//------------------------------// // Childhood // Story: Broken Wings // by LuckyBreak //------------------------------// A hero? I’m no hero. In fact, to be honest, I'm a coward. I have zero confidence and I'm terrified of violence... so why is it now that I stand here, bloodied and broken, against the Nightmare? Love is a powerful thing. But let me start at the beginning- my name is Starshot. An epic sounding name, I think you will agree, but for nearly as long as I can remember I've been called Luckybreak. I’m also a Pegasus. And an orphan. A midnight black coat and a fiery red mane gave me the dangerous looks that should have had the mares lining up to be with me... if it weren’t for my fear of being rejected that led me to be the target of every bully, and when you're being picked on by orphans you know you have sunk to the bottom. The way I was around girls really didn’t help either; I tended to gain a stutter and the inability to even look them in the eyes. Except for one. When I was a colt, I became friends with a unicorn. Her name was Sunspot, and she was the best of everything... a serious overachiever, top marks in all of the classes, a genius in magic.. and Great Celestia, was that girl sweet. I never once heard a single bad thing come from her mouth. She put everypony else first. She had the looks that nopony could ignore, a pale purple coat with a violet mane, and golden eyes that you lost yourself in. She gave off a quiet sense of grace that made her stand out from the crowd. I'll admit it, I was smitten- heck, I was head over hooves for this filly. That sweet girl gave me the one thing that I never had as I grew up... a true friend. Sure I'm betting you're laughing now; a good looking colt like him, with no friends? ...But it was true. I was terrified of everypony and how they thought of me to the point that I closed up and refused to even speak to them. I still remember the day I met her... It was just another day to me. I sat at my desk during class, not really paying much attention to the world around me, as always, when a bright and happy voice spoke up. “Hi Starshot! I’m Sunspot! Want to have lunch with me?” Needless to say, when I looked up at her my mind shut down in shock. A thousand things began to spiral through my mind... was she mocking me? Was this some kind of awful joke? “M-m-m-me eat w-w-w-with y-you?” I stammered, cursing myself for the stutter. Sunspot tilted her head slightly and beamed a radiant smile at me. “You’re too nervous to eat with me? That’s so cute!” Sunspot, the cutest filly in my class and all round overachiever, had just called me cute... If this was a dream, I had no intention of waking up. The friendly grin on her face widened and her horn began to gleam. I was suddenly surrounded with a purple glow and lifted into the air by her magic. I gaped. “You’re going to eat with me if I have to drag you there myself!” The laughter of my classmates echoed around me, directed at me as usual, but for once I wasn't hurt by it at all. It’s hard to concentrate when you’re floating upside down. I will also be the first to admit that being pulled along like a pony balloon by a filly half my size was more than embarrassing.. but when that girl set her mind to something, she would get it done. No doubts about that. As we passed the door i heard a voice snicker. “Looks like Starshot caught a lucky break for once!” I should have known that the name would stick after that. Things like that always seemed to happen around me. Little did I know at the time just how much of a lucky break I was in for.. Sunspot floated me outside before dropping me at the base of a tall tree with a giggle. As I nervously wondered what to do, she sat down facing me and began to lift sandwiches and a pair of salad bowls from her previously unnoticed saddlebags. What was it about her eyes that made me forget everything else around me? I stared down at my ebony hooves for a while, feeling too nervous to even look up, when I began to hear wing beats. I sighed a little, knowing my classmates would be lurking in the branches, just waiting for a chance to mock me and ruin my perfect dream come true. “Ouch!” I yelped involuntarily as a purple horn poked me in the ribs. Sunspot giggled at my hurt and bewildered look before snaring my gaze with her beautiful golden eyes. “Next time you ignore me I'll give you more of the same!” You know, I never enjoyed being bullied, but the gentle teasing of that girl is one of my fondest memories. It's what made what happened next bearable to me. “Oh