//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 
// Story: OC Backstory 
// by tazdarkstripe13 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 8





Vindictus flew down and sighed. Back in Manehatten, where the Great War had ended so long ago. It seemed like just weeks since the battle had ended when it had, in fact, been over 5 years. In that time, he’d seen many battles, countless horrors and had killed more ponies, griffons and other creatures than he could count. But he seemed to always return to Manehatten and when he did, he always noticed one pony. It was a mare, a unicorn. She was tall and very pretty. She looked at least 20 years old and seemed to always be at the entrance to Manehatten. Whenever Vindictus saw her, however, she turned and ran. He knew he wasn’t the most good looking stallion in Equestria, but he’d never had a mare run from him before. He guessed it was just nervousness of seeing a killer, he’d be scared as well. But he’d been to Manehatten more times that he could count, now, and every time he arrived, the same mare was always standing there, always running when he got within seeing distance. 
This time, he decided to see who she was. He’d seen her every time since he’d begun going to Manehatten, which  had been after the lies Princess Celestia had told him about his parents and Icicle Wishes. He’d tried to forget about that day but it kept coming back to him. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense; Uguns hadn’t been his blood father, only an foster parent. What if Vindictus’ parents were still out there somewhere? If they were, why had they abandoned him? Left him to die in the cold wasteland? If his parents were still out there, then maybe Icicle Wishes was his sister. Did he have other siblings? A brother, maybe? Would he meet them again?
The questions went through his head unanswered as he drew closer to Manehatten. It was giving him a small headache so he pushed the aside and shook his head clear. He looked up and saw her, standing on the road in between the last buildings on the edge of Manehatten. He stopped, squinting. She looked the same as ever but for one expception. She looked nervous and was scuffing the ground with her hoof. He ran a hoof through his mane and contnued walking, getting ready to chase her. She didn’t run this time, though. She just stayed standing there, not moving. Vindictus walked up to her and stopped, looking down at her. She was a couple of heads shorter than himself and looked so small and delicate as he looked down on her. She looked back up and gulped, breathing quickly.
“H... h... hi...” She managed to say the word, stammering it out as she breathed faster.
“Who are you?” He asked, his voice sounding aggressve although he didn’t mean for it to.
“I-I’m sorry, sir, please forgive me!” She squeaked. “I-I-I just saw you and...” She trailed off into a mumble.
“What was that?”
“I just wanted to...” She trailed off again, looking down at the ground.
“I can’t hear you, what are you saying?”
The mare looked up at him with big, teary eyes. “I... I’m sorry,” She then turned and ran again, into the city. Vindictus paused for a moment before sighing and running after her. He quickly caught up and jumped in front of her, causing her to crash into him and almost fall over. He put a hoof around her to keep her steady.
“Who are you?” He asked. The mare had a white coat and a bright green mane which had a few yellow streaks in it. Her eyes were bright green and still slightly teary. Vin looked down at her and felt... something. She was beautiful and the way she looked at him... he closed his eyes and shook his head. He’d felt this feeling before but that had been forced... did this mean that it was a natural feeling, as well? 
“I... I’m... Minty Lemon,”
“Why have you been watching me?” He changed his tone to be less threatening, hoping to put the mare more at ease.
“I... I...” He looked around for a moment before throwing herself at Vinny, sobbing into his chest. He suddenly froze, not knowing what to do. He looked around but the streets were empty, leaving him to care for a sobbing mare... and he had no idea what to do. He thought for a momet before hesitantly putting a hoof around her. As he held her, Minty’s sobbing subsided and she looked up at him, sniffing. 
“Are you alright?” He asked, again getting that feeling.
“Y... yes...” She shivered. “It’s cold.”
“Is it?” He looked around and sighed. 
“Do you need a place to stay tonight?” She asked suddenly. VIndictus looked at her, surprised. 
“I... wasn’t planing on staying for long...”
“You can stay with me. I’ve got enough room for two, please?” She spoke quickly and sounded really nervous, her breathing quickening again. “I-if you don’t want to, that’s fine... I’m sorry...” She turned to walk away, her head low and a couple of tears falling from her face. Vindictus thought fast; he had an idea of what was happening and he felt... different. As if something had changed in his mind, as if it had opened up. He looked at Minty and saw something other than another sack of meat waiting for death. He saw somepony important. Maybe not to anyone else, but to him.
“Wait!” He walked after her and she stopped to turn, a smile growing on her face. He caught up to her and took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll stay with you,”
She practically squealed as she jumped up and wrapper her front hooves around his neck, forcing him to bend down. He let her hug him, not wanting to upset her now. A few moments later, she let go, grinning widley. 
“Come on, it’s this way!” She grabbed his hoof and ran down the street. Vindictus followed, wondering what 
he’d gotten hismelf into.

