//------------------------------// // Chapter 17: Starting Line’s Discovery // Story: The Horror of Happiness // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// To anypony outside of Our Town, December 5th was just another day. There wasn’t anything significant to the date to a majority of Equestrians. To the village, however, this day was very significant. Banners of Equal Signs were strung up, and every table that the villagers had was placed in the middle of the street. “Remind me again why you’re borrowing my kitchen table again?” Lovejoy asked Night Glider. “Today’s Equality Day,” the blue Pegasus told him as she adjusted the table that was at the very end. “It’s the day that Our Town was founded, and when Starlight Glimmer gained enlightenment.” “In other words, today’s a holiday?” she nodded, “How many holidays does this village celebrate?” “Only one,” Double Diamond said, placing the mashed potatoes down on the table. “Starlight banded all other holidays except for this one.” “But whatever for?” the doctor questioned, “Does this mean you don’t celebrate birthdays, or Hearts and Hooves, even Hearth’s Warming?” He shook his head, “Starlight said that if we have holidays in which would create division among everypony like if one pony gets one present too many, or that pony doesn’t even get a card, it just wouldn’t reflect our values of Equality. That’s why she created a new one, set on the anniversary she founded the village where we have a feast while giving thanks for being rid of our cutie marks to be truly equal.” “Here here,” Party Favor declared, “well-spoken Double Diamond.” He smiled, “Still,” the pail earth pony turned to the doctor. “I think for you it might get a bit awkward for you since you still have your own cutie mark.” Before Lovejoy could respond, he was interrupted by another voice, “How are you doing today doctor?” they turned to find the Line family there. Sandy added, “We were wondering if we could sit next to you when the big feast is ready?” The doctor waved his hoof, “You can, for I have no objections to the matter.” He turned to Diamond, “I wouldn’t think so Mr. Diamond, after all, you’ve tolerated me for this long. Besides, I’ve enjoyed myself to the peace of this place.” “What are you bringing to the table, Dr. Lovejoy?” Shore Line asked as he, his wife and child sat down. “Some rolls from a recipe from my grandmother and something on the phonograph. Oh!” the old unicorn stood up, “I’ve completely forgotten to bring them out. Perhaps I should-” “Can I go them?” the little colt asked. All the adults looked at him, “Are you, sure child?” Lovejoy inquired, “You still have that cast on.” “I can walk around now,” he protested. “Even the cast, I’ve learned how to move around. So please can I go get them?” They all looked at the doctor, “Very well. The rolls are by the stove. Still, don’t you want some he-” “I’ll be fine,” Starting Line hobbled off into Lovejoy’s home and went straight towards the kitchen. It wasn’t hard to find, he found the rolls in a wicker basket with a checkered cloth that kept those rolls warm. Before he could snatch the basket, his ears picked up an odd sound and quickly located it from the crack of a door leading to the basement. “What was that?” He hobbled over to the door, opening it a bit more until he saw the steps to listen in. From the darkness, it sounded like something was shifting. Starting craned his neck over to the open front door where the doctor was in view. He seemed to be preoccupied with talking with his parents. “Maybe I should go check it out,” he said to himself as he reached for the light switch. As he slowly descended, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary of what he expected a basement to look like. There were boxes, trunks, cans, barrels, and so on. However, what bothered him was the smell, as if he was in an outhouse, only it wasn’t as strong. But as he got a view of the whole basement, he paused at something very unusual. In the middle of the room, there was a mound of grainy white substance on a low make-shift table with pipes sticking out of it. At the end of the table, two of the tubes seemed to have poured out to a porcelain pot. “What is that?” The very young earth pony reached the bottom of the stairs and went straight towards the table to examine it closely. The smell was indeed coming from the porcelain pot. Starting put his free hoof on the white grains of the mound, sniffed it, and took a lick of it. “Salt?” he looked at it quizzing, “Why would Dr. Lovejoy need all this salt for?” With his cast free hoof, he moved around into the dry salt until he felt something. He pulled it out before his eyes widen and quickly dropped it, “Is that… a horn?” There was little question in the colt’s mind that something sinister was going on. He dug into the salt, moving it away until suddenly, a part of the mound moved! It was a hind leg that rose from the pail like a mummy rising from the sand. “Oh Celestia!” Starting, as quickly as he could, tried to uncover the body from the other end of the table. There his hoof touched a very dry, but still alive muzzle. After dusting away the salt, he gasped as he found it was none other than Hidden Trek. His eyes opened to a bloodshot, redden eye, and from the pipe that was taped to his mouth, a sound came from it of a weak cry. There was a stump where his horn was supposed to be on his forehead. But what really caught the colt’s attention was not only how dry his coat was, rather Hidden looked like he aged by several years. “Oh dear…” Starting Line let out a scream as his neck snapped over to the staircase, where with dread he spotted the old doctor halfway on the steps. “I knew I was forgetting something.” Starting squabble over behind the table, “S-Stay away from me!” Before the doctor reached the floor of the basement, he coughed and said, “You know, I thought I had the door closed before I came out of the house. I really should look into that.” “What are you doing to him?” Starting questioned. The doctor went up to the table, “Oh dear… his muscles have really shrunk, have they? I really ought to tighten these more often and look at the mess too. Maybe I should have added a board or something around it.” He looked up at the frightened colt in confusion, “I don’t know why you are so scared about.” “A-Are you g-going to hurt me too?” Lovejoy tilted his head, “Why? You’re not happy at all, it’s clear you’re scared out of your wits. So it just wouldn’t be fair if you ask me.” The colt backed himself to a corner, “Besides,” the old unicorn said, his horn glowing to cover Trek’s face in salt. “He’s clearly not ready yet.” He looked up, “As for you, I suppose this is the part where you go running out screaming bloody murder to all those ponies outside where you expect to drive up a frighten and confused mob to come storming down those steps to arrest me for what I’m doing then, no?” Starting only looked at him. The doctor rolled his eyes, “You can tell them I’m making a mummy, now go on, off with you,” he said with a dismissive hoof. “You have mass hysteria to cause.” Although completely uneasy at this, Starting Line stuck to the sides of the walls of the basement, his eyes stayed on the old doctor before he made a mad dash up the stairs. Even with his stiff cast, he tried to gallop as quickly as he could up the stairs, round the kitchen, through the living room and out the front door, “MOM! DAD! EVERYPONY! COME QUICK!” “Starting?” his father went up to him, “Starting what’s wrong?” “He’s in the basement!” “Who is?” the colt’s mother inquired. “Hidden Trek! He’s never left! The doctor is turning him into a mummy!” “What’s all this screaming about?” the family turned to find the founder trotting up. “Starlight, thank Celestia! You gotta come with me quickly! Dr. Lovejoy is doing something to Hidden Trek, and I think he sawed his horn off!” “What?” several voices of the villagers asked. “It’s true; he has Mr. Trek in his basement, strapped to a table covered in salt. I think the doctor is really hurting him!” Starlight turned her gaze at the house, “This I got to see,” she, along with the villagers went in through the front door, across the living room, around the kitchen, and down the stairs into the kitchen. What she and the townspony did find the old unicorn, however, there was no mound of salt nor Hidden Trek strapped down. Instead, they found the doctor looking over some pictures besides a table in the middle of the room. On that table was a lantern with red lenses, two trays of chemicals, and overhead hung by twine and held by clothes pins were photos of the village. “Well that’s just wonderful,” Lovejoy said with disappointment, “The pictures are ruined.” The young colt pushed his way past the grown-ups, “Wha… But… He was right here!” “Who is,” the doctor asked. “Hidden Trek!” he pointed an accusing hoof, “You foal-napped Hidden Trek!” The older stallion looked at the villagers with a puzzling look, “What is he talking about?” “Starlight, I saw him!” Starting tapped his hoof underneath the table, “He was right here, covered in salt. Look! There’s some salt right here.” “I was refilling for a jar when I spilled some,” he looked at the founder, “Ms. Glimmer, what is this all about?” “Well, it seems to appear that Starting Line was accusing you of keeping Mr. Trek in your basement, doing something harmful to him.” “Why would I do that? And more importantly, how could I? He left Our Town several weeks ago.” Starlight looked down at Starting Line, “Young stallion, did you just lied to us?” “No! I’m not lying, I know what I saw!” “Oh…” Lovejoy realized as he put down the ruined photographs, “I think I know what this is really about.” “You do?” one of the villagers asked. “I think,” the old unicorn placed a hoof on Starting’s shoulder, who flinched at the touch; “I think it might have been his imagination over reacting to a scary looking environment.” “What!” the colt questioned. “It’s not uncommon you know,” the doctor went on. “Many foals his age that experienced tragedy, their minds tend to experience daydreams that are strong in order to cope with a loss. I think what happened here is that the unfamiliar environment of my basement had triggered in him a kind of fantasy that seemed a little too real to him. Ms. Glimmer, don’t be angry at him, it was an honest mistake, no need to ruin this holiday over it, no?” Starlight took a deep breath, “You’re right, we still have a feast to look forward to. And it seems that nopony is harmed, so Starting Line, for the future, please be careful of whom you accuse who of what. After all, you don’t want to be responsible for having an innocent pony punished for no good reason, do you?” The colt was about to object, but he felt a pat on his shoulder and looked up at the smirk that the doctor was giving him. “Uh… no, ma’am.” “Back outside everypony,” the founder said, “there’s no need to worry. Let’s get to our