On my horn
Chapter 2
The fall through pitch-black darkness seemed to take so long, I thought about painting my hooves. When I hit the ground with a splat, it would be really nice to leave a good impression. Then I smacked on something..
What? It was like I just jumped up five inches, and landed. No pain. I got up from the cold floor. The place felt chilly, but it wasn't like a temperature, but an attitude. A nasty malicious one. The red light that came from nowhere and everywhere wasn't raising the friendliness levels either. I looked down.
The floor was some sort of shiny rock with red veins that pulsed. Nice. When I looked around, I saw two sets of black stone pillars with red veins. Yeah, I'm not going to ask who decorated this place. Maybe they should go to Tartarus and pick up some tips? Past the black pillars was one blue pillar with blue veins and a dagger shaped area carved into it. Yay, I know where to go.
Maybe?
"Heya! Do you want to chat now or gawk some more?" Something said from behind me.
Playing the tourist sounds good. Maybe I could just slink over to that blue pillar and do whatever I was supposed to do?
"Well, we don't have a schedule here, but I'm getting bored. So let's get this show on the road!" The something said.
Can we get the show on the road without me or my tennis ball? That would be sooo cool. After a moment I turned around. I had been wondering where the voice came from, I had looked all over the place and didn't see anything.
A deer stood in front of me. or something that looked like one. It stood on its hind legs like the one I saw earlier, and there were more differences than similarities. This creature wore a black three piece suit with red pinstripes. No wings or hoop over the head. The glowing cold red eyes, well, not a friendly sight.
"Are you the Binder? You look like a deer," I asked. Wow, just a doe, a deer, um, forgot the rest. Maybe I have a chance?
"Well, no, um, yess. I've taken the form of a deer to make things relatable, and to even the odds for you. Also to mess with your head," The Binder said.
That doesn’t sound like fun. "I dreamed about you. You were very large."
"What you sensed was an itsy bitsy teenie ween-"
"Yeah, I get it, small!" I really didn't want to know how many words it knew for tiny. Might be here a while.
The Binder flung out its fore hooves. "Excellent, shall we go over the rules for our game?"
Something about the way the dim red light slid around the hooves gave me the impression they were very sharp. It would behoove me to keep my distance if this deer was a hoof talker. You know, folks who wave their hooves around while they're speaking. If you tied up their hooves, that person would be speechless. Um, yeah, noo. Gotta stop that and focus on this game.
"Game? Things seem too serious to be playing around," I said. My sanity was going to crumble if I had any more nightmares from the Binder. Did not want to have a wide grin, like that Pinkie Pie character from the stories.
The Binder waved its fore hooves around again. "To you, yes, it's quite serious. But to me it's just an appetite whetter or a loss. Do you want to know the rules now?"
"How do I know you won't lie or cheat?"
The Binder sighed. It was soo dramatic. Any more and it would start its own theater company. "Well, I won't cheat because if I win, it won't be fun. I like being at the edge of failure. It gets the juices flowing. Also if you fail because of a rule that I didn't tell you, you will be mad at me or confused. Both emotions are not very tasty. I want to feel your despair as you realize that you screwed up by breaking a rule that you knew. That's so much tastier. Also there are others that will be watching to make sure the rules are followed."
"You feed on emotions like Chauncey Changeling? You know from the Marevel comics?" My mom would frown when she would see me with one. Then the lecture would begin about how comics rot young brains. Mom, I miss you!
The Binder managed to stop in the middle of another dramatic sigh. Barely.
I guess it didn't want to pay for a theater.
"Yes, why do you think I sent those nightmares to you? Again, I feed on dark emotions like fear and horror. I have a cousin who does that too except he decided to stay on a mostly harmless planet in an unremarkable universe to feed on the fears of children. Boring, feeding on the same creatures every twenty-seven years! Not for me. I have all of Creation to feed from. This brings me to the rules of the game. Are you ready to hear them?"
I nodded. Maybe this could be done quickly, and I can be home before supper without a tennis ball.
"This will be a physical contest-”
I interrupted, “Why a physical contest? Couldn't we play something like Connect Four or Monopony?” To be honest, I suck at both. But a physical contest? That just sounds dangerous.
“I already played a version of Monopony before this contest. And before that it was ten sessions of rock paper scissors. I got tired of playing games, and want to scrap for my supper this time.”
For a stupid moment, I wondered if I knew the location of a junkyard in my city. Maybe the Binder could, oh, now I know what she wants. Great. I'm a lover, no, not really. Not that much of a fighter either. A chill raced down my back. How does one fight a deer? Never saw one in real life only in books. Okay, okay, gotta focus.
“All you have to do is to put the Fang of Severance into the alcove on the blue pillar. Should I say that really slow and loud so you understand?” The Binder asked. This time it wasn't hiding its boredom. It even pulled some sort of stone from one of its pockets, and ran one of its fore hooves over it. Red sparks flew into the darkness. The noise was worse than hooves on a chalkboard.
"Who's Severance?"
The Binder's eyes narrowed, and cold air puffed from it. "It's called the Fang of Severance because it cuts my tie to this universe. That's your only winning condition. If I get my hooves on the fang and you lose ownership, I win."
"What do I win? A toaster oven, a trip, or a lifetime supply of Rice A Poni?" Okay, I was pulling the Binder's leg.
Again the Binder's eyes narrowed, and its ears went back. Then the ears went forward and the eyes went back to normal. The Binder did something worse. It smiled showing lots of pointed teeth and colder air puffed from it.
