Through the soul of friendship
Fanfication by ShieldStar
6
Twilight woke with a start. The voice that woke her sounded dark. It had only said one word "harmony." The way it said it sent chills down her spine. Twilight looked around the room all hers friends were still sleeping. Twilight looked out the window, it was just before dawn. Stretching she got ready quietly. Leaving a note she then left the room. Navigating the plaice she left the guest area and when in search of food. Five minutes later Twilight was happily eat glad that she had not forgotten her way around the plaice from her time as a filly. It would be a while before friends woke up. Deciding to watch the princess ease the sun twilight left the dining hall and began to walk to the gardens. As she passed through the medical wing on her way she heard a hushed argument.
"What do you mean I can't go for a walk?"
"I mean that my orders are to not let you wonder off, that includes going for a jog, walk, run, or stroll."
"Fine you can come with me."
"And what leave my post? No way."
"But your orders are to not let me wonder off. If you came with me I wouldn't be wondering, would I?"
"Humph, stupid logic. Fine where did you want to go?"
"Is there a gardens or a place I could openly run?"
"There is a gardens and there is the training fields. There are guards that train this early but not many. And the gardens are better seen in full moonlight or full daylight. Dusk and dawn grey it all out."
"Let's go to the training fields. Then when the sun rises could we look at the gardens?"
"I guess, I've never seen the gardens at sun rise."
"Great! It'll be nice to have company."
The voices moved away and Twilight came around the corner, a sun guard and Reed were walking down the hall. Reed now had on some of the clothes that the royal tailors had made by request of Celestia. In order to replace the damaged ones he had. Except for the brown jacket and boots he had on everything else had been made by the tailors.
Twilight decided to see what Reed was going to do. She'd already see the sun rise in the gardens multiple times and while it was very beautiful her curiosity was always greater. Fallowing the pair Twilight was content to just listen and observe rather than talk and interact she had already done that and now she wanted to analyze Reed from a far. He was similar to ponies but also very different. He stood only on two legs while using his "arms" to do other things. Twilight guessed that his arms were to make up for the lack of magic. As far as she could tell "humans," that's what he said he was, didn't have any substantial amount of magic, if any at all. He also seemed more.... Focused on his emotions and senses. The topic of the conversation had turned to the odd bulky thing around Reed's neck.
"They're headphones, they let me listen to music that is on this." Reed pulled out a small square that glowed on one side. A string connected it to the headphones around Reed's neck.
"It's called an iPod."
"So it's a magical device that lets you listen to music whenever you want?"
"I guess you could say that. It has a battery and needs to be charged every so often."
"How do you charge it? Is it like a mania-battery? Where a unicorn stores magic for later use."
"Kinda, I basically put energy in by using a manual crank charger. Which I prefer to a wall charger."
"Wall charger?"
"Uh, it's another battery that sits in the wall. I just hook up the iPod and it charges."
"Ooh, okay. So what music do you like?" The conversation continued as Reed would have to describe different musics and why he liked them. This was on the rest of the way down to the training field. Twilight fallowing all the way. Only when they reached the training field did Twilight speak up.
"Good morning." She said happily. They both turned the guard looking worried, while Reed looked offhanded.
"G-good morning Ms. Sparkle. What can I do for you?"
"Please call me Twilight, I was just wondering around when I saw Reed.
I was just curious about where you going."
"I was going for a little bit of exercise. Early Dawn here was being my guide. I trust your morning is going well."
"Uh...yes? How are you two?"
"I'm well thank you."
"As am I."
"What kind of exercise?"
"It'll be even better of I showed you"
Reed made his way on to the training field. Early Dawn was right not many gaurdsponies were around. Leaving most of the field open. A runner's track surrounded the entire field. Sparing equipment was scattered around the field, while foot/hoof work and slammers (that's what Reed call the football tackle dummies) were set off to the side. This took up most of the field leaving the rest to by dedicate to push-ups, sit-ups, and suicides (sprinting down field and back). The rest of the guards were scattered throughout the field a total of ten ponies. Reed took off his jacket folded it and set it next to the track. Turning on his iPod he choose a slow start work out playlist titled "castle."
The playlist consisted of one slow beat song, one motivational song, and twelve of one song, ending with a relaxing feel good song. A total of fifteen songs. Adding up to little over an hour of music. Reed removed six of the repeating song cutting the time to just over thirty minutes. Satisfied he started the music, put on his headphones and started to jog.
