//------------------------------// // Borrowed Time: Friend // Story: Imbalanced: New Age // by Nameless Narrator //------------------------------// Buuuuuuuuck! "Arrgh!" Fire! Hurts... so much... "Damn whyyyy?" I drag myself further along the floor. "Why does it hurt... now?" Exhausted, I let my muzzle rest on the cold black stone. "Stars... I'm... tired." "Maybe because every time you used true death you sacrificed some of your own power. Now that you had none, you are like this." I ignore the smartass, and simply lie there with eyes closed, breathing. Okay, I don't have enough self-control to just let the comment be. "That was... rhetorical." Slow, echoing hoofsteps approach me. I open my eyes, not that it makes too much difference. All I see are black tiles lit by... well, something without a source. My foreleg, though, is just a shadow, unclear and shimmering. Should I try to stand up? Nah, maybe next century or so. "I hate... everything." A pain of thousand burning needles shoots out from the back of my neck. "Aaaaaaaaargh! Whyyyyy?" "Ooops, I'm sorry," the friendly male voice answers immediately and the agony disappears, leaving only a still painful memory. "Just let me... let me rest. Forever... if possible." "I wish I could, Blazing, I really wish I could, but I can't," he says directly. No hesitation, no doubt, only warm tone, but direct and firm, "But we can wait until you can at least stand." I raise my foreleg and wave it. "So... a week or something?" "Come on, it has already been over a month. For me, at least." Grunting, I push myself up which leaves me staring at the black, glistening floor and gasping for breath. As I persevere like that, my head gradually clears up. "Fine... you impatient... pony..." "I am happy you haven't given up, Blazing." "I gave up... long time ago," I limp a little forward and finally raise my head, "But you bastards refuse to just let me die. Or stay dead, to be precise." The pony behind me gives me a hearty laugh. "That makes two of us now, doesn't it?" The dim surroundings of Final Sanctuary are more than familiar to me, both from my memories and from my own visits. However, what is more important is the pony. The pony who has been talking to me inside my head. I turn around, and can't help cracking a smile. Just like I am now a shimmering dark shadow in a form of an -I quickly check all my appendages- alicorn, he is a more 'solid' shape, although clearly just a spirit himself. Pure white body presenting all characteristics of an earthpony, muscular, toned to perfection, and still bearing soft, almost feminine features. Light blue mane, flowing freely and ending halfway down his neck. Tail of the same colour, flicking from side to side as he watches me carefully approach him. The same blue patches of long hair streaming down his fetlocks, making him look like some of those old classical unicorn paintings. All those I recall instantly, all those features I nearly forgot. All of them including common brown eyes, looking at me with pride and a happy smile. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry," he says. "You've always been a sentimental one, Heavy." He sniffles and wipes his eyes. Taking a step forward to me, he stops as I raise my foreleg. "One thing," I add firmly, "Are you really Heavy Hoof, or are you some memory, construction of Final Sanctuary or Void, or something other? Because the Heavy I know had his heart ripped out by my possessed father in front of me." Lowering his gaze, he thinks for a moment, and then hesitantly nods. "I've had a lot of time to think about it, and I think it's me. I remember everything from my life, I remember how Void broke the rules and brought me back after I was killed so that I could have a final talk with Tio. Next... next thing I remember is being called here again for one last thing to do, one final duty to fulfill. Familiar saying, isn't it?" "Yeah, of course," I nod. I could speculate on this really being Heavy's soul, but I'm not exactly in the mood. He's here, he seems to want to help, that's enough, "What did Void want? I recall something about Scream dying... him wanting to leave. A door? I feel like I know but I just can't make anything out of the flashes and pieces of memories." "I don't know anything about Scream," Heavy Hoof's spirit shakes its handsome head, "What Void asked of me was to wait 'here' until the new alicorn of Death appeared. He said that if his plan worked out then it would be you, or somepony at least partially you. If that