//------------------------------// // XV - A Day In The Life // Story: Horns, Hooves, and Fur // by Deyeaz //------------------------------// XV - A Day In The Life "Damn you, Praxis. Damn you to hell." The hydra's fallen body sunk to the bottom of its watery grave. As it hit the muddy floor with a thud, its jet-black scales slowly fading to a sickly tan as a black smoke exited its three nostrils, its shiny all-black eyes returned to their normal yellow hue. "How can such a fearsome creature lose to a goat?" Insanity fumed as he took his true form. The bestial monster emerged from the swamp. "And that human... I think he would've made a fine collection to my army...." he brought two claws to his lipless mouth and whistled. The sound was deep, ringing through the night like a low-pitched gunshot. At the sound of his whistle, shadows cast by the trees began to bend, shift, and blur. Soon, the shadows began to detach themselves from their creators, and take form of the most terrifying creatures. Wolves, bears, small dragons, manticores, cockatrices, and several other beasts were transfigured from the shadows, glowing yellow eyes standing out amongst their black shapes. “Shadowlings! This plan of driving everypony mad is a terrible idea! That damn trio of do-gooders constantly muddle with my plans! I shall have a new plan: DESTROY EVERYTHING ON THE FACE OF EQUESTRIA!” Insanity said to his battalion of Shadowlings. “But at the moment, neither Ponyville nor Canterlot are worth wiping out! Not with that infernal satyr, his bizarre human friend, and that blue-maned alcoholic running around! Instead, we shall take out other towns that surround those two pathetic groups of hovels! Stalliongrad, Trottingham, Bitsburg, Metropony! When we plunder them and cut them off from assisting Canterlot, we shall DESTROY it! And when we obliterate the town of Ponyville to rubble... we will flourish in a dark and desolate wasteland! WE WILL BE THE NEW RULERS OF EQUESTRIA!!!” Roars, screeches, and howls of approval and rejoice boomed through the Bog. The Shadowlings were antsy at the inevitable destruction they will cause. “Now.......let us depart!” Insanity shot up towards the sky, his Shadowlings becoming a mass of sentient black fog and following their master. “THIS. Is going to be FUN.” Jace shot upright as he awoke. His eyes scanned the room he was in and his memory rushed back to him. He had brought Praxis to the hospital to get his cuts and wounds tended to. Jace rubbed his face and his bloodshot eyes. He had been running on of one night of sleep and it had been over 24 hours by now. He let out a long sigh as he stood and walked around the waiting room he was in. “Fucking hydra,” he whispered silently, “If that fucking thing wouldn’t have shown its ugly faces, we would be home right now, asleep...” Another sigh rang out. He went to look inside of Praxis’ recovery room and was rather upset when he saw his friend had not shifted back to himself. The transformed satyr was breathing slowly into the resuscitator that Doctor Stable had placed over his mouth. The numerous cuts and bruises he sustained were gingerly tended to with many white bandages that were tinged red with blood. The hydra's blood had been wiped clean from his body before he had been treated, leaving his snow-white hair shining in the solitary lamp's light. “You can go home now,” Doctor Stable said. He had been sitting next to Praxis, examining him and recording his progress. “He’ll be out of here in three or four days, but until then, he must stay here and let his wounds heal.” “You sure he’ll be out in a few days?” Jace inquired hopefully. “We’re believe so. You know, he seems to be healing a bit faster than a normal... erm, satyr, right?” “Yes.” “Well, since this is Equestria’s first satyr, I don’t know anything about them. But I presume his skin cells and blood cells are indeed that of a human AND a goat, yet something about HIM in general is healing his afflictions a little more rapidly than normal.” “Huh... so he WILL be out in a few days?” “Indeed he will be. Though with this strange transformation you told me about... it’s gonna be hard to get rid of the cause of his suffering. We’ve scanned him and tried to find a cure, but the source of this mess is all but psychological. His mind has been... tampered with, so to speak. Every time he tries to sleep, his usually calm dreams become intense and vivid nightmares, which MIGHT link to this weird metamorphosis. The magically enhanced gas in the resuscitator will prevent him from those nightmares.” “Oh. I just hope he gets better.” “Oh, don’t worry!” Stable said cheerily, waving a hoof to dismiss the current issue. “He’ll be fine. Now go along home. You can visit your friend Mr. Moradov in the morning.” ‘Maybe I should just go home...Vinyl is probably asleep.’ A quick look at his I-Pod told him that it was a quarter past one in the morning. Replacing it safely in his pocket, he stood and walked towards the exit. ‘Hope Prax doesn’t think I’m abandoning the poor guy.’ “Bye, Prax! Bye, Doc!” Jace called out to the two, even though Praxis was incapable of responding at the moment. With that, Jace walked out of the hospital and into the darkness of the night and the radiance of Princess Luna’s moon. ‘I’m gonna take a bath... I smell like shit.’ He traipsed through the town of Ponyville, enjoying the calm of the town's barren streets. He stared at the night sky canvas that Luna had painted with breathtaking beauty and wonder. The full moon bathed the town in its serene light. Jace took in a deep breath of the night air as he walked into the cozy mansion that he and Vinyl resided in. “Need some company?” Jace stopped and turned, seeing nothing. “Uhhh, hello?” He looked around the foyer, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. “Vinyl?” “No, laddy! It’s Gold!” Jace facepalmed at his stupidity. The voice was inside of his head. One would think that having Aksheal residing in his head for three years would assume that he would have gotten used to talking to himself using his thoughts. ‘Right, sorry Gold. Yeah, I would like that. Get Aksheal to get you out here and we can walk home.’ He continued on his path to home while still staring at Luna’s moon. It was so fascinating, though he didn’t know why. The moon on Earth was the same in every way shape and form but this one just had something special about it. A feeling of nausea surged through his body and he swallowed back the bile that had formed in his mouth. A form pushed from his body and was spliced apart from him, taking on the shape of a pony with a golden yellow coat, two ruby-red eyes, and an alternating black and yellow tail. The tail was divided in three parts, each ending in a spike. It shimmered in the moonlight, evidence that the hair was being kept together with ridiculous amounts of gel. The pony’s black mane was cut short in back and in front with a single streak of yellow down the middle. Large, mechanical, yellow wings jutted out of its side, giving the Pegasus pony a steampunkish appearance. It smiled up at Jace. “Good ta’ see ya’ again, boyo!” “Hey, Black Gold...” Jace spit on the ground to get the taste of puke out of his mouth. “I will never get used to the splitting. Can’t Aksheal find a different way to get you out?” “NOT ENOUGH MANA,” Was the response from the yellow pony. “Quit watching my memories of when I played Diablo, you fruit...” A hearty laugh bellowed in his mind before an apology came and then silence. “Anyway, welcome back out, Gold. Been a while but, I’m pretty sure you know why.” A nod came from the Scoltish pony as he walked next to Jace. “I do. You’ve been busy with Vinyl. How’s she holding up with the pregnancy?” “Well, it’s been two months and she’s doing fine. Some morning sickness here and there, but nothing too bad.” “That’s good ta’ hear...” Gold sniffed the air and covered his nose with his hooves, gagging on the disgusting stench that wafted through the air. “Agh! Who left the haggis out too late?!” “That’s me, smartplot. I haven’t taken a shower since last night and I’ve been up for over a day. Last time I checked, I was in the fucking swamps trying to fight off a hydra.” “Fight it with what?! Your B.O.?” Gold smirked as he looked up at Jace, who had unfolded the scythe that was on his back and revved it up a couple times before returning the smirk. “No, I used this. Though this thing can make a ravine to the depth of Hell, it can’t penetrate a hydra’s scales...Maybe needs to be sharpened...” His hand glowed a dark red and he put the blade into his hand and revved it up slowly so it wouldn’t make much noise and few sparks would fly off of the serrated blade as he used his magic-encased hand like a grinding stone. Gold watched in interest before shaking his head out of the trance he was in. “Uhm, right. Anyway, how’s Nutmeg been