//------------------------------// // Change of Life // Story: The Veins Run Deep // by Thunderblast //------------------------------// The days following Bloodvein's amazing Fang Legion base tour with his father, Skywatcher, things were really beginning to look up. He no longer needed to attend school, and for a change, he took the responsibility of flying Dawn Blossom, his little sister, to school. It felt great to be flying at last, after wanting to for nine years—and that in itself was eight years prior! Blood was now a seventeen year old colt, and a great older brother according to Dawn. “So, you ready for school, 'lil sis?” Blood turned back to Dawn, smiling as they glided towards the school. “You bet I am!” Dawn responded with a squeaky-excited voice, a bright smile crossing her muzzle. Blood chuckled. “You know, I hated school as a colt, but I have a feeling you'll enjoy it much more than I did, only because you'll fit in easier.” “Why did you hate it, big brudder?” “Well, I'm not like the rest, for one. I mean, I look like a pegasus, which makes me different.” “Well they are just mean then! I don't think you're different! Want to know why?” “Why, Dawn?” “Because you're my brother,” she giggled and hugged the back of his neck. Blood blushed and felt his heart warm at his sister's little squeeze, descending down towards the school. “Aww, thank you, Dawn,” he landed, and lifted the filly off of his back, ruffling her mane with his hoof. “You have a great day at school! I'll be back to pick you up later, alright?” “Okay!” Dawn smiled brightly, “Bye!” and ran into the school, stopping to wave at Blood one final time from the door, before vanishing inside. Blood returned the wave and the smile, then leaped off into the sky once again. As he flew, he pondered for a minute. “Should I sign up for the Legion today? I'm of age, and it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. I don't know, I'm pretty weak. I wouldn't last a day! I could get a job at the bakery or something, just to make some money.” He looked down, now hovering in the air in front of the town's bakery, “I think I'll do that.” and flew down to the front door, which had a 'Now Hiring' sign in bright bold written on it, trotting inside. The thestral mare working inside smiled at Blood as he trotted in. "Hey there, Blood! What can I get you?" Blood had to admit, he had a bit of a crush on the bakery mare. "Hey, Cinnitoast," he started, shortening her name, her full name being Cinnamon Toast. "Mind if I snatch a job application?" Cinnamon's eyes grew a bit with surprise. "A job application? I thought you wanted to enlist with the Legion?" "I changed my mind. I plan to enlist later, but, I thought I could make some money now," Blood smiled warmly. "Well, all right," Cinnamon nodded, strolling over to a separate counter and plucked up a piece of paper from a short, tidy pile. "Here you go. Just fill this out and hand it back to me when you are finished!" and headed into the back room. Blood smiled, observing Cinnamon walk away, sighing happily, but shaking his head. "Right, the job app." He picked up a pencil and began to scribble down down his information, filling out the entire paper in a couple of minutes, before setting it back on the counter and ringing the bell. "Just leave it on the counter, and I'll get to it in a minute!" Cinnamon called from the back room. "Alright!" Blood yelled back. "I'll be going. Thanks, Cinny!" then trotted out the door onto the street, taking a in deep inhale. "I guess I better tell my parents the news," and took to the skies, flying back to his home. Minutes later, he landed outside his home and opened the door, coming inside. "Mom, Dad? Guess what!" His mother, Midnight, strode out of the kitchen, a glass of water in her hoof. "What is it, sweetie?" she smiled, taking a short swig of the drink. "I applied for a job at the bakery!" Blood decreed with a wide grin of enthusiasm. "You did?" Midnight smiled and set her glass down, then hugged Blood tightly. "That's great, honey!" she giggled. "My little colt isn't so little anymore." "Heheh, I know, Mom. You tell me that every day. Where's Dad at?" They broke the hug. "Oh, he's upstairs working out. You know how he is," Midnight rolled her eyes, giggling softly. "All righty. Should I go tell him, or wait?" "What ever you want, sweetie. I am sure he will be excited to hear that." Blood just smiled in response, and flew upstairs into one of the spare bedrooms, where Skywatcher performed steady push ups. "Come on..." Skywatcher grunted to himself, sweat beading on his brows and forehead. "One... forty-eight. Nngh. One... forty-nine." "One...fifty!" and rose to his hooves after his final push up, chest heaving slightly and lifting a hoof to wipe at his forehead. He jumped when he heard a pair of hooves clapping at the door. "Very nice, Dad!" Blood grinned. "Guess what?" "Hey, son, what is it?" Sky's gaze met Blood's with a somewhat tired smile. "I applied for a position at the bakery!" Blood's grin grew brighter. "Isn't that great?!" Sky's pupils shrunk slightly, the opposite reaction of what his son had anticipated coming up the steps. "What is it?" Blood cocked his head with bewilderment. "I... um..." "What?" he blinked, puzzled. As Sky's maw parted, there was a knock at the door that halted the words on his tongue. Moments later, the door creaked open, and Midnight began speaking to the pony outside, before calling them down. "Bloodvein? Skywatcher? Come down here, please." Blood turned, staring at the doorway, then shifted back to his father, then back and down the short hall and