[???]
Somewhere underground, [???]
[???]
Carina slowly walked across the cold, grimy floor. She was hunched over, looking around herself frantically. She was visibly shaking in fear. It was dark around her, and her hoofsteps were the only sounds she heard, apart from the ominously whispering winds. Then, from the shadows, a voice rang out behind her, accompanied by a red glow. A somewhat high-pitched laugh-- one you might hear from a stallion who was on the brink of insanity. Carina spun around and gasped. Her vision blurred, and she quickly looked away. She could just about make out a green figure surrounded in a glowing red aura, grinning at her. She started to run, and the voice started to rhyme.
"Run, run, my little child.
Your punishment will not be mild!
Neehnhnhnhnhnhnhnhn...!"
His chuckle made it clear that he was grinning while he laughed. She knew that grin... The grin that only ceased when he spoke. Suddenly, a door opened a story above her, on her left. In the light from the doorway, Carina could see the sillhouettes of three fillies, all pointing and laughing at her, before they started singing.
"Carina, Carina,
Wouldn't wanna be ya!
Every step she ta~akes,
She quivers and she sha~akes!
Carina, Carina,
No one wants to see ya!
An easy mare to sc~are-
Her only friend is Fla~are!"
"St-stop it...!" she peeped as she ran by. The fillies just laughed and pointed. The grinning laughter chimed in from behind her.
"Carina, Carina..."
"No!"
"So lonely to be ya!"
"Stop!" Carina was crying now. The voice laughed again. Then, Carina felt herself dropping to the floor and being dragged backwards. "No!" she screamed as she dug at the ground with her hooves.
"No friends but Fla~are..."
She was turned over onto her back and gasped when she saw the glowing green face staring back down at her with red eyes, an insane smile plastered on his muzzle.
"Such a lonely ma~are!"
Carina screamed.
She woke up with a start. She frantically looked around the room. Everything was still as it should be in her small apartment. She clutched her ragged stuffed pheonix tighter and sobbed.
Day VI
Market District, Canterlot, Equestria
Third Stage of Setting Sun
Carina wandered through the market, her head hanging low. Her stuffed pheonix, Flare, was sticking out of her saddlebag. The market was bustling with ponies at this time of day. She would occasionally glance up at the sky, fidgeting nervously. After the dragon incident, she had been more nervous than usual. As she looked around, she noticed that many of the other ponies were also glancing up from time to time. This only made Carina more nervous. While she was looking up, she bumped into someone. He was a dark gold stallion, very large, and gruff-looking.
"Watch it!" he growled.
"Oh, I'm... sorry..." Carina whispered as she backed away. However, without looking where she was going, she bumped into somepony else.
"Hey, watch it, will ya?" complained a mare from behind her. Carina spun around and started backing away again.
"Oh! I'm-I'm sorry..." she peeped. She backed up a few paces before turning around again, and quickly trotting off. The next few minutes she spent shopping around the market, getting all the groceries on her list. Just as she was about to go home, she spotted a gray stallion in a black hat and coat looking around the market. Then he looked at her, and his eyes widened slightly. He started moving towards her. Carina gasped and started to make her way through the crowd, away from the stallion, trying to make herself as invisible as possible. She glanced behind her, but she didn't see him. Still, she wasn't going to take any chances. Whatever this stallion wanted, he obviously knew who she was, and, considering she had never seen him before in her life, probably didn't have the best intentions. Carina decided she would just stay away from that.
She wasted no time trying to dart through the crowds- she had always been quick on her hooves. Finally, the crowd became less... crowded as she approached the street to her district. She glanced behind her once more, but she couldn't see the stallion. With any luck, she had lost him in the crowd.
Day VI
Lower-class District, Canterlot, Equestria
Fourth Stage of Setting Sun
Carina gently placed her saddlebags on the floor and began unpacking. She took Flare out first and placed him on the table next to the door. Carina smiled and continued unpacking the groceries. "What did you think of the market, Flare?" she whispered softly.
"..." said Flare.
"That stallion was rather... unnerving..." Carina muttered nervously. "Wasn't he?"
"..." was the reply.
The blue mare smiled at the plush phoenix, and continued unpacking. "I wonder what he wanted..." she whispered.
"..."
She smiled again. "No, I don't think he was a dragon in disguise. Silly phoenix!" she playfully prodded at Flare and he fell over. Carina frowned, propped him back up and continued unpacking once more. "Does he know me?"
