My vision still felt blurry, my leg was making all the sounds of jittering noises. It probably had gotten damaged when the griffon shoved me to the ground. I shut my eyes tight, feeling the creases in the corner of my face brunch up, it stung; That’s what I get for crying in the first time of ten years.
“Mom?” I called out, I don’t know why I did. I just thought that it could have just been some weird nightmare, that my mom actually didn’t get stolen from these creatures out of nowhere, “Momma?”
That I wasn’t alone.
“Mom?”
My voice was hoarse, I could feel the soreness already building up in my tonsils. I didn’t like this feeling, that my mother wasn’t here with me and that I couldn’t do anything to help her. I had to hear her plead for my life to be spared as my mom was slowly removed from my vision. It’s a worse feeling than when dad left, because at least I tried to stop my mom from leaving– from being taken away.
I stood in the cold for a good five minutes listening to nothing. I knew there were some hoofsteps clacking around in the corners of my ears because ponies are usually awake at this time; However– my ears and mind, they blanked them out. All I could do was stare at the horizon of where I last saw my mother. Everything genuinely felt numb, like time had stopped.
I remembered that I had the pin in my hoof still, the circular and smooth texture snapping me back into reality as I glared down at the pin.
This was all I had left to remember her? Some stupid fucking pin from a dumb fucking company with too much power for their own good?
“FOCK!” I screamed out, biting my tears. I was stressed, I have no idea what to do here. I’m just a mare from Porkobelly, a mare who can’t do anything useful on her own! What was I supposed to do, now?
I let out an exhale through my nostrils, turning around I could see some ponies staring at me.
“You live ‘n this focking town, you see all sorts of shit, but a focking mare having a mental breakdown is tha’ weirdest thing you’ve seen? FOCK YOU!” I lashed my anger out on them, granted they could have been staring at something else but my anxiety was spiked so high that I just needed to scream, I just needed to yell at someone that wasn’t myself.
I barged through the apartment door, the metal panel that held the door together actually falling off from it. I swear I’m not that strong, it's just that the apartment is falling apart, and I’m not going to get fined by the landlord, not today at least. Hopefully, nopony has seen me do that.
I furiously stomped upstairs pushing through oddities of items that my mother had built in her past, it felt heartbreaking knowing these would probably be the last actual things that I will see in this house from her.
I rummaged through her items, tossing an auto broom behind me, a few teapots that were supposed to apparently ‘cure depression’ , and a brass makeshift dog that could only do backflips. My mom was an inventor, a creative, and a lot of these brought memories back to me. I held the fake dog in my legs; I remember this one.
I always mentioned how I wish dogs were more accessible here, my mother spent all night and morning working on this silly thing. She only managed to make it do backflips, it couldn’t even bark.
I twisted the key that was on its metal back, frrrk, crrrrk, crrrrk.
The toy was rusty, but it slowly moved its front paws forward and its hindlegs back. The thing tried to do its backflip yet it failed miserably, slamming the side of its face on the cold floor. I could hear the cogs slowing down, crrrrick, clickkkk, crrrrcrrrickcrrrickk–ick. I felt bad for it, it didn’t have any feelings– fuck, it wasn’t even sentient. However, I still felt bad that it couldn’t do what its intended purpose was. I gently placed it back in its box as I felt steel brush against my foreleg inside of the box.
Probably another artifact that my mother made. I wonder what it was this time, maybe it was a small blimp that fed you spaghetti? A portable robot roach? I gripped the shaft of the item, it was heavy.
“Huugh–” My teeth clenched, it was REALLY heavy!
“ARGHGHH!” I groaned as I managed to pull the thingamajig out of the box. I fell back as I watched the thing flung over my head and into the wall. “Shitshitshit–” I was praying that it didn’t leave a dent in the wall.
As I brought myself up from the floor, I finally got to look at what I pulled out.
Holy.
Fucking.
SHIT!
It was a gun, a sniper rifle to be exact. There were three lenses on the bridge of the gun, its brass and silver made it look decadent. I have no idea how to use a gun, actually, I’ve never seen a gun until today! My mom, she made an actual fucking gun! These are illegal, the only creatures that could wield one are part of ‘CHEERS AND LOVE CO.’ or they are mercenaries, rangers, or just wanderers that don’t actually live in Great Bridle. Citizens can’t own these, it's against the law in case anypony would try to rebel against the bossman himself. My eyes sparkled at the sight of it as I slowly moved my legs over to touch it.
