Prologue Part I
~**********~
I slowly opened my eyes, the soft light peering from behind the curtains. My body felt numb as I lay in my single bed, a solitary thought going through my head.
Fourteen years, today.
I quickly got out of bed, feeling that if I stayed any longer I would be consumed by it. I stretched and felt some of my joints clicking in the process. I walked to the closet and grabbed a shirt and jeans.
How things have changed, it seems like it went by so fast. Well, I suppose I better get breakfast and meet up with Myke. Some toast and eggs later, I grabbed my keys and headed downstairs.
I sighed to myself as I passed a mirror, stopping to look into it. A nerdy young man looking back at me with dark green eyes. His dirty blonde hair, styled back as always. His white t-shirt with a picture of a motorcycle on it, baggy jeans draping over his sneakers.
“Not bad,” I say to myself.
I grabbed my backpack and headed out to Myke’s place. A simple glance around the neighborhood and I could see that everyone was outside, enjoying a nice summer’s day. Living their lives and in general being happy.
A small smile crept onto my face.
I was truly happy…A long time ago.
Fourteen years, today.
Thinking about back then made me tear up a little, so I pushed the memories back as best I could. Luckily Myke lived a bit down the street so by the time I got there, I had had time to compose myself before ringing the doorbell.
“I’m coming!” came a yell from inside.
When the door opened I was greeted by the sight of a beautiful young woman with blue eyes. (Her name is actually Mykenzie, but I call her Myke). She was a bit tomboyish at first glance, but I wouldn’t call it butch or anything. Her long black hair reaching to her elbows, perhaps it was a bit too long. She had a familiar pop-culture shirt on, something about being a doctor or whatever, with a pair of cargos.
“Hey Myke!” I greeted and gave her a hug.
“Hey Lemon!” She said with a little grin.
“Man, do you really still have to call me that?” I asked and playfully shoved her. “You know we don’t use those names anymore.”
“Ah, but you see, that will change. I, in my brilliance! And a few friends that owe me of course, have finally found it!” She said, striking a pose that resembles that of a mad scientist. Sometimes I think she might be one.
“Your dignity?” I asked sarcastically.
“No, you goof. I found it. You know… “ her expression turning serious “…another mirror.” she finished, almost whispering.
My heart stopped with those words, my mouth went dry and I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I clutched my shirt, feeling a little dizzy and sat down right there in the doorway. I couldn’t believe it, it felt like my world was turned upside down for a moment.
“Richard! Are you ok?” Myke asked.
I looked up and saw she was looking at me with a concerned expression, almost like she herself was on the verge of tears. I didn’t know what to think. The fact that she had truly found it, had shaken me to my core.
Fourteen years, today.
“You’re planning...” I swallowed nervously “...to go there, aren’t you?” I asked.
The whole reason why she asked me to come over on this day, the reason she wanted to leave on a camping trip on this very day.
“Of course I’m going! Nothing will stop me from doing so!” She almost yelled at me, her resolve showing even though a few tears streaked down her cheeks.
“The big question now is, are you coming with me or not?” She asked with her hand extended to me.
It might have seemed like a simple thing at first, but it wasn’t. This wasn’t just a choice I had to make to either stay or go, it was more along the lines of either going, or forgetting completely. Forgetting what we had been through, what we had seen, heard and felt…forgetting about magic.
I grabbed her hand and with her help, rose to my feet, holding tightly and looking into those blue eyes of hers.
“I’m going!” I replied.
She smiled a little and pulled me in for a hug, her arms holding me maybe a bit too tight.
“I knew I could count on you Lemon!” she said with a nervous laugh.
“Do we really have to use those names though? Can’t we change them?” I asked begrudgingly. The sound of being called Lemon still felt a bit…sour.
“No backsies!” She said and pushed me away, waiting for me to say something”
“Fine…Snowy. Happy now?” I said with a slight sigh.
“Yeah, now follow me,” she said and invited me in.
What did I get myself into? Why did I agree to this? I know why.
Fourteen years, today.
