//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Bricks // by ThePower //------------------------------// Breaking out of the hospital was about easy as easy can get. All Stacks had to do was pick a lock or two. Then, we were off like a couple of bandits, internalizing the light-hearted, boyish joy we felt. I’d wager that the night had never seen a pair like us before. We were almost like kind of ponies you’d read about in books as foals. Dashing young stallions taking the world by storm, making their own rules and playing by their own terms; ponies who spent every waking moment enjoying life because life wasn’t going to give them a damn inch. The difference between us and the ponies in the storybooks was that they could live free and adventure forever. Time would catch up with us, the weight of the world was going to end up on our shoulders at some point. It was inevitable. But at least we could enjoy the time from here to there. The novelty of our rather clean getaway died after a while. Stacks decided around then to amuse himself by making noise; lots of noise. “Dun dun dun dun dundundundun! Dun dun dun dun dundundundun. Dun dun dun dun dundundundun! Doodeedoodee-” “If I have to spend another minute of you making noise in what you call theme music, I may just make myself deaf instead of blind.” Stacks sighed that heavy kind of sigh that comes only through disappointment. He turned to me and said, “Sunny, you’ve gotta relax. S’not even your first date and you’re already acting like some jelly-legged foal.” I admit it, I may have had a bruised ego, but I didn’t let it show. “I’ve only ever dated twice, and both times were disasters.” I said with my best poker face on. Stacks didn’t look like was laughing, though he did seem curious. That’s the thing with Stacks. You’ll always know what he’s thinking, but you never know what he’ll do. It’s weird, and it’s not something you can explain easily. “I was sure that Volt was the perfect mare for you. I mean, she was good-looking, funny, and damn good at her job. I thought you’d like her.” “I did.” I broke eye contact to stare at a particularly interesting rock lying over on the side of the road. “We were picnicking under the stars just outside of Ponyville when we saw a meteor shower, more like a storm though, and she loved it. There were streaks of golden light cascading down from the heavens as hundreds of meteors burned themselves up upon entering the planet’s atmosphere. And just as the meteors began to let up, the field around us suddenly bloomed. A whole field of moonlilies just bursting to life out of literally nowhere. Can you believe that?” “Then what?” “When I took her home, she leaned in for a kiss, but before I could even do anything her dad opened the door, roared at me, and clocked me so hard I went flying into a bunch of thornbushes.” “She lived with her pops?“ “Apparently. That dude looked old enough to be her dad.” I rolled my shoulders in a half-hearted shrug and moved on. “Alright, so what happened with that other filly. What’s her face?” “Who? Lacey?” “Yeah. I thought she was into you.” I sighed. “Me too.” “Well?” he asked expectantly. “What happened?” “I think we dated for all of five minutes when she asked me to get us a couple of drinks. I got the drinks, and when I came back I saw her walking out the door with some other pony. The next day I overheard one of the gossips say that she moved out of town, overnight no less, to some place up north. Stalliongrad, I think.” Stacks boomed with laughter, not particularly concerned that he was waking up the entire neighborhood or that it was at my expense. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought that all I was good for was getting Stacks to laugh. Good thing I know better. “Pfft, don’t worry about it bro. You’ve got a chance to make up for all of that with Rarity.” He gave me a few painfully reassuring pats on the back. I gritted my teeth and smiled. “All you have to do is put the moves on her.” I dreaded asking him, but my curiosity won me over. “The moves?” Stacks froze, which freaked me out far more than I was really willing to admit. His head turned slowly, revealing a ridiculous and over the top look of shock and disbelief, melting away my aforementioned fear. “You don’t know the moves?” “What moves?” “THE moves!” He put a hoof to his forehead, shaking it melodramatically. “I can’t believe no pony’s ever taught you the moves.” “What moves are you talking about?” “THE moves!” He replied exasperatedly. I felt like knocking some sense into that thick skull of his, but I didn’t; mostly because I didn’t feel like having my hooves ripped off and shoved down my throat. “Okay, stop. Right now. We’ve gotta do this, Sunny.” He grabbed me and looked me in the eye. I could see his emerald green eyes reflected my own wispy silver ones, and despite the light flooding into his eyes, he held me firm. “I’ve gotta learn you up some of the moves.” “No way, Stacks! You’re freaking me out. And besides,” I looked around, deciding that this part of town was a good a place as any. “This is your stop.” “What?” “You heard me. You’re staying here, and I’m going to the Everfree Forest to have my date with Rarity.” He looked hurt. I could actually see tears collected and falling down his cartoonish expression of anguish. It was all I could do to stop a smile from creeping along the edges of my now crumbling poker face. “I... can’t come?” He asked the question seriously, but really, how was I supposed to take a question like that seriously? “No, you can’t come. Weirdo.” “B-but, why?” Oh Celestia, now his lips were quivering. “Because it’s a date between me and Rarity, not a date between me, Rarity, and Stacks.” “Bros don’t leave bros hanging, bro. You’re