//------------------------------// // 1-7: Reflection // Story: New beginnings // by Elementum77 //------------------------------// It was late and Spitfire had long since fallen asleep on the very edge of her side of the shared bed, I however was finding it alot harder to fall asleep... I pulled myself up quietly, luckily for me and spitfire weighed about the same, so my movement did not make the bed concave towards me, but to be safe I slowly climbed out, resting what quilt I had slowly back down to not make any more noise then necessary. Moving silently I slowly made my way over to the window, the only light in the room was coming from the moon shining through it illuminating a small patch near the window and dispersing around the room in a faint glow. The night sky was breathtaking with the stars positioned almost like they had been given there own place by someone and in the middle was the large crescent moon giving off the dim light as far as I could see. I guess being this high up has it’s benefits when it comes to scenery... As much as I was taken away by the night itself, I had more pressing things on my mind, something that had been laying dormant in my head for a few hours now. It had not been until meeting Soarin & Fleetfoot and starting my job, that it had hit me what I was doing. I had just accepted all of this. I don’t know if it’s just because I was tired or that now that I have time to think but it’s finally becoming apparent to me. I was no longer at home, I was no longer on earth as far as I could tell. Was I just going to accept this? Was this something I could just live with? So many questions racing through my mind, family, friends my entire life had just been taken from me and replaced with.... A day ago my priorities were finding more work, paying back my university loans, making my parents proud and showing them that all them years studying was not for nothing. That was all gone sure the debt won’t be missed but... Family, will I ever see them again? What will they think when they find out I have vanished, oh god I can see my mothers face now when she hears the news... My heart tightened it was not enough that I was worried about myself, but the thought of how upset my parents would be, my friends they probably would assume I was dead... I wiped the tear away from my face, staring at my hoof, it alone was the reminder that all this was actually happening, that all my worries were real and that... that I was not sure if I was ready to face them. I lowered my head trying to hold back the tears that would surely follow but what caught my attention was the reflection in the window. It was faint but what I did see was enough. In the window I could see Spitfire, the pony who had saved my life and pretty much taken me in. Another Epiphany hit me hard, I was not upset with my situation as such, I was more concerned with the others I had left behind. I had accepted this fate, no I wanted this, my life back home was going no where, I had no real purpose, my ambitions had been shattered and the only thing that kept me going was the the hope something would happen, and something had happened, this, this had happened. Sure it may have been something I have no understanding of, and is certainly not something like winning the lottery like I was hoping for, it was not a surprise job given to me by some amazing company that would help turn my life around. I don’t know what this is, but what ever it is I am certanly not regretting it. In the day I had been here I had found what I hope was new friends, I had got a job that even though it was questionable, provided me with more then anything I had done previously not just the free food and somewhere actually good to sleep, but from what I could guess I would be doing something enjoyable, spending time with Spitfire was something that I was looking forward to, especially now she knew the truth, even if it seems like she accepted what I said a little too easily... That aside this world alone was enough to keep me here, things that defy logic and take my breath away, even myself, I was a pony that could talk, even more I was a pony with wings! Even if I did not know how to use them... I dropped my head once more, I was not sure what this feeling was, it was not happiness and it was certainly not sadness I don’t know what it is I am not sure if I want to know, perhaps I should just go with it and see what happens, after all it’s only been one day. I have some time to find out what happened, perhaps even find a way back before anyone notices! The thought of going back and seeing my family seemed perfect, but turning around and gazing over once more at the bed and my eyes had landing on Spitfire turned that thought sour, was I really just going to leave? I had a Chance to do something here much more then I did back home at any rate. This was turning out to be alot harder then I thought, I had made almost no progress in finding middle ground to this ordeal. If anything it was even worse now... I once more slowly crept across the room, my eyes felt heavier now, I don’t know if it’s my mind being exhausted from all this thinking, or that the darkness in the room was making me feel more and more drowsy by the second. I reached the bed and let out a sigh, I was going to have to face these questions again but at least not right now. I climbed back up the bed, but the obvious need for sleep was making me clumsy, accidentally slipping back down and hitting my head on the bed letting out a groan of pain from the sudden jolt, I felt the quilt tug from under me. Looking up I noticed Spitfire lazily raising her head across the bed followed by a yawn. “..Lucid, what are you doing?” her voice was drowsy and quiet, she turned her head to me her eyelids falling over her eyes. I struggled up to the bed once more, it was high up and being tired was not helping. Letting out a yawn of my own as if I had caught it from Spitfire, I looked over to her. My eyes still partially wet from the tears but thankfully hidden in the darkness. “S-Sorry I needed some air..” I failed to realize that walking over to the window in the same room would hardly fall under ‘getting some air’ but being useless when it comes to