//------------------------------//
// Chapter 20 
// Story: Behind the Veil 
// by FeralFox 
//------------------------------//


”Behind the Veil”
Chapter 20
By FeralFox


In the faint glow of the streetlights, Marckus slowly walked down the disturbingly barren street, the concrete sidewalks covered in a layer of soft, powdery snow. As the piled flakes crunched under his boots, he glanced around, taking the calm of the silence. Silence – not something normally found on this usually busy street deep within the City that Never Sleeps. But he relished in its serenity, taking a deep breath of the crisp winter air. He went on walking and looked up, the clouds that were still lightly dispensing their frozen payload covered most of the sky. Except for a particular patch directly under the moon, currently shining full and brilliant amongst its black and gray backdrop. The man stopped his casual stroll as something strange caught his eye: the face of the moon seemed to have an image painted on it from the many craters and blemishes that adorned its surface. Although, this image was not the normally fabled “Man on the Moon”, no, this one was different. He stood for a long moment, looking intently at Earth’s natural satellite, but eventually shrugged, disregarding it, and resumed walking. He crossed a street, taking note of the bizarre lack of any traffic. Or vehicles, for that matter; all the parking spots along the curbs were completely vacant. Again, disregarding the irregularity, he continued walking, eventually making his way down into a subway station.

He walked down the stairs, passing the ticket office and walking through the turnstiles, and wandered through the identically empty station. After a few minutes, he made his way to the bathroom and pushed the door open,  entering the kitchen of his older cousin’s home, where he was generously hosting Marckus’s 21’st birthday party. Marckus joined his long-time, now long-since-spoken-to friends and reluctantly shared one of the harsh beverages so many people seemed to enjoy in vast quantities. His cousin, with 8 years up on him, walked by with a wide grin and patted him on the shoulder as the young man grimaced sickly at the drink’s vile, burning taste. They knew he was still in dire straits since his father’s passing, and they did all that they could to brighten his day. Their rambunctiousness and laughter had definitely brought a smile to the young man on his birthday. He noticed his friend was left hangin’, so he quickly obliged and high-fived him, letting out a few light-hearted chuckles. With that, he left the kitchen in all its celebration, and found the bathroom, opening the door and stepping through.

His boots thudded dully on the paved stones of the park’s path as he continued to wander through, until he took rest on a nearby bench. He groaned as he leaned back, crossing his left leg over his right, and breathed in the sweet aromas of the springtime and all the blossoming flora that grew in the park. He hung his head back over the bench, looking at the peach tree that stood behind him and thought he noticed a figure lurking in its shadow. Returning his head to its normal position, he quickly spun around on the bench and peered at the tree with a new, not upside-down perspective. Finding nothing, he was quick to disregard it along with the rest of the strangeness and resume relaxing. He slouched down on the bench and closed his eyes, soaking in the warmth of the midday sun.

In the presence of the crackling flames – generously tended to by Twilight – Marckus slept through the remaining hours of the day, and well through the night, only waking into a sort of half-sleep to turn over, or adjust the quilt before promptly falling back asleep. Twilight had gone to sleep around ten after adding one final log to the fire, allowing the flames to burn for another hour or so. The man finally awoke at precisely five o’clock the next morning, feeling well-rested, yet not entirely energized. Less-so than usual, even. He sat up in the silence of the morning, the fire having died out long ago, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He dropped the quilt from his shoulders, immediately being greeted by the chilly open air of the early morning and shivered. He had half a mind to curl back up under the thick blanket, but the pressure in his lower abdomen ordered him otherwise. Heeding his body’s advice, he stood up and made quick for the bathroom, ducking through the doorway, and tending to his business. 

He washed his hands and dried them on his pants, above the dried mud, and walked back to his little spot in front of the now dead fireplace. He snatched his shirt form the mantle, thankful that it had finally dried, and slipped it on, shivering at the now cold cotton piece. He got his boots on and laced them up before standing and finally cracked his back with a few twists and jerks. He became light-headed momentarily from a head rush, but settled down soon enough. Moments later, his hostess came trotting through and stopped when she noticed his woken state.

“Oh, hey Marckus. I’m surprised how long you slept. You were out since your head hit that pillow.” Twilight noted with a smile. Marckus rubbed his face with his hands and groaned.

“Uuuhg…I guess I did.” He grumbled in his deep bass tones.

“Are you alright?” She asked, noting his less-than ecstatic attitude toward being conscious.

