Quill's Journal (a.k.a. The journey to the center of Equestria)

by Waterwitch222

chapter 5: no business like thieves business like no business she knows

Firecracker's heart beat loudly as she ran down the street. Pony's shouted comments like,

"VIGALANTY! SPAUN OF CHAOS! LITTLE THIEF!"

as she ran passed them, clutching a small silver mirror with her magic. Her tattered, grey sweater did little to block the cold, but she hardly noticed. Sweat dripped down her face like raindrops on a window, not from fatigue, but from fear and anxiety.

She rounded a corner into a dark allyway. Pausing to catch her breath, she turned to see her pursuar. A guard that caught her during her little trip to the museam of history.

"Firecracker, i'll give you two choices. You can either return the mirror and be sent to the orphanage where you belong, or you can keep the mirror and be sent to the detainment center in Vanhoover for more time than what you owe from your FIRST robbery!."

he explained carefully, his hoof extended for the mirror.

Firecracker's breath quickened. She couldn't leave Manehattan! Nopony would want a battlescarred, crime-comitting, full-grown mare like her anyway. Plus, there was no way she was going to a detainment center either. She'd rather go down in the streets of her home city than behind bars. Firecracker's red eyes darted from the pony's hoof to the mirror levitated by her crimson magic. She made up her mind.

"I choose...NEITHER!"

she declared, her voice rich with a Manehattan accent.

She clutched the mirror in her mouth as her horn began to glow. In a flash of maroon, she was gone.

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Firecracker landed on the ground with a thud, doing little to darken her spirit. She escaped! She wasn't going anywhere! She picked herself up and walked across the floor of the burned out, forgotten hotel she called home.

Her hooves expertly maneuvered through the maze of broken chairs, shattered glass, debri, splintered wood, and rusty nails. She placed the silver mirror on a small table in front of a wall and she looked into it, picking the loose twigs and leaves out of her mane.

Her gaze fell on the small scar over her right eye, a souvenier from her second robbery, when she tried to steal an indigo fire ruby in Filly Delphia. Firecracker winced at the memory. Suddenly, her ears twitched as the sound of beating wings filled the air.

"Righ on time Ash Brush. C'mon in!"

she said without turning around.

An earth pony with robotic wings landed on the ground. His soot covered, grey fur, and filthy copper colored mane came into view.

"You have it?"

Ash asked, his cloudy, sightless eyes flitting the room hungrily. Firecracker picked up the mirror with her magic and passed it to him.

"I assume that the vendors fell for ya tricks again?"

she asked. Ash reached into a pocket in his large trench coat and pulled out a loaf of bread and a stalk of celery.

"It was all I could get."

he said in embarrasment.

"They've gotten cleverer."

Firecracker eyed the young blind colt and smiled a limp smile.

"It's alright. We'll share it."

she answered, walking to the colt and putting an arm around him in a friendly hug. Firecracker gently took the food out of Ash's hoof, and set about looking for a knife to cut it with.

Ash reached over to unbuckle the band that held his metal wings. After a sharp tug, they fell off his back like an empty shell. He removed his coat, wincing as the fabric brushed against his bandaged side. Firecracker walked over to his side with a plate full of peices of bread slices and celery tidbits.

"Ya wounds actin up again?"

she asked. Ash nodded, holding back tears of pain.

"Alright."

Firecracker replied, placing a peice of bread in Ash's hoof.

"Ya chew on dat while I take a look at'cha."

Ash nodded and began to take a small bite out of the soft bread. Firecracker began to unwrap the bandages, careful not to hurt Ash Brush in the process. She removed the bandages and stifled a moan of horror.

The right side of Ash's body was covered in cuts, bruises, gashes, and scrapes. It was as if he was in a fight. Firecracker sighed and levitated an unused bag of medical stuff she stole from the hospital over to her.

She began to rewrap his bandages and tried putting a little ointment on the wounds so they won't get infected. Ash kept quiet, but Firecracker could tell he was in pain, in more ways than one.

"Who'd ja lose?"

she asked suddenly. Ash swallowed a mouthful of bread in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"Ya ain't from round here, ya hurt, and I hear ya cry at night. Ya missin somepony?"

Firecracker continued. Ash may not be able to see, but he could imagine the concerned look on Firecracker's face right now.

"My brother."

he answered, tears building in his eyes.

"My big brother. We were so close once. A long time ago. We lived together in a city like this. We had a home, a family. Life was good. Until they attacked."

he continued.

"What?"

Firecracker asked.

"These...weird, beetle pony things!"

Ash answered.

"They attacked the library we were in. Shot green light at us. A blast hit me in the eyes. I couldn't see again after that. My brother tried to fight, but they shot him down. Before I could get to him, a bug thing hissed at me to run. I tried to fight, but as you can see."

he continued, gesturing to his side.

"That didn't end well."

Firecracker was silent.

"What happened ta him? Ya brother I mean."

she asked.

"He got sent to the hospital. He was hurt pretty bad. I was still under the rubbel. By the time they uncovered me, I was hardly recognizable. They didn't know who I was. I hardly knew who I was! They sent me to the hospital too, but I could hardly bear the thought of my family never recognizing me, and without somepony claiming me as their own, I couldn't get checked out of the hospital. I was in shock at the time. I couldn't say anything to prove my identity. So that night, I snuck out, using sounds as my guide. I managed to find a box to sleep in, but it carried a blanket that was being delivered by train to Manehattan. By the time I woke up, I was being tossed out of the house of the angry pony who ordered the blanket. I didn't dare try to go back home. A few days later, I found you! I built my wings out of scrap metal, helped collect food, and lived on the streets ever since."

Ash finished, his eyes tearing up at the memory.

Firecracker's heart ached. She looked down at the colt. He was only three years younger than her, but he always seemed as strong and smart as a full grown stallion. She couldn't imagine this horrid story was his! She walked over and sat next to Ash, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Ash. Don't cry. Ya don't need ta cry. Ya with me! We may not have a proper life, but we're together at least! Ya may have had a bad beginning, but it ended with us. Ya like the brother I never had."

Firecracker sniffed, enveloping Ash in a hug.

"And I promise to never stop protectin ya."

she finished. Ash seemed surprised for a moment, but soon he stopped crying. They gathered their things and went out on the streets to find food. Together.

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