Old Man Norman 2: Rotten Core

Old Man Norman 2: Rotten Core

 

>"Run"

>That's what the old man told me.

>'Run, he said.'

 

>I looked at him. His eyes weary, his nose bleeding.

>The man I helped suffer just saved me from getting beaten up, or worse.

 

>"Run, boy, RUN!"

>I back away from him.

>He mistook me for a boy. Guess the disguises work somewhat.

>Giving a nod of gratitude, I run away, away from the alley.

>Never looking back. I'm still shaking from what had transpired.

 

Babs Seed

 

>I ran outside the gates. The torches lit my path.

>Outside was a little hole, covered in a net of leaves and dirt.

>Beneath it, a path to the sewers.

>An underground passage way.

>My home, along with my comrades.

>I climb down the ladder. It was rusting, but it was still sturdy.

>Getting off it, the first to greet me was Scootaloo. An old friend.

 

>We met years ago when we were eight, along with...ahh what was their names?

>Sweety? Sweeney? Appleblock?

>Bah, doesn't matter. I don't even know if they're still alive.

>It's been so long.

>Scootaloo's a cripple. Needing a walking stick, or a cane to walk.

>She wasn't with us when we beat up the old man.

>"Hey Babs. What took you so long?"

>Scootaloo walks with me to the hide-out.

"I ran into some trouble. How's the leg?"

>"Not like it will heal anytime, unless I marry royalty."

"Heh. Ah don't think they have some magical salve that heals that good."

>"But they have the BEST doctors! The doctors here are either quacks, rapists or both!"

"Aye, but the next city is too far away, plus it's dangerous for kids like us.

>"Babs, we're fifteen. We's big enough to know how to spot danger."

"Yeah, well, we're not smart enough to evade everything, especially the outskirt gangs."

>"You saying we should fear that Nolan guy? He ain't nothing but a crook."

"Ah crook that has an army of other crooks!"

>"W-well yeah, there's that."

 

>Arriving at the main hideout, Diamond Tiara greets me in the only way she knew how.

>>"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?"

"Diamond, I wa-"

>>"I don't CARE about your excuses. Did you get the stuff?"

"No. Butchers grabbed it from me and used it as a one way ticket out of here, then the orphan collectors showed up"

>>"FAUST DAMMIT, Babs. YOU HAD ONE JOB!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

>"Yes it was! All you had to do was sneak around and get back here as fast as possible!"

>Diamond Tiara was screaming and shouting, blaming me.

>Suppose it was my fault for being careless.

>>"You know what, no dinner for you."

"OH COME ON!"

>"Diamond, give her a break!"

>>"Oh, you're siding with her, chicken? You don't want a plate of soup?"

>Scootaloo stopped talking and looked down in shame.

>She wanted to help me, but she's torn between hunger and friends.

 

"You know what? Fine. I'll go find mah own plate of food. I don't need you."

>"Babs, wait! If you walk out of here, she'll consider you an outsider."

"Scootaloo, all we've done everyday is steal from the idiots above while avoiding perverts and murderers! We're all growing up, we can't keep on living like this."

>>"And what do you propose, Babs? Go out there and steal from the kingdom guards? Kill ourselves by throwing ourselves by the river?"

>You looked at Diamond Tiara with annoyance. She does the same with you.

>Alas, you give in, and sat down by the fire without supper.

>>"Hmph. That's what I thought."

 

Norman

>The boy is gone. I suppose I should go before these goons wake up.

"URGH"

>The pain intensifies.

>Nose bleeding, ribs cracked.

>You limp in vain as you walked out of that alley way.

>Alas, you give in to the tiredness and sat outside the city's bar.

>The smell of drunkards and dead bastards reached outside it's doors.

>You remember back when bars had some decency. Now it's a place for insanity and bloodshed.

"Heh, Blue could survive there."

>You remember a blue woman, a bit tomboyish when you met her. A woman filled with energy.

>She was one of Queen Sparkle's friends. Unlike the Queen, you can't remember that blue woman's name.

>She was close to you, probably because you thought of her as your equal. Running towards the fields in a nice afternoon picnic.

 

>Did we do it once?

>...

>Nah.

>If I remembered correctly, she's a courier now for the Queen.

*grumble*

>Damn, I forgot to find food today.

>Hmm, maybe I can sneak some grub out of the bar.

 

>You enter the bar, limping and bruised.

>YOu look no better than the ones who came in before you.

>To the left, you see some left over chicken.

>You slowly creep over to the table.

>Stretching the arm right over ther.

>Almost got it.

>Unnnff.

 

>"HEY!"

"Crap."

>The man grabs your frail arm. He caught you trying to steal his chicken.

>"You trying to steal my grub?"

"N-No...?"

>The large man stretches and throws you through the window.

*CRASH*

"ARRGH!"

>Jeez, that hurt like hell!

>I can't believe I'm still in one piece after today.

>Screw it. I'll just crawl back up the hill and...eat the caterpillars crawling up that tree.

 

Babs Seed

>Everyone's asleep.

>Scootaloo gave half an apple so I wouldn't go to bed with an empty stomach.

>Only I couldn't eat it.

