Shatters of A Reflection

by 3ndless

An OC HiE. Jake Muller wanted nothing more then to be accepted in life. But how is supposed to when he was born to parents that abuse and neglect him. And in turn he closed his heart to the world around him. This is going to be in an AU so beware some ponies will be different.

4. Acceptance

Shatters of a Reflection Chapter 3: Acceptance

-Just a little heads up, if you want to have a good song to listen while reading this chapter then look up, "Most Heartful OSTs Ever : Tears Of Joy," on youtube and play it towards the end of the Chapter, you'll know when to play it. So enjoy!-

An endless void of darkness, is this all that waits for you when you die? I had been wandering for days walking but never coming to a start or end, just the black fog that surrounded me as I walked around aimlessly.

I wondered if this was even real or not. That maybe I was just at home waiting to wake up from this nightmare.

"So this is how it ends huh?" I asked myself as I stopped and looked up into what should be the sky but instead it was nothing but darkness. No light no nothing.

I closed my eyes and just gave up. What was the use of going on if there was nothing waiting for me, no caring family, no friends, nothing.

"Wake up."

I opened my eyes and looked around, "Who said that! Who's there?" I shouted out but there was nothing I looked around me but there was still that void.

"Where are you?"

"Hello is anyone there!" I shouted this time I got an answer.

A small flicker of light appeared in the distance away from me. It was only a faint light that lasted no more than a second but I saw it.

I broke into a sprint and ran towards it.

"Come out now!"

The voice was getting louder. I could even see the same light before me I was getting closer to it.

"Jake where are you!"

I reached out for the light when I realized I knew that voice and I tried to pull my hand back but it was already inside of the light. Then suddenly everything flashed around me blinding me as I appeared in my room.

My room back on Earth.

I looked around the room; there was snow outside the window. I could see my breath something inside me shivered as if this was a memory.

"JAKE!" I heard His voice call my name and I heard something bang in the closet in my room.

'Why does this seem so familiar?' I thought as I walked over to the closet which had no door on it and saw me, but it wasn't me but my younger self.

I, he was bundled up in a large blanket and was shivering. He sneezed and jumped as the door was banged against once more this time opening up and in walked the bastard of a father of mine.

And then the memory came back to me, this was night before my sixth Christmas. I remember because this was when I had gotten sick badly with a high fever. And they, they left me alone to fend for myself as they went out to party.

"There you are you little shit." He said grabbing my younger self's arm and dragging him out of the closet and tossing him against the bed.

"That hurt." He grumbled out and the man just laughed.

"You think that hurts." He said laughing as he pulled his hand back and slapped me him in the face sending him flying into the wall hitting his head.

"Me and the bitch are heading out so stay here and don't try and runaway again or else there will be hell to pay do you understand." He said grabbing my collar and lifting me up to his face.

The younger I nodded weakly fighting off the tears in his eyes as the man dropped him.

"Hey asshole!" I reached out for him but my hand just went through his shoulder and I nearly fell down.

He and walked out of the room slamming it shut behind him.

I just stood there and watched him leave as I heard myself begin to cry. I was hurt, sick and alone. This was when I had almost died because when they came back I needed to go to the hospital which they didn't take me. Instead they gave me medicine and I had to fight of the fever on my own.

You already know the results of what happened since I am here now.

I noticed the scene changing once again, this time I was brought to a small park. There were no kids around and I sat there alone in the sandbox. I saw the woman who should have been my mother talking with a strange looking man who gave her a package and he left.

I watched my younger self get up only to trip over the side of the sand box and fall on the ground getting a small cut over his arm. He began to cry as he got up and walked over to his mother only she paid no mind to him.

"Mommy it hurts." He cried out but she still paid him no mind. It wasn't until she saw some more mothers enter the park that she looked at him. She saw that they were looking at her and she picked him up and patted his back while gathering her things.

That was the only moment I felt loved, even if it was all fake.

As soon as she walked into the door still carrying him she put him down and closed the door. He looked up at her only to be slapped on his face. He was knocked off his feet.

"Get up!" She shouted at him. I watched as she slapped him over and over again saying how embarrassing she was that he made a scene at the park like that. Once more I had to watch as my own younger self was beaten in front of me, and I had to relive the memories I had once forgotten.