heck!” The shout was followed by a dangerously loud crack. I glanced up and saw with dismay that one of the branches we were being spied upon from had snapped, seeming to fall in slow motion towards us, as a green pegasus flew from it to safety. My mind shut down as I realised it would hit not me, but Sunspot... and I did something I’d never done in my life until that point. I followed my instincts and threw myself across her small form to protect her. The branch connected with my head, just above my left eye with a sickening crack. I blacked out. To this day I have no idea how long I was out for. All I remember clearly was fading in and out of consciousness, each time accompanied by a soft sobbing. I remember hearing two voices that I couldn't quite identify, talking quietly. “Just tell me! Will he be alright, Doctor?” “...We are not sure at this time if he’s going to wake up. The impact fractured his skull and caused a serious concussion at best... I’m so sorry.” The quiet sobbing got louder, and I felt small hooves clasp mine. I gave one a faint squeeze, trying to comfort whoever was crying. A voice I knew spoke up in excitement... why couldn't I put a name to it? “Doctor! Doctor! Starshot squeezed my hoof! I think he’s...” The darkness claimed me once more. Slowly, and painfully, I opened my eyes. No, wait, only one eye? Lifting a hoof to my face, I felt bandages wrapping one half of my head. I tried to lift another to check myself over and stopped. Because there, clutching my hoof as if afraid to ever let it go, was the sleeping form of Sunspot. The poor filly looked awful. Her mane was a tangled mess and I could tell by her eyes that she had been crying, and even while sleeping her face held an expression of grief. It hurt me more than I liked to admit to see her like that. She was the first pony ever to treat me like a normal pony and not an outcast. But what happened next ripped my heart into two... just a few words muttered in her sleep shattered me down to my core. “I’m so sorry, Starshot.” She blamed herself.... A pony who had never even raised her voice had convinced herself she had hurt me. That thought brought me together in a way I never thought possible. The quiet, scared Starshot died, in that moment, and a new me emerged. Gently I reached over and nudged her awake. I watched with a smile as she blinked sleepily and rubbed her eyes with a hoof before looking at me. They went saucer wide when she saw I was awake. You ever been tackled by a small person and it knocks you off your feet? That is almost exactly what happened as Sunspot threw her hooves around me, hugging me so tight I struggled to breathe- “You're alright! You're finally awake!” After a few awkward moments, the filly pulled back and began to stare at her hooves. “I’m so sorry Starshot, if I hadn't dragged you out to that tree this would never have happened... and you got hurt, and it’s all my fault, and... I... I understand if you hate me...” I didn't think, I reacted. With a hoof on either side of her face I made her look me in the eye. “Sunspot, I want you to make me a promise.” I saw a little fear in her eyes as she nodded. It was breaking my heart to see it, but... this had to be done. “I want you to promise me you will never see that accident as your fault again. Sweet Celestia, girl, I took the hit of my own choice!” Her eyes widened as she stared into my one uncovered eye... then the dams broke. I hugged the poor thing to me and held her gently, as she sobbed out all the sorrow and guilt she’d stored up while I was asleep. “I’m so sorry I worried you, Sunspot..." I whispered into her ear. "I may not be the biggest pony out there. And I may not be the strongest. But I swear, by Luna and Celestia, I will protect you for as long as I live!” Fate mocked me in that instance in ways that destroyed everything I was... more on that later. Flash forward, to three months onwards. I had spent all that time in therapy, building up the muscles that had wasted away as I lay in bed unconscious. Thanks to no small part to a certain unicorn’s prodding horn, I had not only gained back the muscles I had lost, but for the first time ever, my frame had bulked out to what it should have been. No longer was I the weak and underdeveloped Starshot I had been before my accident. No, I felt like a stallion now. But I swear, if Sunspot hadn’t been there to poke me with her horn when I tried to quit, I would have never lasted to the end of the training! To this day I think she might have also added a spell or two to the ones