Whole And Elsewhere

by LucidTech

Second Step

Author's Note:

Dear lord, July of last year was the last update? What have I been doing with my time?

There was a soft clanging noise, a metallic rhythm that sang some wordless song, and it beat like a heart through the walls of the train. The train came to a stop, the noise grew louder and louder and reached it’s highest peak as Jack followed his aging father out of the metal monster and onto the unsteady sand. He glanced around to find the source of the permeating beat, and found it in the workforce.

Large and long blocks of marble were lowered into the sand, magicians of the earth pulling the shifting grains apart, a process that took hours and hours, piles of sand forming on either said of the mages, leaving only enough room for themselves. The blocks were lowered until the tops of them rested where the surface of the sand resided, and the sand was allowed to cave back into the hole, securing the stone in place. These men did their job in peace, as those of the magician houses were always silent as they did their job.

The noise came from the true workforce. People of all kinds and backgrounds shoulder to shoulder with one another, swinging their hammers in two different groups, what could have easily been chaos was instead a beat, like music, waiting for someone to sing the words. Jack lamented he didn’t know them, he would have loved to try and accompany this resounding bass.

He saw among the people a girl, she was about his age and she bore toned muscle that strained with each swing of her hammer. She brought it down time and time again onto the metal spike, her hammer molding what magic could not. She sensed him watching her, and she turned to look.

And when she saw him, there was only rage in those eyes.

Jack blinked and the memory was gone, he had drifted out of the moment, the silence had driven him into his memories. Jack’s left arm was draped behind Samantha’s neck like a scarf. Light and flimsy. Their left hands were clenched tightly together and she used her free arm to support Jack as they walked, careful not to apply unneeded stress on his muscles with the shaking of their steps on the somewhat uneven road. This, naturally, meant she had to hunch over, lowering her much closer to Jack’s height. His feet padded along next to hers, uneasy fragile breaths shaking his body with every inhale and exhale of his lungs.

“You pushed yourself too hard again Jack.” Samanta stated matter of factly, her movements mimicking Jack’s uneasy steps, doing her best to ease his pain.

“I know.” Was the only reply, the words coming in a gap between Jack’s unsteady inhales.

“You said you wouldn’t.”

“...I know.” The words held a degree of shame to them, and Jack couldn’t seem to meet Samantha’s eyes as they stumbled along.

Samantha simply pushed on, recognizing the tone, knowing what it meant. “Just making sure.” Was all she said, and the discussion was over.

Applejack walked a little ways ahead of them, leading the way back to Twilight’s new castle home, hoping that her friend would opt to fly or run to the her supposed aid, rather than teleport there. It was clear that Jack needed some rest from his run through the forest. And Twilight’s home was much closer than Sweet Apple Acres, but she’d rather if she could chat with Twilight before she invited strangers into someone elses home.

Her keen ears noticed that the footsteps behind her had stopped, and in turn she did so as well. Jack was slumped on the ground, breathless, and Samantha had took a seat of her own beside him. There hands were still holding each other’s even as they sat, and Jack’s grip seemed a bit tighter than Samantha’s, holding onto her with what he had left.

Applejack watched in silence as Samantha stared into Jack’s eyes, a staring contest that the man eventually lost, turning his head away to look at the ground. There was silence for a moment, and Applejack toyed with the idea of asking a few questions in the time that was given her, but just as she had built up the courage to ask, Samantha decided to speak first. “Jack. Let me see your arm.”

“It’s fine.” He said simply, turning his body away and grabbing the cloak with his left hand to pull it tighter, hiding his right arm more fully from view.

“Jack.” Samantha said, her tone holding a caring tone. He simply turned away more. With a sigh, Samantha moved to crouch in front of Jack, looking at him. Then, with almost blinding speed, she jabbed her hand underneath the cloak, grasping the arm underneath. She stared evenly at him and he looked back.

“I would’ve been able to handle it.” He said, but he received no look of understanding in return.

“You don’t have to. Not by yourself.”

“You already single handedly got us here. I didn’t want to be a burden.”

“You aren’t a burden Jack.”

In response Jack let loose a peeling laugh, but there was no hilarity in the sound, only pain. “Ohoho, sure I’m not.”

Samantha only stared him down. Jack glanced to Applejack but Samantha didn’t break her glare on Jack. Eventually, she forcefully pulled his arm from it’s shroud with a quick and powerful movement.

“What in tarnation…” Applejack whispered through parted lips, eyes wide in surprise. The man’s arm and hand didn’t look anything like his other one. Instead of tan skin was red scales and each of the fingers had been replaced by a claw. And, somewhere deep inside the limb, it seemed to pulse red with the rhythm of an unheard heart beat. “Why I never…”

“You should have told me before it got this bad.” Samantha said simply, a strange white light beginning to form around her hand. “No doubt it’s been sucking more and more life from you, and you’ve been pushing on like a fool all the time, worried about me wasting my energy on you.”

Jack glanced away as the scales started to recede, the claws dulled, the red pulses faded to nothing, and there was only another hand there, same as his other.

“It’s kind of you.” Samantha continued. “If a little misguided.”

“Yea.” Jack said simply, looking at his normal arm with empty eyes. “Whatever.” Samantha frowned and stood again, Jack following suit, but silent all the while.

“Sorry.” He eventually offered half heartedly to Applejack and to Samantha. “We can start moving again.”

“What in tartarus was that?” Applejack responded immediately, almost ignoring what had been said to her at all.

Jack rubbed his wrist absentmindedly before he let his arms fall limp to his sides. “Let’s go see your friends, I don’t want to have to explain it twice.”

Caught between both sides of her mind, Applejack found herself unable to choose what to do. There was clearly something going on here that she didn’t understand. But Jack didn’t seem like he was going to give her any info on it no matter how hard she pressed and Samantha didn’t look like she was going to say anything at all. Eventually Applejack’s decision to trust them won through, though just barely.

Besides, if they did turn out to be evil magicians or some such, Twilight would be able to find out. So, even then, the best choice of action would still be to head to the castle. And, eventually, Applejack forced her hoofs to move that way, the pair of humans following her steps. Deep breaths moved through Applejack’s mouth as she tried to calm herself. She told herself that Twilight would know what to do.

And all credit to her, she was more or less right.

Comments

[Lupus]

The man’s arm and hand didn’t look anything like his other one. Instead of tan skin was red scales and each of the fingers had been replaced by a claw. And, somewhere deep inside the limb, it seemed to pulse red with the rhythm of an unheard heart beat.