SA | September 2018 prompt | Kaito

+5 AP (510 words, same charactee, monthly prompt) | For Kaito

What was school like for your character? Were they given a formal education or did they learn practical skills from an older equine?

Kaito sat quietly brooding to the side of the room as his mother lectured him. He was growing too old for his little experimentations, the phase should be over by now. He should be spending more time on his apprenticeship, it was the only way to get things right. He was nearing adulthood -it’s still more than a year, mom- and he had to step up and make his parents proud. Kaito muttered bitterly if they had only adopted him for that, to act as some sort of nice asset to the family. It was quiet but his father heard, growing deadly silent, eyes growing a bit wet. Of course not, how could he say that. They only wanted what was best for him. Kaito immediatly felt guilty. They had taken him in, given him family. He apologized and went to his room, his mother bringing his dinner later. She smiled at him, told him she loved him. He thanked her 1’d fell asleep wondering what was wrong with him.

He tried to step up, but his mentor and him didn’t mix. He came home guilty, ashamed. His parents weren’t angry, only disappoined. Disappointed and worried. Somehow that was worse. He swore he’d make things right, find something. And he did, he found something for himself, taught himself what he needed to survive, but he still had not learned enough.

Life taught cruel lessons. Justice was a lie. Convicted to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he was instead shipped and lessons were taught with hard hooves. Truth was a lie, you were expected to tell them. Lessons were given on compliance. Education was burned skin, it was the dark hold of a ship, it was demands, taunts, it was judgement, it was beatings.

But sometimes education was seeing the world differently, sometimes it was questioning what you were taught. Education on occasion was kind words and someone you hated -were supossed to hate- patiently trying to teach you what your mentor decided you were a failure for. Sometimes it was being adopted by strangers and taught about love, even if that lesson was burried deep into in your memory later. Sometimes it was a horse reaching and becoming a friend and more. Sometimes it was seeing scared eyes and understanding you were the one who needed to be more, better, stronger. Sometimes it was pushing through due to the knowledge you allowed someone safety at least.

Life is a learning experience, at some times more than others and often but not always in unpleasant ways. It made him strong, adaptable, a survivor. It made Kaito who he was. He was still learning, as he laid between many horses that knight, freshly stripped away from their owners, some crying, the smell around him foul. He was learning things had not been that bad woth Moonrise, that indeed the world had even worse in store for him that started with brutal chevalier and scrapped knees and would end gods knew where. This night Kaito would learn to pray honestly.