lies and the added exhaustion hardly gave me headroom to think of something better. Spitfire leaned over turning on a lamp positioned on her side of the bed. The light quickly spread across the room blinding me along with it, I quickly swung my hooves to my eyes, for a brief second it felt like the same light from last night which brought me here, but that thought quickly passed when I moved my hoof down and saw Spitfire. I was not sure if I was disappointed or relived.. Spitfire sprung to life and walked over the bed then jumping off, leaving me disoriented from the mixture of tiredness and the sudden light that blinded me. I regained focus and watched as she walked over to one side of the window, pulling it open. A gentle breeze blew across my face, the coldness dragging me back to consciousness partially. I was about to walk over when I watched in horror as Spitfire fell from the window ledge, running over in panic I looked down in the dark abyss. I was now fully awake and very worried, I was about to turn around and head for the door when I heard a laugh coming from above. My head shot up, Spitfire was flying just above the window “What are you doing!” I probably shouted way to loud considering she was a few metres away and especially considering how late it was. Before I could speak, I felt myself being lifted up, the sudden feeling of weightlessness and the familiar pull at my chest by Spitfire’s hooves as she once more lifted me up. I was going to speak up but I felt us descending so I stayed quiet assuming an explanation would be given when we touched down. Eventually we landed on the cloud floor that we had walked across to get to the Colosseum.. Spitfire finally spoke up “What better way to get some fresh air then go for a walk, well flying would be..” her tone was energetic and almost mocking, mainly at the flying part. “Well when I learn to how to fly then you won’t need to carry me..” I stared at the wings on my side, they still felt like dead weight and I still had not figured out how to move. Once more I fount my self questioning if they were actually mine. “Don’t worry about it, you will be flying in no time” I was about to reply when I noticed she was staring at me with a smile, it may have been dark and in all honesty I could not see more then a few meters in any direction, but even the coldness seemed to fade away with that smile. Shaking my head to snap out of the daze I had suddenly found myself in, I looked to the cloud flooring that I had slowly started to get use to. “How about we actually walk then.” I turned my head to Spitfire who had already began walking into the darkness, not wanting to be left alone I quickly caught up with her. *** We had been walking for approximately thirty minute's now, equally it could have been more or less. The fresh air and the cool breeze was doing wonders for my mind, I was thinking more clearly now much more then back in the room. Though honestly I don’t know if that was a good thing, my mind soon went back on to the subject that I was trying to stay away from. I could not help but picture my parents looking at a grave stone with my name on it, unsure if they were more distraught over the gravestone or the fact that there was no body to accompany it. Once more I felt my heart tighten as the emotions that were surfacing were beginning to show physically in the form of tears building in my eyes as they had earlier. My eyes fell on Spitfire, she was still walking a little ahead of me and from what I could tell was in her own world with her own thoughts. Seeing her once more brought up the conflicting feelings of not only my friends and family but if I wanted to actually go back, sure I would want to go back if not only to inform them of where I was and not to be worried, but even that meant that I had already accepted that I would rather be here then there. How could I praise this world so much after only spending one day here, what was it that was chaining me down to the concept that I would rather be here, unqualified, without family and a real background, what was it that made me prefer this more then being home with my family and friends, the qualifications that I had spent years studying and stressing over... I stared up at the night sky as if looking for answers a tear falling off my face and being absorbed into the cloud below me. Even in the countless stars and the giant magnificent moon I could not find solitude in any reasoning that I tried to think of. Eventually I came to a conclusion. “..Spitfire?” At first it seemed like she had not heard me, unsurprising considering I said it so quietly trying to hide my obvious distraught tone. After a few brief moments she stopped, and seemed like she was returning back to this world mentally. “What’s up?” Strangely her tone sounded as distraught as mine... “Do you have any idea of how I might have got here?” my voice remained quiet. Though her response was simply a shake of her head. “..Why?” She leaned forward, her face seemed worried as if she had been contemplating the same question prior to me asking. “Well....I am sure you can understand what would happen if I stayed here....” I looked up hoping that she understood what I meant, but her face had fallen to what seemed like sorrow to my confusion. “Did I say something wrong?” “N-No... I think it’s time we went back though, it’s getting late...” The obvious attempt to change if not avoid continuing the conversation was apparent even to me. Though I had little time to think of a reply before I felt myself once more being lifted by Spitfire though this time it felt like she was gripping my chest alot tighter. Eventually landing back in Spitfire’s bedroom. It had take considerably less time to return I assumed Spitfire would have gone slower as to not make as much noise due to the time, however it felt like she had rushed to get back oddly. Once more snapping out of my dazed thoughts, I noticed Spitfire was already climbing back on to the bed, and was soon under the quilt on the far end of the bed facing away from me as she was before. I closed the window, and stared out once more at the night sky before returning to the bed and falling asleep. Gdoc: Link Proof-read by: FourFire