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Prologue1,087 words
Chapter: 16,625 words
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Chapter: 5 [Progress: 20%]1,495 words

Chapter: 4

A cool breeze washes over me, sending a chill down my spine. I pull my jacket tighter around me. The night air is cold and chilling. I take a deep breath through my nose, filling my lungs to their full capacity, then breath out through my mouth. The chill of the night cools my breath into a clouding mist. I take another breath, this time focusing on the smells that come with it: salt, a tinge of pollution, and the distant smell of rotting fish. To most, this would be disgusting, or unnatural.

To me, it was peaceful. I had grown up with this smell—it becoming something that would remind me of home.

Home.

Such a foreign concept to me. For a while, I had a home. I had a family. I had friends. I had a place where I felt… safe. Then I joined the marines. I had thought… I wanted to help people. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to… become a hero.

I shifted slightly, getting a better position in the snowdrift I was using as a chair.

My home was gone. It was still there—my family was still alive, the house still stood, those friend I had all those years ago still breathed—but… the feeling of safety, the feeling of peace, and the feeling of something constant was gone.

Nothing felt like home, anymore.

I turned my attention up at the sky. Although there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, distant lights from the city polluted the sky, blocking out my view of the stars. Sure, some shone through, the strong ones, but the weak ones, the distant once, the starts that casted only enough light to be seen… were gone.

I let out another breath, the cloud of mist swirling in front of me as it was carried off in the gentle night breeze.

I couldn't sleep. My nightmare had kept me up. Memories of my sins, regrets, and deeds I had obtained in my quest to become a “hero” still haunted my mind. The doctor said this was normal—that it happened to a lot of people when they returned. They said that they’d fade with time, but never go away.

My mind was broken. My body was broken. My soul was broken… I was broken.

I clenched my still pained fist. I looked down at the fresh wrapping I had put on it before I had made my ways up to my apartment's roof. It wasn't bad, I’d had worse, but this was something that I had done to myself. Out of anger.

Anger.

I hated the emotion. I hated everything that it stood for. Anger caused pain, either to yourself or others. I got angry. Angry at myself, the world, at the fucking puppeteer that pulled the strings of life. I didn't believe in a god. I'd seen too much to believe one could exist. I'd prayed to one before. Several times. Sometimes for myself, other times for others. I never believed that someone heard me. If he did, he ignored me.

I unclenched my fist, then placed it into the snow.

I didn't know how I felt, at the moment. Confused? Maybe. I didn't know. Too much flooded my mind. Some old, others new. Some were scars, others were questions.

I let out a sigh.

Vinyl. That was what was on my mind. Sure, I tried to avoid it, but it was still there. A horse. A talking, fucking horse. She had come into my life and threw my already broken mind into even more discourse. I questioned reality. I questioned mortality. I questioned her. I questioned myself.

I questioned everything.

One thought still held clear: was she real? Was I crazy? Was she an apparition of my mind's creation? Was she my guilt? Was she… something? At this point, I wanted her to be real. I didn't know why, but I did. She annoyed me, brought me more anxiety, but I still felt…

Happy.

Deep through the conflicting emotions, there has happiness. It was faint, almost unnoticeable, but it was still there. She had caused it. I don't know why, or how, but she did.

Home.

The though returned, but it didn't pertain to me. No. This time it was about Vinyl. If she was real, she was stuck her. She had been ripped from her home and placed in an alien world. I could relate. She should be terrified. She should be crying. She should be broken, but...

She wasn't.

Sure, she had moments when the dam broke, but who wouldn't? She’d always bounce back, being all bubbly, random, childish… innocent. I envied her. Her world was shattered, but she was strong. She was herself. She was… free. How? How could she do it? How did she do it?

Another breeze blew over me. I curled up even tighter.

I looked up at the stars -- the ones I could see -- and I wondered if Vinyl’s home was one of them. Was she an alien? Was she from another dimension? Another reality? It was a place of peace. A place of fairytales. A place of talking horses.

I chuckled my myself. I really am crazy, aren’t I?

I stood up from the snowbank. I spent a few minutes dusting off the snow that clung to my body. After that, I slowly walked towards the door that lead down to the apartments. Once I got to the door, I took one last deep breath.

“Home.”

