//------------------------------// // Spurs Hollow // Story: Arc Angel // by Valorousspectre //------------------------------// Falling. In retrospect, jumping out of the window from, as I've just found out, possibly one of the tallest towers on the castle, was probably a really terrible idea. Maybe. I suppose the possible consequences of me falling and becoming little more than a bright red splatter on the concrete below. I think my brain must have shut down or something at some point, because this only occurred to me right about now. As I'm falling. As the wind whistles through my mane and past my ears. It would almost be exhilarating and beautiful, if I wasn't falling to my death. Strangely though, I wasn't panicking. I wasn't terribly worried either. I knew what was going to happen, so I suppose I was at peace with my death. The cloak was flapping behind me in the wind, and it still didn't seem to want to fix on a colour. I was curious, and somewhat amused by it. I can feel the ground rushing towards me and suddenly I was suspended in the air, gliding slowly through the air, yanked belly side down again as I was seemingly automatically angled into a shallow glide. As I watched, all bemused, my mind still distant, still accepting that I was going to die I suppose, the ground beneath me rushed by as I flew through the air. I'd always wondered how it was to fly. Unless I was already dead. I suppose that's possible. I might already be dead. I wonder if you can see your dead body when you're a ghost. I wonder if it's possible for me to look back and see what was left of my body. I thought about this for a moment before discarding the thought. No, It'd be fine without looking at my remains. Probably not a pretty picture anyway. I watched as the Canterlot walls swept by underneath me and I drifted through space without effort and without a care. This must be what it's like to fly. I envy the pegasi that can do this on command. On a whim. Without a care. I'm not sure how long I spent in the air. Does it matter when one is dead? I wouldn't think so. I drifted well away from Canterlot. I suppose I was drifting to wherever the dead go, if they go anywhere. I watched as I passed ponies young and old, pegasi and unicorns and earth ponies all. They looked so happy. So peaceful. It's strange. Thinking back on my life, Most of my life I spent indoors, watching others interact and taking notes or reading books. Sometimes sketching. The only time I really spent outside was when I had to, or when I was working. Even then most times I was inside. I never really went outside. I feel regret that so much of my life was wasted. I felt a painful stab of regret as I saw a stallion and a mare upon a hilltop. The sun was setting and they were lying beside each other, leaning against one another. Something I would never experience. Something I will never have the pleasure of doing. A deep set sorrow washed away the regret as I thought of Nightspring. If only my thoughts could go out to her. But I am but a spirit now, so I suppose it doesn't matter what I think or do. Oh goodness, I loved her. I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. What are emotions to a spirit? Nothing I suppose. What is it that a spirit could possibly do with emotion? Nothing that I know of. I passed the pair by, shedding a tear. It's a sad thought, that I never had the balls to ask her. The landscape passed quickly, and only occasionally was I beset by emotion. Joy, sorrow, regret. But that's about all. I was slowly approaching the ground as I glided through the atmosphere. It's such a wonderful sensation. I suppose I'm going to pass down through the earth and into some new plane. I descended, watching the ground in bemusement as it got closer and closer. I reached out for it, ready to descend into whatever plane my soul is to inhabit.... And hit the ground rolling. I cried out in pain as the ground hit me I was rolled head over hooves, hitting a rock once and making me cry out again before I hit a large rock and flipped into the air again with a very un-stallion like squeal of pain before faceplanting and scraping my way across several meters or more of earth, giving the term 'bite the dust' or 'tasting the dirt' a whole new meaning. Ow. I sat up slowly, spitting out rocks and dirt. This did not taste good. At all. Disgusting. Blinking owlishly let me sort of recover as I tried to get over the insane dizzy spell I was having before spitting out more dirt and a few blades of grass. It's a little... Screw that. It's really disgusting. I look back and see a trench of dirt where my face scraped across the ground an carved a half pipe tunnel through the earth. it hurts now and my cheeks are stinging. Shaking my head only made me dizzier so I stayed very, very still, try to force down my nausea from landing so hard and flying so far. I still haven't figured out how I got so far, or even why. It hurt to move after my tumble and I could feel bruises forming in places I didn't even know I had. I looked around slowly and noted a sign in the distance. With an unsteady wobble, I staggered towards it. It's painful and I feel really distant. But I'll get there. You watch. I keep staggering forwards, my eyes narrowing as I try to read the sign. As I reach it, I notice the edges are stylishly curved and it's blue. Written across it is 'Spurs Hollow' and some other smaller print my fuzzy eyes can't make out. I can vaguely make out the number 102 as well, but my head feels so heavy... With an exhausted sigh, I passed out. ~*~ Light stabbed at my closed eyelids and I moaned painfully. This was the second time since I began my little quest that I woke up with everything hurting and I think I could feel air flowing over cuts and scrapes, even through my fur, if I had any left. That tumble was pretty catastrophic. I'm surprised I can remember it at all to be honest. This is exactly the reason why I don't spar with Nightspring. To do so may as well be to commit suicide. She won't kill you of course, but you'll wish you were dead in the morning. Trust me. I did it once. With a groan I pulled the blankets over me tighter. Wait. Blankets? My eyes shot open and were