//------------------------------// // Intoxication and Sleeplessness. // Story: Writer's Block. // by xXCondemnedSoulXx //------------------------------//         “I know your mother, I created her.” John was shocked that she had been living in Manehatten, and he had no knowledge of how she came to be there.         “What? How do you know my mom?” Dusk looked to John and worriedly looked at him. “You remember when I told you that I’m not from this world, right?” “Yeah.” It took some explanation, and after a lengthy speech, he finally got her to understand his story. The mare looked to the author with aggression boiling in her eyes,“So you mean to tell me that everything that happened, all of the constant challenges that I had to go through, was all for a story? None of it really existed?” “I’m sorry, if I had any idea that it actually happened in your reality... I wouldn’t have even started the story. I’m sorry for what I’ve put you and your family through. I truly am.” She placed a hand over her face to cover the tears that threatened to fall. Her voice shook, but she tried her best to set the past aside,“It’s fine. Let’s just... We have somewhere to be, no one else is getting hurt. Not anymore.” She grabbed John’s wrist and began to pull him the opposite direction to which they were traveling a few moments ago. John stopped her and held a questioning look,“Dusk? I thought Ponyville was that way.” “You were going the wrong way, it’s best if you just follow me.” John pondered for a moment and just accepted her plan. He didn’t have any idea which way the town was, and with his luck, he would have lead them to the badlands. ////////////////         The day was beginning to come to a close and the sun had started to set. John and Dusk continued to walk through the dark of night, not taking a moments rest. As John paced beside the mare, he noticed that her eyes were starting to fade in and out, simple blinks taking longer to open, and her pacing had turned into a slow grudge. “Hey Dusk, you want to ride on my back? I can carry you the rest of the way. I can see Ponyville just across the field from here.”         She flung open her eyes and forcibly kept them open as she pushed the hooded figure away,“I’m fine thank you. It’s not that far.” She claimed, but after a minute of walking and their destination still quite the distance away, her eyes begun to sag once again.         Instead of speaking up, John watched her through the corners of his eyes. He watched as she begun to slow down and her eyes close for long periods of time. She slowly came to a complete stop and stood in place, her eyes were closed and her head hanging down.         John stood in front of her with his back facing her and lightly grabbed her arm as he wrapped them around his shoulders. He lifted her up and as she was lifted from the ground, she buried her nuzzle into John’s neck. Light snores could be heard and the sound of light breathing could be heard as they echoed inside the authors ear. John thought to himself,‘Come on, we’ll take a break at Dark’s house.’         As he carried the sleeping mare through the long stretching field of green, his brain began to talk to him once again. ‘John.’ ‘Yes? How goes?’ ‘Fine for me, but I suggest you get some sleep yourself. Ponyville’s only a short distance away, but you need some rest. ‘ ‘We’ll sleep at Dark’s place. It should be only a few more minutes away.’ ‘Think reasonably John, everyone is looking for you. Do you really think that a random hooded strange would just walk into the town with a sleeping mare on his back and walk into the guardian’s house?’ ‘That is a valid point, but one aspect you overlooked was that, given the time, everyone’s sleeping. And with the power of the scroll, I can pull out another disguise if I needed to.’ ‘What about the guards that patrol the streets at night?’ ‘What guards?’ ‘Those guards.’         John looked the the town that was now just within eyesight and seen a group of guards, donned in full armor, wandering the streets of the small town. He slowly approached the town and evaded the guards as best the author could. None of the guards seen as he passed by, and John asked himself,“Where should we stay? Dark’s house is crawling with guards, so where...” John trailed off as he set his sights on a building. “That is just too convenient, but it’ll do.”         As he pushed through the wooden doors of the building, he was greeted by a waitress,“Hello! Welcome to Tolsa’s Tavern. I’ll be your waitress this evening.”         “Hi, I’d like to get a room for the night, me and my friend here have been walking all day and we’re new in town. How much will that cost?”         “That’ll be ten bits a night.”         “Perfect.”         The waitress lead the hooded figure through the halls and up a flight of stairs. She opened the room door and signalled for him to enter. He strode through and placed Dusk down on the mattress and covered her in the silky sheets. “Will that be everything?”         “No, actually.”         “What else can I help you with?” she asked.         “Well, I’d like a drink, but it’d be easier for everyone if I went downstairs.”         “So, what do you need my help with?”         “Well, I’m expecting some guards. I’ve been called upon to join the royal guard and I need to be suited for their arrival. I’d like you to keep an eye out for me and tell me beforehand should they arrive here.”         “I can most certainly help you with that.”         “Thank you. Here’s the money for the room” John took out his coin bag and tossed her the ten bits. “And here’s for the lookout.” As he passed by her to leave for downstairs, the hooded figure placed a small bag of bits in her hands. ///////////////////         Some time had passed and John sat quietly in a booth drinking his tonic. “This is just how I imagined it, in the story of course.” He downed the rest of his drink and asked for another one of the strange black brew.         “Coming right up, but this is last call.”         John nodded and sat quietly in the booth. He thought to himself as he patiently waited for his mug,‘I should be sleeping, but I just can’t.’ Images of the poor grey mare being harmed in the dungeons of the castle sent chills up his spine and the author tried to keep him thoughts locked away, with the help of the brew. It served it’s purpose for the most part, but it wouldn’t calm his nerves. This feeling that something could happen to the mare if they weren’t fast enough to save her kept his mind on edge.         “Here you go.” The barmaid placed the drink on the table of the booth with a smile and John turned to her and nodded.         “Thanks.”         As John took a sip out of the mug and let the strong, black drink flow down his throat, he was tapped on the shoulder. He his attention away from the drink and focused it on the hand that prodded his shoulder,“Yes?”         “Sorry to bother you mister, but that group of guards you were waiting for is just down the street. They seem to be head this way, so you better get suited up.”         “Thanks, I’ll just finish my drink.” He tilted the mug and downed the rest of the full mug and placed the empty mug down on the table. He stood to his feet and bolted to the room upstairs, though the brew impaired his vision and stability, so he did stagger into the wall a points of his travel. Once he finally reached the rented room, John slid the window open and locked it in place. He quickly paced over to the bed and shook Dusk and attempted to wake her up. “Come on, wake up!” Her eyes remained closed and she was out cold. “Damn it, I guess I have no choice then.” He placed her on his back once again and turned to face the window.         “What is it with me and ledges...”