//------------------------------// // Chapter 18 // Story: Silent Dreamweaver // by -Brutus //------------------------------// This hurts so...bucking much. Oh buck... buck... Buck those doctors and nurs-! Groaning as his body creaked and cracked at every step he took with some support that was wrapped around his belly, the deaf stallion growled as he bantered to himself. ’Relearn how to walk’ my ass! When I get better, I am going to personally strangle that Fleetheart. They need to bucking back off! I'm in pain, and they pretend to know what it feels like to get on train then have it crash! Buck them all! Having enough of the agony, Silent dropped on the floor gently as he heaved short breaths. A nurse rushed to his side, but remained silent. The nurse then wrapped her hooves around Silent with the intent to help him up into his wheelchair. Silent growled internally, pushing off the hooves. This is last straw that broke his back, growling as he bantered with himself while he worked his way up the wheelchair. Ok buck this shit, I'm done. When I do get out of this shithole, I'm going on a drinking binge to drown all of this shit. The deaf stallion then turned around, grunting as he used his weak muscles that weakened after a month of just staying in the bed. Silent wanted nothing more than wipe that fake smile off that nurse's face. He knew she cared for him, but that smile was beginning to get on his nerves. Leaning over his wheelchair for a second, he withdrew a notepad and pencil, pausing slightly to sigh as he remembered that magical aura would no longer surround his horn. Silent was losing bit by bit of himself with every passing day; what is a Unicorn without his magic? Redoubling his focus on the paper as he picked up the pencil with his mouth. I'm done for today, could you take me...back to my room? Silent pushed the paper in the direction of the nurse noticing her nervous biting of her lower lips because the doctor had specifically told her to keep him in physical therapy for at least an hour - it had only been thirty minutes so far. Mr. Dreamweaver, I'm afraid that I cannot do that. I strongly encourage you to try again, walk from where you are right now to the end of that line, you’ve got about 50 feet to go. Then you may go back to your room and rest as long you want. The nurse altered her cap, shifting her eyes away as she hoofed the reply back into Silent's hooves. Everypony who was in that room felt a heavy dose of Silent's anger as he let out a dark growl. Climbing from his wheelchair, the nurse who was in charge of the Unicorn for the day realized what he was doing, so she trotted backwards to the white line. Silent had half of his mind on hoping he could strangle somepony - he wouldn't if given choice, but somepony can wish right? Silent grunted as he went through memorized straits of pony walk, left hoof forward while right hindleg forward then switch and switch, toward that damnable nurse; better to have dark goal than no goal. Silent counted off the steps once again - right then left - in his straits, his body was screaming him to stop. He was pissed at the nurse who was waiting at end line, but he used his anger to push past the heavy injuries that he had. When he finally got to the end, he wavered a bit before resetting himself. A couple of nurses who was working with him gave him a cheer as they counted down the distance: forty feet, thirty feet, down to twenty, then ten. Finally, a white hoof rested on nurse's shoulder- the one that Silent was pissed at. He gave her a cold smile that spoke “Happy now? Get to the work of taking me back to my room”. The nurse just nodded once, waving her assistant to come over with his wheelchair and helped him, as much as possible through the stallion's constant rejections, anyway. The deaf stallion hated receiving help from others; his stubborn pride just one more item in the list of his negative attributes. Growling as he grudgingly accepted some help from the nurses in form of them pushing the deaf Unicorn back to his room. Silent among with other nurses entered the room; only the deaf Unicorn gave out a heavy sigh. It was back to bleak and plain walls of his room that drove him insane, he would love to see different sights such as trees, sky, other ponies...Twilight. Twilight... Silent's lips tugged at him, transforming into a small smirk- he couldn’t figure out exactly why Twilight never gave up on him, or why she liked him and, for that matter, why she kissed him in this very room two weeks ago! After that talk with his father, Silent began to pick up the pieces of his emotional state- figuring out if he was truly ready to let another pony into his heart. Would he make the right choice accepting her in? Could he live with himself if he pushed her away? Sighing as he pulled himself into his hospital bed, his feelings were all jumbled up- pulling his feelings in two directions. Would he still agree with what his father have said in that conversation or do he follow his heart? He only knew one thing in this state of complete disarray: love hurts. Not soon after, a nurse trotted up to him holding a two red pills; Silent loftily looked at it, recognizing his usual pain pills. It was a warm welcome, away from throbbing pain that he acquired from recent physical therapy. Silent grabbed up the pills into his hoofs, popping them into his mouth while gracefully bending over to grab a glass of water that was next to him on nightstand. One side effect of the painkiller that the nurses were feeding him that it made him very drowsy. The deaf Unicorn tried to fight the side effect off by keeping active in his bed, mainly by naming everything he could find in his room and rereading old newspapers and magazines. Silent plucked one magazine out, flipping through until he found an odd but interesting article: “Learning to Lie”. The deaf stallion flipped to next page where it began. In the last few years, a handful of intrepid scholars have decided