A Word From the Author:
The following is a product that is 100% the work of VunderGuy. Any editing made is the result of Odin the All-Father of Asgard, father of Thor, he who sold his eye for infinite wisdom, for this chapter, and, like I said before, if you’re going to throw applause and money at ANYONE here, it’s gonna be him! Him ya hear!?
So, without further adieu, I hope you enjoy VunderGuy’s hard Work
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“There she is my little horsey.” Guy said, pointing out the nearest porthole. After about a week of particularly lon
g and grueling exercises with her ring and Guy as a teacher, he had decided that now was the time for Twilight’s final portion of training. The world whose system they had entered upon exiting from hyperspace would be the grounds for it. “The planet Florauna. Ain’t she a beaut?”
From her position on a seat within the small ship Guy was piloting, Twilight opened her swollen eyelids to gaze upon Florauna, as he called it. Despite the fact that the past week had left her battered, bruised, cut, stabbed, burned, and a plethora of other such things beyond the recognition of those few that knew her, Twilight couldn’t help but become entranced by what she saw, much like on Oa. Through everything her teacher (read: tormentor) had forced her to endure, she had not yet lost her sense of wonder at the new macrocosm that had been revealed to her.
As she looked on at the myriad of ships docking and departing from the half dozen or so rotating space stations visible from that porthole alone, as well as the continents worth of flora she was above, a small smile graced her lips. Even after all she had been through, Twilight couldn’t help but keep a sense of hopeful optimism.
Next to her, Guy smiled cruelly.
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“Room 225 good sir.” Am alien maid said as she opened the door leading inside their hotel room aboard one of the stations.
“Thanks bud. Keep the change.” Guy said as he flipped a credit coin worth about ten cents Equestrian into her hand.
“Errr…thanks…” She said, deadpan, as she turned to leave. She turned back around however and asked, “Uhhh…you want I should help your pet out with yer luggage?”
“Nah. The old girl needs the exercise. Plus, she needs to be reminded of whose in change.”
Shrugging her shoulders, the maid said, “Whatever” and left. Soon, after much muffing, puffing, wheexing, sweating, tearing, and (if Guy had his way) bleeding, Twilight passed through the threshold, carrying half a dozen large and brimming bags. Her face was contorted into an expression so constipated, it was as though she had eaten half a dozen limes at once. Finally, after reaching the final agonizing step that would put her into the center of the room…she dropped to the ground, spread eagle, with an audible thud. Her tongue sticking limp out of her mouth, completely dry and unable to taste the full richness of the porcelain tiling, she began dry heaving as best she could with all the weight pinning her down.
“Oh don’t have a cow Sparky. Or a—what do you call baby ponies? Fouls? Yeah, don’t have one of those either.” Guy said after he jumped onto the plush king-sized bed. “Seriously. If it turns out you were pregnant this whole time, DON’T have it here or I won’t get my deposit back. They have a policy against pets messing up the rooms here and I don’t feel like cleanin’ up any messes.”
Twilight couldn’t say anything to that. She had neither the physical or mental energy nor the breath to. All she could do was to continue to heave deeper…deeper…deeper…
Finally, Guy had enough and said, “Alright Sparky, alright. I’ll help your sorry lookin’ hide out some.” With his ring, Guy moved the luggage off of her and put it all aside. “There. Now, do us both a favor and stop looki’ so pathetic. Also: unpack my stuff and organize ‘em would ya’? It ain’t gonna do it by itself ya’ know.”
Though the oppression of gravity’s tyrannical grip had lessened on her considerably, for which she was grateful for until the end of time, Twilight still found herself quite exhausted. The word parched, she thought in her addled state, was not an adequate enough describer for how bleached and dusty her throat felt. So, she came up with a new one at that moment, or rather, an old one repurposed into a more apt description. Deserted.
Hey. It made sense at the time.
“W—a—ter…” She managed to croak out.
“Oh give me a break already.” Guy said, using his ring to open the mini-fridge in the room and pull out two bottles of water that he then tossed unceremoniously at her head. “There. Now drink up and let me get the beauty sleep I need after piloting a voyage like the one I just did, would ya’?”
Twilight crawled at the pace of a spider up a wet bathtub towards the spot the bottles had landed on. Reaching one, she attempted to grab a hold of it with her tongue, but found it lacking sufficient strength in her water-deprived state. She found better luck with her teeth, as she was actually able to grab a hold of the cap, but found that the muscles of her maw lacked the strength to twist it open. Finally, she managed to will herself to stand halfway, hold the bottle by the crrok of her hoof, and attempted to open it with the other. After about five seconds of fruitless twisting, Guy palmed himself in the face and said, “Uh! Do I have to do everything for you Sparky!?”
Using his ring, he snatched the bottle from Twilight, picked up the other one, unscrewed the caps, grabbed a nearby bowl, poured their contents in, and dropped it in front of her. “There! Now drink up and leave me alone! We’ve got a big day tomorrow, so shut-it and goodnight!”
Guy clapped his hands twice in rapid succession and the lights of the room shut-off. With renewed vigor in her dehydrated heart, Twilight crawled towards the bowl, this time at pace not unlike that of a foal learning how to walk for the first time. Stopping before it, she plunged her face inside as far down as it would go and drank as much of the water as she could in a single gulp before swallowing and the continuing the process all over again. Eventually, as the bowl neared its end, she forwent that more civil manner of drinking for slurping like a wild, thirsty dog would after finding a small puddle. She did not care how she acted at that moment, nor did she have time to chuckle at the irony that the bowl she was acting upon was labeled the alien equivalent of mutt. For, without her ring, she could not read such alien scripts and, at that moment, she did not care.
