It felt so empty at home, with both of my parents gone I didn't feel welcome here anymore. Walking in it was surreal, I felt outside myself. It was like a scene from a movie, the house barely lit for the only light that was on was from the TV. I went upstairs to pack my stuff and get ready to leave..
Leave Ponyville.. Forever.
It was the strangest feeling, my parents were gone and I didn't know what I was feeling. It was like depression, but I didn't know if I was really feeling the effects of it. Either way I didn't like it. It made me feel less alive and my outlook grim.
I almost forgot why I was leaving, with nothing but my parents and the last images I had of them it was... Difficult to say the least, to think of anything else other than them.
Who would be so desperate to take the life of a fellow pony in exchange for mere pocket change? This town is more than giving to those who live in it and even those who are just passing by. Even the proudest of ponies here are helped, everypony in this town is always ready to lend a helping hoof. I couldn't grasp the reasoning behind it. Then it hit me, the anger flushed over me like a wave from the unforgiving sea.
My sadness was replaced with a confused and blinding rage. I began picking up whatever I could and began throwing it as hard as I could against my walls leaving holes where I had thrown them. Pictures of old friends that I haven't heard from, controllers for different consoles, even tearing down posters of bands that I listened to. Nothing was safe in here. I screamed and yelled in frustration. A pure hatred boiled furiously for whoever it was that...
Then as if my energy was at it's peak. I broke down. I fell to my knees and began crying. Crying for some sort of answer, crying for an explanation. Crying for somepony to calm me down, crying for somepony to make it less painful, crying for... Anypony to just be here with me.
Through my tears and sobs I heard a ring. My phone was going off and was barely audible after it being buried under random shit that I had no use for. I dug around listening for it and found it buried underneath different CD's.
It was Ember.
“Hello?” I asked
“Oh my god I am so sorry!”
“About what?”
“They didn't tell you?”
“Who didn't tell me what?”
She stopped “Brace yourself Thunder but... Your parents they're..”
“Dead I know.” I said coldly
“I am so sorry! I just found out on the news. I can only imagine the pain you must be feeling.”
I had said nothing in return.
“Look, I was able to take a few days off of work, I'm coming down to Ponyville to help you see this through.”
“Listen Ember, I just want to be as far away as possible. Right now, I'm leaving later today.”
She sounded confused “Aren't you going to say goodbye?”
“I already did, at the station when I,” I paused when I realized how much of an idiot I sounded like, “Identified them.”
“Thunder! I can't believe that! How could you even say that?”
I became extremely short and angry at her, “Look! They're my parents and how I deal with them being dead is my business! Nopony else's! Just because my parents are dead doesn't mean you have to step into their shoes!”
She was shocked to hear that, “Fine! Asshole! Have fun finding a place here in Manehattan!” and she hung up. I didn't notice.
I continued to yell at my phone thinking she was still on, “You know what? I don't even care anymore! I never wanted to stay with you anyway you stupid bitch!” I tossed my phone at the wall, it didn't break which surprised me but I was too angry to care about it.
“FUCK!” I sat down and just thought about my, 'What does she know? She's never had anything bad happen to her. Even if there was something, I always helped her out. She has everything handed to her a silver spoon! How could she even talk to me like that? As if I'm still a stupid young filly. I'm not a child.'
“Fuck this!” I grabbed my bag and went downstairs and was about to leave when I noticed the news was still on. They were updating the story on my parents. I stayed and listened to see if they knew more.
A different anchormare was on than the one from before, she said in a clear and loud voice, “Following the story from earlier, two ponies were shot and killed outside of the restaurant Typony's. Police believed it to be an armed petty theft but new evidence found on the scene will allow further development on who may have done it.”
They played a recorded clip of the Chief of Police saying, “We found the bullet cases and with advances in forensic magic we'll be able to trace the bullet back to the gun and hopefully the owner of the gun. Then we'll finally have an answer to this audacious tragedy committed here earlier.”
It cut back to the anchormare who continued on with a different story, I lost interest and went outside. If there was any day to leave this was it, the sky was a dark gray, the air cool and still and little to no activity on the streets.
As I made my way to the station I looked one last time at my small town, passing by the school's playground where a couple of fillies were playing and laughing, no care in the world. They saw me and waved smiling the biggest grins I've seen. I ignored them and kept making my way towards the station.
As I climbed the steps I noticed there was only one other pony waiting to leave, I couldn't make out who it was, they had their face covered and was wearing an overcoat. “Must be from out of town.” I thought. I went to the ticket booth and nopony was there.
“Hello?”
No answer.
“Is anypony around?” I asked, I felt really dumb talking to nothing. Then I noticed a bell that was on the outside of the booth. I gave it a ding.
Still nothing.
I turned around and began to leave but I heard a voice yell “Hold on!”
“Did you need a ticket?” I turned around and approached the window again, “That'll be forty bits.”
I nodded my head and after searching my bag for my money I gave the old colt the bits and he handed me a ticket for the train. “Thanks, and come again.”
I gave him a fake smile and turned around to face the tracks. I checked out my ticket and it was going to be here at four. I had an hour to kill, I sat down on the bench next to the other pony who was there before me and decided to close my eyes and think about what I was going to do.
I needed a plan of attack, as soon as I got there I would have to go to different clubs and show them who I was. Strike a deal with them so I could play frequently. If I was going to do this I would need to be head-strong. Do or die at this point.
As I continued to psych myself out, I felt vibrations and soon heard the chugs of the train. As it stopped I gathered my bag and stood by the line waiting for the conductor to let everypony on. The pony that was sitting, gathered up their stuff and stood by the line still maintaining the distance between us.
The train made a screeching halt as it came to a full stop and the conductor came out and yelled “Allpony aboard who's coming aboard!” then retreated back to the front of the train.
I grabbed my bag and climbed into the second car out of the five that were there. It was empty except for the other pony from the bench. I took a seat with my back to the wall and climbed my way towards the window and waited for us to start moving.
“Ticket?” I looked to my right and there was the conductor, I stared at him not knowing what he said, he grew impatient pretty quick, “Sir, if you don't have a ticket then I can't let you on this train.”
“Oh, I have that hold on.” I dug through my bag and handed him the ticket which he clicked angrily and handed it back to me and went to the other pony and did the same thing.
It was the final call and nopony else had boarded, which was fine, I didn't need somepony to make idle conversation with the whole way there. Just my thoughts and the sights on the way there would suffice. The pitter-patter of rain could be heard and drops accumulated on the windows. At first it was light and became heavier making it sound like loud thuds. I chuckled for whatever reason.
The conductor yelled out one more time for final call, even though it was more than obvious nopony else was leaving here.
There was a sudden shift that made me move forward as the train started to move.
“So it begins..”