I never ended up going to sleep that night. I feared what my guilty mind would show me. It’s kinda funny; someone of my age having nightmares. It was normal, so they told me. In all honesty, I really didn’t care. I didn’t care if I was the only one, or one of many. It either made me some sort of special, cursed snowflake, or just another voice in the crowd. Regardless, I didn’t care for titles.

I lay at my couch, my eyes following the slow rise of the light that shone through my window. It was morning. What time, specifically, I didn’t know. Today was my day off—I didn’t care for the time. I didn’t need too. I didn’t want too. Time was one of the constants that would forever travel without reprise. Sure, it was relative, but it still continued on. We couldn’t stop it. Nothing we could do on this earth would stop it from flowing, much as we wish that wasn’t the case.

Argue your physics mumbo-jumbo all you want—until you can stop time, I don’t care.

I shifted, slightly, getting a more comfortable position. I eventually settled on my back, eyes on the ceiling. It was cracked and chipped, the paint barely clinging on. I’d need to fix that, eventually. God know’s my landlord wouldn’t. Heck, Mrs. Murphy would before that cheap prick would. I didn’t care for the man, so much so that I never bothered to remember his name. It began with a ‘D’, I think. Danny? Maybe. I don’t care. I didn’t care about a lot of things, right now. It was one of those days.

I hear the door of my guest room slowly creak open, followed shortly after by the clip-clop of horseshoe-less hooves down the hall. Did she need those? Maybe. I didn’t care. She’d tell me if she did… probably. The gentle steps seemed to quite when they neared. I believe she muffled them when she noticed that I was on the couch. I close my eyes and pretend to sleep. If she didn’t want to bother me, who was I to denounce this opportunity? I wasn’t in the mood for conversation, anyways.

I hear the hoofsteps near the couch. I think she’s looking at me. They soon leave and head to the kitchen. Some muffled, carefully opened cabinets later, I believe she’d found what she wanted. She travels over to the neighboring armchair and sits down. I hear the cushions depress. Following the worst possible attempt to conceal the crinkle of a freshly opened poptart bag, I can hear her start to eat.

Why was I focusing so much attention on following her movements? Did I not trust her? Probably. Best not think too deeply into it. Best thing I can do, now, is actually try to get some sleep. Vinyl was actually being quiet, for once.

Several minutes passed by. Vinyl ate, I tried to sleep. Again, a fruitless effort. Why did I even try? Oh, right, day off. Nothing better to do. The chewing stops.

“Hey… mom, dad?”

I raise an eyebrow, but continue my false slumber.

“Look… I’m sorry. You guys were right, I should have stayed in school. I should have listened to you. I shouldn’t have yelled. I shouldn’t have… run away.

“I know you can’t see me, nor can you hear me. To be honest, I don’t even know why I’m talking to you. But, I just want to say... I’m sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I should have been a better daughter. I should have,” I hear a sniffle, “there’s a lot I should have done. I just want to know… can you forgive me? I guess I'm stuck here, now. Some strange creature named Alex took me in. He’s strange and… damaged, but he’s nice. Kind. Caring, in his own way. I guess I'm in good hooves. This world it’s… not like equestria. It's scary, strange, and violent. You should see what they show on TV. It’s… eye opening.”

There is a pause. I try not to move. Her words interest me. To be honest, they confuse me. It wasn't hard to for anyone—or anything—to know I was damaged. A blind man could see it like the burning sun. What shocked me was how she thought I was… nice. Why did that surprise me? I wasn't a jerk… I think? To be honest, I really never thought about how I was, or how others view me. For the best, I guess? I stop my mental tirade as Vinyl speaks back up.

“I'm scared, dad. I’m… scared.”

Me too.

“What do I do? What can I do? Alex tries his best, but… I'm bored. Not only that, I feel like I've lost my purpose. I have no responsibilities, yes, but I also have nothing I can do. I can't go outside. I can't really make music. I can't… I can't do anything.” She goes quiet. I hear the chair creak, then hear her hooves land on the ground. I don't move an inch.

The hoofsteps head towards my bathroom, and I soon hear the door close, followed by the sound of the shower turning on. I open my eyes. A new thought fills my head. My own self pity, fear, and sadness are all momentarily pushed aside as a new purpose fills my soul:

I had to make Vinyl happy.