my doctors used to rebuild my wasted frame, though when I asked her about it all I ever got was a smirk in response. It was finally time for me to leave the hospital. I felt like a million bits. I was stronger, faster and more confident than before the accident, and now, I even finally had found somepony who cared for me! I was waiting for Sunspot; she had promised to meet me so we could have a picnic, to celebrate my release. I paced back and forward in my hospital room. She was late. She was never late... With a sigh I walked to the window and studied my reflection, grimacing slightly at my face. The falling branch had left its mark, a long scar ran from under my left ear to just below my left eye. The fur around it had turned white, making the scar stand out more. My eyes, once a faded orange, were now a deep red, almost matching my mane. The black coat completed the look perfectly. “I look like one of the ponies the Equestrian Guard arrest...” I sighed. The door opened and soft hoofsteps echoed behind me. I turned around with a happy smile. “Hey there Sunspot! I was starting to...” I froze the moment I saw her face. She had been crying, that much I could tell, but the way her mane was brushed to cover one side of her face? That sent warning bells off in my head. “Sunspot... what happened...” I could not recognise my own voice in that moment, it was so devoid of emotion. “I... They...” The poor thing was terrified of what had happened. It was tearing me up inside. “Please, Sunspot! Tell me!” “Well... Redwing has been saying mean things about you and I.. I told him he was wrong and he... Starshot, he hit me...” Every muscle in my body tensed up as she continued. “He has the whole class calling you Luckybreak. ...He says I was lucky only you were hit by that branch.” Anger began to build up inside me as I pictured Redwing, a self satisfied scarlet pegasus with a love of bullying anyone who refused to stand up to him, and anyone who did. He had a way of sucking up to the teachers that looked after us orphans that would make them take his word at a moment’s notice. Sunspot looked up at my face, my body quivering in anger. “Starshot...? Are you okay...?” The hair fell away from her face. Sunspot’s eye was swollen and black almost to the point of being forced closed. Something in me snapped. If I ever had a breaking point I had just passed it. “Doctor!” I yelled out as one of the hospital staff walked past the open door, “Can you take a look at her eye? I will really owe you one if you can!” The doctor, a grey coated stallion with a grey mane and tail, wearing a white coat, looked in at me with a frown before wincing at Sunspot’s eye. “Come with me, little filly. We’ll take care of that now.” He looked back to me with a glare, as if I was to blame. “Starshot! Are you coming with me?” “I’ll catch you in a moment, girl!” I smiled back, still fighting to keep my rage in check. “I just have to take care of something real quick. I’ll be there soon, I promise.” I left the hospital, took a quick breath and leapt to the air, building height and soaring over the town. It wasn’t long before I spotted the rooftops of the orphanage and tilted my wings to spiral downwards. Scanning the schoolyard I soon spotted my target, who was shoving a small, white coated earth pony with a green mane against the same tree where the accident had occurred. I landed behind him, wings flaring, not even trying to hide my approach. “Redwing. You and I need to have a little talk. NOW.” The arrogant pegasus never even turned his head to look back at me. “Well, well, well, if it isn't Luckybreak. Wait your turn, foal. I'll get to you in a moment.” It then dawned on him that his current victim wasn't even looking at him at all... rather he was staring BEHIND him, shaking with terror. Redwing sighed and turned around, sneering. His expression froze and the colour drained from his face as he took in how I had changed. Now think of it from his viewpoint. A pony he had bullied for years and mocked when he was seriously hurt had just arrived behind him, scarred, more than twice the size and glaring down at him with blood red eyes filled with anger... Oh, and he had also just hit a girl that it was common knowledge Starshot cared about. You know, looking back at it, I'm surprised he never wet himself. The young earth pony took this moment to gallop away screaming “Teacher! Teacher!” “You hit Sunspot.” My voice was cold and flat. “Um... well.. you see... Wait! It was a misunderstanding!” Redwing stammered. I could see the fear in