Chapter 83: Behind Blue Eyes - The Who
When Flitter reached the bar, she found her sister and Thunderlane waiting about a dozen ponies up from the end of the line. When she reached them, she asked if the stallion behind them minded her cutting. He allowed her in with a wave.
The mayor had decided to provide a little relief for those affected by Bryce's madness, though she also decided it best not to mention it had been Bryce who provided the bits for tonight's act of charity.
The line was a little shorter than it had been a half hour before, in large part because the mayor only allowed grown ponies this late, since it was still a bar. Drinks, of course, were not provided for free, though the owner offered a reduced cost for the holiday.
Still, the three pegasi had a spot in line about two dozen ponies outside the propped-open doors.
“What kept you, Flit? You didn't get your brains taken over, did you?” Cloudchaser twirled a hoof beside her head to emphasise.
“No, why would I?”
The mare did not answer for a few seconds before she said, “No reason. Just…asking… Because…we were with…” She came in close and whispered the one-word equivalent to shouting ‘Fire!’ in a crowded place: “Bryce.”
Flitter had taught her to do this, in part to not cause everypony in earshot to run in sheer terror but more so to avoid drawing the human any unnecessary, undesired attention, should he be present. Having anypony—let alone a mare like her sister—cry out his name begged to make problems regardless if he was around or not.
The stallion who had allowed her in the line had heard, and after shooting Flitter a questionable look he stepped out to take the place at the end of the line. If any of the three pegasi could have read his thoughts, they could have heard him think, Better safe than sorry.
Flitter ignored this, and replied, “I can promise you I'm fine.”
“Yeah, you'd really have to tick him off to make him want to do something like that,” Thunderlane added. He waited a beat before he said, “I know I did.” He stretched out a wing, one he still believed to be nothing more than to show his pony type.
“Well, now that you mention it, he did look a little grumpy,” Flitter said, matter-of-factly.
“Was he? Did he say why?”
“I didn't ask, but he looked… I don't know if beaten up is the right word. He looked drained, for sure, but he looked like somepony had done a number on him because he had bandages going up his…” Flitter ran her right hoof up her left foreleg, not knowing the human word for said limb. “And frankly, I think you're a jerk for not noticing.”
Thunderlane felt a little guilty now that he knew this information. “Did he… Did he say anything else?”
“I asked him if he minded taking Rumble—and he did, in case you care. But he didn't outright say it. He did say he didn't mind helping.”
“And…?”
“And what?”
“Did he say anything else?”
She shook her head. “No, that's it.”
“Well, did you say anything else to him?”
“Yeah, I offered to take Rumble home, but he insisted he do it. And I also said…” She looked down at the ground, still upset at herself for laughing at something which must be hard for Bryce to take. “I said something to him about Nightmare Night…”
Thunderlane narrowed his eyes. “What'd you say?”
“It…wasn't meant to be mean: I told him…” She leaned in as close as she could to the stallion's ear. “I told him what he did was ‘kinda cool'.” She drew back to look him in the eye. “But it wasn't in a mean way.”
Cloudchaser's eyes shot open in horror. “Why'd you tell him that?! What if… What if he wants to do it again?!” She questioned, trying her best to keep her voice down so only Flitter and Thunderlane could hear.
Flitter opened her mouth to try and dissuade her sister's thought. Shew would have done so if Thunderlane had not spoken first: “That's the last thing he'd want to do.”
Both mares looked to Thunderlane in surprise, each for different reasons. Flitter raised an eyebrow after a beat, unsure if he meant what he said. “You do know who I was talking to, right?”
“Bryce; who else? Unless you suddenly started talking about somepony else and I didn't catch it.”
Flitter could not believe it was Thunderlane saying this. She continued to stare. She hoped if she stayed quiet long enough, he might blurt something out.
Thunderlane raised an eyebrow. “What are you looking at? I'm sorry for putting him out of his way—now—but it's not like he would do anything to make himself look any worse. Not after what happened four weeks back.”
The questioning mare narrowed her eyes, remembering something Cloudchaser had said a while back. “Thunderlane, do you know why Bryce did what he did ‘four weeks back’?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, somepony poisoned him. I don't know who, but that's a jerk; not me.”
“Yeah… I guess whoever is responsible is a real jerk.” She went silent once more, goading the stallion to allow something, anything to slip.
After a few beats he raised an eyebrow. “Yeah…that's what I just said…”
She held her questioning glance a little longer before she asked, “So, what were you up to that night?”
“What night?”
She blinked a few times before she said, “Nightmare Night—what else? Unless you suddenly started talking about another night and I didn't catch it.”
This was enough to make the stallion's ramrod stance shake, enough to make it appear as if he had something to hide. “I… We were all there; you, me, Cloud. Oh, and Rumble, too.”
She kept quiet a few beats before she asked, “Is that everypony you saw?” She did not need to ask, but it just might be enough to make the arrogant stallion confess without knowing.
He thought a few seconds before he answered. “No, we were with Bryce. Well, I was; you, Cloud and Rumble left. You got mad because I didn't go help you two find a costume.”
Flitter kept silent before she asked, “What did you two do?”
While hesitant, Thunderlane answered, “We talked.” When she did not respond, he added something to only break the silence, “And we had a cup of punch.”
“What kind?” She shot back as soon as he finished.
