Chapter 5: Life, Death, Slaps.
It was pouring down rain and Gray was shivering with cold. He felt as though he was frozen. Thoughts race through his head. His old campsite, the motel he resided in for a time, Spike’s angry words rebounded over and over again through his head. There was a thunderclap close by. Gray barely flinched despite his surprise. His ten years of acting lessons taught him many things and hiding his emotions was definitely one of them. He was miserable, cold and hungry. He forced himself to get up and walk. He didn’t know where he was going... But he was walking now. It was something and it would keep him alive.
~*~
He walked for what felt like hours but was really just a few minutes. He walked past a tree with windows. Dimly, in the back of his mind, Gray recognised it as the library from a detailed description that Rarity had given him. He continued trudging slowly, his mane plastered to his body and his tail dragging across the ground. Dimly, he saw Sugarcube corner, also recognised from Rarity’s description. In fact, all of his recognitions were made because of descriptions from Rarity. His mind struggled with a problem he found with it. Or more like tried to identify what it was. He was tired... so tired... his legs were shaking as he trudged. His back was being pounded by heavy, bone chillingly cold rain. His legs couldn’t hold himself up anymore. Gray collapsed onto the soaking wet ground. His eyes struggled to keep open. His thoughts slowed down... His heart slowed down.
It was three in the morning when the sodden grey lump on the ground’s heart stopped beating.
~*~
Rarity sighed. Sweetie Belle and herself had been incapable of sleep all night. Sweetie Belle was scared of storms and Rarity couldn’t shake a really bad feeling she had. So Rarity had made tea and she was sitting with her sister at the dinner table, sipping tea.
“I’m really not cut out for this...” whispered Rarity.
Sweetie Belled flinched as another thunderclap rocked the sky. Her eyed sought out her older sisters’. Rarity smiled at her.
“It’s ok Sweetie Belle. Nothing will hurt us while we’re in the boutique. It never has before and it won’t start now.”
Sweetie Belle smiled gratefully at her. Her big sister always knew what to say in a storm. Another thunderclap rocked through the sky and once again the little filly flinched in fear.
“I hope nopony is out there...”
Rarity looked out her window. It was pouring rain. It was so heavy she could barely make anything out that was three feet away from the shop.
“Me too Sweetie Belle.”
Her thoughts returned to Gray. He said he was in a motel... but that was some time ago. Without a job, he wouldn’t have been able to live there long. That worried her something fierce. She’d heard his project had suffered several setbacks and his theatre was behind schedule. It was nothing that couldn’t be fixed.
“Sister, somepony IS out there! Look!”
Rarity snapped out of her reverie just in time to see a colourless pony slump to the ground. Her eyes went wide.
“Sweetie, go to your room. Do not follow me.”i
Sweetie Belle looked at her sister’s frightened face. She felt fear climb in herself, but she didn’t know why.
“But-“
“But nothing Sweetie Belle. Go to your room and DON’T come out.”
Rarity stormed downstairs to the door. Heedless of the umbrellas two feet away, she hurtled through the door and into the rain. She was soaked instantly, but she kept going anyway. Practically slipping across the soaked ground, she arrived next to the fallen stallion. Heedless of who it was, she picked him up with her magic. Turning around, she struggled back into the boutique. Sweetie Belle was at the door yelling something, Rarity didn’t know what. She stumbled back into the boutique, almost dropping the motionless stallion as she did so. He fell to the floor and didn’t get up.
~*~
He was floating.... There was so much white... Nothing but harsh white light...
Gray looked around. It was true. There was nothing but white light.
“Am... Am I dead?”
His voice echoed around the plane, soaring endlessly through the void. Another voice answered him. It was melodic and strangely calming, but full of undeniable power.
“No Gray. You’re not dead. Not anymore.”
A light brown unicorn stepped out of thin air. His tan mane fell over his eyes and he sighed in frustration. Pushing it away, he looked grimly at Gray.
“Wh... What do you mean ‘Not anymore?’”
The new unicorn shrugged.
“What I mean is that you gave death your best shot. For about fifteen minutes your heart stopped beating.”
Gray frowned.
“How do you know? And besides that, who the hay are you?”
The unicorn laughed.
“Good to know your mind is strong enough to argue. I’m Talisman. How do I know about your heart? I took the information from a young nurse from the hospital. She was called soon after the storm passed.”
Gray looked bewilderedly at Talisman. Talisman nodded.
“Yes, I can read minds.”
Gray nodded slowly.
“O... kaayyyy.”
Talisman laughed. His face became serious.
“Why were you out there Gray?”
Gray’s face fell.
“My tent was... It was burnt down...”
Talisman looked at him sharply.
“What do you mean burnt? There’s nothing around....”
Talisman’s voice faded and his eyes turned angry. A stone appeared around his neck and the inscriptions on it started glowing. When he spoke again it was a snarl.
“Gray, you need to wake up. You’ve worried Rarity enough. I have a young dragon to speak to.”
Gray shook his head in confusion.
“Wait, what? Where are you.....”
~*~
“WAIT!”
Gray woke up yelling. He was dry and in a bed. It was warm too. The room he was in was a decent size with most of one wall taken up by a massive vanity. There was a door next to it. There was an alarmed voice from behind the door and it burst open, showing a very dishevelled Rarity. Her worried features relaxed in relief when she saw the now awake stallion looking at her in shock. Her smile turned quickly into a frown as she walked up to him. From there it became a scowl. Gray looked at her nervously.
“Uh... H-“
He never got further. There was a resounding crack as Rarity slapped the stallion across the face.
“How DARE you worry a lady like that! That was the complete opposite of what a gentlecolt would do! What were you THINKING going out into the rain like that?”