his eyes, and he was beginning to sweat. Not that I cared. “YOU HIT SUNSPOT!” I roared in his face, the anger taking over. Redwing backtracked as fast as he could, only to run into the same tree he had used to bully that earth pony. “No... no... I... I... TEACHER!” “Starshot, stop!” An adult's voice echoed across the schoolyard, and still my eyes never left Redwing’s for a moment. Instead, I reared up, determined to buck the bully’s face in. But a face popped into my mind, a beautiful violet face with golden eyes. She would never forgive me if i did that. I lowered my hooves with a sigh, the anger draining from me quietly. I breathed deeply, turning to leave and return to Sunspot. “I knew it! Too scared to do anything with a teacher around, eh?” Thinking himself safe, Redwing sneered at my back. I kicked back with one hoof, narrowly missing his head and shaking the tree, chunks of wood and bark flying from the impact. “No, you stupid foal!” I shouted, rounding on him. “I'm giving you a chance to make it up to her and every other pony here you bullied! You have till the day’s end to apologize to every single pony you’ve ever teased, hit or hurt. And if I hear one word of you picking on anyone else ever again, you’ll be lucky if “Lucky Break” doesn't come back and break you in half!” The sheer terror in his eyes made me feel a little ashamed of myself for a moment, but the idiot needed a major shock in order to get it through his thick skull as to how just how miserable he made ponies’ lives. “...Starshot?” I looked to our teacher, an elderly cream mare with a peach mane named Winter Snow. She was staring at the tree in what seemed to be shock. I glanced back and had to do a double-take myself. My hoofprint was clearly visible... almost a foot into the trunk of the tree. What had Sunspot's magic done to me? Without another word I took to the skies again. Heading back to the hospital, I landed in front of the main doors as Sunspot came out. Her eye, though still bruised, looked a lot better. She stared at me with a frown. “Where have you been? You told me you were going to stay with me!” “I... uh...” I had no idea what I should say. “You went and hurt Redwing, didn't you?!” “I had every intention of more than hurting him...” I admitted with a sigh, “But I knew you would never forgive me or yourself if I did. I did scare him a bit though! Hopefully he’ll take the hint that his bullying isn’t going to go unnoticed any longer.” She looked a little relieved, but still concerned as she looked into my eyes. I looked back into hers, and steeled myself to ask the question on my mind since the tree incident. “Sunspot... Please, I need you to be completely honest with me. When you doctors were healing me, did you add anything to the spells?” Those beautiful golden eyes stared into my soul, and I almost looked away. I couldn't hide my fear of what was happening to me from her. “Something happened, didn't it?” she asked in a quiet voice. “Well... I found I can control my anger if I think of you. And I saved a young colt from Redwing. Oh, and I'm suddenly strong enough to buck a hole into a tree.” Her eyes widened and her mouth split into a wide grin that left me blushing. “It... worked! It really worked!” she cheered happily. I watched in confusion as Sunspot practically danced on the spot, the sheer happiness coming off her in waves. “Sunspot! WHAT worked?” I asked in annoyance. “Well... Remember the visit we had a few years ago, to the Royal Library in Canterlot?" I nodded, remembering being bored out of my mind the whole trip. Reading had never been something I was particularly good at. "Well... I sort of snuck into the Starswirl the Bearded section and read some of the scrolls..." “Go on...?” I was beginning to feel a little nervous about where this was going. The Starswirl the Bearded section was only open to ponies who had Celestia’s special permission to be there, and it was heavily guarded. The magic contained within those scrolls... “I read about a spell that Starswirl never finished developing, named Guardian. It was supposed to give power to a pony to protect those around them. I made a copy of the scroll... and I've spent the time since completing it.” At this point my mind completely shut down. Sunspot, a quiet young filly, had completed a spell started by the greatest unicorn mage of Equestria of all time. I was in awe. I was terrified. “Sunspot! Are you mad? What will it do to me?” The fear in my voice finally seemed to get through to her. “Don’t worry, Starshot. It won’t hurt you, if