//------------------------------// // Chapter Nine: A Passing Phase // Story: Bricks in the Wall // by _NAME_ //------------------------------// Chapter Nine A Passing Phase I opened the door to my hotel room and led the green mare from the alleyway inside. Upon seeing the room, she immediately gasped in what could only be amazement as she took in the suite I was living in during my stay in Canterlot. Her face practically lit up as she admired the luxuriousness of the penthouse room. “Oh Celestia!” she squealed in delight as I shut the front door. “What a fabulous room!” I didn’t respond to her compliment. In truth, I barely heard the young mare as she looked about the room, marveling over my worldly possessions. My mind was still replaying the revealing telephone conversation from just moments prior. The conversation that exposed my former wife for the lying, cheating bitch she was. I grimaced at the memory and turned my attention instead to the groupie as she flitted about the room drinking in the contents of my fame and fortune. And she had only seen the living room so far. Eventually, her eyes fell on the row of guitars I brought with me for the tour. “Wow…” she said, breathlessly, “Are all these your guitars?” Nodding absentmindedly in response, I trotted past her and collapsed in the small armchair the hotel had provided. I stared blankly out the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined one side of the room as the evening quickly turned to night. One by one, I watched as the multitudes of buildings below my room came to life in the coming gloom as lights inside were switched on. The night became lit with a soft, welcoming yellow glow that seemed unbecoming for a city filed with corrupt. The mare spoke again, drawing my attention away from the fledgling night. “Wow, this place is bigger than my apartment! If this is how you live normally, I can see how much you must love it…” And then… There was that statement. Did I truly love this life? Was everything really worth the fame and fortune? Or was I doomed to live my life as the cruel hoof of fate continued to pile on more and more troubles? Or would there be a time where it all became too much? Regardless, there would be a time when I faded into obscurity as my popularity dropped, just as everything in life did. It was inevitable. Love, fame, money, and even the structure of society decays as the unstoppable flow of time marches on. So who was to say that my former wife’s betrayal was unavoidable? The pegasus mare was suddenly in front of my face, watching me expectantly with her deep violet eyes. She smiled and I blinked. “…Erm, can I get a glass of water, Pink?” I didn’t respond, and she frowned momentarily before walking away to the kitchen. The sound of a faucet being turned on reached my ears and the mare’s voice echoed out from the kitchen. “You want some, huh?” This wasn’t my fault, what that bitch of a mare did. Whatever love we felt when we younger was lost as time went on, akin to the forces of nature. How long was it since she felt something for me? Had she ever? Or was our entire relationship a sham and means to further her reputation? That is not to say her betrayal didn’t hurt. It did. My heart felt as though somepony had ripped right out of my ribcage and thrown it on the floor and stomped on ‘till it burst. She led me on, and I let myself fall in love with her. But was I to blame? No I was not. Nothing that has ever happened to me has ever been my fault, and Rêves’ unfaithfulness was no different. I’ve never been at fault. The past few minutes from that moment over the phone I heard her calling her lover back to bed to now went by in a blur. It was all I could do to not break down and cry my heart out. It was all I could do to try and ignore the pain I felt. To try and hide away where I couldn’t be bothered by it anymore. To lock it up. A voice spoke up from the vicinity of my bathroom, bringing me back to reality. The mare’s voice. “Oh wow, just look at this tub!” The groupie poked her head out of the doorway, her voice taking on a suggestive tone. “Hey Pink, you wanna take a baaath? And maybe later, we can do a little something else…” And now there’s this mare. This ditzy, infatuated groupie who, for whatever reason my emotionally torn mind thought of, I invited up into my room. Why did I think that was a good idea again? To distract me from the pain? To ease the ramifications of my adulterous wife’s affair? What could this mare do for me? “Piiiiiink!” she called, still in the bathroom, “You coming?” I reached forwards and grabbed the television remote, turning the set on, hoping to distract myself from the insufferable mare. The box in front of me clicked and buzzed as the machine slowly warmed up. After a second, the TV flashed on, showering the room in light and sound. One of the ponies on screen frowned and backed away, dipping his head respectively towards another character off screen. “I’m sorry sir,” he said, “I didn’t mean to startle you.” The shot cut to a different, older stallion dressed in royal armor, who shook his head, chuckling to himself. “It’s