Minty’s house was an apartment on the top floor of a regular brick building. It was small, with only one bedroom, a couch and a bookcase as well as a few miscellanious objects. Minty turned when he entered and sighed.
“I’m sorry, I know I said I had enough room for both of us but...” She sat down on the couch and groaned. “I’m an idiot, a stupid failure...”
Vindictus looked down at her and walked forward, the floorboards creaking under his weight. He barely knew this mare yet he felt pained to see her sad.
“You’re not stupid,” He said. “You’re clever.”
“Yeah, right. I can barely talk to a stallion...” 
“You’re talking to me,” he said.
“I was crying into your coat not ten minutes ago,” 
“And why was that?”
Minty blushed slightly. “I... I was nervous...”
“Nervous about what?”
“Ab... about you...” She turned redder. “Uh... would you like something to drink? I have some clear spring water here, let me ge tit for you,” She stood and hurried into the kitchen. “Take a seat,” She called through. Vin shrugged and sat down, looking around. The room was nicely decorated. The colors were bright and there were pictures of Minty as a filly with her parents. There were several ornaments and flower vases around and the room had a smell of mint about it. 
Minty came through a few moments later, levitating 2 glasses of water. At the sight of the magical aura, Vin’s hoof went to the knife at his side. The mare gasped and stepped back, eyes wide with fear. He looked at her, then the glasses before sighing and relaxing slightly. She walked forward and put his glass on the coffee table in front of him.
“Are you alright?” She asked, sounding slightly scared. He nodded.
“Yes, sorry... I don’t like magic that much...” 
“Really?” She giggled. “But you’re an alicorn, you supposed to be the best at magic!”
“I know... but I’m not,” He took his glass in his hoof and took a sip. It had a hint of lemon in it; just enough to make it taste delicious.
“What happened?” She asked. “You sound different from the other soldiers...”
“It’s... a long story,” He replied with a sigh.
“I’ve got all night, I don’t have work in the morning,” She replied, moving slightly closer to him. “And you look like you’ve got a few stories to tell,”
He looked down at her, again feeling that... thing. He sighed and put the water down. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything,” She replied quietly, moving closer. He rubbed the back of his head and nodded.
“The first thing I remember is making my home. It was north, past the Barrier. I had to carve out the inside of a spire made from ice, but I didn’t get to stay in my home because just a few days later...”

By the time he finished his life story, Minty Lemon was wide eyed and right beside him, almost touching. 
“... and that’s when I met you. I wanted to know why you’ve been waiting for me every time,” He finished and looked down at her. “Why have you been waiting?”
Minty blushed suddenly. “I-I-I... I wanted to meet you...”
“What? Why?”
“Well... everyone I’d asked said that you were a terrible person, a killer. But a nurse at Canterlot Hospital said that 5 years ago, you’d been put into the hospital with several major injuries, almost fatal. They said it was because you were trying to save somepony,” she looked up at him. “Is it true?”
“I...” He thought for a moment. “My friend, Cadence. She was being held captive by a pony named Sombra. I tried to save her, to try and earn her forgiveness but...” He stopped.
“You couldn’t do it,” Minty finished. He nodded. 
“If it wasn’t for Cadence, I’d be dead. She teleported me out of there. She... she’s probably dead now,” He felt his eyes getting wet and raised a hoof, wiping away a tear. 
“I’m sorry...” Minty raised a hoof to his face. “Maybe there’s a chance she’s still alive,”
“Maybe,” He winced a little from her touch but didn’t do anyting else. After a few moments, he turned his head to look down at her. She was looking back up at him with those green eyes, those pretty green eyes. They looked at each other for a moment before she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. He hesitantly put a hoof around her. The feeling was constant now... that feeling of completion, of fullness. He felt great, better than ever before. And he somehow knew it was because of Minty Lemon. He didn’t want to leave her for fear of losing this feeling, this happiness. Minty mumbled something.
“Sorry?” Vindictus looked back down at her.
“I love you,” She whispered. 
“I...” He stopped. Is this what Cadence and Icicle Wishes had tried to explain to him? They’d claimed that love can’t be explained with words. He couldn’t find anything to properly describe what he was feeling right now. “I love you, too,” He replied quietly. He felt something going on with his face, felt it stretching. He got slightly worried but stopped when he saw that Minty was smiling. He realized that he was smiling, too. For the first time he was smiling. They looked at each other for a moment before Minty leaned up and kissed Vindictus. He kissed her back, feeling a lot better than before as he wrapped his hooves around her. In the back of his mind, he knew that Cadence would be proud.