Pinkie Pie. One of the mares in my precognitive dreams who seemed like the most amazing creature I’d ever come across. ‘Amazing’ was one hell of an understatement.
It’s been approximately 12 hours 22 minutes and 12+ seconds since I started staying with Pinkamena Diane Pie and already I seem to have my entire world turning upside down, all I could wonder is
“Who on earth has a party at 3 FREAKING A.M.?!” I yelled banging a hoof on Pinkie’s door. “PINKIE! SHUT UP I’M TRYING TO SAVE WHAT LITTLE SANITY I HAVE LEFT” I stated as I stomped a hoof on the ground, although the music she was playing only drowned my voice out.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake had left early in the morning with Pound and Pumpkin Cake in order to get an early start so they could catch the train on their family trip. “They said they’d be gone for the entire week or the very least a few days” I groaned as I slouched on the door and slowly slid down to a sitting position against it.
Mr and Mrs. Cake had been getting a little overworked lately due to all the orders and deliveries that Princess Celestia and Luna had been asking in preparation for a diplomatic meeting that would be going on this week. The two had spent day and night working on their “heavenly” projects as they put it and hadn’t slept that well at all last week. I had been visiting with Applejack (whom I’ve gotten a lot closer to) and Twilight when they seemed like they were on the verge of collapsing.
Retrospectively speaking I wish I had kept my mouth shut- then again I felt like if I didn’t say something to help out, the poor couple may have actually worked themselves to the bone.
After a week of helping out at Sugarcube Corner I was ready to head back to Twilight’s and relax. Sadly the world didn’t seem to want to give me that chance (as usual).
As I started to head back with the others towards Twilight’s castle quite suddenly their rumps started glowing or blinking- you know what it doesn’t matter their butts were lighting up. And not gonna lie here but this gave me the perfect excuse to stare at the five mares, minus Pinkie, for quite some time before Spike came out of castle (sensing my pervertedness) and smacked me in the face with a rolled up newspaper; It. Was.Worth it! Never thought I’d appreciate a magical map so much in my entire life.
Anyway apparently they had to go to Germaney for some kind of friendship related problem. Why peopl-- ponies would travel half across the world to solve a simple argument between friends is beyond my human understanding. Either way the five mares won’t be back for a few days so I’ve decided to stay with Pinkie while Spike says he’ll manage things at the castle. I suppose there are things I’ll still never get about this world.
“Like why would you turn the bass up at 3 in the F-ing MORNING?!” I groaned gently tapping my head against Pinkie’s door. The small tap that came with it suddenly made the music that was blasting in Pinkie’s room suddenly cut off.
It was just like those horror movies back home where you drop something and that one thing silences everything else despite the previous noise you made to defer it earlier. That silence creeped me out to no end. If that wasn’t any worse I soon heard the locks turning as Pinkie began unlocking her door.
In a swift motion the door flew open before I could even get back on all four of my legs, causing me to fall backwards and slam my head against the floor. “OW!” I yelled holding the spot where my head had collided with the carpet floor boards, swaying from side to side in order to distract myself in some way so that I didn’t release a mouthful of swearing I looked up. And there was that smile.
That virulent smile that seemed to infect everyone that it was directed at. Pinkie stared down at me smiling. “Hey there Hailly, what are you doing on the floor?” she asked offering a hoof to help me up. Taking it I was soon on my feet again.
“Oh you know just laying around” I sarcastically stated, unintentionally adding an unnecessary pun, which seemed to make the pink mare burst into a fit of giggles. Rolling my eyes I waited for her to return to a calm composure before telling her my purpose for lying in wait.
“Do you mind explaining to me why you are up at 3 a.m. and playing music this loud in the morning?” I asked not trying to hide the displeasure in my voice. Automatically flipping onto her hooves Pinkie beamed a smile, “Oh you silly filly” she stated trotting over she came up and patted my forelock much to my annoyance. “I always do my exercises before the break of the day only I try to be a little quieter when the Cakes are here, but since they aren’t I’d thought I’d get some real exercise going!” she said as she did a backflip.
I just stared at her with a deadpan look. Mr and Mrs. Cake got it rough don’t they? I thought as I turned around to exit her room, in the process pushing a few balloons that seemed to fall off the ceiling as I got nearer to the door. As soon as my right hoof was out though a pink blur zoomed by and Pinkie’s face was right in front of me.