stairs. Before he could reach the bottom step, Blood froze right in his tracks, eyes narrowed directly at the front door. Standing there, beside his mother, was a pony about his father's size, donning Legion armor, who stared Blood right in the eye. "Are we ready to go?" The stallion asked. "Go?" Blood's head tilted a second time. G-go where?" A sigh could be heard behind Blood, and Skywatcher hopped onto the floor with a thump. "I went and enlisted you for the Legion." "You... what?" Blood's golden pupils shrunk as he stared at his father in shock and question. "Why?!" "You have always mentioned how much you wanted to be in the Legion as a colt, I... went and did it. You're of age now, anyways. Besides, I could see if the base captain will let me train you personally," Sky spoke, a tinge of nervousness in his tone. "No, Dad. Tell me why you really had a recruiter come to pick me up," Bloodvein squinted at Skywatcher. A flame of annoyance flickered in them. "Son... I... I think you should go. I want you to be a soldier like me, and I want to someday salute you like you would salute me." Blood simply stared at Skywatcher, dumbfounded, his blood now boiling with anger. "Have you ever thought of what I've wanted to do in life?!" he screeched. "S-son... inside voices!" "Shut up, Dad! I don't want to hear it right now!" Blood ran down the last few steps and up to Skywatcher, delivering a hard slap to his cheek, shocking even the recruiter. Tears welled up in the older colt's eyes as his father turned his head back, rubbing his cheek slowly. Blood, notably livid, only received a deadly, stabbing glare back from his father. "You... do not... slap me. Ever again," Skywatcher clenched his teeth. "Make me!" Blood hissed back, rearing a hoof and throwing a punch at the stallion before him, only to have it stopped by Sky's hoof, who violently twisted Blood's. He yelped and screamed in pain, flailing his other hoof and trying to force his father to release him. "SKY!" Midnight shouted, prompting Skywatcher to finally let go of Blood's hoof after a long, painful few seconds. He fell to the ground, grasping his hoof and tearing further in pain. Sky simply panted, his glare at Bloodvein unwavering. "Go to your room, and don't come out the rest of the day!" Blood's fury soon returned, and he snarled right back up at his father. "I'd rather die!" and jumped up, darting around him and straight out of the house. He slammed the door shut behind him, knocking a picture free of a nail on wall, which shattered upon impact. Midnight gasped, and stared at the door in tears, then to Skywatcher. "W... what did you do, Sky?" "H-he'll be back..." Skywatcher panted, a mixture of emotion plastered on his face, then trotted upstairs. Bloodvein flew... and flew... quickly leaving Batsburg behind him. He didn't think to glance over his shoulder to ensure no one was following him. He sobbed, flying lower and closer to the ground to remain out of sight, even avoiding the Legion base entirely. Eventually, he came to a stop a few miles from his home, landing in dense forest. He collapsed beside a tree, sobbing and screaming loudly and hanging his head just above his hooves. His heart ached in the most pain it had ever throbbed in his life, feeling as if somepony shot an arrow directly into it, and directly out the back of his neck. As he cried, he repeated himself between sobs, "I hate you, Dad... I hate you, Dad!" and after a few minutes, with glassy eyes, he peeked through a small clearing in the leaves behind him, displaying a rather clear view of Batsburg. "I never want to come back." He stood up, running further into the forest, not caring about where he was headed. Blood just ran... and ran, flying long distances at times without pausing. Eventually, the sun began to set. His stomach growled. He was starving, and hadn't eaten anything throughout the entire day. A whole day passed. Then two days. A couple of times would he stop to scope out some fruit from small farms along the way without being spotted. Without anything to carry the food in for snacks along the way, he was left with a choice of gobbling the apples down and potentially sickening himself to where flying, running, or even walking became a hassle, or leaving it behind. He said with the voice in his head, surely there is a town around here somewhere... He gradually looked up, spotting distant lights on the side of an extremely steep snow-capped mountain. Blood flew towards them as fast as he could, weakened by his hunger. He knew well that he was now in Equestrian territory, but didn't know where in Equestria he was. The city soon became more and more visible as Blood flew closer, but he suddenly stopped about a mile from the city. The realization soon struck him that he had no money, meaning he couldn't buy anything to eat. For the time being, he was too frightened to seek another job. "I could go back just so I can earn enough from the bakery." He thought to himself, but shook his head, "I can't go back," and continued flying. After neck-breaking hours of flying that morning and afternoon, he finally reached the city. To his surprise, it was jam-packed full of non-thestral ponies. It was like Vanhoover, except the city had been cramped on a mountainside, and the architecture appeared to be immensely different, with what appeared to be a large castle a few blocks beyond. The city wasn't as big as Vanhoover, obviously, mainly because it was on a plateau. Blood then at his stomach as it growled, and he sighed deeply, mumbling as he glided toward a dark gap between buildings, "What have you done, Blood?"