I woke up, like I would any other day, but today wasn't just any day. Today was the day, the day I get released. I don't really remember what it's like outside this place, but I've heard good things from some of the other patients. One stallion told me of the green pastures, and the pretty scenery; Cliffs, beaches, and all kinds of places. Maybe one day I'll see these pretty scenes he spoke of. Maybe, just maybe.
I rolled over onto my back, and, opening my eyes, I stared at the ceiling for a few moments. Looking down, I saw the great glass wall that trapped me in my room, there was a tray for passing things through, and a small lock built into the wall at the edge of it, on the other side. Through it, I noticed the lights in the hallway were off. Must be early.
I jumped off my metal bed, and trotted over to the desk across from my bed, jumping on the chair near it. Originally, I didn't have this desk, nor the bookshelf beside, but after a tutor was hired for me, as they didn't want me to be uneducated, she convinced them to let me have them. When I was brought in here, I think it was the same year I was supposed to start school. My tutor was a mare named Paper Trail, she was very nice, I'll give her that. A bright mare too, she liked to keep my bookshelf up to date. I may as well do some reading, it's the last time I'll be able to use these books anyway.
Trotting over to the shelf, and using my wing, I grabbed a random book, and began reading. I don't know how long passed, but when I looked up, the lights in the hall had come on, and a large stallion with a sandy coat, and blonde mane had appeared in front of the glass wall.
"Scarlett. You ready to go?" he said. I looked up at him, nodding.
"Yeah, I guess so,"
He shuffled around with a large ring of keys, eventually finding the right one, and then he slid open the great glass wall/door thingy. I then trotted out, looking around the hall.
He walked in front of me, leading the way. I quickly followed him.
"I can't imagine what it must be like to be locked up at such a young age," he said softly.
"Well, I can't remember what it was like outside very well, so I suppose you can't miss what you can't remember."
"Eight years is enough time to forget, especially when it makes up the majority of your life." He turned a corner, and I followed along.
"Yup," I said, nodding slightly.
We walked a little more, before reaching what appeared to be a lobby, with a receptionist's desk near the door, and many chairs across from it. Many ponies sat on them, some looking anxious, some sombre. The stallion stopped, and turned around to me.
"Your uncle, Silver, I think it was. He said he'd be here for you soon. Well, goodbye, Scarlett. I wish you luck." He smiled at me and began walking past me.
"Thanks, Mister, uhh..."
He turned and smiled again at me. "Steelheart. You forgot again!"
"Heh... Sorry."
He walked on down the hallway, chuckling slightly. I turned, and as I went towards the door, they flew open, and a blue blur crashed into me.
"SCARLETT!" it shouted, all the ponies in the room turned to the source of the noise, a midnight blue batpony laying on top of me.
He jumped up quickly, wrapping his forehooves tightly around me, pulling me into a hug, and lifting me off the ground.
"Scarlett! It's been so long! I can't believe you're out!" He beamed at me, with a smile as wide as the door.
"S-silver?" I said, as I had my ribcage crushed slightly. He's way stronger than he looks, it's really deceiving.
He loosened his grip around me. "Heh... Sorry, I guess I got carried away. But, Scarlett! It's so good to see you!" He dropped me onto the floor. "How ya been?"
"Well. Pretty good, I guess, I mean, the beds here are kinda eeh. But the ponies are nice."
"Nothing but the best for my Scarlett!" He beamed.
Steelheart trotted up the hallway again, carrying a box. "Scarlett! I almost forgot, your belongings."
"I don't remember having any belongings."
"The Watch left them here after you were brought in, they also left some things your parents left you."
"Oh." I looked down, I hadn't thought of them in while. Books amongst other things kept my mind busy.
I turned round and walked towards him, he then hoofed me a cardboard box, containing a rusty pair of small golden glasses, a fancy pocket watch with the initials "S.L." inscribed upon it, a pair of magically enchanted contact lenses, a soft velvet scarf, a dusty picture with a mare and a stallion standing together and lastly, an old-looking, yellowed envelope with a fancy looking wax seal, with the letters "M.L." placed in the middle of an unusual looking crest.
I sighed sadly, and thanking Steelheart for bringing me my stuff, I turned towards the door. Silver also thanked Steelheart and wished him well before quickly trotting after me, planning to try cheer me up no doubt. But, before he could, taking a deep breath, I pushed myself through the doors, and out into the street, the afternoon breeze hitting me as soon as I did.
Well. I'm free, now isn't the time to mourn, well, maybe it is, since I didn't get a chance to when they passed away, but I'm sure Mommy and Daddy wouldn't want me moping about on the day of my release, they'd want me to take the opportunity by the horns, right? I hope so.
Securing my forehooves around the bulky box, I turned towards Silver, who tossed me an empty saddle bag.
"Here, I don't think you wanna carry a big box around Canterlot with you." he said, smiling.
"Thanks." I said, grabbing the saddle bag, and promptly stuffing everything from the box into it. I then tossed the saddle bag onto my back.
"Soooooo, where we going?" I asked, looking at him with my head tilted slightly.
"You hungry? It's around dinner time, so you fancy some food?"
"Yeah, I supp-" I found myself interrupted by the rumbling of my stomach. "Heh. Sorry, I just missed dinner."
"Well! That settles it then! I know a great place a ways up from here!" He then led the way up the street, taking us through the main streets of Canterlot.
