> Always Looking > by EmberGryphon > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cold ice fell. It always fell. A young black figure emerged out from the depths of a small bridge, running from one ridge of the mountainous city to a higher terrace above. Canterlot was being worked on, renovated for the up and coming changing of seasons, and many side roads were in large need of repair this time of season. A great place to live where no one would find you. Two sharp green eyes peered out into the quiet, breezy city, they were contrasted by puffy red eyelids where the large eyes sat, and yet again by stunning blue locks of hair. As she yawned two small fangs glittered as patches of sunlight reflected off of the glossy ground. Her eyes were sad. They had always been. She never really had friends, let alone a family to call her own. She had lived from place to place ever since she could remember, mostly ranging from warm beds of strangers, to the wet unkept mat underneath the familar bridge that better suited her now sad looking eyes. She never truly lived like any other pony, gryphon, or dragon for that matter. She had nothing. No one. Only herself. "Eeeyuu-" The changeling bemoaned as she shook the thin layer of snow off of her mane and hooves. Her large eyes darted around, she needed something to sustain herself on, the poor thing was getting hungry. She left what little she had under the bridge as the snow continued to pelt the rugged side of the mountain. She took the form of a pony she had been familiar with, a white taller mare who had recently aquired her Cutie Mark, a odd looking fancy symbol. She had always thought it was silly that these ponies had specific markings for their place in life. She never pondered it long however, she went on about her way passing to and fro, looking for a sufficient mate to leach some nutrients from. She passed a bickering couple, and silently drained what little remained in them unbeknownst to the two elderly equines. Next was a mother and her foal, clearly the relationship needed some mending. Finally, a colt with his fillyfriend, clearly things weren't working out between the two. It was enough to keep her sated, for now. Passing through oddly crowded streets considering how nippy it was out, the Changeling continued undetected, passing Royal Guards, mailponies, and vendors alike, silently draining them of what they had stored up as she walked by the crowds. She didn't like getting her meals this way, it was devious. She had much perfered to take things by the horns and get it from them. Unfortunately for the starving little Changeling this was the best she could do. The day wore on, as the snow came and went. Pouring, then revealing sunny skys every once and a while. Sunbeams would blind the girl, only to be swallowed up by a dark grey patch of cloud. The Pegasi must have been having a hay day up there. "Oh how I hate this terrible weather." The disguised being muttered under her breath. It was then she heard something, something close. Unfamiliar. She had heard it many times before. Around her. Beside her. Far away from her. However, never to her. It was a voice, the voice of a fellow living being, a colt to be exact. Approximately three hooves behind her. Talking, giving recognition, all to her. To her. "I-I'm s-sorry..." The incogito being said, looking behind her, spying the source of the noise. A strapping young colt, not too much younger then herself. His coat was white and beautiful, his mane, beautifully crafted, sculpted as if by Celestia herself. His everything was perfect, his voice soothing, and most of all, his amazing smile that reflected on her in complete innocence. "I said," The colt repeated, "I know! It urks me when they can't make up their minds either!" He replied, tilting his head to the side, closing his eyes, and once again delivering that angelic smile. He looked up to the sky, shook his hoof comically up at the clouds and laughed as he resumed grinning at the girl. "So, what are you doing out on such a crummy day Ms..." "Chrys...uh..." Her face was flushed, her facade was failing, and she couldn't keep up the ruse much longer. She had to leave, things weren't going to end well at this rate, and she couldn't scare away the only thing that had given her any recognition, any empathy, or even recognized the females existence. She backed up, bumping into a old stallion. Terrifying the girl even more, as she darted off in full sprint. "W-wait!" Called the colt behind the girl. "The name is Shining Arm..." His voice faded from her ears. She had heard enough to know anyway. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She couldn't think. It was all a blur, her head was rushing, and her face felt warmer then it had ever before. She ran. She ran far, past the markets, past the construction, past the fake ponies who were participating in their fake love. She turned a corner behind one last building, pressing up against the wall of the structure, returned to her original form, and heaved hard. 