“Why is it so damn cold here?” I slurred, slipping on the slick ice coating the path through the park.
“Because, you grew up in a much warmer climate, so your body doesn't acclimate well to the more frigid temperatures.”
I could barely walk because of Twilight and my general acceptance of free alcohol. Not really something a recovering alcoholic should be doing but not about turn down free booze. I really should learn to say no to it, or in general. Never really could say no to someone that wasn't my parents, no matter what.
I really should cut down on the drinking to be honest. Wait, I had already given up cigarettes today, so maybe this was just me supplementing one addiction with another.
“Why does this ground have to be so damn icy?” I said, struggling to keep my balance. I was pretty much relying on Rarity to keep me level at this point. If I lost my footing now, it would be bad. I was much taller than her. One good slip and we’d both be on our asses.
“You really should understand your limits. This is most unbecoming.” Rarity grunted. She stopped, slightly wheezing in the frigid December air. “It would help if you actually tried to carry your own weight.”
“Well, excuse me, duchess, but I honestly did not expect to be roped up into a spontaneous drinking contest with Twilight.”
“I’m impressed though. You once said that you did not succumb to the effects of alcohol, that you never get drunk.”
“I don’t think...I have ever said that. And anyways, what’s the deal between Sparkles and the bartender....Lemon Schnapps?”
“Lemon Twist. Well, that has been an adventure. I didn't think he still had romantic feelings for her. Twilight has always been a bit more... oblivious when it came to people. Lemon was two years ahead of us in school. He had such the crush on her in high school. Pinkie and I tried to help him out so many times, but she always had her nose stuck in a book or some paper.”
“Guess we can’t all be lucky in that respect can we?” I said, slipping out of Rarity’s grasp, slumping down on the small layer of snow. I giggled to myself and looked up with a small little grin. “Maybe I did have a bit too much. A little help?”
Rarity looked down at me and giggled quietly. After a couple of seconds, she lowered her hand to me. In a bit of drunken stupidity, I grabbed it and yanked her down on top of me. She lurched forward and landed with a thump.
“Ow, I really did not think that one through.”
“No, you really did not. Now what was the point of pulling me down into the snow?”
“I think I had a reason, but I kinda forget when you landed next to me.”
She stifled a small giggle, “You really should stop that. How can I keep someone around that forgets things about me so easily?”
“Never! You can’t get rid of me that easily.” I slurred, attempting to push myself up off the ground. From my left came a small chuckle. “What are you laughing at...you… you… I got nothin’.”
“No, I would never laugh at you,” she lied, barely able to contain her mirth. “But, you are right about one thing. I don’t think I would ever be able to get rid of you.”
“Oh, you would never be able to get rid of me?” I said, smiling devilishly towards the now surprised girl shuffling in her embarrassment.
“What I meant to say was... that?” She smiled, looking up at, an almost embarrassed grin stretching across her face.
“Damn right that’s what you meant to say!” I shouted, jumping quickly off the ground, starting to twirl in the air.
“What are you doing?” Rarity sighed at me two feet below where I was now looping, “and when did you get to be such a good flyer. Three weeks ago you could barely lift yourself off of the ground and look at you now. You are quite the little dancer there, aren’t you?”
“I can do much more than that. You just never see it.” I laughed, closing my wings and allowing myself to flop back down into the snow with a soft crunch. I glanced over to see a scrunched face, a disappointed stare piercing my body.
“And why do I never get to see this side of you?”
“Well,” I said, trying to figure out why she actually had never seen me do these kinds of things. “Maybe it’s because I generally do this kind of stuff in my room. So you’d pretty much have to catch me with my pants down...so to speak. Hell, even if you lived with me, you would still have to surprise me.” I slurred.
“You bring up an excellent point.” Rarity stated, sliding up next to me, “What if I were to live with you?”
