//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - An Old New Friend // Story: Stolen Childhood // by MistyShadowz //------------------------------// “Please, sit tight sweetheart, okay?” The green coated Pegasus assured his little daughter. He stared into her Aqua green eyes, with as much love as he could muster. The filly stared back into her father’s bright blue eyes, with worry and fear. “I will be back, I promise… for now, you’ll be staying here, alright?” He brought the filly in for an assuring hug, rapping his hooves around her, as she rapped her long, skinny, cream-colored hooves around him too. The pair was stood out in front of an old, run-down looking building. The door seemed to be old yet, able to do its job quite well. Any plants nearby seemed to be dead, uncared for. The building in itself looked run down and abandoned although it that wasn't quite the case. On a burnt, flimsy looking sign read the words, Sunny Filled Orphanage. The sign was coated in sky blue, to make it seem as though it was the sky above, at the very corner of its borders, was bright yellow, sun drawing. The words themselves were a shade of bright yellow to light orange. The building in itself was massive and seemed to be able to hold a half a hundred elephants or more. The windows on the place seemed to lead in to some place bright and - as the name suggested - sunny filled. The bright blue color it was coated in almost masked the run-down appearance, it other-wise had. "P=promise?" The little, pink maned, filly, questioned with pleading eyes. She was now sat on her haunches with a sad frown stretching across her cream coated muzzle. The older Pegasus eyed his daughter, an unsure smile soon left his face to make way for a sad one instead. He gave her a slow nod, and uncertain nod. He shot his head up at the mare stood behind the two. Her brown thick mane, tied up in a loose bun, and her snake-like eyes, made her look almost.... evil. Though, her sweet smile and welcome posture said other-wise. She lifted a hoof up to her muzzle, to push up her red spectacles, somewhat floating over her muzzle. "I assure you, sir, she'll be happy here" The mare spoke with a tint of annoyance, though that was easily missed by the fake chipper tone she had chosen to use. The gray maned stallion nodded. He gazed back down at her daughter. Tears forming in her eyes, she watched as he gave the filly a little wave and goodbye. He trotted out of view, into the horizon, leaving his only foal behind at an unknown location. As he slipped away from her gaze, she let out a little whimper. A hoof was soon placed on her shoulder. The filly shot her head up, to see a stern mare look back at her. She pursed her lips; "Come with me" This time, there wasn't any fake chipper or cheery to mask away her annoyance, it was now in full view for everypony to hear. The filly gulped; what was going to happen? The mare directed her into the massive hallway, leaving to an unreasonable amount of doors scattered about, in every direction she turned. Each door had nothing more than a simple sign on it, informing the ponies there, that the room was Staff Only. The walls inside didn't seem as bright and colorful though. The walls still looked bright, in an odd fashion. They beamed something, though the filly had no clue what that particularly was, nor did she seem to want to find out. She heard a hushed chatter coming from around the corner, it sounded like older mares gossiping on and on. She ignored the noises and just followed the cream, almost pale white, mare in front of her. They walked through multiple hallways each having a dozen or so door seeming to lead to nothing . Some had the Staff Only warning, while others had numbers, varying from 1 all the way up 14, that was all she saw, there could have been more. They soon came to holt in front of bare door, with no indication as to what was inside anywhere. The filly whimpered and hid behind the mare, at the louder noises coming from inside. It seemed to be a whole room filled with that same hushed chatter from the older mares earlier, just louder and more obnoxious. The mare banged the door open, revealing a surprised, shocked and maybe even scared group of fillies and colts. Some in their own circles other on their own, some in pairs or trios. The cream filly kept herself hidden in the older mare's tail. That was until; the mare shook her tail, ruffling it up in the process, she shook the filly out of her tail. The cream-colored Pegasus stood on her forehooves, and covered her face with her thick, pink mane. The brown maned mare groaned, and motioned for her to introduce herself. The filly just stared at her in confusion and fear. Another groan left the Pegasus. she raised her hoof, but let it fall to her side, upon seeing all the other fillies and colts there. Sighing she made her way out of the room, locked the door and trotted off. The cream filly watched as the last bit freedom she had was harshly snatched from her hooves. She fell to her haunches in a heap of desperation. "Shy! Over here!" A familiar voice, called out for her. She recognized both the name used and the voice it was coming out off. Shooting her head up, she searched the room the filly behind the call. To her sheer glee she spotted an unmistakable rainbow filly trotting up to her. She seemed a little different than the last time she had seen her. For one; her bangs seemed messier and was even more unkept than the last. Her chipper smile from last time was replaced with a fake happy one instead. She looked the same other-wise. She had a hoof up to her side, waving toward the filly on her haunches. Shy got up and rushed over to the rainbow filly. She wrapped her forehooves around the