Padlock was never one to sit stil, riding the rails instead of settling down.
Padlock was never one to stay in one place for too long. He preferred to live in the streets rather than live the high life. After an "altercation" he needs a new place to live, and finds himself in Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle takes an interest in this strange stallion after hearing him use an odd phrase. Intent on understanding this living enigma, she tries to learn about him through gentle prodding and pestering. Mostly pestering though.
I came up with the idea for this story after trying to describe the concept of contentment to a friend. After struggling to explain it to him for a while, I finally just said "C'est La Vie".
C’est la vie. Such is life. The philosophy of the downtrodden and unlucky. Padlock found himself mulling over this ideal quite often throughout his life, and he found it to be most apt. It was the only thing he knew that truly made sense to him. No parents? C’est la vie. No home? C’est la vie. No food? C’est la vie.
It was a constant truth that made itself apparent as often as possible, and though it often caused him pain or misfortune, he knew that it was what it was. Such is life.
Presently, life had brought him away from Baltimare due to a “disagreement” over a game of cards. He believed he had won a sum of money, and the others believed he had cheated them. It didn’t matter who was right or wrong in this case, only who was faster. This time it was Padlock, but he knew it wouldn’t always be that way. Rather than press his luck he took his winnings, a measly hundred bits, and returned to the rails in search of a new place to live.
Life on the streets wasn’t as bad as most seem to think it is, you just have to keep on your feet. It takes luck or smarts to survive like this, and what Padlock lacked in luck, he more than made up for in smarts. He paid attention to details most would look past without a second though. He would watch the alley behind restaurants to learn what times they took out the garbage, or test the insulation capabilities of various types of cardboard. Sure, he could have gotten a real job and all the trappings that come with it, but where’s the fun in that?
“Looks like my stop.” He said as the train began to slow. Before it reached the platform he quickly grabbed his meager possessions and hopped off. Looking around he found himself in a small village, fields and orchards surrounding the area.
“Well, it’s not the city, but it’ll do.”
Wandering around the small town, he began to scope out potential food sources and places to sleep. There were a few small restaurants here and there, but no alleyways tucked out of view. He stopped outside of a bakery, sitting down near the entrance.
“Hello!” called a voice from behind. A bright pink pony was poking her head out of a nearby window.
“G’morning, miss.” Padlock replied, tilting his battered hat to her.
“Hold on a sec! Wait right there!”
Padlock felt a twinge of paranoia, wondering if he owed anyone in town money, but decided to stay where he was. Within seconds the perky pink pony had opened the front door of the bakery and rushed outside to meet him.
“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! You’re new in town, right?!” She said excitedly bouncing up and down.
“Well hello, ma’am. Name’s Padlock, and yes I’m new. Just rolled in this morning.”
Something seemed strange to him, as if this Pinkie character was planning something. Before he could ask, she disappeared back into the building, returning with a large cart.
“Um, what is that?” he asked, his paranoia growing.
“Oh, don’t worry! I do this for everyone!” She replied, pushing a small button on the top of the box.
The lid flipped open to reveal a calliope which began tootling its tune jauntily, confetti blowing from the pipes as it whistled away.
Padlock’s jaw went slack as the overly energetic mare began to sing a welcome to the tune of “Old Mac Donald”. When she had finished, she stood before him looking expectantly, a huge grin on her face.
“Well… Folk around here certainly are… Inviting.” He said after a moment.
“Yup! We’re all friends here! Sooo…?”
“So what?” Padlock said, his eyes narrowed.
“So are we friends now?” She replied, still beaming.
“Umm… Sure. Why not?”
“Great! Wait here, I’ve got more fun stuff inside!” She yelled as she ran back into the building.
Before she could return, Padlock quietly made his exit. If there was anyone here he owed money, they knew he was here now… And yet, none of the other townsponies seemed phased by the spur of the moment song and dance that had taken place. If he had been back in Baltimare or Manehattan they would’ve taken her to the funny farm after the first stanza, but out here apparently that was the norm.
“Best not to introduce myself to anyone else, lest the put on a musical for me next…” He thought to himself. Still, there was the immediate problem of living quarters at hand. He needed to find a safe place to bed down before it got too dark.