doin’?” Nutmeg was the waitress at a local cafe in the town. She got to one of Gold’s performances a long time ago and he decided to stop at the cafe for lunch the next day. They’ve been together ever since. “Well, she misses you.... a lot. I had to tell her that you were on a business trip to get your music out into the world.” He pulled the blade away from his hand and tested the sharpness of each spike. “You can see her tomorrow if you wish.” “Alrighty, boyo!” said Gold, who was walking towards the door. “I’ll see ya tomorrow! Get a swell night’s sleep, ya understand?” With that, Black Gold made his departure. “Meh. I understand. G’night,” Jace said. He pressed a little too hard on the blade and cut the pad of his index finger. He sucked the blood from it as he ascended up the stairs to his bedroom. He gave a smile when he saw Vinyl Scratch sleeping in their massive four-poster bed. He stepped into the bathroom and gladly removed his clothes before hopping into the shower and adjusting the temperature so that it would be nice and warm. Jace turned off the luxurious waters of the shower a few moments later before getting out and getting into the black and red-striped pajamas that dangled on a clothes hook next to the door. (Author’s note: Yes, Jace is a man who wears pajamas because men who wear PJs are badasses.) He stepped out of the steamy bathroom and walked over to his marefriend. She groaned when he slipped under the covers, a sign that she was awakened. “Hey, hon,” she said to him, kissing him for a few seconds. “How is he?” “I got back from the hospital a few minutes ago. He’s doing fine, and we can go see him in the morning. Until then, he has to get some rest,” he answered when they broke away. “But there’s something up...” “What is it?” “Well, the doc said he has these really freaky nightmares, and that might be responsible for his weird transformation. I think this kind of thing will only happen at night, when Dark magic is at its strongest.” She sighed and moved closer to Jace to hold onto him. “This must be really hard for you Jace...I remember what you told me about friends back on Earth and I know you don’t want it to happen again.” “Coal is the last one that will be in my head... he was like a brother to me. But, that day came for him to move on... and I was there to help him move on.” His vision creeped over to the scythe that sat forebodingly next to the bed. “I know...I’m sorry.” “Don’t be, Vi. You didn’t do anything but bring me happiness all these years.” He pulled her into a warm embrace, and gently kissed her lips. The sweet kiss lasted for what seemed like mere moments, until their lips separated from each other and Jace cradled Vinyl close to his chest. Thoughts raced through his mind about what could have happened when Coal was still around. He could have saved him, if only he had the power that he had today. His eyes narrowed as he blamed himself for his friend’s death and blaming himself for what he got Praxis caught up in. “Jace...” Vinyl’s calm voice snapped him back into reality. “I know what you’re thinking. Ten years with a human can teach you a lot about their body language.” She looked up at him with her piercing red eyes. A sigh escaped his lips, and he gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Vinyl. It’s just, what if I could have done something to prevent all of this from happening? Not the coming to Equestria thing, that was one of the greatest things in my entire life, just... everything with Coal... I mean that guy was the closest thing I had to family around here and now... he’s just gone. While I live eternally, I’m going to have to see you go as well.” A warm kiss was planted on his cheek. “That’s not until a very, very, long time. I’m young, I’ll live to be at least 50! Though, reducing my alcohol intake would make that statement more true.” A weak smile played on her lips at the mention of her remark. “All I’m saying is that I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here with you, Zeke, Aksheal, and Praxis...” Another kiss and she moved so her head was right underneath his chin. “Goodnight...I love you, Jace...” “I love you more, sweetheart...” With a single kiss on the head, Jace closed his eyes only to reopen them with an eyeful of red paint and markings. “Uhh, Aksheal? Dude?” Jace looked around the room he was in and walked to one of the walls, touching it with his finger. The appendage