“Yeah. Just slept like sh-…I didn’t sleep well.” Now able to listen to his other senses, this fact became abruptly apparent, his words muffled by his palms, which still rested over his face. He dragged his hands down, pulling his face into a strange expression, before dropping his hands to his sides and allowing his features to return to normal.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re looking a little pale. Well, you look paler than before.” Twilight asked, concerned by the change in his color.

“I dunno. I’ve been really sniffley lately. Might be the onset of something rather unpleasant. Dunno for sure.” He spoke lazily. He put his fists on his lower spine and bent backward, sending a wave of cracks along his vertebrae, causing the unicorn before him to cringe.

“Why must you do that?” Twilight asked with a grimace.

“Cuz.” He simply replied. With that, he made his way to the stairs and began descending them sluggishly.

“Where are you going?” The mare wondered.

“Applejack’s. I’ve got a job there, remember?” He answered.

“B-But don’t you at least want breakfast?” She asked quickly, chasing after him down the stairs.

“Nah, I’m good.” He said. Just then, a bright flash of violet light blinked in front of him, and as soon as it faded, Twilight was revealed to be directly in front of him.

“I’m not letting you leave without getting some food in your stomach!” The mare stated firmly. Marckus raised an eyebrow at the assertiveness of the bookend.

“I don’t like being to work late unless something emergent stopped me, and I don’t think breakfast is very emergent.” He said.

“Yes, but malnourishment is!” Twilight retorted. Marckus stood before the mare silently for a few moments, thinking of a response.

“Alright, fine.” He finally said, admitting defeat.

“And don’t think that I’m too small to- wait, what?” Twilight said, unsure if she heard correctly.

“I said ‘Alright, fine.’” He repeated. Twilight blinked in shock, finding it hard to believe she won, considering how stubborn he’d been before.

“O-Okay, let’s get you some breakfast then.” She responded, leading the way to the kitchen. Marckus was unsure what was more irritating: the sting of hunger pains in his gut, or the fact that he was still accumulating all sorts of debt with these ponies. He chuckled inwardly at the irony of the situation. Here, he thought, he should be worrying about credit debt, or mortgages, but instead he was faced with overly-generous ponies. On any other day, he would’ve thought he’d lost his mind. And as he followed his violet hostess into a kitchen that was roughly 2/3 the size of a normal kitchen – in every aspect – he wondered if he hadn’t already gone bonkers.

“Alright, what can I get you?” Twilight asked happily. Marckus vacantly scratched his chin in thought, having to sniffle a few times.

“Apples and peanut butter would do nicely.” He finally replied. Twilight raised an eyebrow at the strange request.

“Apples…and peanut butter?” She questioned while the two items requested were levitated onto the counter.

“Mhmm. Oh, a small plate and a spoon too, please.” He said as he removed the lid from the jar of creamy peanut-y goodness and deeply inhaled its intoxicating scent, sighing contentedly. Twilight retrieved the plate and spoon and set them both on the counter directly beside the apple. He then used the spoon to scoop out huge globs of peanut butter onto the plate. He put a rough estimation of a Cup of the stuff onto the plate before wiping the remnants off the spoon with his finger, and rinsing the utensil off, leaving it in the sink. With the ~cup of deliciousness sitting in a small heap on the plate, he took out his trusty knife and began cutting the apple in half, then into quarters, and finally into eighths. With the fruit now in eight pieces, he carved out the core, licked the sweet juices off of the blade, and wiped the rest on the thigh of his pants, before folding the tool up and returning it back to its home in his pocket.

“Yum-o.” He said with delight, mixed in with his early-morning drear. Taking one of the slices, he scooped up a healthy amount of peanut butter and consumed it with a pleased grin. Twilight shrugged, as the combination was the furthest thing from appealing to her, but was happy to see the man actually ingesting something. Going too long without any food was unhealthy, no matter the species.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” She asked rhetorically. Marckus shrugged and scooped up another hefty glob with a fresh slice.

“It’s killing me.” He replied sarcastically before taking another bite. Twilight shook her head at him and smiled before leaving him to his breakfast and preparing her own.

“So, why peanut butter with the apple?” Twilight asked as she began collecting various ingredients and arranging them in meal-formation.

“It’s an excellent source of protein. Plus, I don’t have to slaugh- eeh…it’s not meat.” He explained, quickly rephrasing his second point to prevent disturbing his hostess. “That, and it’s just plain delicious.” He added with another bite. Twilight nodded in comprehension as she brought her breakfast to the table and sat down.

The two munched on in silence for a minute or so before Twilight turned to her guest, still leaning against the counter as he ate.