He walked up and down the open streets searching for some nook or cranny that was out of the way, with little chance of being stumbled upon. It seemed that the folk in this town didn’t much care for nooks or crannies.
“No matter. I’m sure I can find someplace outside of town. It’ll be like camping” He said to himself.
Talking to himself had become a bit of a bad habit, but it was one he didn’t intend on breaking anytime soon. Living on the streets, he had little time nor want for friends, as they tended to represent competition more than anything. So, rather than finding others to talk to, he spoke to himself. He often carried on deep philosophical conversations with himself long into the night. Not only did it keep his mind sharp, but nobody wants to bother the guy who’s talking to himself.
He walked along one of the main roads leading out of town when he noticed a small cave. It seemed to be just taller than him, and went back a good five feet. It was perfect. He sauntered in and set down his things before leaning back against a wall and falling asleep.
“Umm… Excuse me, sir.” A small voice said, causing Padlock to rouse from his slumber. He raised his hat from his face and saw a yellow pegasus with a pink mane standing before him.
“I’m sorry to wake you sir.” She said, again in a voice so quiet is was almost inaudible. “You see, this is actually the home of a family of raccoons, and…” She trailed off.
“It’s no problem, little lady.” Padlock said, rising to his feet. “I’m sure there’s somewhere else around here I can use for the night.”
“Oh! I didn’t realize you were planning on living here.” She said, concern in her voice. “If you need a place to stay, I’m sure I can help you.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about me, missy. I’ve survived worse.” He said, smiling.
He gathered up his possessions and started walking away from the shallow cave. “C’est la vie!” He called behind him as he sauntered away.
“It’s okay now. He didn’t know you lived here.” Fluttershy said as three raccoons walked over to her. The larger one chittered a word of thanks and began setting their home back in order.
“C’est la vie… I wonder what that means?” She said to herself as she walked away.
It was beginning to get dark, and Padlock still hadn’t found a safe place to sleep yet. He found himself wishing he had been born a pegasus, as they could just grab a nearby cloud to sleep in. He shrugged. He had been born an earth pony, and that was just the card he had been dealt in life. As with other games, there were no mulligans in life. He found a shaded clearing off the side of the road and decided it would have to do for now.
Setting his things next to a tree, he began to dig a small fire pit with his hoof. He gathered a pile of sticks and arranged them in a teepee, and then began digging in his pack. After a moment he pulled out a fire started and lit the campfire. It burned slowly, becoming a decent blaze just as the sun was setting on the horizon.
“Well, looks like I’m going to have to dip into the ol’ savings fund, eh?” He said to himself, chuckling.
The sun finished its setting and the moon rose from its hiding place, bringing with it a multitude of stars that adorned the blue night sky. Life had dealt him a bad hand today with lodgings, but it more than made up for it with this show. He lay on his back, staring at the incredible night sky. The city may have its perks, but there was something to be said about being in the countryside too.
He awoke with the sun, the golden rays sweeping gently across his face. Sitting up slowly, he stretched and yawned.
“Best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages…” He said to himself. There had been no reason to wake up in the night. With no one else around, he didn’t have to worry about his things being stolen, or being told he couldn’t sleep in that particular spot. It was refreshing.
Relaxed or not, it was time to find some grub now. He gathered up his belongings and started towards town, hoping the garbage hadn’t been collected yet.
Fluttershy was hesitant in knocking on the door. She wasn’t quite sure why, as she regularly came to visit Twilight. She supposed she just didn’t want to bother anyone. Just as she had worked up the courage to knock, the door swung open, Spike standing in the doorway.
“Oh, hey Fluttershy. Twilight’s upstairs.” He said, walking past her.
“Oh, um, thank you.” She said quietly. Maybe next time she’d knock.
She walked inside and closed the door behind her, then made her way up the stairs to Twilight’s room. Luckily, the door was open. Twilight looked up from the book she was reading and said “Oh! Good morning, Fluttershy. What’s up?”
“Well, I need help with something. Do you know what C’est la vie means?”
“That’s a rather… Odd question.” Twilight replied.