My eyes crack open some time later. Apparently, I had managed to fall asleep. That was good, I think? With a yawn and a stretch of my limbs, I twist slightly and right myself on the couch, now in a sitting position. I let out another yawn, then briefly look around the living room. Okay, no Vinyl. I focus on my hearing and notice a lack of the telltale sounds of a running shower. Okay, she’s done with the shower.

I stretch once more then rise from the couch onto my feet. Sluggishly, I make my way towards the guest room. The door is closed. I slowly and quietly creek it open and spot my single guest resting quietly under the covers, which rise and fall in gentle intervals. I smile, slightly, happy that she was getting some much needed rest. I close the door behind me and head back over toward the kitchen.

“Okay… now what?” I muse aloud. The promise I had made myself to make Vinyl happy was still fresh in my mind, but I had no idea how to go about it. I mean… how was it supposed to cheer up a talking horse? I could get her junk food—she loved that—but, then again, I was starting to worry it would start having adverse effects on her. Doesn't matter what species you are—that much crap can't be good for you.

I press my fingers into my temples. Think, Alex… think!

I began to pace, a thing I did when I was thinking. I pondered around the things I had noticed about the small horse; she liked junk food, being obnoxious, music, cartoon—

Wait …

A thought popped into my head. I cracked a smile. Quickly, I ran into the kitchen and grabbed some paper and a pen. I scribbled down a note explaining that I was going to be out for a while for Vinyl, then quietly placed it on the inside of the guest door. After that, I grabbed a few things that I knew I'd need and quickly ran out the door—I had a few people I needed to talk to.

About two hours later, I returned to my apartment with a small smile on my face. To my surprise and delight, everything I had actually managed to work out. To be honest, I was surprised.

I slipped my key into the lock and pushed open the door. I spotted Vinyl laying on the couch with a bored expression on her face. She turned to face me once I closed the door.

“Oh, hey, you’re back,” she began, then rolled off the couch and onto her hooves, “I got your note—where’d you go?”

I tried to hide my excitement. I didn't want to give it away just yet. I shrugged. “Just went out for some errands, nothing much.” I then walked over to the couch and flopped onto it.

Vinyl followed my lead, but, instead, flopping on the neighboring chair.

The was a brief silence in the room. Vinyl didn't talk, and I held my tongue. I had not been this excited in a long, long time.

“Hey, you okay?” Vinyl asked, shifting in her seat. “You're acting a little… strange, I guess?”

Shit.

I bit my lip. Think! “Oh, uh… it's nothing, really. Just bumped into an old friend on my way home.”

I think she’s raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? What’s his name?”

Shit shit shit!

“Uh… Tom?”

“You asking me?”

Shit, I suck at this.

I let out a sigh of defeat. This is a battle I would not win. “Okay, okay, you caught me.” I sat up on the couch, then turned to face the mare. “I may have… I have something special planned for you, later. I… didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

This definitely got her attention, as the cartoonishly colored horse instantly sat up, looking at me with expectant eyes. “Wait, really?!” she screamed. “What is it?!”

I chuckled slightly. “Now now, I told you I didn’t want to ruin it.”

“Is it a cake?”

“No...”

She scrunched up her nose, deep in thought. I chuckled, it was positively adorable. I don’t care how unmasculine that sounds; if you were seeing this, you’d be saying the same thing.

She let out an exasperated sigh, most likely at a loss for ideas. “Ugh, what is it???” she begged, giving me puppy dog eyes. “Please…?”

I had remained resolute in the face of gunfire, explosions, Drill Sergeants that would make a grown man cry, and even a gun to my head. But this… this was true torture. Against overwhelming odds, I stood strong.

“No, Vinyl, it's a surprise. You’ll have to wait.”

Her lip quivered, but I stood strong!

“Pleeeeeease???”

I shook my head once more. We were locked in a staring contest for a few more minutes, neither of us giving any ground. After seemingly forever and a true test of willpower, Vinyl caved.

“Fine, I’ll wait…”

I mentally jumped for joy, though my putter appearance remained unchanged. “Good,” I began, cracking a slight smile, “we’ll head out in about an hour or so for your surprise. Until then, I'm getting myself some much needed sleep.”