>I feel as if I should make a choice here. Leave the lair and choose my own fate, or wait until the day we get caught.

>Bah.

 

>You walk around the dark hideout. Only one torch lights the way, and that's by the exit.

>You put the apple in your pocket and went outside.

>SInce your stuff is inside the hideout, they won't list you off as 'gone rouge' yet.

 

>It's almost sunrise. You look behind to see the wall that surrounds the city.

>You wish you were born in a better time.

>sigh

>You walk towards the direction of the kingdom.

>The majestic beauty gives a sparkle in your eyes.

>Hard to imagine what's inside the queen's castle.

>Hundreds of lucky servants? Kings giving their gifts to the queen?

>If only I could take a peek.

>You walk by the edge of the land.

 

>A checkpoint, guarded by many guards.

>It's the only way to proceed to the queen's kingdom.

>Sadly, no one comes in, or comes out but the queen's royal pawn. Sometimes the bishop, too.

>You leave the edge to go to the left. There you see in the far distance, a land, filled with ambiguity.

>You never saw what was in that other city. Only the stories you've heard fill in the puzzle in your mind.

>Some say it's no worse than the city here. Others say it's a city of organized gangs, with nothing but daily bloodshed to determine territory.

>Finally, far away from the city, the other city, and the kingdom. Everfree Forest.

>Story is, anyone who comes in there, doesn't come out at all.

>Beliefs were cut to two. One saying that they found a city of liesure, the others saying they all died.

>Between the forrest and the other city, no other way out but through the cliff.

>Below the cliff, a rocky, watery death.

>Even if you survived jumping off of it, you'll just drown from the water, or have your head smashed in due to the pressure.

>Ugh.

 

>You see the tree on the hill.

>You thought to yourself you'd see the land better up there.

>Besides, not like anyone comes there anyway. The tree bears no fruit.

>As you climb up, you see a man searching the bark.

>You back off at first, but then you recognize the old man.

>It was the guy who saved you back at the city.

>You come near him.

>He notices and stops picking on the bark.

 

>"Who's there? Please, I don't have anything valuable."

"Relax, old man. I'm not here for trouble.

>He looks at you. Finally, he recognizes you.

>"Y-you. The kid from a few hours ago."

"Glad Alzhimers hasn't hit you hard yet, old man."

>You grab the apple from your pocket and threw it at him.

>He gobbles the whole thing up in a minute, save for the apple core.

>"T-thank you."

"Considered the debt repaid."

>You sit by the tree and looked at the sunrise.

 

"Why'd you help me, old man? Didn't you recognize me from before?"

>The old man looked at you again.

>"I did, but I couldn't let anyone get hurt. What am I, if not the same as those people by the city if I don't help others?"

"Your generosity will kill you."

>"If it did, at least I'll die doing something right. What are you doing up here, boy?"

"Ehh, couldn't sleep. Just thinking about the future."

>"That's a first in this town."

"Hey old man. How long have you been here?"

>"I don't remember...70 years?"

"Damn, that's way before the Queen's coronation."

>"Heh. Would you believe me if I told you that me and the Queen were best of friends."

"...No. Look at yourself.  You think a queen would leave a best friend out here?"

>"...I can't answer that. I lost most of my memories. I can only remember fragments."

"Easy there, grandpa, any more jumbled words like that an' I might just leave."

>"Heh. So what DO you plan for the future, kid? Hang out with those friends of yours until one of you dies or snaps?"

"That's what's keeping me up all night. See, the thing is, if I leave with my stuff out of there, they'll consider me an outsider and will treat me like any other."

>"You hate it there?"

"I do, but..."

>"But?"

"I have a best friend there. A cripple. I can't leave her there, and I can't leave without her. She's like a sister to me."

>"Ahh."

>The old man takes off his beanie.

>"What do you want for your future, kid?"

"Huh?"

>"I mean, if the queen wasn't such a tyrant today. What did you want to be?"

 

>You take off your hat, and thought to yourself.

"I actually don't know. I mean, I've always wanted to be one of those fishermen, but...I lost sight of that dream."

>"I thought you'd just be one of those boys who wanted to be a knight and sweep a princess off her feet."

"THat's like saying every woman here wants to be swept off by a knight."

>"Who wouldn't? After that, they'd get wedded, free housing, all the riches."

"But that would be so boring!"

>"Hahah."

 

>The sun has risen. You should get back to the hideout.

>"Listen, I've enjoyed your company. Thanks for coming."

"No problem. Listen, I have something for you."

>"More food?"

"Well, no."

>"You take out a small ticket from your pocket."

>"A lottery ticket?"

"It's not for gold. It's for a horse and a cart. The draw is later today. You should have it."

>"I...I don't know what to say."

"You'll need it more than I would. Until nextime, old man."

>"Name's Norman."

"Sure. Norman."

 

>You wave your goodbyes and head right back down the sewer hideout.

>The old man held to the ticket tightly. He knew that this could be his ticket out of here.

>"Better go to the draw. Where is the draw?"

>He looks at the ticket. A fine print below the number.

>"Canterlot Kingdom. Present to checkpoint guard for entrance."

>"Well... THis should be interesting."

 

End of Chapter 2.