“I… I don't know, it tasted sweet. Well, mine was; Bryce said his tasted funny.”
Flitter thought for a beat, her pressure building on the stallion's nerves. “Why was that?”
“Why was what?”
“Why did his taste funny and not yours?”
“I don't know. He just said ‘it tasted odd’ and it was ‘syrupy'. What does it matter?”
Flitter went silent again, choosing to try a different approach. “Nothing… I guess… Where were you though whenever everything went to…” She trailed off from there.
“What, you mean when he went total batshit crazy? I was… Well, I wasn't with him.”
Flitter knew this part from her sister: he was not with the human, but instead running away, as if from something ‘scary'. Perhaps something ‘Bryce scary'.
She felt she had him now, but first she needed to hear it from the stallion's own mouth. “Why were you running away?”
This made Thunderlane shoot her a sideways glance. “Run? When did I run?”
“Nightmare Night. Chase, tell'em.”
The other indigo pegasus, who had kept her peace for their exchange, jumped at mention of her name. She did not speak at first, still believing herself to be an observer. “Yeah… I saw you running away. I called you but you must not have heard me.”
“Was Bryce with him?” Flitter asked.
She shook her head. “No, he was alone.”
Thunderlane returned a scowl between the two mares. He in time settled on Flitter, who held the same expression. “Why are you asking me all this stuff?"
“Just asking; is that a crime?”
“No… But you’re not making any sense.”
“Hey, I’m just asking, what’s wrong with that?”
“Cause it’s… It’s like you’re…” He rolled it over in his head a few beats before he found the word. “What are you accusing me of?” Once more Flitter gave him the silent treatment. “I didn't do anything, if that's what you're trying to say. After what he did for me and Rumble that's the last thing I'd do.”
Flitter said nothing for a beat, then said, “Then what were you running from?”
“I wasn't…” Thunderlane swallowed hard; he could not deny what Cloudchaser had seen. “Okay, fine, I was running, but-”
Before he could say anything else there came a loud noise, as if something large had been fallen over or exploded. It made everypony in Ponyville fall silent now.
After a moment they heard somepony shout, “He's done it again! Bryce has gone mad again!”
It had the effect of making those with weaker willpower shout in fright and resolve to escape to the city limits to avoid Bryce's wrath. Those with the willpower to stay gathered, wanting to find the human and maybe minimize his destruction.
For the group of three pegasi, however, they had a different concern.
Cloudchaser saw this as further proof her sister had been mistaken, and she should have said something to warn everypony.
Flitter looked at Thunderlane, wondering how he had caused this latest disaster.
The worst was Thunderlane, who made his concern known with a single word: “Rumble…”
They ran, following the throng of everypony who found themselves able to take a stand against Bryce.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bryce stood in disbelief, unsure of how to proceed. The wreckage of the house lay scattered about the ground, along with the former contents of the garbage can, which lay among the rubble bowed in at its middle.
Countless thoughts passed through his mind, each one lasting no more than a second before it became passed over with another. He thought of the Rumble, of Ponzi—wondering if they had been unharmed. Of the house which had been wrecked, and if anything living had been inside. He also thought about the crowd which piled in around him, only adding to this influx of thoughts, all shouting at him, itching him to move, to fight back so they had a reason, to leave and never return.
But by far the largest thought was on the large…thing he had seen not a moment before.
It had stood at the corner—as he had seen it—towering above the house. He had seen it move, shift its weight, question his—Bryce's—motives. It took Bryce to be ‘no more harmful than an earth pony, despite his larger, upright stature’.
He had heard it—so he believed—in his mind; the thing had thoughts of its own.
It had questioned whether it had been seen but did not speak out loud. It had seen the three of them as they came to the intersection. And when it had seen Rumble come close it meant to take him.
It had meant to take the colt—to run off with him into the Everfree Forest. For what he did not know, but Bryce would not allow this to happen.
Bryce remembered shouting at the Rumble to move, and when the colt went stiff, he shoved him out of the way with a mental push.
He could not remember much of what happened next, but he knew he had thrown the garbage can at it. Then the house had exploded every which way, with a large part landing in his chest. It hurt, bad, but he mentally blocked this out to chase after the beast.
At least, this is what he planned to do. He ran up one side of the street and down the other, but except for him, Ponzi Scheme and Rumble the intersection was empty.
Had been empty. Since that time—how long, he did not know—he had stood shell shocked, unable to believe what he had done. He looked about without comprehending what he saw, heard everypony—both with his ears and within his mind—but understood nothing. In time a loud ringing in his ears drowned all of this out and he stood, staring at the spot where the thing had once stood.
Perhaps had stood.
Could have stood.
Where it was supposed to have stood.
But now there stood only empty space and a large, gaping hole which opened into a room; a bedroom, to be precise. A bedroom he felt he should know, as if he had been there before.
Then he looked down to the ground. Among the pieces of the house sat a small pony doll, carved out of wood and painted a bright yellow color. He knew it to be his work as well as he knew the name its owner had given it. He said it under his breath, wishing he was wrong but knowing he was anything but: “Lemon Scone…”
As he finished saying this a cry came out over the crowd, drawing them all to silence and Bryce out of his stupor: “Bryce, you stupid jackass!”
At the mare's shout the crowd parted to reveal a rather pissed Amethyst Star, who galloped forth, prepared to sock him in the jaw.