went through and Jace pulled back fast. “Oh, I see...” His hand glowed red and he swiped his hand across the wall, the image fading away and being replaced with the smiling face of Aksheal. “Good work! Faster than I thought you would have guessed it. Next time, I add spikes to the room.” Jace rolled his eyes. “Ha ha, very funny. Seen Vinyl?” “Last time I saw her, she was with Lyniv...” Aksheal walked to his desk and picked up a book he had been reading, evident by the bookmark in a certain page. “They’re probably enjoying some wine and cheese. Go on, I have research to do on how to make it less painful for you and Gold to split.” Jace nodded and walked towards the stairs that were in the center of the room. He started his descent into the party room where they would sit around, drink, and talk. Not much of a party room, more of a sitting room to be completely honest. The voices of what seemed like two Vinyls echoed through the room. Upon entering the room, Jace saw that there were indeed two Vinyls, but one was clothed in royal attire. That, was Lyniv, the dream personality of Vinyl. ((So, I see you’re back...)) Jace jumped and almost fell off the stairs as he turned to see Aflatoon standing behind him. ((My apologies, I did not mean to scare.)) ((No! It’s completely fine, Aflatoon. If you’re wondering where Praxis is, he’s recovering at the hospital for the next few days so, It’s just me and Vinyl here today.)) An understanding nod came from the satyr. ((I see... send him my regards next time you see him. I need to be off. I have to help farmers with crops this year.)) A small bow was given and the satyr returned to going down the stairs. As Jace watched, Vinyl smiled. “Quit checking his flank out and c’mon over here! You need to unwind, babe. Take a chill pill!” The thing in her hand was no pill, but a bottle of wine. “Y’know you want it~” A smile crossed his face. “You know it!” The next morning started off as normal as usual: Wake up with hangover, go and puke, check on Vinyl, put clothes on, go work out. That’s pretty much how this day started. Though it was nice that when you ate in Markarth, your belly was filled in your realm. Doesn’t help that when you pass out drunk in Markarth, you awake to a giant migraine. But, through perseverance and a small immunity to alcohol, Jace got over it relatively fast. Vinyl wasn’t so lucky. Through half the day, he had to get her to a point where she wouldn’t puke her own guts up. That point eventually came, and Jace was out and jogging in ten seconds flat. His earbuds rested comfortably in his ears as a song from his huge array of dubstep played loudly to keep him going at the pace he was going. The pace he was going at didn’t match to the other times he would go out for runs, but it would have to do. The Chain Scythe wasn’t on his back, it was on his leg. In his time in Markarth last night, he found a way to make the scythe look like a brace for a shin so it wouldn’t be noticed. A simple pulse of magic showed the blade’s true form, and Jace could kill anything he pleased. It was quite the upgrade from having to carry the infernal contraption like a backpack. An hour through his extensive workout, Jace paused and made a little sojourn to Mane Street’s water fountain. He plunged his sweaty head into the cool, soothing drink, gulping it down once he magically filtered it. He pulled his head out, cooled off and refreshed. “Maybe Praxis is up and awake,” he said hopefully. With that, he took off once more down the road to Ponyville General. He reached the landmark and opened the door, seeing Lyra, Bon-Bon, Derpy Hooves, Carrot Top, Vinyl Scratch, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack waiting by the bedridden satyr’s room. “What’re you all doing here?” Jace asked, raising an eyebrow at Praxis’ mild crowd of friends. “We heard that Praxis was injured, so we came over when we woke up,” Rainbow answered, her response backed up by nods and hums of assent from the others. “Mm-hmm,” said Lyra. “I went to see him eariler, but he was out like a light. I think he might be awake now, though.” “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too,” Jace added. “Well? Shall we go see him?” “Sure thing, sugarcube,” concurred Applejack, who opened the door and walked in. The nine others followed suit and soon filled the rather small room. “Oh my, such a cramped room,” said Fluttershy, flying above the land-imprisoned