“Some of my raccoon friends came to me yesterday saying there was a strange pony sleeping in their cave. When I told him it was their house, he said he’d find somewhere else to sleep. I don’t think he has a home…”
“What’s this have to do with your question though?”
“Well, I told him I could help him find someplace to stay, and he said not to worry about it. Then as he was leaving he said C’est la vie.”
“Hmm, that’s pretty strange. I know I’ve heard that before…”
Twilight began rummaging through various piles of books before exclaiming “Aha!” and setting down a thick tome on the desk.
“Here we are! The beginners guide to Fancy.”
“Fancy?”
“Yeah, it’s a language. Here it is… It means such is life.” Twilight said, looking just as confused as Fluttershy.
“I don’t get it…”
Padlock had made a decent haul this morning. There weren’t too many ponies out and about, and the garbage had yet to be collected. His rummaging had turned up a veritable feast of old food, and even an unopened bottle of cider.
“Truly this is a glorious day.” He said, packing his foraged goods into his bag. “A feast fit for Celestia herself.” He loaded his pack back onto his back and started towards his makeshift campsite.
Fluttershy and Twilight stepped out of the library, looking to get some breakfast when Fluttershy noticed him walking down the road away from town.
“That’s him!” she said, surprising herself with the volume of the voice.
“I think breakfast can wait. I say we follow him.” Twilight said, starting down the path.
“Oh, I don’t know Twilight. I don’t want to bother him…”
“We’re not going to bother him. He won’t even know we’re there.”
“Oh. Okay. Wait, what do you mean?”
“Just come on…” Twilight groaned, pulling Fluttershy along with her.
Padlock arrived at his camp and set his bag down next to the now cold fire pit. He gathered up some more nearby sticks and set about preparing a new fire to cook his breakfast with. Every once in a while he would hear a noise and look around, trying to spot what was causing it.
“Fluttershy, be careful!” Twilight whispered.
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to sneaking around like this.” She replied
“Well, it’s not exactly sneaking when we keep making noise…”
The fire began to blaze nicely, and Padlock set about preparing for his morning meal. He pulled an old cloth out of his bag and laid it down next to the fire, then began setting the food he had acquired upon it. Again, he heard that noise. Smiling, he called out “Why don’t you two come join me for breakfast? I’ve got plenty here.”
Fluttershy’s face turned bright red, and Twilight let out a small sigh. The two of them stepped out of the bushes and walked over to the makeshift camp.
“We’re sorry for spying on you.” Twilight said. Fluttershy just looked at the ground, her face still scarlet with embarrassment.
“It’s okay. Don’t really know why you’d bother though. I’m not really that interesting.” Padlock replied, still preparing his meal.
“Well, it’s about what you said the other day to my friend. C’est la vie. What did you mean by that?” Twilight replied.
“Heh, that’s a bit of a long story. How about you join me for breakfast, and I’ll try to explain?”
Twilight looked at the scraps of food on the cloth, wondering how old the food was.
“Umm, sure…” She said after a moment, and sat down by the fire. Fluttershy sat next to her, still silent.
“Oh, don’t worry about the food, missy. When I’m done cooking it up, it’ll look like a five star chef made it. Well, maybe a two star, but it won’t look like that anyways.” Padlock said, chuckling.
“C’est la vie means such is life. It’s the philosophy that keeps me going.”
“Huh?” said Twilight, food still in her mouth.
“Quite simply, my dear, it means that whatever will happen will happen. My interpretation is simple. No matter what happens, that’s the way life intended it. If I find a good bit of food, that’s what was meant to happen. If I break a leg, that’s what was meant to happen. There’s no point in arguing or complaining. Life has a path set out before us, and our only real option is to follow it and let it surprise us as it will.”
“…Wow. You’re rather... Eloquent.” Twilight said after a moment.
“Well, I wasn’t always the free spirited tramp you see before you. I used to be a bit of a bookworm in my youth.”
“But how can you be okay with how you’re living?” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Hmm? Oh, sorry dear. You’ve been so quiet over there, I almost forgot you could speak.”
Fluttershy resumed her scarlet hue, and looked away.