Twilight watch as Reed began to jog. He started slow, but by the third lap he was running. But he didn't even look tired, heck he wasn't even breathing hard. Two laps later the other guardsponies were watching. The two that were running the track earlier quickly got off two watch as well. Twilight looked at back Reed, he still wasn't slowing, and in fact he was speeding up! A guard pulled out a stop watch and started time Reed. Faster and faster he went leaning into the turns. The guards were gathered around the stop watch quietly muttering. One of the guards seem to change another. Nodding and saying something he removed his armor. Twilight glanced at Reed, as far as she cud tell he still wasn't tiring. She looked back at the guard as he stepped on to the track and began to also run. When Reed came up behind him and was about to pass. The race began.
Reed saw the guard step up and begin to run with him. When he was about to lap him it started. The guard picked up the pace and ran next to him. Reed uncovered one ear.
"Three laps?" He asked.
"Done. See you at the end."
"Done." Recovering his ear he restarted the song by a double click on the pause button. The finish line was at the guard with the stop watch.
-(Start playing "Castle of Glass" by Linkin Park)
The race started as they passed the guards. Reed heard the guitar start as they entered the first turn. Nether giving ground. Mid-way through the second turn the lyric started.
/Take me down to the river bend. Take me down to the fighting end. Wash the poison from of my skin. Show me how to be whole again.
Fly me up on a silver wing. /
They passed the guards. Still even.
/Pass the black where the sirens sing. Warm me up in a nova's glow. And drop me down to the dream below. 'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass. /
They exited the second turn for the second time still even.
'But not for long,' Reed thought. /Hardly anything there for you to see. For you to see. /
As the electric guitar opened up and the drums kick into gear. So did Reed, cutting all stops and throwing it into high gear. Passing the guard and leaving his opponent trailing.
/Bring me home in a blinding dream. Through the secrets that I have seen. Wash the sorrow from off my skin. And show me how to be whole again.
'Cause I'm only a crack, in this castle of glass. Hardly anything there for you to see. For you to see. /
Exiting the first turn he again opened up and started to breathe harder.
/'Cause I'm only a crack, in this castle of glass. Hardly anything else I need to be. 'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass. Hardly anything there for you to see. For you to see. /
He entered the second and final turn as the out-row began, breathing hard as he pushed himself to finish with the song. Not checking where the other racer was. He'd lost too many races doing that.
He finished the turn and the final lyrics sounded.
/For you to see. /
As the song ended and he passed the guards and slowed letting his momentum carry him out of the way.
Twilight's jaw had to be manually closed. Reed had finished the race when the racing guard had exited the first turn of the final lap.
"He could give Rainbow a run for her bits."
"He sure is fast." Early Dawn stated in a similar state of shock and awe.
Reed made his way over to them the headphones around his neck again.
He was breathing hard now, but was soon breathing normally when he reached them.
"Well that was fun."
"When you say exercise you mean it."
Stated Early Dawn.
"How did you get that fast?!" A bewildered Twilight asked.
"I was on the track team for the last few years."
"Was?"
"The school couldn't afford it and we were disbanded last year. But we still run for fun." The guard Reed had raced came up panting.
"For Celestia's sake how did you get that fast?!"
"Ha! You kept good pace with me till the end."
"Yeah, but you’re not even winded!"
"I run like that every day, or at least I try to."
"Geese." The sun started to rise on the horizon.
"Good race, maybe we can do it again some time."
"Maybe."
"Have a good one."
"You too." As they left the training field Twilight thought she heard that terrible voice again, but shock it off as they made their way to the gardens. The gardens were beautiful. Never had Reed see such an assortment of flowers arranged so perfectly. Trees created a tunnel in and out. While bushes framed the paths. Stone benches and bird baths placed only to enhance the natural beauty.
The rising sun painted the sky orange, pink and red. While the colors of night faded. Purples and blues only gave greater color to the sunrise. The light filtered down through the tree tops casting its spell over the garden. Birds sang quietly greeting each other. A fountain splash, making the air cool and moist. Reed took off his jacket and tied it around his waist. The cool air nice on his bare arms. He breathed deeply enjoying the morning and feeling at peace. Memories floated up. Kind happy and peaceful.
Reed remembered when the times he felt this way and while they were few, yet each one was worth it. The time he watched the sunset from the top of a mountain. The time the moon had glistened like a silver coin as he had walked home after a bad date. The time he took his team on a morning run through the woods, the smell of pine and wild flowers. The time he sat by a mountain stream and watched the clouds drift by. And now watching the sunrise in the gardens of the palace. A tear leaked down Reed's face.