“Wait! Don’t you wanna help me with my plans for today?” her smile still beaming. Frankly I was more surprised anyone could smile now that it was 3:25 a.m.? Did I really just spend 25 minutes in here? Pinkie’s voice dragged me out of that thought though as I saw her hoof zipping by my face.
“Hellooooo? Anypony in there?” she asked tapping my head gently with a hoof, much to my chagrin. “What is it Pinkie?” I asked stopping her zipping hoof from getting any closer to my face.
“Well since you’ve only been here about a week I thought I’d show you the more fun side of Ponyville” her smile widening in that strangely adorable fashion the creatures of this world seemed to posses.
Staring at her skeptically I considered the proposal. “The more fun side of Ponyville huh?” although an immediate image of timberwolves chasing us and Pinkie’s hysterical screaming in my ear as we made an escape for our lives came to mind when I considered Pinkie’s personality and spontaneous attitude in general. Not to mention my general bad luck in situations like this.
How bout no is what I wanted to say but instead, “Sorry Pinkie I’m a little tired I just need a little sleep is all alright?” I said to her making my way past her and heading towards the guest room that had been set up for me, however once again Pinkie Pie zoomed in just as I was about to close the door to my room. Sighing theatrically “What is it now, Pinkie?”
“You can’t go to sleep!” she exclaimed bolting right in front of me her face uncomfortably close to mine, the alarm in her voice clear as day. My ears stood up at this remark. I know I’d explained everything to them about my dreams (minus the parts regarding Silver Caliber and this Vindictive fellow), but what on earth made her think my sleep would be reason for alarm?
“Why?” I said slowly curiosity creeping into my voice. “Do you think I’ve been having nightmares?” I said stepping back a bit which made Pinkie fall forward, thankfully she landed on her hooves just in time. “No no why would you think that I think that you have been having bad dreams?” she asked with a slightly nervous chuckle at the end.
“Pinkie-”
“Of course if I were to think that you were thinking that you really had bad dreams this entire time wouldn’t that mean we all think that you think you know you’ve been saying you’re fine when you’re really not” she continued.
“Pinkie I-” getting cut off again I was starting to feel a little agitated.
“Oh but don’t worry.” she said picking up the pace in her speech pattern “Nopony told me you’ve been having bad dreams or anything. I just thought I’d check up on you lately since Twilight and Applejack said you act a little funny whenever you try to get some sleep. In fact I kinda knew you were awake because-”
“PINKIE!” I shouted shaking her so she would stop. She did and her lips started to tremble not in the way that you would when you felt hurt and were going to cry, but rather was simply dying to finish her sentence. Completely ignoring it I said “Look Pinkie I’m fine I’m just...tired is all. Yes, I’ve been having bad dreams lately but don’t worry about it. I’m sure there’s some way to fix my problem later” I dismissively waved a hoof.
No sooner had I finished speaking did squirming begin. Pinkie was trying to get my attention and was pointing to her muzzle like she had something dire to say.
“Go on say it” I said releasing her.
“I WAS WATCHING YOU SLEEP LAST NIGHT!” she said her neck extending to what I believed was the biological height of a giraffe's neck.
“I see you... Wait wha-- E-excuse me” I stuttered, not sure how to feel about having Pinkie watching me as I slept. “Nothing you need to worry about” she replied smiling sweetly, I would’ve questioned her on why exactly she’d been watching me sleep but she immediately changed the topic. “I think there’s somepony I know who could help you out with your lil nightmares.”
I neighed. I didn’t know why or how I did it but I did and boy was I happy to hear that “Really?!” I asked taking a step closer to her. She nodded her smile growing wider, “Mmmhmmm, she’s probably the only zebra in all of Equestria who could help figure out your doozy of a problem!” she stated getting to her hooves, “but we’re going to have to wait a bit, I don’t think Zecora would be so happy to see us at her doorstep when the sun isn’t even up yet.”
No words could describe the happiness I felt hearing this. There was someon- pony in Equestria that could actually diagnose me and tell me what on earth was causing these dreams. I could finally get a good night’s sleep!
“Pinkie” rushing over to her and giving her a bear hug “You have no idea how much this means to me” I stated. “Um could you loosen your grip a bit you’re hugging a little too tight.” she wheezed, to which I automatically released her. “Heh heh sorry” I muttered.