“Don’t be so shy, I’m not going to bite. To answer your question, I’ve found there’s no reason to fight with life. That just makes things harder. I try to find solutions rather than places to point blame.”
“But surely you can’t enjoy living out here alone?” Twilight said, looking concerned.
“Can’t I? I’m not sure how it is out here in the country, but the way they treated my kind in the city wasn’t all too great. I got used to living on my own, and found the freedom to my liking. I never have to worry about money, or what to do with my day. I just go about my business, and nobody bothers me.”
“But don’t you get lonely?” Fluttershy asked quietly.
“Finally coming out of your shell, eh? At least you didn’t turn red this time.” Padlock chuckled. “Yeah, it gets lonely at times. I’ve taken to talking to myself, as talking to walls tends to get rather boring. But I don’t mind. At least I’m good company.” He said, smiling.
“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you end up living like this?” Twilight said.
“That, little missy, is a story for another meal.” Padlock replied, rising from his seat and gathering up his supplies. “And now, I’m off to find some work. And then to find someplace to sleep. Don’t want to get caught out in a storm, now do I?”
“Alright, then. It was good to meet you, Mr. Padlock.” Twilight said, getting up and moving to leave.
“Just Padlock is fine. Mr just seems too formal for me.”
Twilight returned to the library, her belly and mind both full of things she wasn’t sure of. She glanced around the room and realized how disorganized things had gotten lately. She’d been so consumed in her studies lately she hadn’t had any time to put things back in order.
“And of course today is Spike’s day off…” She groaned, and began placing books back on the shelves.
After a few minutes of arranging the tomes, she realized that she still hadn’t found what she had been searching through all these books for in the first place. There was no time to clean now, not when there was research to be done, but she couldn’t just leave the library looking like a tornado had gone through it. Then an idea came to her.
“Padlock!” She yelled, running out the door.
She found him sitting next to the fountain in the center of town, fixing his mane in the reflection of the water.
“Mr. Padlock! I’m glad I found you. You said you were looking for some work, right?”
“Like I said, just Padlock is fine.”
“Right, sorry.”
“So, you’ve got something you need done, then?”
“Well, you seem rather well read, and I’ve got so much other stuff going on and my assistant is off for the day a-“
Padlock raised a hoof to silence her and said “Alright. Slowly now, what is it you need done?”
“Could you help me by reorganizing the library?” Twilight said, finally catching her breath.
“I think I can help with that. Lead the way, missy.”
“Why do you call everyone that?”
“Just an old habit. I’m full of ‘em these days.”
They reached the library after only a few minutes of walking, Twilight apologizing for the ensuing mess the entire way as Padlock tried to assure her that it couldn’t be all that bad. He changed his tune as soon as the door opened.
Books were piled in random stacks all over the floor, the shelves half bare. The piles of books worked their way up the stairs, disappearing into the room above.
“Hmm… I see what you mean by a mess…” He said, surveying the catastrophe before him.
“I’m so sorry. I’ve been so caught up in my research, and everything just got out of control. Normally I’d have Spike help me, but he’s off doing something else today.”
“It’s no problem. It may take a while though.”
“Okay then.” Twilight said, unsure. “I’ll be in my room reading. Let me know if you need anything.”
He waited until she had gone upstairs and the door had closed before he started his work. Luckily the shelves had been labeled, or this would have been a nearly insurmountable task. He began picking up books and placing them in piles based on subject matter, and after an hour he had sorted all of the books into less terrifying piles.
He sat down in front of a large pile of books and began sorting them alphabetically, whistling an old tune he’d hear while he worked. Twilight opened the door to her room and looked out into the main room of the library.
She had heard the tune before, but couldn’t place it. She shook her head and tried to return to her work, but the tune kept nagging at the back of her mind. She hummed a few bars, and then groaned loudly, laying her head on the desk.
“Problem?” Padlock called out, still sorting books.
Twilight stepped out of the room to the balcony that overlooked the library. “No, it’s okay. I’m sorry about that.”
“No reason to be sorry, but a groan like that usually means there’s a problem of some sort.” He replied without looking away from his work.
“It’s just that song you were whistling. What was it? It’s driving me crazy that I can’t remember the name.”
