//------------------------------// // Tonight on, Who done it!? // Story: The Elements... And Me // by Doood //------------------------------// Chapter 15: My knee shook, violently I might add, in my own little nervous state because of what had just happened. From where I was, I could see the various doctors and nurses scamper about like chickens with their heads cut off. Not that they could do much at the moment. This case was just a small notch on a gun’s kill count compared to the severity of what life the bullet had taken. I did flag one of the more less occupied staff down, however, and shakily asked if they could grab me some peanuts and a nice cold drink of water. The lady smiled and merely walked away, not answering my question. I watched with hurt eyes as she disappeared, and went back to looking at the ground in dismay. It wasn’t for the reason you'd have thought of, either. The peanuts and water wasn't for me, rather for who was in the room I was staying outside of. Out of curiosity, my eyes wandered up to the rectangular hole that offered a view into her room. It'd been a few hours since the incident. Why the two words sounded like an action movie gone wrong is beyond me… But the description fits as I do not wish to speak of what has happened. It's like that time I tried a ‘bloody mary’…. Completely forgot my night and woke up in my bathtub with twenty dollars taped to my face. Guess it didn't help that I apparently tried to buy something from a Zippy Mart and was Twenty bucks short. So the cashier wrote me a note telling me to get a job, starting me off with what I had nothing of. I still have that money stashed at home... It's like clockwork though. I done fucked up many times before. And as the many times had gone by, I learned, so I wouldn't do them again. Natural process of drink, rinse, and not repeating. So never again will I submit to drinking alcohol! ...unless I'm really depressed. Which happened recently. And I'll have you know, it's why I'm here right now in this damnable office! DON'T DO ALCOHOL KIDS. Unless you are an adult. “Excuse me? Tick, is it?” My knee halted its rapid up-and-down movement. It was Redheart… And I was in no mood to submit to having my groin assaulted today. So my natural instinct was to take slow movements, as a kind of placating gesture, “Yes?” See, the best thing to do in moments like these, is to be very cautious. “Fluttershy is awake.” Redheart blew a pink strand of hair from her muzzle, “And her friends are in there with her.” I nodded, “Thank you. I'll go in, in a minute.” My hand dug into my pocket to fish out my cigarettes. I've gone through all of them, I know this, but for some reason, my heart and mind plummeted once I saw the lone, cancerous rouge in the container. “You do know you can't smoke. Correct?” I chuckled, “Yeah. I know, here.” I tossed her the packet, “As a nurse, you should be saying they're bad for me. In my defense, you stole them.” I stood and cracked my back, reaching for the door afterwards. Redheart caught the packet in her hooves and blinked, “This is… unexpected.” My hand stopped just above the handle, “I can always take them back.” Redheart sniffed, “I'll hold onto these until you depart.” I smiled, “Good mare.” Opening the door was like walking into the wrong classroom in high school. You know you don't belong. Your existence is spitted on, stripped of rank, declared unfit for duty, and thrown into a grinder for some other poor sod to use as toilet paper. All eyes were on me as soon as I stepped through those heavy doors. Granted, there was a window I could've glanced into before going in. But I was tired of waiting, I had to see what was happening. I've been in the dark for five or six hours and needed the nourishment of the retired calamity. Like with Rainbow Dash, a mere days ago, all six were gathered in one place. Except they weren't sleeping, or batting an eye as to what was going on. Hell, even Big Macintosh and the three amigos were here. Crusaders. Whatever… Fluttershy, however, was my main concern. And naturally when I saw that she was okay, I smiled, because hey, she wasn't fucking dead? I'm betting you or anyone else really would be thankful about that. She didn't look good though. I mean, yes she's in the hospital, she's being cared for and all, but I should've expected that she wasn't going to heal that quickly. But… Goddamn, she looked like the guy who had his brains sucked out in Starship Troopers! AND THAT WAS A MOVIE BEFORE YOUR TIME!! As impossible as it may otherwise have been, Fluttershy seemed even more pale than usual, and still had a crazed look in her eye. She had stopped shaking and was rid of the black tar, but her body had taken a more dreadful hit, and became thinner. At least that's what I saw from my own point of view. But like I said, I walked in, noticed that the bedridden pegasus had gathered the whole town, and smiled. She was