Had Ponzi not been there to come between them she may well have done so.
He held up a hoof bringing the mare to a halt. “Miss Star, there is a reasonable explanation for this.”
She gritted her teeth. “Oh, I'm sure there is!” She looked past the grey stallion and glared at Bryce. “Well, let's hear it!”
Bryce said nothing at first, unsure if he should give his side. He sucked in his lip and looked to where he had seen the towering creature. He decided it better to try than say nothing; he knew he would be damned regardless of what he said.
He looked to the crowd, then to Amethyst, who stood with Ditzy and Dinky. The latter two looked more concerned than upset.
He could also see Bait there as well, though he stood apart from them to avoid being noticed; he wanted to avoid attention, since his statement on Nightmare Night could serve to further worsen Bryce’s standing.
“I saw… I don't know…”
At this point Thunderlane came dashing onto the scene. When he spotted Rumble, he let out a sigh of relief. He wrapped the colt up in a big hug, much to his annoyance. “Lane, let go; I’m fine!”
He did so. “Sorry, it’s just…” He looked about, only now seeing the damage around him. “What…? What happened here?”
“That's what Bryce was about to tell us,” Amethyst said in annoyance, not caring what he had to say to begin with.
“And I would love to know, as well,” Mayor Mare said as she trotted her way into everyone's view.
Bryce looked to the three ponies: first, to the mayor, who took him in with an observant stare; next, to Amethyst, who one could tell did not need to say where she stood; last, to Thunderlane, who was unsure of what to think.
Bryce sucked in his lip once more then blew a sigh out of his nose. He knew how this looked, but he was still certain of what he believed, of what he had seen. He knew he was damned by everypony for sure; he had nothing to lose.
He pointed to the corner below Ditzy's house. “It was right there, and it was big. Big and tall. It tried… It tried to grab Rumble,” he pointed to the colt, causing Thunderlane to worry more. “I threw the garbage can at it.”
He said nothing for a beat, then continued, “Then the house…exploded at us, and I tried to chase it.”
The crowd said nothing for now, save for Amethyst, who pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “That's what happened?”
Bryce nodded, not raising his eyes to look at the magenta mare.
“Then where is it?”
All eyes turned on Bryce, waiting to hear an explanation for the absence of this ‘thing’.
He said his answer under his breath.
“What was that?!” Amethyst demanded.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “It’s…gone…” An uproar resounded among the crowd—everypony had expected this answer—but still Bryce tried to explain further. “I tried to chase it—after the house exploded—but I couldn’t find it. I ran up one way”, he motioned with his hands, “then down the other,” he motioned down the opposite way. “But it was gone.”
“How convenient!” Somepony shouted.
The crowd began to speak up once again, which took a quick, “Quiet!” from the mayor to control. The aged, beige mare looked the crowd over once to ensure they did as told; she was not about to allow another mob to attack the human like one had a few weeks before.
She turned to Bryce, unsure of how to rule. Not that she did not want to have the Guard take the human away—she planned to do so unless somepony could corroborate his version of the story. The problem lay in how to take him in, and when he reached the jail ensure he could not get out, if not somehow escape.
“Mr Smales, you must realise this is difficult for anypony to believe.”
“I know, but-”
She could not allow him to finish. “Unless there are any witnesses, I’m afraid I may have no other choice but to have you put in jail to await a proper trial.” She went silent for a beat before she looked to Rumble. “I take it you are ‘Rumble’.”
The colt nodded. “Yes ma'am.”
“Can you in any way agree with Mr Smales’ story; did anything large try to pick you up?”
He looked between her and Bryce. From beside him Thunderlane said, “Go on, Rumble, tell her what you saw.”
He flinched back from the slate-grey stallion; Bryce looked upset enough but what he had to say may well make his brother sock him for telling a lie which was anything but.
He hated what he said next, sure Thunderlane may do him harm, but it was only right. He looked the mayor in the eye, and stated, “I didn't… I didn't see anything.”
“You see, Bryce was right to do what he did!” Thunderlane exclaimed. It was not until everypony began to cause a ruckus he realise what Rumble had said. He glared at the colt. “What do you mean you didn't?! From what Bryce said you were right under whatever it was!”
“Lane, I'm not lying. I threw a rock at the trash can but the biggest thing I saw were a pair of rats; and they left before…all this…” He hinted to the rubble around them. “You can ask him; he was there.” He pointed a hoof in Ponzi Scheme's direction.
Whatever anger he felt at Rumble shifted when he saw the middle-aged stallion.
Mayor Mare looked at Ponzi. “Is this true? Were you present during these events?”
Ponzi had hoped to avoid notice, though he knew he never could have to begin with. He wanted to lie and say he had, but he could not think of anything to convince everypony at such a pressing moment.
He cleared his throat, trying his best to avoid looking at the human. “I do not wish to incriminate my friend… But…I did not see anything out of the ordinary.”
Thunderlane was quick to shout back, “Like anypony can trust a word you say, you scam artist!”
The mare stomped her hoof down, drawing the pegasus’ attention. “Thunderlane—unless you were present—I will ask you to keep your personal opinions to yourself.”
“It's not an opinion—this guy's a scam artist! Just a few months back he scammed me out of a lot of bits!”
