//------------------------------//
// Chapter IV - Nightmare. 
// Story: Gargoyle 
// by Mr101 
//------------------------------//

                                                                          Gargoyle.
                                                              Chapter IV - Nightmare. 



I groaned softly as I rolled my head, the first thing I noticed was that my head was resting on something... soft, like a pillow. As I tried to open my eyes I became aware something was covering them and I began to panic but stopped when I felt something on my hand.

“Easy, Scott... you’re fine, you just need to remain calm ok?”

The voice was female and... soothing.

“W-what’s going on?” I asked nervously.

“You’re in a hospital, Scott, you were in a car accident and have been unconscious for a couple of days, remember?”

I tried to think what she meant but nothing came to my mind.

“I... I don’t remember.”

“That’s ok, but I will need you to calm down ok?”

“W-why can’t I see anything?”

“Because, you have a bandage over your eyes, you received a few nasty cuts to your face in the accident.”

I felt her gently tug at something on my head - most likely the bandage- and soon the darkness slowly gave way to light as the bandage was taken off me. I blinked and groaned as I tried to get used to the light before my vision began to focus, I looked around and saw a nurse smiling down at me.

“So... it was all a dream...” I muttered under my breath.

“Your family is outside, Scott. Would you like me to send them in?”

“YES!” I shouted happily, perhaps a little too happily.

The nurse chuckled as she left the room, as she did I took in my entire surroundings. I saw one of those large clocks on the wall that displayed the date and the time. 

October 9th 2010, 10:15 pm it read.

I saw that I was connected to one of those heart machines and watched the line do the whole beep thing which you’d see on those hospital shows like Casualty or something. It was then that I noticed I was in my own room, no other patients were with me which I found a little odd at first but remembered that I had just come out of a serious accident and people who get hurt - as I assumed I had- that bad were placed in secure rooms, figured I’d get moved later on a bit.

The door opened and I looked over to see my mother and little sister literally rush in, my mother had tears in her eyes along with the biggest smile I’d ever seen. My little sister gasped and ran over to me, pulling me into a bone crushing hug to which I cried out in pain.

“S-sorry, Scott...” she apologised.

“It’s... ok, Jessica.” I winced as and gently laid myself back into the bed, “where’s dad?”

“He’ll be here tomorrow sweetie, he’s flying back from the business trip in the States to see you,” my mother replied as she came over and kissed my forehead.

“So... what actually happened?” I asked.

“Well, according to witnesses you apparently crossed a road without looking and a lorry crashed right into you. The doctors say its a miracle... that... you’re...”

She choked back a sob and began to cry as she gently pulled me into a hug as I stroked her back, as I did so images flashed back to the accident.

“I remember... I didn’t bother looking when I crossed that road,” I groaned to myself.

We spent about half an hour or so just talking - most of it being my mum going on about how she was so afraid she’d lost me and me keep telling her that it’s ok now - but something was really bothering me, I was covered in a few bandages and I could see visible cuts and bruises but nothing was broken, literally no bones were broken and it bothered me slightly.

There was a knock at the door to the room they had me in, the nurse who was looking after me opened it two police officers walked in.

“Hello, Scott,” the first one, who was a man, said, “how’re you feeling?”

“Been better, can’t really complain,” I replied with a shrug.

“That’s good, we’d like to go over what happened if that’s alright with you?”

“That sounds ominous,” I said raising my brow.

“Well, some witness accounts and the drivers account claim you walked in front of the lorry without looking. Whilst some others say the lorry driver didn’t stop-”

“Look officers, there’s no need. I didn’t look before I crossed, simple as that. I’m really sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused,” I interrupted, “I’d just like to move on and forget all this if that's alright with you.”

“Are you certain?”

I nodded, knowing it was entirely my fault I ended up in hospital.

“Alright then, guess we better go tell the lorry driver the good news,” the officer replied as they started to leave.

“Wait!” I said, “how... how is the driver?” I asked.

“A fair bit shaken up, he was convinced the accident was his fault,” he replied.

I felt my heart sank as the guilt hit me like a ton of bricks, I let my mind race to thoughts of that driver. How was he truly coping with this? Did he have a family and was he terrified of going to prison over this? How would he cope with driving again? Would he be terrified of something like this happening again?

I nodded to the officer and laid back into the bed again and shut my eyes, my mum could see I was upset and gently squeezed my hand.

“Do... you want some time alone?” She asked.

I didn’t answer, I only nodded as she smiled and kissed my forehead again. I listened as my mum and sister left the room leaving me on my own with the nurse, she took a few readings or something from me - I wasn’t really paying much attention anyway - and gave me a couple of pills to take to help with the mild pain I had.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked.

“What’s that Scott?” She replied.

