Chapter 3: Hatred's Heat
Numbness gripped Cherish's body. Blackness surrounded her and the only light she saw was the light of Needle's horn, its green glow shining on the surroundings. The darkness pushed slowly at the light, which was falling further back as it dimmed from its fight with the blackness. It came closer, and began to reach out towards them with tendrils of smoky grey. She screamed as they moved to touch her, flailing at them with her hooves in desperation. They latched onto her hooves and held her still as they flew at her face. She breathed in the dark tendrils and the darkness vanished, replaced by a blurry view of a white-tiled ceiling Needle was sitting over her and holding her hooves with his magic. A doctor was holding a strong scented crystal under her nose and pulled it away as she stopped her flailing. When she began to struggle lighty against the tight grip of the magic, Needle released the bonds and looked away from her. Why is he crying? Did...... Did something happen?
She sat up to look around the room, and reality crashed into her, slamming her back down onto the couch she had been laying on. Tears flowed from her eyes as the visions flashed through her mind, each second played for what seemed an eternity. Needle galloping up to their home with a grim expression on his face. The mad galloping towards the hospital. The hospital's front looming over them as they approached. The stopping to ask questions at the desk while worry was eating at her insides.. Finding the door to the room and the hesitation to open it. Finding her son lying on the bed, battered and broken. Darkness reaching up and pulling her slowly to the ground.
Comforting hooves reached around her as she sobbed, gripping her tightly. She gripped the changeling just as hard, as if he was the only thing holding her down in this world. She felt as if half of her heart had been ripped away. More than half. All of it. Her tears slowly ebbed and she broke away from Needle Wings, standing unsteadily. She walked over to the bed of her son, dry sobs still sounding out. She gazed at the face of her child for a few moments before slowly lowering herself to sit on the bed. She stroked his silver mane gently, keeping her hooves away from the wounds that were on his head. The tears came again as she gazed at her broken son. "How did this happen? Why did this happen?" Her broken voice sounded dead and lifeless, her tone cold and emotionless.
She lay her head down on her son's unmoving body and let the tears slowly fall from her face.
000
The smile that had been wide on his face when he had first entered the building slowly began to fade. He walked in a bubble of space, everypony looking at him with either fear or anger on their faces. His head was bent low to the ground as he trudged through the hallway. A loud ringing noise startled him, and he leapt into a crowd of bulky stallions. The ponies in the group laughed loudy at him on the floor, and the one he collided into turned slowly around. Phoenix tried to scramble backward, fear making his movements uncoordinated and frantic. The large stallion grabbed him with a hoof and pulled him to his feet. With a grunt, the stallion threw him into the wall opposite of their group and guffawed loudly as he smashed into the lockers. Phoenix rolled on the ground in pain and the stallion made to approach him again, but stopped at the sight of the approaching teacher. With a glance to his friends, he leaned back down to hiss into Phoenix's ear. "You got lucky this time, freak." The venom in his voice shocked Phoenix. "Don't do it again."
Phoenix watched them go through teary eyes. Nopony had ever been so mean to him before. Before he could break down in front of the entire school, the teacher who had caused the stallions to leave hesitated before holding out a hoof to haul Phoenix to his feet. The bell rang out again, and this time Phoenix jumped into the teacher. Stumbling away, he steadied himself against the wall and looked at the teacher. His eyes were angry, and when he spoke the anger in his voice made Phoenix flinch. "Oh so we have a troublemaker eh? Well, lets just go to your teacher and tell them about your 'joke' hmm?" He walked up to Phoenix amd glared at him. He shrunk back against the wall as the teacher approached, his eyes full of anger and dislike. "Well?" he barked, making him jump again, "Who is your teacher?"
"I....uh....that is.....I......ummm....l don't....." he stuttered out, fearful of this new threat.
"Spit it out. Who is she?" The glare intensified and made Phoenix shrink back further.
"I don't know!". He never meant to shout the answer, nor did he mean to send out a small flash of green magic to push back the teacher.
The stallion was enraged further, his eyes sparking with a deep rage and dislike. Phoenix trembled and squeaked as he dusted himself off and advanced once more, his steps slow and measured. Phoenix did the only thing he could think of, he ran away from the teacher, not hearing the shouts behind him.
Magic sparked from his horn as his emotions drove him deeper into the school. He threw open the first door around the next hallway and rushed into the classroom. Mutters were passed between the students in the class as he panted with his back up against the door. The teacher looked at him with a shocked expression, her mouth open and the peice of chalk that she had been using lay on the floor. He looked at all the staring faces, and he slowly opened the door and backed out of the room, shivering with fear under all the scrutiny.
And walked straight into the principal of the school, who looked down at him with mild surprise before grabbing him with a hoof and leading him away from the murmering classroom, where the teacher was trying vainly to regain attention. Phoenix was lead into the waiting room and told to sit down and come talk when he was ready. He sat on the stiff chair, breathing calming breaths and slowing his shaking his body. His day was going terribly so far. Well, at least it won't get any worse.. He felt the tears well up as he thought about how his day had been going. One thought kept coming up in his mind, repeating over and over. Why is everypony being so mean to me? Am I....wrong? He sniffled and wiped away his tears, taking another deep and calming breath. He stood up and walked over to the office door, giving it a steady knock.
The soothing voice of the principal called for him to come in. He was sitting behind a large desk with his hooves placed together atop its surface. He gestured for Phoenix to sit down in the chair across he table, and he settled into the noticeably softer chair with a small, nervous smile. "Well Phoenix, what exacly is wrong?". The deep voice seemed to vibrate throughout the room and through his body.
"Well sir, I was just trying to find my classroom, but then I ran into some mean stallions, and then they threw me into a wall, and then I hit the teacher by accident, and then I-". He was cut off by the soothing and deep voice.
"Child, use periods for heaven's sake!" The principal chuckled, an amused tone to his voice. "My we ARE having a bad day today." He walked around the desk and patted the colt's back. "Not to worry young one, no harm has been done. Here is your classroom." The principal pointed to a spot on a poster of the school's map. "I'm afraid that it is almost time for school to end, unfortunately. You will have to stay after school to talk to your teacher about the lesson."
"Oh, ok then." Phoenix's downtrodden face and morose tone made the principal chuckle.
"I'm sure that it won't take that long child, go on to class now." The principal held open the door for him as he rushed out of the office towards his class. The principal was also wrong. Very wrong.
I am not entirely happy at how this chapter had gone, but I tried to fix it up and made it look even worse! Oh well..... Another cliffhanger! Don't worry everpony, you'll find out what happened to Phoenix Flight soon enough! (Next chapter) and I will release that tomorrow!