"..."
"You're right, how could he know me? I've never seen him before in my life."
"..."
"My artwork? No, I don't think so... I'm not that well-known..."
"..."
"I hope he didn't want to hurt me..."
"..."
"Maybe he just wanted to say something..."
"..."
"What do you think he wanted to say?"
"Hello."
Carina squeaked, spun around, and stared at Flare with wide eyes. He just sat there, staring at her. "F-flare...?"
"Flare...?" came the male voice. There was a knock on the door. "Um, no, my name isn't Flare... Can you come to the door, please?" Carina looked at the door, then back at the phoenix. It stared blankly at her. She shook her head and trotted over to the door and opened it a crack.
"Y-yes...?" she said quietly. When she saw who it was, she gasped.
"Carina." It was the stallion from the market. He was wearing his hat, but not his coat, and had a serious look on his face.
"Y-yes...?"Carina peeped.
Seeing the nervous reaction, the stallion smiled kindly. "There's no need to be worried, I just want to talk."
"Oh... um... okay..." There was silence. The stallion's eyes shifted from side to side, and he cleared his throat. Carina got a look of realization. "Oh! Right... sorry..." She slowly opened the door for him and beckoned him inside.
"That's quite alright," he chuckled. He took off his hat and walked in. Carina closed the door behind him and quickly trotted next to him as he observed the apartment. It was a fairly cramped and cheap apartment, but it was new, as was almost everything in the city. It was fairly clean as well, except for one corner in particular, which had a paint-stained tarp on the floor, with an easel, a pile of canvases to the side, and a table sporting some cups filled with brushes, paint, and quills. The walls held several lovely paintings and sketches, all crafted by the resident.
"C-can I get you something?" Carina offered.
"Hm?" The stallion looked at her. "Oh! No, thank you." He looked around. "Uh- why don't you have a seat?" He smiled and gestured to a comfy armchair by the window.
"Um... O-okay..." Carina made her way over to the chair and sat down.
"Let me introduce myself," the stallion said while taking the seat across from her. "My name is Silver Mine."
"Um... nice to meet you, Mr. Mine, sir..." Carina said quietly, avoiding eye contact.
Silver sat there for a moment, blinking. "Uh... right... so you're probably wondering why I was trying to get to you in the market today. Carina nodded shyly. "Well, I actually have a proposition for you."
Carina's ears perked up and she made full eye contact. "A proposition...?"
"Yes." Silver frowned and his ears folded back. "Although, to be honest, now that I look at it, it's probably gonna take a lot of coaxing and reasoning to get you to accept..." Carina cocked her head at him. "Well, let me just give you the run-down. I'm sure you're aware of the current dragon threat...?" Carina shrunk slightly and nodded. "Well, I'm assembling a team to go to the land of the dragons and convince them to retract their threats."
She raised an eyebrow. "How are you going to do that...?" she asked. "They're... they're dragons..."
Silver nodded. "Yes, I know. Which is why I'm picking the most diverse and skilled team members for the mission."
"So... what does this have to do with me...?"
"Well..." He paused to search for the right words."You see... You kinda... You're..." He sighed and looked her straight in the eye. "We want you on the team."
"What?!" Carina squeaked, instantly clamping her hooves over her mouth after such a loud outburst.
Silver took this opportunity to quickly explain: "Look, believe me, I completely understand why you're so surprised. But-"
"Nonononononononono-!" Carina interrupted. "I-I-I can't go on a mission to stop dragons! I-I-I'm a painter! I-I'm shy! I'm... akward, I'm childish, I can't... I can't..."
"Carina." Silver's stern voice silenced her, and her eyes fell to the floor. "Look at me." Her eyes rose again to meet Silver's. He had a serious yet sincere expression. "I know you think you're the last pony for the job. But let me be the first to tell you-- you're one of the best." Her eyes slightly widened. "Now... I'm going to give you a few reasons on why you should come along-- some of which may confuse you. Alright...?" She nodded. "First off. A few days ago, you sent me a letter. Specifically-" Silver reached into his saddlebag and pulled out an envelope. "-this letter." Carina wore a confused expression. "Now. You probably don't remember writing this. Correct?"
"U-um..."
"It's alright. You weren't supposed to remember. It's good that you don't. We told a lot of ponies what we were up to, and only a few replied. We don't want this mission to be well-known, so we wiped everypony's memories, and chose the successful candidates. You were one of the applicants."