okay… For the most part. God was I so wrong… I walked in, Fluttershy flipped the fuck OUT. So did everyone that was near her, or in the same vicinity except for the Crusaders and Derpy who looked about as confused as I was. Fluttershy dove under her covers and cried out in the most horrible of screams I have ever heard. You think she was scared? How did you think I felt? She flipped out, I jumped back, and about busted my ass out into the hallway. The premise of all this, was she didn't want to see me, like at all. “N-NO, GET OUT!! I-... I DON'T WANT TO!!” She wasn't afraid of me… because there's a look in someone's eyes when they are scared. Fluttershy wasn’t scared of me - rather... It appeared she was scared of being near me. Everyone had turned to look at me with hardened gazes after she had screamed and disappeared under her sheets. Which confused me even more. Was there somebody beHIND ME?! NO? It was just the wall. Stupid wall… “Guys? What's wrong?” Shit… A bad time to try and get some information out of someone if you've just been nothing but an asshole the whole time. I guess I wasn’t all that surprised when nobody said nothing. NO-THING. The only sound was Fluttershy and her weeping, which only heightened my anxiety. Some of her friends grouped closer and did their best to quiet the shivering mare. But whenever she tried peeking her covers, I was there, and Shy would go back to what she had been doing before. Someone spoke. Not going to comment who, but it wasn't a, hey Tick, how are ya? Nor was it a, You look nice today! It was, “What did you do to her…” And it was spoken in a angry tone as if they were in disbelief that I had done such a grave thing. Obviously, I answered a question... with a question, “Did what to whom?” The voice that had spoken before, spoke again, this time showing me a face full of tears and anger. I was unprepared, shocked and caught off guard when Rainbow Dash decided to full out deck me in the gut, “FLUTTERSHY, WHAT DID YOU DO TO FLUTTERSHY?!” Damn… She knew how to punch. That, and she knew how to fly, work her mouth (for all of you sexual people, shut the fuck up), and be a serious pain all at the same time. Dash did have a point in doing all this, and God save the Queen if I wasn't going to try and be a pussy about all of it. “I didn't do a damn thing! Asshole… Besides bringing her in, I don't know what's been happening!” Dash sniffed, “Don't you dare say that. Don't deny what you've done, we've all heard from Shy what happened, and saw what was left of her home.” I coughed, “So you've seen the black pools littered about too, then.” “What black pools? We went to her place, all we saw was her furniture and photos tossed around as if she'd put up a fight!” Sniffing, I tried looking for a chair to sit down in, found none, cried about it and decided to sit on the cold hard floor, “Right, well, you only got half the story correct my feathered fierce friend.” I gave her a hopeless grin, “Somebody did try to get her. And they left that weird black shit that I found covering her and half the damn house.” Rubbing the spot where Rainbow had powed me in the kisser, I shrugged, “I got there a little late though. Seemed to have happened right after I left the diner.” “Oh really?” I nodded, “Yes really. I'm pretty sure Rarity can attest that I was with Spike this morning, and Twilight can't deny that she kicked me out of her house. I sure as hell wasn't going to visit Applejack and Pinkie when they were trying to set me up a party.” Pinkie gasped, “Hey!! It was supposed to be a surprise!!” I threw my hands out, “Loose lips, sink ships darling. And besides, I probably wouldn't have gone. I had a headache after Twilight beat me to death.” Twilight growled, “With a book.” I snorted, “It was a dictionary dear, and don't lie to me when I say you wanted my head on a pike.” Grumbling in disbelief, Twilight spoke no other quarrel or sent any snark my way. But then again, there were those who needed physical proof, rather than verbal. AJ, the farmer, was one of those persons/ponies. Also might've been because she was the element of honesty or some crap like that. Applejack spoke in an endearing tone, sending chills up my spine, “If ah think you did what ya did… Then you ain't going nowhere but Tartarus…” Ah yes… The ponified version of hell. Very nice place if you like spikes, dead ponies, a pissed off version of Satan that has wings and a singular horn, and finally that endless chasm of death with flames spitting out of it, daring you to just try and wave your hand over. “I’d gladly take that over this place any day.” I glanced up, “But you can keep your stetson,” then over to Dash, “And your feathers on. I'm innocent to a certain degree.” “And that degree is?” I sighed, “Like I said, I was in her house, yes.” Dash threw a hoof over my head, which I ducked like the badass I am, “I KNEW IT!” “BUT, only because I tried smiting her