//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: Sands of Time // by Amaranthine Thought //------------------------------// I wake to the faint sound of something rustling nearby. The smell of pine is still present. I feel… so much better. Weak still, but the pain is finally gone. I have a new urge to wake fully, to live once again. No more do I wish to sleep. I struggle to move, my limbs numb and a touch unresponsive at first, much like they had been when I first woke, long ago. It is a familiar weakness to me, one that will fade swiftly. I hear something move past me, to get in front of me. “Come on Big Guy, you kin do it. Wake up!” I hear her voice again, and even as I get my legs under me, I open my eyes. It takes a few moments for my vision to right, but then I see clearly. I am in a barn, I think, or some other large red building. The floor is covered in hay, and I suspect the green colored bits might be pine. The orange pony stands before me, and now… I recognize her. It is Smart. She isn’t wearing what she was when I first saw her, but it is her standing before me. Watching me wake with a bright, happy smile. “How are you doin, Big Guy?” she asks me, and I see her approach, and she rubs at my head how she has done often before. I gently purr at her action, and see her grin grow a little. “Feelin better now?” “Much.” I tell her, my voice rough and uncomfortable. I feel weak yet, and hungry. “That’s good.” she says happily. “You were hurt real bad, but seems you’ve finally healed. Give it a little time, an you’ll be back on yer paws afore ya know it!” She turns around, and grabs onto… some big thing. It faintly resembles a large pad of something brown. “Open up.” she tells me, holding it with some purpose. I open my mouth even as I wonder what it is. Smart moves forward, and a slight jolt runs through me as I feel her touch again. I can sort of taste her, sort of smell her faint fear, and that dream has returned rather suddenly… “It’s jus a boost, nothin bad.” Smart tells me, getting the thing in my mouth and backing out immediately afterwards, to my and, I suspect, her relief. It’s rough, grainy, and lacks any true taste. I don’t like it. “Swallow.” she tells me, and I somehow manage to do so, the thing a touch painful to swallow at all. It still somehow continues to taste bad. But my hunger is fading swiftly, and I do begin feeling stronger for it. I ruffle my wings, and then slowly manage to stand once again, my legs a little wobbly, but swiftly growing capable once more. My muscles ache, but from lack of use instead of injury as I stretch out, feeling my wings hitting the roof of the barn, unable to completely extend in the structure. That done, I feel far better. Not my normal self yet, but better. I look down at Smart, who peers up at me with something akin to awe. I can see a shadow of fear in her eyes though, conflicting with the other emotions. “…Thank you.” I tell her, coughing a little on my voice. The boost she gave me did little to sooth it, but even that is recovering nicely. “Jus take it easy Big Guy.” she tells me. “It’s your first time getting up again, and it might take a bit of time afore ya get back ta yer old self; give yerself a day or two to really get back ta yourself.” “I am… mostly fine.” I tell her, smiling at her. “I have been still for… far too long.” I say, flapping my wings slightly as I do so. I want to really stretch them, but I need to be outdoors for that. “Well… welcome back ta the world o the living, Big Guy!” she says. “I’m Smart Cookie.” “A pleasure to meet you, Smart.” I greet her. “I thank you for your aid in my recovery; but I ask, what of the others I heard?” “Others? It was only me, Big Guy. Nopony else.” “I heard other voices in my infirmity.” I tell her. She hesitates for an oddly long moment before she says, “Just th others, lookin fer a show. An Chancellor, looking in on you from time ta time. She wants… well, a lot of things from you, but she can get weird sometimes. It ain’t nothin ya have ta worry about.” A sort of odd sparkle comes to her eyes, and she ends with, “I’m here fer ya.”, her tone suggesting something a bit more than helping me to recover. The look in her eyes is… determined, somehow, but why? I mean to ask her what she means when a happy gasp comes from behind me, and I see Smart startle faintly, her gaze looking behind me. “He’s finally up!” I hear, and Chancellor walks to my front. She stands next to Smart and looks up at me with a bright grin. She is still in her ridiculous outfit; if anything, it might actually have gained a few ruffles