I keep thinking that it’s all I need to push on, and see what tomorrow brings. I know it can all change, I know that we might not see tomorrow and that all we have is our hopes and dreams. Some days will be better than others, but in the end, it’s who you have left to spend those days with, I thought to myself.
I closed the door behind me and followed Myke to the dining room. There, she had a map open on the table. On it was some writing, indications for locations and some symbols I recognize from a long time ago. We set our bags to the side and then took our seats across from each other.
“So, now that you are onboard, we don’t have much time. You know the rules,” she said and gave me a stern look.
“I remember it, it’s kind of hard to forget.” I said, still feeling a little uneasy.
“Good! We leave in an hour, just enough time to make sure we have everything we need, which we should because I told you what to bring. But if you did bring something unnecessary, ditch it.” She continued.
“Right, so I’m guessing we’re going the full two weeks?” I ask.
She nodded and pointed to a circled part of the map. “It’s not too far from here, about a three hour drive to be exact.”
She was right, it wasn’t too far at all. Though I can hardly say I get out much. The place where we would be heading was located in an abandoned mining town.
“Ugh, really? I don’t mind going out there, but places like that give me the heebie jeebies.” I shuddered at the thought.
“Exactly, it’s perfect!” she exclaimed, nearly making me fall off my seat. “Make some calls if you need to, we won’t be in service range after all.”
Did I really have someone to call though, other than my parents, whom I had already told about the camping trip. After I moved out, I was always kind of on my own. I mean, I didn’t have any issues with my family, just that we don’t talk much. And I don’t really have any friends, other that Myke of course.
“Nah, I told my folks I was heading out, so they won’t try to call me. I take it you made your calls already?” I asked.
“Of course silly, and I told my roommate Kelly that she has the place to herself for a while” She replied.
Knowing her, she made those calls days in advance. She’s almost always been like that, planning ahead and being prepared for whatever heads her way. Kind of like an unstoppable force of nature. I admired that, and I was kind of jealous. Mostly because everything I did was on a whim, or out of pure necessity.
We sat in silence for a few moments, everything that we needed was ready and all the arrangements made.
“Ugh! Let’s just get going already,” I finally said.
She rolled up the map and packed away her things into her own backpack, tossing it over her shoulder. It may be a two week pack, but she had made it abundantly clear to pack light.
I got up and grabbed my gear, gesturing for her to lead the way. I locked the front door for her and then followed her to the garage. Her car wasn’t much too look at, a tiny hatchback with an even tinier engine.
We managed to load our stuff into the back and got into the small car. The garage door opened and the light of the sun streamed in, nearly blinding me in its radiance. Myke turned the key and the little beast sputtered to life. She pulled out of the garage, pausing for a moment. Both of us looked at her house and then each other. She gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder and then off we went.
“Don’t you need the map?” I asked.
“It’s fine, it’s a simple route, nothing that I can’t remember,” she shrugged.
My gaze turned outside to all the people, bidding a silent farewell to them and the neighborhood.
~*****~
Most of the drive was relatively silent, the occasional quip here and there. There wasn’t much scenery to look at either, so awkward silence it was for the rest of the drive. Usually Myke and I would make a lot of jokes and puns, playing silly games to pass the time. Not this time. It felt different. It was different.
Fourteen years, today.
I hate having time to myself to think. I hate dwelling on things long past. It’s something that I have been unable to avoid for fourteen years now. Back then…
“We’re here,” Myke said, interrupting my thoughts.
We had entered the little mining town, a lot of old and abandoned buildings passing us by. At first I thought it was creepy, but in reality it was just depressing. Like the town would suck the happiness from its population. I really felt uncomfortable now, and it was not just the worn through seats of the wheelbarrow of a car we were in.
I could tell Myke was feeling uneasy too, her brow furrowed and her knuckles white on the steering wheel.
“Is it in one of these buildings?” I ask nervously.
“Yeah, it’s up ahead,” she said and pointed out a derelict of a house, the paint having long since peeled off. To make matters worse, it was a wooden house, so it didn’t look structurally stable.
“Are there any people here at all?” I asked as I looked around the town.
“Nobody comes here anymore, they all get the ‘Heebie Jeebies’ like you said.” She said, bringing the car to a complete stop in front of the house.
