Nightfall – Part 3
V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V High Rockwall V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V
“Is that the last of them sergeant?” I asked through the communicator that was built by magic and science, personally hand crafted by our local mad scientist Frozen.
“Aye sir” Gamer responded. “That the last of the blighted buggers. Hang on a moment Captain....”
A single twang was heard as a bowstring snapped back against the wood of the bow. A spider’s screech was heard from the other side of the communicator. Gamer coughed to clear his throat.
“Sorry about the false report, now it is the last of the blighted buggers.”
I smiled as the last reports of the area’s being cleared came in through the communicator. The rest of the gathered groups sighed in relief as the last report from the sergeant went through. Shinning Armor walked up to me and smiled.
“Well Admin, looks like your plan worked like a charm. No casualties either, you would make a good general you know.”
I waved off the praise from the pony next to me. “I’ve been a general once, during the last war. That was not a pretty experience and I do not wish to be repeating it.”
“What happened during the last war sir?” One of the guard ponies asked me from the corner of the room.
My head rested in the cup of my palms, a single long drawn out sigh escaped my lips as I thought back onto one of the many battle I had had to face during my time as High-General of the Minecraftian forces.
“Let’s just say.... That war never changes.”
I lifted my eyes to face Shinning Armor. “If you need me I’ll be in my quarters.”
When he nodded I gathered myself up and headed towards the tower my room was stationed in. Something tells me this is going to be a long night.
V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V A Few Hours Later V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V
‘A sweet dream is only a sweet dream until it turns into a nightmare....’ that is what my father once told me, and that is what this dream was slowly becoming....
I was sitting in a lush green meadow whilst Samuel and White Snow frolicked around the field giggling all the while. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I wrote on the parchment in front of me. Samuel fell down onto a group of flowers sending a few of them flying up into the air.
A single raindrop fell onto the almost dry ink, making it turn into a black spot. Frowning I looked up and saw the storm clouds. I looked around and noticed that everything had taken on a grey tinge, which was also when I noticed that White Snow was sitting alone in the field. Getting up I looked around the quickly fading field.
“Samuel? Where are you?”
A single scream was heard and I started running towards it. The grey trees slowly disappeared and the landscape started decaying around me. The grass withered up and turned to ashes, leaving the earth charred and black like rock.
“Samuel! Where are you?!”
That was when I heard him.
“Addie! Help me!”
I sprinted across the rocky terrain, tears streaming from my face. I saw him.... on the edge of a cliff, with his fingers slowly slipping off the edge. “Don’t worry Sammy! I’m coming!”
“Addie!”
His grip loosened bit by bit and still, I was too far away to save him. My little brother plummeted over the edge of the cliff, screaming all the way.
“SAMMY!”
I halted at the edge of the black as night cliff, the sharp rocks digging into my knees as I fell down upon them. Bringing my hands up to my face I saw that they were stained with blood. The rain turning red as if blood was falling from the heavens, the trees behind me were set ablaze by an unknown force. Tears bolted down my checks as I wept, just as I was about to scream out in anger and sadness a dark menacing voice filled the air.
“Give it up Admin; just like you couldn’t save Samuel in the end, you can’t save these little ponies, or the Humans. Just like last time, I will prevail.”
His dark menacing tone was replaced with a boy’s sweet innocent voice, now tainted with the darkness that followed behind it.
“Just like you couldn’t save me....”
V^V^V^V^V
I bolted awake a scream dying upon my lips, sweat sticking my skin to the sheets. Now I remember why I never slept for very long, and when I did it was always with the help of medication to give me dreamless sleeps.
I clutched my knees to my chest and bent my head down, silently weeping to myself. “I-I’m sorry S-Sammy. I-I couldn’t save you.....”
V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V Elsewhere a few minutes prior V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V
Rainbow Dash walked into the room that was occupied by a group of ponies and a few humans and one pig. She walked in and sat down on the faded yellow couch, looking around the room, all present could tell that one person was missing.
“Where is Admin? Isn’t he supposed to be here as well?”
Shinning Armor smiled at the rainbow mare. “He left to get some sleep; this whole affair has probably tuckered him out.”