fine. Just let me know when you’re entering a room.” The other pony smiled apologetically and reentered the room. “Yes sir! Now, I was wondering about…” Just then, the green mare once again positioned herself directly in front of my line of vision, her eyes glowing softly in the fading light. She glanced at the TV set behind her and back at me, chewing on her lip. “Hey, what are you watching?” I leaned to the side, trying to continue watching the show despite the pony sitting in front of the set. The mare sighed and her ears flattened in disappointment. “It’s good, huh? Don’t let me keep you, I guess…” She moved aside, and trotted off somewhere else in the room despondently. With her finally gone, I settled back in my original position and my eyes drifted back to the television. The wizened old pony in the film smiled. “Yes, I’ll just have to find out from Mrs. Craft what time she wants to meet us, for her main…” The mare spoke up again from somewhere outside my vision. “So this it then? The life of a rock star involves sitting and watching old movies, huh?” She crept up beside my chair, watching me with mild interest. “Thought it’d be more than this…” I scowled and refocused my attention on the television. I didn’t need this. Who did this mare think she was, waltzing in here and criticizing me? That was something to be said of this young generation. They were rude, ignorant and so caught up with themselves, that they hardly had the time for anything else. I didn’t live up to her expectations. I didn’t give her what she wanted. I didn’t love her enough, even though that’s all I ever did. And for what? To be shunned and left alone without even a goodbye. Oh, Rêves… The young pony on television exited his superior’s room when the voice of the other pony called out to him. “If you’ll just let me know as soon as you can…” Green flashed in front of my vision. “Hello?” said the green mare who was crouched at the arm of my chair as she waved another hoof in front of my face. “Is there anypony in there?” My eyes widened in surprise and I sharply turned my head to face the pegasus groupie beside me. I stared at her for a moment, taking in her features once more. Green coat, flaming red hair, deep blue eyes and… A horn? Rêves? Shakily, I lifted a hoof and stroked the mare’s face, feeling the individual strands of hair underneath my hoof and the curve of her face. At first, the mare’s eyes watched me in confusion, but relaxed as I continued caressing her. She nickered and leaned in closer. I copied her lean, also moving in nearer and inhaled deeply, taking in her unique aroma that was as mysterious and foreign as they day we first met. I allowed myself a small smile and the mare smiled back, visibly content with the situation. My hoof moved up her face, brushing a few strands of fire colored hair away from her eyes. The mare giggled and her smile grew even wider. I opened my mouth to speak to my wife, but stopped mid action. There was something off about this, wasn’t there? My hoof fell from her face, falling limply in my lap and the mare’s brow knitted in confusion at the sudden decline in activity. I looked at the unicorn mare with the red mane. “Rêves? What’s going on?” My voice came out in a whisper. I blinked. The green pegasus groupie looked back at me, noticeably perplexed. “Who’s Reves, Pink?” She placed a hoof on my forearm. I gulped and turned away, simultaneously sliding her hoof away. A character in the film on the television spoke up. “I don’t understand.” The groupie and I both glanced at the television for a moment in surprise. Then, the mare placed a hoof on my shoulder and nuzzled into my neck. She sighed in content. I grunted and scooted out of her embrace. She looked up at me, though I kept my attention firmly on the television. “Hello? Are you feeling okay, Pink?” she asked. Yes. Perfectly fine, dear. A tear slid down my cheek. I felt myself grow annoyed as the day’s overall injustice began to well up in my mind. I felt my pains and fears breaching the dam I held them back with. I felt the love struggling to break out from the part of my mind I locked it away in. But most of all, the anger I kept in the recesses of my mind trickled out, slowly building to a tidal wave. My mouth suddenly became dry and one of my forehooves twitched. I felt one of my turns coming on. The television’s volume fell away as my long buried feelings flooded my mind. My mind was filled with a maddening buzzing noise as I resisted the tide of emotions from escaping. I felt my extremities lose their warmth and began to spasm more and more and more. My muscles tensed in a vain attempt to control the new development. The mare spoke up again, a touch of concern creeping into her voice. “Pink, are you alright?” She laid a hoof on my vibrating arm once more. My jaw clenched tight as my body began to shudder. Of course I’m fine. I’m always fine. Another tear fell from my eye. Letting loose a primal bellow, I finally relinquished the hold on my emotions, letting everything loose. My backhooves kicked out, smashing into the television, knocking it backwards onto the