Gray held his stinging face, his eyes screaming pain. He looked at Rarity.
“I... I’m sorry... It wasn’t intentional I assure you. I lost my tent and-“
Once again he was cut off by a very distressed Rarity.
“TENT!? You told me you were still in your motel! Why were you in a TENT?”
Gray flinched away. The look in her eye was dangerously angry.
“Well... I ran out of money and I needed a place to stay...”
His eyes filled with tears.
“But I’ve slept on the road before... So I took what I had left and bought a tent...”
“Why didn’t you ask me Gray!? You could have stayed here!”
Gray shook his head vehemently, bringing on a bout of dizziness.
“I couldn’t intrude like that! It isn’t right for a stallion to ask a mare such as yourself for shelter!”
Tears were streaming down his face. He closed his eyes and steeled himself for the slap he knew was coming. It never came. He felt a soft presence pressing itself against him, enveloping him in an embrace and he smelled roses. His eyes snapped open.
Rarity, her hair dishevelled and her tail a mess, was hugging him!
He looked at her in amazement. Taken on a whim, he went to hug her back. Then he remembered Spike’s words. They took his already fragile mind into shock. He stiffened suddenly, a detail that was instantly realised by Rarity. She let go and took a step back so she could look at the stallion. Gray was looking away, refusing to meet her eyes.
“Gray? What’s wrong?”
Gray shook his head, refusing to answer. In a flash he saw his tent burning again, the green flames licking at his heels as he made his escape. He remembered the pain in his hoof as it was singed.
There was a commotion from downstairs and a very angry looking Talisman stormed into the room, literally dragging a very scared looking Spike along with him using his magic. The stone around his neck was inscribed with complex designs and each and every one of them was glowing. One in particular was glowing a very poisonous green. He threw the little dragon onto his face at the foot of the bed. There was a shout from downstairs and another unicorn stormed in.
“TALISMAN!”
Rarity looked at the two unicorns.
“Twi, Tal, what are you doing here?”
Talisman didn’t answer. Twilight looked at him. He looked at Twilight and his words came out as strangled snarls.
“This dragon has a heck of a lot to answer to Twilight. Stay out of this!”
Twilight flinched at his voice. Spike, who was trying to hide from Talisman’s rage, found himself lifted out from under the bed by magic and faceplanted once more on the floor.
“APOLOGISE!”
The voice sounded like thunder. Spike burst into tears.
“I didn’t do anything!”
Gray’s eyes hardened as he got up and looked at the little dragon.
“You burnt down my tent Spike.”
Rarity and Twilight both gasped. This was news to both of them. Twilight looked at the little dragon in shock.
“Spike... is this true?”
Spike avoided Twilights’ gaze. Her eyes hardened.
“We will talk in the library Spike.”
Twilight turned to Talisman as Spike winced.
“Do what you have to Tal. I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
Talisman didn’t answer. He didn’t trust himself to say anything. Twilight left the room, leaving Rarity, Talisman and Gray looking at Spike expectantly. Spike sighed, tears still visible on his face despite no longer crying. He looked at Gray angrily.
“Sorry about your tent.”
The words were spoken shortly and with aggression. Gray lifted an eyebrow at the baby dragon but didn’t get another response. Talisman, still angry, snagged the dragon with magic and threw him into the outside hallway. He turned to Gray.
“I’m sorry Gray. I cannot come up with a punishment enough for taking a life, even if that life returned.”
With that and a nod from Gray, Talisman left the room, once more dragging the struggling dragon along with him. Rarity turned from the door that she’d just shut to Gray.
“Well... that was strange. Spike is never that cruel. Normally he’s a very sweet thing...”
Gray’s eyes darkened.
“The reason was simple Rarity. It was an ultimatum.”
Rarity stared at him.
“For what?”
“You already know the answer to that question... It’s just none of you want to admit it.”
There was silence in the room for a while, broken only by Gray’s occasional heavy breath. Finally, Rarity spoke.
“So... Gray... Do you have a place to stay?”
Gray shook his head sadly. All his possessions, few though they were, had been in that tent when it burned and his only shelter was gone now.
“Well. I can’t have you getting all wet now! You’ve been out for two days now and you need someplace to stay. You can stay here.”
Gray shook his head slowly. Rarity made a strangled sort of sound out of frustration. Gray spoke slowly.
“I cannot allow you to keep me up at your house, let alone your boutique, for nothing Rarity... It’s not right.”
Rarity shook her head in annoyance. There was just no talking to this stubborn stallion.
“You’re almost as stubborn as Applejack Gray. You’re staying here. That’s a finality.”
Gray flinched at her voice. It had gone cold. He nodded miserably. Rarity smiled at him and nodded.
“Good. We have another room down the hall. It was... It was originally for our parents, but they won’t be visiting anytime soon.”
Gray nodded again. Rarity’s eyes softened.
“Gray, It’s not too bad. Your theatre is coming along nicely.”
“it’s behind schedule by about a month.”
Rarity shrugged.
“It still looks nice.”
Gray laughed harshly.
“It’s a spiderweb of timber sitting on concrete! There’s nothing nice about it.”
The crack of Rarity’s hoof across Gray’s face was heard clearly downstairs. Sweetie Belle, happily, was asleep. Gray reeled back from the blow. Rarity had tears in her eyes.
“Stop it. Just stop.”
Gray looked at her, hurt and betrayal in his eyes.
“I just saved your life, and you seem determined to make it seem worthless! Worthless! How could you Gray?”
She stormed out of the room, leaving echoes of her stricken sobs through the hall into a bedroom where a slammed door remained resolutely closed. Gray lowered his hoof from his face and looked at it. It was shaking.