With that, I leaned back and closed my eyes, a smile on my face. I believed I heard Vinyl pace impatiently, making me chuckle. She eventually trotted back to her room to do… something. I don't know.

A few minutes of quiet went by, and I felt the pull of sleep draw me in. I welcomed its embrace, and did not fight back. I only prayed for a peaceful dream...

My breath was steady. My heart beat a mere whisper. The cool sand felt good on my chest as I lay prone, head down, even through the thick body armor strapped to my chest. My rifle was carefully clasped in my hands, ready to be used at any moment. The time would come soon.

I felt a slight tap on one of my rear boots. I carefully angled my head towards the source. The unit [spotter], a younger boy, motioned twice forwards with his hands. I nodded in understanding, then began to crawl.

Through the light sand, three entities crawled; me, my spotter, and [my fellow marksman]. The sun had set hours ago, the crescent moon now taking its place. It was dark, but not dark enough. If we weren't careful, we could be spotted with relative ease. Despite this, my breath was calm, and my heart was silent.

For five hundred feet, we crawled through the cool sand. My two companions followed my lead, stopping when I stopped and crawling when I did. Once we halted, our target was in sight: a fairly crudely put together compound. I didn’t know who the compound belonged to, that wasn’t my job to know.

We waited a few moment in the sand, completely still. I scanned the compound, making sure that there were no spotters looking in our area. After a few minutes, I seemed it clear.

I gave my companions a few hand signals. The understood, immediately getting to work setting up. Our spotter set up his scope, while the other got his rifle ready. I, myself, got my rifle ready. It it took me no time to set up the bipod, adjust my night vision scope, and screw on my silencer.

After only a few minutes, we were set up. I looked through my scope and surveyed the compound. Three guards around the parameter, while two stood sentry on the compound's wall. I turned to my fellow sniper and held up five fingers. He nodded.

“Overwatch, are you in position?”

I let a single click through my radio.

“Number of hostiles?”

I clicked five times.

“Understood. Assault begins on your trigger.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. I continued this for several more breaths, then opened my eyes and trained my cross hairs on the leftmost sentry. I inhaled slowly, then pulled the trigger. A slight hiss rang out, followed by a puff of white as the target's head ceased to be.

I racked back the bolt and turned to the next target. Four more shots hissed out, split between me and my companion. Five bodies lay dead. I clicked the radio two times. All clear.

I watched as the rest of our unit hopped up from behind a neighboring sand dune and charged the front gate. The leader of the group pressed a breaching charge on the door, and I closed my eyes. A bright flash and loud bang rang out, followed by the rattle of gunfire.

I trained my eye on the door, waiting for anything or anyone to show their face that wasn't friendly.

“Enemy attempting to flee, shoot on sight.”

Someone ran out of the door. I fired. He fell dead. More followed, more lay dead. Me and my companion alternated between firing and reloading, our spotter shouting out commands or handing us fresh reloads.

I didn't focus on the targets, only making sure they fell dead. It was our choke point—our company knew to stay away. I only hesitated when a smaller entity ran from the breech opening. I focused. A child? More followed. Woman amongst them.

“Civilians spotted,” I spoke, my words caught on my throat mic, “requesting responsive action.”

“Fire without prejudice.”

I swallowed hard. I turned to my spotter and my companion. Their faces held the same hesitation as mine.

“Please repeat,” I muttered.

“Fire!”

I swallowed again. My heart beat faster as I resumed fire. They fell. They all fell. A new, unfamiliar blood soaked in the sands: the blood of innocence. I saw no weapons. I saw no hate. Only fear.

My sight began to fog. I reached in my chest pocket and pulled out a cloth and cleaned my scope. I looked back down the sight, but the fog remained. I paused, then wiped the cloth against my eyes. It cleared.

I resumed fire.

I awoke with a start; my heart pumping and breath shallow. Shadows of my dream still clouded my mind, filling it with the emotions it held: regret, sadness, anger and shame.

I sat up and leaned over, panting slightly. That wasn't just a nightmare; I knew it to be true, not false. I had done that. I had… I had…

“Hey, you’re awake!”

