-------------------------------------------------------------------------(Present)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Well Doc, what happened next, I really didn't know. At this point I had to come to terms with the fact that I was more than likely never going to see my family and friends ever again. Ever." I say with a sigh as I remember those whom I had lost many years ago.
...
"I was a mess Doc, I could've used you there then too. Fortunately with grief comes closure. And with friends come security. There are some things that I am built to handle. Loss is one of them. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I can get knocked down and pop back up with time. I am not easily shaken emotionally so you know what it took to get me here to you. It took something monumental."
"Keep on subject, Mr. Short"
"You're correct, I'm getting ahead of myself. Far ahead of myself. So that night I was a bumbling mess, right? Rarity told me what had occurred that night, only much later. For a while I just tried to forget it. But deep down I was never more grateful for any gesture of kindness that had ever been shown to me."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Past)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rarity was lying in bed, Sweetie had gone to bed nearly an hour ago.
She had stayed up a bit later than usual, sewing Ben's new clothes had thrown her back a bit on her schedule. She didn't mind though, he was very polite and Sweetie Belle loved him. Sweetie wouldn't stop talking about how he was a blank flank too. She smiled at that thought.
Rarity didn't think that her younger sister realized that his species may not get cutie marks.
It was ok though, Ben knew as well as she did to let a child's imagination run wild. He proved that when he talked her out from under her bed.
After having finished that nights tasks, she went into her bathroom, took a quick shower. She had to search for the sponge, he left it in a different spot than she and Sweetie usually did. She turned on the shower and let her tremendously styled mane fall down. This was one of the times she could truly be alone with her thoughts.
What was she going to do with him? He has no home, no known way back to... Wherever it is he came from.
Pinkie had offered him a job. And gotten him the job. What if he really was forced to stay for the long haul? Being generous has its downside. He didn't seem like the type of pony to take advantage of the hospitality of others. Celestia knows he said thank you about half a million times.
She stepped out of the shower and into her robe to dry. She looked in the mirror and thought it over.
When she decided she was dry enough, she hung up her towel for another usage and took her own toothbrush out of the cabinet. She looked down where Sweetie and Ben had left theirs. Colgate was rather excited to hear about this Human. She loved to study new types of teeth. She basically threw this brush at Rarity when she went into the dentists office this morning.
When she was finished with that, she rinsed off her toothbrush and threw it back into the cabinet. She walked out into the dark hallway, looked down the staircase, then into Sweeties room which was just next to her own.
Rarity trotted back into her own room. Looked around at the "creative mess" she had made, and was satisfied with it. She turned off the lights in her room, and lay down on her bed. She shut her eyes, and started drifting into unconsciousness.
Rarity awoke with a start, what time was it? Who knows, late? She was woken by the sound of a sorrowful moan. Sweetie?
She hopped out of bed and put on her house slippers. She walked down to Sweetie Belle's room. She peeked inside, she saw Sweetie Belle sound asleep. Dreaming peacefully, moonlight shining through the window. Luna was watching over her.
There came a second cry. Not very loud, just barely audible. It wouldn't wake Sweetie.
She stepped out into the dark hallway.
There was nothing but silence. She moved slowly to the stairway. Nearly tripping on Opal in the darkness.
Opal hissed!
She scolds him quietly, "Where have you been all day? Momma has been so worried!"
"Meow"
She continued down the stairway into the main show room of the Boutique. She heard another moan coming from the guest bedroom.
Her ears perked up now that she had identified the source. He's hurt. He's hurt bad.
She moved very quietly towards the bedroom. She crept towards the door.
She pushed the door open very quietly so not to disturb him.
He was sitting on the floor back against the bed frame and facing the window. He had his face buried in his arms, which were crossed around his knees.
On the other side of the bed, was his baggage. It had a strange light emanating from it. She quietly moved toward his bag. He hadn't noticed her yet.
When she got there, she saw a strange device lighting up. Like nothing she had ever seen before. It was square, and didn't seem to be connected to any sort of magic source. It was odd. Using her magic she picked it up very quietly.
She didn't know what it was, but on the screen she saw pictures of more humans, different humans. The picture then changed to a different one. Almost like magic. She saw Ben sitting with others that looked somewhat like him.
This must be his family, she thought.
She heard another cry from the human on the other side of the room. Her heart was breaking.
The picture changed again, she saw a picture of two little girls, they kind of looked like him.
She thought of Sweetie Belle. They must be his.. Sisters.
She put the device back where she had found it. She had seen enough, her heart broke for him.
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He was thinking of his family. He looked up out the window at the moon. It was the only thing that could keep his mind from falling apart right now. The only thing that seemed to be the same in this strange world dominated by ponies.
He had spent the past two hours using whatever battery his phone had left looking at photos he had taken over the years. Wondering if it was the last time he would ever see those faces.
His head was buried in the space between his arms. He had always been preparing for the day he had to up and move out of the house, and away from his family. But not like this. Not like this.
What the hell are my parents going to think? He thought to himself. Alone in the night.
He tried to be strong, he's always been able to bounce back from tough situations. But what in the world could've prepared him for this? Torn from his friends, his family, his entire life as he knew it.
Not something everyday prepares you for.
He tried to hold back the sobs, but the urges got so strong he couldn't hold them in.
That's when he felt a hoof on his shoulder.
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She looked down at him on the ground, he looked up at her. His eyes were watery. She didn't know what to do. She just wrapped her fore hooves around him.
That's when the walls came crashing down. He lost all control and the sorrow poured out, he buried his head in the space underneath her chin.
She didn't know what else to do. She just sat there with him. She had no idea what he was going through.
She then thought to herself, what would she do if she lost her only sister, Sweetie Belle.
