Chapter 1 : Going Back Home
In Canterlot, there was a colt in his house, the house was covering him from the cold winds of the autumn breeze.
The colt had a grey mane and coat of black, a cutie mark depicting a paper, and a magnifying glass.
This colt always got sick during cold seasons.
He coughed a few times and felt flakes of skin stick in his hardening fur.
The colt took a sip of coffee. The warm beverage stabbed his dry throat from all sides.
To relieve himself of the pain he let his mind wander off into unrelated subjects.
like how he always thought there was something more for him.
He knew his cutie mark and special talent were for him to uncover the truth behind things.
Even though he never did anything with this talent that he had.
He didn't want to get up in another pony's business, but he also couldn't just solve a case that didn't need to be solved.
He thought about getting a job as a detective, but he never felt there was anything that had a point in solving.
Nothing much ever happened in Equestria and even if there was, nothing serious.
He felt like he was made for something more.
He had his cutie mark but still did not understand the potential that he held.
Maybe he had no talent, this was just the thing that he was 'best' at, but not good at.
Now he was sad, he tried to groan but instead coughed.
He sniffled the snot quickly running down his face and mouth.
He tried to stretch his face out, but the dry skin burned him, so he tried to relax it steadily back.
The colt leaned badly in a chair and picked up a book to read.
He had a candle's light flickering across the dark room from his desk.
The colt lived in a rundown one-room house.
Nothing but thin walls, a floor, a bookshelf, and a mattress.
He didn't have much because his only source of income was through small gigs.
Canterlot took a lot of money to live in, he didn't even find easy gigs.
Most Canterlot ponies didn't need someone like him.
He thought that he might find an opportunity there. Something to discover about himself.
Maybe he could find a place there, possibly find himself.
But alas, it was just… Boring.
ponies not ever going out, always in their houses, or alone in the streets.
Once in a while, you would maybe see a group of ponies.
For such a big city, it seemed to have little hustle.
It was nothing like he read about in books back in Vanhoover.
He wondered if he was going to be like this forever.
Was he going to waste his life away, being unfulfilled?
This colt's name was-
"GLASS HEART!" He heard somepony call.
He groaned not wanting to get up, still feeling the pain all over his face.
He went over to the door and opened it.
he was met with a letter being carried by a mailmare.
He took the letter and then the mailmare flew off.
They looked across the streets of Canterlot and sighed.
He then went back inside and closed the doors.
He looked at the letter to see if he could see who sent it.
He recognized the handwriting and the name immediately.
It was his mother 'Pink Feather Heart'.
He opened the letter and looked at what it was saying.
'Dear Glass, I just wanted to let you know
that Nightmare Night is coming up soon so
I was wondering if you could meet us over
at vanhoover, I haven't seen you in 2 years!
could you please come over?'
Glass Heart looked at the page, contemplating how far the trip would be.
If he wanted to go, he would have to go soon. He knew he had to leave by at most tomorrow.
He grabbed a light jacket.
He opened his door and saw the darkening city being lit up by the street lights.
He went over to the train station.
Glass was happy to see a pony still there.
The pony looked like they were about to leave.
"HEY!" Glass called out with a sick voice.
"what is it?" the other asked in a somewhat annoyed voice.
"When will the next train for vanhoover come by?" Glass asked.
"Tomorrow morning," he said.
"Can I buy a ticket?" Glass asked.
"Sure" he groaned
Glass placed two bits on the small desk separating them.
"It's FIVE bits," he said.
"oh, can I go get them at my house real quick-"
"Listen, I am off work now, so I could care less about you getting this ticket," he said harshly.
Glass seemed shocked by the retort of that.
He ran back to his home, and when he got there he went inside and closed the door.
He panted with his seemingly dying throat.
He thought about getting the bits.
But thought that if he didn't get the chance to travel tomorrow, he wouldn't go at all.
He kept the jacket on as he lay on the bed.
He took a couple of minutes to relax everything.
He had no covers to cover himself with.
He took off his jacket and used it as a blanket.
He thought if he even wanted to go to his parent's house.
He looked at the situation his life was in and thought that it would be better than living this crappy life.
He thought about what would happen if he saw his mother.
He hadn't seen her in such a long time.
He tried to remember the details of where he lived.
He remembered living in a house. in a small town
He thought back to when he was a child.
He didn't realize how much he missed that.
Living in a place that had water, food, and a warm blanket.
He almost melted thinking about it.
He tried to fall asleep, but his eyes were wide open. Hearing the cold winds of the night.
He then closed his eyes and drifted off to an unpleasant sleep.
He groaned and stretched out his dry skin.
Everything burned and he coughed and sneezed up a bunch of snot.
He sluggishly gathered some supplies and some bits.
He realized that the pony selling tickets was there.
"Hey, me again," Glass tried to introduce themselves.
"Ok," The other said with a lifeless expression.
Glass exchanged the bits for the tickets.
He started walking over to the train station.
he started to just realize how much he wanted new scenery.
he sat down on a bench, now waiting for the train.
He was fighting the urge to fall asleep. He realized the sun has not risen yet.
The streets were still dark.
He looked over to the train tracks
waiting for the train to hit its stop.
He waited and waited, not knowing what to think about, or what to do.
He spent hours just trying to keep himself warm.
The train came by and stopped.
Glass almost smiled and cheered with glee if he wasn't frozen in place.
Glass trotted over to the train and entered.
He walked down and opened the door at the end to get to another section of the train.
He went to a section in which the train horn would be the quietest.
This section was primarily empty besides only 3-5 other ponies.
He didn't pay attention to that.
He found an empty seat, hoping nopony would take a seat next to him later.
He needed to be left alone.
He tried to make water vapor appear on the bus window by breathing on it. It didn’t show. He looked at it disappointed.
He looked out the window and saw houses along the railroad track as far as the eye could see.
He shivered and started to shake violently.
He wanted to clear his throat but then he looked at the other ponies and thought better of it.
The only thing he could hear was the train and whispers.
He heard the music start playing music from the train.
he almost couldn't tell if it was Nightmare Night or Hearthswarming music.
He knew it was probably Nightmare Night music because why would Christmas music be playing right now?
It almost sounded like a lullaby, but it had sinister intentions.
He felt something sticky slide down his face.
He put his hoof to it. He looked at his foot and nothing was on it. He then assumed it was sweat or something.
He felt like whimpering but looked around to see other ponies around him.
He looked out the train window again and leaned his head onto it.
He closed his eyes tightly, feeling the tears trails sticking to his face.
He looked out the window, to see if anything could distract him.
He still only saw the houses that littered Canterlot.
He then looked away and thought back. He wanted a warm house, good water, tasty food, and a warm blanket.
He was getting himself excited for this, to have something to look forward to.
But he was also afraid.
He sniffled and made a single cough.
He looked around the train section, fearful that anypony noticed him.
No-pony did.
He then saw the train going down the mountain that set atop Canterlot.
He looked down at Ponyville from the train's window.
The vastness of a world he hasn't seen much.
But he didn't see anything too far away, with all the wind and it being night.
He sighed a longing sigh as his breath clouded the window. He looked out to see Ponyville and Canterlot slowly getting smaller and smaller.
He felt like there was something either wrong with him or Equestria.
He always found Equestria so weird.
As if there was darkness littered within it.
He looked back to see Canterlot far away. He almost felt relieved that he wasn't there anymore.
He attempted a smile, but all the dry skin flakes scratched him.
"ow," he whispered
Voice burned.
He looked out the window to see flat land everywhere.
He didn't see anything interesting and lay his head on the back of the seat ahead of him.
His eyes closed he fell asleep.