“Oh, my apologies for that. Didn’t mean to make you question your sanity. It’s a Hearthswarming carol called Shine on Starlight.”
“Aha. I knew I recognized it!” She said, triumphantly. “But why a Hearthswarming carol? It’s a bit early in the year for those.”
“Never too early for a bit of cheer, m’dear. Besides, that’s my favorite time of the year. It’s cold as all get out, but for that little while folk tend to be in a more giving mood.”
He stood up and stretched his back, groaning a bit. “Anyways, I shouldn’t be too long with this. I’ve got the classics pile all sorted and ready to go on the shelves. Should be another few hours as the most.”
It was nearly half past one when Twilight looked up from her studies, her stomach complaining loudly.
“Yeesh, I’ve been sitting here for hours.” She said to herself, getting up from her desk. “I think it’s about time for lunch.”
She walked out of down the stairs and stopped when she saw the library. It was immaculate. Every book was on a shelf, and not a single one seemed out of place. Padlock was sitting on the floor, leaning up against a shelf with a book. He sat up when she entered the room and picked up a loose piece of paper to mark his page.
“It’s about time you came out of there. I was afraid you’d passed out from eye strain.” He said, standing up.
“This place looks amazing! I kinda figured I’d have to reshelve some of the books myself, but it’s like you knew my system by heart!”
“Well as you said, I’m quite well read.”
“I think I owe you some lunch. Come with me.” Twilight said, walking towards the kitchen.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s only fair. After all this work, it’s the least I could do. And I figure it wouldn’t hurt for you to eat something that didn’t come from a garbage can.” Twilight said, smiling.
Twilight began preparing sandwiches for the two of them, and asked “So, how did you get so knowledgeable?”
“Like I said, I wasn’t always a traveler. I used to be a locksmith actually, hence the cutie mark.” He pointed at his flank which had the image of an old iron padlock on it.
“That really doesn’t help. I don’t know of any locksmiths with knowledge on the history of magic, or whether Insights on Psychology goes in the medical section or the philosophy section.”
“Alright, you got me. When I was young I was a voracious reader. I read through pretty much any book I could get my hooves on, which wasn’t many at first. We didn’t have many choices where I grew up, so I took to borrowing books from folk around town.”
“Borrowing? Like from a library?”
“Not quite. Borrowing as in taking them without asking. I always gave them back though.”
“Where did you grow up?”
Padlock sighed softly and said “We’re getting into territory best left unexplored right now.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” Twilight said quietly, setting two plates down on the table.
“It’s okay. It’s a bit of a sore spot, and I’d prefer to leave it in the past. You didn’t know.”
The two ate their meals in silence, and when he had finished Padlock stood up and said “Alright then, it’s about time I find somewhere to sleep now.”
“Oh! I’d been meaning to talk to you about that. There’s no reason for you to have to sleep outside again. You’re more than welcome to stay here.”
“I don’t know… I’m not really one for creature comforts and whatnot.”
“Please? Twilight said, giving puppy dog eyes.
“Gaaah… Fine, just stop with the face.” Padlock relented.
“Great!”
The front door to the library opened and after a moment Spike called out “Twilight! I’m gone for a few hours and you already replaced me?!”
While Twilight went about calming Spike down, Padlock decided to take a bit of a stroll around town. The two librarians were bickering, so neither noticed as he slipped his pack on and walked out the door. He made his way slowly down the street, unsure of what to do with himself. Food and lodging seemed to have taken care of themselves, tasks which normally took a good portion of his day. He made his way to the fountain in the center of town and sat down at the edge, staring into the crystal blue waters.
His reflection stared back, its deep blue eyes looking rather tired. He smoothed his light grey mane as best as he could, and scratched at his scruffy beard. His light brown coat was covered in soot from the fire earlier in the day, and in general he just looked like a mess.
It was strange, normally he didn’t care how he looked, but today his disheveled appearance bothered him slightly. He turned away from his reflection and stood up.
“Well, now what?” He asked himself.
“If you’re bored, I can probably do something about that!”
Padlock paused. He’d been talking to himself for ages, but this was the first time he’d gotten a response. He looked around and noticed the pink pony who had sung to him when he arrived in town the other day.
