//------------------------------// // The Visit // Story: Episode 1: Nightmares and Lunascapes // by mr lovecolt //------------------------------// Script woke from his sleep to the sound of crackling in front of him. As his eyes opened, he could see blue sparks of electricity form in the air, and a moment later, a small scroll dropped onto the foot of his bed. Script moved quickly – he knew that signature aura. It had to be from Edger. He turned the nightstand lamp on and levitated the scroll towards him as he gazed at the clock – it was twelve-thirty in the morning. Script shook his head and turned to the scroll. Dear Script, I need help. The visions are coming faster. You had said the medications would stop this from happening, but now it’s just getting worse. Something happened with Fluttershy. The Royal Guards are questioning me, but I don’t know what to say. I just don’t know what’s happening. Please help. E. Script threw the sheets off of him and ran towards his desk. As he scrambled from drawer to drawer, he cursed himself. Finally, Script came across a small clear bottle filled with dark pink pills. He knew he should have given Edger the stronger medications before he left. His mind wandered as to what could have possibly happened to Fluttershy. What if something like last time happened, Script thought as he shuddered, and what if they track events back to me? Script opened the closet door and threw a small suitcase across the room, and it soon filled with a few clothes. Script threw the small bottle on top of the clothes and made his way to the door. As he ran past the Manehatten Bell Tower, the clock struck one o’clock in the morning. The final train to Canterlot would leave in another fifteen minutes. Script hoped that the first morning train to Ponyville would leave soon after. The streets of Manehatten were still filled with ponies, though at this time, they were mostly too drunk to notice the tall white unicorn with the letter ‘r’ written in scripture as he ran through the crowds toward the train station. He bumped into numerous ponies and ignored the occasional shouts he got as he continued on his way. Script ran through the terminal and threw his bits onto the counter at the waiting train clerk, a small zebra with purple streaks where white should have been, who was engrossed in a book. She glanced at the bits for a moment, and then raised her eyebrow to the stallion that stood raggedly in front of her. “May I help you?” The clerk asked. “I need… train… to Ponyville…” Script huffed. “Honey, you didn’t have to run.” The clerk mare set the book down in front of her. Script looked down at the dark book with the intricate scrolling. That damn book, Script thought to himself. Script turned his gaze up and watched as the clerk laughed to herself, took the bits, and printed out a ticket. She slid the ticket across the counter, along with his change. She immediately picked the book back up and continued where she left off. “Have you read this Poeny guy?” The clerk asked, “He’s making Luna look like she’s all kinds of crazy, thinking the rocks are her subjects.” “Yes, I am aware of the book.” Script replied and took off for the train, but he could hear the clerk laugh behind him. “Luna, stop throwing that rock, it is not a pegasus!” The rest of the terminal was the opposite of the streets above. There were noponies here, and Script was able to make his way to the train that led to Canterlot. Script could see only a few ponies in the seats through the small windows. He made his way to the platform steps and entered the train. As he passed the rows of seats, he took note of the ponies around him. It wasn’t that he would tell anypony about it, nor would he use the information in any meaningful way, but more so out of a nervous tic. Script loved to take things and put them into smaller archetypes. The smaller mare leaning against the larger stallion as she drifted off to sleep was one of two classics: damsel in distress with savior hero or unwitting heroine with villain mistaken for hero. Script saw the stallion’s gaze turn towards the mare’s legs and knew it was the latter. The old mare in the corner overladen with jewels was either the forsaken courtesan or the matriarch. As script trotted past her, he noticed that she caressed the largest pearl with her hoof, and Script knew she was the former. Script found a seat near the back of the train and sat down. A moment later, the train whistle blew and the train began to move towards his destination. Think, Script thought as he felt the top of his suitcase for the pills, stop categorizing and think. Script cleared his mind and thought of when he had first decided to become Edger’s agent. He knew who Edger was – everypony in Manehatten did. Edger had an unusual ability to look along the corners of whatever society he was in and point out the tiny imperfections that everypony else ignored or was too obtuse to see. That’s what made everypony both love and hate him at the same time. But not Script. Script knew exactly what Edger was. And he could see the money that could be had from the observations that he made, if only they could be honed and moved in the right direction. One night, after a reading of his poetry, scratch that, Script’s mental correction stated, attempt at a reading, Script walked home with Edger, only to have Edger run off screaming in the night like a thestral out of Tartarus. It took him a few minutes to catch up with Edger, but in the time it took, Script saw why Edger had been screaming. He had seen Edger crying and holding the body of a small stallion in his arms. He remembered Edger as he shouted out about the shadows and how he had to get the royal guards to stop them. Script had only shook his head and pulled