it’s time to try to understand why fillies or colts lie. For a study to assess the extent of teenage dissembling, Dr. Whooves, then at Equestria University, recruited a special research team of a dozen undergraduate students, all under the age of 21. Using gift certificates for free food as bait, Whooves’s Mod Squad persuaded the students to spend a few hours with them in the local pizzeria. Each filly or colts was handed a deck of 36 cards, and each card in this deck listed a topic teens sometimes lie about to their parents. Over a slice and a Coke, the teen and two researchers worked through the deck, learning what things the kid was lying to his parents about, and why. “They began the interviews saying... The poor stallion never got far with his read when the byproduct of his antiodontalgic struck with full force. The medience that he was administered finally knocked him out cold, snoring rang out out of the room with small noise of magazine falling off out of Silent’s grip into floor. ___________________________________ “My dear, do you honestly think he will be angry at me? I mean it was a...spur of moment when I saw this thing just laying there all battered up like it was! I couldn't simply let it be!” Rarity paused for dramatic effect while Twilight gave her blank look hinting the white mare to press on. Don't try to play it off Twilight! You've seen him in his...dark moments, and I must say it is ungentlemanly of him. I don't know if I will be able to handle apologizing to him, what if he reacts in way that I don't expect? Twilight sighed, giving her a plain face as they walked through the entrance of the hospital. “Rarity...I read in a book that you need to admit that you did something wrong and apologize, it is part of being a friend. Besides, this would make for a good friendship report that I'm due on tomorrow!” Twilight beamed her best smile at Rarity, hoping to redirect her worry elsewhere. Then there was the stallion, of whom preoccupied the lavender Unicorn's thoughts as she replayed her first kiss with him over and over again. It had been few days now, her organized mind went to work; remembering the kiss- the lavender Unicorn blushed. A few of the nurses and doctors smiled at the mares as they passed each other on the way to the ward that held the victims of the train crash. “Oh~~~ Are. You. Sure.Twilight?!” Rarity moved her head closer with every word, hoping to draw out some empathy from the Element of Magic, but Twilight had seen through it, giving her a stare that she used on Spike when he burnt up that book or went into one of his crazy “love episodes” about one particularly sophisticated, white mare. Twilight sighed once again giving Rarity a pointed look before pushing the door ajar gently; peeking around hoping that he would be fully awake but to her discouragement that it didn't hold true. “Well Rarity, let's wait in his room until he wakes up,” Twilight explained as she plopped herself on small couch, beckoning Rarity to take up empty space next to her. There was few moment of silence, it reigned over this room while Silent's new friends was beginning or finally wrap the train accident in it's entirity in their minds. It may have been selfish of them to say it right out, but they were hopeful that anything to do with that calamity would never happen to them. But who could actually say “life is predictable” and be right about it? They validated that truth a long time ago when they faced with becoming Elements of Harmony then facing Nightmare Moon and Discord, as well their wacky events that seemed to pop out often in their small, sweet village of Ponyville. Rarity solemnly looked down inside her bag, her memories ringing loud and true back then at that fateful party that Pinkie Pie threw for him. Rarity then activated her magic to pull a single piece of cloth out of her saddlebag as she recimsined. Silent, hoof dripping the cloth, glared the the white, which, in her opinion, came off as brutish and ungentlecoltly. “Honestly! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?!” Rarity realized that Silent was lip reading. His body began to shake with rage, his depression came back to him twofold. Snatching up the notebook and the pen that he set down earlier. Silent wrote rashly with his mouth in very first page of his new notebook before shoving it over to Rarity with his magic. “Don't touch this piece of cloth ever again, it was made by my mother! It is last thing left that I have of her!” It wasn't soon after when Silent bolted straight out of that party, leaving behind a bewildered party ponies, particularly Rarity herself. The memory of that sweatshirt was brief but powerful. Which was why Rarity took it upon herself to "borrow" it and restore; it served both as a crime against all of her fashion beliefs and, most importantly, a catalyst of her apology for the past. The white Unicorn began to fold it neatly, like it was preparation for a present wrapping. The combo of lavender and white Unicorns snapped out of their alternative musing when they heard something stir; the noise was quickly attached to the deaf stallion. Silent heaved a great yawn, wiping the eye mucus away, and took a quick look around in his room. Instantly, a set of green eyes widened at sight that he wasn't expecting to see. It was his beloved sweatshirt, being levitated by the very same mare who touched his sweatshirt without permission. Bending over to sit on his haunches, his left hip throbbing in pain- Silent shot the mare across the room a dark look. The deaf stallion then pointed his healed right hoof at her then waved her over. Rarity bit her lips, glancing her eyes left and right hoping to avoid any kind of actual contact. It was clear that Silent was pissed right now, but exactly how pissed he was, she didn't know. Twilight gave her an apologetic smile then motioned in Silent's direction subtly. Rarity huffed, moving her purple mane back to its rightful style, and hopped off the