> Meet OliveDrab > by OliveDrab > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nopony has heard my name, or at least nopony who keeps out of trouble knows my name. My life has been a fairly clouded story, and that's why I am here today. You see, I was born in a small home on the outskirts of cloudsdale. my parents were good parents they really were its just... well... they kinda weren't there very long as they abandoned me in cantarlot. Yeah I was a reject. I remember what my father looked like. He was a tall white pegasus with a stern hard look on his face. As i recall, he was hardly ever home and when he was I remember having to hide for some reason I never really met him until that final day. That day out of curiosity I burst out to meet my father and was overjoyed to see him again... until i saw the look on my moms face when he glared at her. It was then apparent that my mother hid me for good reason. That night I was beaten till I bled and made to sleep outside. The next morning I was beaten again and then tied like an animal so that I could be taken to a back alley in cantarlot. Once we reached cantarlot I was thrown to the ground and beaten once more. I was left on my own dying and unable to free myself. > Cantarlot > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cantarlot. The shining capital of all Equestria. By day a beautiful city run by unicorns, by night a breeding ground of crime and corruption. Heck, I got tangled up in a couple gangs myself but thats a different story. So there I was, tied up and bleeding, unable to move the pain was so severe, scared because of my new surroundings when who should find me but Princess Celestia, the ruler of all Equestria. Thats right the princess herself found me on an early morning walk to relieve herself of some royal stress. At the moment I saw her I was so overcome by fear, pain, hatred, and joy that I passed out. When I awoke I was on something very soft it felt almost like a cloud but it was inside and on the ground. A BED I couldnt believe it a real bed but how, where, why... and then the pain hit me and I remembered the previous night and earlier morning, or at least i think it was then how long had I been out? and thats when I saw her a purple filly... a unicorn looking at me. I thought back to the last details I could remember the princess was there but there was another... I only caught a glimpse but I saw a purple horn significantly lower than Celestia would have. "Hello?" I called timidly then with a litle strength "who are you." As if in reply celestia walked in and with a voice of tender kindness asked "what is your name? how badly do you hurt?" I was dumbfounded the princess not only had a filly but also cared for me on a personal level I could barely say "your highness" before I passed out again. The next morning I woke again and the unicorn was watching me. I spoke up "wh- who are you?" she didn't reply she just blushed smiled and backed off. At that moment I noticed Celestia was in the room "your highness!" I exclaimed as I sat up the best I could. The pain was agonizing but I managed. Celestia simply placed her hoof on my back and cast a healing spell. "thank you" is all I could think to say. That evening I decided to try to talk to this purple unicorn who watched over me ever since i was brought into the castle. "Hello" I called as she peeked into my room. she said nothing but walked in with a smile that I had welcomed her. "My name is-" I began, "Olive Drab" she finished for me. "How did you know?" I asked. "You mumbled in your sleep" said the unicorn. "My name is Twilight Sparkle I'm the princesses private student." So that's who she was I've heard of her being very talented in magic and very book smart, but I would never of thought she would be this beautiful. She quickly looked around and then stated "you're welcome to stay here but be careful one of the guards seems to have something against you." I started to inquire, but Twilight simply placed her hoof on my mouth. "Follow me" she said. In that moment I decided to listen to her at all times. She led me to a room full of books. "Stand on top of that hour glass" she ordered and so I did. She seemed serious and focused on what she was doing. I noticed her horn was glowing and I was watching the events of my life. "I recognize your father he's a officer for the royal guard" Twilight gasped. "Well that explains his strength" I stated sarcastically as Twilight pulled me out of the trance. "Don't tell anypony about what I just did. The princess doesn't even know." I nodded my head slowly. "Twilight?" I started. "Why are you helping me?" The only response I got was a blush and a smile. I knew then that I would regret having to leave. > Escape from Cantarlot castle > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight and I walked to my room talking the whole time. Mostly we just made small talk and told old jokes, but we both knew I was planning my escape. When we reached