“What?!” I almost shouted as my wings clamped shut, forcing my plummet into a small snowbank. The dazed feeling washed over me with such force my insides burned and my stomach started to turn uncomfortably.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Meant by what?”
“You wanting to live with me?”
“Of course I do. I love you and I do not want to waste anymore time not being around you. It’s amazing, Father approves of you, Mother loves you and Sweetie Belle, even though I did not need her approval, has given it.” She beamed, letting her hair dance around in the small wind that had started to pick up.
I felt numb. I could barely register what was being said to me. She wanted to move in with me? Live with me? Why? There had to be a reason why? Oh man. I could feel my lungs draw for air, but it never felt enough. I started hyperventilating, and was it bad. I heaved and wheezed for what seemed hours and I could not get myself to calm down.
‘This is exactly what I meant.’
Oh no. Why now, why do you have to be here now. My shadow twisted, the orange eyes with its purplish haze appearing before me on the ground, a wide fanged smile accompanying them.
‘You couldn't even cope with someone seeing your wings for years,’ the shadow hissed, ‘How are you going to have the woman that says she “loves you” see you at your most vulnerable.’
‘Shut up. She has seen me then.’
‘No, she has not. Not like I have. Not like what I relish in.’
‘Shut up.’
‘Face it, she is only doing this so that she doesn't have to pay a full rent check and food all the time. She is just using you. You will soon become her puppet!’ The shade screamed, raising its shadowy arms up, clasping its hands around my neck.
“Leave Me Alone!” I shouted, bellowing loudly at the shade. It fell limply from around my neck, regaining its original shape, the low laugh echoing in my ears as it did.
“Well, I’m sorry for caring about your well being.” A very disgruntled voice said from above me. I turned around to see the dagger eyes once again.
“What?” I asked, shifting my weight to my knees.
“What was that all about? Telling me to leave you alone.” Rarity stated calmly. Almost too calmly.
“I’m sorry, but I am pretty confused here.” I said, pulling myself off the ground.
“Where should I start?” she said, advancing on my. She rushed me so fast, I barely had a chance to react before I felt the force of her body slam into mine. I felt my ribs heave under the sudden impact, causing me to fall once again to my knees. “Here I am, trying to discuss something with you and you are over here, freaking out about nothing. Yes, I understand that you are drunk and that this is a big step but telling me to leave you alone? Even shouting at me like I was someone attacking you?”
“What? No! I wasn’t shouting.” I said, clutching my ribs. “I was yelling at-” I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t tell her what I was yelling at, she’d think me crazy. And the reason why? I couldn’t say it either.
“Whom were you yelling at?” She asked, almost demanding the answer. I couldn’t bare to look her in the eyes. I felt them piercing through my coat and shirt, drilling straight into my body and out to the snow behind me.
“I….” I barely whispered.
“That’s what I thought.” Rarity said, her tone shifting abruptly. I let my head hang down in front of me as I heard footprints softly crunch towards me. After a few seconds, the footsteps stopped as she stood in front of me.
I had to look up at her. I felt compelled by something. I couldn’t explain it, but when I looked up, I saw something that I never wanted to see again. A single tear cascaded down from her cheek into the snow in front of her. I stared at the spot where it landed for a second, then back to her. Just in time for me to see her palm swing into view. The sharp smack stunned me right down to the core.
“Can’t even give me an answer, can you.” Rarity softly said, struggling hard to hold her frustration. “I thought, maybe, that I can finally let someone in. That it would be ok to open up to someone that wasn’t my friends or family. But evidently, I was wrong. I don’t even know how to feel about this.”
Her words just dug deeper and deeper. The soft plip of tears on the snow was killing me. I wanted to prove to her that she wasn’t wrong to open up to me, but how can I when I can’t even open up to her about my own problems.
“Can’t you say anything to me at all? Or are you just content on sitting there, further fueling my anger.”
“I don’t know what to say.” I finally choked out.
“That is not a damn answer!” she shouted at me.