“Oh. Hello, umm… Pinkie, was it? For a second there I thought I was really going crazy.”
“Oh, it’s okay! My friends say I’m crazy sometimes, but I’m perfectly normal!”
“Right then… So what was it you needed?”
“Oh, it’s not about what I need, it’s about what you need! You looked so bored sitting here by yourself, so I thought maybe I could help!”
Padlock shrugged. What else did he have to do today anyways? “Alright, what do you have in mind?”
After they had put out the grease fire, Padlock sat down on the floor exhausted.
“I didn’t know cupcakes could burn like that…” He said, still panting.
“Neither did I!” Pinkie said, still energetic. Padlock couldn’t understand how one pony could contain that much energy at once. She seemed like she should have exploded by this point.
“Well… I think that recipe should stay out of the cookbook. A less prepared pony might lose an eyebrow. Or their house…”
“Alright! Now what?!” Pinkie exclaimed, obviously ready to keep going.
“Now, I think I’m going to take a break. This was interesting and all, but boredom has less chance for bodily harm.”
“Okie dokie! I should probably clean this up before Mr. and Mrs. Cake get back anyways. They tend to get a little upset when I almost burn the bakery down.”
Exhausted, Padlock wandered his way back to the fountain to sit down and reflect for a while. He chuckled at his little pun as he walked along, not paying attention to where he was going.
“Eep!”
“Oh, sorry ‘bout that. I was somewhere else, didn’t see ya.” He said apologizing to Fluttershy, who he had walked into.
“Oh, it’s okay. How are you?”
“Not too bad. A little singed, but otherwise no worse for wear.”
“…singed?”
“Yeah… This kid, Pinkie Pie invited me to help her bake. Events took place…”
“Oh, I understand. That happens at least once a week. At least you still have your mane.” She said, giggling.
“There we go! I was starting to worry you never laughed.”
Fluttershy’s face turned scarlet. “Did you find someplace to sleep tonight?”
“Yeah. I’m staying at the library tonight. That Twilight girl wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Oh, good! I hate to think of you out in the cold…” She trailed off.
“Heh, you bunch sure do go through a lot of trouble to make folk feel welcome. Don’t worry so much, you’ll live longer.”
Padlock nodded and tipped his battered hat at Fluttershy and made his way to the library.
He found the library empty when he arrived. He placed his pack in a corner and began searching for the book he had been reading earlier. After a few moments, he found it back on the shelf. Luckily his bookmark was still in its place. He pulled it out, sat down on the floor, and began to read.
He was almost finished with the book when the front door opened and Twilight walked in, Spike on her back. Spike glared at Padlock, still upset about feeling replaced. Twilight rolled her eyes and walked over to him.
“Wow, you’ve been busy.” She said, glancing at the book in front of him.
“Yeah. I haven’t had much time to read lately. That and I haven’t had any books around either.”
“Well, feel free to read as much as you want. I’m going to go start dinner” She said, walking into the kitchen.
Spike stood in front of Padlock and pointed at him. “Don’t get any funny ideas, mister. This is my job.”
“Spiiiiike!” Twilight yelled from the kitchen.
“Don’t worry about it. I just cleaned the place up as a favor. It’s not going to be a regular thing.” Padlock said, trying to ease the tension in the room.
“Well, alright. But I’ve got my eye on you…” Spike said, walking away.
“Jeez… And I thought city folk were nuts…” Padlock murmured, picking the book up.
Twenty minutes later, the three of them were seated at the dinner table, a generous helping of food in front of Padlock.
“I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, but I appear to have significantly more in front of me than either of you.” He said, looking over the table.
“Consider it payment for services rendered.” Twilight said, beginning to eat. “No more complaining. Eat up.”
Padlock managed to keep the dinner conversation to general pleasantries. He was thankful that the young unicorn seemed to have let go of trying to get into his past. Afterwards, Twilight and Spike went upstairs to write a letter, leaving Padlock alone again. He busied himself by washing the dishes and tidying up around the kitchen a bit.
“Twiiiliiight! He’s doing it again!” Spike called up the stairs from the entrance to the kitchen.
