Chapter 1 (Teen)
It's Raining Sunlight
Written by Doctor Serious
Chapter 1:
"Time and time again, you ruined it...". A young colt trembled down the back alleys of canterlot, smelling the filthy trashcans and homeless ponies, begging for some bits. He ignored all of them, just letting his thoughts control all his movements. He was a streetpony, filth as some ponies in Canterlot would call him. It was true, he is filth on the streets of Canterlot. He knew that all along, but never did he felt so lonely after the "incident" he encoutered 2 years ago.
The gang he was with, were a bunch of misfits who hated every pony daring to talk bad behind their backs. Beating, robbing, breaking in, everything wrong in the book they did together. It was his only family and the only people who understood him. Any other pony would step back in disgust, just for the way he looked. A darkish green, with small white spots on his sides and a black line all around his eyes. And not to forget his cutie mark: Crossed baseball bats, but they came with a twist. A punching hoof was centered in the middle. A true fighter of the streets. All ponies gave him weird looks, but the gangmembers didn't seem to care.
In fact, they even called him a true soldier for the better cause. Their cause. They raised him to fight on the streets, learned him how to lockpick any door, teached him about being a true stallion. They even gave him a name, the thing even my parents didn't gave him. His name was Batter Up, the stallion of force.
A true family, even with a father figure in the midst of them all: Pace Maker. He was the reason he wanted to live on, his reason to fight for hisrights in life. He was strong, tough and intelligent, all in one package.
But then that faithful day. The gang had their share of booze and mares. Of course he didn't, he was just an enforcer for the group. Not that he didn't try it, but he just got scorned. The beginning was alright, just like every other Friday. Suddenly, a flicker of light could be seen in the window. Batter Up could barely made out what it meant, but it was to late anyway. The royal guards came crashing in from all sides. The gang got surrounded quickly, all the guards taking a fighting pose. He didn't know what to do at this point, it all happened so fast. The gang started growling at the guards, trying to keep a defensive pose, but they were outnumbered. But they didn't go down without a fight.
Many of the gangmembers jumped straight at the guards, unleashing a fierce battle. Batter Up got slammed by three guards, trying to overpower him. Unluckily for them, he was a force to be wreckened with. His muscle pushed each of them away. He fought fiercely, beating up as much as he could. But eventually he got overpowered and knocked out.
The gang was caught, not all the members though. Some escaped, but some didn't even made it. They died of their wounds during the battle or after it. Batter Up never saw anypony die, but the first time made him feel weak inside. Not the blood, but he couldn't feel their presence anymore. In fact, the first few months, he cried in his cell because of the death he had witnessed.
After 2 years he was released for unexplained reasons. Now he was nothing more than somepony on the streets, most of his gang still being in prison, some for life. A little glinstering appeared at the side of his eyes. Luckily they were masked by the blackness around his eyes. Before he got out, he learned something from Pace maker, a "powerful riddle" as he called it.
"Breath slowly for moment
It looks like it's raining like always
But it's raining, and it's raining sunlight".
Those words haunted him until he was sick of them. He tried everything to shake these words of, hoping to think straight for a moment. But they still stang deeply in his mind. so much so, that he started to hurt himself. More and more, but eventually they pain fainted away as his body hardened itself to the point he felt huge.
He couldn't bear this feeling any longer. He couldn't take the words from Pace Maker, he couldn't see straight, he couldn't live any longer with himself. He pasted down more dark corridors with more homeless ponies, but a certain one caught his eye. It was an old one, his fur being torn from parts of his skinny body. "Youngster, you wouldn't have some bits on yah, he...?" his voiced cracked. Batter up saw how the old pony coughed loudly, hearing the sickness in it. Out of pity, he took his last few bits and gave them to him. "Thank you, you're the first pony that's been kind to me in many years...". A pleasent smile appeared on the old pony's face.
Batter Up felt a sudden rush of warmth in his belly, coursing all the way through his body. What was this sudden feeling of happiness? He looked at the old pony and nodded slightly. "Mind if I sit beside you, sir?" he asked, trying to sound as polite as possible. "Sure, I don't mind..". He sat down and looked at the rich ponies walking by the alleyway. He snorted a little, seeing their so called "Pretty Clothes" or their "Sparkling Jewelry". He hated that. The old pony looked at him with an understanding grin. "I don't like 'em either, sonny. But you can't blame them on something they didn't do.." the pony said. Batter Up calmed down a little. He knew the old pony was right, he shouldn't blame his miserable life on them.
A loud horn made him look up in suprise. He stood up and checked what was going on. "Leaving already..?". He looked at the old pony. "Yes, I'm sorry it's so sudden. Thanks for talking to me.". The old pony nodded with a smile.
Batter Up knew what the horn meant, the Royal Guards were passing through, that happened from time to time. He wurmed his way through all the ponies, until he could see a messenger on a small platform. "Greetings citizens of Canterlot," he started with a loud voice. "The Royal guards are asking for new recruits to join our noble cause of protecting the princesses and our country." he explained. "Many of the guards have been retired, and we need new stallions to aid us. If you want to join, you can come to the castle. We will test if you are worth to start the training to become a true Royal guard-" he continued.
He kept on talking about the tests themself. but Batter up wasn't listening anymore. A chance to join the Royal guards, it seemed quiet tempting. But he couldn't shake of the fact that they have killed his family, and put most of them in prison, including him. But then the words from Pace Maker began to make more sense:
"Breath slowly for moment
It looks like it's raining like always
But it's raining, and it's raining sunlight".
He knew what it meant. It meant to take a new breath of fresh air, seeing that the depression was there, but he also had a new hope to grasp to. His chance of a normal life, he could feel it. He smiled from ear to ear, and he took of to the castle, where a new life was waiting for him.
To be continued