that’s what you’re asking. The spell increases your own physical and mental attributes in a way directly proportional to your desire to protect others.” “Okay. No, wait, what? Can you explain that in a way that doesn’t make me feel like an idiot?” Sunspot giggled. “Alright then. Basically? The more you want to protect others, the stronger you get. Easy enough for you?” “Yeah. Okay. So... you made me a protector for all the ponies at the orphanage?” “To begin with!” She grinned at me cheerfully as I sat down in defeat and tried to puzzle out this mess. I fidgeted; she knelt down beside me. “Sunspot... What made you think somepony like me would be a good protector for anything?” I couldn't think of a single reason why. She looked down and spoke softly. “When I was in about to get hurt under that tree... you never hesitated. You put yourself in harm’s way without a second thought. Just to protect me... Thank you, Starshot. Thank you.” And then she kissed me, and nuzzled her neck into mine. A beautiful little filly had just given me a kiss, a heartfelt thank you and a pony hug. I’d stood up to a bully, and let him go. I could kick holes in trees. I was.. I was bewildered. But I was happy. Six months onwards, the orphanage was almost a completely different place. The fillies and colts here had become far more relaxed and happy since it had been whispered around that I had some sort of incredible powers and could seriously hurt anypony who gave trouble. Redwing had changed the most, though. Once a self-centered, arrogant bully, he now spent his time quietly helping the younger pegasi learn the basics of flying. My relationship with Sunspot was official, and I was the envy of most colts of the school for it. I never could shift the nickname LuckyBreak, though. Still... I had never been happier. I had changed, too. Though still technically a colt I was almost as large as the stallion teachers and towered over my classmates. As such, I was continually being volunteered by Sunspot for any heavy lifting. That girl always had to annoy me for giggles... not that I minded too much. Her delighted giggles and cheerful smile made it worth it. Which brings us to why I was standing at the back of the class, laden down with saddlebags, with a certain young unicorn grinning at me and giggling as usual. It was time for our class’s yearly field trip, and this year we were off to visit the Dragon's Maw, a sprawling cave network lined with the bones of ancient dragons. I will admit, I was pretty excited. Just the thought of seeing all those old bones had me grinning, much to the laughter of the fillies and colts. “Alright! Can I have everypony’s attention please?” I looked to the front of our noisy group to our awesome tour guide. She was a unicorn named Dragonfire. A pretty unoriginal name for a pony, but she definitely looked the part. An orange coat, red mane and tail with cyan tips to the hair... Great Luna, did she look cool! Heck, even her cutie mark was a fireball trailing flames! Sunspot nudged me in annoyance. Perhaps she was getting jealous? ...Nah. “Okay, everypony! Today we're going to be traveling through the caverns of the dragon mages. Some background for you first! Once every thousand generations, a dragon with the ability to use magic is born. Not unlike a unicorn, actually.” She began to walk to the cave entrance. The caverns were north of our town, nestled in a deep and quiet valley. Lush and very tasty grass grew as far as the eye could see, dying out as it reached the cliffsides. Bisecting the sheer stone walls was a wide cave mouth, which was, oddly enough, almost perfectly round... I got lost in the scenery for a moment. Dragonfire pawed the ground with a smile. “Come on, guys! We can’t just stand around here all day, you know. Don’t you want to see some dragon bones?” We filed into the cave, wonder and excitement on every face. The walls were rather dry, and the individual stones that comprised it were sharp-edged, but curiously smooth. There was a fine layer of dust at the edges of the path, and somepony sneezed, making us jump. "Okay. So, as some of you might have guessed already, this isn’t a natural cave system. You can tell from the way that the stones don’t seem to be worn down, despite their age." our guide explained. "No, this cave was cut into the cliffside by dragons to create a place for their honoured dead.” I raised my head. “I thought dragons didn’t honour their dead? They’re solitary creatures, aren’t they?” Dragonfire smiled at me. “Yup, that’s right! But dragon mages