“And why did I do that?” Ponzi asked in a calm tone.
“To get back the bits I made from stealing Bryce's watch!” It took a beat before Thunderlane realised what he let slip. His blood went cold.
“If that's the case then why should I believe you over him?” The mayor asked.
“Well… Uh… Fine, I stole Bryce's watch and pawned it, but I'm sure Bryce is telling the truth.”
Mayor Mare blinked a few times. “Thunderlane, I have already had two different witnesses state they saw nothing ‘larger than a rat’. What else should—correction—can I go on?”
Thunderlane began to sweat. He looked around for something, anything to prove Bryce told the truth.
Then, from a short distance away, he heard a high-pitched ‘whoop’. “What's that?” He asked. After a few more ‘whoops’—to the confusion of the crowd—a smile spread across his face. He scooped up the source of the sound and held it up high. “Right here; here's your proof!”
In his hoof lay Spitfire, the salamander, who had also been witness to the events of the last few minutes.
Everypony present felt a migraine forming. “Mr Thunderlane, have you-” The mayor began before a series of ‘whoops’ echoed through the intersection.
Every few ‘whoops’ Thunderlane gave his agreement, acting as if the noise the salamander made held any meaning.
When the salamander finished his statement, Thunderlane cried, “You tell'em, Spits!” He looked out at everyone, shocked to see they did not share his look of surprise.
In response, Spitfire let out one more ‘whoop’, as if saying, “I don't think they can understand me, Thunderlane.”
The smile melted from said stallion's face as it hit him. “Oh… Right…” He chuckled before he said, “Let him say it again; I can translate.”
Before he could waste anypony's time further, the mayor interjected. “Mr Thunderlane—regardless of what, if anything that means—I'm afraid we cannot leave the guilt or innocence of Mr Smales up to a…lizard. You must either choose someone else or—for the sake of everypony's sanity—please keep quiet!"
She waited a few beats for him to decide, thankful he chose the more prudent choice. After mentally shaking off the stallion's words she turned to Bryce. “Mr Smales, do you have anything to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt you were not the true culprit of this…mindless act of vandalism?”
Bryce said nothing—what more did he have to say?
After waiting a respectable amount of time, the mayor turned to the crowd. “Is the owner of this house present?”
Ditzy raised a hoof. “Yes, Miss Mayor; it's my house.”
“Miss Doo, since this is your home, do you wish to press charges against Mr Smales?”
She looked to Bryce, not needing time to consider the question. “No, I don't. I can't bring charges against mine and Dinky's friend.”
“Are you joking?!” Amethyst demanded. “Look at what he did to Dinky's room! I mean, with the amount of damage alone I doubt we can legally call it habitable!”
The mayor looked the hole over and sighed. “I’m afraid I have to agree: there is no telling yet how much damage has been done to the structure as a whole.” She looked to Ditzy. “Until it can be inspected you must find someplace else to reside. Now, with this in mind, are you certain you do not wish to press charges?”
The walleyed mare did not hesitate when she said. “Yes, I’m sure. After everything that’s happened today, I don’t want to cause him any more trouble.”
The crowd groaned in retort, with a few either booing or crying for the mayor to deliver her sentence.
She clopped her hoof down as a call for order, which they obeyed. “Unless anypony has anything—anything relevant to the matter currently at hoof—I believe I am still mayor.” She turned to Bryce with a stern expression. “Mr Smales, since Miss Doo does not wish to press charges against you your crime is not as damning. However, I will still need to bring a charge of foal endangerment. While I feel it was not your intention, your actions tonight placed a foal’s life in danger.”
While the mayor spoke, Amethyst tried to speak up, but a quick snap from Ditzy silenced her. “Amethyst Star, don’t you even dare! He is a friend to this family, and if you do anything to make his life worse tonight you can find someplace else to stay while the house is repaired!”
“Friend?! This jackass left us with no place to stay and almost got Dinky killed, and you’re going to forget all that because he’s a friend?!”
“Yes; I am. If he felt he had a reason to do what he did I believe him. And don’t you bring that up again—Dinky is fine!”
Before they could continue their conversation, the mayor butted in, “Do either of you have something to add?!”
The two mares glared at each other, daring the other to speak. In time, Amethyst craned her head around and said, “No ma’am; nothing at all…”
The mayor waited a beat, to make sure everypony held their peace, then she turned to Bryce once more. “Now, Mr Smales, I’m afraid I must ask you to come with me.” She turned on the crowd; she had to lay down the law with them all here and now. “And if anypony does not agree with my ruling, and further feels the need to take matters into their own hooves again, I will not hesitate to place you in the same cell as Mr Smales.”
She looked on Bryce one more time. She hoped he would not give her or anypony a reason to cause further ruckus tonight. She knew he had the ability now to end them all with a single swipe of his hand, but he had contained himself, for reasons outside her understanding.
She cleared her throat, and said, “Mr Smales, if there is nothing else, I must ask you to come-“
“Come on, you can’t be serious!” Thunderlane shouted. “He’s being set up or… Or… This isn’t something he’d do, not without-“
“Mr Thunderlane, I have already asked you to remain quiet once. If I must ask you again, I will have you charged with obstruction of justice.”
The stallion opened his mouth to gab on. His own life be damned, he would not allow the human to go down without somepony to speak for his defence, not after everything they had gone through.