“It’s something that’s bothering me, I was hit by a lorry which I’m guessing was going fairly fast, and was curious as to why I have got no broken limbs,” I paused briefly before nervously chuckling, “don’t get me wrong, I’m pleased as punch I don’t but it just doesn't seem right you know?”

That’s when I noticed something else that was odd, the nurse gave me a blank stare but had a pleasant smile on her face. It seemed like hours passed before she finally spoke up and replied to me.

“The doctors just said you were lucky that’s all, now, you need to get some rest.”

And with that, she abruptly left, not telling me how to call a nurse or doctor. What was weirder and a little heartbreaking was that my family didn’t come back in either, I pushed it aside deciding that they probably ushered my family away so I could rest and they’d be back tomorrow morning.





“...”

My eyes shot open as I jolted up in the bed, wincing softly in pain as I scanned the near blackness of my room. I had heard something, like a whisper right beside my ear and it had scared the shit out of me. With my heart pounding furiously I looked all around the room, I saw the clock on the wall, the digits were illuminated and told me it was just after one in the morning before trying to see if anything was out of the ordinary. 

Nothing...

I sighed and shook my head and rested it once more against the softness of the pillow.

“...”

My eyes soft open again but I kept my head on the pillow, I heard the whisper again. Very slowly, I sat upwards, keeping myself as quiet with my breathing as I possibly could whilst trying to see if something was there.

Then something stranger happened, I caught a whiff of something cooking... something familiar and delicious.

“Roast pork?” I whispered.

“Why are we helping it?”

“Because it saved my life, our lives.”

I put my hand over my mouth to stifle the whimper that was trying to escape from my lips, I heard another whisper for the third time but this time it was clearer. My brow began to sweat as my breathing became rapid, something was in the room with me.

I could hear my heart beating rapidly in my ears, I slowly let go of my mouth and remained staring into the blackness for any kind of movement. I noticed on the clock that it now read.

October 10th, 2:30 am.

I let out a sigh, I’d wasted a good hour or so on simple noises and decided it must have been nothing but a side effect from the medication.I yawned loudly and settled down to sleep again. 

But that didn’t last very long either.

I let out a startled whimper as I shifted in my bed quickly and pressed up against the backboard, looking around as I gripped the wooden metal backboard with both my hands. Something had fucking brushed my head...





“Good morning, Scott, just seeing... oh my you don’t look too good.”

It was about seven in the morning and the nurse had entered the room carrying a tray with her and she looked at me in surprise, I was still leaning against the backboard - although not with so much awareness as I was sleep deprived - and had bags under my eyes, my hair was messy and I felt sticky from the sweat of the night. I yawned and rubbed my eyes as I finally relaxed for the first time since waking up and stretched.

“Yeah... rough night that’s all.”

“Well anyway, I brought you some toast and water for breakfast, and your family will be coming soon along with your friends I’m told.”

I smiled at her and thanked her for the food, as she left I became aware that there was a tv mounted to the wall. Confused as to why I hadn’t noticed it before  I shrugged it off and dug out the remote for the thing and turned it on.

“Welcome to the show, now my first guest-”

“Oh hell no,” I changed the channel the second Jeremy Kyle began talking.

“And now children, we carefully check for easter eggs-”

I changed the channel again from a rerun of a kids easter cartoon special.

“This is the fastest sports car... in the world-”

As much as I liked Top Gear, I wasn’t in the mood for it.

I changed the channel and eventual groaned in frustration finding nothing good on the tv at all and turned it off, finishing off my toast, I was kinda perplexed as to why I couldn’t taste it or the butter that was on it. Shrugging to myself, I leant back into my pillow as I allowed boredom to overcome me.





About an hour or so of being bored out of skull, the nurse had come in a couple of times to check up on me as well as a couple of doctors who again reminded me of just how lucky I was to be alive. My friends eventually showed up, happy for the company and something to do at last.

“So man, how you feeling?” Sam asked me.

“Like crap,” I yawned, “kinda had a rough night.”

“Well duh, you were hit by a lorry.” Luke grinned.

“Shut it.”

We all joked and laughed for a good full hour before the door opened and my mum and sister came in along with my dad, he came over to me and offered me his hand. I couldn’t help but grin and give him a hearty handshake, much to my mother’s annoyance.

“How you doing, Scott? He asked me.

“Not too bad,” I replied with a stretch, “sorry you had to come back early.”

“Damn right you should be sorry!” He glared at me.

Everyone was silent as they stared at him in shock, I, however, slowly grinned along with him. We would occasionally pretend to get into an argument, something we enjoyed doing to wind my mum up. After we both received a verbal telling off from my mum, my parents sat down and we all began to chat once more, talking about what I had missed in the last couple of days, which wasn’t that much to be honest. Mum had rung work and told them I what had happened and apparently during my unconscious, they had visited the day before I woke up and I made a mental note to pop into work to say hi to the guys. Soon ,a doctor came into the room with a clipboard and some paper attached to it.