leaving me hanging.” I kept a lid on my frustration, but it was hard to with Stacks giving me that look. I mean... that damn look. “Dude, shut up. You’re not coming and that’s that.” “Hey, I busted you out of a hospital. The least you could do is take me with you.” He switched gears, his expression settling on something close to disappointment. I thought I caught a whiff of entitlement too underneath the simmering anger. “No.” “Fine, but at least let me teach you the moves.” “No!” I backed away quickly before turning and breaking out into a full gallop down the street. “Sunny, you’re breaking my heart!” I heard him call out behind me. I didn’t bother looking back. I made all haste for the forest, both to avoid being late for my date and to avoid Stacks. Stacks loves the Everfree Forest. He, in particular, loves the freedom that it enjoys. The weather is random, the creatures and critters run freely, and the presence of pony magic is completely absent. It is a haven for creatures like Manticores and Cockatrices, and a place beyond the control of Princess Celestia. In his words, “No one pony should have all that power.” He distrusts the princesses because everypony thinks that they’re literal goddesses to be worshiped. “What makes them better than me?” He asked me one day, fuming at the mix of awe and fear that everypony else felt during Celestia’s trip to Ponyville. “The fact that they’re omnipotent?” I guessed. He gave me one of the fiercest glares I’ve ever seen and walked away. I’ve never seen him that angry about anything before, so naturally it scared me half to death. He did apologize for nearly blowing up at me over the whole princess thing, but I’ve always been wary of getting Stacks angry since then. He’s my best bro, and I’d hate to see my best bro fall into a rage more terrifying than the little that I had actually seen. The only reason he’ll avoid going in there is because he thinks that if he does go in there, he’ll never come back out. Not after what happened to Flower Wishes. Flower Wishes went into the forest to collect a few rare herbs a few months ago. No pony saw or heard her for a full 24 hours, not until the screaming started. It was during a lunar twilight when we heard her screams fill the night. Everypony had to have heard her. She just kept on screaming and crying and dying for an hour, and no pony did a damn thing to help her. No pony left their homes, no pony even bothered talking about it. She was given a quiet funeral with an empty casket and quickly forgotten. Death is bad for business, you know. But Stacks never got the memo. I’ve seen him head over to the cemetery whenever he’s in a mood. It’s not often, but it does happen. Regardless, his aversion to the forest gave me the chance I needed to get in quickly before anyone noticed. I took the same dirt path out of town to that same cozy little hut that lied on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. The lights were off, so I assumed whoever was inside was just asleep. Somewhere near the edges of my vision I saw a flash of purple and white. I turned and caught sight of what had to be Rarity’s mane flowing in the wind. It disappeared behind a thicket of trees and into the darkness of the forest proper. I gave chase immediately. I couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste. I was convinced that if I did, I’d regret it forever. _______________ My eyes, previously well tuned to the dark, were far more powerful with the extra light now filtering into the world around me. I could pick out minute details from the darkness around me far easier than I imagined anypony else could. Moths fluttered in the breeze while their honey-making brethren buzzed, hard at work collecting nectar from the beautiful jungle flowers that bloomed here. Above me was the thickest canopy of trees in Equestria. The forest canopy blocks out nearly all light, creating an environment as dark as any cave. Birds swooped down from the branches lying overhead, surprising their prey with a vicious overhead assault. They sing to each other from the safety of the tree branches, adding to the life of the forest. The understory of shade tolerant shrubs and ferns and fungi stubbornly grew here, using torrential downpours to make up for the lack of direct sunlight. In some places, wherever the tree canopy was broken by the terrain, the brush actually impeded my progress forward. I was forced to take the beaten hunting paths that some of the larger predators take, though with much hesitation. I wasn’t particularly eager to meet any of the nocturnal predators that had made these dirt roads. Deeper and deeper into the forest I went in search of my purple-maned beauty. Every once while I’d see a hint of her passing or hear a faint giggle off in the distance, but never did I catch a full glimpse of her. Not until I’d reached a small grove somewhere deep in the middle of the forest. Rarity, with her back turned to me, leaned over to pick up a few Forget-Me-Nots. It hit me as I rushed to her side. I was lost. I’d only noticed how far I’d suddenly realized that I didn’t know how to get back. I didn’t bother looking for landmarks or even keeping track of my position through the stars. Of course, the tree canopies made it hard to do that, but I did have more than one opportunity to do so. When I turned back to Rarity, she was but feet away from me, teeth gingerly holding a fragile blue flower. I recoiled in surprise, and felt terrible for it. I hate surprises. In my life, surprises only mean that I’ve either gotten hurt, or something terrible’s happened. Surprises are horrible, and the only use for them is to inflict some measure of pain on somepony else. It’s part of the reason why I keep my