“Oh, sorry bud. Didn’t mean to step on your toes again… Just wanted to make myself useful. I’m not used to this living inside thing anymore.”
Spike sighed. “It’s okay. It’s just that with you doing everything, I don’t have anything to do anymore.”
“Kid, I feel your pain.” Padlock replied, chuckling. “How about this, I won’t put away any of the books I read. I’ll leave them on the table for ya.”
“Hmm… alright.”
Padlock found his spot on the floor and began reading again. Before long, he had finished the book and started rummaging around for another. He noticed a familiar tome on the history of locksmithing, and settled down to read.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when he looked up, but saw that it was dark outside. Hearing hoofsteps on the stairs, he turned to see Twilight coming down, eyes half closed with sleep.
“Padlock, it’s three in the morning. Why are you still awake?” She said, yawning.
“Sorry. I hope I didn’t keep you up or anything. I haven’t been able to just sit down and read like this in years. I guess I got caught up in it…”
“It’s okay. I get like that a lot actually. What are you reading?”
Padlock put the piece of paper he had been using as a bookmark into place and closed the book to show her the cover.
“A History of Lock Making? That’s an interesting choice.” She said, looking volume over.
“It’s the book that got me interested in working with locks in the first place. Haven’t seen a copy since I was a colt.”
“Was that one of the books you borrowed” She asked, a sly tone in her voice.
“Yep. And I gave it back too, just like I said.”
“The perfect crime, eh?”
“Nah. I got caught putting it back. Mr. Keystone caught me leaving it on his doorstep, but instead of being angry he was curious. He asked me if I’d actually read it. I ended up getting a job working for him after that.”
“Wow… I still don’t understand why you had to steal the books in the first place though.” Twilight said, sitting down next to him.
Padlock sighed. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Probably not, no. You’re like a mystery that I just can’t solve.”
“Alright. I’ll make us some coffee. It’s going to be a bit of a tale, and I’m sure you’ll have questions.”
The two of them sat in the kitchen, coffee brewing nearby. Twilight grabbed two mugs from a cabinet and set them on the table before sitting down across from Padlock.
“Care to guess just how old I am?” he asked.
“It’s hard to tell. You’re kinda dirty. It makes it hard to guess.”
“I’m nearly forty five years old.”
“Well, you don’t look a day over thirty.”
“Stop that. Flattery will get you everywhere. Anyways, as I was saying... When I was a young colt, things were very different. I was born in Manehattan in a poor district. Violence was common in the streets, and work was hard to come by.” He paused to pour some coffee before continuing. “My parents died not long after I was born. I don’t even remember what they looked like. I was sent to live at an orphanage.”
“I’m so sorry…” Twilight said, looking down.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. That’s how life works.”
“Still…”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m here now, so the story has a happy ending of sorts.” He took a sip of his drink and continued his story. “As I said, I was sent to live at the orphanage. It wasn’t exactly the greatest place to be. There were about a hundred of us in an old apartment building that had been repurposed. There was never much food to go around, and nothing to do. We were forced to work as soon as we turned six, mostly doing odd jobs for local businesses. While I was helping a local bookseller to organize his stock room, he noticed I was having trouble understanding what to do. Y’see, I couldn’t read at that point, so when he told me to get a certain book, I just grabbed one and hoped for the best.”
“They didn’t teach you to read at the orphanage?”
“They could barely even feed us. They didn’t have time or resources to teach us too. But that bookseller took an interest in me. I continued to work for him, and on breaks he taught me how to read. When he had books he couldn’t sell, he gave them to me. I began reading everything I could, and started teaching the others how to as well. After a while, I had run out of reading material, but I couldn’t afford to buy new books. I took to stealing them to feed my love for the written word. Like I told you earlier, I eventually got caught.”
“Mr. Keystone.”
“Exactly. He was impressed that I’d bothered to steal the book, let alone read the entire thing. He tested me on my knowledge of locks, and decided that I would be his apprentice. I spent every day working there, and when I turned sixteen I left the orphanage for good. I worked for him until I turned twenty before he told me I had learned everything I could from him. So, I set off on my own. I had saved up enough money to open my own store, and I did quite well for a while. But something was wrong. I wasn’t happy with my life.”