"Why am I seeing all this?" I questioned as the scene changed once more. This time I was older. It was something that happened three years ago when I was ten.

I had gotten into one of my first fights with some classmates who were bullies. They thought I was going to let them push me around but they had it coming. But since I broke the jaw of one of them I was in more trouble then I should have been.

"Now, Mr. Muller do you understand the trouble your son is going to be in. Even if he didn't start the fight, he did injure one of his fellow classmates and that is not to be taken lightly here. So I am afraid I must suspend him for two weeks as punishment and during that time I want him to write letter apologizing to the ones he beat up saying he is sorry for doing that." It was the principal of my middle school.

I hated him, who makes you write a letter saying sorry to bullies that were trying to beat you up in the first place.

"I will make sure he does that Principal and once more I am sorry about all this." My Father said staking his side without even trying to understand what had really happened.

I watched as I knew what was going to happen next. It was how I got one of my more permanent scars.

He took me home angry as hell since he didn't say a single word in the truck.

He took me inside and slammed the door shut behind him. I watched my younger self turn around only to be deck in the face and sent flying back.

I winced remembering the pain in my eye after that. I watched him light a smoke and took a few puffs of it before he walked over and kneeled on his stomach pinning him down.

"So you like to fight with other kids but not your old man huh!" He shouted slapping him across the face once more. "Let this be a lesson to you for every time I hear about you fighting!" He said grabbing my arm and placed the lit end of the smoke on my under arm burning it into my skin.

I felt the burn as he did it four more times before he slapped me once more and got off me leaving me there with nothing left. I had no faith anymore. No will to fight him back since I knew I would lose.

I unconsciously rubbed both my arms as I felt he bumps under my shirt. There were more scars on my body from the constant fights I got into and from him but nothing hurt worst then those. As more and more memories flew past me like a walk way I ran past them all.

I just shook my head over and over again, "Stop it….stop it… stop it…stop it..." I cried holding my head as pain was sent through it. I could feel all the pain that was caused to me; I could hear everything anyone ever said to me.

I tripped over my own feet and landed against the ground but I didn't get up. I just curled myself into a ball and shut my eyes.

"Why is this happening to me?" I whispered out as everything seemed to come to a stop. I peeked out to see nothing around me again. I was once more in the dark void.

I got up and looked around but there was nothing, "What the hell was that?" I said to myself.

Then I heard something crying behind me. I turned around to see that same light from before only this time it was shimmering in front of him.

"I'm sorry." It said.

I gave it a questioning look as it began to shine brighter and brighter until I had to look away from it as it blinded me.

The next thing I knew I was opened my eyes once more and I was lying in bed. But sadly it wasn't my bed but a bed of hay. I glanced around the dark room to see that I was in a cell. The sound of dripping water was all I heard.

I tried to sit up but when I did I was stopped by two things pain, which made me stop moving and the other was that both my hands were chained to the wall behind me but I was able to slowly pull myself up and position myself against the wall which my hands where chained too.

I looked over at my shoulder to see it was covered in bandages and my stomach was too. And with all this pain I was in I knew I was alive. But if I was alive then this was all real and I was still in the world where those ponies were.

And as if on queue, a door opened on the opposite side of the room. I waited for some pony to walk in but instead there was a small little head with a horn atop it. Its purple mane had three colors to it, a light shade of purple and pink and the rest was a dark purple. And there was something familiar about it.

As soon as it looked around and noticed me a bright smile appeared on its face, "I found you!" She shouted and rushed in right up the bars of my cell.

"So this is where you have been! I've been looking for you ever since they took you away!" She said. If I remember her name was Twilight something. But then a thought came to mind, why was she looking for me. And another question bugged its way into my mind, if I was in a cell in a dungeon from the looks of it. What was a little thing like her doing here?

"Why were you looking for me?" I asked her and she only smiled as her horn gave a faint glow as something floated from outside the door before it slowly floated in and stopped just outside my cell.

I was surprised to see it, "My bag? But where did you?"

She just smiled, "Cadance took it saying it was hers and she was holding it until she could see you. But when I went to see her I saw it was still in her room so I came to find you to give it back!" She told me but my mind didn't register what she had done.

