press on. I stop and listen to hear where the cries are coming from and deduce that they are coming from the room at the very end of the hall. I take off in a sprint dodging falling debris and vaulting over fallen supports. When I reach the door I try and open it to find it stuck. I try giving a few good tugs and shoulder charges but the door still won’t open. I can hear something fall in the room and a child’s scream. I take a few steps back and ram the door as hard as I could breaking it open and sending the handle and locking mechanism flying off into a corner of the room. When I first walk into the room I notice that there is a fallen beam that is on fire effectively cutting the room in half. The next thing I notice is a little colt with a chestnut coat and red orange mane and tail curled up in a ball in a far off corner of the room crying and mumbling something in pony speak. I don’t think twice before diving over the beam and reaching the blocked half of the room where the colt is trapped. When I land I can feel something get lodged into my stomach and I can feel my shirt start to get damp. I get up to notice that a jagged piece of wood was sticking out of my stomach a good 2 inches and I have no idea how far it went in. If it wasn’t for the adrenaline I would probably be in so much agony but at the moment I can’t really feel the pain as much as I should have so I ignored it. When I look up to the colt I can see him staring at me frozen in fear. I cringe slightly from that look and proceed to limp toward the colt holding a small smile and trying to look as docile as possible. When I get close enough he scrambles back and presses himself as far as he can go and presses himself against the wall. I keep getting closer and when I get within 3 feet of the colt he curls himself into a tight little ball and sobs quietly to himself, seemingly giving up on his chances of surviving. I sigh as I stop and get down on my knees in front of the little colt. I look around and notice that the fire has spread so much that there is no going back through the door; Seconds later a piece of the roof caves scaring the colt even farther into the corner if that was even possible. When I look away from the colt to the hole in the ceiling I can see the dawn coming and chasing away the night as the twinkle from the stars start to fade into the morning sky. What a beautiful sight I thought to myself. I smile sadly to myself realizing that this is the end for me and this little colt here. As the fire spreads and closes in on us I start to hum a little tune to myself and the colt as I look to the beautiful morning sky. This seems to get the attention of the colt as his hear shifts toward my direction. I decide to start singing for reasons I still don’t know but it seems to calm the little guy; even though he can’t understand any of it, as he picks his head up and looks at me. I give him a smile and a nod as I continue to sing and hold my side where the wood is protruding out of my stomach. The colt then gets up and comes to my side and buries his muzzle into my side as he wraps his little forelegs around me and squeezes as hard as he can. I pat him on the head and look back to the sky as the fire gets ever nearer and my vision starts to go hazy. But that doesn’t stop me from singing about how beautiful the sight before me is, and just before everything goes black I can see an angel covered in all white descending from the heavens themselves into the room; and I think to myself what a wonderful world. The End