//------------------------------//
// Chapter Seven: With Our Backs to the Wall 
// Story: Bricks in the Wall 
// by _NAME_ 
//------------------------------//


Chapter Seven

With Our Backs to the Wall





























.





















What shall I use to fill these empty spaces?





















…These empty spaces where we used to talk?








































































'--LRETNAC NI ETUTITSNI CIRTAIHCYSP LAIROMEM REHCTELF EHT FO ERAC, KNIP OT REWSNA RUOY DNES ESAELP. EGASSEM TERCES EHT DEREVOCSID TSUJ UOY. SNOITALUTARGNOC...'




















































































“Oi, Pink! Rêves is on the phone!”





“...Alright...”






















How shall I fill the final places?








































“How're you doing?”
















“Fine. You?”












“I’m good.”













































How should I complete the wall?































































“You sound tired, Pink. Have you been getting enough sleep?”







“No, I'm fine. Don't worry, babe...”









“…Anything else going on?”





“Uuhhh... Not really. I, uh, had to buy a new guitar yesterday. Trashed the old one.”











“That’s…good, I guess…”





“Mmhmm…”








"Alright... Bye. Love you."











"Goodbye."






























































Never relax at all…
































































































































































“Hey, is there anypony in there...?”





Green flashed in front of my vision.



I blinked.


The world fell into place.


Then, more green interrupted my view of my hooves and the piano I had been playing. Unsteadily, I tore my gaze away from the keys and glanced up. 

A green unicorn mare looked back at me. She smiled at me and tightened the saddlebags slung on her back.

“Yes, remember me? Your loving wife, Rêves?” 

I gazed at her vacantly. Rêves… Wife…

“Reves…” I croaked in reply, a small smile playing on my lips.

She sighed and looked at me dejectedly. “Yes, Pink, Rêves... Sweet Celestia, those drugs you’re taking addle your brain. It’s a wonder you can even talk.”

I looked at her. “…Ss’wonder…” I mumbled sluggishly, nodding my head slightly.

She clenched her eyes shut and choked back a moan. I watched her, unsure what was going on. What was there to be sad about? I was happy. She was happy. Life was great…

When she reopened her eyes, she smiled half-heartedly. “Ye—Yes, Pink. I’m going down to the—” She broke off, a soft sob racking her body. “To the store for a bit, okay?”

I stared back in response.

Rêves turned away from me and the piano and trotted back towards the door. I watched her go.

With a hoof on the door, she looked back over her shoulder. “I love you, Pink…”

I didn’t respond.

She left the room. I blinked again and looked back at the piano. Unsteadily, I pressed down on the keys, creating a discordant tune, my hooves trembling with every movement. I sighed and my forelimbs fell limply to my side. I reached a hoof out towards the now closed door, hoping, yearning that she would return. 

She didn’t.


“Love…you too, dear…”








































































































I feel so…empty…

























This isn’t what I thought it would be at all…






























































I reached out for her one night, hoping to feel her embrace. 

To see her face. 

To talk. 

To love, as we had before. 

To hear her laugh. 

To see her smile. 

I loved her.

I really did.

My pink hoof brushed against her green shoulders, but my wife turned away at my touch, drawing the covers up over her shoulders and continued sleeping, unaware of my presence.

I sighed and slipped out of the bed comforter. I swung my backlimbs over the edge of the bed and cradled my head in my forehooves.

There was a lone blunt lying on the sidetable, just beside the alarm clock and a very expensive lighter.

With unsteady hooves,, I reached out and cradled it in my grasp, staring down at nothing in particular.

I took a shuddering breath and flipped open the lighter, holding the flame up to the tip of the only thing that could deaden this felling inside.

And I got out of bed and left the room.



















































	…So empty….































































































Carriages Bombs Homes Gray Books Sleep Disease Treasure Pictures Attics East Fights Work Music Sex Rats Walls Guitar Faces Rain Flowers Dogs Leisure Drinks Worms Trains Empty On Drugs Power Fuck Race Fly Applause Showers Sex War Sky Life Clothes Spaces Tours Pink Money  Cigars Moon Ovens Love Drugs Bones Pony Goodbye Flesh Black Pink War Life Sight Roots Fame Love Mother Death Pigs Time Alcohol Sky Bricks Empty Drugs New Hunger Off Heart Diamonds Breathe Father Bury Music Worms Play Empty Radio Damage Love Wish Cold Fame Sunshine  Lonely Music Pain Memorial Freedom Pills Lust Sun  Echoes Fire Clouds Hello Goodbye






















I have everything, yet nothing…

























What shall I do now?








What can I do?


































































I was watching one of those new television sets.

They had come out a while, so I got a couple because I could. It was another thing to distract me.

Currently, there was some cooking show on. I didn't know what was on the other channels. I didn't particularly care. I just needed something on, something to fill me.

The mare onscreen was preparing breakfast or something. She had toasted bread and was now slathering marmalade on them. 

My eyes traced over the screen, but I wasn't really paying much attention. My mind wasn't anywhere in particular.

I reached over to the side table and grabbed a container of pills. I didn't know what they were, only that they made me feel numb. I unscrewed the cap and popped a few, sighing in relief.