couch, swallowing hard, and began her short journey toward the angry stallion. A black sweater drifted lazily behind the mare, creeping ever closer to Silent. Only soon there was nowhere else for Rarity to go but forward, she had to face the situation that she hoped that she wouldn't get in. Silent raised his eyebrow that promulgated a single word wordlessly to both mares who could see him. Well? With a deep breath, Rarity regained her regal posture and faced the stallion heat on. Her bright blue eyes finally made contact with his, the black sweatshirt floated past her and into his waiting hoof. Silent inspected it; it was the same as before. Silent broke off his eye contact from the waiting fashion designer, holding his beloved sweatshirt up. A fragment of his memory came to him for a fraction of a moment: it wasn't perfect when he came out of that train accident. All he could remember was blood, blood everywhere so it must have stained his sweatshirt. The deaf Unicorn then dropped his sweatshirt into his lap, reinstating a eye contact with the white Unicorn before him. Silent waved her even closer, the sweatshirt thief didn't have any choice but to comply. As she drew nearer, Silent raised his hoof higher and higher as if he were going to smack across this mare's face. Twilight's eyes widened, her maw hanged slack at sight that didn't come across even slightly in her mind of many possible situations when the Element of Generosity would be making her apology. Rarity shrieked, closing her eyes in preparation that hit will come; her body shook in fear, she never faced a stallion who would raise a hoof against a lady. Instead, it was more of a soft thud coupled with boisterous laughter. Rarity blinked twice before to realizing that she was buried within the stallion's chest whom she thought was going to take a swing at her; her cheeks grew a heavy, dark red blush when realization crept inside her that she was tricked. Rarity reacted like any lady would do: hit Silent over and over senselessly. Twilight's tense mood dissipated instantly when she grasped what just had happened, her laughter joined the deaf Unicorn's. Rarity then wiggled out of Silent's hug, took a quick look at both of laughing Unicorns, and huffed for second while tending to herself. A smirk tugged on her lips, comprehending that Silent just have forgiven her- a crude method of forgiveness, but nevertheless! Finally, a third laughter joined the existing ones, Rarity held a hoof against her mouth hoping to suppress it so she could still behave as proper lady. Gradually, the laughter died down- Rarity finally had enough comprise to turn around and face the stallion in the bed, mouthing a sentence to him. “Thank you for accepting my apology.” Silent gave her a smile and a nod to gesture that he understood what she have said. Twilight trotted up to him then gave him a long and loving hug. Rarity tittered at that sight “Oh my~, I shall leave you lovebirds alone. Be sure to be quiet, don't quite want anypony to know of your...activities~” “Oh Celestia, Rarity! I have done none of that sorts! An-and I..” “I know dear, I was just kidding. Be on your best behavior. I need to freshen up- thanks to your stallion for giving the scare of my life! I thought this was the Worst.Possible.Thing!” Rarity heaved, “Well ta-da~” A door then was encased with Rarity’s magic, opening then closing as she left- leaving the two so-called lovebirds alone in the room. Twilight looked around as blush grew on her face, giving Silent a smile, activating her magic to pull out a pink notebook and pencil out of Silent's saddlebag. How are you doing so far Silent? I heard from Dr. Fleetheart that you began physical therapy so I thought I would bring a couple books relating to it. I thought they might help you some. While Silent was reading it, Twilight levitated over her saddlebags then pulled two books- The Equestrian Physical Therapy Association Book of Body Maintenance and Repair Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Secrets Thanks Twilight.. Silent paused for moment, knowing that Twilight was only trying to help him recover, but the deaf stallion learnt to hate therapists or anything related to them. So he chose to lie. those books will help along, it hurts like you won't believe. It's pretty damn hard to compare the agony that I know as it is to anything else. Twilight...how are you doing lately? Silent then pushed the notebook back to her. Twilight smiled after quickly reading his response, only to watch Silent cracking open the first book that Twilight brought for him and gestured to her to come over to sit next him so she could have the pleasure of reading a book with him. Twilight blushed, climbing up on the bed- being extremely careful about his injured areas. Silent then flipped through the pages, skipping to Part I- Chapter Nine which spoke of ankle and hoofs. For a good hour Twilight and Silent dialogued back and forth with the mare taking up most of the conversation by explaining what the book meant about how a pony should go to restore health to their hoof and hips. Some exercises seemed outlandish or painful. Twilight perked up to the sound of knocking on the door with voice asking cautiously. “Is this Silent's room?” Twilight gestured quickly that there was somepony at the door; the deaf stallion nodded once and went to work of bookmarking all important parts that both Unicorns were discussing about. Twilight answered the voice quickly as it came, not recognizing the voice, but figured that it was somepony that her...dear friend knew. “Yes, you may come in,” both of their eyes focused on the door ahead of them. The door became encased in dark red then a maroon hoof decorated with a single black hoofband stepped through the door. The room quickly seemed bigger to the deaf Unicorn when a head peeked through the door as it was pushed ajar and in a instant a pair of yellow made contact with his. Time froze. [Done.] - MrMinimii Yay! -Morfonious