since I saw it last. “Great job, Smart!” Smart doesn’t respond, and I notice that she seems… a touch uncertain. She doesn’t like Chancellor’s praising her for some reason. She even seems a little worried now. “And now Big Guy here can help us!” Chancellor says, beaming at me. Help them? I wonder with what, but… well. I guess I can. I have a bit more to recover; Smart suggested a few days. I do want to leave, to find the girls again, to find Mirage again, but I do owe Smart for her aid, and I feel unready to fly once again. I need more time before I can go back. More time before I can swat that blue pegasus from the sky. So, I shall help them for the time I am still here. It is only right. “Ask, and I will assist you as I might.” I say, and Chancellor’s grin grows, and I spot Smart startle, looking at me with wide eyes for a moment before an odd look passes over her face. “Then follow me, Big Guy!” Chancellor says, leaving. I follow her, wondering about Smart. Her behavior was a bit off the whole time; perhaps it was just me being paranoid, but… I feel that there was something odd about her behavior. I ponder as I follow Chancellor, soon distracted from my thoughts by the sights. I exit the barn into a green and verdant valley. A few structures are here, scattered amongst the edges, while the center seems a sort of farmland. A small lake lies in the very middle. I can see that there is more elsewhere, placed in adjoining valleys or on the mountainsides. Many earth ponies are in the fields or elsewhere, and as I exit out into the open air, most stop what they are doing to stare. A few seem curious, even eager or happy, but many others appear worried. Some are even afraid. A small number seem angry. Chancellor seems to not notice nor care as she leads me to a large structure. There, she turns back to look up at me again. “Alright, Big Guy, there’s lots of work to do.” she tells me. “The harvest is hard work, and big and strong means good worker!” I soon learn what Chancellor wants from me. And she isn’t so strange as to expect me able to tend to the tiny plants in the field. She instead expects me to move the wagons to and from the fields, and to assist in helping to clear and prepare the land for planting. Work I am more than happy to help with. The work is not too bad. The weakness still in me makes it as if I was made for dragging the carts around. It is a little hard to move the full ones, and I notice that my strength is less such that it would be difficult for me to break the wood or accidently flip the cart over. However, while that is good… It is also incredibly frustrating. My strength is missing! I cannot even lift the empty cart without struggling, and I cannot tell why! I am not recovering as I should be. It has been hours, and I am still as weak as when I first woke. It is almost as if something is holding me back, preventing my full recovery. “Big Guy!” I hear called, and I look to see Smart approaching, dragging a smaller wagon filled with… some sort of large brown pellets, not too different from that boost she gave me. “Lunchtime!” I look at it with some distaste, but try a few anyway. “These things are food?” I ask her as I eat them. They are bland, and not so bad as that boost was. They instead lack any real taste, and their texture is very unlike anything I normally eat, though I can eat them all the same. Smart nods. “These’ll help you get better faster, and encourage healthy growth too.” So, they’re some sort of medicine, I guess. However, “I find that I return to strength by eating normally.” I tell her. “And I would greatly prefer it if you could at least include some meat with these things.” Smart startles at that, whipping her head around before relaxing, giving a faint sigh before looking back to me. I cannot read her expression. “…Finish eatin, Big Guy, I got… somethin ta ask you.” she tells me, keeping her voice quiet. “Later, after th day’s over, when ya get back to th barn.” I nod, curious, but it seems Smart doesn’t want to ask where others might hear her. I don’t know why, but I am willing to wait to receive answers. Smart brought me dinner as well, both composed of the same pellets as before. The best I can give them is that they are food, and that they are meant to help me recover. Not that they seem to be doing so. She lingered as I ate dinner, and then she led me back to the barn I had emerged from; I sort of suspect it is the shelter they built for me. Once I enter, she shuts the doors behind me as I turn back to see her. Then she sighs, and walks over to me. “You wished to ask me