Carina hesitated. "B-but why did I apply...?"
Silver shrugged. "I don't know for sure. Maybe you just wanted to help whenever somepony is in need. Maybe you thought you could specialize in some way."
"W-well... what did I say in the letter...?"
Silver held out the letter to her, and she took it. "Just the basics," he said. "Your appearance, personality, abilities, background, etc." Carina read the letter. Sure enough, it was just pretty much an accurate description of her. She was listed as "shy," "modest," "nervous..." It even talked about Flare and her-- she gasped. Slowly, she shrunk lower into her seat with her front hooves in front of her face, still holding the letter. She looked at him with worried (and rather embarrassed) eyes. He remained stoic for a moment, before looking down gravely. He sighed. "Yes. You told me about your parents. And the orphanage... I'm sorry."
Carina was shaking a bit. Memories flooded her mind. She quickly shook her head to stop them from surfacing again. "But-- why would I tell anyone about that?!" she squealed in a cracking voice.
Silver shrugged again. "I don't know, Carina," he said rather sternly. "But you did. Whatever the reason, you wanted to apply. I'm not sure why you would tell me something so deep... Maybe..." He smiled kindly at her. "...you just trusted me." Carina stared at the stallion, mouth open slightly. She looked down at the paper.
"Why did you choose me...?" she asked quietly.
"I think we've already answered that." Carina looked back up. Silver held his smile. "You told a complete stranger your deepest and darkest secret in the interest of the greater good. That shows bravery and sacrifice. Those are the signs of a hero." Carina shrunk even more and looked away, blushing. Silver chuckled. "...Albeit an unlikely one." Carina couldn't help but giggle at his last remark.
However, all her enjoyment drained away. "I... I'm still not sure..." she said.
Silver sighed. "I understand," he murmured. "Believe me, I do." Carina looked up at him. He was blankly staring off into space. "I know how it feels..."
"Y-you do...?"
He nodded, then looked at her. "I was an orphan, too. My parents died when I was very young. I grew up practically my whole life feeling lonely. So believe me, I understand what you've been through."
Such a lonely ma~are...!
Carina flinched. When Silver got a confused look, she blinked and looked at Flare, who was still sitting on the table near the door, staring at the wall. "So," Silver said after a while. "What do you say...?"
"Um... I'd like some time to think about it," Carina said as she got up. "If you don't mind..."
"Please." Carina walked past him and back towards the door. Glancing periodically over her shoulder, she quickly snatched Flare and brought him down to the floor, leaning down to him.
"What do you think, Flare...?" she whispered.
"..." replied the phoenix.
"He makes some good points... that was my signature on the note... It must've been me who wrote that letter. Did I really apply for this mission...?"
"..." sayeth the phoenix.
"But... It's a mission to stop dragons! Big, fire-breathing dragons...! I don't think I'd be able to handle that kind of pressure..."
Quoth the phoenix: "..."
"You're right... He's right. I did show courage when I told him about my childhood... Maybe I really did want to be a part of this... I just... I just don't see how I could possibly... fit in..."
"We could always use a friend." Carina stared at the plush phoenix. It perched below the table near her chamber door.
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Carina shook herself out of her stupor and rose, looking behind her. Silver was looking at her. "Everyone could use a friend. Especially these days." Carina looked back down at the stuffed phoenix.
No friends but Fla~are...!
"...Will you be my friend...?" Carina asked.
"Me...?" Silver raised an eyebrow.
Carina spun around, eyes widened. "Oh! I'm sorry... That was a bit direct... I just..."
"You don't have many friends, do you...?" Silver guessed. Carina nodded, and her eyes fell to the floor. Silver sighed, got up, and walked over to her. "Relax," he said. He put a hoof on her shoulder. She looked up at him, and he smiled. "If you accept the mission, we'll be spending so much time together, it'll be hard not to be friends." Carina smiled weakly. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Alright," she said. "I accept the mission." She opened her eyes.
Silver seemed surprised. "...Really?" he asked.
Carina giggled. "Y-yes. You made some good points. I have a feeling that I wanted this mission for some good reason... so... I guess I'll just trust myself. And... I'll trust you."
Silver smiled wider. "Good," he said, backing off. "Right, then. Go on, start packing. Don't bother with food or water, I have that already, but pack a bedroll and anything else you might need. Don't pack more than you can carry."
Carina blinked. "Are... are we leaving now...?" she asked.