"Shhh... It's ok..." She whispered
She would sooner die.
They say there for what seemed like hours…
He finally calmed himself down. His breathing returned to normal.
This is when she realized something. He seems rather mature, by the way he acts. This human, he's still just a child yet. And that broke her heart further.
She began to hear some snoring, she looked down. He was asleep on the floor.
She smiled, he looked kind of silly down there.
This will never do, she thought to herself. She picked him up using every ounce of magic she had left in her tired body. She managed to place him gently into the guest bed without waking him.
She stood back up. The door was still hanging open. She took one last look at him before exiting.
She watched the moonlight from the window slowly creep its way across the room, moving ever so slowly towards him.
She thought to herself, she's watching over him to…
With one final whisper, "Sweet dreams my little pony..."
She returned to her room upstairs. She had made up her mind, he could stay as long as he needed.
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I woke up in the middle of a dark forest…
It was quiet. Too quiet…
I feel like I've been here before…
I hear a stick snap, behind me. I turn around quick, but see no one. My heart rate starts to quicken.
It's all starting to come back to me. These woods are not a good place to be.
That's when the fog begins to roll in. Oh yes, the chase begins again.
I know the route well enough, these are my back woods. I know where the clearing is. I will be safe as long as I can make it to the clearing, where he can't get me.
I hear the trees billowing in the wind. Oh no, he's getting close. I turn around, then face the object of all my fears. He's there, standing tall, dark, and alone. No face.
I turn to run.
The chase begins yet again, Slender Man... The main subject of my nightmares.
I'm running, the forest seems to be closing around me. I make it to an opening, I'm standing next to my pond. The wrong side, and I sure as heck ain't swimmin!
I break left, the path to the field routes back through the woods, it's a short bit, I can make it.
I take off at top speed, ducking and dodging the trees. I'm doing good, making good time. When suddenly, my foot gets caught on a fallen branch.
I trip and fall. I struggle to unjam my foot from the branch, when I see an ominous shadow looming over me in the moonlight.
He's on me, not much I can do now. He's caught me, trapped, doomed.
He leans down, puts his inhuman, blank face close to mine. Then something different happens. Something truly horrifying. The face, slowly convulses, it takes a different shape. I'll never forget those horrible, horrible eyes. They stared at me, they were the same eyes that looked at me in the mirror a night ago. The same ones that now loomed in my nightmare.
I look away, and notice my foot had shaken free.
I look up at the Slender Man... I smile in his face, he may have caught me, but this is MY nightmare. I curl up in a ball, and thrust the bottom of my shoe in between those eyes as hard as I possibly can.
The Man shrieks in anger and in pain, but it allows me to make my get away. I make it to the clearing, I know now that I'm safe.
I turn around to face the dark forest. But it's no longer there, I find myself in an open field, with tall wavy grass, the feeling is calm and peaceful. No more fear of the Man, he's long gone.
I look around, the moon is big and bright in the sky, there is a cool summer breeze blowing on my face. I feel very pleasant.
I look around and in the distance, I see a figure, it's glowing a subtle blue.
I decide to go investigate.
I stoop down low so I blend in with the grass. Like a ninja.
The closer I get to the figure, I notice something. It's a pony. He or she hasn't seemed to notice me yet, or even be moving in fact.
I creep up behind the mystery pony, they don't seem have noticed my presence.
Very stealthily I circle around the front. I can tell its a her now. Her eyes were glowing a brilliant white, I wonder what she's doing? Shes blue, she has a very fancy outfit... Has shoes, tiara and everything. Whoever she is hasn't really been paying much attention.
I creep up still crouched down in the tall grass, I find myself right in front of her. Still hidden in the grass I stick my hand up and wave it in front of her face. No response.
I stand up in front of her. She's taller than the rest of the ponies, the others were just barely over four foot, but I would guess she would top out at about five foot, six. Not counting her horn of course. Speaking of which, that thing is huge! It looks longer than my forearm!
I wave my arms in front of her face and snap my finger in her ears. Still no response.
"Uhh... Helloooo..." I say quietly, still doing all these odd gestures to snap her out of, whatever it is she going through.
I finally give up trying, I find myself looking up at the tip of her horn, that thing is impressive alright. I wonder how sharp it is?
My curiosity gets the better of me. I move my hand up to test to see how sharp it is. Before I get a chance to actually touch the thing, I hear a loud *POP*.
I look down, I'm looking into two large blue eyes, no longer white. I look back up at my hand, which was about an inch away from her horn, still suspended in air. Then back down at her, then to my hand, then down again.
She seems just as surprised as I am.
"Ummm... This.. Isn't what it looks like?" I put on a really bad poker face.
Come to think of it, I don't even know what it looks like.
She looks up at my hand, then at me, then my hand. Which I promptly put back down.
She still says nothing, kind of awkward moment we had right there.
....
I try to break the silence, "So uhh..."
…
"My name is Ben... What's your name?"
She opens her mouth to speak for the first time, "Meow" she says.
I shake my head a bit confused, "I'm sorry what?"
"Meow"
"Mreow"
I wake up and I'm being smothered.
I panic a bit. What is on my face right now!?
I reach up and grab a big mass of fur off of my face.
It takes me a second to realize what I'm holding in my hands right now.
Is that a cat?
"Meow" says the mystery cat
"And just where did you come from?"
"Meow" replies the cat.
"Oh so ponies and dragons can talk but cats are a no go?" I ask.
"Meow"
"I see"
…
"Meow"
I set the cat beside me, I like cats, I had one back home.
"Alright, you can stay on the bed, just not on my face, ok?"
"Meow"
"I'll take that as an ok" I say, then roll over and go back to sleep.