//------------------------------// // Six: Ch.3 // Story: Six // by TryingToActProfessional //------------------------------// We spend the walk back to the castle in silence. By the time we get back, it’s dark outside. As we stop at the doors, I stop abruptly. Twilight looks back. “Six, aren’t you coming in?” She asks, sounding genuinely worried. “Is...is the party gone?” “Yes...they all left after the incident yesterday. Hey, speaking of...what happened? Why did you suddenly seize up like that?” “It’s….you won’t believe me even if I told you…” She puts her hand on my shoulder, making me jump a little. “Try me...I’ve heard all sorts of crazy stuff.” I take a deep breath, and sigh. “I...well, I can….I really can see ghosts….and talk to them….” Her grip on my shoulder tenses a little. “Six, I already know about that...The Princess-” “Didn’t tell you everything.” I interrupt. “If I’m around too many people who’re suffering, it creates a demon, and when my body takes it in, It damages my soul and gives me a seizure….Same thing with sugary foods and drinks, too. That one, I don’t understand.” “So...that’s why you lived alone? Six, I’m...so sorry…” She doesn’t believe you. I know. “Twilight, where is the cemetary? I have a promise to keep.” “Oh, um...It’s at the end of town behind Town Hall…” I nod with a forced smile and walk away, in the direction of town. “L-Let me come with you! I don’t want you alone for a while.” I stop and look back at her, probably looking surprised. “I...Okay.” She quickly follows me, and I walk again towards town. “Who...was the promise for?” “For Maple Star. I promised I’d visit her all the time, so that’s where I’m going.” “Oh…” Send her away. She’s only trying to fix you. “Princess...You don’t need to follow me. Just go back. I know you don’t believe any of this anyway.” She stops for a moment, but I keep walking. “I-I’m trying to believe you! But this all sounds so…” “Crazy. The word you’re trying to avoid calling me is Crazy. And think what you want…” I reach the far end of town and look around. “Wow….a lot of colors….makes my eyes hurt…” I keep my head down as I walk through town, meeting nobody’s gaze. If they don’t touch me or look in my eyes, I’ll be okay… “Six, why are you walking like that?” She asks, at my side again. “No sense in lying now. If I touch or look into the eyes of anyone suffering a burden, I take it as my own…” “Oh, Celestia….That’s awful….” She still thinks you’re a liar. I’m not lying to her again. Maybe she can help me get rid of you. And what will you do then? You’ll still be a worthless degenerate, worth less than a common sow. “I-I know….And I can’t make it stop….And I can’t dispel it… So, now I spend all my time being walking depression…” “We’ll figure this out together.” We eventually reach a gate, and I walk through. When I do peek up, it’s empty save for the graves. I stand up straight again. “You don’t have to stay.” “Yes, I do...You’re my friend.” She puts her hand on my back for a moment. She can’t muster the courage to hug you. She must be afraid of us now. I shake my head and look back up. “Maple, I’m here. Can you show me where you are?” I look around the empty cemetery until I see a soft, glowing yellow orb of light a few yards away from me, hovering above a gravestone. “There.” I make my way over to it. “How can you possibly know that it’s her….” She stops as we approach. I kneel by the headstone, pressing my forehead to it. “I made it, Maple. I told you I would come…” I sit down, facing the stone. “How...how did you…” “How did I know it was here? Maple showed me.” I feel my body warm up a little, and I look up. Sitting on the headstone was Maple, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. “Hello, Six…” “Maple...How are you?” I ask. I love these conversations...makes me feel normal again… “I’m wonderful. Heaven is lovely. But you’re not well, are you?” “Don’t worry about me. I’m here to see you.” “Six, your soul….Oh, Celestia…” “I know….Just focus on me. Just me.” “Six, who are you talking to?” Twilight suddenly asks, making me jump. I forgot she was there. “It’s Maple, Twilight. She came down from heaven to talk to me.” “Ah…” I look back to Maple, who is looking at Twilight. “This is who lives where I died, hmm? I could always sense her, but I could never see her.” “Maple….how….how did you...you know…” She looks back at me and sighs softly. “I...It was the first winter here. None of us were prepared for the blizzard that year. I was out gathering branches from the Oak tree by the edge of town when a branch from the top broke off and hit me….Next thing I know, I’m in complete darkness…” “M-Maple...I’m so sorry….” “Six, don’t be….I’m free because of you….But you need to take care of yourself. You’re brimming with burden, I can see it...If you don’t learn how to dispel it soon…” “I know… I’ll figure it out. Could….could you say hello to my...my….” “Your sister wishes you her best, Six. She’s happy where she is, and she’s watching over you.” I start to tear up, and I feel Maple’s heavenly glow wash over me as she hugs me. “It’s okay...You should see her. She wishes you’d visit her. But you already know that, don’t you...You just can’t stand the thought of accepting her death…” “It….it...it was my fault….” “No, it wasn’t….I have to go back now. Come back soon, okay? And go see her. She wants to see you.” I cry softly as the warmth vanishes. “Six….are you okay?” Twilight asks, kneeling at my side. “I-I’m fine….She’s gone now…” “What did you two talk