“You said that you didn’t sleep very well, right?” She recalled, to which he nodded. “Do you remember what you dreamed about last night? I know that we always dream, but only remember those dreams when we sleep well.” She wondered. Marckus scratched at his chin, trying to remember from his subconscious. He began recollecting vague images and words; those distant memories that stand just at the edge of one’s mind’s eye as is with all dreams.

“Yeah…I do remember a couple things.” He finally replied, taking another healthy bite of his coated apple.

“What are they?” The curious unicorn inquired.

“Well, I remember looking at the moon; Earth’s moon. Something didn’t seem very right about it though. It felt like there was something on it, or something.” He said, trying to bring those foggy memories into the focus of his mind.

“Mhmm…” Was Twilight’s only reply as she continued to stare at him intently, silently asking him to continue.

“Hmm… I remember being back in New York and walking around. It was winter, I think. And…my 21st birthday? Oh, but I do remember being in a park and feeling like I was being followed, or watched.” He added as the sensation of being stalked surfaced in his memory. “It was pretty weird.”

“Being watched? Hmm…” Twilight repeated back, mulling over the man’s dream. As she sat and thought over its implications, Marckus finished his apple slices, and the remainder of the peanut butter, rinsed off the plate, and set it in the sink.

“Now, unless you feel the need to tie me to the floor and force feed me a melon or something, I think I’ll be off to work.” He said, making his way out of the kitchen. His sudden departure broke Twilight out of her mini-trance.

“Oh, alright. Have a good day then.” She said, waving him off. As he neared the door, a thought crossed her mind. “Hey! If you think you’re coming down with something, don’t work too hard!” She called, hoping that the stubborn man would listen, but fretting the contrary. On that note, Marckus left the hollow tree and began walking down the slightly muddy road towards Sweet Apple Acres.

The walk didn’t take very long, only interrupted by the occasional sneeze. He was pleasantly surprised at how many strangers said “Gesundhoof” when he did, though. And so, nearly every break in his silent trek was a head-ache inducing sneeze, subsequently followed by a “Thank you.”

With all second-long breaks accounted for, he still made decent time and arrived on the farm just in time to see his employer walking to the massive barn. He caught up to her with a slight jog, regretting it as soon as he reached her, as the sinus head-ache was only aggravated by the quick motions.

“Howdy Marckus.” She greeted with a smile. He nodded down to her in acknowledgement. She turned back to the barn, but quickly looked back at him with unease written clear across her face. “Um…Marckus? You okay?” She asked with concern.

“I’m fine. Prob’ly just got the sniffles or a head cold. Nothin’ bad, I’m sure.” He replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. Applejack knit her brows in skepticism. “I’m see-eeri-uh *CHOO* Serious.” He attempted to reassure, having to stuff his face in his arm to avoid spraying it, as opposed to saying it.

“Sugarcube, I ain’t gonna have you workin’ all day in the heat while you’re nursin’ a cold. Ah want you to head on back to Twi’s and get some rest.” She said firmly, yet with caring undertones.

“I’m fine. Seriously, it’s nothing I can’t, and haven’t dealt with. A day of work won’t do any harm.” He argued.

“Marckus,” AJ said in a serious tone, “this ain’t up for discussion. You need get some rest, not pull a wagon.” It was at this point that the man had decided to forgo his politeness to make something abundantly clear to Applejack.

“No. Let me tell you what I need: I need a shower. I need to wash my clothes. I need a house. I need my own food.” He listed in a low voice that edged on anger. “And do you know what I need to get all of those things? I need money. And to get money, I need to work.” He stressed. With his problem off his chest, he eased up, and gave AJ a moment to absorb what he said. He drew a breath and got down on one knee, now eye-level with her. “Please, Applejack, I need this. I can’t keep living off the gifts of others. It’s not who I am, and I won’t let it be who I become.” He said, his plea now in a softer tone. Applejack looked into his eyes for a good few seconds, searching them for any sign of deceit.

“Alright.” She finally said. The single word visibly relieved the man before her, and he stood up. “But if whatever you have gets any worse, you’re outta here. Got it?” She stated with all sincerity.

“Yes ma’am.” He responded with a nod. “I can’t thank you enough, though.” He added as AJ opened the barn doors.

“Don’t thank me ’til the day’s out, sugarcube. Like Ah said, if what’cha got gets any worse, you’re gone.” She replied in a more light-hearted tone. With that, they hauled the wagons out to the orchards, where they met Big Mac, and laid out the bushels.

The day dragged on for Marckus, his head-ache not faring well from the rumble of the wagon, or the ruckus of the apples being loaded and unloaded. Though, he coped with it and soldiered on, wishing for just a single ibuprofen to help with the pain, but he knew that would never be.