something?” I encourage, watching her. She seems worried, reluctant. “Yeah Big Guy.” she says with a faint sigh. “I do.” A few moments pass before she near begs me, “Please Big Guy, whatever ya do, don’t let anypony know that ya eat meat.” “…Why?” I ask her, confused. “Because… Because they’ll… they’ll get upset.” Smart tells me. She is watching me almost fearfully, and my curiosity grows. “No more upset that when you saw the bones of my previous meals.” I tell her. “Ponies see my form and know that I eat meat. Why should I attempt to hide the obvious from them, Smart? What would come if I were to declare my diet to the rest?” Her fear grows a little at my words. “You can’t… do that.” she quavers, and I start to feel some concern for her. Something is truly wrong and bothering her deeply. “…It would only take a second or less.” I say, wondering. “I could even do so right now.” “No!” Smart yells, grabbing onto my leg. “No, you can’t!” I look back at her, seeing her fear. I only wait as she stares up at me, terrified… for me, I think. Then she slowly lets go of my leg, still staring up at me. She is afraid. Very afraid. But not of me… I think. “You can’t… because I told everypony that you ate the pellets and that you didn’t eat meat.” she finally tells me. “I, I had to! If… if they thought that you ate meat, they’d have… The only reason everypony’s even sort of calm is because they think that you don’t eat meat. And if they get upset…” She looks down for a moment. “I…I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” she weakly tells me. “You were hurt enough…” She looks up at me, her eyes pleading. “Please Big Guy… don’t tell anypony. For me. For you. Please?” … “Very well.” I promise her, and she is so relived she lays down, near shaking. “I shall do as you ask, Smart. Not because I am afraid of them, but because you asked me. I owe you a great debt for your care of me; speak, and I shall heed your words.” At that, she is suddenly conflicted again, and I cannot read her eyes as she looks up to me. I can only barely tell she is some mixture of greatly relieved yet also upset. She almost seems like she wants to tell me something, yet also wants to never tell me something. Then she shakes her head, stands up, and appears mostly normal once again. “Thank you, Big Guy.” she tells me. “Tell you what, I’ll see what I can do to make th pellets taste better for you.” I smile down at her, and though she still seems slightly worried, she smiles back. “You get some rest, and I’ll take care of things.” She tells me. I nod, and lie down myself, relaxing as the sun sets, and she walks up to me and rubs my head as she always has. “I… I can take care of things Big Guy.” she tells me. “You don’t have to worry; I got ya.” “I know.” I tell her as I get comfortable. “I trust you, Smart Cookie.” I murmur as I close my eyes, starting to drift off once again. I… almost thought I saw Smart about to cry, but I don’t hear or feel her doing so, and after a few moments, I hear her leaving. The next day goes well, with me doing much the same as I have been before. And in some ways, not the same at all. Chancellor got it into her head to have me try everything. And she seemed a bit unable to comprehend that I was far too large or clumsy to even try some of what she wanted me to try. Like sewing, or baking, or cleaning, or even helping with the laundry. A few disasters later, mostly because Chancellor insisted that I try and I felt I might as well do so just to appease her, and I was back in the fields, doing the work I could do well. The weakness from before is still here too. Why is it still here? Why has it not faded, not even with eating the pellets Smart has been giving me? It is frustrating, but now… almost worrying. When will it finally fade? How long am I to be so weak? In my thoughts, I didn’t notice much until a small voice cuts through my thoughts. “Big Guy!” I look, and see a small colt running to me. He’s agitated, fearful, but not of me. “Ya gotta help!” he yells, pointing in the direction that he had come from. “Everypony’s mad at Smart, an,” I do not hear the rest. I am already rushing to her aid. I rush through the valley, and into a neighboring one. I find that the town itself seems set here, with many buildings in a small wooded location. A clearing lies in the middle, some sort of town square. Many ponies are gathered there, gathered around a coffin surrounded by flowers. The air is filled with angry murmurs, and I spot Smart backing away from three ponies in particular, most of the rest looking her way, possible and likely