ponies with Rainbow and Derpy. “Why the HAY is this place smaller than a broom cupboard?!” Bon-Bon ranted, squirming in between Pinkie and Carrot Top to get more comfortable in the cramped room. “My sentiments EXACTLY!” The ten smushed ponies/person whipped around to see a heavily bandaged and normal Praxis sitting up in his bed, his hooves dangling over the edge of it. He was eating a daisy sandwich and downing it with orange juice. He took a gulp of his drink before beaming at them. “Honestly, I am one of the TALLEST motherbuckers you have seen,” he told them, giving his hooves a wiggle. “I feel like a bug in a glass jar.” “Hi, Praxis!” the nine mares said in unison before giving him the largest group hug in pony history, save for Fluttershy, who merely hovered over to softly hug him rather than bombard him with her embrace. “OUCH! Hey, everypony! It’s GREAT to see you again!” Praxis said, doing his best to wrap his long arms around them all. They moved away from him a few moments later. He saw Jace standing in the doorway, a wide smile on his face. “Hey, Jace! What’s up?” “PRAXIS!” he cried, charging him with a bear hug when his guard was down. “OW! Jace! Get off! Bandages, remember?” Praxis raised his voice a little to let himself be heard. “Sorry!” Jace apologized over the giggles of the mares as he got off and stood stockstill, hands behind his back as he smiled with embarrassment. “D’oh, it’s not your fault, man.” “So how’re ya feelin’, sugarcube?” inquired Applejack. “Well, despite the fact that a hydra thought I was very delicious, I’m fantastic,” he said wryly. The group gave another hearty guffaw at his remark. “So what’s been going on?” “I’m still trying to get in the Wonderbolts! I’ve been training for two years, and now I think I can finally get accepted by them with how awesome I’ve gotten!” Rainbow said with glee, going starry-eyed at the possibilities of performing stunts with her idols from fillyhood. “Um, Rainbow Dash?” Jace asked. “Yeah?” Dash was instantly snapped out of her euphoric stupor. “You DO realize that you can sign up for them? They don’t have to select you, you just have to sign up,” he told her bluntly. Rainbow went slack, hooves dangling limply in the air as she still beat her wings. “Aw, HORSEAPPLES!” she cursed. “Why didn’t anypony tell me sooner?! I’m gonna sign up right now!” With that, before exiting out the room. The rather smaller crowd of ponies, satyr, and human laughed once more. “Anything new, AJ?” Jace asked. “Ah got back t’ work at Sweet Apple Acres yesterday,” Applejack began. “It’s a shame that... that Big Mac ain't around to help us.” She bowed her head low in sorrow. The others followed suit, taking a moment of silence for the fallen cowpony. “Don’t worry about it,” Carrot Top told them. “He lived a good life, he did.” She wrapped a foreleg around Applejack’s neck. The cowpony seemed calmed by the affectionate one-leg hug and returned it gladly. “Yeah,” Praxis said. “When I get out, me and Jace are gonna help you on the farm. I promise.” “Thank ya kindly, Praxis,” Applejack said, giving him a hug and nuzzling him. “That’s mahghty sweet an’ helpful o’ you.” “Eh, what would you expect?” he told her, hoping against hope that his face wasn’t burning visibly underneath his tattoos. “I’m just your little helper. Helping along. And what about you, Lyra?” “Well, anyway, me and Octavia saw each other at the cafe yesterday, and she wants me to perform with her at the Grand Galloping Gala in three months!” Lyra said. “I told her about you, and she might get tickets for us!” Little did they know, Vinyl made a gesture of vomiting at the mention of Octavia. Jace and Praxis saw it and suppressed the oncoming fit of laughter that ensued. “That’s great, Lyra!” Praxis finally said, receiving another tender hug from the lyre player. She squee’d as the two tightened their grip. 'HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!' “Thanks, Prax,” she told him as she finally let go. “Not a problem. What’s new, Derpy?” “I’ve got the day off! Postal Stamp is covering my shift today, so that means I can pick up my daughter Dinky from school rather than having her walk home!” exclaimed Derpy. “That’s good news, Derpy,” Jace said. “Tell Dinky I said ‘Hi’.” Derpy nodded and mm-hmm’d. She departed and went to go get some air, but not without knocking over a peach-colored vase filled with daisies. “Thank Celestia. That vase was dreadful,” Praxis said as he took another bite of his sandwich. More laughter from the waning group. “So, anything new, Fluttershy?” “U-um, I’ve been saving up get a bigger space for all the animals at my home,” began Fluttershy. “I’m excited,” Praxis said eagerly. “I can’t wait to see the little buggers.” “Ditto, man,” Jace agreed. “Which reminds me, check out the Chain Scythe.” He lifted his leg to show the jet-black shin guard on his leg. “You got it enchanted?” “Hell yeah.” “Niiiice. Anyway, what’s new with you, Vi?” “Got plastered yesterday in Markarth,” Vinyl said, rubbing her temples with her hooves. When the mares raised an eyebrow at the mention of Markarth, she simply said, “Magical land in Jace’s hourglass. Only accessible by his will. Don’t ask questions.” “Great job being subtle, Vi,” Jace huffed. “So, C-Top, what’s up?” “I’ve got some new seeds for my garden!” Carrot Top chirped, smiling widely. “I got DATE seeds, and I hear the fruit is VERY good!” “Date seeds, huh?” Praxis said, rubbing a bandaged hand along his bearded chin. “That gives me an idea... but maybe when I get outta here. Bon-Bon?” “Me and Pinkie have been working together on making this sweet for Sugarcube Corner,” Bon-Bon said, Pinkie nodding. “Yuppers!” Pinkie said. “Me and Bonners made this really yummy treat for everypony to enjoy! It’s called a Moonpie! It’s got marshmallows inside of this little cake covered in chocolate! We made it because Princesses Luna and Celestia are gonna be coming over in a week! Try it!” She pulled out said delicacy from her hot-pink poofy mane and shoved it in Praxis’s mouth. The satyr put his sandwich on its plate and bit the portion of the Moonpie that was launched into his maw. He chewed it. Swallowed it. His eyes went wide as he stared at the remaining Moonpie. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE, O KING OF SWEET FOODS?!” He loaded the rest of the Moonpie into his mouth and swallowed the remainder of it. He swallowed it too early and started to choke. The mares started to panic. Fluttershy was about to be on the verge of tears. Bon-Bon squirmed out of the small group of ponies to find the doctor. And Jace? “SHIT!” Jace, out of instinct, punched Praxis in the stomach. The air that was knocked out of his friend cleared his clogged airway, and he began to breathe normally. Only that he was in some serious pain from the strike. “OWWWWW! Goddamnit.... Thanks, Jace,” he said, coughing into his bandaged arm. Bon-Bon returned with Doctor Stable, who was wide-eyed with fear at the mention of a choking patient. “Are you alright, Praxis?!” he asked hurriedly, chest rising and falling from having to sprint from one room to another. “Thanks to Jace, I am now,” he answered, rubbing the spot where Jace had belted him. “Oh... Good.” Stable went to turn around and almost stepped in the shattered vase’s remains. “Say, what happened here?” “Erm... I broke it? I guess I got careless with a rubber ball,” Praxis fibbed quickly. He didn’t want Derpy to take the fall for breaking the ceramic furniture. That would be just plain rude. “Hmm... alright then.” With that, Stable bid them a nonverbal adieu and left the room. “Can somepony clean that up?!” he shouted down the hall. The occupants of the room struggled to stifle their laughter. “Well, I’m glad to see that you’re doing well, Prax,” said Jace. “Hey, ladies? Can me, Vi, and Prax talk for a second?” “Um... alrighty then. Besides, we needed t' leave anyways: we all had somethin' planned,” Applejack said, leaving the room with the rest of the ponies. “Owowow!” She got caught in the doorway in between Lyra and Pinkie. “One at a tahme, everypony!” They backed out of the doorway and tried again, leaving the room in a single file line. Soon, it was just Jace, Praxis, and Vinyl Scratch. “Alright, man, we need to ask you some questions,” Vinyl told Praxis. “Shoot,” he replied. “What was up with what happened last night?” Jace inquired. Praxis let out a sigh. “It was this mark on my belly. I think it was caused by Insanity.” “And who is he?” “He... he was the thing I never wanted to create, yet did, unbeknownst to me. He’s this horrific entity that plans on annihilating all of Equestria with some psychological Holocaust on everypony.” Jace and Vinyl gasped at his answer. “I received this info from the first time I saw him... he escaped the Dream Prison he was held in and is now roaming Equestria.” “We have to stop him!” Vinyl