“Well I don’t know what to say, OK?” I returned, clenching my fists in the snow. My whole body shook with anger and frustration. “I just don’t. I have a lot of demons. It feels like every time something goes right for me, it all comes crashing down on me! I got adopted young, but knew nothing of a happy family. I tried to make friends, but got teased by these stupid things.” I said, flapping my wings furiously,
“The only people that care about me always had some ulterior motive. Only my sister and Uncle Disc seemed to care. It looked like you do too, but at the same time I have no idea why you love me.” I felt the tears burn as they started to drip down onto the snow next to her’s. “I can’t help it. Almost everyone I have known wants something from me. And it’s crippled me. I’m completely paranoid that you will leave when you get what you want-”
Her palm slammed into my face once again. I could feel my rage building up, burning my insides. My wings flipped open, ready to fight. I started to raise myself off the ground, but as I did, I felt her collapse on top of me, throwing her arms around my neck and shoulders, holding me tight.
“You idiot.” She softly cried into my shoulder. “Don’t you ever think of me like that. I know I can’t give you a straight answer on why, but that should not mean that I don’t.”
“I know, but my sister got into my head and then my mind got away from me and my self doubt came into play and-” I felt her soft hand touch my lips as she steadied herself on her knees in front of me.
“You’re rambling, and you know it just is not a good style.” She said, placing her arm back around my neck. “I know you haven’t been telling me everything. I get that. Life must not be easy when you carry all this weight around, but that’s why I’m here. I want to help you.”
I let my head slump down against her shoulder, staring wide eyed towards the ground behind her. I wanted to tell her everything, but I just couldn’t. Even bringing those memories up cripples me to the point of paralysis.
“What do you feel comfortable telling me?” She asked, bringing my head up in her hands and staring into my eyes. Those were the eyes I knew, those sapphires. Just beautiful. I loved everything about this girl, but it was all so suddenly there that night that I can’t explain why I loved her either. Maybe things like this just happen.
“Not more than you know.” I finally slurred out.
“One day?”
I placed my forehead against her’s, feeling her soft hair caress the sides of my cheeks. This is where I wanted to be.
“Yeah.”
“Good. I think it is time for us to head back. Maybe you will feel like taking in the morning.”
“I like the idea by the way.”
“What idea?”
“Us. You know, living together?”
“Really?” Rarity asked, startled by my reply.
“Yeah, I mean, maybe there is something about us that doesn’t make sense. AJ questioned it and it got me thinking, and then my sister started on it too. Maybe we just don’t know. But who cares. I finally feel something close to happy for a change.”
Rarity small smile quickly grew to a larger one, try as she might to keep it small and contained. She started shaking. So furiously that she dropped me back into the snow. The change in her emotion was so fast, I barely had time to register it and for the first time, I saw her overcome with joy. I had seen her happy, but never like this. This was beautiful, this was what she should always feel like.
“Well, let’s hurry back home, we have lots to do before we head back to Procient.” She said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up into her arms. “But first, I need to clean up before we get there. This coat is now soaking wet and if I do not get it dry soon, then it will be ruined. And if that happens, then that will be the worst. Possible. Thing!” She stood there with her fist clenched in front of her, her eyes wide with fear.
“Are you sure you aren’t drunk?"
She wrenched herself from my arms and turned quickly back towards me, her eyes fierce and her smile wickedly fun.
“I may have had a few drinks. Pinkie even had all of us consume her “party cannon”. If ever there was a… drink that shouldn’t be consumed regularly, that is it.” I had to agree with her on that, although I found the drink strangely wonderful. “But I’m sure with our levels of inebriation, I could still kick your butt.” She said, planting her feet into the snow, bracing her body and raising her fists. “Father did teach me a little self defense. I promise I won’t use my magic” She finished, smiling.
