//------------------------------// // New Game // Story: The Other Button // by One of the Crowd //------------------------------// Chapter 1: New Game *** Six months later*** I swear arrow's snoring has only gotten louder since we left Manehatten a few hours ago. You would think that a guard would be a bit more alert as well considering for the past ten minutes I've been doodling all over his face; with his own pen no less! This isn't to say arrow here was a bad guard he is just a little unaware. He is actually one of the few guards who would have a legitimate conversation with me about various topics instead of just brushing me off like the others would. Of all the ponies I've met in the time I've been in Equestria Arrow Dodger has been one of the better ones. "Hmmm... What's up, Chance?" Speaking of Arrow it appears he has decided to finally awaken from his Slumber. He stood up and started to stretch out the various parts of his body with his brown wings being first. "Oh, you know stuff," I said to him as I tried to keep a straight face as I looked at his drawn on monocle and mustache. He was giving me his whole 'I know you did something' look which I responded with a innocent smile. He just sighed before asking, "Just what did you draw?" "You look like a dashing gentleman sir. I mean only you can pull off such an elegant mustache and monocle," He rolled his eyes before walking over to the train cars bathroom to wash off his snazzy facial attire. After a moment or two my escort had returned from the bathroom with water still dripping down his face and part of his peach colored mane. He always was one to take my pranks in stride as he didn't seem to react to them unless you count cleaning up the mess; however when I thought he wouldn't retaliate a water balloon hit me directly in the face. Wiping the water from my eyes I turned toward Arrow who had at least twenty more sitting beside him just waiting to be thrown. This was another thing about Arrow I liked, he was able to have fun with me without being forced into it. The odds were a little stacked though considering he had all the balloons so I decided to correct that by attempting to levitate a few over to me. I was moderately successful as five of the ten balloons I had reached for made it to me while the other five exploded halfway. Arrow was smiling at me now; probably because of the fact I was able to control my magic. My first target was the stupid grin plastered across his face. Using my magic I lobbed the balloon directly at his face only for it to go over his head and hit the train conductor instead. He glared at the two of us before he spoke, "Water balloons are NOT allowed on the train. I'd expect this from a kid, but not a royal guard," Arrow rolled his eyes at the conductor before picking up some of the balloons and dumping them out of one of the train's windows. To say I was annoyed would be the understatement of the century as I wasn't even able to nail Arrow with a balloon yet, but rules are rules so I decided to help by lifting a few of the balloons with my magic which was a huge mistake. The balloons I picked up began to hiss and the water inside began to boil before they all popped sending scalding hot water all over the train car. Some of the water landed on Arrow and I saw his face tense up in pain, but quickly turn into one of worry when he looked over toward me. I was borderline panicking because of my mistake with lifting the balloons which caused them to explode like that. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" I kept repeating as I curled up into a ball to hide from everyone in the train car that was sure to be very angry with me. Instead of yelling however, I felt a pair of forelegs wrap around me and I heard Arrow calmly saying, "It's alright, Chance. You didn't mean it," I was still quivering despite his attempts to calm me. No matter how hard I tried I could never get past starting small fires with my magic, and it would always result in someone getting hurt because of it. I could hear Arrow trying to keep me calm, but I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying as I was more concerned with how the conductor would react to what just happened. I uncurled a little so that I could see the guys face, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. He wore a concerned expression as if I was the one who had gotten hurt rather than the one that caused them to get hurt. I didn't even know I had fallen asleep until I felt Arrow poking my side. Apparently when I fell asleep Arrow had carried me to one of those cars with beds in them so no one would wake me up. I was about to ask him why he was waking me up when the loud speaker came on announcing that we were going to arrive in Ponyville in about ten minutes. "You ready to meet your new family, Chance?" Arrow asked before helping me down from the bed that was actually pretty high up. I looked up at him before I began to speak, "I already have a family!" "I'm sorry, Chance but no one came forward to claim you. Besides I actually know Loving Care, you'll like her" Arrow said as he pulled my only bag down from the bed I was sleeping on. "You said that about the last family too," "I'm sorry, Chance but you did set their garden on fire," "There was a spider. It was justified!" Spiders are pure evil, why else would they be portrayed like that in every single monster movie ever created. Arrow knew about how much I hated spiders, and would always put one of those fake rubber spiders on my shoulders when I wouldn't go jogging with him in the mornings. "Sure it was. We're almost there now, Loving should be meeting us at the station," "How long do you think I'll stay here? I give myself two weeks," "Stop being a pessimist. Besides she has a kid about your age," "I don't think an eighteen year old will hang out with me, Arrow," This was one of the draw backs to becoming a magical horse who can levitate things with his mind; no one believes you. I still visit that therapist regularly for 'treatment' even when there is nothing wrong with my head in the first place. I've played with the idea of pretending that I believe I am a pony, but the more I thought about it the more scared of the Idea I became. If I pretended to be a pony in mind as well as body I'd be giving up part of who I was, and that is not an option! No matter how much they think they know about me they never realize that I'm a lot smarter than their average kid so I get away with certain things. This is beside the point though, I refuse to give up part of myself just so I can get some peace. The train's brakes began to hiss as we approached the station that existed near Ponyville. Looking out the window I saw what looked like a medieval village which was quite the opposite to the bustling metropolis of Manehatten. The buildings had straw roofs and each had some type of garden out front that reminded me of certain evil eight legged creatures. The train station however didn't seem to be all that different from the one in Manehatten though unless you counted the sheer lack of ponies that were waiting for their trains. "You ready, Chance" "Only if Loving is a milf!" I replied keeping a straight face while I waited for Arrow's response which for some reason never came. That was when the train door opened to reveal a cream colored pony with a brown mane holding a sign that said 'Lucky Chance' on it. My jaw dropped at the sight because by pony standards she looked amazing for a mother. I looked over toward Arrow who had the biggest grin Plastered on his face from seeing my reaction to Loving's striking appearance. "Hello, Arrow it's good to see you again" she said before walking over to the two of us before giving Arrow a big hug. After releasing him from her grasp she looked down toward me and smiled before asking, "You're, Lucky I assume" Images of that horror that brought me into this world flashed before my eyes when she called me Lucky. I began to breath harder and I started shivering when I felt Arrow grab onto me and looked me in the eyes. "It's alright, Chance It's alright, that mare won't come near you while I'm around I promise" I kept breathing hard, but I stopped shivering when he spoke before I looked up toward the mare who was looking at me with a worried expression, "I'm sorry miss, that part of the name brings back bad memories," I said before extending a hoof "Just call me Chance" She took my hoof and gingerly shook it as if it were made of glass. I could already tell that my sudden panic had caused her to become very worried about me which was a good sign. I actually calmed down faster than normal for some odd reason, but I chalked it up to my mental health improving from the trauma I had endured when I originally gotten here. "Well, Chance I'm Loving Care and I will be taking care of you now," "Alright, um... do you think we can get something to eat first. That train's food was terrible so I haven't eaten in awhile," "As soon as we pick Button up from school we will go out, that sound good," "I don't see why it wouldn't be,"