my room both twilight and I locked the doors and started working eventually coming up with a foolproof plan for my escape. It was late into the night when Twilight went to her room and I drifted off to sleep. Early that morning the princess walked in and gave me a gift, it was a vintage wonderbolts ground crew cap. It was a good military style green hat with a lightning bolt pin on the front symbolizing that it was a team leaders cap. I also received the latest model in flight goggles. They were wonderful gifts especially for what I was planning... "Good luck Olive watch for the gold lightning" I knew Twilight had told the princess that I had to leave. "Thank you your highness" I said but she had already left the room. "Olive" said twilight as she walked in "I wish you could stay" she said trying desperately to hide her tears. "I know Twilight but you know I cant" I said as she rested her head on my shoulder and I stroked her mane. "Olive i want you to have this" she said as she handed me a pack with two books, some scrolls, a quill, some ink and a photo of her. What could i do? I embraced her and we both cried silently. Our brief relationship was to be torn apart because of the unfortunate circumstances in which it began. Just then a troop of royal guards walked in and surrounded me. I slung my pack on, let my goggles hang around my neck, and made sure my hat was secure before I jumped from a window using my wings to glide to a lower chamber. I landed in a hall filled with scrambling guards. They didn't notice me before the princess did and she screamed for me to run. I ran fast and strong and before I knew it I had broken through a door and was in the main courtyard. The guards were gaining on me as spears started flying near me when out of the corner of my eye I saw Twilight. "Olive take me with you" she screamed in tears. I ran to her, kissed her, and then turned to run on without her. That was the last I saw of her for a while. Every now and then I would stand near the wall and call her name but she never came. I was on my own on the streets of Cantarlot. > Streets of darkness > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some say the streets of cantarlot are walked upon by heroes, it may be true but those same streets are walked upon by criminals and rejects too. These streets are where I noticed my cutiemark: a spade with a lightning bolt through it supposedly denoting extreme luck. These streets are where it began and almost ended for me. So I was alone, I had no food, home, or friends I was completely and utterly alone. Hopelessness was beginning to set in when I noticed a large pack just sitting in the street. I checked the contents, illegal rainbow tabs and that's when the light blue unicorn struck. She was still a filly about my age but before I could put the pack down she had her horn to my throat menacing me as though I was a threat to her. "So the guards sent a young buck to bust me. Who are you?" she asked. I could have bluffed my way out but instead I tried my luck at fighting for my life. I ended up on the ground getting kicked by multiple young bucks and fillies when I caught a glimpse of purple. "Twilight!?" but there was no reply, rather loose bricks started flying towards my assailants with collateral landing on me. After a few seconds the gang ran taking their evidence with them. "Twilight?" she stepped out of the shadows "Olive!" she exclaimed as she ran to embrace me. "Two months and you've already gotten tangled up in gangs." I let my head hang low. "It was an accident I was trying to survive" "Olive" she hushed me gently "Its okay Olive what you did was brave I saw your face when you opened the pack." I noticed then that she had a pack on and realized what she was trying to do. "Twilight you know you cant come with me." She looked down and sighed. "Please Olive we could do this together." I sternly looked at her. "No twilight I love you too much to let you throw away your future like that." She looked up crying. "I know I just wanted to be with you." I embraced her. "I'll come back I promise" and that was the last I saw of her for years. I spent two more months on the streets of cantarlot, and then I walked out of the city for the last time. > the wonderbolts > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When I left Cantarlot I stayed out of trouble for the most part. As I went from town to town I learned how to find food, make shelter, and even send letters to Twilight every once and a while. One day stands out to me though, It was the day I encountered the Wonderbolts. I was in between Manehattan and the Everfree forest, an area known as the winter valley when suddenly out of nowhere the Wonderbolts swept past me. I knew this wasn't good because the guards had deemed me as a dangerous criminal the Wonderbolts were the last ditch effort of killing me before I reach the safety of the Everfree forest. I had no cover, no plan, no support, all I had was the contents