instantly assaulted with light and pain. With a groan, I closed them again tightly, hoping that the pain would go away. It did after a while and I reopened them slowly. Very slowly so as not to hurt myself again. I was in a brightly coloured room and I was covered by a bright polka dotted sheet. My head rested upon a big, fluffy pillow. Brilliant. Twice. I fall unconscious and I wake up in somepony else's bed again. Being taken care of another pony again. Celestia, Luna and Alencar I feel so useless. Can't even take care of myself for a few days without keeling over and practically dying and then being taken in by some random pony and taken care of. Nightspring would find it utterly hilarious. I'll bet it'd take her weeks before she even made a tiny little mistake. Why am I so pathetic? Probably picked me to frame because I'd die before I even got close to clearing my name. Typical. With a sigh, I resigned myself to being taken care of again, and let myself fall back to sleep. I may as well catch up on some more sleep. I have nothing better to do. ~*~ It must have been a few hours later when I woke up again. Remembering what happened last time, I opened my eyes slowly. And looked straight into the eyes of a giant, black and red hound of some description. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I screamed in shock, scrambling backwards, trying to get away. The hound flinched back and glared at me like I was some sort of idiot. I swallowed heavily, trying to ignore the pain wracking my body as I moved. I glanced around quickly, trying not to take my eyes off of the massive, fanged hound who seemed to think I am a bloody idiot. "I wonder when you're going to stop your infernal screaming small equine, that my ears will recover." it growled irritably. My eyes went impossibly wide and I gaped at it. A talking hound. A talking hound! A talking hound? With almost relief I felt the lull of unconsciousness take me away again. I woke up and it was night. All was quiet and still, and dark. Oh so very dark. Well, I suppose this'd be the best time to leave. This is taking into account how difficult it was to get away from Applejack and her family. besides that, I still don't think that it's a good idea for me to stay in one place for too long in case I'm found. And considering the way I flew in one direction I think. I don't actually know where I flew. Or glided. Or whatever. Or how. I need to find my stuff of course, I can't leave without any of it. Not if I want to survive any longer than a day or two. With a quiet groan I eased my way out of this... camp mattress? Whatever. Maybe that's why the damn hound looked so big. Anyhow. Slowly I eased my way across the room, searching first for my bags. They aren't in here, which pains me a little, but the cloak is resting by the bedside, so I shrug that on. I felt quite a bit more comfortable with it on. At the same time, it was a bit... chilly. Like a cold tingle running down my spine. It didn't help that my entire spinal column was greatly painful. Shaking my urge to get back into the comfortable camp mattress, I crept over to the door and creaked it open an inch or two. The room beyond the threshold was darkened much like mine, so I had no reservations sneaking through the doorway into it. A soft snoring growl made me freeze and look over to one corner of the room. In a big, fluffy dog bed rested the hellishly massive hound from before. Thankfully he was asleep, so I gulped and began to very carefully sneak past. With a quick movement, I darted into another room. It looked like I was in a kitchen and, look at that! My bags are on the table! Sweet. Lifting up the cloak, which seemed longer than I remember, I donned the saddlebags. It was at this moment I noted a letter on the table and I frowned and picked it up. for a moment I felt guilty, but it passed relatively swiftly an I opened the letter. 'Our dear little Dusty. Just a little reminder dearie that this week's Family reunion is at your home and everypony will be there! Even cousin Ranger! She's taking time off of her work to specially come by and help out with the prep and to see us all. Oh, and it's on the fourteenth, remember that. We'll be there super dooper early! With love. Your mama and papa.' It occurred to me I had no idea what day it is at all. Damn. I don't even know how long I was out. With a pained swallow, I poked my head out of the doorway again, looking at the massive hound. I remember it speaking to me at some point. With a start I remembered I still had the letter and threw it back on the table before sneaking out again, hopefully towards the door. I entered another room, this one with a glowing hammock in it and glow in the dark stickers all over the joint. It looked more like a bedroom, so I quietly left that one and took another chance to leave, coming to an exit to the place. The ramp looked pretty stable, so I shouldn't have any- "Hey! Where are you going like that?" With a shocked cry I shied away from the sound and promptly fell off the ramp and hit my head on the ground. Again. This was getting really tiresome. Dizzy and feeling more than a little sickly, I sat up woozily, trying to stay up as a white pegasus mare floated down to me. The weirdest part was that she was glowing. literally. Maybe I really had died? I'm not sure. Do angels glow? She had rainbow coloured, short cut mane and a tail cropped almost severely short. A bow adorned the base of her tail and she looked concerned as she landed. "Hey, are you okay?" I looked at her unsteadily for a long moment, trying to keep her in focus. It wasn't east, and I could feel as well as see my vision swimming. "Where... am I?" I asked quietly, holding back the need to hurl. She smiled brightly. "My house of course! In Spurs Hollow! The coolest town in AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL of Equestria! Come on now, let's get you inside. You look like you..." The rest of her words were lost as, once again and with a mental sigh of frustration, my body caved to unconsciousness. This was getting to be a chore. Moondust, Frankie and Spurs Hollow all used with permission from MoonDust, as is the members of her family.