"T-thanks, I guess." I told her as she pushed it through the cell bars but as soon as she used her magic it began to move towards me and flew into my body.

I felt her magic flowing through me as if it was giving me energy. I used that to reach out with my feet and pulled my bag color to me. I pushed it towards my back. And the thought came to mind as the pain was bearable now.

'What is this?' I thought when the doors opened once more and in walked yet another familiar face walked in.

"Twilight Sparkle? What are you doing inside the Dungeon cells?" He said before he looked over at me and I just grinned at him.

"Like the new look." I said as he snarled at me. He was a Unicorn with light grey coat and a black and slightly grey mane. But the most noticeable thing on him was the eye patch over his right.

He just walked over and slammed his front legs on the cell as if an attempt to scare me but I just stared him in the eyes.

"Hmpt, you should count your lucky stars freak. The Princess have taken to locking you up and even healed you when you were dying. But I say they were wrong to do that. You should have died back when I made you into a freaky pop-"

That was all he got out because in the time that he was talking I managed to break out of the chains holding me using a pick inside my bag and pulled his head into the bars making him hit his eye and wince in pain.

"Listen here. You can talk however your scaring her so back off." I said tossing him back to the ground as I looked at Twilight who was a bit frightened but I just looked at and something inside me wanted assure sure she was safe now, I even had my hand moving towards her but I stopped myself.

"I think you should leave now." I told her but she just frowned before nodding sadly and headed back to the door before disappearing with one last look at me.

The other unicorn stood up and spat at me, "Stupid ape I should kill you right here and now!"

"Then do it." I said, "I have nothing to live for so just end it." He grinned as he walked over to the cell door and used his magic to open it.

I sat there deflated waiting for him to enter the cell. He stopped before me grinning.

"Fine then you hairless ape. I'll finish what the princess couldn't do!" His horn lite up and magic began to form around it.

'Please let this work.' I thought to myself as I lunged forward quickly grabbing him as one more saw his magic flowing into me. I was absorbing it and then when I felt I had enough strength I kneed him in the face. Right over his eye patch which I'm sure hurt like hell since he cried out in pain.

I punched him once more in the stomach and then in the back of his long neck which knocked him down to the ground.

I stood up and flexed my hands and stretched out my arms and legs. I felt stronger than before. It was as if I was no longer tired and my body was hardly in as much pain as it was before.

But while I was distracted I didn't notice that he was still awake until it was too late.

"Bastard!" I heard him shout as my body was engulfed in magic and thrown across the room into the wall cracking it with the force I was thrown with. But I quickly absorbed the magic. I can't explain how but I just did since I was able to move again.

I looked up to see him already rearing back with his back legs and hit me right in the ribs and I heard a cracking sound.

I shouted out as I grabbed one of his legs and slammed my elbow down on it hearing a sickening snap and him screaming out.

I was about to grab the other when a bright yellow glow surrounded the both of us separating us but for me I just broke the hold taking in the magic once more.

I looked to the source to see a large pony just slightly taller than me when I stand up straight. It had a white coat and its mane was multi colored with blue, pink, and a light green. And it was moving as if it was blowing in the windless breeze. She wore a golden crown and breastplate with a purple diamond and on her rear end was the image of a sun.

By my guess this was the Princess.

Then a thought came to me, 'Was she what I saw before I blacked out?' I remember a shadow falling from the sky with two wings and a horn so maybe it was her.

"Captain Knight. What is the meaning of this? Care to explain why it is my student who comes to me in a panic saying you were seeing the being we brought here. I have complied too your demands for keeping it locked up but why is it you have broken your promise and I see come to see you fighting with it?" But the sound of it my guess was she was the Princess he was talking about. And at the moment she was pissed.

I stood to the side holding my side which felt like I had a few broken ribs. I winced a bit at the pain.

"But your Highness! This creature asked for it when he did this to me!" I pointed a hoof at his eye, "And look what he did to me now!" He said showing his back leg to her. It was limp and red from being broken.

'You deserved that.' I thought when the Princess looked over at me.

"Regardless, Guards." Two other ponies in armor walked into the room and walked over to the Princess, "See to it that Captain Knight is taken to the Infirmary and is to stay there until I come to speak with him." She said and they took him away with him saying nothing but the look on his face said everything.

Then after a moment they had left she turned to face me.

