Breaking Walls
Battling his internal alarm clock, Macintosh snuggled closer to Annabelle, wanting desperately to use her heat and warmth to stave off the early spring chill, as well as the depressive thoughts that tried to assault his mind.
It was nice, waking up in his own bed again with the mare he loved. Safe, secure, knowing that there wasn't anypony trying to break into his home and end his life. He was still a little put on edge at the idea of the uncaught communist and Trotski, but from what he'd seen, both Puddinghead and Hurricane didn't much do their own dirty work, and Platinum was in the hospital, so that helped.
Macintosh knew it was early, but not to early. He was still a little exhausted from last night's activities, Annabelle was very keen in testing his limits in terms of pain and will. He'd felt pleased with his over all performance, but she was of a different opinion. While he'd succeeded in satisfying her, she did notice him cringing more from pain than pleasure and advised him to take it easy for at least the next week.
'HA! She's got you all figured out, don't she?'
That was part of the investment of love, though. Getting to know one another's weaknesses and strengths, the subtle things to help one another and know when to push them to become better, or pull back to stop them from hurting themselves. Nothing forceful of course, but pursuasian was always welcomed.
He gently crept out of bed, careful not to wake her and made way down stairs. He flicked on a light in the living room and eased himself down onto the couch.
No it was late March now, and invitations for their wedding would need to be sent out soon. Apple's seeing to the wedlock of their own was a given, and the sheer number was overwhelming to him. Dozens upon dozens of his cousins, aunts and uncles would be there. Food, decorations, other guests, setting up the farm for a wedding, it was all going to be a pretty big head ache to deal with.
But, even through all of that, Mac took comfort in the symbolism. He'd never thought much of marriage. The prospect hadn't really crossed his mind, being insulated to the farm for so long. The little stunt with Applebloom and her friends putting him under a spell to make him fall in love with Cherelee certainly didn't help with that.
Now, though? With a foal on the way? All he could think about was how amazing it would be to wake up every morning next to the mare he loved and see his own foals. Thoughts that brought a smile to the young stallion's face.
A soft clopping from the kitchen drew his attention to find Scootaloo standing in the kitchen doorway, holding a half eaten apple in her hoof.
"Mornin'." Mac smiled, hoping to appear friendly.
"Hey." Scootaloo replied.
"What 'er y'all doin' up so early?" He asked. The reason was rather obvious, but Macintosh wanted to make his first impression one of honest curiosity to the foals intentions, be perceived as being open to hear what she has to say and what not.
As expected, she motioned to the apple and he chuckle, lightly berating himself for not taking notice.
"What about you? Why are you down here so early?"
"Jes' thinkin 'bout stuff."
To his surprise, the pegasus filly jumped onto the couch and inquired to what his thoughts were, the look on her face screaming that she hoped it wasn't her. He eased her worries and told her about the wedding and how he'd come to the current point in his life. Scootaloo perked up and congratulated him, apparently since there was no official askence for Annabelle's hoof, the wedding wasn't yet considered official. Mac made a note to rectify that situation soon.
"I hope it works out for you guys." She said, her face dropping to a look of sad reminiscence.
Feeling sad to see her sad, Mac decided to play a little bit at the past. "Ah'm sure if It don't, you n' mah sis will end up tryn'a git me with somepony else."
The filly cringed and looked down guiltily, not the effect he was hoping for. "Yea, I'm sorry about that."
"I was jes' jokin' with ya, Scootaloo." Mac chuckled, hoping to brighten her mood. "It was mighty appriciated, fer the thought y'all put inta it."
That made her smile and Mac felt good about that. Though, the conversation died off and an awkward silence permiated the air. He was caught between two desires, to either stay quiet or invite her to talk. Despite what Applejack said, the farmer stallion had no issue with her staying at the farm. Far as he was concerned, foals didn't run away from home to live out in the middle of the woods for no reason, and whatever he reason was she could stay here with them until it was sorted out.
He decided to remain quiet and let the silence change from awkward to comfortable. He'd done enough for the wee hours of the morning. So long as she was comfortable and safe, that's all he was concerned with.
Scootaloo finished her snack and made way back up stairs to bed, stopping to offer Macintosh one good night.
Spike was awake and making himself some breakfast. He hadn't noticed it yet, but he'd grown just a little bit last night. His pot belly had shrunk yet again, the top abs becoming a little more pronounced. He'd grown taller, but still needed a little assistance to reach into the back of the pantry to reach the special stash of gems that would constitute his morning breakfast.
He stretched out and looked to the window. The sun wasn't out yet, but it would be soon. Once nine o'clock rolled around, the drake resolved to head to the farm and ask Annabelle where he could find Brute, the dragon who worked as part of her show. The two had spoken for a while back in Hooftrot, but he still had a lot of questions... and reservations.
Despite Brute acting nothing like his name sake, the drake's interactions during the dragon migration had turned him off to association with his race. Still, he knew Brute was a pony affiliate dragon and would be respectful, if not a little rough.
He grabbed his cloak and put it on before making way for the door.
Though, there was a reason for his early wake up call. He didn't know how the guys down at the mill were going to handle the news of their fallen co-worker or the fact he was going to be taking even more time off, but he'd handle whatever came.
He was pretty sure he'd be fired, which didn't hurt near as much as the disappointment he'd cause, but that was life. Spike couldn't let guilt and his desire to please others control his life, he'd gotten pretty good at that, but it didn't make his guilt any easier.