Before he could, he heard a thought not his own enter his head. “Thunderlane, just let it go…” The stallion looked to Bryce, doubting at first what he heard. When he saw Bryce’s face—lined in defeat—he knew it had been true. “Whatever you’re doing this for,” Bryce thought inside the stallion’s head, “it’s not worth throwing your life away.”
Thunderlane stared for a few beats before he resigned himself to Bryce’s way of thinking. As much as it pained him, he nodded. He looked back to the mayor, his face in a sullen glare.
When Thunderlane said nothing further the mayor mentally thanked Celestia she had only the human to worry about. She turned to the crowd again. “Does anypony have anything in favor of Bryce they would like to make known? Anything to prove without a shadow of a doubt Bryce Smales committed these actions with benevolent intent?”
Her words echoed through the street. They were the only sound to come out for a full minute.
At last, feeling there was no more for anypony to say—whether it be for or against the human—Mayor Mare began to ask Bryce once again, “Mr Smales, as it seems there is nopony who can validate your story—or provide probable cause, for that matter—will you please come-?”
At that moment—in a sudden outburst which made the mayor mare want to pull her mane and tail hair from its roots—a mare cried out, “Bryce is telling the truth!”
Everyone looked around, questioning who had made this known only now. It was not until Bryce looked in front of him to find the purple and pink variegated tail of the mare. She stood only on three of her legs—her right foreleg she held up, as if she was unable to stand on the limb. Her hair and fur looked to be in a mess.
Before he could say anything, she spoke up again, “There was something big; it was bigger than Ditzy’s house.” By the time she finished her second statement everypony spotted the mare, who stood with Bryce’s group. Everypony was amazed to see the mare, amazed by the beauty of the mare, a beauty poetry had been made in reference towards and nations had crumbled.
Mayor Mare was at a loss, unsure of how to take this sudden intrusion. She shook her head to clear her mind. “Miss…”
“Mina,” she said. “My name is Mina.”
“Yes… Miss Mina… You…claim to have seen this…whatever Mr Smales claims to have seen.”
“Not just saw, he attacked it! And it was like he said: it tried to grab Rumble.”
The mayor took this with a skeptic’s mind—most everypony did.
“Miss Mina, if I might ask, where were you from the time this creature tried to grab Rumble up to now?
The mare pointed down the street leading left at the intersection. “I was over there when I spotted Bryce and the other two. It was dark but I saw…I don’t know… It was big—bigger than Ditzy’s house. It was standing there at the corner. It went quiet and then I saw Rumble throw a rock at the trash can, and like he said two rats came out. Then, when Rumble went to pick up the rock, the thing tried to grab him. And if Bryce hadn’t been there… There’s no telling what might have happened.”
They all heard the mare’s retelling of her view of the events. Regardless they remained skeptical; they could not help but see it as a repeat of Bryce’s story.
“If that’s how it happened how in Tartarus do you explain the big gaping hole in your story?” Amethyst asked. “That being, the big gaping hole.” She pointed to the hole which opened into Dinky’s bedroom. As if to confirm its existence a piece of drywall fell loose from the wall and hit the ground breaking into chunks.
Mina looked the mare dead in the eye and said, “The thing did that! After Bryce threw the trash at it, it stuck its hand into your house and threw the whole side of your house at him.” She mimed these actions with her left foreleg, with her right on the ground to keep her steady, as shaky as the limbed appeared.
Bryce noticed how the movement made the mare wince. He had to know if she was okay, whether what she had to say helped put him in the right be damned. “Mina, what happened to your leg?”
This question brought the mare’s physical state to the attention of everypony; she looked to have been injured.
“Let me guess, this thing that threw part of our house at Bryce also somehow hit you too?” Amethyst asked in a sarcastic tone.
“No,” Mina replied, hurt by the accusation. “It was after. After the creature wrecked your house it came running my way. It spotted me and tried to take me. It managed to grab a hold of my leg—like, it was trying to pull it from the socket—but I blasted it in the face, and it let me go.” She mimed the movements now as she had before, but this time the pain proved to be too much. She fell to the ground on her right side.
Bryce rushed to her side, taking a knee to be closer to her. “Mina, are you-?”
“I’ll be-“ She let out another hiss, the pain making itself known in full force.
He tried to hold back the worry he felt. He began to rub his hands together, to try and force a drip of his life force to spring up. He tried this for a few seconds, but nothing came up; his panic for the mare’s wellbeing made him unable to concentrate well enough.
After trying in vain for a few more seconds he felt a firm hoof push him back. “Bryce, I appreciate your concern, but please let a professional take care of this!”
Bryce fell back on his bottom, surprised but happy to see it was Nurse Tenderheart; he knew Mina would be in good hooves. She was not in her nurse's outfit, but she did not need to be; one could tell by her actions she knew what she was doing.
The last thing he heard between the two came from Nurse Tenderheart, when she asked, “Ma’am, can you please tell me your name?”
He was drawn away from them when Mayor Mare called him out. “Mr Smales, if I could have a word.”
He looked to the beige mare, who appeared both worried for Mina and moved to further uncertainty by the mare’s statement. He gave Mina one more look, knowing she was in good hooves.
He stood and walked over to the mayor. She looked him over a few times before she let out a deep sigh. She turned to the crowd, unsure of how to take this sudden turn of events.
