Reflection

by Chlumpy

Chapter 1

Reflection

Chapter 1

Four years earlier

The stallion walked the rustic streets of Ponyville. Residents were up and about this morning, a few stopping to wave at their friends or buy from the many shops. None gave him any regard.

Why should they? The stallion thought. I'm just a face among the crowd.

He always had been. For years he lived on these very streets, never asking for food from the same pony twice. Ponies tend to remember those who beg. Especially when they have black fur, white hair, and no cutie mark.

Luckily, with enough caution, ponies would only remember him if they thought hard enough. There was always a certain risk though. He couldn't risk having friends. They'd only pester him with questions, or regard him as a failure when they found out he was homeless.

The Earth Pony waited patiently in line at an apple stand. A filly with a big pink bow in her mane was doing her best to advertise the fruit. "C'mon y'all! There aint no other apples as tasty as ours! Put 'em in pies, fritters, and even cheese! I know it sounds weird, but trust me on that!"

As the filly displayed her product, a mare collected the bits that customers payed her. The mare tossed them into a chest, then hooved over the fruit. The stallion could've sworn he saw a Diamond Dog drool as it took a bite from the apple it purchased.

Wait...Diamond Dog? The stallion rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. The hound was still there, wagging his tail happily as he returned to a hole by a tree. It jumped down and covered the hole back up.

While the Treaty of Four didn't disallow Diamond Dogs from interacting with the ponies above their tunnels, relations were uneasy between the two races. He didn't blame the dogs for what they did, but he knew that wasn't the case with so many ponies.

War, he thought. No good comes out of it. No matter how noble the cause, you're killing needlessly.

True, he had hid during The Fires; but had returned to see the utter devastation that was left. He realized then, that violence was never going to be an answer to problems. He is, indeed, a pacifist.

"Next customer!" The mare hollered, breaking his thoughts. The stallion blinked, seeing the huge gap between him and the salespony. With an embarrassed smile, he took his place, glad his black fur hid his blush.

"Howdy," the orange mare said. "What can I get you today?"

"Just one Gala apple please," the black pony replied in his soft baritone. "It should be all I need for now."

"Alrighty then. That'll be two bits." The mare searched for her customer's apple, while he desperately looked for the money he didn't have. "You know, I don't think I've seen you here before. You new to Ponyville?"

"No ma'am. I've been here my whole life."

"Huh. You'd think I'd recognize you, seeing how there's not too many other folks with your fur color."

"I'm just a face in the crowd ma'am."

"Seems like it. Anyway, here's your apple." She set the fruit down, and the stallion sighed.

"I'm sorry, but there's no way I can pay you for that."

"Come again?"

"I don't have any bits on me right now. I'm sorry. If you want, I'd gladly work for-"

"Keep it."

"What?"

"Keep it. We grow plenty more over at the farm."

"Oh...thank you. Really."

The mare smiled. "No problem sugar-cube."

"Thank you. I owe you one."

The smile on her face seemed to falter. "Go on now, don't want to hold back that line behind you."

The stallion nodded, leaving with the apple in his mouth. With food out of the way, he could relax in the fall air. He eventually found himself in front of Ponyville's library. The red door had the open sign mounted on it.

Well, he thought. I always did like to read outside. Maybe that mare'll let me get a free book.

With a heavy sigh, he quietly stepped inside. He was surprised on how...homely the library felt. It was as if the librarian lived here. He browsed the shelves, wondering where the mare could be. He perked his ears at the hoofsteps sounding through the tree.

He quickly hid behind a bookcase as the hoofsteps grew closer. "I can't do this by myself," a voice said. "I need someone who can run library when I'm gone."

"That's why you have me," another replied. "I'm your number one assistant, remember?"

"Yes, but you're asleep when there's so much work to do at night. Owloycious can only do so much. I need another pony to help me, especially since...the war. I can't deal with that extra stress at night."

"Well, I guess I'll just get a help wanted sign up in the win-"

"I'd like to help," the stallion interupted, entering the two's sight. They screamed, backing away. "No wait! I didn't mean to scare you!"

"Kinda hard not to, sneaking up on us like that," the baby dragon said. "Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?"

"Well, I uh...yes. Yes I do. But you mentioned job, so I couldn't help but overhear. I can leave if you want."

"Yeah, you should leave."

"Spike be nice," the Unicorn scolded. "We need somepony's help, and he's willing to help us."

"He broke into our house."

"Wait," the stallion said. "You two live here?"

"Mmhm," the mare replied. "We've been here for two years. I thought everypony in Ponyville knew that?"

"Well...I don't get out too much. I knew you worked here, but..."

"Shy?"

"Not really, just cautious. I try not to scare people in general."

The dragon huffed outwardly. "Well, you're doing a lousy job."

"Spike," the mare shouted. "That's enough! Either you shut your mouth or you're not getting your allowance this month!"

The dragon clamped his mouth tight.

"So," the stallion said. "You mentioned a job?"

"Yes," she replied. "I need an assistant, someone to help run the library. It's just the basics, cataloging books, keeping things clean, that sort of thing."

"Alright. I'll take the job. When do you want me to start?"

"Today if you can." The stallion nodded. "Great! Follow me, I'll show you around."

The ponies left, leaving the dragon muttering under his breath as he put books away. The mare showed him the various rooms of the library, and he was surprised that the tree was in fact a home.

They took a seat in a study. "Oh my gosh," the mare said. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Nice to meet you miss Sparkle," the stallion replied.

"Just Twilight is fine."

"Alright."

"So, aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"I...I can't."

She frowned, tilting her head. "Why not?" The stallion was silent. "You're not a criminal are you?" No reply. Twilight leaned forward in her seat. "Hey, you can trust me. I'll be your friend."

The black pony shook his head. "Too risky."

"Risky?"

"For me. I can't risk having friends."

"Why?"

The stallion closed his eyes. Too many questions. "Because...they'd be made fun of and my heart would ache."

Twilight quietly looked at him in concern. The two sat in silence for what seemed lime hours. Finally, he continued. "I'm homeless. I'm a failure. I never knew my parents and I lived on the streets, sleeping in trees."

He paused, tears beginning to form. "I don't even have a cutie mark... It's too risky because I'd let any friends down. I'd be abandoned the moment they knew..."

He put a hoof over his eyes, sniffling. Twilight laid a hoof on his free one. He looked over, surprised to see her eyes beginning to fill.

"I don't think you're a failure. I don't care if you're homeless. I don't care if ponies will scorn me. All I care about is my friend's well being."

"Really?"

"Really. There's a spare room in the basement. You can live here if you want."

"But won't that look weird? A stallion living with you?"

"Not with you being my assistant."

"Twilight...why are you doing this for me? We just met."

"This is what friends do and you need one. I want to be your friend."

"Thank you Twilight...for being my friend."

"You don't need to thank me."

The two sat quietly once more. "Twilight," the stallion said. "I want to tell you my name. My name is Blackjack."

Comments

[Cabral095]

1506507 You did? ah well, anywho, I look forward to reading more eventually.

[Chlumpy]

1508549