are special. You see, when a dragon mage is born and comes of age, it attracts dragons to itself... power attracting power, if you will.” She shook a little dust off her coat. “Now, when a dragon mage dies, it is the belief of its followers that the mage will one day return, and therefore, its body must be protected. They create these caverns to house the mage’s greatest followers and its treasures. And no, before I am asked, the treasures have long since been taken by other dragons." Everyone looked a little disappointed at that. Our class followed in wonder as she led us deep into the cave, explaining the history and pointing out interesting things as we went. We passed through caverns filled with huge skeletons and colossal skulls. I’d never seen anything so awesome in all my life. Finally we reached the chamber of the Dragon Mage itself. My jaw bounced off the floor as we took in the sheer scale of the bones before us. I'm pretty big, but the smallest claw on that thing dwarfed me. It was incredible. Slightly yellowed, the skeleton was untouched, curled up with the tail almost touching the skull. I stared up in awe. Something poked me in the flank, causing me to let out a surprised yelp. A very familiar giggling came from behind me. I should have known. “Sunspot! Will you stop with that?!” Her response was to fall over laughing. “Did I scare the big, brave guardian?” she giggled at me. I sighed loudly. “You know how uncomfortable I am being called that.” Sunspot smiled at me and kissed me on the cheek, earning a few catcalls and whistles from our classmates. I swear that filly only went out with me to embarrass me at every opportunity. Sunspot close behind, I wandered over to get a closer look at the giant skull with Redwing and his trainee pegasi. Sunspot looked at the bones with an odd expression before reaching out carefully to touch them with her magic. “Wow!” she exclaimed. “There’s a LOT of residual magic in these bones. That’s interesting.” Dragonfire called out from the cavern’s entrance. “Okay guys! It’s time to move on, there’s still heaps left to see!” Redwing, the young pegasi, Sunspot and I lingered reluctantly for a little as the class filed out, still drawn to the remains of the dragon mage before us. Redwing eventually gave a small wingshrug, breaking us out of our contemplation. “Come on. We best shake a hoof, you guys.” I will forever despise irony for that moment. The walls and floor of the cave began to rumble, quiver and then shake violently as rocks and grit began to dislodge from the roof and fall around us. Fillies yelled in terror and pelted everywhere at once, and somepony fainted. Dragonfire scooped them onto her back and yelled. “Earthquake! Everypony out! This way!” We galloped towards the entrance. Redwing was in the lead, followed by his pegasi, myself and Sunspot. Dragonfire looked really anxious, and everyone was panicking. And then... Everything began to slow down. Glancing up I saw a large boulder begin its descent. And I knew where it was going to land; not on top of Sunspot this time, but right on top of Redwing and the little pegasi... My body took over in an instant. I darted forward, wings flaring, to put myself into the path of the boulder. Redwing leapt backwards, almost colliding with the kids as the rock smashed into my back with a sickening crunch. I felt something inside me break and my vision clouded in an instant with agony. More rubble fell, blocking off the chamber’s exit but for the rock I held up. “Lucky!” I heard Redwing yell, my eyes now closed with the agony and the strain. My knees were starting to give way. “Redwing... get. them. out...” Even to breathe was a struggle. Nothing had ever hurt this much. Ever. “No! Lucky, we can’t just leave you like this!” “GO!” I snarled between gritted teeth. After another moment's hesitation he scrambled under my legs, followed quickly by the children. I could hear Dragonfire’s relief from the other side, and terrified sobbing from some of the fillies. “Starshot...” Sunspot hesitated. “Let me help! I can take some of the weight!” “Please, Sunspot.. please go... I can't hold it much longer!" I was whimpering. The earthquake got worse, throwing Sunspot from her feet. I could only watch in horror as another massive boulder dislodged itself from the cavern roof and crashed into the dragon skull, sending shards flying in all directions. One splinter flew towards me. I blacked out. Groggily I opened one eye, my other refusing to respond. The earthquake was over, the cavern now pitch black and