Rainbow Dash nodded and moved over slightly to make way for the quiet Alchemist. He slumped down onto the yellow couch and gave a silent sigh of content. She smiled slowly at the quiet being next to her.
“Take it Zecora is running you ragged with all the potions you two a brewing up, right?”
A silent nod was all she received before Frozen closed his eyes to take a little nap.
Rainbow sighed as she sunk into the couch. Twilight, Shinning Armor and Princess Celestia were catching up on the time they had been apart, mostly Twilight was doing the talking, some of it off by heart and some of it from the diary account that she had kept since the beginning. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, hoping to catch up on some much needed rest since the past few days had been hectic on her.
A sudden scream woke both Frozen and Dash up as the others turned to look at Admin’s tower. The sudden alarm had thrown Dash from the couch and into the rafters of the room, she was breathing heavily as she clung to the beam, her four hooves wrapped around it in a bear hug. Looking down on her friends she scowled.
“What the hay was that?!”
Twilight looked up at her, confusion plastered on her face. “It came from Admin’s tower, but it didn’t sound like anything I know.”
No one there noticed when FrozenFire_ looked at Admin’s tower with a hint of fear on his face; neither did they notice as he tore out of the room heading directly for the Lab.
Frozen busted through the door startling Zecora into jumping with fright, the striped Zebra turned to face him confusion on her face, and an eyebrow cocked.
“What is wrong my silent friend? Hopefully it is something I can mend.”
He picked up his notebook and quickly scrawled down into it.
‘Zecora, I need the new potion I was working on under Admin’s asking. Second shelf to the far right there should be a bright white vial with blue contents. Please grab it, and with haste!’
Zecora nodded and dashed off towards the cupboards, gripping the timber in her hooves she tore open the doors and scanned the vials inside. Second shelf to the far right, indeed there was a vial of the whitest glass with contents that would make the blue sea green with envy. Taking the vial in her mouth she rushed towards FrozenFire_ and handed it to him.
“Here is what you asked for, let me know if he needs more.”
Frozen nodded and left the room, clutching the vial to his chest. He dashed towards the tower where the scream had originated from, up the stairs out into the courtyard, past the statue of the Maker and his bride, through the long hallways of color assorted marbles, through the tower door and up its stairs.
He quickly reached the top, making sure not to trip or cause any damage to the glass vial clutched firmly to his chest. Everyone was gathered at the top of the tower, a single door stood closed, a bar blocking the person inside from getting out. Frozen looked over each of the faces gathered there, all of them had looks of concern or sadness from hearing the cries of rage and loss from inside the room.
He walked quietly up to the door, removed the bar and opened it. Frozen looked around the dark room, searching inside before looking back through the door as he entered. ‘No one else is allowed to enter until I, and I alone say so.’ He quickly scrawled onto a pad he carried. An assortment of nods told him of the response. Closing the door behind him, he entered Admin’s room.
V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V Admin’s room V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V
I heard the door open, but my interests were on the blade in front of me. The iron gleamed off the moonlight streaming into the room through the only solitary open widow in the entire room. My hand reached up and rubbed my eyes, already red from crying so much. Tears still streamed down my face as I heard the footsteps get closer to me. My tongue was sore, as I had bitten it moments before in my attempts to quell my sadness.
I sniffed as the sound stopped next to me; something clinked against the glasses on my nightstand. Looking up, I saw FrozenFire_ smiling sadly at me. I smiled awkwardly up at him.
“I-It’s just not that fair ya’ know?” He nodded, and sat down on the bed.
“Twi’ asked me a question today....” He cocked an eyebrow at my statement. “She asked me if I had any memories of him, before he became Herobrine.”
My statement clearly took him off guard, as well as Twilight’s question, he knew what had happened to me, the depression, the self loathing, suicide attempts, all of it. He even stopped me a couple times from offing myself, I wasn’t really grateful at the time though.
I looked up at him, my legs still clutched to my chest. “What am I supposed to do Frozen? I betrayed my little brother, I killed him-“
A loud smack echoed throughout the room, Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Celestia backed away from the door, each looking at the other nervously.
Frozen shook his head and pointed at me, then at the blue liquid inside the glass vial. There was also a small green liquid in a plastic cup next to it. I looked back up to him confused, he pointed towards the white vial with blue liquid first. Then he made a drinking motion with his hand. Understanding flooded through me.
