Cirrus Skybreaker: A Path Self Forged (Part 1)

Part 1

Cirrus was born in the great city of Manehatten, Equestria, into the rich family of Dart Skybreaker, owner of the multibillion bit ‘Skybreaker Estates’ whom specialised in the construction and design of various high rise housing and business buildings, namely apartments, offices and quite unsurprisingly, Skyscrapers. Hence the company motto, ‘Break the Sky and Scrape the Heavens’.

Her mother, Ruby, was a fine connoisseur of the arts, fashion, cuisine and architecture. Wherever her husband Dart managed to find willing investors for his business, she would ultimately be the brains behind Dart’s financial braun. They say that behind ever successful stallion there is a great mare. For the Skybreaker enterprise, this was no different. Though gradually, as the family business began to grow, so too did Dart’s ego. Soon, Ruby’s genius and wisdom would be crushed under the brash eighteen wheeled chrome plated force that was a stallion’s love and desire of money. As business increased, Dart diminished. He began to disregard his wife entirely, spending countless nights away on various business trips and commercial pursuits. Very soon, Ruby would become a mere servant to him. Like a slaved worker in an intellectual sweat shop, she would repeatedly be at the heart of the creativity and intelligence of the business, not to mention the glue to hold the slowly fragmenting family together. Working to feed and have her daughters and husband kept in good health, only to have her work spat on and usurped by her megalomaniac husband. To him, she was an employee by day, and an object by night. Ruby’s passive nature unfortunately allowed this downward spiral to continue, being fearful for herself should she speak up against the rising tyrant. Though she knew in her heart this new way of life was not what she deserved, she continued on being the doormat of Dart. She thought it was the right choice for her daughters' futures.

This is where Cirrus’ story began, born the youngest and final of the four sisters: Destiny, Era, Angel and Cirrus. Destiny being the eldest. Cirrus’ upbringing was akin to her sisters before her, only, she was born at the very peak of her father’s economical rampage. She was pampered beyond belief. Her father’s grand wealth left nothing out of her reach, should she want it. Her education was private and consisted of little more than the best teaching money could buy. In her infant to childhood years, she was forged into the perfect daddy’s girl. At first, at least for her father, everything was going to plan. Cirrus would grow to become a fine young lady, and an example to her and her father's peers. Dart would be adding yet another outstanding daughter to his name.

Growing up, Cirrus had great affection and love for her family. In the earlier years of her life, she loved her sisters, mother and father with all her heart. Though as she grew older and began to mature, what had perhaps not appeared to her before, was now about to come to full light, and an ultimatum would be placed upon Cirrus’ head.

Cirrus was an extremely discerning character. She had less interest for copious social interaction in her early years. Many times at parties and celebrations, even those thrown wildly by her father for her own sake, she would disappear into the comfort of her own space and relax alone. She adored her reading, loving the non-fiction branch of literature to great extents. She would spend her free time studying. Reading of histories both local and foreign, ancient and modern. Her avid fascination with literature, alongside her stellar standard of schooling, branded her an undiscovered genius by many who observed her. This was greatly unlike her sisters. With her elders being fully swept up in the glory of their father’s power, and the attention they would commonly receive because of it, they became spoilt even beyond the wishes of their father. They became social icons. Superstars and celebrities in their own rights. Famous for the sake of being so. This had come to pass as their father had recognised their beauty from an early age and had taken full advantage of it. All of his daughters had grown to be beautiful, each taking after their fair mother. Though Era, the second born, was arguably the most so. Their beauty was their curse. Though they had been subjected to the same standard of high brow education, they had each taken such gifts for granted, focussing more on their social image than their mental prowess.

Destiny would often hold large parties for herself, inviting many young stallions who were more than happy to be within her presence, and subsequently tease them for sport. Her name was sacred amongst any group of males she could brush her influence upon.  Era was consumed by the catwalk, offering herself as a model anywhere her daddy could find willing clients, which needless to say were countless. Era’s slender features were soon a common sight atop Manehatten’s and many other city’s billboards and magazine covers. Angel was addicted to her superficial stardom. She would have her father buy her way in to all the largest premiers of the latest Fillywood blockbuster amongst all of the biggest and brightest stars in the business. This was something that had always irritated Cirrus as she grew up. Her sisters would mock her for being the ‘nerd’ of the family often, though Cirrus took it lightly as she had always assumed it was all in good jest. Moreover, because of this intellectual chasm between Cirrus and her sisters, as time went on, she would find herself further and further disconnected from them. This attitude, which Cirrus’ three elder sisters carried alongside their father’s megalomania, stirred the already raging social maelstrom of Dart’s life into a full blown hierarchical nightmare.

Eventually, Cirrus interaction with her sisters and father ranged little further from family meals and rare encounters within the Skybreaker House’s many long halls. Though she was always closer with her mother, she would find herself commonly separated even from her. Dart would often have her summoned away from Cirrus during their times together for business matters, and occasionally for "business matters". Cirrus found little reason to act because of her trust in her mother’s wisdom. Many a time, the words of her mother would play out through Cirrus’ own actions. After all, they were yet to lead Cirrus astray. It was this very characteristic that would eventually and ultimately change Cirrus’ life forever.