“Oh I’m sure you could beat him up. Scrawny little kid that he is.” a voice said from along the treeline. Rarity’s eyes drastically shrank and shifted uncomfortably, her posture shrank from her mock fighting stance, slumping to the ground with a soft thud. A small murmur, almost like a whimper escaped from her lips.
“Hello?” I shouted, concerned about the sudden change in Rarity’s...well, everything. This was even more drastic a change from just a second ago. She has gone from pissed off to slight depression to overjoyed to what looks like complete fear. I haven’t ever seen her like this. The only time I have seen her even remotely close to this is the night we arrived...when she told me about… I instinctively flipped open my wings.
“What has it been, 3 years? It is so good to see you,” the gruff voice laughed from its hiding place in the trees.
Come on ears don’t fail me now. I scanned the treeline, searching for the source. It came from behind me, to the left.
“What, Rarity, after all these years, I’m surprised at you. I never thought of you to forget me after I left such an impression.” The voice came again from behind me… where she was huddled on the ground. I spun around on the spot, to find a peg standing just a foot in front of my face.
“How…” was all she could manage to get out before the shock took complete control of her voice.
“Made some friends, powerful friends on the inside. Told me that if I took care of something, something from my past, that they would break me out. Whelp, here I am. They kept good on their end and I’m here to make good on mine.”
His face was pulled up in a sneer, his eyes a dark muddy brown. Dirty red wings and hair, his muscles, rippling under a small white t-shirt and an unbuttoned orange shirt. I could feel those eyes scan up and down my body. After a few seconds, the peg snorted and turned his back towards me, folding his wings. On his right shoulder, a mark of mountain climbing equipment.
“Ridger?”
“Ah, so you know who I am. And I guess you’d be my replacement then?”
This wasn’t good, and it really was not a good time to be drunk. Deep down I could feel my stomach churn and burn, my anger rising at the sheer audacity of this shit that stood in front of me.
“I thought you’d be taller.” Oh good job, that’s a great thing to say.
“Most do, but height isn’t everything. Sometimes, you need to have a little extra.”
From behind me, a twig snapped. Oh shit, that’s his extra, back up. I had to get us out of here. I could barely walk, but I rather risk crashing into a tree than staying here.
I made a break for it, jumping straight up into the air and speeding toward Ridger. If I could get past him, I could grab Rarity on the fly and get her out of here. As I passed him, I felt the right side of my body cave as he slammed his fist straight into my ribs, knocking the wind out of both my lungs and wings.
“What do you think you are doing, little boy? You aren’t going anywhere, are they Sliver.”
“Nope,” a voice from the tree line behind me stated.
From the trees, another man stepped out, just barely taller than his partner. In a jade green aura, a couple different blades floated over to Ridger, who grabbed them and twirled the smaller one in his hand.
“Excellent choices as always, Sliver.” Ridger calmly addressed his partner. “Perimeter all in place?”
“Yea,” Sliver replied, “no one should be able to bother us for about ten minutes.”
“It would seem, that this time, I shall have an audience.”
“An audience for what?” I asked, feeling my anger start to build.
“Well one must always make sure the audience is comfortable. Sliver?”
Sliver nodded and waved his left hand in my direction. As soon as his hand passed my body, I felt a weak magic bind my wrists and ankles to the ground. I furiously flapped my wings, trying to futile break free of the bonds that held me down.
“I here to finish the job I started 3 years ago.” He turned and threw Rarity to the ground with all the force he could muster. “She couldn’t just die and leave well enough alone,” he jumped back to me, “Nothing personal to you kid, but I can’t say I won’t enjoy this.”
He walked slowly back over to Rarity and squatted down next to her. She tried to shuffle back in the snow but he had her in one of his hands. He ripped off her coat so easily, it was like watching a chef slice a hot roast with a sharp knife. But this was much more horrid. He pulled out a blade. He flashed it in my direction and then held it over Rarity’s face. Now it had become his own little carving studio, and we were going to be his art.