However Pinkie just bounced back up as if nothing had happened. “Don’t worry about it anyway I’m going to go take care of a few things you can go back and sleep a bit if you want, but if I see anything strange I’ll wake you up” she said patting my chest with a creepy look in her eyes that meant she was serious. I nodded and just as quickly as her expression had changed she reverted back to the chipper Pinkie Pie, who soon trotted out my door closing it with her tail.
With a sigh I got back in bed, and lay down just for a few minutes of rest even if I didn’t really get any sleep.
<(((((O)))))>
Darkness. Darkness was all I could see.
For the first time ever since I’d been having these dreams I wasn’t the one experiencing what the person or rather pony was experiencing. This was real, and I never felt more regret in having a normal nightmare more than I did now. It wasn’t like I had nyctophobia or anything serious like that. It was just the way this place felt. The cold was unbearable, I could see my breath but that was just it. It was the only thing I could see! And the silence was- was just awful. I tried to speak a few times but I couldn’t even hear my own voice. So I began walking, and every step I took it felt like I was just sinking deeper into this unknown void of darkness.
Sometimes it’d seem like my body had returned to its normal form. Other times I thought I was just imagining things and still in my pony form, either way I was constantly in a conundrum due to my body feeling like it was switching between multiple forms every time I took a step forward.
That’s when I saw it. A bright dark blue light in the distance, although I couldn’t reach it. Every time I got closer to it- it would just stretch farther away from me, until finally it was dark again.
My eyes shot open lurching up in bed sweat dripping down my neck and face. My breathing was heavy, but that wasn’t what bugged me. It was the fact that I had had a actual normal nightmare for once. In all these months since I turned 18 I haven’t had a normal dream since the night I went to bed, before my birthday. Can’t say I was proud to have a normal dream like this, but I can’t say it didn’t feel good to feel at least a little normal again. Speaking of normal where’s Pinkie?
A familiar voice drew my attention upwards.
“I see you are awake Hailstorm” a familiar regal voice said. Slowly and steadily I turned my head. And looked up.
Princess Luna was standing before me, not on my bed but I was in hers. I gotta say it was quite comfortable but I knew she didn’t bring me here so I could admire the plushness of her comfy furniture. For awhile I couldn’t bring myself to say anything I just stared at her and she stared back, both of us saying nothing.
“I’ve been trying to contact you for quite some time now Hailstorm” she finally said.
I gulped and attempted to make a joke “Shouldn’t you buy me dinner first?” I added a slightly nervous chuckle but Luna’s admonishing gaze did not falter. My ears drooping to my side I slid out of her oh so comfortable bed and got on to my hooves. “Why were you trying to reach me?” I asked.
“Trying to see just what you’re not telling us” she said answered frankly. “I will not lie we have had our suspicions on your stories, and aren’t fully sure we can trust you.”
“And by ‘we’ you mean you?” I said pointing a hoof at her. She didn’t respond so I could assume I was right. Granted I may be in front of royalty, but I was never one to really care for politics and I wasn’t about to start now.
“Listen to what I’m about to say princess” I bluntly said stomping a hoof. Luna defensively took a step back at my sudden reaction. “Look Princess Luna, I’ll give you and Princess Celestia the same respect I’d give to the higher ups in my world, but just because you’ve got more power than me” I took a step towards her but she didn’t step back now staring at me eye to eye. “Doesn’t mean I’ll just yield to whatever you wish like a puppet.” the last word echoing off her room’s walls just seemed to mock what I said but I couldn’t care less. They needed to know I wasn’t a play thing, something that could be questioned and then tossed aside once they had their answers. I knew one thing for a fact.
Even if I was in different worlds- in different universes, emotions were still emotions and people pony or not would always play by them.
“Well” she said clearing her throat. “You are indeed a brave pony to talk like that without any regret of punishment especially towards a ruler” she stated the authority she had commanded before seemed to be slipping at as she spoke. “Besides we have come here to ask you of something greater importance.”
My ears twitched. “I’m listening.”
” What is truly wrong with you?” a friendlier tone had now taken place.
“What do you mean wrong with me I-”
“Do not lie to us” she stomped a hoof and I thought for a second lightning struck, but all was silent and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Luna was staring at me with not the look of a ruler. But someone who cared.