Nothing much happened on the way, although a few ponies stared at us, since we're bat ponies. Some ponies are scared of us, I guess the fangs wouldn't help that. Plus, I looked a mess, Silver was pretty well-groomed, but, well, my mane was a tad scruffy looking and I had bags under my eyes. Hard to sleep thinking of freedom, though I guess it wasn't as grand as I thought it'd be. I just walked out, and it happened, I guess thinking of parents put a damper on the moment for me.
While we were heading through a side street, I glanced at a shop window, and saw the reflection of a small colt stare back at me. He had a scarlet red coat, and a jet black mane, which was completely dishevelled, and he had a pair of large red bat wings, or at least large for his age. His eyes were navy blue, and slit, unlike most ponies' and his ears were different too, the usual bat pony ears. He also had a pair of fangs protruding from his top lip, this was somewhat unusual for bat ponies, as not all had them.
I look a bit different than I had remembered. I had almost forgotten, as there were no mirrors in the Institute, after an incident where somepony got gutted with a shard of one, I wasn't there at the time, in fact, I think it may have happened before I was born. Yeah, I don't think I'd like to have been there, at that 'impromptu anatomy lesson', sure sounds gruesome.
We soon arrived at the restaurant, it was a fair walk away from the Institute, but I didn't mind, as I got to stretch my hooves. On the walk over, the weight of being free hit me, so I spent most of the walk breathing in the fresh air, and the city smells, and I got to soak up the concerned stares of some Canterlotians too. Some recognised me from the paper when I was locked up, there was sort of an uproar about a four year old being convicted, as you'd expect, and ponies started calling into question how competent the City Watch actually were.
The media ate it up for sure, ponies were pushing for the Captain of the Watch to resign, but he was a pony of conviction for sure. I heard he was forced to resign in the end. They say up till this day, ponies still bugged him about my conviction, it's probably gotten worse now that I've been released. I feel sorry for the fellow. Always being annoyed by overzealous journalists, that's probably in his side. But, from their point of view, a four year old being convicted of first degree murder is madness, as it is in the eyes of most, but for the Captain, it was cold hard fact. Why? I'm not really sure, I don't remember much, just the sound of wooden door being smashed to bits and hooves clopping against a concrete floor.
But back on topic, so we arrived at the restaurant after a while, as I said, it was good to stretch out my hooves, though I was starting to get hungry. Plus, we passed around three bakeries, which didn't help either. We grabbed an outside table and Silver began scanning the menu.
"Hmmm... Whatcha want, Scarlett?" he said, his oceanic blue eyes peering over the menu.
"Uh, I'm not sure. Anything you'd recommend?"
"The apple crumble here's pretty good, so you could try that."
I nodded, and he put down the menu, and called over the waiter, placing our order. He ordered an oat sandwich and a milkshake, while I just had water with my crumble. The service was nice and quick, and before I knew it, the waiter was back with the food, and off he went again, leaving the bill behind.
Silver quickly tucked in, while I planned to savour the moment. I mean, the food wasn't bad at the Institute, but it just wasn't the same after the chef was let go, because of budget cuts I think. It was all very bland. Just plain nutrition. I reached down and took a little bit of my crumble.
I never knew apples were that tasty. Damn.
Before I could even realise, my plan to savour the crumble was out the window, as I'd gobbled the whole thing down.
"Woah! Somepony was hungry!"
I chuckled nervously. "Sorry, but I'm really hungry. And that's the best apple crumble I've ever had."
He smiled. "See? There's a reason I like this place enough to walk out this far."
"I can definitely see why, or rather, taste why." I said, smiling slightly. That was some damn good crumble though.
Silver finished up his sandwich, before looking up at me.
"So, Scarlett."
"Mhmm?"
"I'm sure you'll want to get out of the city now. Y'know, to avoid the media. Actually..." Silver rubbed his chin in thought. "I wonder why we didn't run into anypony on the way...?"
I tilted my head slightly, wondering the same thing. "Maybe something big's happening that we don't know about? Something's always happening in this city."
"I suppose..." His face was still contorted in thought, but his expression suddenly changed to a smile. "Oh well! Whatever's happening, this is good luck for us! But anyway, about getting out of the city."
"Well, I never put much thought into it, but yeah, I suppose that would be a good idea. Have you got anywhere in mind?"
"Well, actually, I do! I managed to nab a place in a small country town, Ponyville. Nice little place nearby, just before the Everfree Forest and Ghastly Gorge. You can even see the city from there. And! It's only an hour long train journey! Not too bad, am I right?"
"Huh. Sounds alright actually." I said, propping my head on the table. This is a really tall table. Or maybe it just seems tall to me.
"Well good! Cause a train leaves in around fifteen minutes, so we'd better go!" he said, jumping off his chair and chucking a few bits on the table.
"What!?" I jumped up also, finding myself being more reactive than usual.
"Can you fly?" he said quickly, panic seeping into his voice.
"U-uh, I don't know! I haven't tried yet!"
"Well, we don't have time to find out!" he said hastily, then grabbing me by the hoof and chucking me onto his back.
"Wait, what are you doi-" I was cut off by Silver suddenly blasting out his long, bat-like wings, and with a hearty flap and a strong push, I found myself being violently thrust into the air with Silver.
He didn't hold back, going straight through any and all clouds in his way, blasting past all nearby airborne ponies. Soon the restaurant was merely a spec of dust as we flew away.