My hoof softly passed over the shiny metal parts, touching it I could feel a few bumps on the corner of the cartridge. I took a gander at it and there’s my mom's signature.
“Mrs.Trinket” written on it in cursive.
I pulled out the gun from my wall, I could see the scopes shining at me, it looked brand new. I eventually had to lay it back on the floor, it’s still too heavy for me. I just kept staring at it in awe.
KNOCK, KNOCK.
That made me jump almost comically, hitting the top of my head from the surprise.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
Shit, someones at the door! My eyes darted left and right as I kicked boxes over by the gun, and ripped the throw blanket from the couch. I covered the gun, the boxes too that were around it. “Coming!” I yelled, please don’t be the fucking bootlickers.
I peered through the peephole, in the fisheye angle I let out a breath of relief. Opening the door was a unicorn, her long purple mane covering the left side of her face, her light purple coat and freckles easily showing off her blush that spread from one cheek to another.
“Aye, Bellflower.” This was Blush Bellflower, she's my neighbor as well as a childhood friend. She’s always blushing here because Porkobelly is never hot, it's always cold, or just damp and wet. “W--What’s goin’ on?” I asked her, she was at my door.
“I–I heard you scream outside,” Oh, she heard that? “And the–then you were making alot of noises in here, I–I thought you were in trouble.” The shy mare muttered, avoiding eye contact with me. “Are… Are you um, okay?”
She always worried about me, but I was always the one to save her in trouble. She would let some ponies push and shove her, and I had to come over and threaten them with my metal leg. She’s always been the shy kid, and she always will be a quiet kid despite us being in our twenties now.
“Yeah,” I responded, looking back to the corner of my living room and then back to her, “ ‘m fine Bell. Bye–” I tried to slam the door on her, but she used her magic to stop the door from shutting on her face.
“I–I saw what happened to your mom, do you need c–company?” She asked me, and she gave me those damn puppy eyes. I quickly looked away from her great blue eyes.
“No, I ‘on’t, Bell.” I tried once more to shut the door, “Bye–” Once again, she stops it. I think she's gotten more persistent as we got older, and only specifically to me.
“I’m always here for you, B-Box,” She puckered her lips, “Um, you can tell me anything, you know, because– because– I’m–”
Cutting her off, I blurted.
“Listen, Oi really ‘ave to piss, ‘en you’re holdin’ ‘m up, sorry.” Not sorry, I shut the door on her face quickly before she could even use her magic to hold it again.
“Okay, um, I’ll be here! In my… Apartment, if you need me. Bye.” Her muffled voice told me through the door. Stubborn lass she is.
I hurriedly went back to the gun, undraping it as I took one more gander.
I remembered that the stallion was asking my mother where the gun was. If my math is right this is sure to be what he’s talking about, and what a beaut this thing is! I would threaten someone's mom for this too, but I have to also remember, they took my mom.
I went over to my mother’s desk, it looks like her next plans were making a small makeshift companion. It was a cube with legs, but knowing how the dog went about, I don’t think there would be any high expectations from this either. Reading over the plans I could see her writing like, ‘Maybe bigger?’ or ‘Husband-o-meter’. That made me giggle, and my eyes had laid set on this one sentence.
‘A friend for Boxie’. My smile had left the room, and I could feel my ears fold back behind my hat. I didn’t know I seemed that lonely to my mother, because I wasn’t! I don’t think I am.
Nonetheless, I’m not going to dwell on myself when I have a bigger mission at hoof.
Finding my mother.
I mean, if I could find some dumb cat from some stupid kids; I can surely find my mother. Besides, without her here, I won’t have any dinner tonight and I was looking forward to spaghetti day. I scavenged through other boxes, finding a duffel bag that was old and dusty. Sniffing it, I almost gagged at the old stallion smell. This was surely my dad’s, maybe before I was born.
This will do however, I stuffed a few other contraptions that my mom had made just in case, a pen, and I cannot forget the sniper rifle that was laying on the floor still. I shoved all the boxes away and wrapped the gun in my throw blanket as I gently rested it inside the duffel bag.
I think I’m ready now.
I need to find my mother, and I’m going to find her. I spun the keys to the apartment around in my tail as I slowly trotted to the door. I took one last look behind myself, the clocks, the weird items that made this place what it was. Why did I feel like I was going to miss it? I’ll only be gone for a few weeks.