about?” “Nothing. Just...let’s go back, okay?” She stands up. “Six, please….just...talk to me….What ….what was your fault?” “No.” I stand up. “No?” “No. I won’t say. I can’t.” I leave the cemetery, and she follows. “Where are you going? Six, talk to me! Please. I want to understand!” She yells, and I stop, looking back at her with tears streaming down my cheeks. “If I tell you, I have to accept it, and I-I can't….” She looks at me in shock, and she quickly hugs me. “You’re not alone….You can talk to me...Please, you have to trust me…” I don’t return the hug. “Let’s go back…” I step out of her hug and walk back through town. She suddenly grabs my arm and pulls me along towards what looks like an Apple Farm. “Hey, let go!” “Not a chance. I want to understand your problem, so we’re going somewhere to see if you’re serious.” She drags me through a wooden archway and up to the front door of the farm house. My chest flutters and I look over, seeing an old mare sitting in a rocking chair. Only, she wasn’t actually there. Not completely, anyway. She looked like she passed away recently. The door to the house opens, breaking my gaze from the old mare to the mare at the door. She was tall, had on a stetson hat, and wore blue jeans and a tied checkered shirt. “Howdy, Twilight! How are ya?” “Just fine, Applejack. This is Six.” She pulls me in between the two, and I look up at the aix and a half foot mare. “Uuuh...H-hi…” “Yer the feller that seized up at the party yesterday, right? Hope yer feelin alright.” “J-Just fine….” “Applejack, I know it’s a bit of an odd question, but can we see where Granny...you know…” Her expression goes from happy to solemn and grim. “Yeah...Ah...ah suppose.” She steps out and walks around the side of the house, where a small gravestone sat. It read: Here lies Granny Smith. May she rest in Peace. “She passed a year and a half ago...Age finally caught up…” AJ explains sadly. “She….she wasn't about five feet, sat in that rocking chair?” I point at the one on the porch. “Whut kind of sick stunt are ya tryin ta pull!?’ She asks, angrily. She grabs my shirt collar and slams me into the side of the house, tears of anger on her face. “N-Not a s-stunt….Sh-she’s still here….” “Applejack, put him down and let him do his thing!” Twilight yells at her. She growls in frustration before dropping me. “Fine. Ah’d beat yer ass if ya wasn’t sickly.” I scramble away and over to the porch. “Granny Smith?” I ask, looking at the transparent mare sitting on the chair. She looks up at me with a smile. “That’s me, alright. How the heck can ya even see me? Been dark this whole time!” “I know….I just...I just can. Why are you still here?” “Ah...Ah can’t jus leave mah kin all alone here. They need me. Since their Ma and Pa passed, ah...ah have ta be here.” “Granny, Applejack is here. Did….you wanna say anything to her? I know you can’t see her yet, but she’s right here.” “Could...could ya tell her that ah miss her deeply? Applebloom and Mac, too.” “Who?” “Her siblins. Older brother and little sis.” “Of course. But you need to move on...They can’t move on until you do…” “How? Ah can’t...Ah love em too much ta just leave!” “You can watch over them at anytime. And I’m sure they’ll talk to you every day. Just trust me...I know a thing or two about this sort of stuff.” She nods and her body color turns to a vivid green with her hair staying white. She vanishes. I look back at Applejack and Twilight. Twilight just stands there waiting, and AJ looks both sad and furious. “What did she say ta you, huh?” AJ asks, clearly not believing me. “She said that she misses you, Applebloom, and Mac very much. And she’ll be watching over you now…” Her look of sadness changes to shock. And so does Twilight’s. “How...did ya know mah brother n sister’s names?! Ya never even met em before!” I look over at Twilight, who’s pacing a bit. “How is this possible? It doesn’t make any logical sense…” “I’m sorry for your loss, Applejack...But take comfort in knowing that she’s in heaven now with your parents.” That got both of their attention. “How did ya know about them!?” “I already told you...your Granny told me. She said that she needed to be here to help.” AJ sniffles and wipes her eyes. “Ah don’t know how yer doin all that, but yer doin it...That’s Granny fer sure.” “You can talk to her anytime. Even if she can’t talk back, she’ll be with you.” She runs up and hugs me painfully tight. “Th-thank ya, Six….” “I-It’s f-fine...c-crushing me…” She lets go and chuckles. I look back at Twilight, who looks frazzled and a little crazed. “You...can talk to ghosts….it’s all true….every word you’ve said….That means….Heaven exists...and Hell….Oh, Celestia, I’m gonna be sick…” “Twilight, calm down! It’ll be fine.” I yell. “This is impossible….there has to be some sort if trick! Or a spell that can do this….Something i’m mi-” I interrupt her meltdown with a firm slap across the face. She looks up at me, holding her red cheek. “Calm. Down. Sorry for slapping you, but you need to get a damn grip. It makes no sense, and you need to accept that. Now, pull yourself together.” She clears her throat and fixes her frazzled hair. “Y-you’re right….Sorry….” I look over at Applejack, and I force a smile. “You and your family will be just fine.” “Can...can ya come back sometime? So we can talk ta her again? Please….” “I….Once. I know it’s not fair, but you can’t let this bother you. I will come back and be a messenger once. For you and your siblings to find closure. After that, you’ll