of my pack, my hat, my goggles, and the best fliers in equestria trying to kill me. I started to run but the Wonderbolts caught up to me easily. I had no choice but to start an avalanche. I yelled as loud as I could but nothing happened. The snow was too stable. I Guess luck was still on my side because, just then an enormous golden explosion shook the valley hard enough to start a massive avalanche trapping one of the Wonderbolts under the snow. I took flight but stopped to look back one last time. I saw the Wonderbolts trying desperately to rescue their fallen comrade and a cyan filly watching me with pure hate and desperation in her eyes. In a split second I made a decision that I would have mercy and help my misunderstanding opponent. At first the Wonderbolts didn't even know I was there but as I uncovered the injured stallion the cyan filly joined my side desparately digging. Eventualy when the stallion was out I called for the Wonderbolts and they began to thank me grudgingly as I flew away into the sunset. That was the last i ever saw of that squad I may never know the fate of their comrade or even if they made it out of the valley. I was on my way to the Everfree forest and a life of safety. I would never believe that I was flying into the most dangerous trap that would ever be sprung. > closure > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The second I landed in the Everfree forest I knew I was in danger. I wrote twilight a note and left it in a tree nearby. My suspicions of danger were right because as I stepped away a royal spear hit the tree were I was standing a moment earlier. I turned to see my father readying another spear in a blind rage. I sprinted forward with all my might. He wasn't expecting it and lost balance when I collided with him. I slammed my hoof into his face as hard as I could while he was on the ground, knocking him out so I could escape. Just then an angry manticore charged out of the brush and got the jump on me. It damaged my wing pretty badly I could tell it was at least heavily bruised. The manticore began to charge my injured and defenseless father but I grabbed one of his spears and distracted the manticore by piercing its back. About that time my father was coming to and all I knew to do as I pulled out the spear was to scream for my father to run but rather than run he grabbed a spear and attacked the manticore. "I underestimated you my son! You are honorable and full of mercy, areas where I have failed!" he yelled to me "I can never kill my own bloodline, nor let them die no matter how desperate I am" I revealed to him as I took another jab at the manticore. Suddenly my father hesitated, giving the manticore perfect oppurtunity to strike him. The the force threw him a good fifty meters back but he got up, bruised and bloody. "Come on you want dinner your gonna have to catch it!" he screamed and the manticore ran for him as he took off further into the forest. It seemed my luck had run out as I ran after my father and the manticore... > shadows of heroes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olive never made it out of the Everfree forest. The Wonderbolts went into the forest after hearing commotion and roaring. When they finally found Olives dad he was barely holding on. The manticore was dead buried under a pile of rubble near the remains of Olives pack. After Olive charged into the forest to save his father the manticore struck his father fatally. Olive rushed to his fathers side and tryed to save him but it was useless. Olive could only live if his father died. Olive wasn't ready to accept those terms. In his heroism he noticed a group of rocks that he could cause a landslide with. With his wing injured he couldn't fly up to trigger it so he acted as bait whistling for the manticore to come his way and once it was upon him he threw his pack at the rocks crushing the manticore and himself. I was escorted by the guard to speak with his dying father at the scene of the incident. "he's safe now, watching from above." Were the last words his father ever spoke. Among the pack were the books I gave him, stationary he used to write me with, and a worn photo of me. His memorial service was large. Many politicians and Guards attended. He was deemed a hero for rescuing the Wonderbolt in the valley and for giving his last full measure of devotion protecting an officer in the royal guard. I received his medal because I was the closest thing he had to family. His mother jumped from Cloudsdale upon his abandonment taking her own life. They never recovered his remains. All I have of him now is the final letter he wrote to me that I received in the forest. "Dear Twilight, I have made it to my final destination maybe now I can live on in peace. You cant leave your studies but I wish you were here with me its wonderful. Love, Olive Drab." Even now I can still hear him call out to me, but perhaps its just a fading echo of things that were never meant to be.