Pulling the blade across her cheek, a thin line of blood trickled out and started to drip into the snow, staining it red. Ridger grinned as he continued to make small slits on her arms and her legs. He slipped the blade underneath her shirt and pulled up to her face, revealing her gleaming white skin against the black coat had been ripped open, a purple bra was the only thing keeping her from being completely exposed.
Ridger turned and walked over to my face and slid the blade along my cheek the same way he had done to my love. He snickered and snarled at me, “But first I am going to take what is rightfully mine, and you get to watch as I take your girlfriend again.”
“Again? What do you mean again?”
“Well, if you must know, Rarity was such a little tease when we were together, but never giving me herself that way. So one night, after her finding out about my little side business, she threatened to go to the cops. Now, that just doesn’t sit well with someone like me. Had to teach her a lesson. A swift crack across the back of the head and she became my victim. Oh, it was hours before I dumped her in that park,” his eyes gleamed maniacally, shifting from me to Rarity all the while.
“She was my little slut for that time, didn’t she tell you about all this? Or has she been keeping secrets from you.” Ridger stooped down and held the blade close to my face, staring dead into my eyes. “See, she still hasn’t fucked you. It’s ok though. You won’t have to worry about that in a few hours, the only thing you will have to worry about is explaining this to Magnum. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be getting back to some unfinished business.”
As he flew back over to her and started to cut open her long skirt, something inside of me snapped. I felt rabid, almost foaming at the mouth even.
“You are a fucking coward!” I yelled. As soon as the words left my mouth, I heard the whistle of the smaller knife scream past my head and bury itself into the ground next to my wings.
“I’d watch my tone if I were you. You’re only alive because they want you to watch this. Suffer with the knowledge for the rest of your life that you couldn’t do anything while she dies right in front of your eyes. Well, she won’t be dead until later, gotta have my fun, don’t I?”
“You sick sadistic prick. You ambush and double up on people that can’t ever have a chance at getting back at you. And you bring along backup.”
Ridger walked back over and kicked me in my stomach, shattering a couple of my ribs. I fumed more, struggling against my restraints.
“You want to fight, kid?” Ridger said, bending over and picking up the knife, “Sorry, but that’s just not my style. But you know what is?” He said, stepping around me to my legs. “There is nothing wrong with a little sabotage.”
He grinned as he brought the blade down towards my ankle, balancing it against my tendon. I felt the cold metal lightly dig into my flesh. I screamed out in pain as he sawed the blade back and forth, severing the flesh and the tendon, cutting right down to the bone. I felt the tendon snap loose. My right foot went limp as my leg spasmed in the snow. The dark blood stained the snow under my leg.
“They never said anything about torturing you. They just want you to suffer. And suffer I can make you do. Now,” he said, turning back towards Rarity, dropping the small knife near my head, “I really am going to enjoy this. Oh and Sliver?”
“Yea?” the stocky uni snickered.
“Release him, he won’t be able to do anything.” Sliver nodded and snapped his fingers, freeing me from his grasp. I curled up, grabbing my ankle and writhing in the agony. He was right, I was completely useless. I could hear him laughing as the tears started to trickle down my face once again. There was nothing I could do to stop him.
My blood started pumping and I could feel it coursing through my veins. Something powerful from the pit of my soul. A strong surge of power. I stretched out my wings, flapping them furiously. I lifted my body off the ground, the blood dripping from my ankle into the snow. I no longer felt the pain. All I felt was hatred. Pure, unadulterated hatred. I grabbed the blade from where it had embedded itself in the ground. Gripping it tight, I aimed straight for Ridger and with all of my might, flew at break neck speed at him.
I collided with a body, but it was not Ridger’s. I could hear Rarity scream and Sliver groan from the impact. My free hand lunged for his collar, gripping it. I beat my wings faster, lifting myself and the uni off the ground a few feet. Before Ridger knew what had happened, I chucked his companion right into his side, sending them both crashing to the ground.
