//------------------------------// // Scarred // Story: Ghosts of Skeleton's Past // by Valorousspectre //------------------------------// Chapter three: Scarred It must have been a month after the first scar when father told me to run away. Mother was there too, telling me to leave post haste. The villagers were coming for me, thinking me some sort of witch or something, blaming what was different for the troubles of the village. I was hard pressed to leave my mother and father behind, I still wonder if they’re still there sometimes… I consider sending a letter, but I can never remember the address anymore. It’s sad, but true. Anyhow. I took a few things with me. A black cloak with hood from my mother, a black scarf from father. My eyes, I figured, would be okay until I could get a pair of dark tinted sunglasses. I still have all of those, they’re sitting up in my cupboard in fact. The cloak is really warm and the scarf is too. I’d been wandering. In my travels, I came across one who glistened in the sunlight and whose steps shook the very dirt beneath his bladed hooves, but he payed me no heed. Doubtful it was that he could see me at all, having been trying to avoid detection the entire time. I might not be perfect at it, but I can blend in if the need arises. Maybe if I’d stuck with him, I wouldn’t have had these scars, or at least so many of them. He looked really, really scary though, so I couldn’t take it upon myself to approach him. I was still a young filly at the time anyway. It had been thirteen days, four hours, fifty-eight minutes when I met her. She was a beautiful mare, and she took me in. She was a relaxing sort of blue shade with bright green eyes. I can’t remember her mane or anything, only those eyes. She lived in a little cottage with a thatched roof. She fed me, patched my clothing up from where I’d accidentally ripped it and such things. She was a very understanding of my… well, I guess I was very petulant back then. I was scared, alone and desperately wanted somepony with me. She was it. She treated me like a daughter. She hugged me, fed me, tucked me into bed, held me when I cried. Things that any mother would do for their daughter. One day a trio of stallions came to call upon us and she came away from the door looking worried. I never found out what they spoke of that day. It was a dark say, clouds covered the skies when they left. It was son after that a fierce downpour hit the house. The roof would need rethatching the next day, but for that moment it kept us dry. It lasted for almost an hour before it finally calmed a little. She used to sit next to me on days like this and sing. She didn’t have a perfect voice, but she sounded wonderful to me. Often times I would fall asleep at her side, head resting on her side as I snored softly. She used to say I was quite cute and very beautiful. She was the only one since my parents to do so. Chemise means so much to me and, even now, I still keep my memories of her in a special place in my heart. She never replaced my mother, but she was all I had for a long while. I thought I’d found somepony that I could spend the rest of my life, or at least until I found a good stallion, with. A motherly figure. Two months after the stallions had come to her door they came again. They spoke once more and she was pleading with them. I heard my name a few times in the argument but… Not much else made sense to me in my room. After they spoke she came up to my room and hugged me. I remember she was crying. For a long time, I wondered what it was she did that made these stallions so adamant. They persistently came back in two month increments, each time leaving her crying. I started to wonder what it was they wanted and why they were here. I never found out what they wanted but… They came back after eight months of continuous two month visits when she was asleep. They busted the door down and came after me. I didn’t understand what I’d done wrong. She tried to protect me but they hit her, hard. She was bleeding from a cut on her forehead, I remember it vividly. I tried to escape from them but they were too strong. One of them put a bag over my head and said something about me being payment for something overdue. She argued back that love potions don’t make true love and she’d warned him of that. They told her to shutup and I heard a thump and a whimper of pain. I tried to fight back again but… Well, they took me away from her. To some place in a big town. They hit me a lot and told me to be quiet whenever I cried. I missed my mother, my father. I missed Chemise as well. I was taken in front of some big stallions and they were looking at me hungrily. The one in the big chair was glaring at me as though I’d done something to offend him. So I tried to be as small and innocuous as possible. I remember he