happened then I was to guide you here, show you around, and assist in any way I can." "How would you know?" "I am bound to his -well, not anymore- divine power. When you woke up I regained consciousness inside you as well." "And what if whatever Void caused didn't work?" "I was free to go or to help if I wanted. To be honest, I think I would have..." he trails off, uncertain. "Heavy?" "I don't know. Everything is telling me that letting things go would be wrong, that I have to help, that there is far more at stake than my own peace, but... you know. It is seriously tempting." "Yeah, the little selfish part of you keeps saying it's finally somepony else's problem. You know what the biggest difference between us is? Aside from you being incedibly hot and me not." "Hmm, what?" "You never listened to the lazy part, you gave all you had, you worked hard for everything you had, and you fought till the end for everyone. I just... was me. A much less of a pony than you." "Still the same Blazing, I see," he pats my back. This time the touch isn't agonizing, merely unpleasant and I scowl. He notices my hiss, "It does feel strange, like touching solid smoke. Try me." Poking him with my foreleg, I feel like my hoof is about to split when I try to apply more force. "I think... I think I'm too weak. You are solid, for a spirit. I am," I look at my smokey legs again, "I am as close to being dead as I can be. You feel much stronger than I am right now." "After what you did out there, I think we're both dead." "I mean -I never thought I'd have to distinguish between the two- dead dead, not you or me dead." "This is getting silly. And confusing." "Just like this entire situation." "I wish I could be of more help, but it's not as if I've been alive this whole time," Heavy shrugs, "I regained consciousness with your resurrection and it took me some time to recover myself. So, what's the plan?" "How about-" "And don't say 'a week of sleep'." "Killjoy," I stick my tongue out at him, "Anyway, plan of what? I lost my body surrounded by enemies on all sides. My last ditch effort to destroy some of them failed when Harmony's avatar survived, so did Insanity and that crazy bastard Legius. The only victims were a bunch of griffon soldiers who I think had no clue what they were doing or who they were really chasing. All I did was kill few dozen mostly innocent guys with families and friends." "And yourself." "Thank you for the correction, I must have missed that tiny unimportant detail," I roll my eyes. "No," Heavy shakes his head, "I mean they all saw you die. On top of it, they all saw you die in a way they understood to be final and inevitable. Yet you're still here, with nopony knowing you are alive." "Alive is a bit of a strong word. What can I do? Hide inside Legius' closet and poltergeist the snot out of his bathrobe in the middle of the night so he has a heart attack?" The triumphant smile Heavy flashes me is a clear sign that my future is going to be anything but peaceful. "Actually, Void expected that, or something similar." "How about you tell me everything so that I can finally come up with something better than looking for the nearest bed?" "Well," Heavy hesitates, "I don't exactly understand it myself. He said this place was bigger than it looked, and that you would know how to navigate it." Hmm, would I? Taking a stroll around, all I can find or see is the grey desert outside, the thick pillars separating the inside of the temple from everything else, Void's throne, a wide staircase down ending in a thick stone doorway with shifting carvings of various ponies on both wings, the tiled floor, and Heavy Hoof himself. Why did Void have to keep things cryptic? Or was he? Could it be the case that Heavy wouldn't understand? Maybe something native to alicorns? Huh. I did use to have my own dimension. I don't know how it happened or when exactly, but it took the shape of supposedly my mindscape - empty ruins of old Manehatten destroyed by earthquakes and natural disasters. I didn't spend much time there, but I learned that without a clear goal in mind, or while panicking, I could spend what seemed like days walking around the endlessly changing desolation. However, when I knew what to look for, it was just behind the next corner or two. Sadly, that isn't exactly helpful on its own here. "This is important, Heavy, did Void say something, anything about what was supposed to be here?" "Oh yes, definitely," he nods after a quick thought, "He told me it might not be possible for