Then somepony asked, “Well, are you going to send him to jail or not?!”
The crowd had begun to start a ruckus, knowing full well why she did not answer.
All demanded she disregard what the mare had said and condemn the human, with the main reason being: ‘It’s Bryce; what more reason do you need?!’
She gritted her teeth, knowing she needed to regain control. “Everypony, may I have your attention, please!” They fell silent, not sure what the mare had to say, but from the way she spoke certain they would not like it.
“In light of this sudden testimony, I have no choice…but to…” She hesitated again, not knowing if she could stomach what she had to say.
Then Bait asked her, not caring if he became noticed, “Come on, can you really believe anypony would harm themselves like that?!” He pointed to the mare who Nurse Tenderheart still tended to.
It had the desired effect. The mayor’s will broke; regardless of how the crowd pressured her, and further how she might have felt this proved Bryce may have been in the right.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “No, I can’t,” she said under her breath, causing a rumble to roll through the crowd. “I have no choice but to release Mr Bryce Smales into his own recognizance, and I fully intend to take a statement later.” She stared the crowd down, daring them to debate her on this decision. “And when I say ‘take a statement’ I mean just Mr Smales and myself.”
A shout rang out from the crowd, one she was quick to silence.
“Regardless of how you may all feel, I judge there to be sufficient evidence Mr Smales may be in the right.”
It had the expected effect amongst the crowd of ponies.
“It was Bryce! He's messed with her brain!” One pony shouted.
“Hey, you shut your mouth!” Bryce shouted. “She's my friend, and so is Rumble; anyone who tried to do that to them will have to deal with me too!”
“Mr Smales, please, contain yourself,” the mayor pleaded. She drew in close and said under her breath. “I'm allowing you this pass because from this mare's information you may well be innocent. Innocent of foal endangerment, mind you, but only just. After you leave here, I would appreciate it if you stayed away from Ponyville—for your own safety.”
Though her mouth said this, she worried more for the safety of her town, and those who lived there. She only half believed what the mare had said, but only just. If she had him placed in prison, she knew he had the ability to break his way out. And if he went crazy again better it be at Sweet Apple Acres, where fewer ponies’ live were at risk.
After she allowed the mare time to recover, she intended to pay this Mina a visit at Ponyville General, and afterwards take the human’s statement. “Now, please finish whatever business you have here and return to whatever place you call home until I say otherwise.”
Bryce looked to the ground, having heard everything—both from her own mouth and within her mind. In truth, he still wondered himself if he had seen anything. He returned a nod.
“Great. Thank you. Now, if you don't mind…”
Bryce took the hint and stood. Around him the crowd had begun to disperse, with those who felt they had the will to face the human staying to make sure nothing else happened.
He looked to Ditzy and her family. Regardless of who was at fault they had no place to stay. “What about them? Because of… What happened they're homeless.”
Ditzy had heard and tried to brush it off. “It's okay; we'll manage… Somehow… I have a few bits in the bank, and it should-”
“Derpy!” Amethyst shouted. “We barely have enough to stay a few nights at a motel; and that's if I put in all the bits I have saved and we stay at the cheapest one. And we can't do that even; thanks to…” She thrust a hoof in Bryce's direction, not wanting to say his name. “…your friend, they're all booked until Celestia knows when!”
She then pointed at the house. “And let's not forget even if we decided against that and paid to fix this mess, we don't have enough put together to cover it, much less actually fix it!”
Ditzy bit on her lower lip; she knew this to be true. She did not blame Bryce for anything—and she was one of the few who still held this opinion—but they were as Amethyst said: homeless and unable to keep a roof over their heads for long.
Before she could think of a response, Ponzi stepped in. “Miss Doo, I believe I may be able to help,” he said with a smile. “Well, for the repairs to your home—with that I can offer assistance.” His smile shrank once he said, “As to where you can stay, I'm afraid…”
Ditzy tried to hold back tears. She was thankful for her Ponzi Scheme’s charity, but it only solved one problem. She said the only thing she could to such an offer, “Thank you…”
They all remained quiet for a few beats before someone suggested, “Couldn't we stay at Apple Bloom's family's house?”
They all looked to the source: Dinky, who tried to remain strong in this time of trial.
Ditzy rubbed the back of her neck. “Dinky, it's not that it's a bad idea, but… It would just be impolite of us to…”
“But…you're always talking about how Apple Bloom and I need to ‘set up a sleepover sometime’, and Miss Applejack has said a lot of times when we leave to ‘not be a stranger’.”
“We… She…has said that, Muffin, but what it means…”
“Do you really have a choice…?” Bryce asked.
The question hung in the air, no one wanting to state the obvious.
Ditzy felt she had to answer; she did not have a choice. Not to say she could not say ‘no’, but that—for the safety and welfare of her two daughters—she had to take the hard path and ask somepony to make space for them. She nodded.
The air remained thick between them all, left for Ponzi to help settle. “Well, shall we go then?”
Ditzy wanted to leave, but she felt she at least had to try and see if the mayor could allow them to enter their house, if only to bring along a few possessions.
While they did this Bryce looked over at Mina. In the time since Nurse Tenderheart's forceful entrance a pair of orderlies had arrived to take the mare on a stretcher. As they trotted off with the mare the nurse pony spotted Bryce staring.