floor. As I propelled myself from my chair, the pegasus groupie fell backwards in surprise, letting out a small squeak of fright. Standing up now, I immediately grabbed the nearest object to me and threw it at the wall, shattering it into pieces. With another yell, I stamped a hoof into a coffee table, sending shards of glass flying out in all directions. Blood dripped down my hoof where it connected with the glass as I tossed the now empty table frame on its end. I kicked out behind me, bucking the chair I previously occupied, sending it tumbling over. I ran over to another table and snatched the lamp sitting on it. I smashed the lamp down into the table, shattering the glass tabletop and repeated the process with a mirror hanging on the wall just behind it. The mare shrieked again and I spun around to face her, grinning madly. She glanced at me and stumbled backwards in terror, her eyes wide. I took a step towards her. “So you wanna know more about me, hon? Huh?” I asked her, a bark of laughter escaping my lips. “You like my guitars, do you?” I took another step forward. “Well, run to the bedroom and on the left you’ll find my favorite axe! Ha!” The mare whimpered and backed away from my approach. I picked one of the numerous guitars she was admiring before off its stand, dragging it along the ground as I plodded forward. “Or maybe you want a closer look at this one?” My face widened in another smile. “Now hon, don’t look so frightened.” I chuckled. “This is just a passing phase, just one of my bad days!” I flung the guitar at the mare, who ducked and scampered away, screaming in alarm. “Your precious Pink,” will be back shortly!” I yelled after her as she disappeared from sight. From there, I picked up another guitar and smashed it into the wall, leaving a sizable hole in the drywall and snapping the guitar’s body from the neck. I kicked over the rest of the guitars, scattering them across the floor. I grasped a different one and flung it into another mirror, filling the room with the sound of glass shattering. With a shout of rage, my adrenaline fueled rampage carried me over to a food service cart piled high with food. I snatched a wine bottle off it and threw it at the wall, staining the crisp white paint with red liquid. I swept the rest of the cart’s contents to the ground, covering the carpet in a menagerie of foodstuffs and overturned the cart itself, sending it flying. Staggering slightly, the next thing that caught my eye was the mini bar in the corner of the room. I galloped over there and picked up a barstool, smashing it into the bottles of alcohol that littered the counter. I held the stool over my head and smashed it into the ground, splintering the wood apart and adding to the debris. With that done, I pushed hard on the bar itself, causing it to teeter for a moment before toppling to the ground. The mare’s shriek filled the air again as the bar crashed to the floor mere inches from her, revealing her hiding spot. She looked up from between her hooves at me and scrambled away into my bedroom. The unmistakable musky scent of fear and piss hung heavily in the air. I picked up another barstool and hurled it in her direction where it hit a painting and cracking just as she passed by. I growled in aggravation and ripped the painting off the wall and stomped it underhoof. I followed her into my room where she was clambering onto my bed in effort to get away from me. When she noticed I entered after her, she pressed further back into the bed’s headboard in an almost futile attempt to hide. By now though, my vision was filled with red and I passed over the mare in favor of destroying the room. I went into a frenzy and tore apart my bedroom. I ripped the curtains from the windows and ripped the room’s phone right from the wall, sending plaster across the floor. I tore off my closet doors, using the boards to smash the furniture. I slammed another television into the ground with the aid of a lamp and haphazardly trashed the rest of the room. Finally, I bounded onto my bed where I tore the sheets off and threw the pillows to the floor. The mare shrieked and slid off, making an escape into the other room. “What’s the matter, hon?!” I called after her, “Thought ya wanted to get between the sheets?! Or did you fake that too?!” I ran back out into the living room and continued my destructive rampage, hardly paying attention to the groupie who was continually trying to escape my destructive impulses. I upturned the furniture and kicked holes into the walls. I ripped paintings and mirrors from the wall, obliterating their contents. Eventually, I staggered over to the windows and tore the blinds off, revealing the moon lit city below. I gazed out over the city for a moment, the twinkling lights below transfixing me. A sob from my left drew my attention. I turned and saw the green mare huddled amongst shattered glass and the remnants of a table, sobbing into her arms. Her face was streaked with tears and her green coat was stained by streaks of dirt and blood. Obviously this whole thing was too much for her innocent little mind. I took a step towards