ominously quiet. The weight across my shoulders told me I was buried up to my neck in rubble. I reached up with my one free hoof to check the pain in my head... and almost screamed in agony as my hoof brushed against a splinter of bone that had impaled my skull. That explained why my body was half numb, then. Or was that because my spine was fractured? I couldn’t tell... “S.. Starshot...?” I froze. I knew the voice. It had to be her. But it couldn’t! But... the pain in it... No! I couldn't think of her like that! I wouldn't! A small light lit a short distance away, revealing my fears come true. Sunspot looked at me with a faint smile, her horn emitting the tiniest of violet glows. “I knew you would still be a... a.. alive. ...Starshot.” I stared in horror and dismay as she coughed weakly, blood flying from her mouth and splattering on the floor. The massive boulder lay across her back. “NO! Sunspot! You'll be ok! I'll get you out!” I struggled uselessly against the rubble. “Hold.. still...” she called in a weak voice. She still somehow managed to smile at me, a trickle of blood running from one corner of her mouth. “Please, no..” I was sobbing freely now, the tears almost blinding my one working eye. “Hush, silly colt, we both know I’m not... going to make it...” She seemed to gain strength from the acceptance. Her eyes. Her beautiful golden eyes, melting my soul, as they always did. I wanted to see those eyes again tomorrow. “Listen to me. I can't be saved.. but you can.” "No... Sunspot, please! Don't talk like this. Come on.” My sobs began to wrack my body, awakening more pains deep inside. “I said hush, Starshot.. The magic I gave you will help you stay alive. But it won't be enough. I... I’m giving you all of my own magic as well...” “No! Please! No, Sunspot take the magic back, you haven’t done anything wrong... You should be the one to live, not me!” “Starshot! I don’t have long! Don’t argue! Listen, the bone.. the bone stuck into your head... will focus my magic into you.." My sobs had become wails of despair. “No, no, no, please, don't do this, please, use it to heal yourself!” “Too late, silly!” she laughed. A thin purple bolt darted from the pale glow of her horn to strike the shard impaling my skull. I screamed in agony as the magic entered my mind... it felt like fire. “Starshot...?” Those eyes. Her beautiful eyes. “I... I... I love you..” They glazed over as the light from her horn faded, leaving me in darkness and my grief. It had taken almost 2 days to dig me out from the cavern. I had been found unconscious, my hoof stretched out to the limp form of Sunspot. I never found out where they took her, or even where she had been buried. I lost a big part of me that day. I lost the girl who loved me. And worst of all... I lost the chance to tell her I loved her too. My recovery went fast, thanks to Sunspot’s magic. In less than a week I was well enough to stand, not that I really wanted to. What was the point? But still, I could stand, and walk, and that was something to be thankful for, I supposed. It was about then that I began to notice the angry glares and hate-filled muttering. I couldn't understand it. Surely I wasn’t held responsible for her death? It wasn't until I overheard two doctors talking that I understood. “Do we really have to treat that monster?” “Yes, unfortunately. Don't worry though, he won’t get away with it. The Equestrian Guard will be here tomorrow to make him pay for what he did to that poor filly.” ...I was in shock. How could they think I'd hurt her? “Taking her life to try to become an alicorn. What a foal.” I galloped to my room, horrified. Why did they say such things? How could they think that? I caught sight of my reflection in the window and froze. The bone shard embedded in my skull had been changed by Sunspot’s magic. In its place stood a twisted horn, broken off at the tip. I understood. I spent the rest of the day crying with the room's door locked, desperate to block out the hatred being directed at me. When night came, I knew I had to leave. She had given me a gift to save my life and some adults decided I had taken it from her... it was too much to bear. My mind made up, I trotted to the window and opened it, stretching my wings experimentally. A few twinges of pain... but nothing i couldn't handle. As I leapt from the window, wings spread, a thunderous knocking followed by a stern voice echoed from the room. “This is the Royal Equestrian Guard! Open up at once!” I never looked back. I just flew into the night, trying to escape my pain.