At the end of the day, when all the bushels were collected and the last haul was deposited, Applejack approached Marckus with a stern look on her face.

“Marckus, as much as Ah hate to see you workin’ like this, Ah understand what you’re dealin’ with. Just…promise me that you’ll take it easy, alright?” Her expression was a mix of worry and sympathy. Marckus didn’t know whether to feel guilty that he made her worry, or grateful that she cared so much.

“I promise.” He said gently. AJ smiled slightly at his words, and he turned to leave. “See ya tomorrow.” He called back with a wave. She waved in return before making her way back to her own home.

As Marckus walked back across town, he pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to just “take it easy”. He’s been working his for the better half of his life, and working hard, at that. He’s always felt that if you did something, you should do it to the best of your ability. And unfortunately for him, a cold didn’t hamper his ability much at all. The sight of the Library in the distance brought him some comfort, as it meant that he could actually take a load off for a while. But as he neared the door, something crossed his mind.

“Aaw shit!” He cursed, immediately thrusting both of his hands upon his face. He just remembered that Twilight was at the hospital, visiting Rainbow Dash. He had already promised her that he would swing by after work was done, and considering the state she was in, he really didn’t want to disappoint her. Though, he wasn’t sure if his absence would make much of a difference to her, as they weren’t that close, but he couldn’t take that chance. So, with new purpose in his stride, he made haste for the hospital.

A short while later, he came upon the front doors of the medical facility and strode in, waving hello to the slightly concerned-looking nurses and orderlies as he made his way to Rainbow’s room. He ducked in to see Twilight, as well as Pinkie Pie, at her bedside. His heavy footsteps alerted the trio to his arrival, and they looked to the door.

“Hi Marckus.” Twilight greeted politely.

“Hiya, Marcky-meadow-larky!” Pinkie called, chipper as always.

“Hey Marckus.” Rainbow said from her bed. The man nodded to their greetings and approached them, but stopped a short distance away.

“Hey, how come you’re all the way over there?” Pinkie asked before standing up on the empty bed and looking at him. “Wow, you look terrible!” She said without the slightest falter in her tone, her wide grin still firmly in place. “Your eyes are all red and puffy and your face is all white and you’re all sniffley and are you getting sick?” She asked so quickly it took a moment for Marckus to realize that she had actually asked a question.

“Maybe, but it’s just a head cold or something. Nothing to worry about.” He replied dismissively.

“You’re getting sick?” Rainbow asked with genuine shock.

“It’s nothin’. Don’t worry about it.” He responded.

“It’s probably from when you saved me. When you wrapped…me in your coat and got all cold and wet. You should’ve kept it on for…yourself.” She said, wincing from the pain, feeling guilty for his ailment.

“Hmm… Get a cold, or let you die of hypothermia …” He held his palms up and moved his hands up and down as though he were using them as scales to weigh the options sarcastically. “Yeah, wasn’t even an option.” He said flatly. “Anyway, because of…whatever this is, I just came to say ‘howdy’ real quick. I don’t want to take the chance of getting anyone else sick. Especially you.” He said, singling out Rainbow Dash.

“Well, that was very thoughtful of you.” Twilight commended him.

“It’s no big deal. But really, I should get going. When I get over this thing I’ll come visit for more than a minute, alright?” He said lightly.

“Yeah, alright. Just don’t go getting pneumonia or…something like that, or I’ll be mad.” Dash replied, sounding somewhat upset.

“I won’t. Like I said, it’s prob’ly nothing, so don’t worry. You just focus on getting out of that bed.” He said, slowly backing up towards the door.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Weren’t you leaving?” She said, most likely trying to cover the fact that she really didn’t want him to leave. And on that note, he left the hospital and – again – made his way to the Library. He walked in to see Spike walking across the lobby, carrying a couple large tomes. The sound of his entrance caused the baby dragon to turn from his duties.

“Oh, hey Marckus. Woah, you don’t look so hot.” He remarked.

“Yeah, Twilight will tell ya. I’ve already said it half a dozen times, and I need to go lie down.” He said, trying to keep his tone light and not worry or upset the little guy.

“Alright. Well, if you need anything, just call.” Spike offered.

“Thanks, dude.” Marckus replied before dragging himself back to his bed, a.k.a. the sofa. He sat down, unlaced his boots and yanked them off, and lied down. He draped his arm over his face to block out the light and groaned. He had always had a strong immune system, but when he got sick, he got sick. And from his track record, he was not too excited about this most recent development. He just hoped that Twilight had a hefty supply of orange juice.



To be continued…