stupid bunny.” Rarity cocked her head, “Angel?” I looked towards Big Macintosh, who had silently moved behind me in case I tried swinging at anybody. And… just as a side note, might I say that he looks as though he could squeeze my head like a toothpaste bottle between his thighs? GREAT SQUATS!! “Eyeup. Little bastard got my eye and made me chase him down.” Shrugging, I blew my lip, “He took me to Shy’s place, and… when I saw what her place was like… I… Well I may have pilfered about.” Scratching my head, I looked to the angered faces of those standing around me, “Then I found Fluttershy. After that, I ran her here. The rest is… well it's a bit hazy.” There were these two mares in the room along with several unknown others… Aloe… and Vera? No… Aloe and something. Anyway, Aloe spoke up from the corner of the room with a exposition of fact, “He could be telling the truth… Fluttershy was supposed to stop in for her daily visit at our Spa. She wasn't there, nor was Rarity.” Aloe had a sexy accent... Rarity then commented with another heartwarming opinion, “Apologies, I was supposed to come pick her up… and he came barreling out of her home… I thought the worst!” All eyes went to the gardened mare, who in turn chuckled nervously, “I… Uh...see… That I should've… Said something earlier…” With a flat expression, I added, “And you punched me?” Dash nodded slowly, “Next time I want to punch you, You'll get a, Get outta punch free card.” We then both proceeded to brofist and she was nice enough to pick me up from my spot on the floor. Murmurs started to spread around at that point, as every pony began to wonder just who did it. Who would be the unlucky sod to cross paths with these fine folks, and brutish pegasi? I listened as I dusted myself off, trying to see how I could get mad with these creatures of folklore and myth. Maybe lash out in retaliation for such a rude hello. But I couldn't. These ponies had such a close knit relation with one another, that because something like this had happened, they've all become rather hostile to the thing, or person, who had done Fluttershy harm. Hell, place that fucker in front of me, and I'll throw hands left and right too. “I may not be the only one guessing right now… But if Tick didn't do it…” Said Derpy, gaining almost everyone's attention immediately, “Then who did?” O.o.O.o.O “DID YOU DO WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, OR NOT?!” There was a pair, filling a strangely dim litted landscape. Nothing too special about the hill they were upon, other than the moon which defiantly shed its eyes onto both. It casted shadows, and played with the lantern one of the two had put on a small stump for lighting. After the loud, shrill voice cut the night air, A lanky and fairly thin stallion clutched his ears and shakily chuckled, “No, but your tone of voice would've done the trick better. The Element of Kindness is known to be more frightened around loud noises, rather than trickery of the mind.” “WELL IT APPEARS WE ARE IN A CONUNDRUM.” The lanky stallion rolled his eyes, “Thank you, Anger, for stating the obvious.” He had started walking away, but turned and raised a brow, “Would you like to share with me another simple problem?” Anger, a small but rather solidly built foal, nodded, “YES, IT SEEMS I AM ALL OUT OF OATS, FEAR.” Fear murmured, “Oats?” Shaking his head, Fear scoffed, “Why in the Dickens is that a problem?!” Anger slammed a hoof down in an attempt of looking tough, but failed and merely looked as if he were throwing a tantrum, “I AM HUNGRY, AND IN NEED OF SUSTENANCE.” Fear flattened his expression, “I am about five seconds from kicking you into the nearest shallow pool and watching you squirm.” “YOU WOULDN'T DARE.” Fear waved his hooves, “Why does everyone think my threats are idle?! That's the same thing the shy one said before choking on her own bile.” “NASTY BUSINESS.” Fear grumbled another threat, “Yes well, you were no help.” “SHE WAS STRONG IN THE WAY OF HER EYE.” Fear laughed darkly, “For you, maybe. But it was null and rather void on me.” “Keep talking like that, and you'll end up taking my job.” Fear was caught off guard after being interrupted, and said without looking away from his cohort, “Pride. A surprise.” He then cast his eyes toward the mare making her way up the hill slowly, “Still out of shape,” Pride nodded, “And practice…” She then flopped onto the top of the hill, flapping her wings as she did so, “Would've used them… But I wanted to take the scenic route.” Fear snorted, “Keep telling yourself that.” Disregarding any useless phrases sent her way, Pride smiled, “Anger, nice to see you haven't changed.” “NO THANKS TO ANY OF YOU.” Pride and Fear blinked, both then proceeding to slowly reach for their ears. The former whispered, “Is he still-” The latter agreed, tight-lipped, “Yes he is.” “IS THE TOPIC ABOUT ME?” Pride immediately chuckled nervously, “Of course not! Why