“Why not? It sounds like you were pretty successful.”
“I think that was the problem. The fight was over. There was nothing more to overcome. I’d spent my entire life fighting to keep myself above water, and now that I was finally on dry land I found I missed the ocean. I had nothing to strive for. So I left. I had nothing tying me to that place, no friends or family. I sold the store off and went to school again. For a while it was fantastic. There were constant challenges, and so many new books to read. I ended up taking on too much to handle at once, but ended up loving that even more. I graduated with a double major in Literature and Engineering.”
“That an odd combination.”
“Well, they were my two passions. It made perfect sense to me. After I’d finished school, I found myself again lost. Again there was nothing to challenge me. I knew I could build up a business again, but it would eventually grow stale. I could try to earn another degree, but my funds were growing slim as it was. Instead, I decided to leave everything behind. I would take on a new kind of challenge. I didn’t just become homeless, I chose this. Every day a struggle, a fight to survive.”
“You wanted to be homeless?! Are you crazy?” Twilight said incredulously.
“Probably, yes. As I said, I longed for the challenge. This life hasn’t disappointed either. There’s always some new problem to overcome, something new to face. And for once, I truly felt free. I didn’t have to worry about rent or bills anymore. If things got out of control, all I had to do was hop on a train and I’d find a whole new place full of possibilities. A whole new adventure, whenever I wanted it.”
“Honestly, I can’t tell if you’re completely crazy or incredibly brilliant.”
“Well, keep in mind that I do have a tendency to talk to myself.”
“Fair enough. So why did you come here?”
“I managed to get in enough trouble back in Baltimare that I had to leave town. There was a… disagreement about money.”
“Ah…”
“So, I hopped a train, and found myself here. I figured if anything I could hang around until the heat died down.”
The two sat in silence for a while, sipping at their now cooling coffee. After a few minutes had passed, Twilight spoke up.
“So, was it worth it?”
“For the most part, yeah. I’ll admit I’ve missed out on a lot in life, but I’ve also experienced more than most will in their lives.”
“Missed out on what?”
“Relationships of any sort. Life on the streets doesn’t tend to bring about lasting friendships. They actually tend to get in the way a lot. They start out as friends, but quickly become a form of competition. They know where you go for food, where you sleep, your habits. Then something goes wrong. They end up owing money, or they need something, and they come to you, bringing their problems with them. Bringing you into their problems…”
“Isn’t that what friends are for? To help each other with their problems?”
“Probably, but when your friends end up bringing angry bookies and thugs looking to break legs into your life, you start questioning the friendship. After a while, you stop making friends at all.”
“It must be lonely out there…”
“Yep. But I survive.”
Twilight looked into his eyes. “Is it really surviving? Or is it just keeping your head above water?”
Padlock sighed and took another sip of the now cold coffee. “You have a point, kid. Honestly, this is the most I’ve spoken with anyone in as long as I can remember.”
“I was like you once. I focused all of my energy on studying. I thought friendships would get in the way.”
Padlock looked up at her, and she continued. “I was wrong. What I was doing before, that wasn’t living. It was nothing but routine. When I came here, I had no idea what to do. If the ponies here hadn’t taken an interest in me, I probably wouldn’t have made any friends ever. But they did.” Twilight began to tear up as she continued to speak. “Honestly, I can’t imagine living any other way now… Sure, they may annoy me, or cause problems, but when I need them most I can always count on them. And they can count on me.”
“I don’t know if I can relate to anyone in a real way anymore.”
Twilight smiled, her eyes still watering. “I guess you have a new challenge.”
Padlock walked up to the wooden building, for the first time in a while feeling nervous. He pulled out his key and placed it in the lock. The key turned smoothly with a click and the door swung open. The room was empty, but he had expected that. Soon though, it would be full of shining brass and steel, ready to become a lock or a key.
Twilight was right. He had a new challenge before him, and this one wouldn’t be so easy to overcome. With some help he rented a building began about setting up a small locksmith business. He never once thought he’d find himself in this position again, but then again… C’est la vie.