I reached out towards the vial and took it in my grasp, bringing it to my mouth I took long gulps of the blueberry tasting drink. I gasped as I finished and placed the drink aside. I was surprised that he had gotten the potion to taste like blueberries, and then the most surprising thing happened.
The pain went away.
I blinked, and then I blinked again. I looked up to him and smiled. “Thank you Frozen.... I knew you could do it.”
He smiled and pointed towards the small green liquid in the plastic cup. I lifted it up and smelled it. I looked at Frozen and saw he had a similar cup in his hand and a similar liquid in it. He held up a hand and counted from five, I nodded.
‘Five’
I gulped and brought it closer to my mouth, the smell of lime evident in the air.
‘Four’
I looked him in the eyes and he smiled, mouthing the words ‘don’t worry.’
‘Three’
‘Two’
.......... ‘One’
Together we linked arms like the warriors of old as they were celebrating, we brought our cups closer to our lips and both drank at the same time. I tasted lime as I drank from the small cup, the lime numbing my tongue and making me have a buzzing feeling in my brain.
All of my body, from the tips of my hair to the tips of my toes felt like it was receiving a small electrocution from the lime tasting drink. But that wasn’t the most surprising part, as I felt my brain remembering its functions, I well... felt is the only word to describe it. I felt as if there was something new in my mind, like a door had been opened.
I looked at Frozen with a confused expression, which was made even more confused as I heard his voice.
“Can you hear me Admin?”
A shocked expression crossed my face and I looked at him. “D-d-did you just.....?”
“Talk?” he cocked his head to one side an amused smile on his face. “No Admin, I did not speak. This is more of a telepathic connection between us two, the drink caused it.”
I looked at the now empty cup in my hands and as I was about to open my mouth to speak again he shook his head.
“You don’t necessarily have to talk. Like I said, it’s more of a telepathic connection. You can just think what you are going to say.”
(For the sake of convenience I am now going to label Telepathic communication between Frozen and Admin in Red and Blue, Blue for Admin and Red for Frozen.)
“...... Like this?”
“Exactly, good job for a first try.”
I smiled a little as the complement went through me. But I thought it would have been a lot more different than this....
“Oh no, it’s not that difficult to get your head wrapped around Telepathic communication. I mean if the unicorns are able to do it, why not us?”
“Uh.... Frozen, that was meant to be to myself.”
“Oh....”
The two of us shared in an awkward silence. After a few minutes there was a tap at the door.
“Frozen? Is he ok now?”
He looked towards me.
“You ok now?”
I nodded and he went to open the door. When he did I saw all of my friends gathered around the door staring in. Celestia asked the question again and he nodded.
“Ok then, we’ll let you catch up on your rest. We’ll call you in the morning.”
I smiled as they closed the door. I actually haven’t found out what the date is yet.....
“September 30th. Almost midnight, maybe half an hour left.”
“Thanks Frozen.”
I thought to myself for a bit, and then I slowly pulled the sheets off me and went to the window. I was kind of down right now, so I might sing a song. Might lighten my mood up, who knows.
Pulling the window door open I went out onto the balcony. I smiled up at the stars shining through the night sky. Let’s see, hmm. An old classic from way back might help. How about Green Day, hmmm, and the song? Hmm, how about ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends.’? Yeah...
I could remember the music, and before I knew it the band started up around me. I was surprised, but then it was time to start singing.
“Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends”
“like my father's come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when September ends”
“here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are”
“as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when September ends”
Now that there was the moment to catch my breath, I waited for the music to continue from the one part that was remembered fondly.
“summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends”
“ring out the bells again
like we did when spring began
wake me up when September ends”
“here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are”
“as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when September ends”
“Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends”
“like my father's come to pass
twenty years has gone so fast”
“Wake me up when September ends”
“Wake me up when September ends”
“Wake me up when September ends”
The music slowly died out and I sighed, that was undoubtedly my favorite song. Little did I notice the heads poking out of the window as I finished singing, nor did I notice the tears on their faces, or on my own.
“I wonder what you’re doing now, Samuel....”