birthday a secret from Pinkie Pie. If she did hold one for me, my heart would probably stop out of shock or I’d fall down a flight of stairs or something. The risk is too great for a pony like me. This surprise wasn’t all that bad, though. Rarity was gorgeous, a sight that I wouldn’t mind dying with. She practically glowed, despite the nigh-total darkness that hung heavy on the air. As she walked, her poise practically off the charts, the petals of the flower fell off, one by one. They swam in the breeze, swaying to and fro until they disappeared into the underbrush. Rarity stopped a few feet from me, dropping the flower stem without a second glance. She cocked her head and gazed contentedly into my eyes. I spoke first, before things got awkward. “So... I got your letter, and I came here like you said. Um...” “You have such pretty eyes.” “Uh, what? My eyes? Yeah, I thought you might like them.” She smiled. “It’s a shame that your mane clashes with them.” “...What?” She was on me faster than I thought possible. She struck me, slamming both of her hooves onto my head. I dropped like a rock, dazed and in pain. Rarity didn’t stop there, however. She jumped gracefully onto my back, keeping me on the floor before I even had the chance to try and pick myself up. She leaned ever so slightly over me. “I know just the thing. Hold still darling, this may hurt a bit.” The light from my eyes reflected off a thin strip of steel that disappeared beyond my field of vision. A moment later I felt pure and unadulterated pain run down my spine. I thrashed and flailed and bucked, trying to dislodge her, but she didn’t budge. “How bucking heavy is a mare like Rarity anyway? There’s no way she weighs more than me, no way in Hell!” I thought as I screamed. She stopped only when I had completely run out of breath. The torture had dragged on and on until the sensation of razor sharp steel slicing thin, wiry flesh became all that I knew, all that I could expect. Time became measured in the moments she spent working her blade on my back. Joy became the precious few seconds in between her cuts. Death became my best friend. Rarity leaped off of me once she’d finished and allowed for some space to admire her work. “Yes, perfect! I knew red was the right color. It really offsets all of that gray.” I crawled forward, teeth gritted as I fought the pain to get my limbs moving. I was trying to escape, but nothing worked. My legs would not move as fast as I wanted them to. Rarity simply walked around me, a bloody letter opener in her teeth. “Why are you... is it because of the flowers? Did you not like them? Or the letters? Was it something that I said?” I asked. She just smirked around the steel in her mouth. The tips of her hooves, mane, and tail were stained with blood. My blood. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I was being stupid, and I promise I’ll never bother you again. I swear on it, by Celestia, I swear, okay?” I asked desperately, shaking from head to hoof in fear. Tears were streaming down my face, blurring the approach of what I had once thought was an angel. She leaned over me again, this time drying my tears with her luxurious purple locks. “Oh, darling, you’ve nothing to be sorry for. It’s not your fault you were born like this.” She cooed, rubbing some of the blood dripping down my back into my mane and coat. “But I can fix this. I can fix you.” “No more... Please, no more.” I begged. She ignored me. “Now, let’s do something about this face.” She slapped me a bit harder than I think she meant to. “I think a nice shade of blue would really help balance out the red.” She swung around me, propping herself on my back, digging her hooves into my open wounds. I prayed that she would tire of my screams and just slit my throat. Killing me seemed more and more like an act of mercy compared to this. But, instead of cutting me open some more, she wrapped her two front legs around my throat in a hug. At first, I didn’t know what to think. Then I realized what she was going to do. A nice shade of blue... “Rarity, no!” I managed before she denied me the ability to breathe. I tried to shake her loose, but it was no use. I was weak, and she was strong. Too strong. The words in my head seemed impossible to articulate with all of that primal fear and my lack of air, but I said them anyway, somehow. “You... aren’t... Rarity.” “And you aren’t going to stop me, not when the fate of the universe in coming is at stake. You will not deny me my new home.” She whispered harshly in my ear. Darkness took me soon after that. ____________________ Imagine my surprise when I regained consciousness. This was one of those rare surprises that didn’t actually suck in every way. I’d survived. I felt alive. I was alive. Of course, that was practically begging the question, but I allowed myself to simply appreciate the fact that I was alive of all things. My eyes fluttered open, unhindered by the bright light of the morning. I was laying in the same hospital bed that I’d been in when I first came to the hospital. This time, however, I was strapped securely to the bed. I wasn’t sure if it was because of all the cuts on my back or because of the fact that I had snuck out of the hospital at night, but I couldn’t really care less. Even if I wanted to move, I couldn’t. Not without tearing open a few of the nastier gashes. Stacks was sleeping peacefully by the window, his hooves tied together around an empty bottle of bourbon. I couldn’t believe that he just drank it all and didn’t leave a drop for me. At this point, I could’ve used a drink or two. Instead of getting angry about it, though, I just closed my eyes and soaked in the sheer wonder of it all. I was alive, and it felt damn good to be alive.