her, the glass crunching under my hoof, alerting her to my presence. She glanced up at me and her eyes went wide. “S-Stay away...” she managed to choke out between sobs. I smirked, but didn’t halt my approach. “Why? I thought you wanted to get together, hon?” The mare choked back another sob and vigorously shook her head. I scoffed. “Come on darling, would ya like to watch TV? Or… Or do ya want something to eat? You did earlier.” The mare only began to cry again and shook her head once more. I quickly felt myself grow aggravated with her again. “What then?!” I yelled at her, “What do ya want, huh? Do you think it’s time I stopped?!” Angrily, I lashed out at the mare, backhoofing her across her face. The force of the slap sent her sprawling, slamming her head into the wall. She groaned clutched her head where it contacted the wall. Her hooves came away soaked in blood. I sneered and turned away from her. My eyes then fell on the TV that I first kicked over, which was still playing its show, despite its previous abuse. I grabbed it and lugged it over to the full length window. With a grunt, I lifted it over my head and threw it through the glass. The young pony from the beginning of the television program smiled as the box he was in flew through the window. Another stallion, a pegasus, approached him, pointing a spear at his head. The first pony gulped audibly and spoke. “Well, I guess this is it, isn’t-” Then the cord snapped taunt as the TV hit the window and the box went black just as the pegasus in the show jabbed forward with the spear. The window shattered as the heavy, defenestrated television spiraled through it. The glass exploded outwards into the night, each shard glistening in the moonlight. I clambered to the destroyed window and leaned out, wrapping a hoof around the window frame for support. As the television fell, I bellowed into the night, screaming away the remainder of my pent up emotions. “TAKE THAT, FUCKERS!” My voice pierced through the otherwise peaceful night. I swung wildly from the window, half of my body supported by air. A stream of blood gushed down my hoof where it gripped the window, shards of jagged glass digging into my soft skin. I hardly felt the pain though. The adrenaline rush I was experiencing numbed the injury to where it was almost comfortably warm. I let lose another shout that resounded throughout Canterlot. Down below, the TV finally slammed into the ground, exploding in a shower of sparks and parts. Drops of dark red blood dripped down after it, splattering on the pavement. As I hung half out the window, I glanced back at the groupie, who was sluggishly crawling out from her corner, a trail of blood following her path. “Oi hon, would you like to learn to fly?!” I asked her, gesturing towards the window, “Or better yet, would you like to see me fucking try?” I cackled and loosened my grip on the side of the window frame, but not enough to fall out. I turned back towards the outside, breathing in the night air. Wind whistled by me, causing my entire body to sway. It was such an indescribable feeling, being so high up above the city and its snooty, philosophunculistic, idiotic bastards, that I began to laugh loudly into the night. Eventually, as my mirth died out and I heard a commotion back in the hotel room behind me. I turned to see the groupie take off as fast as she could towards the front door. I shouted in alarm, but the green pegasus never faltered or looked back. I took a step back into the room, yelling at her to stop. She reached the door as I was halfway across the room. She fumbled with the handle for a moment, her hooves clumsily attempting to turn the knob, before successfully unlatching the door. With a small glance over her shoulder, the mare took flight and raced down the hallway erratically, desperate to leave the room. A trickle of blood trailed after her, staining the carpet as she frantically made her escape. I made it to the door and ran out into the hall, stumbling into the opposite wall, leaving a streak of blood on the wallpaper from my hoof. I watched the mare recede down the hallway and turn the corner, disappearing from my life, just as everything else did. I slid to the floor, my eyes sunken and forlorn. She left me. She left me… I glanced down at my blood soaked hoof, noticing it for the first time and wiped it off on the carpet, cringing slightly at the pain. I looked back towards the end of the hallway, with the hope that maybe the mare would come back. But she didn’t. They never did… I yelled down the hallway at the mare who left my life, hoping she would return. I yelled for the hope that anypony would return. Maybe somepony would answer. Maybe somepony would come back, for once. Maybe somepony wouldn’t leave me alone. But there was only silence. I sighed and another tear slid down my face, mixing in with the small pool of blood that was forming on the carpet. “Why are you running away…?” And all across the city of Canterlot, the ponies went on with their night, completely unaware of the commotion in the penthouse of a luxurious hotel nestled in the heart of the city.