She collapsed moments later after finishing her drink, into a restless sleep.
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“RISE AND SHINE SPARKY!”
Slowly, Twilight lifted her head up from her impromptu pillow, eyes bloodshot and sagging. “Uhhh…” She moaned.
“Aw quit your griping! Today’s gonna be much better than all of the ones you’ve had with me so far. Lantern’s honor.” Guy said, putting both of his hands over his heart in an overblown fashion.
Twilight merely slumped her head back inside the bowl. Somehow, she doubted it.
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Several hours later, and whatever doubts she had were shot out of the nearest airlock they were so gone.
Sure, they were still there after they left the hotel room that morning and multiplied when Guy put a collar on her and leashed her in order to sell the deception that she was his pet (because apparently having another sapient being with him would cost the Lantern more than he could afford) but, after he dropped her off at the Alien equivalent of Pet Day Spa, she found them to be largely unfounded. As though she were a legitimate guest to the resort, Twilight found herself pampered to a degree that she was sure would make most of the snobby Canterlot ponies she had been around her entire life seriously consider hiring newer, better staff. They had given her a much needed hooficure, her coat and mane a much needed cleansing of all of the dirt, dried blood, and more dirt, some much needed nourishment, a much needed back massage, and even let her soak and relax in a nice warm bath of mineral water with a mud mask and two cucumber equivalents on her eyes with a pleasant and relaxing aroma that smelled of a cross between lilacs, apples, and pine. They even managed to take her to see a vet who luckily (for Guy at least), didn’t ask questions about her horn and who managed to patch up the various injuries she had sustained like a pro, giving her caretakers supplements that he told them should be mixed up with her food so that her muscles could get back from the brink of atrophy faster.
This stay at the Spa continued for an entire week. Seven days of being spoiled rotten like she was a little filly with rich parents. Seven days of her body recouping from the stress placed upon it the past seven days in the most splendid way imaginable. Seven days with nary hide or tail-less backside of her teacher slash tormentor in sight. She wasn’t complaining and though her caretakers were worried when Guy didn’t arrive after the first day, neither were they.
It was amazing! It was stupendous! It was the happiest Twilight had ever been ever since she was flung into the unknown depths of the Universe by that stupid little green willpower powered ring! It was such a needed thing for Twilight, a wanted thing.
But, like all things, good or bad, it just had to come to an end…
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“Hello there gorgeous, I’m here to pick up my pet. A cute looking little horsey with a stupid looking branding mark on both her butt cheeks, a dark purple mane with a light purple highlight, and a stubby looking horn great for roasting all kinds of food on.” Guy said to the clerk manning the desk to the Pet Day Spa, before leaning on it and looking deeply into her eyes. “Though, not as cute as you, of course.”
“Riiiggghhhttt…” The clerk said, leaning back with an awkward smile. “I’ll just…uhm…give my…coworkers…a call…”
“Take your time gorgeous.” Guy said, his eyes still staring.
The clerk intercommed for the two caretakers in charge of Twilight, one male and one female of the same species and, not long afterwards, they came out of the back. The male one of them cradled her like a newborn foul in his massive, oddly colored arms. Both wore sullen looks on their faces at having to give her back to her…owner. Twilight did too, though not only because she had to leave these wonderful, wonderful aliens, but because who they were letting her go back with.
“Sparky! There you are! I was starting to worry you were sold to some chef for cheap take-out or one for an expensive fancy dinner I was waiting so long!” Guy said.
“Sir…you’ve only been here five minutes…and most of that time was spent looking at me creepily…” The clerk said.
Guy looked taken a back. “Well, that was rude! You treat all the resort guests you get coming down here like that lady?”
“Sir…just take your pet and leave. Please?” She replied.
“Well I never!” Guy said, making as big a scene as he possibly could, embarrassing Twilight even though nopony around knew it. “Come on Sparky! I want to spend my time somewhere where the employees treat me with some of the respect I played so many credits to get fer one stinkin’ lousy holiday!”
“Huh. You think that scumbag means the kind of respect he’s shown for his pet, dear?” The female caretaker whispered sarcastically into the male one’s ear.
He huffed in response and placed Twilight on her hooves on the chrome colored, metal ground. “Go now little one. Go to your owner. For better or worse…you belong with him.” He said gently.
Twilight looked up at him with wide, puppy dog eyes and her owner, who was tapping his foot impatiently and had his arms crossed, his lips pouted in an “I’m wainting” sort of way.
“I don’t like it either, but fate, it seems, is cruel this day.” He said.
For a few more moments, she continued to look between her caretakers and Guy before the latter had decided he had enough of waiting and used his ring to move her beside him. “Come on Sparky, we’ve got places to go, people to get into fights with, and, most importantly of all, back to teaching you how to be a good little horsey.”
Floating in the green bubble he had conjured up, she looked back with a worried expression on her face at her caretakers as she and Guy passed into the threshold of the sliding metal door out of there. She could tell they were doing their best to look on stoically, but the cracks were obvious enough that she could see that they were just as worried about what was about to happen next as she was.
With a thud, the door slammed shut, and they were gone…