The bedroom door swung open.

“Pink?” She called, smiling brightly. “Pink, darling, you in here?”

I didn’t respond. 

“Pink…” she started. She glanced at the television and back at me. She sighed and slid off her saddlebags throwing them to the floor. “Pink…” she said again, this time in a rather sultry tone.

I felt the bed sink and shift as she clambered on top of it. Slowly, the green unicorn entered my vision, flashing her eyes lustfully at me. With great care, she crawled in front of me and laid down across my hooves, stroking my forehoof.

“Piiiiink…” she moaned. With a final wiggle, she repositioned herself directly in my line of vision.

I blinked and tilted my head, looking around the sudden green obtrusion that blocked my view of the television.

Then the mare scooted over a bit, her face once more obstructing my vision. She looked at me and smiled.  “Honey…” She glanced back at the screen and then to me again, trailing her hoof across my chest. “You want that TV…or me? Because...I certainly want you...”

I stared blankly at her for a few seconds.

Only a moment.

Then my gaze slid off my wife and back to the television just beyond her.




































































Don’t leave me, please…




















































I hesitated at the threshold to the living room.

She was in there, sprawled in her favorite chair, crying.

Though about what, I had no idea.

After a moment, I turned and walked away from the room.

From her.

I had a show to get ready for.




























































What happened…?








































































































“…and then he said ‘Make her? No she went of her own accord!’”

He laughed.

So did she.

It was quiet for a moment.

“So…” A pause. “Hey, do you wanna, I dunno, go out for a beer sometime, or…?”

She giggled. “That sounds nice. Maybe sometime later this week? Thursday?”

“That sounds good.”

“Alright…. Well…. See ya.”

“See ya, Rêves.”

The door opened, illuminating our foyer and then closed again, shrouding the room in darkness again.

My wife came trotting into our living room, humming quietly to herself.

I spoke.

“So, who was that?”

Rêves stopped dead in her tracks, her tune ending abruptly. She looked around the room confusedly before spotting me lying on the couch.

She frowned slightly and trotted over, taking a place beside me.

“Oh, that was just Wedge. We work together.” Another giggle. “You two have met. Remember? At that fancy dress party?” 

I grunted in confirmation. 

She continued. “Anyway, he just invited me out to get a beer with him.”

I nodded slowly. “I heard. And you accepted.”

“Well yes.” She leaned over and stroked my mane in a futile attempt to keep it straight. “I get bored when you go off on tour, so I go out with friends sometimes. You know how it is.” She hugged me.

I nodded once more, swallowing a lump in my throat.

“Of course, dear.”










































Where did we go…?






















 What happened...?




















































































“So Pinky, ya excited for your Canterlot concert?”

I looked over at Short, who was trotting beside me, stuffed into a rather ill-fitting suit in a vain attempt to look presentable.

We were in the train station, getting ready to take the trip over to Canterlot for the first date in my much acclaimed Summer Sun Celebration Tour. A concert in the very capitol of Equestria filled with thousands of adoring fans. Just what I had wanted.

Around us, ponies were running to and fro, catching their own trains to wherever destination they were going to. I could feel the cacophony of noise beginning to bring on a headache. That would require some more relaxants once we got on the train.

“Pinky?” Short nudged me just enough to knock me off what little balance I had, sending me into the path of a passing young, purple unicorn mare. We connected and she was sent sprawling onto her haunches.

I froze up. I felt...unclean, unsure what to do. I had ran into this mare, and…shit…I had no idea what to do. I had her... whatever on me. I gaped at the mare and her owl. My right ear twitched. I blinked.

I felt a rush of air as Short leap into action beside me, helping the mare up and sending her along, before turning to me. “You okay, Pinky?”

I looked at him and tried to force a reassuring smile. “I’m fine.” I managed to choke out.

I wasn't sure I was.

He nodded in understanding and we continued walking. We trotted down the train terminal for a while in silence, killing time before our train arrived.

Then Short broke the silence.

“Listen Pinky, I’m worried for ya… You’re doin’  all these drugs, so much more than me, or the rest of the boys, and… it can’t be good for ya, ya know? You seem to eat, sleep, and breathe them. ‘Specially breathe them…” He hesitated for a moment.  “Back there…with that mare? You're no’…on anythin’ now, are ya?”

“No…” I responded. 

But apparently my expression betrayed me.

Abruptly, Short gripped me by my saddlebags and moved me over to a secluded part of the station.

“Pinky, I’m speakin’ here as your manager, and your best friend. Just… just try to cu’ back a little, all right?” He sighed. “I mean, what does Rêves think?”

“I-” I pushed my sunglasses up and rubbed my eyes with a free hoof. “I don’t think she likes it much either…” I sighed and looked at the pegasus beside me. “I’m… just so out of it when I get home, right? I- I don’t know, Short. I just don’t know…”

“Jus’ promise me, Pinky. Try to cu’ back on the drinkin’ and the drugs, alright? I feel bad now for gettin' you on 'em.” 

“I don’t think I can, Short… I... Without them, I just feel so…” I trailed off, lost in thought.

“Yea? Feel so what…?” Short prompted me.

“…So empty…”




















































…I love you…