//------------------------------// // A good pony on the inside, a bad monster on the outside. // Story: Unwanted. // by Darkened Lightning Storm //------------------------------// Re-reading my poem carefully, I threw up my hoof into the air and my teacher, Ms. Cherilee, walked over with a bright smile. "Did you finished your poem Inkstroke?" she asked as I nodded. "Would you like to read it?" I asked with a nervous lump in the back of my throat. I wanted her to like my poem, like I wanted the other fillies and colts to like my poem. As Ms. Cherilee read over the poem, her bright smile into a concerned, worried look. Depression I am like a dark unwanted shadow. I strike you in your chest At your darkest hour. I’m a poisonous snake, A deadly force. Be careful when you’re around me. I cannot be seen, Oh, But you can most definitely FEEL my presence I’m a nightmare that lasts all day all night. I am immortal. you cannot get rid of me, you simply just forget I’m here You cannot hide from me. I know where you are at all times. I’m always watching. waiting to grab your happiness and throw it on the ground. crushing it. Always waiting to turn you into my slave. I live inside of you. All of you. You cannot escape. Why run from something, you can’t run from. Fear me. I am depression. Ms. Cherilee looked at me. She seemed nervous and concerned. "What's wrong?" I asked her. I didn't like upsetting my favorite teacher. Besides, she always seemed nicer when she wasn't upset. "Inkstroke, are you ok?" Ms. Cherilee asked me and I smiled widely. "Of course I am! why?" I asked with a spark of curiosity in my tone. I wanted to know why my teacher would think I wasn't ok. I didn't have any band-aids or a cast and I wasn't crying. So why would she think that I wasn't ok? Ms. Cherilee just smiled at me. "No reason. I thought it was a beautiful poem, You should share it with the class when we have are poem time this Wednesday." She was acting like she was happy again, but she had this sad, concerned look in her eye. This confused me, but I just smiled. "No thank you, I already shared with with another pony, but he said it was dumb. I don't want my dumb poem to bore everypony else." I explained to my teacher and she looked somewhat shocked and confused. "Who said your poem was dumb Inkstroke?" She asked as the bell rang and I started to put my stuff away. "His name is Unwanted. He doesn't go to school." I told her and hurried out the door. I saw three fillies my age hanging on the lawn out front out the school building, I didn't remember there names, but I did remember they did that awesome song for the talent show. One of them seemed to notice me staring at them, and the grew all hushed and stared back as if I was some unknown species. I just lowered my head and looked at the sidewalk. I could hear them whispering, but I couldn't quite make out what they were saying. I suppose I didn't care. I was used to fillies and colts whispering whenever I'm around. My house was in the woods 2 miles south from school. But it was 5 if I look the back roads. I thought for a second and decided to take the back roads so I could see my friend Unwanted. He was a pure black earth pony with silver eyes. He was usually in a bad mood, but he still kept me company, and he was my age too. I'm usually alone most of the time though, My big sister Amber Wing was always busy, and mom and dad died a long time ago. I don't really like talking about them, but it's not like I have to. I don't have any friends other than Unwanted and Amber Wing, but I didn't care. Other fillies thought I was weird because I liked to write and draw and I was really quiet and shy, and most the time colts didn't talk to me except for Unwanted. When I reached the part of the woods where Unwanted usually is, I saw him sitting in the grass leaning against a tree, waiting impatiently like always. Once he saw me, me frowned more than he was before. "Took you long enough." He grumbled and started walking next to me. I smiled at him though he had a small hint of despise in his cold, silver eyes. "Sorry, I showed my teacher the poem that I wrote-" I had started to explain to him as he cut me off. "You showed her that worthless piece of junk? I thought I told you to burn it." Unwanted looked at me obviously annoyed by the fact I didn't do what he told me to do. "I thought you were kidding, I'm sorry" My ear dropped and flattened against my head and he rolled his eyes. "Oh don't start this 'I'm sorry I didn't mean to!' crap Ink." "But I-" "No! Don't even try! we go threw this every time! I say something and you get all sad and sorrowful like I killed your dog or something! Just quit it!" Unwanted slammed his hooves into my side shoving me over forcefully. He had that scary, angered look in his eyes he gets when I do something wrong. I got up weakly and wiped away the tears streaming down the side of my face away and nodded weakly and limped away, still frightened and shocked. After a short while, Unwanted decided to walked up to me. "I.. I didn't mean..." He tried to find the right words as I stopped and turned to him weakly. "It's fine Unwanted. I understand how your anger takes over you sometimes." I told him and gave him a hug. after a couple brief seconds he pushed me away softly. "Yea.. Whatever. Don't do that again." He grumbled and we walked in silence to my house. I sat at the small, wooden kitchen table as Unwanted took an apple from the fridge and walked over. He grabbed my hoof and examined it for any sign of a broken or fractured bone. He didn't seem nervous or upset, let alone guilty of his actions. But, I was used to that. Whenever I get the chance I usually talk to Amber about him. She says that he's a bad influence and a even worse friend, but I just tell her I'm trying to make a difference in him. After all, when I first met him he would never make sure if my hoof was ok if I hurt it, let alone care enough to try to apologize if he hurt me when he became angered. Amber may think he's a bad pony, but he's a good friend if you dig far enough. "From what I can tell, and I'm no doctor, the bone isn't broken. You just twisted you hoof when you fell over." He muttered. "Thank you for looking at my hoof Wanted." I smiled at him and he glared. "I told you I hate that nickname." he shot at me angrily. "I think it's a good nickname." I replied with a soft smile spread across my face and he got up and walked away. "I'll be back later when you stop using that dumb pet name." he snarled and slammed the door. Unwanted had been my best and only friend for months. I wasn't every good at making friends, Unwanted just kinda declared we were in a friendship. He kinda just told me I was his friend, never asked me or anything. But, I was glad I stayed his friend even after the times when he gets really, really, really frustrated with me and he punches me or pushes me or slaps me or cusses me out. He has a lot of anger issues, but no ponies perfect. I remember one time when I came home crying because a colt had beat me up, Unwanted actually sat down and put his forearm around me, talked to me softly, and comforted me till I stopped crying. Then he hunted down the colt who beat me up and put him in the hospital. But he made me promise never to tell any pony. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .