One Life, Two People

by Fort Impression

Hint Number One

Hint Number One

As raindrops start to emerge from the sky, the young colt slowly observes his surroundings in search of vacant shelter. He stops to look up into the sky with his glistened orange eyes. Standing there for what seemed like an eternity, he was broken from his thoughts by a small nibble on his finger. Looking down at what he was holding laid a baby red fox whimpering as it tried its best to get as warm as possible while avoiding the rain. “I’m sorry,” the unicorn whispered with a voice that could put anyone to sleep in a heartbeat. “I will find us some shelter until the rain goes away. Once it is all gone, we can go to my place until you are strong enough to protect yourself.” As he continues walking, he familiarized himself with the surroundings. Towards either direction, there stood a six-to-seven foot wall of cinder block. On the other side of the wall was thousands upon thousands of houses that all looked exactly the same. The only difference between all the houses was they were either a different color, or the interior construction was different. Trees were man planted into a line next to the wall to show that the city had green as well, when in all reality the city was just a giant bowl in the middle of the desert. The asphalt the cars drove on was worn out and hasn’t been renewed in 150 years. Walking further down the street, a park could be seen a couple blocks away. The unicorn smiled with glee, and he took off at break-neck pace to the park knowing there is always a table with a cover overhead.

Taking a rest at one of the many tables in the park, he set the baby fox down, took off his coat, then his shirt, and threw his shirt over the fox. Putting the coat back on to keep himself from freezing, the unicorn began to talk with the fox. “I never really got to introduce myself back there. My name is Soto, and I saw that you were all alone. What happened did you lose your mom and dad?” The baby rested his head on the warm shirt looking away from his gentle eyes. “They died,” he said aloud, but low enough to keep the fox from listening. “I don’t really know how that is like, but I guess I have my troubles as well. My dad left us when we were little, but my mom stayed with us and took care of us. She is pretty cool a lot of the times, but sometimes, she can get to that point where it is just unbearable. I know she only wants what’s best for me, but none of them are dreams that I feel like I can really sing with. Like a doctor; sure it’s pretty cool, and I know a few things about it. I may be in a pre-med high school and taking some classes that can potentially lead to such a career, but it’s not what I want. I never really told her because she’s my mom. Wouldn’t you expect your mother to know when you are happy or not?” He looked down to see what the little critter was doing, and it was just staring straight at him with interest. He smiled as with a couple of tears as he continued the story. “But I guess she is just really stubborn. Now, I am on my last year in high school, and none of the classes that she chose for me will get me any closer to my dream. I really do want to tell her, but I don’t want to upset her. I have already done that my nearly flunking most of my classes last year. It’s been hard for her taking care of me, Ranger, and herself. My brother is now in the air force, but we are still having a bit of financial issues. I can’t get a job because Mom doesn’t trust that I am capable of handling a job and school, but I guess that is my fault for messing up my grades. Not to mention my sperm donor switched the address on our social security numbers, so he can get our money. My ‘father’ isn’t really the best in the world. I guess you are tired of hearing me talk about myself,” he commented when he saw the little guy yawn. “So, do you have any friends? Siblings?” Soto asked, but his acquaintance didn’t make any sudden movements. “Nothing? No friends of any kind? I doubt a little cute guy like—“

“Hey, guys! Look who it is!” he heard shouting from behind him, further down the park. Turning around, Soto face immediately sagged at the site of a gang of colts. There was six of them, but the large colt with a red coat and spiky black and blue hair stood over the rest of them.

Turning around facing the baby fox again, he told him “You hide here and don’t move a muscle. If any of those guys come over here, I want you to run that way.” He point toward the opposite direction. “Up there will be a corner. I want you to take a left and hide behind the nearest tree until I come and get you. Do you think you can handle that?” The baby fox dug itself under the shirt concealing himself from everything around him. “Good. Don’t worry, I will be fine, and I will come back for you. I have known these guys for two years, and they aren’t the brightest of all bulbs.” Getting up and turning back around to face the gang of six, Soto being to make his way toward them. “What do you want Rider?” he always asked them during their encounters. “You already cleaned me of all of my money this morning. I had to walk four miles just to get rained on.”

“What?” the large earth pony shrugged. “We can’t say hey to our favorite kid in this neighborhood? Besides, I already told you the last time that you better have something every time we saw you. We need something we can pawn for a pack of cigarettes. Do you have anything that we can pawn for more than five bucks, or do you happen to have a pack on you. That way, we can be on our way, and you can go back to your slut of a mom.”