'What is this feeling...' The girl thought, inhaling far more oxygen then she needed. Her heart pounded, her thoughts cleared. Her mind went blank. All was good in the world. Better then good She trotted over to a shimmering glass like pond. Her face was pipping red. She didn't know what was going on, or why she acted the way she did. For the first time she felt like she was somebody, something worth while. It was all that colt. That friendly. Kind. Stunning. Handsome. Gorgeous. Perfect... Shining Armor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It began snowing. She wasn't hungry. She was in love. She needed him. ******************************************************* Authors Note This is my first fanfiction. I haven't the foggiest if it is good enough or not to continue. I'll keep writing as long as you guys want some. ^^ > Sunshine > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Sun Shined. It Always Shined. Her eyes opened. Full and fresh. A large smile formed across the small equines face. She grinned like she could never stop. Her night had been wonderful, she was greeted in the night by such sweet, bliss filled dreams. Ones like she had never had before, ones of lilac, and of sweet songbirds chirping in the trees. Ones of magnificent lights, and of gentle streams on a warm summers day. But most of all she dreamt of bells, large, and shining. They rang out in jubilee, crowning a white day, where smiles abounded around her, none of them knowing her, all except one. His. Her eyes were exuberant, as they paced from place to place, hiding her few belongings into her knapsack underneath her makeshift home. She peaked around until taking a new form, one of a older stallion, who loved to garden, whom had shooed her off of royals property more then one occasion. She passed multitudes of people whom had been enjoying the same break of cold that she had only complained about days earlier. The market was full of all sorts of ponies. Each going about their equally distant lives, not caring an ounce for one another, greedily making it from day to day. So many easy targets to prey on. She hadn't the need to feed. She was still full from the day prior. She was looking for him. She knew it wouldn't be all that easy to find him. After all, Canterlot was the largest city in the area, right next to Cloudsdale, a city for exclusively Pegasi, and the small but growing Earth Pony founded village of Ponyville. It wouldn't be easy to find him in the big city. She couldn't stop smiling. She was going to find him. Admire him. Long for him. She really hadn't thought about how or what she was going to do if he would notice her again. Then again. She didn't care. The mare turned the corner around a up and coming doughnut shop that had been set up close to where she had met the handsome colt. She peered inside to notice a young but gruff stallion wearing a name tag that bluntly displayed his name, working alone in the busy bakery. Chrysalis' eyes darted about, looking for any trace of the colt. No luck. She choked down a healthy bit of nervousness and poked inside of the eatery. She was out of place. She never was to used to being in enclosed buildings. She trotted over to the gruff male and examined him a bit more. Her gut instincts told her that this person would know him. He had to. With a tiny little crack her voice met his ears, "H-Have you seen a colt named..." The words halted. She had forgotten her facade, she deepened her feminine voice, "Shining Armor?" The chef brightened up, "Oh but of course!" The pony with an eight O'clock shadow bellowed. "He was actually here earlier!" Chrysalis couldn't believe her luck! Of all the places she could have started she already had quite the lead on her hooves. "Sadly," the stallion grunted, "I ain't to sure where he headed off to." She looked down, she had gotten ahead of herself. "Do you have any idea where he may have gone?" The Changeling rebutted. "Well, I do know that he has a sister, she was in here earlier with him." He spun around fixing inventory on the main shelf behind him. The man began humming a tune. A slightly obnoxious tune at that. "Consarn it... I can' t get that dumb song out of my head!" He shook it back and forth. "That little filly wouldn't stop singing to her brother!" Chrysalis was intrigued now. What could it be? A clue to finding her Shining Armor? "Oh?" She smirked, "Could it help me find that boy?" "I dunno, she always said somepony named Cadence would always sing it with her." He bonked his head yet again, trying to force the song out of his memory. "Sunshine, Sunshine..." He frowned knowing the jingle wasn't coming out anytime soon. "Perhaps they were meeting this Cadence?" Chrysalis inquired, grabbing a bit of doughnut off of the counter, and putting it into her mouth, chewing a few times before realizing what she was eating. "Y-yeah!" He grinned. "That might just be right," The baking pony barked, pulling some fresh pastries from the oven. "I'd check over at Canterlot Park. They usually head there after eating anyway." The statement irritated Chrysalis. That was the entire reason she had asked. Why couldn't the foolish horse just answer him that!? Her mood was worsening in the store, and she had to be on her best behavior for her Shining Armor. She scurried out, spitting the rest of the doughnut out. She hated the taste of pony food. Authors Note: Heya! Sorry that took that long. I know it isn't as long as you would hope, but not to worry! Next weeks daring installment shall blow both of these away~ > Authors Note: omg plz read > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Authors Note Heya guys... I'm so very sorry that I have left you guys without even saying a damn thing. With nearly 50 thumbs up and only one down. I feel like I built y'all up for nothing. I'm sorry. I will begin working on this story when the juices flow again. I love you guys and gals. I hope to be writing for you all soon again. Much Love, Ember