you to get here on your own, but that his power was the key you should use in an emergency." "I guess," I scratch my head, interrupting him to clear some things up, "I'm sure any alicorn who knew Void could teleport me here, but I definitely couldn't do it on my own unless I found the real world entrance. Am I correct in assuming that your attempt at demoralizing me back in the real world was just a way to convince me that suicide by true death was the only way?" "Blazing," Heavy's tone grows serious and he gives me a firm stare, "If you believe only for a second that I could ever mean meeting you being anything but one of the best things to ever happen to me, Cromach, or Darky seriously, I will have to punch you. I'm sorry for what I said, honestly. I didn't see a good way out of this and decided to try Void's last resort." "Fine. It's not like you lied. Crom's state is my fault, and most of the other stuff as well." He sighs. "Blazing-" I raise my foreleg. "Leave it," I stop his objection, "Is that all Void mentioned?" Frowning, Heavy returns back on topic. "No. As I said, Void had a hunch that you might end up in here after being killed or having to overuse his power. He told me there should be a room with a body you might remember, and a room with a map," he waves his hoof around, clearly meaning that there is absolutely nothing that we haven't discovered already, "Your guess is as good as mine about what he meant by that. Maybe something with the door and the stairs?" Shaking my head, I walk over to the middle of the temple. "As far as I know that door leads to the underworld itself. It is not for either of us. However, let me try something." I close my eyes and focus. A room with a body I might remember. My body? I am raw divine power mixed up with a soul right now, I have no physical form. Can I... make one? Certainly not. Can I... possess somepony like the gods do? I have no clue how. Void said I would know. Of course! It's been SO LONG, so damn long, but when I died for the first time after assaulting prince Blueblood when he tried to rape Chokey, Scream resurrected me and gave me a magical body. Void later explained that she also made bodies for him when he became too powerful to walk in the real world without things dying around him instantly. Maybe he left one here for me. If I recall correctly, it had some sort of purple glowing runes circling its legs like bracelets and- "Well that's new," I hear Heavy's surprised voice and open my eyes. The temple is still the same, but with one small difference. The earthpony is curiously circling around a black pedestal -seriously, Void badly needed an interior decorator- upon which lies some sort of a mask in the shape of a pony muzzle. Being the inquisitive pony he's proven to be, he pokes it. In a scientifically investigative way, of course. A string of weakly shimmering runes appears on its surface. "I guess this is not the map room, right?" he asks. "I went for the body one first. I think whatever this is it might give me a body like the one I got from Scream after I was hanged. Let's see," I pick the mask up and put it on my muzzle where it rests, warm and fitting. The eyeholes are annoying, though, "Do I look firm now?" "No different than a moment ago," answers Heavy walking around me. "Maybe I need to do some-" I freeze, feeling suddenly heavier than a mountain. "-ffnmg?" I can't move. I can't blink. I can't speak. I'm running out of breath. "Geht..." The first word of 'get it off!' exhausts me like a marathon. My survival instinct kicks in. Stop trying to do everything at once! Breathing is the most important. In. Out. In. Out. Heavy Hoof running around in panic and his spirit legs passing through me are some of the shapes I can make out through my rapidly tearing up eyes. Alright, close the damn things. NOW! "Blazing? Blazing!" I hear the earthpony yell loudly into my ear. Okay, maybe even he can act like an idiot when scared witless. He should be happy I can't smack him right now. "Mmmmggh!" I grumble. "I can't take it off," he starts explaing, still walking around and looking at my everything, "The mask sort of disappeared and you look... well, like you again. There's just some glowing writing on your legs I can't make out." Hello, body. This is Blazing. That guy is Heavy Hoof. Forgive him, he's normally really smart, but nothing about our situation can be called normal. Now, I would appreciate some cooperation regarding movement. It feels like I'm wearing a suit of armor made of concrete