“First of all, I don’t have anything that you can sell for that much, and even if I did, I probably would just take the beating. Maybe if I stop giving you stuff, you wouldn’t have to smoke anymore, and wasting money on useless shit. Second, you already know I don’t smoke. Lastly, I don’t need you to mistaken your mom, who can’t take her hands off your dweebs’ cocks for half a second, with my mom, who actually has a life.” The gray unicorn smirked at Rider’s expression to only enrage the earth pony even more.

Taking a punch to the gut, Soto slowly fell to the ground as the other ponies tagged in on the beat down. Throwing a series of relentless punches and kicks, Soto could only lie there, and curl in a ball to protect the most painful areas. Getting beat up, for what seemed like hours, the ganged seized the rampage when they heard a girl yell “Stop right now!” Hoping to see who was talking, Soto tried to look at who it was, but his vision was blurry after a few blows to the head. “Leave him alone. In fact, here you guys go. Take fifty bucks and leave.”

“You got lucky, Soto,” Rider called out to him as they began to leave. “You better hope that next time you have something.”

Not a motion was made until the sound of the gang was clearly out of reach. Once their voices could not be heard, the girl made her way over to the hurt colt. Scratches and bruises covered all lengths of his body from the paw-heart cutie mark to his head. His mane was a mess, and his navy blue and orange tail was mixed with mud, grass, and a bit of blood. “Are you okay?” she asked helping me to my feet. “Do you need help getting back home?”

“No,” Soto replied. “But thanks for the offer. I’ll be fine.”

“That’s a lie. You look like a bloody mess,” she back fired with an English accent. “It will be my pleasure to assist you back to your home, in case those guys come back again. My name is Alysia Wellmen. What is your name?”

“I am Soto, Soto Konoha,” he responded with a weak smile. “And that over there is Natalie, Natty for short.” He pointed toward the fox that poked its head out of the shirt when the coast was clear.

---

Looking upon the vision, the deep reddish-brown alicorn stood there, watching emotionlessly. The vision began to dissolve bring him face to face with the anonymous figure again. “Did you like the show?” he questioned. Soto could feel his smile even though he couldn’t see it. “What did you notice about it?”

“That was my history ponified,” Soto replied with rocket scientist intelligence.

“Yes, that is your first hint to what I am looking for. If you have any ideas on what it might be, now would be the time to tell them, and I can get you out of this land you so brutally despise by the end of the next day after you complete the job.”

“I don’t care about your stupid riddle, Discord. Just get me out of here. I have better things to do at home.”

The figure laughed coldly at Soto’s demands. “Oh, you thought I was Discord? You are a riot. If you don’t have an answer, then I will just have to keep watching until you do get something. You have to lighten up Soto, it’s only just a game. All you have to do is find out the simplest thing I want, complete it, and I can send you back in a jiffy. I can really say that you are going to get non-stop hints throughout your journey the long you stay. With every event that you undergo, in the dream world or the real world, there will always be a small hint given to you about my request. All you have to do is continue being yourself. It seems as though you are about to wake up. I wish the best of your fun time in Ponyville, and hope that you don’t fail. I, also, kind of hope that you do fail because that will mean more fun for me. Ta ta, au revoir, have a nice day!”

“Wait!” he called out to the anonymous figure, which stopped to listen to what he had to say. “That kid, who was he? He looks nothing like me.”

Smiling behind the shroud of darkness, the figure replied, “There is, to tell the truth, your glimpse into the future. That is actually the real you. That is the way you are supposed to look like right now, but I decided to give you your future self image. Also, don’t mistake yourself for being a god in the future because you aren’t. Only one that is born with wings and a horn is a true alicorn like Celestia or Luna. The only other way for somepony to be mistaken as an alicorn is a unicorn that died. Whenever a pony dies, they are given wings, if they don’t have any, so that they can fly their way to a place that is perfect for any pony. That will be something for you to find out on your free time. Right now, you have a full day ahead of you, and I have things that I have to do.” The figure’s shaped started to blend with the shadows around him until it was one with them. Soto closed his eyes, knowing that once he opens them, he will be awake, and the quest to solve the riddle will begin…

Comments

[Fort Impression]

Fourth chapter is up and running!
Also, the unicorn mentioned in this story, I will put the picture up on my next blog. In the mean time, enjoy the read, and I will let you guys know when the next chapter will be coming.

From hell, to you, and back again,
Soto Konoha

[LunaUsesCaps]

rely gud but i am sugest u do add this 2 group train wreck explorers they maek betr

[Fort Impression]

1497326 I am an Administrator of the TWE group. I know my flaws and everything in this story that needs improvement, but I do thank you for the advice.