She made her way to him. “She should be okay. She's been hurt—bad—but nothing permanent or life threatening.”
“Did she say anything else?”
“Nothing important; just answers to the usual questions I ask to ensure there was no brain damage. She checked out.”
Bryce looked down at his feet; his toes wiggled in his shoes their usual way. “Well, thank you for being here.”
“It's my job. How are you by the way? Have you had any problems…? Not including anything in the last thirty minutes, of course?”
He shook his head. “Nothing mental… Well, nothing mental you can diagnose.”
She returned an understanding nod. “I suppose I couldn't. What about anything else—have you had any more manic episodes, loss of time, any auditory or visual hallucinations, et cetera?”
Bryce sucked in his lower lip. “Well, nothing I'm certain of, yet.”
She shot him a serious look. “Yet…? What do you mean?”
“It's… I'm not sure what to tell you… I don't know if it's me,” he said, pointing at his chest. “Or if it's me.” He pointed at his head.
The nurse mare kept her serious tone. She drew in a few breaths. “Have you been drinking?”
Bryce nodded. “I don't usually, but… Again, for reasons you can’t diagnose.”
She did not comprehend this as much but chose to accept it. “Alright, but if do have anything else like I described happen be sure to come see me. The last thing…” She sighed. “I don't want to upset you, but we don't want anything like what happened a few weeks ago.”
She waited a few beats before she added. “I only say this because I care about you. Whoever made you act the way you did they’re the one who should feel bad.” She then said under her breath, “They just better hope I don’t get a hold of them; I know how to make it look like an accident.”
Bryce bit down on his lip. It was not the first time he had heard this today—that he should not blame himself—but one fact remained. “Whatever happens to them won’t be as bad as what’s happening to me.”
“Even if that’s true you shouldn’t put this burden on yourself, and anypony who makes you feel that way is wrong.”
“Well, until whoever it was is found who can everyone make bear it?”
The nurse mare could think of nothing to refute this, which only made her feel worse for her friend. She sighed. “I know this is bad, but don’t let it completely ruin you, Bryce. Whoever it is will be found. It may not ever go back to normal, but they’ll pay, somehow. Just…” She reached forward and wrapped a foreleg around his waist and sank her head into his hip. It shocked Bryce, who did not know the mare had such emotions in her.
She released him and looked him in the eye. “Just…please try and take care of yourself. There’s too much good and kindness left in you for you to say ‘fuck it all’ and go off and hurt yourself.” She placed a hoof on his hip. “I’m sure there’s something out there you still feel is worth your whole world.”
With this said she turned to leave. Before she could go out of shouting distance, he said, “Hey, just please take care of her. She’s just a friend, but… We’ve been through a lot.”
She nodded. “Of course; it is my job. But for you, she’ll have the best possible treatment.”
With this said, she left.
After she went out of sight, he looked back to see the situation, in time to see Ditzy as she left her house.
To placate the mail mare, the mayor allowed Ditzy to enter and retrieve a few items of personal value. This included items personal to her daughters, as well. For Dinky, it had been her two remaining pony dolls—both of which had escaped damage—her pillow and blanket—the latter a gift knitted by her Ditzy’s mother—a couple of paintings made by her father and her art set she had placed together from her collection of crayons and paints, all boxed inside a case Bryce had made.
Amethyst had asked for less: only the contents of her saddlebags and the box she kept under her bed.
For Ditzy she had needed only two items. First, the box of important documents, including the girls’ certificates and medical records, the bills, receipts, deed to the house and the like. The second was the most precious of all: the photo album she had put together over the years.
Bryce looked around for Thunderlane and Rumble, finding they had since left.
As Ditzy, Ponzi and the girls talked, and Mayor Mare left—confident all was well for now—Bryce looked again at the house. From what he could see the major damage lay on the hole, and a few cracks in the exterior in the immediate area. From the outside it did not look to be at risk of collapsing, but it still needed a more professional eye.
What drew his attention more was Mina’s version of the story. It had troubled him since before she collapsed. It did not seem true; at least, not a complete truth.
Not long after, Ditzy declared they were ready to depart, and they left for the apple farm. He hoped whatever it was which seemed off by the events made themselves known in his sleep, because he planned to have a lot of it in the coming days.
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When they arrived at the farm Applejack was in shock to see Ditzy's family come back so soon. She made her way out to them, further shocked to see them carrying stuff with them. “What's going on?”
“Their house is unlivable,” Ponzi said, at about the same time Amethyst thrust a hoof in Bryce’s direction and said, “He ruined our house!”
“Amethyst!” Ditzy tried to blurt out, but by then the apple mare all but knew the situation. “It's not like that,” she tried to explain. “There was… We don't really know, but Bryce… It's hard to explain…”
Applejack looked up at the human, trying her best to give him the benefit of the doubt. He looked the same if not worse than when he left.
She turned back to Ditzy and her daughters. “How bad is it?”
“Well, the mayor says we can't stay there until ‘the damage is fixed and the house as a whole is inspected’. Bait's uncle was kind enough to offer to pay for the cost of the repairs, but we can't find any place to stay.” Her ears drooped at this last part. The mother mare could not bear to look Applejack in the eye; she felt ashamed for something outside her control.
