//------------------------------// // Things Fall Apart // Story: Tune of A Tortured Heart // by Blitz Stratus //------------------------------// Treblen was flying as fast as he could as he shot toward the smoking moutain. "What the hay did you do this time Hayden?" He said through gritted teeth. "I swear if he made another dragon I'll ripe his bloody head off." He roared as a second explosion erupted from the moutain. As he neared the now gapping hole Treblen's heart sank. He didn't know what it was but the sight of shimmering brass gave him a idea. "That bucken moron! He did make another dragon."His anger was overflowing his restraint as he flapped as quickly as he could to reach his now smoking home. "Hayden where the heck are you!" "Down here." Came a wheeze. Treblen looked down over the deck and his anger drained at what he saw bellow him. There pinned under a massive boulder was Hayden. "Hi, Treblen." He coughed as blood dripped down the side of his muzzle. "Oh Celestia!" Treblen screamed as he jumped down and began to clear some of the rubble. "Hayden what happened?" "I was...cough, cough...was working on a project when...cough, cough...a coolent pipe burst and when I tried to...*cough* *cough*..stop it a couple of torch tanks exploded." He wheezed as more blood keep coming from his muzzle. "Hold on I'll get you out of here." Treblen said trying to move the rock off Haydens body. "Treblen stop. You don't have the strength to move the..*cough* *cough*..rock." "But you'll die if I don't." Treblen shouted as tears began to fall from his eyes. "Here then..*cough* *cough*..take this." Hayden said as his free foreleg pulled his necklace loose. "Reactivate Hector." "Ok Hayden just hold on." He said as he took off into a sprint. "I need to find Hector! I need to find Hector!" He kepted repeating to himself. Then Treblen stopped running. Panic began to fill him. He didn't know were Hector was. "Oh Celestia what am I going to do." He said as his head jerk from side to side trying to find a giant chunk of brass that was Hector. "Where the heck do I locate that thing?" "Name of project *beep*." "Huh?" "Name of project in need of locating *beep*." Treblen turned his head and saw a green screen lit up. "Hector." He said unsure what would happen. "Processing....Processing.... item located." It dinged as the floor beneath him lit up. "Please follow highlighted route for ease of locating said project." "Hayden thank you for your tinkering." Treblen said out loud as he took off again following the light before him. Treblen ran for what could only have been a minute when he saw Hectors massive body come into his view. It was kind of hard to miss a ten meter tall brass golem with shoulders as wide as to two lumber carts and arms as thick as oak trees. "Boy am I happy to see you." Treblen huffed as he run up the metal scaffolding that surrounded him. After looping round twice he arrived at Hectors chest and he saw what he needed to do. There where two heavy plates pulled back to reveal six gems place around a central cog with a depression in the center. "Well here goes nothing." He said as he pushed the gold gear into the depression and turning it to lock it in. At first there was only a faint ticking noise then Treblen heard a deep rubble as the plates closed and the cog and gems started to rotate in counter directions of each other. Groans of motors and whistles of steam could be heard as Hector began to activate. "Come on Hector wake up you chunk of brass." Treblen said running up the scaffolding to get to Hectors massive helm that was his head. He finally reached the top when Hectors eyes flickered into life. "Treblen?" He said with a deep grumble as the rest of his body warmed up. "Hector will talk later but right now we need to move." Treblen said as he climbed onto the golem and gripping on to one of his massive shoulder plates. "Whats wrong?" Hector questioned as his mighty arms pushed aside the scaffolding as if it was a grain of sand. "Its Hayden he's hurt and he needs your help." "Where is he?" Hector said as his back arched as two turbines came out from his armored back. "Straight ahead my friend." Treblen said as he point his hoof toward where the rocks were. Hector let out a bellowing roar as the turbins kick into life lifting them as they rocketed off the floor heading straight for where Hayden was pinned. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Petunia was sitting next to Hayden holding his head when they heard a roar that made the whole room resonate. "Heh heh looks like Hectors awake." He said as the blood trickled from his muzzle. "Yeah, it seems that way." Petunia said moving some of Hayden's mane out of his deep chocolate eyes. "How did I ever get a mare like you?" He said through heavy breaths. "You built me remember." She said tears coming to her eyes. Hayden wiped her tears away with his only free hoof. "Hey don't cry i'll be fine." He said with a smile. "But what if not going to be ok Hayden? What if I loss you?" "Time hasn't killed me yet so this is but a flesh wound." He said with a laboring chuckle. "But, but, what if *murph*." She was stopped when he put his hoof to her quivering lips. "There is no if; there is only what will and what won't." He said in a soft tone as his head began to feel light. "HAYDEN!" "Hello Hector. Its good to see you again." Hayden said as the golem touched down in front of him. "Move Petunia. Hector can you get that rock off him?" Treblen asked as he slide down from the golems shoulder. Hector only noded as his fingers gripped