Author's Note: I know, I know....It's horrible that Dash killed herself. I love Rainbow Dash, so it feels bad killing her off....And, yes, now Twilight is the main carrier.
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on.
THE NUMBER 22
Chapter 15
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I wanted to erase what had just happened....I wanted to bring Dash back......The girls eventually found out about it...I mean, how could they not have? The ambulances came by the bundle to my house. Hell, I bet everypony in Equestria heard the sirens. They came to the library, confused and scared.....and left horrified beyond belief....I don't think I've ever seen them cry that much. After a few hours of me trying to comfort them (and failing at the most), they finally left, along with the paramedics. I was once again left alone....Alone to think.....Was killing myself really the only way out of this?......Well,....at least I'd be with Dash..........I needed answers.
Chapter 15
Fulfilling My Destiny
Yes, I was reading. Believe me, it was actually the last thing I wanted to do. In fact, I was so angry with the curse that I wanted to die right there and finally be away from it. But, I knew there was nopony else who could help me with something like this......Dr. Lori had already proved her trustworthiness and my friends were stressed enough as it was,...so I was left on my own.
Picture this image if you will: A dark forest....Small amounts of sunlight streaming through the holes in the dead treetops....Insects buzzing all around the marsh-like area....Snakelike vines wrapping themselves around anything they can grab....A mare and stallion making love in the middle of it all....That's what I was seeing. Orlando and Dr. Lori had decided to choose somewhere private to do their secret meetings. As I watched them enjoy themselves, the demon's words still rang through my mind.
"There's no one left for you, Hoofling. You should just give up. The curse will eventually drive you to madness and you'll just end up hurting others in the process. Why don't you just give in?"
And my response rang through my head as well.
".....Because, unlike you, I have a future to look forward to."
Looking back on that, I didn't really think before I answered that....I mean, now that I think about it,....I don't have a future.
"You know, Hoofling, even though you didn't kill Orlando with the knife,....you can still carry out a job with it..."
It took some time,....but I had finally understood what the demon was really saying. He didn't want me to kill myself.....He wanted me to try again on Orlando....And, this time,....I knew exactly what I had to do........I left them to do their business and headed to my destination,...Dr. Lori's house. I had a feeling that's where they would meet when they had nothing else to do....My assumptions proved correct. They arrived about an hour later, still in the mood for love. They went up to the bedroom and basically did a repeat of what they did in the forest, me watching them in the closet. After a few minutes, Dr. Lori said exactly what I wanted her to say, putting the next phase of my plan into effect.
"I gotta use the bathroom."
"No you don't."
"Yes, I do!"
"Man, you always have to use the bathroom...at the worst possible time!"
"And that's what you love about me, right?"
I saw a smile cross his face as she said that. They kissed one last time and he left. Orlando did have a point. A lot of mares have weak bladders and usually have to go at random times.....It's part of getting older.
"Hurry back, please!"
As he settled back down, I saw him pull out a condom from his saddlebag and start to put it on....Pff, men....As he turned toward the wall, desperately trying to get it on, I slowly opened the closet door and began to walk out. He was faced the opposite way, so he didn't even see me coming......Then,.....I did just what the curse wanted.
"Hello Orlando."
Before he even had a chance to turn around, I gave my butcher knife a quick thrust....right into his neck. As he turned around to look at me, I saw a state of shock come across his face.....and the light fade from his eyes. I didn't stop there...I had no mercy on him. I stabbed him mercilessly....everywhere. I got him in the legs, stomach, chest, flank, cheek, even both of his eyes. By the time my bloodlust was quenched, my purple coat was spashed with red, like a canvas sitting out to dry. As I observed my handywork, I noticed something familiar about the stab wounds.
"Hmm?...How many are there?......5......10......15......20....21....and 22! Ha! What a coincidence!"
I heard Dr. Lori coming back up the stairs, so I bailed out the window. I climbed down and ran across the street. I stopped myself at the street corner.....It only took about ten seconds for it to happen.
"AAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!"
The cops arrived not too long afterwards. Deputy Bookworm barged in the front door and, in no time at all, came back out with Dr. Lori. She seemed to be in shock, so it wasn't hard for the sheriff to cuff her. She was taken away and soon, after searching the perimeter and removing the body, the authorities left. I pulled my gloves off and disposed of them in a nearby waste basket. My job was done......Her future was set in stone.
That gave me no help at all. It was more of a persuasion. The curse still wanted me to kill Orlando. The curse had a way of putting things in the book to coincide with my life in the worst possible ways,.....like making Dash the Italian Blonde. As I fought to decide what to do next, I heard a bark coming from outside.
"What the heck?! What could that be?"
I opened the window and looked down. There, on my lawn, was Ned.
"Nasty Evil Dog...This is all your fault!! If you hadn't made me late,...."
He stared at me coldly, like he was expecting me to kill him......And that's exactly what I planned on doing. I slammed the windows shut, ran down the stairs, and flung open the door. He was still sitting still, as if he had no fear at all.
"Not afraid, huh? Well, I'm gonna give you something to be afraid of!"
I knew a lot of stun and paralysis spells,...and, ever since he first got away from me, I had practiced a new spell just for him. It wasn't hard to do. It just stunned the victim for 12 hours at the most....Not dangerous,...but just what he needed.
"You'll enjoy this, Ned.....Or, at least, I will!"
As if I had taken a shot at him, he immediately bolted away....But, I wasn't gonna let him get away that easily.
"Oh no you don't!"
I chased him down the street, not letting him out of my sight for a moment. He never looked back at me, nor did he make any kind of sound. He just kept running,.....until he led me to Ponyville Cemetary....The place where I lost him the first time.
"Oh no, not again! Where'd you go this time?!"
This time, I found him. He was sitting in front of one of the graves, staring directly at it. It was wierd...It was like he had forgotten about me and was now focused on this grave...However, I wasn't gonna let him use this as an excuse.....He was mine this time.
"Night-night, Neddy!"
I shot the stun spell at him. As expected, he fell down fast. I went over to make sure he was okay. He was still breathing normally. He was kind of stunned, though. I guess he hadn't expected an attack from me.....Big mistake.
"I got ya, Ned! HA HA! You're so lucky I have a big heart for animals....I mean, with the predicament you've put me in, I could've done a lot worse to you......I guess Fluttershy's kinda rubbed off on me."
I heard leaves crunching behind me. I turned around to see an elderly stallion dressed in a white robe coming towards me. He was staring at Ned, looking worried.
"Ned? Ned, are you okay?!"
He knelt beside him and stroked him down his side. After realizing he was still breathing, he looked up at me.
"What did you do to him?!"
"I-I just used a simple stun spell on him. He'll be up again in 12 hours at the most."
"Why would you do this?"
"Well.....It's just that...."
I didn't really know how to explain it, so I just kept quiet.
"You know, Ned here's a real special dog."
"He is?"
"Yes. He comes down here every day, keeping watch over these graves. That's why I gave him the nickname "The Guardian of the Dead."
The Guardian of the Dead? What a wierd name to give to a dog! After examining the stallion, I figured him to be the pastor of the nearby church. It was then that I noticed the name on the grave that Ned had been watching....Laura Toffee.....The same grave I saw the last time I was hear....But, what was even more wierd was how long she lived......She was born February 10, 1980, and she died February 10, 2003.
"She died on her 23rd birthday..."
"Huh?....Oh yes, my dear. Tragic story about her. Apparently, she had a secret affair with a doctor and then he just, out of the blue, killed her. He claims that he didn't do it and that he just found her on the bed dead, but his DNA was found all over the knife. He's currently serving his time in prison."
That's when it all became clear.....I knew what I had to do next.
End of Chapter 15!
Author's Note: Now, things are starting to tie together! Keep reading to find out more!
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