“We- I know quite well what it is like to hide things from the one you care for” her ears flattening at the words. “Now tell us! Why can’t we see into your dreams. We are capable of seeing into the dreams of everypony in the world, everyone except you!” her wings suddenly flew open as if to emphasize that the issue was much ergency.
Confused I asked “What do you mean you can’t see my dreams? You mean this entire time you’ve been trying to peer into my head and something is blocking you out?” my nerves were starting to hit me again. “That is correct” Luna replied.
Hailstorm was struck silent. Completely ignoring the fact that someone was trying to peer into my head that may have required more direct attention than what was brewing in it at this moment.
One after another a storm of questions began flying in my skull, “Is it because I’m human? Is something really wrong with me? Will Zecora really be able to diagnose me? And why was she trying to look into my head?!” but before he could even get a word out a shattering sound echoed throughout the realm.
“What was that?!” I squeaked. Luna was looking up at what now appeared to be the shattered reflection of her ceiling that was slowly spreading throughout the room. “It appears someone is trying to wake you up” she said.
“Pinkie?” his high pitched voice resuming its normal tone.
Luna didn’t respond but simply turned around as an astral plane opened up to her. “You will wake up soon, but I still have more questions I need you to answer so until then.” The plane closed around her “Stay safe”, and at that exact moment the fragmented dream I was in shattered into a thousand pieces raining around me, as dead silence and darkness took over.
<(((((O)))))>
Eyes opening up I felt myself being shaken awake by Pinkie. She had the most worried expression on her face. “Pinkie?” I said rolling off the bed and falling to the floor. “You woke me up like you said you would” a small grin slowly spreading on my face but Pinkie was still looking at me with concern.
“What’s wrong?” my grin fading instantly.
“My knees were pinchy” her voice sounding greatly perturbed. “Only this time they were way more pinchy-er than they’ve ever been before.” My ears flattened at her words. I remembered the time I saw Pinkie Pie expressing her abilities of random prediction before when Twilight was around. They never meant a good thing.
“W-what did pinchy knees mean again?” gulping as I bit my lip afraid of the answer.
“It means something scary is going to happen, and in this case it’s all about you” she said pointing a quivering hoof at me.
“I’ve had pinchy knees before but never so bad that it hurt like this” she said as she rubbed her forelegs, which only made me cringe from guilt at the pain I was unintentionally causing her. “And it only happened after you fell asleep” the last bit she said more quietly like I wasn’t supposed to hear.
I didn’t say a word after that, no amount of cheesy jokes could make up for what I was doing to Pinkie right now, what’s worse is I don’t know why or how to even stop it and she said she felt the pain start the moment I fell asleep. The only sound I could hear now was the sound of her rubbing her sore knees with that same look of anxiety written all over her face. After what felt like forever I decided that it was better if I just left, getting up I began to make my way out of Sugarcube Corner, only a hoof grabbed one of my hind legs before I had even made it out the guest room door.
“Wait Hailly” she said getting up. “Let’s go meet Zecora now. She might be able to help explain things alright?” she smiled encouragingly.
Hailstorm didn’t move or even want to go to Zecora’s anymore if something really bad was going to happen then the only thing I could think of was “Let it happen” but then there was that smile. That sweet smile that seemed to brighten up any day. Biting my lip once again I nodded slowly. “Alright let’s go talk to Zecora.” Smiling encouragingly Pinkie began leading the way a bounce at a time.
“I’m not going in there” I stressed as Pinkie Pie tried with all her might to push me into the same forest I barely was able to escape from.
Everfree Forest was a place I saw quite a few times through the myriad of dreams that I saw whenever the six mares or anyone of them had something to do with Zecora, and honestly till before my arrival in this world I hadn’t really seen the forest as being that dangerous (minus the events with the cockatrice, manticore and timberwolves) until I actually got chased by timberwolves that had a hunger for horse meat.
“Pleasepleasepleasepleaseeee!” Pinkie begged after flopping on to her hooves once she realized that no amount of pushing was going to make me move.
Shaking my head defiantly I stared straight ahead at the forest’s entrance. “There is no way I’m going back to the same place that I nearly died in on my first arrival here” I stated, “There’s nothing you can do to convince me otherwise even if Zecora could figure out my problem.” I stubbornly stomped a hoof to emphasize my point.