the boulder and lifting it as if it was but a pebble. But it might have only been a pebble to Hector it still had been a boulder that had shattered Hayden's lower body and much of his chest. "Well it looks like I've broken some of my bones." Hayden said with a laugh as he cough up more blood. "Treblen help me move him." "Petunia don't I think it would be the best of ideas, we might cause more harm then good." "He's right Petunia. I can't really feel my lower half." Hayden said as his sight began to blur. "Do you have a stasis pod Hayden." Hector asked as he flexed his metal fingers as energy began to build up on them. "Yeah it's in sector two." Hayden mumbled as his consciousness faded. "Lets move then." Hector rumbled as he picked up Hayden with the energy now envloping his gauntleted hand. Treblen jumped back on Hectors shoulder as the golem sprinted off as Petunia lead the way to the stasis pod. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "So how does this thing work Petunia?" Treblen asked as he watched as she hooked up Hayden's muzzle to a oxygen mask. "Well the liquid that will be filling this chamber is a special mix of healing herbs, minerals and some other stuff. Hayden never fully explained it to me." She said with a sigh. It was silent after that. No one spoke a word as Haydens body was placed into the magic field orb that was the stasis chamber. Petunia flipped a switch and it began to fill with the glowing blue liquid. The chamber only took a few seconds to fill, making a quiet swishing noise as it topped off the orb "I just hopes this works." "What do you mean you hope it works?" Treblen asked, anger began to coat his voice. "Hayden never tested this thing but he said it would so I don't know Treblen if it will." Petunia said as she adjusted some dials of the orbs computer. "Are you telling me this thing could do nothing and he could die!" Treblen screamed. "I DON'T KNOW OK!" Petunia retored, tears filling her eyes. "THEN WHY THE HAY ARE WE PUTTING HIM IN THERE THEN!" "BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE WILL WORK!" Petunia yelled as she completely broke down crying. "Treblen just go I'll make sure this thing works." Hector whispered as he went over to comfort the sobing mare. Treblen was going to protest but he knew it wouldn't help his now floating friend. He just turned and slowly trotted up the stairs and out of the lab. He made it to his room when he finally collapsed, he had always feared he would lose his foalhood friend but never like this. The more he thought about it the more it tore him apart inside to think of his life without his buddy. "I can stay here right now." He sobed as he pulled himself up off his bed. He slide on his wings and made for his bedroom when heard music began to play. He knew where it was coming from. He turned to see the violin out of its case, his reflection staring back at him. "I guess your right." He whispered to it as he rapped his hoof around its neck as he placed it back in its case. "Tonight we shall play a concert just for him." He mumbled as he held the violin close as he took off into the sunset heading for Ponyville. The air felt heavy as he silently flew through the nights cold air a tear or two falling ever so often from his eyes. "I need a stage." He said to himself as he neared the outskirts of the town. As he began to land he saw what he was looking for. In the center of the town he saw what he was looking for. "Town hall that will do." His hoove click softly as he landed on the deck surounding the wooden building. He found the doors and pushed on them. They swung open with a light creak. "I guess noponys home." He sobed to himself as made his way to the stage. "Stop crying you moron that won't solve anything." He said fight back more. He slide off his wings as he stepped onto the wooden stage. "I need a place to set these." He mumbled as he set his violin down on a stool. But after he looked for awhile he gave up and set them down behind the red curtians that hung on either side of the stage. He made his way back to the stool when he heard the rain tapping on the roof, thunder ecohing around the room. "How fiting." He said softly as he placed the violin under his chin. The rain began to come down harder as he readied to play. He pulled the bow across the shimmering strings as thunder resonated around him. He smiled as he pulled the bow across again with thunder resonating again. "If you what a part come on then." He mumbled. Then the rain stopped their plips and plops they where replaced by the sound of piano keys being struck. The violin hummed deeply, then it began to weep as his hooves danced across its neck. It sung of all the things the players had lost but it song the loudest for Treblen. "Oh dream of dreams that's all I ever whated my life to be." The song sang out to him. He became lost in the world of music, notes danced around him painting pictures of the past. The hall began to sing with him replaying every note he created making him feel that he wasn't alone in the world, that there were others that felt his pain. The rains tapping turned to the sound of a waterfall swirling by him as he seemed to float in this world of emotion and song. His heart pour out as he and the violin sung through the crescendo bring the world of sarrow to an end on a downward bridge. "Looks like my playing didn't go unnoticed." He whispered as the sound of many ponys at the door could be heard. "Well looks like its time to move." He said as he trotted over to behind the curtain an put back on his wings.