would it ever be so?” “Because he's the loudest thing since, The Great Explosion.” Fear nodded and laughed under his breath, “Which was the greatest time of my reign, I might add.” “And where was I when they wrote of it in the books?” Anger smiled crudely. “YOU WERE BEHIND THE SCENES, ONE UPPING A RULER. I DO BELIEVE HIS NAME WAS REGINALD.” A new mare, probably another unnamed element, just throwing it out there, sighed and decided to plop herself down next to the lantern, “His name was not, Reginald. I cannot bear the thought of actually rutting somepony with a name that houses three syllables.” Two more ponies, a stallion and another foal stepped up to the hilltop, the stallion was grinning widely, “Oh? What about me, dearest Lust?” Lust blinked her oddly pink eyes and curled her lip, “I was drunk off of salt and cider. You were an accident.” The foal snickered, “And then you cried in a corner for a few days, Deception, all because she wouldn't do your mind a favor.” Deception grumbled, “Oh shut up, midget. She'd never go for you.” Solitude rubbed his chin, “I dunno pal… I hear mares love a good belly rub.” Both fell into snickers when Lust threw grass at them in anger. Meanwhile, Pride and Fear sat in silence, questioning their existence with a foal yelling in their ears, “IT APPEARS WE ARE ALL HERE. SHALL WE COMMENCE?!” Fear rubbed his eardrum and shrugged, “Feel like we should. I mean, technically, there should be seven of us, but he had to go and get turned into stone.” Solitude laughed aloud, “Yes, I know! He complains to me all the time!” And then everybody tried figuring out whether he was talking to them, or himself. Regardless, Fear dimmed the lantern and smiled, “So, I trust everypony's travel was concluded in safety?” “More or less.” “Eh. It was alright.” “Made a town burn themselves alive…” Heads turned to Solitude, who had spoken too soon. When he noticed the stares, he shook his head, “Not for real! Heavens, I'm evil, not a monster.” Deception snickered, “I was about to say, Solitude goo-” “No see, it was an accident. I may have accidentally tripped whilst carrying a match into the nearest Powder Keg refinery.” Jaws went slack, and Solitude grunted, “I'm still picking the grit out of my teeth.” “EXPLOSIVE SITUATION.” Fear grunted, “Okay! That's enough. I'm sure all of us had their own kind of fun, and I'll be glad to hear about it, LATER. But right now, I'd like to hear about how we're going to commit heinous acts of justice.” “You mean evil.” Fear sighed as his shoulder went slack, “No I-” He growled, “Fine.” Rolling his eyes he worked his lips, “Heinous acts of Evil. Happy?” “JUSTICE SOUNDED A MIGHT BETTER.” Pride looked over Fear’s shoulder, “Was uh… anypony… talking to you?” “NO. BUT MY INPUT IS WELL APPRECIATED.” “Keep telling yourself that. Anyways,” Fear leaned forward, “Glad you four could make it in time for the party to start.” “I LIKE-” “OH WOULD YOU- SSHHHHHH!!” Fear rubbed his muzzle in a vain attempt to calm down, “Blimey! Can't a stallion get a damn word out of his mouth before you go screaming out your blasphemy?!” Anger stayed silent, but blinked his apologies. “Right, as I was saying, while you were off doing who knows what, Pride and I have been hard at work putting our own two bits in here and there, keeping what we need - on their hooves.” Pride shuffled in place at the mention of her name, but said nothing, allowing the dark pony to continue. “But now that you are here, we can finally finish what we started a long time ago.” Deception raised his hoof, “Skip the history, because it's boring, and get onto the details of it all, please.” Fear frowned, “Aw… but I liked the history part… Can't I just-” “NO.” Throwing his hooves up, Fear sighed, “Okay! Fine! Jeez… Found the human. Plain and simple.” Solitude murmured, “So it is true. The one being that doesn't have a presence is here…” Pride giggled, “Mm… And smart. If you think our little tricks or knickknacks will work on him, think again. He's also very selfish, crude, and vulgar in the ways of language usage.” Lust raised both brows, “My kind of guy.” Which then constituted Deception to become rather butthurt. “SO WHAT IS NEEDED OF US?” Fear clapped his hooves together, “An excellent question!” Delving into a little knapsack he had brought for guarding, and other purposes, Fear produced a small orb, “Don’t want to ruin everyone's spirits, but I've been able to keep a watchful eye on the human.” Several groans and moans ripped through the night, “Aw… Fear… Seriously? An orb?” Fear silenced them all with a quick, “SHHH!!! KEEP YOUR VOICES DOWN.” “YOU'RE THE ONE WHO IS YELLING.” “DAMMIT ANGER!!” Pride whooped, “Just get on with it.” After hearing that, the dark pony growled “Anything else before I continue?” When his eyes glanced over no talkative nor suggestive actions, Fear laughed menacingly, “Then let the downfall begin!… Starting with their trusts…” O.o.O.o.O