I jumped, almost falling off the couch. My head whipped around to face the source of the voice: a now concerned looking Vinyl. She tilted her head, eyes holding concern.

“Hey, you okay?”

I shook my head slightly and tried to clear it. I put on a faux smile I’d hope she’d believe. “Yeah, yeah… I’m okay. Bad dream, I guess.”

Whether or not she believed me, I couldn't tell. But, she did change the topic, which I was grateful for.

“Okay…” she shook her head, “anyways, is it time for my surprise, now?”

I turned my head and checked the clock. It was a bit earlier than I'd like--my nap had apparently only lasted an hour and a half--but close enough.

“Yup,” I said with a smile, “we’re gonna be sneaking out, so I need you to do everything I say, how I say it, and without question, okay?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

I let out a smile, then head to the door and put on my shoes and jacket. Vinyl stands besides me, practically bouncing like an excited puppy. For a horse, she does have a lot of dog-like qualities.

I find that a mixture of annoying and adorable.

With a roll of my eyes, I slowly opened the door. A quick scan of the hallway showed that it was empty. I exited my apartment and motioned for Vinyl to do the same. She complied, and I locked the door behind us. I slowly walked down the hallway and towards to the stairs, Vinyl following my on my heels.

This is going to be interesting.

Thankfully, the walk from the apartment to the destination of the surprise was an uneventful one. Vinyl followed my instructions to the letter, something that I was thankful for. Where I went, she went. When I said stop, she stopped. Like a puppy… sorta. A sarcastic, annoying, and easily entertained slob of a puppy, but one regardless.

The moon was just starting to rise, cascading it’s silver light onto the street, allowing us just enough light to see, but not enough to be easily seen. The night air was cool and crisp; a little warmer than the night prior.

I stood in front of our destination, quickly pulling out my keys and searching for the right one. Damn it, why do I have to have so many? I don’t own that much!

“What the heck are we doing here?” Vinyl asked from my side, looking up at me. “I thought you didn’t want me at the bar ever again?”

I rolled my eyes, finally finding the right key and putting it into the lock. “You’ll find out if you shut up and let me do my thing,” I muttered, trying my hand at being snarky.

I do believe I succeeded… somewhat.

I pushed the door open and motioned for Vinyl to go first. She did, but not with giving me a puzzled look that said, ‘What the hell are you planning.’ I ignored this and followed soon after her.

The club was dark, and I had to fumble for a few minutes to find the lightswitch that was near the door. Once I found it, however, I flicked it up, satisfied when the lights flickered on. I took off my coat and put it on the rack near the door, then walked forward and passed the still confused unicorn, who returned to her position at my side.

“So…?” she finally spoke up, “is my surprise hidden somewhere in here? Is it hidden? Do I have to find it?!”

I rolled my eyes and stopped by one of the closest tables to the dancefloor. I took one of the chairs and turned it upright, promptly sitting down and smiling contently at the practically vibrating white horse. I kinda hated to tease her like this, but I also didn’t. I’m terrible.

“Okay, okay,” I began with a light chuckle, then pointed at the DJ booth. “There is your surprise.”

The horse turned to face the booth, eyes wide and smile wide, then turned back to me with a still wide smile, but confused eyes. “I don’t get it.”

With yet another roll of my eyes, I motioned to the booth once again. “It’s all yours for tonight -- don’t break it.”

The mare’s smile grew, somehow, even wider, as her eyes opened equally as wide. Like a bullet, she was off like a flash, behind the table before I could even blink. I chuckled to myself as I watched Vinyl hop up onto the DJ booth, looking over the controls and crap with wonderment. I wasn’t sure exactly what she was doing, but her smile still remained on her face, so I believe that she was happy.

The idea had popped into my head earlier: she was a DJ where she was from, so I figured she’d get a kick out of being one here. Sorta. She didn’t have a crowd -- besides me -- but I think that having the equipment to do… whatever it is she does, would be good enough.

It appears that I was right.

After a few minutes of Vinyl looking over the controls and crap, I finally spoke up, “You gonna play something or not, Mrs. Pony.”

Vinyl lifted her head and rolled her eyes. “It’s pon three, actually, and I just needed to get used to this setup.” She smirked, then pressed some buttons on the control panel. “Now, time for me to show you why then call me queen of the wubs!”