Pinkie’s hair deflated as she gave me a sad frown. Gently touching my shoulder with her hoof she trotted around me so I could get a view of her face. “Hailstorm” she said gently. “Please, I’m worried about you and how my achy knees were acting up this time, I don’t think this is something we can ignore you’ve got to go alright” she stated.
At those words I couldn’t look her in the eye my brows furrowed, I just absently stared at the ground. “Well why do you think I was trying to get away from you. I don’t like hurting my friends anymore than you like watching them suffer” I muttered kicking a rock away with my hoof. I expected her to make some kind of comment like that’s “nonsense we’re friends and friends stick together!”, but she didn’t. Instead the next thing Pinkie did was rather one of the calmest things I’ve ever seen the pink pony do through my dreams.
Gently moving her soft hoof under my chin she lifted my head up gently and held both my cheeks, in a firm loving way so that I couldn’t move my head away from her gaze. Staring right at me she gave me the kindest encouraging smile I’d ever seen her give anyone.
“Please Hailstorm I’m worried about you....we all are” she whispered still smiling.
For a second I kind of felt my heart light up with determination, my whole body felt so warm and so much comfort from that one smile. And I knew without a doubt that Pinkie was doing the best she could to restore a lost smile on her friend’s face; how could I say no to such effort?
Nodding slowly I whispered “Alright I’ll do it” I smiled weakly. Immediately her smile widened and the next thing I heard was “Hold on tight!” before I knew it Pinkie had wrapped her left foreleg around my neck and shot off like a bullet through the Everfree Forest followed by my loud and possibly hysterical screaming.
Now that I think about I’m starting to see a pattern with Pinkie’s smile and me getting into trouble.
“Hmm” the zebra said looking into my eye after stretching my eye-lids up a bit with her hooves. “Mhmm” she nodded releasing her hold of my face and pacing around me. Pinkie Pie watched from a distance with an immense amount of anxiety written all over her face.
Zecora stood up on her hind legs and tapped a hoof on my head as if expecting it to make a sound like I had no brain in there just vast empty space. When she was done with that she took another long look at my face her expert eyes scanning every inch of it for anything she might miss. After what felt like an hour of her silence I couldn’t take it anymore.
Standing up on my hooves I yelled “What are you looking for? You haven’t said a word since we got here and explained my situation to you, so just please say something!” I groaned after my outburst falling back on to the chair. What was I thinking doing this? I’m a human maybe not physically but I still am whatever is affecting me may even be something this wise zebra can’t grasp completely. My thoughts were swirling in a sink of disillusion and confusion at this point, but that stopped when I felt Zecora lay a gentle hoof on my shoulder.
“Take it easy young stallion, I think I may have a solution” she smiled. My ears perked up at this ready for anything she was about to say. “I need you to fall asleep again, so I can test the theory I’m brewing. Only then will there be a conclusion.”
“But what if something bad happens?!” Pinkie exclaimed zipping over from her compacted corner.
Zecora smiled at Pinkie “Don’t worry Pinkie Pie. This is only a test to see if I can figure out the rest.” Although reluctant Pinkie nodded and said. “Alright but if I feel anything bad happening we’ll wake you up okay?” her attention now directing towards me. When I nodded she smiled, though it was a much weaker form of its precedent.
“Alright Hailstorm lay down now.
Once you drink this you’ll fall asleep,
but we’ll wake you up before you even weep?” the zebra rhymed her thick accent making it seem quite prosaic.
How she was able to do that constantly was still a wonder to me, but as I watched the zebra go to her cauldron and take a spoonful of a concoction she had just brewed I couldn’t feel a certain level of uneasiness at her words. What did she mean ‘before I even weep?’ my thoughts starting to fade with drowsiness as I took the green liquid she offered me in her spoon, swallowing every drop, I soon felt my body relax as if all the tenseness from the past wash away. And within a matter of minutes, I was asleep.
<(((((O)))))>
I had no idea where I was. This wasn’t Equestria. It wasn’t Canterlot or anywhere I had seen in my dreams, nor was it like anything the mares had shown me. In fact I couldn’t see at all, the room was pitch black and my entire body was sore with pain as if I’d been performing manual labor all day. The only visible things in front of me were the basic shapes and outlines I could barely make out from the dark.