"Now, onto more pressing matters." She said looking at me.

I just gulped and stared at her, my mind began to run through all the things I might need to do to escape her or even the things she was going to do to me. She was after all the one in charge here. Anything she said went.

So walked over to me and stopped looking me over before she sighed and looked me straight in the eyes, "I'm sorry." She said taking me by surprise.

"Huh?" I whispered out confused. Why did she apologize to me?

"I said I was sorry. My Royal guards informed me that there was a creature running around Canterlot fighting against the Royal guards. They said you knocked out quite a number of them before they were able to stop you, even if it was by nearly killing you."

I unconsciously reached over to my shoulder but I pulled my hand away but she noticed my little gesture.

"But from what my niece has told me you didn't want to fight to kill them but only harmed them enough so that they were unable to fight you anymore correct." She asked me.

"It was self-defense." I said making her nod to my answer.

"Yes, it would appear this this whole ordeal was just one big misunderstanding. When you first arrived here I sensed your presence but I didn't think much of it until it was just outside the Castle gates where you fought against Knight Blade, my Captain of the guard." She said making me realize what she had said.

"If you knew I was here from the beginning then why didn't you stop them from attacking me?!" I shouted at her but then I remembered she was the monarch of this land and could easily end my life with a single word but instead she just looked down.

"Yes, I am aware of that and I apologize for not intervening sooner. Had I done so you would not be hurt as you are." She said forgetting the fact that I harmed the guards too, "And my guards would not be in recovering right now." She said making me flinch a bit.

But I had to do what I had to do to survive.

"But aside from that, come forth young one." She said in a warming voice.

I was hesitant to move but the warm look on her face told me she meant no harm. I took a step forward as she lowered her head to my stomach.

"Good, now be still for just a moment." She said as her horn began to glow over my body wrapping me in a warm glow before I felt that same warmth in cover my ribs before it stopped and she pulled back and sighed.

"Finished, your wounds are healed once more but this time I suggest not moving to much as my magic can only so much to someone with your abilities." She said making me wonder.

"What do you mean My Abilities?" I asked her and but she only smiled as she held out her front hoof to me.

"Take it hold and you will see."

I looked down at the leg that was stretched out to me and I slowly reached out for it. I grasped it with my hand and felt this strange flow of energy in my hand as if I was being shocked.

"I don't get it?" I said looking up to her, she had a smile on her face but her hair. It was no longer moving as if the wind was blowing against it and it had become a single color instead of being three.

"What?" I said taking back my hand as slowly her mane returned to what it was before.

I was confused now, and she noticed that.

"I am sure that you have many questions Young one. But for now I can say that you have a gift. One that has not been seen for a very long time. You can absorb magic from others and use it as your own and by doing so you gain strength from it. But I am sure you have realized to an extent of what you can do." She grinned and I only nodded to her.

I did notice that. Back when I was fighting or when I was in trouble I did things that I couldn't explain. Was that magic? I could use magic?

I looked down at my hands and noticed they were glowing slightly before it disappeared. The feeling was still there but it was weak now.

"It would seem that your understand that much." She said getting my attention once more, "Now, I believe I have forgotten to introduce myself to you." She stood back and stood tall, "I am the ruler of the Equestria and reigning Princess. I am Princess Celestia. And you are?" She said looking at me.

I just thought for a moment, but then I looked at her, "Jake. My name Jake."

She smiled at me, "It is nice to meet you Jake, now if you would kindly follow me. I believe we have much to talk about and I think a change of scenery is overdue." She said turning around and walking towards the door.

She stopped before exiting and looked back at me, "Are you coming? Or would you rather stay in the cell?" She asked me in a joking tone which made me move. I quickly grabbed my bag which was still in the cell and walked over to where she was waiting for me.

I felt this was something different, I didn't know who this Princess was up until a few minutes ago yet I felt that I could trust her. She showed me kindness and trust. She didn't attack me but talked to me instead.

It made me wonder about the other one from before. Cadance… maybe she was trying to help me and the whole trap thing was just a misunderstanding on my part. I need to find her and apologize if that's the case.

The Princess led me through the long hallways until we came to two large doors which had two guards standing at both sides. They gave me this look but the Princess assured them that I was not to be harmed as she opened the doors to show a large study with a fire place in the corner and an open balcony with the Sun shining brightly outside.