Star Shade sat in his hospital bed, his mind abuzz with thoughts too sureal to be anything but absurdity that went beyond even Discord.
He was pondering the meaning of life, what it was to be and how he'd come to be where he was. More importantly, why he was where he was. He'd thought about getting out of bed for the past few days, yet felt strangely compelled against it. Why? Why was he being limited to the bed?
It didn't help that his mind was being farther ripped apart by odd visions that were too calm to be a part of his broken psyche, yet too unreal to be memory. Like seeing his friend Sin being attacked by some green pony in a dark area and whitnessing the Federalist bear down onto the aggressing stallion with his eyes and induce a heart attack.
He'd never seen such a thing before, yet the memory was so vivid, he'd have sworn he was right there... watching from the back of his friend's cell.
But that didn't make any sense, how did Shade know it was a cell? He didn't know, he didn't know how he knew the event actually transpired either. It was as baffeling and maddening as it was intriguing to the pony.
He'd seen other things too. Visions of Macintosh getting busy with his marefriend, soon to be wife. The Beast visiting his dreams and flowing through is mind, erasing memories he'd planned to use against her. Of Sin, skulking around the Everfree, keeping an eye on Ponyville.
Visions of a bright white light, trapped in a box and permeating through a dark room. He could hear constant clicking and a voice bemoaning how frustrated he was that he'd written something or another but had no where to go with it, or something about characters and plot lines he'd completely let die in favor of farthering a more interesting tale.
Though that vision made less sense to him than anything and hurt to even think about.
And as bad as all of that was, it was nothing compared to his desire to simply get out of bed, yet have something hold him back. Something inexplicable and unreal. Just the thought of trying to figure out what it was sent waves upon waves of terror down his spine, like he was thinking about things he shouldn't be.
Was this... was this pushing the limits of his insanity? Was this him garnering the freedom beyond the reality he was trapped in? If so, why was he losing control of his own body and mind? Was the mind an illusion all it's own?
That train of thought lead him down a rather disturbing train of ideas. Making him question his own existence and why his life had turned out the way it had. Why had he run into a pony named "Sin" whom released him from jail? Why did he feel compelled to listen to this pony and curb his own interests at his word? He was insane, right? So why did that pony hold so much influence over him?
"Hello, Shade."
The bat pony's thoughts were interrupted by a presence that should have brought him unfathomable joy, yet didn't. The instruments that measured his vitals showed absolutely no change to an event that should have at least shocked him.
Discord stood by his hospital bed, smiling sadly down at the bed ridden lunar pegasus.
While joy and happiness didn't shoot through Shade's body like it usually did with Discord's presence, he did feel something. Something that told him to be wary of the lord of chaos.
"I'm pleased to see you've saved Canterlot and your friends from the Changelings. My forgiveness has been earned." He reached out and patted the pony's mane.
Praise, praise and physical contact. It was a dream come true! It was the greatest thing Shade had ever experienced in his life! To be forgiven by the entity he worshiped more than any other in the world? To have his achievements acknowledged and rewarded? It was one of the greatest moments of Shade's life...
Except... it wasn't. The praise, the forgiveness, the affection, it brought none of the emotions it should have. Shade didn't feel joy or happiness, what he did feel was fear and terror.
"Where were you?" Shade asked, finally speaking.
"What do you mean?" Discord asked, tilting his head.
"I've been in this hospital bed for quite some time." Shade said, the words were spoken with great effort. His brain fighting him every step of the way, screaming that he shouldn't be saying anything at all, but just indulge the affection for what it was. "Why do you choose now to come and visit me when you could have done so before?"
Discord smiled a... nervous smile? Small beads of sweat forming over his misshapen muzzles as his eyes darted around the room. "Oh well, you know how it goes. Things to do, ponies to see and all that."
"No." Shade replied simply, causing Discord's nervous smile to slowly die. "You didn't come because you weren't allowed to come until now, were you?"
It was a theory, his imagination being used in a way Shade had never thought of before. Discord hadn't come because he hadn't been compelled to come, much like how Shade was being compelled to stay in bed. The draconequus' lack of reply told him he was right, something... something powerful was controlling their will. Yet Discord seemed aware of what it was.
The fearful posture turned to one of indignation and Discord laughed the bat pony's assertion off. "Please, I'm the god of chaos, lord of dis-harmony. What could possibly make me 'not allowed' to do as I pleased?"
"Then why did you go into Sin's mind and drain the power of Nightmare Moon?" Shade asked, the question one that just popped into his head. "You never cared much for him after he mocked you, yet you've helped him. Why?"
"How could you possibly know about that?" The lord of chaos asked, his eyes wide with disbelief, and voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't know, but I know you did it."
Discord's breathing quickened and he looked around the hospital bed, his face turned serious and he leaned down to the pony. "Listen, I don't know how you're doing this, but you need to stop."
"Stop what?"
"Stop breaking The Rules" he pressed, the last two words emphasized. "If you keep this up, he will take you away."
"He? Who's he?" Shade furrowed his brow, the image of the white screen appearing in his mind. "Do you mean the hairless ape who sits in-front of the white screen?"
Discord gasped and grabbed his head, muttering under his breath about how wrong "this" was, pleading with himself that what was happening right now was some kind of mistake. Shade reached out to try and comfort the draconequus, but settled to let him be. He knew what was coming next and that there was no way to stop it now. "It's alright, mi lord. Just do it."
His thrashing subsided and Discord looked tearfully at Shade. "I'm sorry, Shade." he moaned before snapping his talons and winking the pony out of existence.