“Kaliver...Hey Kaliver...Silver Caliber wake up!” I felt a kick to my side, but it wasn’t a harsh one it was gentle, yet still enough to send a wave of pain through my torso. Covering my mouth before I even realized it I looked up to see. Vindictive only he wasn’t in his alicorn form.
He was human.
From what I could now tell I wasn’t seeing what transpired between Silver Caliber back in Equestria, I was now watching his past. And whether this was because some strange force wanted me to see it or I had somehow subconsciously forced myself into a part of his life that he didn’t want to recall I couldn’t tell. It didn’t matter now though, because now I’d finally get some answers.
In the past before I came to Equestria by accident and when all these dreams started you’d think I would’ve seen everything from the beginning, but no. This is my first time seeing any of this. The adventures of Twilight and her friends I saw constantly, sometimes I’d see them over and over again, however for that Vindictive fellow and this Silver Caliber guy, I only saw their meets once.
And only once. The experiences I went through for each meeting though made it something both I’d physically and mentally never forget every time I woke up, from each dream. And as far as I could tell this dream was probably going to be the worst of the worst.
My perspective from this entire point was now based on first person. Everything Kaliver saw or felt I could feel, in the dreams it was the same way but it would constantly switch between third and first. That’s probably how I knew their features so well. There was no switching this time.
Silver Caliber got up and looked at the dark figure of his friend Vindictive who gave him a sly smile through the darkness. “Sorry bout that” the jet haired and tanned man said, his voice sounding pretty much the same in his normal form if not a little lighter and rich in comparison to his alicorn form. “Just thought it’d be awful if the master and mistress saw us asleep this late instead of up and ready to go about business” his tone harshening as he continued.
From my perspective Silve Caliber had nodded, then my or rather his voice spoke up, sounding virtually the same. “We wouldn’t want that” he sighed dusting himself off. Moving over to what appeared to be like a window he fidgeted around through what felt like bars(?) blocking him and now pushed it open to let in some light.
The sight I saw made my real body cringe at least that’s what I thought. The room- the cell they were in had dirt and grim almost everywhere. It was as if the place had been used for showering or a bathroom left unclean for days maybe even weeks. The only thing protecting them from a serious infection or even worse were seven layers of sheets spread out on the floor like a mattress. Stuffed plastic bags which I could only assume were their pillows lay in a corner of the room and in front of them was a open door that had bars anchoring it to the ground. Once Silver Caliber was done looking around the room for his sandals (giving me a full view of the poor state they were living in) he walked up the bars and took out what looked like a striker and tapped one of the bars creating a metal chiming sound that resonated throughout the building. Soon after his several other chimes came in unison and shortly after a creaking sound from above came.
Footsteps could be heard from the top floor as they made their way down to what I believed was a very large basement that had had multiple innovations made to it, just so it could accommodate a large group of people.
The dark corridor was suddenly illuminated by light only it was just a oil lantern and as the light got closer to Silver Caliber and Vindictive’s door I saw that there were other barred doors in the distance as well. Finally someone came in and unlocked the door, the person was wearing some furs on his clothing and had a weapon. His comrades unlocked the other doors and all of the guards filed out of the basement and back up stairs leaving the one with furs on to attend to the Silver Caliber and the rest. With a motion of his hand everyone that was getting out of their cells stopped. Once all was quite the man cleared his voice.
“Welcome back to work guests” he said the man’s accent sounding quite brazilian. “The boss is so glad that you all have been working so hard to pay off your loans to him for your houses that today you’ll get to watch other people suffer” he stated quite frankly, showing no sign of sadism in his tone either.
No one responded, a simple cough from one of the so-called ‘guests’ before all went silent again. “Well then” he said clapping his hands together which only echoed throughout the entire corridor, “Let’s go watch people work!” and with that he herded everyone out of the room leading Caliber and Vindictive right outside the door and through a bunch of gates.
The light that hit Silver Caliber’s face obviously blinded him for a second because he rose a hand to shield his eyes. When he brought it down I shuddered at what I saw next.
The entire landscape was filled with guards holding either whips or bamboo like sticks, all of them were shoving people in different directions or forcing them to do certain jobs that were just too disgusting for me to even describe. Silver Caliber gritted his teeth although he was soon calmed by a hand that touched his shoulder. Vindictive looked at Caliber with graveness in his eyes, and the look of complete disgust on Vindictive’s face didn’t go unnoticed by the brazilian guard that had been taking glances every now and then to make sure no one tried to escape. However the guard didn’t do anything he simply grinned and said “Well hope you have fun watching your friends suffer” and with that the fellow walked off into the distance, passing by a group of guards that were guarding a certain building about a mile away.