glaring. She is on the opposite side of the clearing. With all that I can bring to bear, I leap toward her, trying to flap to keep myself airborne over the crowd. I manage to clear them, landing beyond the far side, and using a tree to propel myself back to Smart, snapping it in the process. I slam my front paws on either side of her, and growl dangerously at the ponies approaching her, their angry gazes turning to terror in mere moments, tripping as they try to get back. “Big Guy!?” Smart yells, shocked, the rest dropping their aggression to stare in shock. I hear them murmuring. “Look at what it just…” “This is really bad…” “We have to,” “Your attention, please!” Cuts through the murmuring. We all turn, and see Chancellor in the front of the crowd, waiting for everypony to look at her. “We are all feeling grieved over the loss of Quick Call, and times have been rough.” she says, her voice oddly strong. “But I need to set a few things straight here about Big Guy.” “One: he is a giant cat and most of you got convinced that he wasn't a carnivore. You should be ashamed of yourselves for believing that, and superashamed for getting upset when somepony finally pointed it out to you. That’s just plain old wrong.” “Two: until I say otherwise, Big Guy is a citizen of Sparkly Cupcake. He has been nothing but a fine, upstanding citizen, willing to listen to both myself and Smart, just like any of you would.” “And three: until one of you has proof that he eats ponies, Big Guy is here to stay. So I don’t want to get any more angry mail or see any of you muttering about him anymore.” “If we all pull together, we can make a home here, and live in peace and happiness. But if we break apart because of silly angers, stupid hates, and dumb fears, then the unicorns and pegasi will take this whole land for themselves, and we will end up underneath their hoof just like we were before. So stop the hysteria, and the drama, and look to the facts, instead of rumors and imagination.” “Now, let us return to mourning Quick Call.” The crowd remains silent as Chancellor stops speaking, and I am somewhat surprised. Chancellor is somehow an effective leader, despite her eccentric and occasionally lunatic nature. I suppose if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t be their leader. However, several things are distressing me right now. The crowd is gathered for a funeral, and I think that I… … My simple effort just in getting here has left me feeling strained. The strength from before, if I can call it that, is even weaker. I need answers. And I think I know where I can get them. “…I want to meet you in my barn when sunset comes, Smart.” I tell her, walking away, ponies scattering a little so as to allow me through. “I feel I have much to speak to you about.” I need time to sort my thoughts. I hear the door to my barn creak open, after the sun has set. I have been waiting for some time, and I believe I have found some answers. They are not nice answers. Smart walks around to my head, and I see she is worried. “You wanted ta speak ta me, Big Guy?” she asks, trying to sound normal. She is afraid, but hiding it well; not as well as Princess did before, but well. “I did.” I tell her, watching her. Trying to remind myself that I have suspicions, and not answers, keeping calm… for now. “I want to know some things.” “Go ahead an ask then.” “I want your honor that you will not lie to me first.” I say. “I wouldn’t lie ta,” “You did to the townsfolk.” I interrupt, glaring a little, Smart wincing at the mention. “I do not want lies, even ones meant to help me feel better. Do you understand me? Your honor, Smart Cookie.” Smart watches me, worried, but she slowly nods. “Good. Then first:” She tenses, and I ask her, “What have you been feeding me in those pellets?” Smart relaxes greatly, and even gives a nervous giggle. “They’re just some mashed up vegetables and some other ingredients, all baked together. It’s animal food, Big Guy. It’s actually good for you. Anythin else?” “The funeral we were just at. It was for a pony named Quick Call?” Smart nods, tensing almost imperceptibly. “I passed close to his coffin. I could smell him.” I tell her, and she seems mildly surprised. “He died from an injury, didn’t he? I could still smell old blood on him.” “He did.” Smart tells me, surprised. I’m not sure if her reaction has anything more in it… “…What killed him?” I ask her, and watch closely. Smart hesitates, and looks slightly away from me. “He… he got… he died in th woods.” she says. I am not concerned with her lie just yet. I am too upset with myself. “…It was