“You don’t think it’s because of what’s inside there, do you?” I asked as I pointed to the building.
“Please, I was kidding. The feeling you have is probably more along the lines of recognition,” She said in her as-a-matter-of-fact tone.
“Oh, ok then,” I said, not wanting to go into details.
The car’s engine stopped and we got out. The air of this abandoned town smelt of wet carpet and rotting wood. The road itself was cracked and no visible markings were left, even parts of the road were completely missing from some of the streets. We grabbed our things from the car and Myke pulled a tarp from under the seat. We pulled it over the car and straightened it out a little, making sure it was secure before heading to the building. I followed closely, our every step sounded like it echoed through the entire town. When Myke set her foot on the porch, it cleanly went through the rotted floor boards.
“Careful Myke!” I yelled, grabbing hold of her arm..
“I’m fine, just watch your step,” she said and continued onward.
A few more careful steps and what seemed like an eternity later, we finally reached the front door. Or rather what’s left of the front door. The entire bottom half was missing and the top seemed like it was barely attached.
When Myke touched it, she found that its look betrayed its strength. Unable to budge the piece of lumber, she simply crouched under it, slipping into darkness. I took a deep breath and followed into the abyss. The stale air and rotten wood filled my nostrils, though I couldn’t be bothered at that moment. I had lost sight of Myke.
“Myke! Where are you?” I called out.
“I’m in here!” she called back.
I quickly, but carefully made my way to her voice. The inside of the house was almost completely stripped bare, apart from a chair and really ugly coffee table. It was made out of scrap iron, probably from the mine itself.
I rounded the corner, and lo and behold. Myke was standing in front of what had to be one of the largest mirrors I have ever seen. Granted, I don’t get out much so there might be bigger but wow this thing was huge. And then I noticed something. Everything was covered in dust. The floor had dust, the walls had dust, and my shoes had gathered an incredible amount of dust in such a short amount of time, but the mirror’s surface was spotless. No dust, no cobwebs, nothing but our reflections.
I walked up next to Myke and in an instant she grabbed my hand, looking over to me with a dead serious expression. Her hand squeezing mine rather tightly.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Nope, lets go home and wait a day or two,” I gave back sarcastically.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself as best I could considering the circumstances.
“Fourteen years, today.” I said out loud.
Myke didn’t answer. Instead she started walking to the mirror, inching closer and closer until she started to sink into the reflective surface, the reflection warping as it rippled. I followed closely and soon felt a warm sensation, kind of like slowly settling into a warm bath. I watched my reflection fusing with myself, until it reached my face.
Then… I saw colours, and not just any colours. Every colour imaginable at the same time, and some I didn’t even know. It’s hard to describe a colour that isn’t really a colour. I could still feel my hand around Myke’s, this calmed me a bit.
When I thought it would go on forever and that we had made a terrible mistake, light flooded my eyes and I had to raise my other arm to shield it. Unfortunately this had proven to be a bad idea, since my other hand, or I should say hoof, was around Myke’s hoof, causing me to fall straight on my newly shaped muzzle. We were on a hill somewhere and around us, nothing but open fields and a few trees
“Ow ow ow!” I cried out before rubbing my sore nose with a soft yellow furred forearm.
Myke started to laugh at my blunder. I turned to see a stunning sky-blue pegasus mare with deep blue eyes and a beautiful white flowing mane holding my hoof. I rose up from my position and glanced back in the mirror, seeing my own reflection. A soft yellow pegasus stallion with green eyes and a styled back… light blue mane.
“I will never understand these colours.” I sighed.
“Doesn’t matter Lemon, we aren’t here for the sights,” Myke said sternly “fourteen years, today.” She continued, making me perk my ears.
“That’s right…Fourteen years, today. Fourteen years since we were last here, fourteen years since we got separated,” I said solemnly, still staring at our reflections in the mirror.
“We will find him, we have to,” she said, gripping my hoof even tighter.
It was then that I noticed her cutie mark. It was that of an avalanche on a mountain.
“Nice flank.” I blurted out without thinking.
KER-SLAP!!!