little Pegasus, glad to see a familiar face. She let go of the filly just as fast she had wrapped her hooves around to begin with. "Hey Shy, what are you doing here?" The rainbow filly questioned with both an incredulous and worried look. A gray coated, cross-eyed filly walked up beside Dash, and stood with a little smile on her face. She eyed the two; she had never seen the gray filly before, but she knew Dash a little after their anointer the day prior. It was just wonderful to see a face recognized by her. She had assumed she'd have to be alone and scared through this whole thing, until her father returned for her, if he ever was going to, that is. Looking around she spotted, multiple groups of kids, pairs, trios, circles, groups, or just solo, kids gathered around the room in all different places. She shot her head back at the two in front of her. A frown stretched across her muzzle: "I-I don't know" She replied sadly. Both fillies blinked at the statement, neither knowing what to say, to such a claim. "What about your father?" The rainbow filly questioned. The cream coated didn't reply, she merely remained quiet. Not knowing how to brush away the awkwardness, Dash decided to start a new topic. "So... Shy this is Ditzy, Ditzy; Fluttershy" The rainbow filly announced. Fluttershy shot her head up to take a good, long look at the gray. Her eyes drifted down from the filly's bright, yellow locks, to her ruffled up wings. "H-hi" Ditzy greeted, waving a nervous hoof, weeing a sheepish smile. A soft smile wither its way onto the shy filly's muzzle. "H-hi" "Had breakfast?" Rainbow asked. When the cream coated filly nodded, the three remained quiet, neither wanting to speak up, or just not knowing what to say in general. What were they meant to say, anyway? Ask each other about the weather? What a riveting conversation that would be. Besides, that would end in les than three or four words. A few times, their mouths fell open but nothing was let out, nothing more then a whimper, that is. The question on all their minds - or at least the new two Pegasi; Shy and Dash - what was up with this place? As if on cue, the doors flung open, again, revealing a Pegasus mare, wearing a similar glare as the red-glasses-mare. Her eyes narrowed, muzzle scrunched, and glare sharp, she trotted into their playroom, of sorts. The mare came to an abrupt holt in the middle of the room, earning the attention of most of the kids there. She ignored any that weren't already facing her, and spoke up, hushing the rest of the room; "Alright, times up, back to yer rooms, the whole lot o' you!" The mare's clear yet stern voice, earned looks of fear from each of the fillies and colts there. Any kids who hadn't looked toward her, had stopped their own chatter in fear of what she might do. Kids began making lines, according to their Hight, and assumedly age, and quietly made their way out. Ditzy followed a group of smaller, younger looking fillies out the door, and away from view. Rainbow and Fluttershy, remained in the room, unsure as to what was going on, and what they were meant to do. The stern, yellow maned, mare trotted up to the two fillies, remaining in the room. "What did I say? The whole lot o' you! Out!" She pointed a wing at the door, directing them toward it. Still confused, both the fillies followed the instruction, but were halted before they could carry them out completely. A teal coated hoof blocked their exit, halting both fillies in their tracks. Shooting their head up they were met with a stallion's evil glare. The rainbow filly seemed to notice him and tremble a little as she stepped back. Shy did not take long to follow her. The stallion wore a devilish grin, seeming to stretch across is whole muzzle. He had his eyes glued on the cyan filly, eyeing her from top to bottom. His emerald eyes striking fear into their hearts. His wings seemed to be ready for flight, but were tucked back to his side. His dark blue mane swept up to create an ocean like esthetic. "Now get!" The stern mare from behind, demanded. Unsure as what to do, both fillies remained frozen. The stallion made his way to and away from the fillies, he gave them, or more like Dash, one last, evil look before trotting out of view. Both fillies scampered out the room as quick as can be, and only stopped when they cam across another lined up group of fillies. They had to be at least three years older than the two, but Dash seemed to recognize one. She trotted over to mud-brown colt, with a silver mane. Shy remained at the back of the line, trotting along side them. They seemed to be going in a general directions, though their speed was not one to be praised. It was as slow as can be. Slow and quiet. It didn't seem like these were the same kids making such a racket in the other room., but that definitely was the case. Shooting her Aqua-green eyes about, she spotted nothing but empty, white walls, occasional doors here or there. Where were all the doors from earlier? She wondered. They passed a large, open door, leading to plenty of cafeteria tables and chairs, when another groan was heard. Before she could react, the cream-coated filly was being carried away by the same mare from earlier. The cream filly was tucked under a wing, being taken to somewhere unrecognized. She tried struggling, but that only earned more tightening on the mare's part. It didn't take long for her to be dropped off with a whole new group of fillies, all of whom she found unrecognizable. The mare dropped her off, and trotted beside them to escort them. This new line was packed with fillies and colts who actually seemed to within her age. They trotted toward a bright, white door. It blinded Fluttershy as they walked in To Be Continued!