“Restrain Him!” He yelled to the uni. With a wave of his hand, I felt my body seize up completely, and with no ability to flap, I plummeted to the ground, landing on my feet, furthering the damage done to the severed tendon. I collapsed in the pain, once again curling into a ball when I felt the magic dissipate from around me. Ridger has his back turned towards me, with Sliver’s face peering around his shoulder, a look of shock plastered across it. Drops of blood streamed from the dagger now lodged in between his ribcage.
“Sorry, Sliver. But if you can’t even hold down a weak peg like him, then what use do I have for you. And besides, they told me no witnesses.” he said, releasing the uni from his grasp.
"But," He whispered, falling to his knees, "you said to release..." Shock still consuming his features as Ridger walked behind him. Once there, he placed his arm around Sliver’s jaw and with a quick twist, snapped his neck. The body slumped forward, the neck bones jutting out.
He just killed his own accomplice. What was he going to do to me? More importantly, what was he going to do to Rarity? I needed to get out of here. I needed to get her out of here. If he’s dead, then the perimeter is gone, meaning we can get away. I flapped my wings, lifting myself off the ground.
The next thing I knew, Ridger had once again slammed his fist into me. I fell back to the snow. Something felt off, my stomach felt really warm and wet. I looked down to see the blade sticking in me, right underneath my shattered ribs. I pulled out the blade and held it in my hand, just staring at it.
“What did you think would happen, that you wouldn’t get the same thing? I don’t care what they say, tonight is your last.” He bellowed at me, turning me around attempting to grab my neck. My left wing had a mind of its own. It unfurled and kept brushing his hands away, keeping them from my neck.
“Fuck it, you still are gonna see her die toni-” He suddenly stopped. A large yellow gem had embedded itself into his side. I looked over to see Rarity, poised in a stance, pulling different gems out of the earth and aiming them towards Ridger.
“You get away from him. Right. Now!” She screamed, launching a particularly large amethyst at his head, ricocheting off and landing a good ten feet away. He roared in rage and darted at her. I did the only thing I could think of. I lunged for his legs, wrapping my arms around his left leg, tripping him up.
“You know what!” He yelled, “You both won’t last the night.” He took the small blade from my hand and hurled the dagger at her. She yelped in pain as it dug into her right arm. The gems fell from the surrounding air as she fell backwards and slumped into a tree.
“Your turn!” He flipped me onto my back and slammed his foot into my side, breaking more ribs. I felt my left wing flip over me in an attempt to shield me.
“Well, would ya look at that,” he cackled, “looks like your body just told me what else to break.” He grabbed my wing, twisting it. The pain was unbearable. The adrenaline rush keeping me numb had worn off when the knife plunged inside of me. The knot cracked and heaved under the stress, eventually snapping. I screamed. The bone poked out from underneath the skin as the wing hung limply, barely by a flap of skin.
As my wing fell into the snow, I couldn’t help but watch it. Ridger’s strong hand closed on my neck. With what little strength I had left, I grabbed at Ridger’s face, trying to push him off.
“Hahaha! What are you going to do little man, press my face to death? It seems that once again, i will not have an audience. This has been quite fun, now she will watch as I squeeze your life from your delicate little neck.”
I felt the sweet embrace of warmth grip me, but still I attempted to pry his hand off my neck. Ridger slammed my head back into the ground and pulled my hand off his arm with his other hand. My right arm fell limp to the ground. I could barely muster any energy at all. My body burned for air, but I was unable to give it. My body thrashed under the stress and weight, but to no avail. I had lost too much blood to do anything but raise my left arm and grab Ridger's wrist.
I heard Rarity screaming something, I felt a tearing pain in my left hand and Ridger yelp in pain. I felt his hand leave my throat but it was far too late. My eyes rolled back as the darkness consumed me, all the while the low sinister laugh filled my ears.