Silver Caliber walked around the almost desert like landscape. The area’s entire terrain was almost covered with sand though it wasn’t deep enough to hide the few patches of grass that seemed to grow out of random places. What’s more is that the area looked like a regular cul de sac, with buildings around almost every block but guards seemed to be everywhere.
It seemed like every few blocks there would be a guard standing nearby overseeing a building and guarding the prisoners trapped inside it. Vindictive was with Caliber and every few chances he’d get he’d pick up a pebble and hurl it right into one of the helmets of one of the guards, the clanking sound that came off the metal helmets only made the tanned fellow chuckle, however he’d stop and give a dirty look to a guard whenever he saw someone getting beaten for not doing a certain job properly, and that was enough to make me flow into a frenzy.
In all honesty I was more interested in finding out who this “boss” guy was rather than wasting time watching people being guarded like treasure and then getting beaten for a small mistake they made. Watching sure wouldn’t solve anything. And just what was the deal with this whole “boss” guy anyway? Building homes in this almost abandoned area? It was obvious he had the money and resources to build a city without these people yet he was making them not only populate this place but also forcing them to build it under constant surveillance, at the same time they were being slaves. It was awful; infuriating doesn’t even come close to how much this even ticked me off.
Silver Caliber now stopped walking around buildings and was looking at the distance where the brazilian lead guard had disappeared to. Although now really vague and barely even a blip to see the shadow of the building protected by at least twenty guards was probably the well most structured building I’d seen all day. It seemed to have way better forms of coloring on it as well.
In simple terms that building was better than all the others.
“Your thinking about her aren’t you?” Vindictive asked, staring in the direction Caliber was. When no response came Vindictive turned around and said, “Don’t get your hopes up old friend” he patted a reassuring hand on Caliber’s shoulder. “I won’t for a second believe that she’s just stringing you along just so she can spit in our faces later. All of her friends seem fine with doing it to us, especially them” he stuck a thumb out at one of the guards who was yelling at a slightly younger teenager for dropping some supplies that’d be used for dinner.
Caliber didn’t say anything, he knew his friend was only trying to protect him. Though that didn’t make him any less angry than when he was talking about the woman that caught his eye. Nodding he finally took notice of the guard who looked ready to beat the young lad into submission for his small mistake. Whispering into Vindictive’s ear the tanned fellow smirked when his friend had finished.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Always” Silver Caliber replied, returning his friends look. Running up to the guard Caliber swung his right arm into the guard’s helmet with all his force causing the helmet to shake violently and knock the guard down for a few seconds, dazing him. “Hey ugly your mum wouldn’t be too proud of what you’re doing to a little kid now would she mate?” Vindictive said as he ushered the kid to run off quickly.
The dazed guard got up staring at the two and shook his head to clear his blurry vision, muttering his words growing louder with each word “Makin’ fun of me accent are ya? Well I’ll teach you wretched old beggars” he yelled grabbing his bamboo stick. With that the two friends took off as the guard gave chase.
Silver Caliber looked at his friend Vindictive for a split second as they ran, the look of jubilation on Vindictive’s face was nostalgic, I could even feel the nostalgia and for a second I wondered “why did these two ever become enemies?” but then I was awoken.
<(((((O)))))>
Blinking quickly I stared at Pinkie Pie who was biting one of her hooves looking at me. “Um...yes?” I said groggily, more annoyed that I had been waken up when I was just understanding things. A sigh of relief escaped her after I had responded. “You’ve been asleep the entire day and half of today!” she yelled hugging me tightly. When I looked outside it was in the afternoon.
“Why didn’t you wake me sooner?” I asked.
“Zecora said I shouldn’t” she pouted, but then released me slowly from her hug. “I’m just glad you’re alright. I know she said she’d watch over you during the night but when I got an achy knee, the next day” she paused pondering if what she said made sense. Shaking her head clear of those thoughts “Anyway I just had to rush over here” she stated gripping me in a bone crushing hug before releasing me again. Zecora meanwhile was going over some notes she’d made in the corner.
My mind however was to filled with questions to even consider that something horrible was going to happen..
“Just what the hell happened to those two?”