"Mother?" I looked around the house, making as much noise as possible.
It wasn't hard to make noise; my hooves weren't bone and soft squishy flesh. They were metal. It meant I couldn't go on Cloudsdale for sure without falling, flying was harder (but it made me a stronger flyer) and I was unable to fit in. Anywhere. I didn't consider myself a Pegasus, I was far from an Earth pony and I don't have a horn to be a Unicorn. Luckily it was after our visit with Princess Celestia and we weren't too far from the castle.
Ever since that day...
"Nooo!" My mother, Rainbow Shine, screamed to me after a snarling crunch.
The pain didn't hit me, I woke up in a daze on the other side of the road to find a trail of blood leading to a pool of it. It didn't hit me that it was mine. I started to register that the carriage was tipped over, my mother had her hooves on her head and father trying to stop her from having the same fate.
Then there was the burning in my wings, light, purple feathers were scattered on the road, following my decent. I remember I was jumping from meeting the princess and wanting to hear my father's story. That's when the pain in all of my hooves started. Except, when I looked down to see my hooves, they weren't there at all...
I woke in a dark room, my wings ached but I couldn't feel my hooves. I felt this electricity run through my body to the bed. It was cold and heavy when I tried to move my body. I understood exactly what happened that day.
Father blamed himself. Father died two years after that.
Mother blamed herself. I'm still trying to convince her it wasn't her fault. It was an accident. Her mane was no longer seven, bright colors of the rainbow. It dulled out like somepony decided to mute the blues with greys and the yellow with brown. She stopped using magic when Father died. Rusty never looked his name. His bold purple hide, his silver hair... all went away.
I blamed myself, and I'm still trying to convince myself it was an accident. It's really hard when everypony is expecting you to perform some kind of miracle. Princess Celestia said I should've died. I shouldn't be looking for my mother with a white hide. I shouldn't be here, after 5 years, trying to find a place to fit in, forgive myself or trying to fly.
Or running around with a clog cutie mark with smoke trailing behind it. Nope, shouldn't have that.
I banged my hooves on the ground gently so I didn't brake the floor. "Mother! We need to go! Princess Celestia is waiting on us!"
"I'm coming, dear..." I hear the faint sound of my mother. "I'll be a moment."
I frowned and laid down, crossing my front hooves under my chin. After 10 years, I still didn't get to learn about the other pony that ruled the skies along side the Princess. Celestia herself hinted it, she told me a little. Every time we go to the castle for my upgrade, she tells me a little more. This time she's supposed to tell me if it was a friend, family member or a random pony. Either way, it made me miss my father, she was gentle to my mother at least. Sometimes I see another Alicorn and wonder if it's her that helps Celestia. And then rarely there's a purple unicorn followed by a baby dragon.
It was 2 years ago, she just came out with her cutie mark and Princess Celestia was laughing with the other unicorns. But it was the little purple one, not the white stallion or the two older ones, the small one. I've must've been a couple years older then she is, but her hide was darker of mine when I was just a foal. They didn't approach me nor did I them. I watched them leave as the princess said her good byes.
"You want me to go alone again this time, Mother?" I shouted to the unused room. "Mother?"
I stood up after no reply and galloped to the room, and laid there was my mother's body in front of my father's picture. There was no blood, no damage to her hide. She just died of old age. I sat and stared at the picture like there was no where else I had to go. If I didn't show up, Princess Celestia would send a guard to inform me that I had to go. I sat there quietly for what it felt like forever before there was a faint knocking.
"Come in." I said mutely without looking away.
The door swung open and the sun shone brightly in the door way. The pretty mare sat next to me in silence with a frown on her face too.
"The guard told me you never answered the door." She announced quietly.
"I never heard it." I stated without bowing, just nodded. "I never heard her leave, I only said we needed to go... I never saw her go, I told her I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Princess! I'm so sorry!"
I started to cry, not wiping the tears that fell on my face. I remembered rain... Rain and purple feathers and a silver horn.
"I'm so sorry I have you leave you..."
"Why?" I stomped at the ground.
The Princess eloped me with her golden magic until I couldn't move anymore. "Shhh, let's go. You can stay at my castle until you've settled down. Then we'll find you a new home, alright Ame Shine?"
"Do you know what Ame means?" I whispered.
"No, I would like to know."
"It means Rain," I remember mother and father laying down on either side of me in front of the fireplace, telling me different places. "They named me after the weather you brought me here. I'm the pony with the metal hooves now. I'm a freak who killed her parents out of grief. After that day, they never looked at me the same... After Father died, Mother stopped looking at me."
She waited patiently until I stopped crying, offering no comfort words, no shoulder. She waited quietly until I was done. My growth is stunted because of the accident. So instead of looking 11, I look 9. The Princess predicts that I should grow into my age when I hit my teens. I shook my head when I stopped crying and wiped my eyes with my wings. My wings weren't broken during the accident, so those were soft and light. It felt nice then metal across my face.
"Are you ready to go, young Shine?" The white, feathered mare asked softly.
"Yeah-yes, Princess," I mutely followed. I gave her her formal bow but half way down she put her hoof under my chin and lifted me up. "I'm so sorry that you had to see this, Princess."
"You've committed no crime," She smiled at me and started for the door, "so there is no need to apologize. Come, let us be on our way."
"Yes ma'am." I hung my head low as I walked to the door behind her.
One day, I thought, one day I'll be able to hold my head up high. Until then, I just have to try and keep flying on...