It was the 17th Summer of Cirrus’ life. After narrowly surviving her own ‘Sweet 16’ by resorting to breaking the wrist of one ‘heavily affectionate’ attending colt. She had demanded than no more ‘surprise parties’ were to be held for her. Naturally her sisters mocked her and made fun of her apparent social ineptitude. Cirrus had cared little for their opinions for a while now anyway. She pitied them as they laughed in the arms of their father. Mere trophies of a bountiful marriage, nothing more, Cirrus thought. Did the pig not even think to ever include his wife in these ‘special events’? Even so much as a family photo from time to time? It saddened Cirrus that her mother was always found busy at times of significance in Cirrus’ life. For a few of her birthdays now, Cirrus had been alone in a room full of people celebrating for her. Her mother was really her only true friend, amongst a few close friends she had accumulated from her school days, and even she was of rare sight to her. If it was not for her reading, Cirrus may well have fallen into depression from sheer lack of social interaction. Regardless, she carried on with resilience, waiting and wondering if she herself would fall into the same trance her sisters had.

Her 17th birthday was approaching. The traditional shower of gifts, celebrations and superficial smiles was about to descend. Cirrus knew this, and for once, she decided to actually ask for something for her birthday. She roamed the halls of her house to find her father and upon doing such, found him again, laughing with her sisters in his main dorm.  She walked in with a tough knock on the hardwood door and demanded their attention. In a way, she was happy that they were all assembled here, though why her sisters were so casually residing in their father’s bedroom left her mind at great unrest for the moment.
Cirrus wasted no time making her request. Coming straight out with it. She requested for her birthday that she could be with her mother. Her father laughed loudly, echoed by the giggles of her sisters. It pained Cirrus to hear them laugh with him as they seemed to blindly mock her request, as if it were some childish fantasy. Regardless, she demanded an answer. Her father was confused. Why did she not want the celebrations and social glory his other daughters so greatly seemed to relish. Cirrus found this as the very moment to make herself and her opinions known to all four of them, that she did not want to grow up as a slave to society whom is always changing herself for whatever the latest craze or fashion or social fad dictated she should become.

Dart said calmly back to her that her mother would once again be away, out of town. Cirrus knew that this was not the truth, and after she had gone through such an honest and respectful request with him, he still lied to her. Cirrus lost her temper. She cursed him with words her sisters never knew existed. She laid disrespect and insult onto him sentence after sentence. She mocked him, challenging him and his ego to breaking point. She meant every word that left her mouth with all her heart. Cirrus missed her mother and was finally fed up of being lied to about her whereabouts. Cirrus felt that her father was trying to purposefully keep them apart, and she accused him of this. After this, the longest and loudest speech Cirrus had ever given, exhausted, she gave way for her father to respond.

Where Cirrus had been civil, her father was not. In response he approached her and began to beat her with his belt violently. He beat her for speaking to him as he had never been spoken to. The direct challenge to Dart’s ego, especially from one of his own blood, was too much for his narrow, pride filled mind to handle. His impulsive attack was meant for Cirrus to oppress her back into place. To never speak to him like she had ever again. Cirrus’ sisters were frightened, but dared do anything to help their sister, lest they face their father’s anger as well. Though Dart had intended to break Cirrus’ spirit with the small minded assault, it only confirmed to her what she already assumed. Her father was wicked, a stallion concerned only for himself, willing only to increase himself at the expense of anyone around him. Even those which he ‘loved’.

After being ‘shamed’ in front of her siblings, Cirrus was banished back to her dorm until further notice. Of course her father’s words rolled off her back like water off a duck’s. Cirrus had no more respect for her father, nor anyone who respected or associated themselves with him. She continued her studies for a few weeks more, living in near solitude within the house. She spoke not a word to anyone save for the servants and butlers, telling them to find new jobs elsewhere for their master was a monster. Though still relatively young, she made her choice to leave the household, indefinitely. In the morning of the day of her 17th birthday, Cirrus had accumulated some things for what she could only discern as an arduous journey ahead. Perhaps not physically, but spiritually. She knew she would be leaving the comfort of her ‘bubble wrapped’ lifestyle, sent out on her own accord into the open world. She covered her departure to the gatekeeper as a ‘trip out to see some friends in the park’. Of course the gatekeeper knew little of her outside of her father’s ramblings and so thought little of it. Cirrus felt lucky that the guard was so lenient, or her escape could have been halted then and there. Cirrus had read of the world outside her home and schools, but had very little experience within it. She knew of etiquette, culture, history and geography, but she was still very new to ‘life in the real world’. Out here she knew she would have to make friends quickly, or else she may find herself stuck alone with no corner to turn. For sure her home was never again an option.

She made haste to exit the city, using what little funds she could muster, around 2000 bits or so in cash notes and coins. To her knowledge this was a pittance of money amongst the people of Manehatten, and her experiences within the high priced streets of the colossal city gave her good reason to bring a few spare coins, or so she assumed. Soon she would fine she held a small fortune amongst the lesser towns in the region, and this would catapult her into her new life.

Her first place of rest was the city of Baltimare, minuscule compared to her town of birth. Baltimare held many new experiences for her, being much more of a ‘working town’ than a celebrity hideout. She kept her identity close to her, acting under various names to whom it concerned. Should her father ever come looking for her, her trail would be hard to follow.

In Baltimare, she managed to secure a small job as a waitress for her keep in a corner side cafe-restaurant under the guise of an exchange student studying abroad for some time. Of course, she kept her eloquent ways inside of her, lest her high class fruitage show through.  Her tact was to play illiterate in the local language, putting on a relatively amateur accent to cover her silver tongue. Eventually she grew to become quite popular amongst the cafe’s regulars and her tips began to increase slowly. Thus stabilising her living costs and giving her slightly more room to breathe. Cirrus decided to keep this job as long as she could, until she could then put the next phase of her plan into action.

End of Part 1