//------------------------------// // New Paths // Story: Lunatics // by GottaLovePinkiePie //------------------------------// The hospital was keeping Tricky overnight for observation, the doctors were baffled by her sudden recovery. Blaze joked about miracles and he had a constant smile upon his face. Tricky was still weak, and she wouldn't eat anything, Blaze had brought her an apple pie from the town's bakery, but after the first bite her face turned green and threw up before Blaze's feet. Nurse Coldheart and Blaze stayed glued to her side the whole time, discussing the problematics of the absence of her cutie mark whenever she was asleep. Other than that, the day was going smoothly. The hospital was releasing the cured Potomac Fever patients, and even the sun decided to show itself. Tricky was resting against the pillows that Nurse Coldheart had gotten her. A thin ray of afternoon sunshine made its way through the dirty window, illuminating the room. She stared blankly out over the mountains, the times passed by without her noticing. Blaze suddenly walked into the room, followed by Nurse Coldheart. The elder nurse looked just as stern as always, but the serious look on Blaze's face was what alarmed her. She tried sitting up, but the pain made her vision blur. “Hi... What's wrong?” her voice was weak, Blaze noticed how pale she had become, even if she was white there was an undeniable vulnerability about her. Her eyes that once had been piercing now stared coldly at them, her smile, once as sharp as het wits now looked forced. The sight was melancholy, to say the least. “Oh, nothing serious, darling. Nurse Coldheart-...I mean we...” Nurse Coldheart had given him a glare worthy of Tricky and Blaze could feel a blush spread across his face. “We just have something to ask you.” “If this is about the vegetable soup i said I was sorry, like a thousand times already.” Blaze grimaced at the memory, he would never be able to look at vegetable soup the same way ever again. “No, it's not the vegetable soup, it's about your cutiemark.” An awkward silence stretched out after Blaze's words. “My what?” Blaze and Nurse Coldheart stared at her, taken off guard by her ignorance. Tricky watched them expectantly, waiting for an answer. Blaze opened his mouth but nothing came out. Nurse Coldheart quickly responded: “On well a cutiemark is something that everypony gets, it's a mark of one's destiny, what makes a pony different from all the others. It reflects each pony's personality and talents. See, mine is this white cross, symbolizing my talents for helping ponies and the little hearts in each corner is for how much I care for the well-being of those I love.” She pointed to her flank, Tricky stared at it, a look of doubt on her thin face. Blaze shot an awkward look towards Nurse Coldheart's flank and continued: “And you can see mine-...” “Oh my, what is that scar?” Blaze ignored Nurse Coldheart's question, but he shifted uncomfortably when she stared expectantly at him, clearly waiting for him to answer. “...a flame, symbolizing everlasting hope and passion, aswell as-...” “Destruction?” Tricky cocked an eyebrow, an amused look upon her face but the silence that followed was an uncomfortable one. “...Yes I guess i could mean that aswell.” Blaze's voice trembled slightly as he said this. Nurse Coldheart came to his rescue: “Now, now, we were just going to ask you if you had an idea why you don't have one.” “Am I supposed to?” “Well...” “Usually we get them when we are younger but... I guess it is possible that you just have not found your destiny yet.” The two smiled inaptly at her, Tricky turned away from them, she didn't want to talk to them. Once again she was an outsider, she wanted so badly to belong somewhere, to be part of something important. She didn't want to be chased by lunatics and accidents wherever she went, neither did she want to be tied to her crazy, evil family. I just want to be free. Blaze and Coldheart stood sheepishly in the doorway, waiting for any reaction. Tricky felt an irritation rising in her, couldn't they see she wanted to be alone? For the first time, she wanted Blaze to leave aswell. He was normal, how could he understand? Nurse Coldheart wobbled over to her bed. Tricky refused to look at her. “Do you know anything, sweetie? It would really help us.” Nurse Coldheart spoke in a gentle voice, which was abnormal. Tricky couldn't help giving her a quick look. Her lips pouted slightly. Then she mumbled: “No... Why don't I have one?” She finally looked at Blaze, her eyes expressing a deep sorrow. Blaze could feel how his own heart ached for her. She didn't deserve any of this. Neither Blaze nor Nurse Coldheart knew what to say. Tricky bit her lip, but not a single tear fell from her watery eyes. Her eyes burned with an anger, shining brighter than snow in the in sunlight, and sorrow, pulling her down into a tenebrous abyss of pain and confusion. Tricky turned to her side, her back towards the two others and looked out of the small window. It was already dark outside, the lonely moon shimmered in the night sky, not even a single star was keeping it company. Tricky's eyes once again became empty and expressionless, the tears dried away as Nurse Coldheart left the two alone in