//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: To Run from a Mirror // by Materious17 //------------------------------// Damn she's cute. Wait, what is this sound I hear. Is that, my thoughts? It must be my thoughts, I'm the only one in the room having them! It's been so long I almost forgot what I sounded like. The chemical formula for quartz is silicon dioxide. Oh this is wonderful, it felt so cold and empty in here, I'm not even sure how long it has been. Why is this room so white, what am I even doing here. Wow I'm hungry. Wait who is this with me? Why did I even ask that question of course I know who it is, I must have really missed thinking. *Beep, beep, beep* "Food." I am dying for a delicious hay sandwich right now. Wait, crap, Fluttershy is sitting here crying with me in her arms and I have the audacity to ask for food. What is that beeping noise, god it's so irritating. *Beep* "Boulder! Oh thank goodness you're alive! I thought I lost you." Fluttershy squeezed me even tighter. My body was sore so the hugging hurt a little. I didn't mind much though, she is a really soft pony after all. What does she mean by lost me though, I didn't go anywhere did I? and Why am I in this room to begin with! "Food..." No you idiot food can wait, that was supposed to be a series of questions. Doesn't look like my brain wants to connect the dots today. I'm in a green gown that doesn't even have the decency to cover my flank and all I can ask is for food. "Oh yes of course..." She reached in a saddle pack she carried and pulled out the most delicious big juicy, red apple I had ever laid eyes on. "Here." Instinct took over as I shoved the entire thing into my face. It wasn't a hay sandwich, but the apples from Sweet Apple Acres always hit the spot. I'm probably being really rude right now, I should at least thank her. But it would be more rude to do so with my mouth full, or would it? I never paid much attention to my manners anyways, why would I start now. "How are you feeling Boulder?" Well honestly I feel like shit. I don't think I can stand up but at least this deliciousness calmed my raging stomach. Why would she even ask how I feel, she is the one with tears running down her cheeks. "... thank you Fluttershy." There I finally said it, now let's work on saying everything else I've been meaning to. "Why are you crying? Where are we? Why do I feel so sore? What is that beeping? How many more apples do you have?" Well that's one way of putting it. At least I got everything out there, unleash all of my crazy at once. There is something else I want to ask but I can't even put my hoof on what it was. Remembering things usually comes so natural to me. "Oh no, you mean you don't remember? I'm sorry, this must all be very scary for you, I'll go get the doctor." I don't need a doctor right now, I need her. "Wait, stay... I remember one thing. Well, a fragment of a thing. It's screaming into my head but I have no idea what it means." "What is it?" "I need to stop Break." The moment I heard that word slip from my mouth my memories seemed to open the floodgates. Everything from my encounter with Mr. Break, down the moment my mind went blank in the gem mines. The surge nearly threw me down on the hospital bed. "Break? As in, Mr. Break? Why would you need to stop him?" "Wait, you know Mr. Break? Oh dear Celestia why..." This is not good, this is really not good. Mr. Break knows Fluttershy, damn it all. "Listen to me, you are now in grave danger. We are all in grave danger." "But why? Why is Mr. Break such a bad pony? This is the hospital wing of his tower right now." Wait, were in Tromp Tower? I got moved all of the way to Manehatten? How long was I out? "Wait, how did you know to find me in Manehatten?" "We're not in Manehatten, we're in Canterlot." "Mr. Break owns two towers?" This pony has way too much money, and now the fate of Canterlot rests in his hooves. We are so screwed. "Never mind that. Fluttershy, I need an audience with Princess Celestia immediately. I remember in the stories you've told me about how close you and your friends are with the Princess. Canterlot is serious danger and it is all my fault." The ground started to tremble lightly. The white room shook the life support machines, knocking over a glass from a nightstand. As suddenly as it started, it ceased. "What was that? An earthquake? I didn't know Canterlot got earthquakes." Fluttershy was still shaking in fear and confusion. I just told her of Canterlot's potential fate and how I'm connected so I understand what she is feeling. The tremors just now didn't help either. "It doesn't, that's what I've been trying to say. Mr. Break wants all of the left over diamonds from the mines, and he isn't afraid of collapsing Canterlot to get them. I was hired as a consultant, to either say yay or nay to the use of dynamite in the caverns. While I was down there, I discovered an inactive fault scarp with an immeasurable amount of motion that has occurred in its history. I sold myself out and gave the okay anyways. He promised that my life would change, that I would be a new pony, someone that I could even look in the mirror at and find respect for. I've made a horrible mistake, I'm sorry Fluttershy." The tremors started up again, this time more concentrated and of higher magnitude. I can hear the voices of panic in the hallways as the room shook more violently. "We have to get out of here, this tower could collapse at any moment! Fluttershy, come on we have got to move!" It was of little use. Fluttershy was having trouble getting a footing during all of the quakes let alone trying to move. "Fluttershy!" I rushed over to her trembling self. With a quick, forceful push, I uplifted her onto my back and ran into the hallway. The staffed pony nurses and doctors were frantically running into each room to evacuate the patients, whilst trying to evacuate themselves as well. The hospital wing was a mess of panic and a maze of hallways with no clear signs of an exit. "We have to get outside, away from the buildings. Fluttershy, do you remember how you got in here?" The tremors ceased for an instant once again so I dropped her on her hooves. "They are coming back, which way is the exit?" Fluttershy spun around frantically, trying to find a familiar door, desk or sign that could prove useful. "I, I.. don't know" Another tear almost reached Fluttershy's cheek. "I need you to be strong Fluttershy, we don't have much time, please remember the way to the stair well." She sat for a moment in a deep thought. Though the building wasn't vibrating anymore, everypony was still in a state of mass hysteria. "I think it was that way." She points towards a large double doorway down at the end of the crowded hall. "Excellent, come on!" I lead the charge through fearful doctors and nurses. No time to think, there is only action right now. I rammed my body into the doorway slamming it open. A long spiraling staircase went up and down several floors. "Damn it we're higher up than I thought. Who's idea was it to build the hospital wing on the 8th floor?" Oh right, this is Mr. Break's tower. Half of our way down the tremors came back. This time the walls visibly vibrated as the sounds of twisting metal in the ducts echoed through the emergency stair well. The stairs started to crack beneath our hooves as we stampeded down the trembling building. Reaching the emergency exit door only proved my suspicions and I was finally brought to my knees. Ponies gathered in the streets, watching their fair city get destroyed by an unknown assailant. Building's toppled, and the ground sank beneath us. The ivory towers and golden spires of glamour and sophistication were but large piles of rubble to the eyes of the earthquake. The sounds of ponies in terror was only masked by the collapsing of rock and metal as the ground ate everything on the surface. When the shaking ceased, the only buildings left standing, was the Tromp Tower, and half of Canterlot Palace. Canterlot was destroyed. I failed. My work as a geologist means nothing anymore. Canterlot lies in ruins because of me. Who am I anyways? I don't even know the answer to that anymore. Nothing about my career, my life has been for the better of society. I am simply a tool by the aristocratic elite to do their dirty work. I don't know what to do anymore. My entire life all I have accomplished is the destruction of my friendships, the destruction of the lives of Las Pegasus and now Canterlot, and the destruction of myself. I can't stay here, I need to run. I need to run so I can't hurt anymore. I need to run from this pain, I need to run from myself.