If the Binder opened its mouth, I was expecting a red light to shine from its mouth like a fridge. Maybe I should stop messing with it?
"If you win, you're free from my interference. Since my connection is cut, this universe is free from, oh, how did they word it? Ah yes, depredations. If I win, you go back to my home dimension. Time runs differently there. It barely walks or flies after I broke its legs with great glee! Oh and there's no death. So you will spend eternity and beyond dealing with the most amazing nightmares without respite."
I frowned. I think getting a lifetime supply of Rice A Poni would be a better prize if I lost. It would also help if I knew how to cook too. But I had one more question. "Why me?"
The Binder shrugged. "Chaaa! Why not you? I don't choose champions, my opposition does. That glowy deer you talked to works for one of them. Not sure if that group chose you. And um, yeah, nooo, they probably won't tell. They have lots of stupid rules. Shall we begin?"
I nodded. Let's get this over with.
The Binder smiled again, and even more cold air wafted from it.
This time, I did see a red light flash from her mouth. Ugh. Was I fighting that unicorn in the cartoon with all of those cold powers? Was it called Congealed? If the Binder starts to sing, I'm soo going to scream and not stop!
Oh yeah! Party time for sure.
Not.
For a few moments, we just gazed at each other.
The Binder sighed. “Any day now.”
Gotta think what to do. I could just run at the Binder, and head to the blue pillar. I'm bigger and I have four sturdy legs while the Binder has only two skinny legs. Maybe I could knock her down, and get to the pillar? It's going to take her time to get back up. Then again, maybe that's what she expects me to do. Maybe I would be better off doing something different? I wonder if I could call a friend for suggestions. There's a reason why I didn't sign up for the chess club.
Maybe this would work? I’ll run at the Binder, but at the last moment I'll go along the side of the first row of black pillars. I'll psych her out, maybe. Well, here goes. I galloped at the Binder.
Her eyes narrowed.
Yeah, I knew she was expecting this. I just have to keep looking at her until the last moment. My hooves clopped on the stone as I approached.
The Binder squatted and held out her fore hooves as I approached. It looked like she was going to do some Kirin Fu.
At the last second, I veered off at a different angle, and headed past a pillar. I thought a cold wind brushed past me. Yess! Now, I have to run past the second set of pillars to the blue one. Easier said than done.
Darn.
The Binder arrowed towards me, her hooves struck red sparks from the floor. Then she got close to me!
I felt a cold sting on the left side of my neck. No problem, probably just a flesh wound. But the blood that gushed out gave a different impression. This isn’t good. Read enough stories about ponies who get their throats cut, unless they get help soon, it's blood-red curtains for them. Already I was starting to feel weak. Gotta get past the second row of pillars, and get to the blue one.
The Binder moved in for another slash while darkness crept up on the edges of my vision. My thumping hooves were beginning to feel like lead weights were tied to them. But I managed to get past the second set of pillars, and was getting close to the blue one.
Will I have enough blood to get there? My neck was now just dribbling blood while darkness took up half of my sight. I took out the dagger. It was going to be close as I stumble-trotted toward the blue pillar. Legs don't, um, what was the rest?
The clicking of sharp hooves was coming in fast on my left. I like my head to still be connected to my body. Decapitation would probably end my game. The Binder would definitely get ahead, and take the lead. Just when I tensed up for the final hit, I clumsily slashed at my left. Think I cut something, not sure. It was getting soo hard to breathe or move.
“Stupid spikehead nag!” The Binder said through gritted teeth. Something splashed onto the floor. Think it started coughing and wheezing.
I couldn't see too much of anything, but I could feel the pain in that curse. That was the last thing I felt as most of my body went numb.
Everything went dark as I slid into the blue pillar. Just had to reach up and slam the dagger home...
I woke up in my bed. Was it finally over? For a moment, I didn't want to look at my horn. But I had to. Slowly, my eyes traveled up until I saw orange and black. What in Tartarus? It was a basketball. No, no, no! It's not fair! I pounded my bed then I flailed at the stupid thing on my horn..
My fore hoof touched it! Maybe I could do something? I used both fore hooves to fling the ball against my pale blue walls. Instead of bouncing, it just shattered like a rotten watermelon. The stink that came from it, well, it almost knocked me out. Imagine all sorts of nice things being left to rot. Eww. Not sure I'm going to appreciate sports ever again. Also, not sure how to explain the mess in my room either.
For more disgusting moments I looked at the stinking mess then I saw movement. Of course, there had to be something gross. When does this stuff end? These things, I couldn't see more than long pale legs. And the owners of the legs made a bee line for me. You know, not a big fan of bees either.
One of those things jumped up on the bed and bit me!
It felt like I got zapped. Couldn't control my legs, and twitched for a moment. No, no! I'm no chew toy! I started smacking the leggy things like they were red-maned stepfoals. But they bit back, and it hurt soo bad...
I woke up in my bed. Do I really want to check my horn? No, not really. Don't want to see something stuck on it again. Maybe it would be a medicine ball? I'm a healthy mare, don't need any meds or a ball of meds. Well, after this, maybe I'll need some Ponyzac. But I had to look. Slowly, ever slowly, my eyes crawled up my horn dreading to see what was there. There was nothing.
For too many moments, I lay in bed looking at my horn until my mother yelled for me to get up for school.
Was it over?
Maybe?