She walked over to the fire place and laid down resting on her stomach as the doors closed behind me. She looked at me and pointed to the open spot in front of her. I moved over and sat on the cushion trying to get comfortable.

"Now, Jake. I am sure you have many questions that you want answers too. And I have a few for you also. So is there anything you want to ask me?" She said.

I wondered about what to ask first but inside I wanted to know the truth first before anything, "You said before you were watching over me correct?" She nodded to this, "Was the pony that was with me, Cadance I think her name was. Did she really set me up to be captured at the gates?" I wanted to know. No I needed to know.

Celestia just thought for a moment before she smiled at me, "Ah yes, Cadance. If that is what you want to know first then I shall tell you. Yes the guard she talked to before when she pointed him into the wrong direction." I felt a ping in my chest go off but the Princess wasn't finished, "But to answer question, the very same guard pretended to fly away and stayed long enough to see you come out from your hiding spot. He then informed Knight who in turn, informed me. So Cadance never betrayed you if that is what you wanted to know Jake."

I was relieved in a sense but at the same time I felt sad. Sadden at the fact that I let my distrust led me to think she was not sincere when she wanted to help me. Or even the pain she felt when I thought she betrayed my trust in her. That was the reason she was crying the last time I saw her. However long ago that was.

"I can tell this subject lingers heavily on you Jake. And I know that in time you will do the right thing." She said giving me more confidence.

"Why?" I suddenly asked reverting back into my distant self.

(A/n This would be the time to play the song!)

"Why what?" She replied.

"Why is it you can be so accepting of me? You don't know me or what I am. How do you know I won't hurt you when your back is turned?" I said my voice broken as tears formed in my eyes and were on the verge of coming out.

She said nothing. The only thing she did was move closer to me and wrapped her front leg around my shoulder and wrapped her wings around my body as she pulled me closer.

I was stunned. I didn't say anything or fight her off me.

"I know you won't hurt me Jake." She said whispering into my ear.

I felt my body trembling, "How? How do you know this?" I asked her. My voice was hoarse.

"I know because I saw your memories." She said making me go stiff, but instead of letting me go, she only held me closer to her, "I watched over your dreams, your memories. And you know what I saw?"

I couldn't even answer her as I was in shock, she knew about my past. She knew the type of person I was. So why was she holding me in such a comforting way.

She didn't wait for my reply before she spoke once more, "I saw you. The real you, you never wanted to fight against all those kids. You don't like to fight or harm things. You are a kind person who wants nothing more than to be accepted. To be held when you are scared, to be comforted when something bad happens. To be cared for when you are sick and to be loved like the child you are." With every word I felt my shell being peeled back more and more and she only held me closer as she went on.

"You wanted nothing more than to feel the same love that you saw other kids have. You felt neglected all your life. And ever since you were a child, you were beaten. You were abused. And no child should have to live with ordeal. You deserve so much more. And I know that you hide behind a mask that you made to hide your true feeling from the world. You wore a mask when you fought. The same one that was forced upon you when you were beaten by your Father and Mother, you put a mask on to protect yourself from being hurt, and that. That is something I will not stand for."

I was trembling so much I felt as if I could stop. I felt something moist against my face, but I was held against her neck I looked down to see water dripping down my face. I was crying.

"You are special Jake. There are some who can't live with you have, and yet you have. You fought everyday of your life to find someplace where you could be accepted. And I will say this once and only once Jake. You have nothing to fear here. I will protect you. You are safe here." She said the last part in a whisper as I broke out.

I wept there in her hooves. She a Princess, someone of royal standards yet she accepted me. She saw all of me and yet she never once gave me a judgmental look but instead so comforted me. She held me in her close to her and told me I had nothing to fear here. I was safe.

I was home.

-I had a tear in my eye writing this last part of the Chapter but I hope you all enjoyed it! And to all those that Favorite and Liked my story, I thank you!- 3ndless

Next time on Shatters of a Reflection: Jake has finally found someplace where he is accepted. Funny how it was in another world thou. But even if Jake was accepted, he finds himself still having trouble here and there. The Princess may have accepted him, but with every other pony do the same? Next Time, "Kindness of a Stranger."