the room. Blaze's heart ached, the simple fact that Tricky wasn't crying made his throat clench. The innocent pegasus from the woods was evaporating before his eyes only to be replaced by a cold, tough fighter who long ago had forgotten all the things in life worth living for. “It will all seem better in the morning, darling.” He remembered how his mother had told him this when he was young. It had also been her last words. Blaze left Tricky to herself, for the first time in days he returned to the inn, weighed down by worry and doubt. Tricky saw Blaze leaving from her window. It was a miserable sight, him slowly walking down towards the village, alone. Even from afar she could make out the scar on his flank, cutting his cutiemark in three. Two words swam up in Tricky's empty head: Humiliation, Shame. Something clicked in her mind. Something in her lifeless eyes abruptly changed. A new sort of anger, burning through reason, changing her into another pony, a monster even, lit up in her eyes. They emitted a furious glow through the dark, Tricky could feel how her heart cracked like stone. A new empowering feeling gushed through her veins, giving her her first purpose of life. REVENGE Tricky woke up, not feeling the least bit rested. The birds were cheerfully chirping outside, ignorant of her wretched tourment. The window was open, letting the cool morning air unhindered flow into the room. She just lay in her bed, trying to gather the strenght to rise and face the day. The room was cold, and the thin blanket didn't protect her from the gushes of cool morning wind that occasionally made their way through the window. Finally, Tricky threw away the blanket and on shaky hooves made her way to the window. The hospital was situated high up on the slopes on Foal Mountain, a thin layer of snow covered the ground all year. Tricky stood in the window, looking out over the valley. It was still dark, and Hollow Shades shone like a lantern amidst the dense forest. Another freezing gust of wind crashed into Tricky, she shivered but welcomed the fresh feeling of reality. Life is unfair, and coldhearted. You never get what you wish for. Unless you make it happen. Unless you make it fair. Unless, you become the change you wish to see in the world. Tricky felt a burning faith light up in her heart, guiding her forward on the dark path that she'd decided to choose. The one she so badly wanted to believe was her destiny. She closed the window, shutting out the birdsong, the refreshing air trying to clear her mind, the rough beauty of the real world. I have work to do. Down in the lobby, Nurse Coldheart was having her morning break just as the door opened. Two royal guards marched in, Nurse Coldheart's jaw dropped, her false teeth fell out of her mouth and splashed into her cup of coffee. Nurse Redheart rushed forward and greeted the guards. “We have come to collect the criminal mastermind, pegasus Tricky, accused for accessory to First Degree Murder, treason and plotting against the Kingdom of Equestria and the Royal Pony Sisters.” Nurse Coldheart choked on her surprise, picked up her teeth and waddled over to the dramatic duo. They showed her a photo of the pegasus, in the photo she was barely visible, racing past the camera in a dark suit, but on her flank a symbol was barely visible. “Oh my, how curious... Curious indeed...” “Follow me please...” Nurse Redheart looked at Coldheart, she looked as worried and confused as she was. Nurse Coldheart watched them leave, anxious. Then she wobbled after them, as fast as she could on her sore hips. The guards said nothing to the nurses, they marched after Nurse Redheart to the second floor. Nurse Coldheart unsuccessfully tried to figure out a way to warn Tricky, it must be some sort of mistake, Tricky was special. She sighed at the lies she was telling herself, Tricky was more than special, most wouldn't understand her at all. A grown pony without a cutie mark was upsetting, scary even. She couldn't even imagine how it was possible not to have one. They had reached Tricky's door, Nurse Coldheart could hear her beating heart pumping faster and faster. Tricky had no idea what was happening, or even why, she would be thrown into a dungeon. Or banished from Equestria, or banished and thrown in a dungeon in the place she was banished to. The guards nodded, and opened the door. Nurse Coldheart peeked in, she couldn't see much of the room and one of the royal guards blocked her view. “Stay back, ladies.” The royal guards entered, neither of the curious mares could see what was happening inside. Nurse Coldheart closed her eyes, a feeling of hopelessness spread through her chest. Then: “What is the meaning of this? Is this some sort of joke?” She opened her eyes. The two guards burst out of the room, a stern look upon their faces. “Where is she?” Nurse Redheart gasped, the room was empty, Nurse Coldheart rushed inside. The bed was still warm, the blankets thrown to the side as if Tricky had just risen and vanished into thin air. The window was open, just like Nurse Coldheart and Blaze had left it the night before, a cool gust of wind flowed in, chilling her to the bone. In the distance, a faint shadow whirled around in the air, like a snowflake on the first day of winter.