Chapter 7: Look Before You Sleep
I woke up to a sunny day, which quickly changed for the worse. I woke up like usual: get up at the crack of dawn, do my exercises, shower off, cook for the Wolves, and take on whatever fate has in store for me.
Which turned out to be applebucking.
Now, normally I’d enjoy work a lot, but I was seriously sore from the dragon encounter the day before, and since AJ’s leg was broken, I had double the workload. To be fair, AJ still helped out whenever she could, letting Big Mac and I have a break once in a while and bringing out lemonade (which bought her serious points in my book).
After that, I was assigned once again as the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ unofficial babysitter. We went rafting, hiking, and we even tried our hands at DJing. Vinyl had noticed me singing at the party, and the second I walked into her house, she begged me to work there. I tried my best to decline politely. Thankfully, Scootaloo caused a little… mishap, let’s call it… with the sound system. I rushed them out of the club before Vinyl could go all vampire on us. Have you ever noticed she has all the characteristics of a real vampire? Bloodred eyes, pale coat, wears glasses pretty much all the time. Kind of creepy, just saying.
So, after that fiasco, I bid my goodbyes to the little fillies I had become a brother to, and headed off to get some lunch. I stopped by the restaurant Twilight and I had come by on my second day in Ponyville. The waiter walked up to me, smiling.
“Well, sir, it seems you are in a considerably greater mood than when I saw you last. What may I get you today?”
“Hay fries and a glass of lemonade, please,” I said, a quiet idea forming in my head. “Also, have you found yourself a pianist yet?”
The pony’s smile widened. “No, sir, we haven’t. I assume you’d like to play something?”
“How do you ponies always read my mind?”
I got up from the table and trotted over to the piano. I played a quick melody to make sure it was in tune and began. After playing through “Don’t Stop Believing” and encoring with “Hikari”, I took a seat and began my meal. As I ate, I noticed the weather getting steadily darker. How come whenever I visit this place it starts storming like Armageddon?
I managed to get out of the place before the rain started, but unfortunately didn’t manage to get back to Sweet Apple Acres. So, I was stuck in the rain for a full half hour before somepony decided to help me.
“Andrew?” a voice called. I recognized the source as my violet-coated librarian friend and scooted over. “Jeez, we need to get you inside!” She opened the door quickly so I could hurry in. once I was, I immediately noticed I was shivering all over. Twilight vanished and reappeared moments later with a towel. She threw the towel on me, looking at me with mild interest. The towel effectively absorbing the loose moisture in my mane and tail, I quickly heated up and stopped shivering.
“Why were you out in the rain like that?” she asked. I raised an eyebrow.
“Twilight, if I answer, I fear something horribly sarcastic may fall out of my mouth and hurt your feelings.”
“Right, not going to ask.” She trotted halfway up the stairs before stopping and turning back to me. “Well, come on. We’re just about to start our sleepover.”
Sleepover… with, I freely admit, attractive ponies… in a tree. Hopefully there’s no booze or else something very bad will happen. I trotted up the stairs to find a rather pleasant surprise: AJ and Rarity were there as well.
“Well, what are you girls doing inside on this fine afternoon?” I asked, giving a look of mock-incredulity. AJ grinned.
“Alright, girls and Andrew, it’s sleepover time!” Twilight said cheerily. “First on the list: makeovers!”
“Yeah, yeah, just put the damn mud on my face, Rarity.” I felt something gooey and cool being smeared around my face. Somepony tried to touch my mane, but I slapped it back. “I swear to Celestia and God alike, if you touch my mane, Rarity, I will prick your hoof with a needle and wring you so much every drop of blood in your body will go squirting out of said prick.” The pony next to me shrank back. Good. No one touches the manestyle, not even AJ or the Crusaders. Somepony put a couple of cucumber slices on my eyes.
“Now what in the hay are these fer?” AJ asked from beside me.
“You know,” I said slowly, “That’s actually a good question. I never really thought about it, but what do cucumbers do?”
“Why, they reduce the puffiness around one’s eyes, of course,” Rarity answered in her dignified tone. There was a crunching noise.
“Puffiness, schmuffiness, these are good eatin’!” AJ said. Twilight giggled.
“Yay! We’ll do everything by the book and that will make my first slumber party fun!” crazy Twilight, always doing things by the book.
After the makeovers, it was time to move on to part two: scary stories, my forte.
“Now, who’s going to go first?” Twilight asked. We were huddled around a lamp filled with- and get this –fireflies. They had fireflies instead of lightbulbs. Who knew?