Applejack understood what she meant. “Well, it would be unneighborly of me not to invite you in; especially Apple Bloom's little friend.” She looked them over then said, “Why don't y'all go in and get yourselves a little supper; we have plenty of leftovers.”
This brightened the grey mare's mood somewhat. “Thank you… We don't have much, but I can pay-”
Applejack thrust a hoof in her line of sight. “Nah uh, don't even think about that; I can't accept money from somepony I see is in need. Now, head inside; I'll help you work out where you'll all sleep in a minute.”
Ditzy left for the farmhouse, guiding Dinky in while Amethyst stayed a desirable distance away from the former. Bait followed them, as well, keeping his own distance from the lavender mare.
When they were inside, Applejack looked Bryce over once more. She did not know yet what had happened or how, but the human looked shaken. After the afternoon he had she doubted things could go worse, but this was before she had to extend hospitality to three more mouths.
She shut her eyes and sighed. “Okay, what happened?”
Before Bryce could say anything, Ponzi blurted out everything. He began with him—Ponzi—finding the human at a tavern, and from there related what happened between their leaving the tavern to the moment before everything went sour fast.
“It was a surprise to me. Bryce had…shown me his abilities not a half hour before, but… It was…something else… It was over before I could properly comprehend what I say, but it was like no form of magic I had ever seen.”
As he related the details of what he had happened up to Mina’s arrival, and soon after her testimony which forced the mayor’s hoof, Ponzi finished by saying, “I still don't know myself what, if anything Bryce saw, but Mrs Doo and her daughters now have you to thank for a place to stay.”
Applejack scowled a little at the stallion; she trusted him more than his slick nephew but not by a lot. “Well, can I ask where you got the bits you're using to fix their house?”
The stallion felt a small shock go up his back but kept his composure. “I can assure you it is from more…legitimate means. I have put the ways of the confidence stallion behind me. In its place, I have opened a casino, with most of the House's winnings and profits going to benefit the homeless and infirm. Perhaps not too different a business, but one cannot rely on everypony to place their bits where they are most needed.”
She said nothing for a beat. “Well, still not completely right, but Ah can’t say you ain’t right about most ponies doin’ just that.” She looked at Bryce again. “Ah just wanna know one thing: did you actually save that boy, or were you just doin’ it to make an excuse to get back at Amethyst?” She did not believe this to be so; his idea of revenge was to put shaving cream in a vanilla cupcake. But she needed to hear it from him; she agreed with Bryce when he said honesty was her greatest strength, be it her own or someone else’s.
He said nothing at first, in his mind debating how and what he should say to her. What he said was the best he could think to sum up his thoughts: “I only did what I thought was right.”
It was not a proper answer to the mare, but down in the pit of her stomach she knew he spoke the truth—the truth as he saw it, but still honest.
From the way Ponzi had relayed everything to her she could not agree who, if anyone had been in the right.
She began to question why she had followed through on Granny’s plan.
She did not have much time to consider this when Bryce asked, “Can I please just go to bed?”
This made her skin crawl. She knew she could not stop him—not that she expected him to fight her over it—but from the day he had had there was no denying he needed a long rest. She felt once he entered the barn it may well be a long time yet to come.
He allowed her a moment to answer, growing more and more tired with her inability to answer. He waited a few beats more before he took the matter into his hands. “I’m sorry, but it’s just been…” He sucked in his lower lip as he wiggled his toes in his usual way. “Goodnight…”
As he started to walk off Applejack found herself blurting out the words she meant to say, “Bryce, just…” He stopped to look back at her out of the corner of his eye. “… I’m sorry… We thought you’d… We…” She sighed, trying her best to stay calm and not say something she did not mean in a hurtful way.
She took in a deep breath, then said, “What you see in there… It was only meant to cheer you up…”
Applejack looked between the human and Ponzi, trying to ground herself after this announcement. She sighed again, then somehow found her legs moving her towards the farmhouse.
Bryce and Ponzi watched her leave, unsure of what she meant, but they had a feeling it lay inside Bryce’s barn. Said building was not more than a hundred yards away from where Bryce stood, dark and insignificant.
Ponzi cleared his throat to grab the human’s attention. “What are you going to do?”
The wiggling in Bryce’s boots intensified, and his lower lip pulled further into his mouth.
“Whatever it is,” Ponzi suggested, “it can’t be so bad as…everything else tonight.”
Bryce sighed through his nose and took a small step towards the barn. He started slow—his legs had gone stiff from standing in the same spot—but he went faster with each succeeding step.
When he reached the barn he slowed again, in time coming to a stop when he reached the door. He mentally damned whatever lay behind the door—not only this but Applejack and Granny for setting it all in motion.
He was exhausted, a wonder he could stand now without leaning against the barn for support.
Countless possibilities went through his head, being from something Apple Bloom and Dinky had put together, to everypony not on the anti-Bryce train chipping in to place everything into order.
Whatever it was it was better to get it over with. He grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, the hinges announcing his arrival for everyone and everything to hear. One of his possible scenarios had been confirmed from what little he could see at the door: the barn had been put in order. As he entered the barn, however, his heart sank.
Inside the barn was something he had not wanted to drag down, something he rather to stay apart from than face what might lie ahead. Inside the barn also lay his future, one which brought him both joy for a time, and in the end only more misery.
What had Applejack invited into the barn? Read the next chapter if you would know.