“Alrighty, Scott... it would seem you can go home this afternoon if you so wish.”

“Y-you’re serious?” I asked, completely taken by surprise.

“Mhm, you’ve been very lucky and walked away with only a few cuts and bruises, though I do recommend plenty of rest.”
I nodded to the doctor as he left, I was completely speechless as were the rest of us. Soon my mum had to leave to take my sister to her friends house and my dad had to go to his office and drop something off, Sam then decided to flick through the channels on the tv as me and Luke talked.

“So what do you want to do today then?” Luke asked, “we could have the guys round if you want?”

“Today on house fancy-” I heard the tv changing channel in the background.

“Sure, sounds like a plan,” I looked over at Sam who was engrossed in channel surfing and lobbed a pillow at him,” hey, Sam you and Alice fancy coming over tonight?”

“Yeah,” he replied keeping his attention on the tv as he changed the channel, ignoring the fact a pillow had hit him.

“You slept with HER BOYFRIEND-” 

Sam changed the tv thankful off Jeremy Kyle which was being shown again on a different channel for some reason. I looked at Luke who looked at me with a grin.

“You’re an arsehole with a tiny dick, Sam,” Luke said to him.

“Yeah,”

Me and Luke stifled our childish snickering as the tv changed channel once again.

“My little pony-”

“Pass,” Sam grunted.

“So it’s decided!” Luke declared, “drinking and video games tonight it is! Well maybe just video games for you Scott.”

I rolled my eyes and leant back into my pillow as Sam groaned in the same frustration I did being unable to find anything interesting.

----

Much to my protest and to my friends amusement, I was being wheeled home in a wheelchair and was powerless to get out of it. I secretly enjoyed it but I wasn’t planning on tell them that, before we had left Sam rang his sister to see if she was able to make it over tonight.

I slapped my forehead when Sam remembered that Alice was going out of town after the weekend, as we approached the flat I got out of the wheelchair and went up to my room first. With a loud sigh I flopped into my bed and smiled to myself, I was back home.

But... I was still bothered by that dream world I was in, not to mention the fact I was virtually unscathed in the entire thing, I mean surely I would of been in a full body cast or something? And then there was last night... with the whispering and the smells and the... touching thing that touched me, something felt wrong.

Letting out a sigh of frustration I decided to forget about it for the time being and head downstairs, when I got downstairs the other two had already set up the Gamecube and has loaded in Mario Kart Double Dash into it and I picked up my controller.

After an hour or so playing and generally enjoying myself, I felt myself getting more and more tired and decided to call it a night. I put my controller down and stretched with a yawn.

“Alright guys.. I’m gunna hit the hay.” I yawned as I walked to the stairs

“Ok dude, sleep tight.” Sam replied.

“Don’t dream about the Hobolls tonight!” Luke chuckled.

“Nah I won’t, they only existed in-”

I froze on the spot, how did Luke know about the Hobolls? I hadn’t told anyone... about my dream...

“Luke... how did you...?”

I turned round slowly and saw that both Sam and Luke were gone, the tv was complete static and I began to hear the sounds of wood groaning.

“Luke? SAM?!” I shouted.

I didn’t get a response, the whole room was now groaning as the walls creaked and the sound of wood snapping filled my ears. My eyes went wide in fear as I ran for the door only for the room to morph into a long corridor, the door disappearing at a faster pace than I could run before finally vanishing into shadows.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!?” I cried out.

“Scott...hurry!”

That voice... it sounded familiar, I realised it was the voice of the person who called themselves Princess Luna.

“No... no no no no NO! YOU’RE NOT REAL! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING I WAS BACK FOR FUCKS SAKE!” I shouted at the voice, covering my ears with my hands and closed my eyes.

“Scott, snap out of it!”

I opened my eyes as the new voice, unlike the other which was around me this one was in my head. It was the one I had heard when I killed the Hoboll leader in my dream.

“W-what’s...” I whispered in fear.

“Before it gets you, Scott, run! Follow her voice!”

I looked around and saw that the shadows where the door had vanished where getting closer and closer, slowly gaining speed. With a whimper, I took off and ran down the other end of the corridor, towards where a bright white light was coming.

“Hurry Scott! You’re nearly there!” Luna’s voice cried.

“It’s waking up...” 

I panted as I sprinted as fast as I could, the third voice sounded familiar to me but I couldn’t think at that moment, all I wanted to do was get out of this madness. I dared to turn around and nearly screamed at what I saw, behind me emerging from the shadows were golden tendrils that led into two red eyes that glowed in the darkness, just as it was making a grab for me I threw myself into the light.