“I’ll go. I’m the best when it comes to scary stories.” I covered the lamp with a blanket, casting a dim lavender glow on the room. I started with one I generally loved, but fitted it to become more pony-ish.
“In this world, there was a time where peace was found everywhere. It was during this time that three little fillies and their brothers decided to have a slumber party, just like this one. They were telling scary stories when one of the fillies left, for unknown reasons. Now, her little brother was concerned, because he knew his sister was afraid of the dark, and it was a very stormy night. He followed her into the Everfree forest, where plants grow freely and animals run wild. He followed her to a red tower in a clearing. He peeked his head inside to see the pony of foals’ nightmares… Slendermane. Slendermane is a tall, thin stallion that always wears a raven black suit. They say he can grow extra legs, and he can hypnotize ponies with a single word. But what makes Slendermane the most scary is his face, for he has none. No eyes, no mouth. Just a flat, even surface.”
“The boy screamed and galloped away, but Slendermane was too fast, and he brought the boy under his control. Together, the hypnotized foals returned, only this time, they led the others deep into the forest, where the red tower was. Only one colt was smart enough to stay behind, and he stayed alive an hour longer for it. When his sister and friends didn’t come back, the colt got worried and went to check on them. Needless to say, Slendermane found him, shivering at the sight of his dead friends. Slendermane, thecolt and his friends were never seen again.”
A whitish blob was creeping up behind AJ and Twilight. At the sight of its violet eyes, I grinned even wider. “But some say that Slendermane is still out there. No one knows what makes his victims special, other than one thing: they were all having slumber parties on a stormy night. He might even be watching us right now…” I let the grin turn insane, a disturbing testament to the story. “Twilight, turn around.”
The other two mares turned to Twilight. AJ’s gaze slowly traveled up, meeting the white-blue blur. Rarity remained confused. Twilight gulped and slowly turned around. The blob rose slightly as she saw it.
“Hello, little filly,” it hissed. Twilight and AJ screamed and ran for cover. The insane grin on my face became a smile, then full laughter. Rarity was still sitting there, looking confused. Brenner, Danny and Starlight (thank God and Celestia she recovered so quickly) tumbled off each other and started laughing with me. After a few minutes of cowering, Twilight got up and trotted hesitantly back over. Once she was next to me, she raised a hoof and promptly punched me in the face.
“Idiot!” she yelled, but with a smile.
“I… thought I… told you… to only do that… when I tried… to make life…” I choked out. AJ found me and quickly delivered a punch of her own (at least it wasn’t a buck). She then scooted next to me, still shivering a little. I gave one more chuckle, then floated the book and quill over.
“Scary stories: check. Remind me to tell that one to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rarity.”
We all started laughing again. Who knew hanging out with women on a stormy night would be so much fun?
“Number three: pillow fights?” Twilight said uncertainly. The second I heard “pillow”, I jumped my way up to a high windowsill.
“Twilight, I’m not getting in the way of this,” I called down. She looked at me oddly for a moment then turned back to AJ and Rarity, who were having a pillow fight-to-the-death. I pulled my guitar out of thin air (thank you, Pinkie, for teaching me how to break the governing laws of space). Flicking through my music sheets, I finally found one that I thought would drown out the two fighters.
“Now and then I think of when we were together,
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me, but felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it’s an ache I still remember”
Danny took the reins after those first words and finished the verse:
“You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness,
Like resignation in the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense, well you said that we could still be friends
But I’ll admit that I was glad that it was over”
Three of us sang in perfect harmony while Brenner, who refused to admit he had a good voice, hummed the melody.
“But you didn’t have to cut me off
Make it like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don’t even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and it feels so rough
And you didn’t have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don’t need that though
Now you’re just somepony that I used to know”
(Now you’re just somepony that I used to know)
After I finished the first verse, Starlight joined in on Kimbra’s line:
“Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
And had me believing at was always something that I’d done
But I don’t want to live that way, reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn’t catch you hung up on somepony that you used to know
But you didn’t have to cut me off
Make it like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don’t even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and it feels so rough
And you didn’t have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don’t need that though
Now you’re just somepony that I used to know
Somepony
(I used to know)
Somepony
(now you’re just somepony that I used to know)
Somepony”
I finished the song with a single strum from the guitar. I looked up to see the wolves congratulating each other, Twilight clapping, and Rarity and AJ still trying to murder each other with pillows. I shifted a little to get more comfortable. In doing so, I accidentally fell off the ledge and landed smack-dab in the middle of the pillow fight. At first I played along, but, knowing me, I got fed up when a pillow hit my face so hard I got a nosebleed.
