Youngblood

by Centurion Pike-Wall

43~Fall (PT. 3)

April 29th, 3088 Imperial Calendar (1515 AD)
Ramirus Memorial Psychiatric Hospital, Creui Outskirts

DJ tossed the small rubber ball. He followed it with his one good eye, watching it bounce off of the smooth white walls and up into the air. It hit the ceiling, falling neatly back into his lap. He picked it up, repeating the process all over again. The shrink that most often visited him, Lifeline or something like that, had told him that it would help him get used to only having the function of one eye. He supposed it must've been working, as he was following it almost perfectly, even as his mind wandered.

It ran through various events; as far back as when his mother died. He didn't remember much of that night, but according to the Defence lawyer at the trial, he had apparently been on top of his dad, beating him like a gryph possessed. Despite that, his dad had gotten convicted of a lot more than what DJ had been aware of, and been crucified a few days ago.

He had spent most of the time before and during the trial in a small room at a Civil Guard station. He didn't really have any other relatives, and the guards refused to let him go to his "Dad's Friends". His days were mostly boring monotony; the Station Officer brought him a few toys and books, and that's what kept him occupied for the most part. Beyond that, as well as a few questions from the Prosecutor, he hadn't done a whole lot.

Then, about halfway through the trial, he had been brought here. Apparently, those weird nightmares he had been having almost constantly and a few other weird feelings had been caused by a few things the shrink called "Psychological Conditions". So, he had been brought here and the Shrinks had been running a few tests ever since. Beyond those tests, very little had changed since the incident.

He was torn away from the ball by a knock on the door. "Hey. Can I come in?", a voice called from the other side of the wooden door.

DJ blinked, wincing slightly at the still aching pain that ran over his eye and upper face. That didn't sound like any of the usual doctors, nor any of the other staff he had interacted with. Could be someone new, or a new transfer or something, but somehow he wasn't sure. "Uh... Sure?"

The door opened, and a mare stepped in, quickly shutting it behind her. She wore a tightly fitting tracksuit, her multi-colored mane slicked back in a low braid. A pair of iron talons clinked against the ground, while her glowing red eye seemed to flicker and stutter like a signal light. She moved slowly and carefully, drawing attention to her large, rounded stomach. DJ's beak slipped open, eyes wide as bucklers.

"Good Morning", she said, pulling out one of the chairs that sat around the small table that made up the room's two major bits of furniture along with his bed. "I'm guessing you know who I am?"

DJ nodded, somewhat dumbstruck. Praetor Rainbow Dash smiled, looking around the small room. "Nice little place. The staff treating you all right."

"I guess", DJ said, finally breaking his little stupor. "Three hot meals a day, some time outside to run around, a few new books and toys every now and then."

"Sound's good", Rainbow Dash said, tapping a claw against the table. "Hey, uh, look... I..."

DJ knew what was going on; both the tone of voice and the posture he was rather familiar with, thanks to his late mother. "Something wrong? What is it?"

The Praetor opened her mouth, a quizzical look on her face. That look quickly faded, replaced by that same soft smile. "Smart kid. I... I just wanna say I want to help in any way that I can."

That caught DJ off guard. "Wait, what?"

"I... Really don't think I should be saying this to a kid, but let's just say that your father and I have some history", she said, contempt worming its way into her voice. "I... I kinda owe ya for a lot that happened. Again, if there's anything I can do to help, I'll do whatever I can in a heartbeat."

DJ looked at the white ground. "I... I'll think about it."

+++++~+++++

"Rest isn't really worth going into detail over", DJ said, downing the last of his root beer. "The Praetor took me in. After Catalia was born, I really started calling her family my family. Life after that's been rough, but what else is there to say."

The others simply sat there, watching him, their hooves, or alternating between the two. Silence ran roughshod over the room, deafening and chilling. After all, what could they say? A simple 'sorry' or something of a similar vein wouldn't be enough to make a difference when it came to what had happened, and simply wouldn't be worth anything to the scarred Demigryph.

Finally, DJ sighed, stood up, and stretched his back. After he finished his stretch, he said, "Look, I get it. It's fucked up. But, there's nothing I can do. Not even the Gods can alter the past. The future is what I care about."

"Is that true?", Flurry asked, finally breaking the silence.

DJ looked over to the wooden sword that laid over the arm-rest of the chair he had just been sitting in, and took in a deep breath. As he let it out, he replied, "Not always. Kinda hard to forget. But I try."

Comments

[Reclusive]

DJ looked over to the wooden sword that laid over the arm-rest of the chair he had just been sitting in, and took in a deep breath. As he let it out, he replied, "Not always. Kinda hard to forget. But I try."

That, we all do.

[Darksoul85]

Nice work

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Great chapter!

Was DJ’s father literally or figuratively crucified?

Are we going to see more of Rainbow’s backstory with DJ’s father in the side story series?

[Silver Starlight]

11143582
Literally. Multiple people were said to have been crucified offscreen in the first story.

[Speedy Silverstreak]

He needs a soft comforting hug

[Teraunce]

11143900
All the hugs.