exclaimed. She shut her eyes and gritted her teeth from her loud verbal burst. Just because she wasn’t in agony from her total hangover doesn’t mean that it was gone. “How can we? That thing is unpredictable, and who knows where he is now?” Praxis said. “Damn it,” Jace seethed. “So what does that have to do with you... transforming like that?” Praxis, in order to answer his friend’s question, gingerly lifted up the bandages around his stomach. Underneath the developing bruise from Jace’s punch and the cuts from last night, a huge symbol rested on the satyr’s navel. A pentagon-encased star inside of a spike-covered circle was shining black in the sunlight, with several native tribal markings erupting out of it. Praxis did another double-take at his stomach and sighed in relief. The markings that had covered his entire belly from yesterday morning had receded slightly, like the Corruption had been suppressed. “This is his mark,” he explained. “This is Insanity’s Curse Seal. Whenever I become that... monster, the markings begin to expand and go out, causing the Corruption to spread. But when I fight back, it seems like the Corruption goes back. Not too much, but enough to not overcome me.” “Daaamn,” Jace said. “When the hell did you get as ripped as me?” Praxis only shrugged. “But how did the Corruption even begin to spread?” Vinyl started. “Is THAT why we found you passed out in the outskirts of Canterlot? Because your monstrous self broke out of prison?” “How did you know I broke out?” Praxis asked worriedly. Vinyl, with a bored look, answered this by lifting up Praxis’s arm, showing his iron shackle. He sighed again. “Well, Insanity threw this weird sword into the surface of my Dream Domain. I think it was a catalyst in the Corrupting process, but I’m not sure. And yes, I GUESS that’s why you found me passed out in that green field.” “Well... shit,” Jace and Vinyl said. “Yep,” Praxis huffed, struggling to get back up onto his feet. “Whoa whoa whoa, what the fuck do you think you’re doing, dude?” Vinyl blurted out, putting her hooves on Praxis’s chest and pushing him back onto the bed. “I wanna get the hell outta here!” Praxis protested, looking at the DJ. “Ohhhh, hell no! You lay back down! You’re not going anywhere, Fluffy..” Vinyl moved him back to the hospital bed. “I swear I feel fine!” Jace raised a brow. “My Celestia! You’re more stubborn than Jace! Well, maybe not that bad to the point where you’d hurt yoursel- nevermind..” She rolled her eyes and got him back into the bed. “Trust me Prax, we got this. Jace is a damn Reaper! I think we’ll be just fine with the weapons and knowledge we have. We’ve survived ten years, haven’t we?” Praxis shook his head and tried to get out, but a forceful hand pushed him down. “Praxis!” Jace glared at his satyr friend, his sharp gaze piercing him like a needle through cloth. “Listen to me, man! You do NOT want to go with us, trust me...I’ve been there..” Jace lifted his shirt to show a large scar that went from his navel to the start of his ribcage. “Whoa... what the hell happened?” Praxis asked. “Something that happened when I first came into Equestria... Big Mac thought Coal was hurting Applejack, I jumped in the way when he came charging at Coal. I took the full impact, broke a couple bones. After about a week into my recovery I got stubborn and wanted to work on the fields more... Overworking is a bitch, man. I do not want this to happen to you. Though Zecora’s healing potion got me back to my completely normal self, along with a hell of a lot of muscle as well. But because of my surgery due to the Calling Card’s contents crumbling down to the ground, this scar shall taint me for all eternity.” “Well... I’m sorry, Jace. I never knew, dude,” Praxis apologized. “Meh. Don’t sweat it, man. Besides, I don’t blame you for wanting to get outta here. This place looks gloomy as hell,” commented Jace. “Great... now you’re giving me more incentive to leave this place.” “Ha-ha-ha,” Vinyl sarcastically laughed. “Stay here, and try to get some more sleep. We’ll see you in the evening, before we go home.” “Alright, you two,” Praxis said. “Get home safe, and take care.” “Thanks, Prax,” Jace and Vinyl called back as they left the room. They walked out of the hospital and waited to get out of Praxis’s hearing range. “Didn’t tell him that mating season is in four days?” Vinyl said, bumping Jace with her rump teasingly. “Hell to the no.”