“Alright, that’s enough,” I said. I levitated the pillows out of everypony’s grasp. “Let’s get you three to bed, or else I might do something I’ll regret.”
About an hour later, the three mares were in bed and I was leaning on the ledge again. I cast a small sleep spell on myself to make sure I’d get through AJ and Rarity’s bickering. I was just nodding off to sleep when somepony woke me up. Guess who?
If you guessed AJ and Rarity, you were right! Congratulations: have an imaginary cookie.
It turns out, they were fighting over the bed being made. I mean, who fights over making a bed?
I was finally starting to fall back asleep when an enormous crash filled the silence. Pegasi, when I get my hands on you…
Well, it was actually AJ’s fault. She’d lassoed a tree nearby to keep it from falling on a neighboring house. In her haste, she unconsciously tugged the tree back, sending it flying through the window. Something cool and wet impaled my right shoulder.
I twisted, trying to free myself from the tree, but it was too heavy. I tried shouting for help, but all that came out was a strangled gurgle, and I quickly spit out a mouthful of blood. The branch must have pierced my lung, because every time I breathed out, a fine mist of blood came with it. I tried to call for the Wolves with my mind, but the mental shout was too weak. With almost all of my remaining strength, the white room formed. Vael looked at me with an expression I never expected to see on him: sheer terror.
“Do not die on me, man!” he screeched. “If you die, I die with you. I still have to kill that bastard Luna!”
Figures. For a second there, I was actually hoping he was worried about me.
“Listen, Andrew. I’ll lend you as much strength as I can, but you need to hang in there long enough for someone to patch you up. Got it?” I nodded weakly, and the room dissipated.
A shadowy substance touched my mind. I let it in. for just a split second, I felt the pure hatred Vael felt. There was something locked beneath the rage, but I couldn’t get a closer look before he merged with my mind. I felt newfound strength filling my limbs. My sight sharpened and my hearing cleared. Rarity was picking up tiny bits and pieces around the library. AJ was trying unsuccessfully to move the tree itself. Twilight was desperately searching for a solution in her book.
“Ickiness is often a sign of effective hard work.” Definitely AJ’s voice. “But righ’ now, ya gotta stop worrying ‘bout the little things and help me move this one big thing.” Aw, heartfelt make-up scene. I tuned it out, however, to focus on the internal damages of my body.
I tried twisting my mid-section again, only to be answered with extreme pain. Definitely a few broken ribs. That, combined with the punctured lung and the severe bruising I must have gotten when I was slammed against the wall, would inevitably lead to my death if not treated soon. Of all things to be done in by, it had to be a tree branch. The guys in the afterlife would laugh their asses off at me. Well, there is one incentive: if I die, I’ll get to see my family again.
The branch slid out of the hole in my body. I looked down, surprised, to see a small replica shrubbery. At first I was glad the thing was out of me, but I took that back when I saw the blood spilling out of the wound. It was the tree branch that had plugged the hole so I wouldn’t bleed out. How could I have been so stupid?
“Oh, dear, what a mess. Twilight, your red ink has spilled.
“Rarity… I don’t have any red ink.”
“But… that means…” the three mares followed the pool of blood to my limp form.
“Andrew!” AJ yelled, rushing over to me. Rarity fainted, while Twilight stared on, horrified. I chuckled weakly.
“What’s wrong, guys?” I choked out. Speaking was much easier with my lungs free of blood, though breathing took much more effort. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Well, I guess I’ll be one soon.”
AJ started crying. Tears streaked down her face, falling through the hole in my chest. I cupped her face with a hoof. The edges of my vision turned black as Vael left my mind.
“AJ, don’t cry. It ruins your eyes…” my hoof dropped as the strength to lift it left me. My eyesight blurred. “Those beautiful green eyes…” my vision went black. AJ’s face burned into my mind. She looked so sad.
I hated that sadness. I hated the pain that showed itself when you lose someone important. I resolved in the afterlife, I would do everything I could to prevent that pain.
I shot up, flailing my hooves wildly. I looked around. It seemed I was in a log cabin. There was a roaring fireplace in one corner, illuminating a thick woolen rug. A table was propped up in the center. Three figures were playing poker: Death, Brenner and Vael.
“Well, it looks like the idiot is awake,” Vael said, tossing me a bag of poker chips.
“Alright, what the hell is going on?” I asked. “Do you mean to tell me I’m stuck with the Grim Reaper, a talking dog, and an asshole for the rest of eternity?”