feast.” The ponies that followed her went upstairs, she turned to Starting, “You too.” And with him looking back at the old stallion several times, he obeyed. “I’m so sorry about that doctor, I never expected this.” “Oh no harm done, all my things are still intact, and the only damage there are a couple of photographs that have been exposed to light too soon.” “I see,” Starlight nodded, “By the way, you don’t happen to have more of the fungus on hoof, do you?” “I’m making some more if that’s what you’re asking. So don’t worry, give me a couple of days and you shall have a vile of your own.” She smiled, “Wonderful, now come along, we have a holiday to celebrate.” “In a moment, I think that I should put a few things away since I’m down here. If you could have somepony get the rolls upstairs, I’ll come out with the phonograph.” Starlight agreed and went upstairs also. Once all signs of other ponies were gone out of sight and out of earshot, Dr. Lovejoy went up to the wall underneath the staircase in which he tapped on it, “I do apologize for the sudden intrusion Mr. Trek, but I’m pleased to tell you that all those nosy ponies are gone. Ha, good thing for digging out that little space for you and a false brick wall, no? It tends to help when you plan ahead, and a good thing too! However, with the little colt seeing you so early, perhaps I should make a side project since you're taking so long. So, I’ll be off to the feast, you should have enough air for a couple of hours and I think I should be back by then. So sit tightly Mr. Trek, and happy Equality Day.” It was noon, and in the center of the street along a long line of tables with whatever food they could afford to spare, several smiling ponies sat in front of it. At one end stood the Founder looking proudly at the feast before her; while at the other end was Dr. Lovejoy, with a phonograph by his side that was waiting to play. “Fellow ponies,” Starlight declared, “We have much to celebrate for. Today is officially the twelfth year that our beloved village has been founded, where the idea of true equality has been put into practice.” There was a moment of applause, “While this year was tough, concerning of the death of Check Mate and the loss of Lilly Garden and Finishing Line, we have gained so much in just this year. Our crops have been plentiful, our Opal farms producing much for the trade, and with Hidden Trek, I believe we shall be a shining beacon for the whole world to come forth. “Everypony, look around at the great accomplishment of what the philosophy of all ponies is created equal. Look at the great advantages of sacrificing our cutie marks for the sake of peace. We are indeed fortunate of this, for we know what true destiny lies are while the world is confused in passing trends in which they will never know true happiness. “In the coming year when Hidden Trek returns, our village will be visited by ponies that seek a better life where their cutie marks had disappointed them. We shall offer them refuge and comfort in the joys of assimilation.” Here, applause erupted once more before she lifted a hoof to let her continue, “Once they see the light, we will have enough for more ponies like Hidden Trek to go forth into Equestria and beyond to spread the great news, that peace is possible in giving up the talent that separates you. There is a place in the world were sanctuary has opened its doors to. A place called Our Town!” Her followers approved at this as their hooves tapped on the table, “Before we begin, I want to take a moment to thank the good Doctor Lovejoy, while he doesn’t know when his time would come to depart, has shown his selflessness to us. While although not a member, he has contributed much to our cause. He has offered his service to the wounded of body and mind, even though he is separated with his own cutie mark, he has become like family to us. We only wish for you to live long, and maybe one day, he shall join us fully in embracing the true meaning of equality. “So, without further ado, let’s celebrate!” Thus they did, food was passed around, and plates were being filled before the villagers dug into their meals. While this was going on, the doctor lit his horn, turned on the machine and places the needle on the record until a song of thanksgiving was poured out. Piano music mixed in with the conversations and small talk. “Aren’t you hungry, Starting?” the colt’s mother asked, “Would you care for some rolls or potatoes?” The little earth pony didn’t say a word as he reached for a spoonful of the white, yet chunky, mashed potatoes, all the while looking at the pony at the end of the table. There was confusion, as well as a sense of dread for Starting. Surely he did see Hidden Trek in the basement. He smelled the foulness and the ugliness of what he was doing to the hornless unicorn. How could anypony dream something like that up? How could the table, salt, pony and all been there one minute and suddenly disappear the next? But more importantly, as Startling looked at the old stallion munching away at his roll, now that the doctor knows that he saw something in his basement, what was going to happen to him? What was going to happen to his parents now? Although throughout the feast, while Starting didn’t show it, he was very scared of a monster in their midst – a monster that could not only talk his way out of anything, but one that the whole village trusts, and that there’s nothing that Starting Line could do about it.