said I looked cute and he commented on what I looked like. I don’t think he was talking about me in a nice way though. He asked the stallions if I had all my teeth and they shrugged, then pulled my lips back to see if I did and… well. Then they were all freaked out because of them. They cast me out as a freak and… Well, the town didn’t appreciate having a freak with them. They attacked me with lots of things. Some of them threw things at me even. But not many of them actually hit me. Then… I was hit by, of all things, an arrow. One of the guards of the little town drew his bow on me and hit me with an arrow. It pierced my side and nicked my lung. I would have died had it not been for a pony who took pity on me. He called me little ghost and he took me in, hid me and healed my lung. He told me his name was Splintered Dreams and he told me to remember the name well. I… I’m not sure why. He sent me on my way after a good while. It was only then I realised he… I was being kept in the mayor’s mansion of the town. The mayor had taken pity on me, taken me in and cared for me. It’s because of him that I’m alive. I remember the only thing I thought was memorable was the mask he wore. It was in the shape of a pony’s skull and was painted as though he’d splattered it with blood. He said it was a family tradition and that he didn’t like it either. ~*~ “Either way, without him I would have died.” Skeleton’s eyes were downcast as she spoke and Soarin had his wing across her back. The three fillies looked at their mother in rapt attention. She leaned against him quite heavily, using him as a support. Ghost Charm tentatively raised her hoof. “Um… mummy?” Skeleton looked over at Charm and smiled tiredly. “Yes Ghost?” “Um… do you remember where the nice mare that took care of you lives?” Skeleton’s smile faded as she thought about that before sighing softly. “I’m not sure I know the address, but… given time I think maybe I could find her again, yes. Chemise… I would dearly like to see Chemise again. Perhaps one day I will go to find her. And my parents, unless they moved away.” Pepper Pot was quiet, as was Clear Skies. Skies almost looked like she was going to be sick, although from the description of her mother’s saviour’s mask or the actions taken, Skeleton wasn’t sure. “Skies? Are you okay?” The filly was startled out of her reverie and nodded quickly, paling even further than she already was. “Y..Yes mama, I’ll be fine I just… There’s a lot to think about I guess…” Skeleton nodded, still concerned. “Alright, but I’m still here if you need me.” Skies nodded before burrowing into her pillow. Pepper Pot hesitated. “Mummy? Was the nice stallion really a mayor?” Skeleton nodded. “I believe so Pepper. Why else would he be in the mayor’s mansion?” Pepper shrugged. “I don’t know… I was just curious. What did he look like?” Skeleton smiled and she thought back for a while before answering. “He had very deep blue coat and a royal purple mane. He was a unicorn and had eyes stranger even than mine. They never seemed to be able to decide upon a colour to be, always changing. It was mesmerising to look at and really quite beautiful. They were always twinkling, but there was something about them that scared me a little at the same time. It was… disconcerting. Confusing.” Pepper Pot, seemingly satisfied with this answer, burrowed down under her blankets. Skeleton’s smile faded again, replaced with an expression of weary fatigue. “Goodnight my little fillies. Maybe I’ll tell you more tomorrow. For now, I’m very tired.” The three fillies responded with ‘goodnights’ of their own followed by ‘love you’ from each of them before Soarin ushered Skeleton away to their room. Ever so gently, he nudged her onto the bed and a soft, affectionate and amused hum emanated from her. “Concerned Soarin?” Soarin nodded gravely before looking at her side, brushing her gently with a hoof. Under his hoof lay a large cross shaped scar. Soarin nuzzled it gently before laying a caring kiss on the mark. “Why is it so big if it’s just from an arrow my love?” Skeleton winced and Soarin pulled away, afraid he’d hurt her. “Well… He had to dig out anything that’d stuck in… and he… well, I didn’t tell the foals but the arrow was barbed. Designed to do more damage coming out than going in.” Soarin winced and nuzzled her again. “I’m sorry…” Skeleton smiled and nuzzled her husband back reassuringly. “Don’t be. After all, it wasn’t you who did it was it?” Soarin shook his head sheepishly before cuddling up to her happily. “Yes well… perhaps I will have to visit this uh… Splintered Dreams? And thank him for all of his help. And Chemise as well.” Skeleton smiled and giggled tiredly, resting her head under his. “Yes dear, and when you do make sure to tell me you’re visiting okay? I want to come too.” He nodded. “Yes ma’am.”