“Watch it. Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean I won’t kill you,” Vael muttered.
“Yes, you are dead, Andrew,” Death said. “However, you have a choice to make: you can either stay dead, or live once again.”
“Life or death? What kind of stupid question is that? I’m living.”
“Alright, that’s settled. You can go back to Earth if you want as well.”
“But I’m going to have to stay there, aren’t I?”
“Yes.”
I knew there was going to be a catch. I weighed the options. On Earth, I could get back to the hustle and bustle of life. I could have my hands back. I could even see Dominic again.
Here, in Equestria, I could use magic. I could stay with friends I’d genuinely grown to care for. I could stay with AJ…
I found myself doing what I often did in times of doubt: What Would Dominic Do? I weighed every option carefully, looking for hidden pros and cons. I reviewed my memories, looking for any advice Dom had already given me. My mind froze on a memory from about four years back, when Dom and I had just finished setting up our house.
Dom and I had just moved the last furniture in place and paid the delivery guys. Thanks to my now-dead uncle, I had a lot of extra money to spend, so luxury wasn’t a big deal. I was sitting at the first floor window, strumming aimlessly, when I saw someone. She had cocoa hair, curled into ringlets, and tanned skin. By all means, she was gorgeous, so I watched her. For a few minutes I just looked at her and her friends playing basketball outside. I turned my head away to reveal Dom staring at me with a funny grin on his face.
“You like her,” he teased.
“So what if I do?” I asked bluntly. He looked at me for a second before speaking.
“Andrew, I’m gonna tell you what my dad told me before he died. If you ever find a girl that just seems to click in your head, go after her no matter the consequences. Hell, knock me out if I try to stop you.”
The memory faded as quickly as it appeared, but I knew then and there what my choice was going to be.
“I choose to stay in Equestria.”
“Good choice, kid.” Vael looked at me with interest. He got up out of his seat and kicked me, sending me flying through the wall. As everything went dark, I saw Vael staring at me, a keen curiosity in his disturbing gaze.
Hell, that demon is going to be the biggest threat to my sanity.
I woke up on a soft bed, with warm blankets covering me. I threw them off casually. There was a faint beeping to my right and an IV was inserted into where my wrist would be. I pulled the IV out and disconnected the heart rate monitor. I was just about to walk out the door when I spotted an orange figure at the corner of my eye. AJ was curled up in a chair. Tear streaks stained her cheeks, and she was muttering incoherently. I smiled down at the scene; not because she suffered so much because of me, but because she cared enough to do so. I gently picked her up, draping her across my back. I trotted out of the room, where Nurse Redheart tried to tranquilize me. After accidentally turning the needle on her instead (don’t look like that; it was purely impulsive), I teleported out of the hospital and into the house at the Acres. Applebloom nearly tackled upon finding out I was alright, before Big Mac had to forcibly restrain her. I turned and headed to AJ’s bedroom, dropping her off at the bed before heading downstairs to make food.
An hour later, I had breakfast (consisting of eggs, hash browns, apple juice, toast and salad) for two balanced on a tray on my head. I entered AJ’s bedroom just as she woke up. I set the tray down on the nearest bookcase, expecting a lot.
She stared at me for a full two minutes. After the second minute, I was worried I might have broken her brain. I waved a hoof in front of her.
“Helloooo?” I asked mildly. “Is Applejack in the building?”
She gave me a weak smile and tackled me to the ground. Hugging me to the point of near death, she cried freely into my shoulder. After a minute or two, I leaned out of it and held her at hoof’s length.
“I told you once before not to cry,” I said softly. “It ruins your beautiful eyes.”
She then laughed weakly and buried her face into my shoulder again. For a long time, we sat there. I stroked her mane as she got all the tears out of her system. After what must have been an hour, she wriggled free of the embrace.
“Well, now that’s over with, how about some food?” I asked. Her eyes widened at the mention of food, and her stomach didn’t growl so much as scream with longing. I laughed and levitated a plate over to her. She wolfed it down in an easy minute and a half. I could sense the Wolves watching me, more startled that I was alive than anything else, but they didn’t interfere. After we had both finished our food, I felt a sudden decrease in strength.
Wow, I didn’t know dying made me this tired. I curled up on the floor and without another thought, fell asleep.
A/N
Hello, everypony! Plasma here. I have the next chapter going as you read, so don’t worry. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to write these lately. Also, I want to know if anypony thinks I should add Dominic as a main character sometime in the story. Send me a private message with your opinions!