covered steel and with a dragon sitting on my back. No answer. Shocking, I know. However, I can blink now. Progress. "Are you still there?" asks Heavy, spotting me furiously blinking at him, "Blink twice if you understand me." How many times for 'if you rupture my eardrum again I will fist you with your own ripped off foreleg'? Blink. Blink. Damn my lack of expressiveness. After conquering the basic functions of breathing and blinking, I try to open my mouth again. "Too... heavy..." a barely audible grunt comes out through the mostly closed mouth. "Yes?" Oh screw this! Filled with the power of utter annoyance, I pour every ounce of strength I don't have to push a foreleg forwards and... ...feel like slipping out of jello cake. "Hnnng!" I groan in displeasure as Heavy's hug makes me feel like a tube of toothpaste about to pop. "Oh sorry, sorry, sorry!" Heavy immediately lets me go. A quick look backwards leaves me eye to eye with a perfect copy of myself. Copying Heavy's scientific method of poking the body, I notice my spiritual form just passes through it with no resistance. Well, at least I know how to leave the damn thing. "Hmmm..." I mutter. "I'm so glad you're okay," Heavy sits down, finally calm. "Next time, please, don't scream so hard," I rub my ethereal ear still echoing with pain. "Really, really sorry." "Yeah yeah, I forgive you," I roll my eyes and pat his back. My hoof no longer feels as if being chopped in half when I touch him. I grin, realizing what it means, "Heavy, you know what I need?" "I'll do anything if it helps." "Rest." "What?" "I told you before. I need sleep, rest, meditation, anything that helps the form I'm in right now. I don't know how souls work, but I'm damn positive that I'm not in a great shape. The body requires too much power to control. I can barely touch you without feeling as if I'm about to pass out, I sure as hay can't operate a corporeal body. Just calm down and do what you normally do here while I take a nap." "But-" "No objections!" He sighs. "Fine. Can I help in any way?" "Transform into a bed," I snicker, lying down on the floor and closing my eyes. Thankfully, Final Sanctuary has this weird habit of being comfortable. No cold, no real heat, just pleasant nothingness. Heh, the first time I was here I was a flesh golem, and being in an undead body was a brutal hit. Now, though, it feels like home. Somewhere I can let everything go after a hard day of work in a chair and listen to the radio. Relaxing, I feel stronger already. "That can be arranged. If my touch won't hurt you again." Aaand my incorporeal heart is beating thousand times a minute out of nowhere. "Huh? I didn't mean it literally." "Just messing with you," Heavy turns around, summoning a broom out of nowhere and starting to lazily sweep the obsidian floor. No, you weren't. You've been alone as long as I have, and I know you used to have a crush on me before Cross came along. Now you're the best friend I can hope for, and... Honestly, we're both adults, and I think we can walk the thin line of friendship bordering on love without making things complicated. You know I love Crom and I will keep trying to do something to get him back until I exhaust all options. And now I am the one trying to overthink some basic need for company and warmth. Again. "Come here, Heavy. You're too fluffy to be wasted on a janitor. I doubt Void used to sleep here on the floor, but I'm too tired to look for a bedroom." "You sure about it? I mean, you said just touching felt awful," he says hesitantly. "The more I recover the more it'll feel just like when I was alive, I think. So, how about it? Just take it slow." The broom disappears as the earthpony lets it go and walks over with unsuccessfully concealed haste. Lying down next to me, he inches himself closer and closer, slowing down when I twitch after being touched. "Too close?" he asks. "Yeah, it's still like touching something after being burned. Sensitive, sore, but getting better." "No need to rush anything, is there?" "It's not like I can do more than just sleep right now." "Heh, good night." "Night, Heavy. I'll try the body again the first thing after I wake up." He shuffles a little closer again. I don't have the heart to tell him off and just grit my teeth. The pain will go away soon if I keep recovering like now. Funny, I had no idea spirits could feel warm. "Your world will be vastly closer than you think." Were Heavy and Cromach what Void meant? [Blazing's Entry] Finally, some peace and quiet. [End Entry]