"Preferably," Silver answered, walking back to the living area.
"Oh... u-um... o-okay..." Carina scooped Flare up off the floor before entering her small bedroom.
Once she was finished packing, she opened the door to the living area to find Silver looking at one of her paintings. She walked up behind him, head hung low. "I-I know," she said shyly, "they're not very good, are they...?"
"Huh..." Silver muttered, seemingly to himself. "Again with the modesty..." He shook his head and turned to the blue mare, smiling. "Not at all! I really like them." Carina perked up a bit. "Especially this one..." he pointed to the painting he was looking at-- a yellow grassy hill in the foreground, with a lone silver-armored stallion at the edge, overlooking a river, gazing at a menacing castle on the other side, surrounded by ominous clouds.
Carina raised an eyebrow. "You like that one...?"
"Yes, it's very good. What's it called?"
"Um... 'The Lone One goes to War'..."
"Ooh, I like the ring of that."
"But... don't you think it's a bit... generic...?"
"Not at all. I think it's unique. Just like a lot of these other ones!" He motioned to the other paintings on display. "In fact... I'd like to take this one off your hooves..." He walked up to a painting of Canterlot tower in an orange-red-violet twilight hue. "...If you're willing to sell."
Carina was surprised. She had had customers before, sure, but not many were this enthusiastic about her work as this. Still, she was struggling somewhat with money, and she wouldn't turn down a paying customer. "U-um... yes. That one is for sale... I call it 'Twilight Tower'."
"What's your price?"
"Um... thirty bits."
Silver paused. Then, he slowly smiled. "Well. I'm glad- and a bit surprised- to see you're not the underpricing type. Good deal." He fished out three pouches of bits from his saddlebag and gave them to Carina, who gave him a sack to store the painting in. "Right, then. Are you all packed up?" Carina nodded. "Good. Then let's go." The two walked towards the door, only for Silver to stop and look at the lone one on the hill again, with a focused expression.
"What is it...?" Carina asked.
Silver turned to her. "He's not alone."
"What?"
Silver smiled. "The Lone One. He's not alone. Even if he thinks he is, he isn't, and never will be." And with that, Silver put his hat on and opened the door. Carina glanced back at the painting, contemplating what Silver had meant, before walking out the door, followed closely by Silver.
They walked toward the lobby door, and Silver took his coat off the rack. Looking outside, Carina saw it was raining. Silver opened the door, and the two stood there for a moment. "Here," Silver said. Carina felt something warm drape over her body. She looked up at Silver, only to be blinded by the dark brim of a hat being placed on her head. She adjusted it to see Silver without any of his attire. "It'll keep you dry," he said.
Carina smiled at him. "Thanks..." she said. Silver casually walked out into the rain, and stopped, looking up at the gray sky. Carina followed suit. "Won't you get wet...?" she asked.
He smiled and shook his head. "Rain never bothered me. I like it." He sighed, then chuckled. "I dated a pegasus once. I got her to make it rain in the backyard just so I could stand in it for a while. She said I was crazy..." Carina was confused.
"But... interracial coupling hasn't been around so long..." Carina pointed out. "How long ago was this...?"
Silver's smile disappeared, and his eyes fell half-closed. "I can't remember exactly..." he said quietly. Raindrops continued to strike his face, but he seemed completely unfazed.
"Well... what happened to her...?" Carina asked. As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted saying them, and she cringed. But Silver just stood there.
There was a gust of wind, and Silver let out a sneeze, followed quickly by a chuckle. "I may like the rain," he said, "but it won't hesitate to give me a cold." He started trotting down the road. "Come on. Let's go." Carina hesitated for a moment, but shook her head and followed.
The two entered an inn not too far from the apartment complex Carina was living in. While Silver went up to talk to the desk clerk, Carina went to a corner and pulled out her stuffed phoenix.
"We're going on an adventure, Flare!" she whispered.
"..." Flare chirped.
"I'm excited, too! But... I'm a little nervous..."
"..."
"I know... thanks."
"..."
"Y-yes, it is all a bit strange..."
"..."
She looked around. Silver was talking to the desk clerk, saying something about 'more on the way.' "You know what the strangest thing about all this is...?" Carina whispered.
"..." asked Flare.
"I... I think I remember writing that letter..."
Run, run, far away
We still have more time to play.
Run, run, far and fast.
You can't escape me, nor your past!
Hmhmhmhmhhmhmhmhmhmhhmmmm~!