Edger away. He had promised Edger that he would take care of everything. To this day, he still hadn’t told Edger what he did with the body. Script looked out to his left and watched as small blue flames licked the leaves of Hollow Shades. Script looked at his watch – it was nearly two-thirty. He must have been exhausted to have dozed off like that as soon as he sat down. Script calculated the time before he would arrive in Ponyville. If he included the half hour from the last arrival from Canterlot to the first departure to Ponyville, he could arrive before Celestia even started to raise the sun. ***** Edger sat on a small bench and stared at his hooves. Across from him sat Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Caramel, who watched him and waited to see what he did next. Fortunately, the news hadn’t reached any reporters that an Element of Harmony had been attacked, to at least they all knew that paparazzi wouldn’t be around for a while. But that couldn’t be avoided forever, Edger thought. The sound of nurses as they ran around Ponyville Hospital did little to cover the silence that stood between them. This is just like what had happened in Manehatten, Edger thought. He remembered the shrieks of pain that tore through the alley. He remembered the small white pony that had been torn apart by the shadows. But when he tried to pick him up, he remembered that all he saw was his own hooves covered in blood, and a lifeless body. Script had arrived and told Edger that he would take care of everything, but Edger could see the look of fear in Script’s eyes. He knew Script had to have thought he did it. He tried to tell him what had happened, but the only thing Script did was use his special talent to create a prescription for him to combat his hallucinations. “These hooves,” Edger finally spat out, “Had Fluttershy’s blood on them.” Twilight Sparkle and Rarity looked at each other, and Edger saw Rarity begin to tremble. He watched as Twilight Sparkle slowly raised her wing and wrapped it around her friend. Caramel turned to the two mares, then back to Edger, and then slowly rose to his hooves and made his way across the distance and then stood in front of Edger. He reached up to put his hoof on Edger’s shoulder, but Edger quickly pulled away. “Don’t… touch… me.” “Edger,” Caramel said, “It’s all right to want a friend.” Edger’s horn twitched and he felt a wave of energy burst through the room. “That’s strange,” Twilight Sparkle said, “The bursts of energy seem to be getting very frequent lately.” Edger looked up and saw that the three ponies he was with had once again turned white, Edger instinctively reached into his pockets for the small flask and the medications. He didn’t care anymore what they thought of him. He was tired of having these visions. He levitated a pill to his mouth and then took a swig from his flask. He looked down to the floor as he put the objects back into his pockets. ***** Caramel watched as his brother, Doctor Stable, arrived just to see Edger finish his swig and his medication. He watched as his brother shook his head and looked at the pony with concern. “You know,” Doctor Stable said, “It isn’t wise to mix your medications with alcohol.” “Thanks, doctor.” Edger replied sarcastically. Doctor Stable coughed, and Caramel chuckled as Edger looked up and gasped to see the doctor standing in front of him. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity stood up to be near him, and Edger and Caramel stood up to form a circle around him. “Hello, brother.” Doctor Stable said. “Hey, doc.” Caramel replied, “Is Fluttershy okay?” “The main issue was blood loss.” Doctor Stable said, “Which we managed to stop. But she is obviously very tired. Not to mention once she is out of emergency care she will need to be set up with a therapist. She’s going to need a lot of help. Fortunately, as one of the Elements of Harmony, I know she has the closest of friends to help and support her.” Caramel’s eyes shifted over to Edger for a moment as he pulled back at the mention of the word friends. “Can we go in to see her?” Rarity asked. “She’s still very tired, but if she says it’s all right, then please, but not too many.” Rarity and Twilight Sparkle looked at each other for a moment, and then to Caramel before they started to follow Doctor Stable through the hallway. When they disappeared, Caramel turned around, only to see Edger as he leaned against the wall and stared back at his hooves. “Edger,” Caramel asked, “Have you ever had a friend?” Edger’s eyes filled with water, but Caramel could tell that he fought everything he could to ensure that not one of them fell. Still, one betrayed him, rolled down his cheek, and fell to the floor. “I had two friends once.” Edger said, “She betrayed me, and then he left me alone.” Edger waved his hoof to the direction the others went a few minutes ago. “This is my fault, you know.” Caramel barely heard the whispered confession as he made his way closer to Edger. Caramel placed a hoof onto his and lowered it to the floor. “Don’t you dare think like that, Edger.” Caramel said. “But it is.” “Don’t blame yourself for this. You saved Fluttershy’s life. Don’t stand there and think about ‘what if I had arrived sooner?’ The timberwolves would have completely devoured her if you hadn’t arrived when you did.” “Timberwolves?” Edger laughed as he stared up into Caramel’s eyes. “You think it was timberwolves?” “That what the authorities are saying.” “They have no idea what attacked her.” Caramel cocked his head to the side in confusion. He watched as Edger pulled out the bottle of pills and threw them at Caramel. “These stop me from seeing.” Edger explained, “For the past few years, I’ve been seeing… them.” “Seeing what?” Caramel asked as he caught the bottle. “I’ve started calling them the ponnequins, the batkins and the shadows. I’m so used to seeing them. Script promised me that the pills would make them stop. But they don’t. And ever since I’ve come here, they’ve gotten worse.” “Edger…” Caramel started. “Once… in Manehatten. I saw a stallion in an alleyway.” Edger sank to the floor and rocked on his haunches. “The shadows had gotten to him. Script thought I did it, I know it… I know it… but I didn’t… I couldn’t… my kind is incapable of aggression.” “Your… kind?” Caramel asked as he looked around, hoping that either Nurse Redheart or Tenderheart was nearby. “I know they’re real.” Edger cried, “They have to be real. Hallucinations can’t hurt other ponies like they did with Fluttershy.” “Edger!” Caramel yelled. Caramel pulled Edger into his hooves and held him. Edger continued to ramble on for a moment, but soon, even the words gave way to small sobs. Caramel could feel Edger’s smaller body pressed up against his, but even as he felt what must have been Edger’s full force shove against his chest, he could feel barely any weight. “Please, Edger,” Caramel said, “Just let somepony be your friend.” “I’m… broken.” Edger replied through his sobs, “Stop… saying… that you want… to be… my friend.” “I do want to be your friend, Edger,” Caramel replied, “And so do Twilight and Rarity. Twilight loves how smart you are. Rarity loves the inspiration that you give her for her clothes. And after what you did for Fluttershy, I’d be honored to have you as a friend.” “I didn’t do anything!” Edger yelled. “hmm hmm.” Caramel looked up and saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they stared down at him. Caramel looked around and saw that it must have been a strange sight to see two grown stallions holding each other on the floor when they were right next to a row of chairs. “Are ya’ll the one who saved Fluttershy?” Caramel felt Edger push away from him and turn away. “He’s the one who stopped the attack on Fluttershy.” Caramel said as he watched Edger shy away. Caramel watched Edger tense up as Applejack rushed over to him and picked him up. He could see Applejack squeeze him even tighter as she struggled to find her words. “Ah just don’t know what we would’ve done if… thank y’all so much.” Just as quickly as Applejack picked up Edger, she let loose her grip on him and he fell to the floor. Edger just sat there, confused, as he turned to see what Rainbow Dash would do. “You two,” Edger asked, “You two are other elements, right? Honesty and Loyalty?” “Yep.” Rainbow Dash replied as she stood on her two hind hooves. “And I can’t believe how totally awesome you are for taking on timberwolves to save her.” “I didn’t save her.” Edger muttered as he looked to the floor. “Come again?” she asked. More hooves fell on the floor and Caramel watched as Twilight Sparkle and Rarity returned to the room, followed by Stable. “Oh girls,” Rarity said, “It’s great you’re here. Fluttershy is going to rest soon. But it would be great if you could go see her before she falls asleep.” “Okay.” Applejack said, “Pinkie’s on her way here in a moment.” Doctor Stable nodded. Applejack and Rainbow Dash nodded in return and started for the hall to go with his brother. Before they could go, Twilight Sparkle grabbed Rainbow Dash by the arm. “Dash,” Twilight Sparkle said, “She’s very sensitive right now. I think you’ll be the best to help her through this, but you need to be very careful. Do you understand?” Rainbow Dash turned to look at her wings. She plastered them to her side so that they showed as little as possible and nodded her head. The three other ponies then made their way down the hall. It was only then that Twilight Sparkle turned to Caramel. “Caramel,” Twilight Sparkle said, “Did you and Edger want to try to see Fluttershy before she went to sleep?” Caramel turned to Edger, only to see him turning his attention to the floor again. “No,” Caramel said, “We’ll be fine. Besides, doesn’t Edger need to take a day to prepare for his reading?” “Caramel, I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do that anymore.” Twilight Sparkle replied, “We all know that soon there will be reporters all around, and soon. I don’t know if Edger will feel comfortable around them. This is going to be quite a story once it gets out.” “I can deal with it.” Edger said as he looked up from the floor, “I already told Caramel everything that has been going on, but there are so many things that I want to say right now.” You five care so much about Fluttershy, and you don’t care that she’s broken.” “Now, just a minute.” Rarity interjected, “Fluttershy is not broken, she-” Caramel raised his hoof to her before she could continue. “But you all care for her so much.” Edger said, and Caramel could see him trembling, “You all care for her so much. I want that. I want a friend. My last friend betrayed me and made me lose my one other friend. I don’t want to lose another chance. I-” Edger stopped speaking. Caramel felt Edger’s body press up against his and tremble as he turned to the door. There stood Pinkie Pie. “Hey guys,” Pinkie Pie said as she made her way down the hall. “Is it too late for visiting hours?” Caramel felt Edger’s body clench against his own as Pinkie’s eyes moved from Twilight Sparkle to Rarity to himself, and then to Edger. He saw her eyes twitch for a moment. Then her hind legs twitched, and then her mane shuffled back and forth, and then her forelegs twitched. He watched as Pinkie Pie smiled and then she rushed to Edger. “Oh my, I can’t believe it. I knew I was going to meet someone important, but I never thought it would be you.” Caramel only watched as Edger’s eyes went wide as Pinkie stood within an inch of his face. “I’ve missed you so much, Tiller.”