I felt a familiar sense of light headedness as a low hum echoed around me, I tried to cry out but my mind went blank and I passed out.





I let out a loud roar as I sat bolt upright, eyes wide and heavily panting as I quickly looked around at my surroundings. I was in some sort cave, I could feel the heat of a fire nearby as it crackled loudly, I cast my gaze to my left and saw that it was nighttime and I closed my eyes and rubbed my head. My eyes widened as I felt the same stone like texture from before in my dream and looked at my hands.

I was a Gargoyle again.

I groaned in frustration and I buried my head in my hands.

“What’s going on...” I whispered, “why am I back in this dream...?”

I looked out to the night sky again and let out a long, deep sigh.

“Guess I’m stuck here for the time being...” I muttered, “fantastic...”

I felt something touch my arm and looked over to see the same white mare I had rescued from being raped, behind her were several of the other ponies who were in the cage including the foal and the stallion. She had a look of sadness on her face but her smile showed a level of caring.

“It’s ok... you're safe now,” she whispered with a smile.

“W-what?” 

“You were poisoned...” the stallion spoke up, “when we ran from the campsite, my wife came out of the tent and ran over to your body.”

I looked down at my chest to see my wound had been bandaged and I was lying on a makeshift bed of leaves, I also saw by the fire what appeared to be some meat cooking.

“The roast pork...” I whispered, remembering the smell from the hospital.

“After we tried to get her to run with us,” the stallion continued, “she told us what you did for her and convinced us to help you. Although some refused to and ran back to their villages, we stayed and helped you into this cave where Snow Wing did her best to remove the poison and gave you an antidote.

I nodded as I kept my eyes fixated on the pork, my stomach growled and I laughed nervously.

“Can... I have some of that? I’m really hungry...”

“Sure, we kept some of what the Hobolls were cooking just in case you were hungry and you know, tried to eat us...” he laughed nervously back, “no offence.”

“None taken,” I shrugged as I was handed the meat, “thanks.”

I happily took a large bite from it and began to chew on it, moaning in delight as the flavours hit my taste buds, I realised I was making the ponies nervous so I calmed down and swallowed.

“So... where’re the rest of you?” I asked taking another bite.

Snow Wing looked to the stallion who looked back at her with a face of concern before she looked back at me.

“Well... when we brought you to the cave, the others wanted to just leave you there.”

“Ungrateful little buggers...” I muttered.

“They claimed that, because you had killed all the Hobolls in the camp, they were not going to be able to report back to the main camp where they came from. Thus, making the Hobolls send a patrol, larger than the one at the camp to come and see what had happened.”

I slowly nodded as I continued to eat the succulent meat, starting to see where they were going with this.

“And seeing that they had been killed... the others were worried that they might kill the other prisoners they have captive in revenge...”

I stopped eating and looked at her, swallowing what’s in my mouth I mentally sighed and turned to look out of the cave. I figured that if I was stuck in this dream, I might as well go to Equestria like Princess Luna had suggested, where I probably would find the answers to all of this. But I didn’t want to just up and abandon these ponies dream or not, there was a long silence before I finally broke it.

“Do you know where the main camp is?” I asked.

“We think it’s north of where you met us... why do you ask?” Snow Wing replied.

With a grunt and one final bite of the pork, which I chucked into the night, I stood up and flexed my arms, legs and wings before walking out the cave.

“W-wait, where’re you going?” She called out after me.

“I’m going to get your families,” I replied.

“What the HELL are you doing?! We don’t have time to play hero!”

I ignored my mind as I kept walking, Snow Wing and the others quickly ran after me and came along beside me.

“Can you  at least tell us who and what you are?” 

“My name is Sco-”

I stopped walking and turned to look at them, an idea dawning on me, if this was a world I had created and I was stuck here for the time being... I might as well have some fun.

‘I could call myself after my Dungeons and Dragons character...’ I thought to myself with a chuckle.

“You’re seriously not suggesting you call yourself Vault after your fighter... are you?”

‘Why not? Vault was a protector of the innocent and was strong, besides, real vaults are strong and sturdy, this Gargoyle body is strong and sturdy so why not? Also... I owe it to these ponies anyway,’ I argued with myself.

“WE owe them nothing, you’re being ridiculous. Let’s just concentrate on getting to this Equestria place and find some answers.”

I ignored my mind again as I gave the ponies a reassuring grin.

“I’m Vault the Gargoyle... and I’m going to get your families back safely.”

I turned around and carried on walking, leaving the ponies behind. I couldn’t help but smugly grin at how badass I thought I had sounded.

“You’re  a fucking idiot, you know that?”

“Oh shut up...” I muttered before disappearing into the tree line.