have to do with the one-sided. Okay?” “A-Alright… Twi, bring him back tomorrow, alright? And protect him with yer life if ya have to. Ah know ah will. He got somethin special. Yer a good friend, Six.” “You...just met me….and you’re calling me friend?” She smiles. “Eeyup!” I smile the best I can back. “Thank you…” Twilight and I leave. As soon as we get out of earshot, she looks at me. “Heaven’s real?” “Very.” “And Hell?” “Yes.” “What about purgatory?” “It’s called the In-Between, and yes. It’s here. We live in the In-Between.” “Do you know what this means? You’re living proof that the afterlife is real! This’ll change everyth-” “No! People cannot know about all this. If everyone knew, the world would fall into mass hysteria! And I can’t deal with being a messenger for everyone. If a room full of people could make me seize up, what do you think a city or country full of people could do?” She looks at the ground. “Oh...you’re right….I don’t want to lose you…” She’s finally interested in her lab rat, hmm? “You won’t lose me. I’m right here.” I take the initiative and hug her close. She gasps softly, but eventually returns the hug. After a long time, we finally separate. She looks up at me. “That voice in your head...I can’t hear it anymore…” “Whatever you did before must’ve worn off. He’s still there.” “What is it?” “The way my ability works is if I touch or look into the eyes of anyone suffering a burden, or as you’d say an ‘Inner demon’, I take it from them and absorb it into my own body. After doing that for my whole life, I eventually had so many burdens in me that they manifested into a demon, and that demon lives inside me. In my soul.” “Oh, Celestia….That….that’s not good for your soul, is it?” “Anyway, so that’s who the voice is. A demon.” I avoid talking about my soul, and she catches on and drops it. We make the walk back to the castle in silence. Once we get back, she smiles the best she can. “You must be hungry. Want me to make you some food? I can make a great Grilled Cheese.” I chuckle softly. “I suppose so. Do I have a room somewhere?” “Oh! Of course. I never actually took you, did I?” She levitates my unmoved duffel bag and leads me upstairs to a large room with a queen-sized bed, and my own bathroom. “Thank you...I’ll be right down, okay?” She nods and leaves, shutting the door behind her. I open my bag and pull out all my clothes and toiletries, neatly putting them away. She’ll just throw you away like trash once she’s done with you. “Not listening…” You’re just as worthless now as you were back then. You couldn’t save your sister, and you can’t save yourself. I tear up and clutch tightly to a shaving cream can. “Sh-shut up…” You should just kill yourself already. It’ll make all that pain and sadness go away. I look down at a box of razors at the bottom of my bag. Come on. Do it. You won’t be missed anyway. She won’t even come looking for you. I grab the box and go into the bathroom, opening it and grabbing one. “I-I won’t let you win…” I roll up my sleeve and slash across my forearm several times, wincing in pain. The voice finally stops and I drop the blood-soaked razor into the sink, my wrist bleeding. Six new horizontal cuts run up my arm. I wash off the blood with a paper towel and throw it in the trash before discarding the razor and pulling my sleeve down. “Are you okay, Six?” Twilight calls from outside the bathroom. “Y-yeah! I’ll be out in a second!” I clutch the sink and look into the mirror. The entire room around me is shrouded in a black fog, and two red eyes peer back at me. It’s him. “I can’t lose...not yet.” The demon roars, rattling my brain. I rush out of the bathroom and down the stairs. That should keep him out for a.little while. “Hey, I made you a sandwich.” Twilight says kindly. She smiles softly and hands me a little plate with a grilled cheese on it. I smile and take it. “Thanks….” She smiles and pulls me over to the table, and I sit across from her. “I hope you understand that I have to report today’s events to the princess. But I’ll be sure to explain why she can’t tell anyone anything.” “I can’t stop you….” I take a bite of the sandwich. It tastes like everything else: ash. We eat in relative silence until she finally breaks it. “So, um….What...happened to your parents?” I tense up a little. “My...my parents gave me and….just me. They gave me up to an orphanage when I started showing signs of my special talent. I don’t know where they are, and I don’t care.” “I’m...so sorry….I can’t imagine how hard it must’ve been for you. But, at least your adopted parents did alright….right?” I look at her glumly. “N-no….Nobody adopted you, did they…?” “No. I lived in the orphanage until I turned 15 and ran away to Canterlot. I did odd jobs here and there to pay for a place, and there I stayed, away from everyone until the day I got a letter.” “From the Princess…” “Yes. She found out about me from the orphanage, and found me living there. They had been trying to find me. But, she decided to send me here instead to try to make friends.” “Well, at least you made some friends, right? And Rainbow and Fluttershy will be by tomorrow to meet you.” “Alright….” “Hey, I meant to ask you something. About that necklace…” I tense up, looking down at it. I forget that I even wear it… “It’s nothing…” It was a red string with a small, pink heart on a gold pendant. “It is something. Or someone’s.” I stand abruptly, making her jump. “Don’t ask.” I go upstairs and slam the door behind me, leaving her alone.