Before I could make a snarky remark about how this is the first I’ve heard of this, a loud bass-tone blurted out of the speakers, followed shortly by a mix of sounds that I could only describe as lyrical gymnastics. It wasn’t my type of music, but it did sound good. And Vinyl looked happy.

That was enough to make me smile…

You know, I think this music is growing on me. It had been… what, an hour? Two? I check my watch. Vinyl had been playing for three hours. Non stop. I wasn’t sure what she was doing, that DJ crap was lost on me, but it appeared that she was making legitimate music. At first, I thought she was just playing some playlist and playing with the buttons -- adjusting this and playing with that -- but she was actually making her own original stuff! I had gotten a feel for her process: she would find some sort of base track, something simple that she would build off of, then add more sounds and stuff to make it more complex. I know I sound like a third grader trying to explain quantum theory, but I’m trying!

Anyway, this horse really knew what she was doing. She’d put our house DJ to shame! But that wasn’t what really got me. No, what got me what how into it she got. Her head bobbed to the beat, her mane bounced like a neon-blue sandstorm, and her whole body went into everything she did. She didn’t just make the music, she was the music! I could see the passion on her never ending smile. She loved this. This was what she lived for. I felt a hint of jealousy for that, but I buried it deep down. This wasn’t about me, it was about her. That goddamn magical horse. And it was magical, both in the literal and metaphorical. Even if you didn’t like electronic music, you couldn’t help but feel upbeat. Happy. I would have danced if I knew how. They didn’t teach you how to dance in basic, but they did teach you how to laugh at those who couldn’t.

I never knew that my smile was just as wide as hers.

Another hour went by, and I could finally see Vinyl start to tire out. Her music got less intense. She got less animated. Everything just got… slower. To my shock, the damned horse used this to her advantage and began to change the feel of a music. It went from upbeat to kinda slow. More… relaxing. Didn’t make me want to take a nap. It made me want to… well, sit down and take a breather. It was strange how much control Vinyl had over my from behind that table. If I didn’t know any better, I would have believe that it was some sort of mind control. It was like being puppeteered, but not quite. It wasn’t a force, but a gentle push. Coaxing, I guess. I wonder if there was a science behind this. There probably was, as there was science behind everything. Might stop by the library and pick some books up on it.

One more hour went by before Vinyl finally crashed. We all have our limits, even magical talking horses. She turned off her sound and practically dragged herself from stage, dripping with sweat, but the biggest smile possible on her face.

She trotted over to me.

“Did you hear that!” she panted out, looking at me expectantly. “That was awesome!”

I returned the smile, one brought onto my face not from the music, but by the happiness of the mare that stood before me. “Vinyl, I’ll have to agree with you there: it was awesome.”

The horse let out what I can only describe as a ‘squee’, then lunged forward and wrapped me into a sweaty horse-hug. God, horse sweat is gross!

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Vinyl repeated over and over again, hugging me tight.

Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around her, returning the embrace. “Your welcome, Vinyl. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

The embrace ended, Vinyl pulling away. Her smile remained. “Enjoyed? No, I loved it!” she screamed. “I mean, I’ve never used such an upscale rig, before! It was… it’s a thousand times better than anything I’ve ever used before!”

I cocked my head. This surprised me. “Really? I find that hard to imagine… Unless you mean that our tech is better than that of your world.”

The mare shook her head. “No, we have this crap, but I’ve never been able to use any before.” She blushed. “Never played at anyplace that could afford it..”

I winced slightly. Changing subject! “A-anyways,” I coughed out, “I convinced my boss to allow me to use the club after-hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so this isn’t a one time thing.”

Her eyes went wide, and I had to catch her before she could launch herself into another hug.
“Can you please hold the hugs until you take a shower? You’re all covered in horse-sweat…”

Vinyl’s bottom lip quivered as she looked up at me with pleading eyes.

Fucking adorable horse…

“Okay, okay!” I relented, hesitantly holding my arms open. “Just one more.”

Vinyl tackled me, causing the chair to fall backward. I landed with a thud, Vinyl somehow keeping hold and remaining in a hug.

Stupid horse…

I smiled.

Author's Note:

Full chapter!

Hope you enjoy.

~ Chapter: 13

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