not a dream.” I murmur, now certain. “I did snap my jaws upon a pony.” Smart’s gaze snaps back to me, and she is wide eyed. “I knew his scent, the same that filled my senses that night… and you have lied about my killing. You have broken your honor, Smart Cookie…” Smart is near speechless, terrified suddenly. Terrified of me. “…I do not eat ponies.” I tell her. “Long ago, I chose to never eat pony again, and I hold that decision even to this day. I shall not harm you, Smart Cookie, but I wonder; do you know why I slew Quick Call?” Smart calms only somewhat, but I am greatly upset, and she is as well. “…He was hurtin you.” she murmurs. “I,” “I have other concerns.” I interrupt. “How did I come under your care, Smart?” “Ch, Chancellor was the one who found you.” Smart tells me, staring at me, still greatly worried. “She just came back one day, draggin ya inta town. I thought ya were dead, but Chancellor somehow knew otherwise. She told me ta take care o ya, an I did.” I nodded slowly, and then asked her, “How long did you care for me?” A question I should have asked the moment I woke. “Jus about seven weeks.” Smart tells me. “You were nearly dead, an, whoa!” “SEVEN WEEKS?” I roar, suddenly thrusting myself up once more, shocking her. “I do not have the time to heal for seven weeks, Smart Cookie! There are ponies who depend on me out there! They need me to be there for them!” “And I’ve spent seven weeks unable to even act after that blue bastard blasted me from the sky when I tried to save them! But do you know what’s worse, Smart Cookie?” “I AM STILL WEAK!” I bellow at her, my rage pulsing with each beat of my heart. “I am barely a shadow of myself and I do. Not. Know. Why! But I think it might be you!” I tower over her, Smart terrified, backing away from me. “You kept me safe, helped me heal, but what now, Smart?” I demand of her, raging, advancing as she retreats. “Are those pellets truly harmless, or are they your way of making sure I stay?!” “No!” she tries, bumping into the wall, shaking in fear. “No,” “How can I trust you, Smart Cookie?” I roar, interrupting her again. “How can I, when you tried to tell me that Quick died in the woods? When you told me that you lied to your own kind? When you have broken your honor? HOW, Smart Cookie?” She is pressed against the wall now, nearly fainting in fear, but I am far, far too mad to care. I have been too weak! I have been failing my ponies! I might not have evidence that it was her keeping me so weak, but I can stand this no longer! “ANSWER ME!” I roar a few inches from her. “Ordo, down!” is suddenly snapped from behind me. Just as I hear it, a sudden fatigue shudders through me, and robs me of strength. I gasp, and collapse, fighting against it in vain, my struggle met with pain that robs me of ability. Chancellor walks into my vision, glancing at me before looking to Smart. “I got him, Smart.” she tells her. “Ch, Chancellor…” Smart murmurs weakly, shaking badly, barely able to stand. “I thought you’d fixed that, Smart.” Chancellor tells her, almost as if she is mildly chiding Smart. “You told me he couldn’t get violent like that.” Smart swallows as I stare at the pair, confused. “That collar really works though, doesn’t it?” Chancellor asks, looking back to me. “Keeps him nice and controllable, just like you said it would. And it might keep him weak and slow too, but he’s still really big and strong.” I see Chancellor’s face shift to concern and care as she adds, “You have to be more commanding with him; don’t let him lash out like that again. I don’t want to find you hurt because you froze up.” Collar? There is a collar, making me weak? A collar that is now controlling me? A collar that Smart put on me!? “Sleep.” Chancellor tells me, and I feel the fatigue grow even more. A pressure is driving my consciousness weaker. I hear a few things more as I am forced into unconsciousness. “…take charge…change, and…Find… tell everypony…strong!” Chancellor says. A few moments pass, and I hear the door creak open again. I feel something hug at my head. Something wets my fur. I hear Smart repeating something. My last act is to growl with what tiny bit I still have. She is causing this. She is keeping me from my ponies. Smart and Chancellor both have taken advantage of me in my weakness. This collar controls me. I need to find out how to get rid of it. and the moment I do so… No. No, I won’t give into my anger. I will break the collar and then go and find my ponies. This won’t keep me here for much longer. And should Smart happen to suffer during my escape… well. I shall feel better.