I twisted the doorknob and opened it, however, as soon as I did; I had almost bumped right into Bellflower. “Bell!” I huffed.
I thought she had left, but surprise surprise, the mare was still there. She eyed my bag and began to pester me with all sorts of questions.
“What are you doing with th–that?” She asked, “A–Are you running away?” She questioned, “Where a-are you going?” I clicked the key into my apartment, locking and shutting it tight. “B-Box, can I come?”
“No.” I hissed, the gears on my hat spinning clockwise.
“W–Why not! I care for you, because I-I-I,” She tried to get her words out.
“I ‘on’t care why you care, Bell. ‘s not safe.” I began to trot down the stairs, the hoofsteps doubling the echo as she was trailing right behind me.
“Well, I’m following you anyways,” She spouted bullshit, “I want to!”
Rolling my eyes, I let out a scoff as I kept on moving. “Bell, you’re gonna ‘et scared by some fockin’ mouse before you’d dip w’th ‘m.”
Bell puffed out her cheeks, and she raised her leg, smacking me on my arm. She then repeatedly began to hit me but to me, Bell was a soft pillow. She’s the only pony that can’t knock me on my ass in two seconds.
“Y–You’re so mean, let me come with you, Box!” She complained.
I clenched my teeth and furrowed my brows, giving in just so she could stop yapping. “Ok!” I pushed the tip of my hoof on her chest, “Only if you ‘hut up! Stop talkin’! Zip it!”
And so she did, Bell I guess was one of my first companions now on this shitty journey. It won’t take long. I kept thinking to myself, this won’t take long at all. Soon, Bell and I will be back home in within’ a day, resting and ready for another boring fucking month in Porkobelly.
Her and I trotted forward, along the road she kept staring at me with the biggest and shiniest eyes. It was mildly uncomfortable to say the least, but all we had to do was just keep walking.
First stop was heading to the bodega, you know, Racket’s and Stacy’s bodega.
“Wh–Why are we here? Isn’t he… C–Creepy?” Bell asked me, cowering behind my back.
“Why? Because ‘e ‘as a fockin’ brass back an ‘e can’t see, Bell?” I responded, “‘On’t be ableist, Bell.” I know that's not what she meant, but it’s easy to shut her up that way. I heard a small squeak behind me.
“Eep!” It was just Bell again, that was her ‘I’ll shut up’ noise. I rang the bell to the bodega, tugging on the string and quickly jutting it left and right as it rang through the neighborhood.
However, there was no answer. I let my eyes scan the area, and I took notice of a small sign on the door.
‘GONE WALKING STACY’.
Well, fuck. The only place I like buying my stuff from is out walking his fucking cat. To top it off, my back is already hurting and I want to go back home now. “Welp,” I sucked my teeth and turned on my leg. “I guess we’re goin’ to tha’ next town.” I told Bell, her eyes widened.
“W–What!” She sounded shocked, I already told her that this wasn’t for her didn’t I?
“I ‘an’t buy nothin’ nowhere else.” I responded, beginning to make my way to the next road. She quickly skedaddled next to my side.
“Can’t you just buy somethin’ from the other shops?” She asked me.
Hah, the queen's ass I would! “Every shop ‘ere is owned by the smiley focks.” I answered while continuing my walk, “I ain’t spendin’ a single cap to any of ‘em.”
“B–But!” And then I stopped in my tracks.
“I ‘old you if you wanted to walk with ‘m, then you can’t fockin’ complain Bell.” And she gulped her last words. I just wanted peace while I was here, even if it meant shutting this sweetheart up. I gave her another glance and I could see that she was staring at the ground as she trotted, trying to hold back a sniffle.
Really? I let out a sigh, tilting my head upwards towards the fog and then back at her, “You can talk in the ‘ext town.” And she giggled, rubbing her side of her face on my shoulder.
Gross.
“Thank you, B–Box!” She happily chuckled, my lips puckered as I reminded her.
“I told you, the ‘ext town.”
“Right, sorry.” She muttered.
“ ‘ext town.” I said again.
She shut up, only for a second.
“What’s the next town?”
And I groaned, “Bonesmouth Valley.” That sounded scary, but I’ve been there before, it’s at least prettier than Porkobelly. Eventually, Bell had stayed quiet, and we were walking to our next destination.
The next stop, Bonesmouth Valley.